The Darkest Secret - Alex Marwood

by Doug D 23.08.20 9:55

Surprised there hasn’t been a thread for this before, but I searched and couldn’t find one.

Just read this book with the following one-liners from Stephen King:

'If there has been a better mystery suspense story written in this decade, I can't think of it'

and Val McDermid:

‘A genuinely shocking thriller where nothing is as it seems’

Must have been the easiest book to ever write.

It’s all in there, cribbed from the files, press reports and online theories, even down to the ‘Sandbanks 7’ just with a little kink at the end to give it closure.

Snipped:
‘The Alex Marwood books tend to involve a lot of characters, this one was no different, so you did have to stay tuned in to keep up. Of the many characters most were unpleasant, narcissistic or just simply psychopathic! But we did warm to some as we saw their vulnerability and how their lives had been affected by a series of events and time spent with people of questionable personality traits.

Timeline, location and character narration changes didn’t put us off. At times the plot was predictable, other times unrealistic; and generally most of the characterisation was pretty superficial. And yet we all felt gripped, avidly reading to see how the story would unfold. Most of us foresaw the real truth or had our speculations along the way, but the twists and turns of the book still left us pondering. Was there more we didn’t know; what else had been covered up and made to go away; how often does the power of PR, blackmail or group peer pressure get used in real-life to keep something a secret?’
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by Guest 23.08.20 10:41

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Just ordered a second hand copy.

Thanks Doug D.

by Silentscope 23.08.20 12:57

I just skimmed through the Kindle preview version and noticed the Portuguese housekeeper, baby monitors and name similarities...

Should be re - titled “ The Lie about the Truth” ?

How was this missed since it was released four years ago?

Interesting

by crusader 28.08.20 13:37

My second hand copy has just arrived,
Thanks Doug.D

by Guest 28.08.20 14:44

I'm always on the lookout for this type of book, but here's one which I didn't come across. I'll try to acquire a copy. Thanks for mentioning it.

by Guest 01.09.20 19:22

Nearly half way through.

I was puzzled where the McCann connection was in the story (except for some very superficial things).

Then the Doctor in the group revealed how his young kids slept through the party noise.
(The other parents kids were constantly waking and coming down stairs).

It's a good read whatever.

by **Jill Havern** 01.09.20 19:46

Is it? I've bought it aswell but not got around to starting it yet.

I'm busy paint

again at the mo!

by Verdi 01.09.20 21:40

BlueBag wrote:Nearly half way through.

I was puzzled where the McCann connection was in the story (except for some very superficial things).

Then the Doctor in the group revealed how his young kids slept through the party noise.
(The other parents kids were constantly waking and coming down stairs).

It's a good read whatever.

I read the synopsis when it was first mentioned on the forum. There didn't appear to me to be even a remote similarity $i don\'t know$ .

I kept quiet. I remember saying the same about The Suspicions of Mr Witcher - The Murder at Road Hill House, I was eaten alive at the time skull

.

by crusader 01.09.20 21:46

I'm only on page 40 and I'm finding it hard going.

by Guest 02.09.20 7:03

crusader wrote:I'm only on page 40 and I'm finding it hard going.

The back and forth time-frames are hard to deal with.

It's OK though, I'm intrigued - doping kids to get them to sleep while the parents party is the theme.

I'm assuming it gets worse than that though.

There is a Tory MP as one of the main characters that probably ups the ante towards the end.

by Guest 04.09.20 7:09

Finished.

An interesting read.

Loosely based on a certain theory about something stronger than Calpol.

A certain well known abduction was used definitely for reference but not in a way where she's doing a nod and a wink what I'm really saying is...

There is a twist at the end.

Always a twist (which I guessed about a half way through).

The author Alex Marwood is a pen-name. She's a journalist. Serena Mackesy.

by **PeterMac** 04.09.20 8:06

I'm trying hard, but keep remembering why I don't read novels !
There should be a 500 word Executive summary at the beginning.

by **PeterMac** 05.09.20 8:08

Easiest bit is to flick through the 'present' chapters and concentrate on the "past ones"
And read those like a detective.
GUT them, and sort out the padding (of which there is mountains)
Neat twist, which I hadn't spotted, which I suspect was the whole idea!

by Guest 05.09.20 8:20

There are no revelations in the book - open or hidden - for anyone who followed the McCann case.

It's an examination of motives for a cover-up by professional and political people with everything to lose in certain scenario.

It was OK. It didn't bore me as I read it.

by Verdi 05.09.20 13:17

If a film or a published novel relates in any way to a missing child or mysterious death of a child, the reader will find a link to the case of Madeleine McCann.

It's a good marketing ploy.