Mother of 3 and wife of John-Paul, Cecilia discovers an old envelope in the attic. Written in her husbands hand, it says: to be opened only in the event of my death.
Curious, she opens it - and time stops.
John-Pauls letter confesses to a terrible mistake which, if revealed, would wreck their family as well as the lives of others.
Cecilia wants to do the right thing, but right for who? If she protects her family by staying silent, the truth will worm through her heart. But if she reveals her husband's secret, she will hurt those she loves most...
My Thoughts
5/5
Where do I start with this book! I was expecting a lot from this book, after reading 'Big Little Lies' (also by Liane Moriarty), and I am so happy to say I loved everything about this book too!, from the colours and detail used on the front cover to the way it was written. The story had me completely hooked from the very first chapter right through to the end.
In this book we meet Cecilia Fitzpatrick, happily married to John-Paul, and a busy body mum to 3 girls, Isobel, Esther, and Poppy. Everything seems too good to be true in their family home, until Cecilia discovers a letter which was written from her husband and hidden away in the loft. When she calls John-Paul, he desperately pleads with her not to open that letter, and explains he wrote it in a moment of madness after their first daughter was born. This already had me hooked! I was desperate to know what was in the letter too!.
We are also introduced to Tess, who's whole world is turned upside down after a revelation from her husband Will, and her cousin Felicity. Tess leaves town and flees to the comfort of her mother, taking her son Liam with her. Whilst here Tess re-connects with a man who she dated many years ago called Connor. Tess then has to make a difficult decision, what is best for herself and also for her son Liam.
Another character that plays an important role throughout the book is Rachel, the schools secretary, who is still trying to come to terms with her daughters murder. Rachel has pushed away her son Robert throughout the years whilst trying to deal with her grief, but is now faced with Rob, and his wife Lauren moving to new York with her grandson Jacob. Rachel also works with Connor Whitby, he is the school PE teacher, who Rachel just so happens to be convinced has murdered her daughter.
As the story unfolds, the lives of all of these characters cross over in so many ways you wouldn't expect, and the secret that Cecilia is keeping hold of will effect them all in ways they never thought possible.
This book had a lot of twists in the story as it progressed, all of which made it even more addictive!. I am normally a 'chick lit lover', but it is safe to say Liane Moriarty's books, with her outstanding writing have definitely won me over!
