What attracted me to this book was the old house, a murderous secret between friends and the setting in Cornwall. Sounds a bit like a Kate Morton vibe.

Liz and Tasmin are from very different worlds socially and economically but became very good friends in their early teens. There is a murder, that's the opening scene, and eventually Tasmin moves away. Fast forward 20 years and Tasmin is now back. Liz works as a postie delivering mail They reconnect, both knowing the secret which can ruin them both.
I think I am probably in the minority on this but I didn't love the book. I grew bored with the plot and felt the character development could have been better.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of this novel. This was published October 25, 2022 by Amazon Publishing U.K. Genre: General Fiction, Woman's Fiction and Mystery/Thrillers. ( )

The story is told in an effective backward and forward timeframe starting with a mystery that happened twenty years ago at Lakewell Manor when Elizabeth meets and becomes friends with Tamsin and her mother who own the Manor. Moving to the present Elizabeth has been forced to return to her hometown of Easthaven and Tamsin has returned to Lakewell Manor following her mother’s death. The glue that holds the story together is the twenty year old mystery but there are other incidents and situations that have landed Elizabeth in her present troubled situation that are never fully explored nor explained. She was a journalist, she made a mistake or three and now she is lucky to have her present job as a postal carrier, a/k/a postie. She seems destined to keep making those mistakes but yet expects a different outcome.

While everything was very predictable the story moved along and held up except that there was really no one to like or admire. The protagonist, Elizabeth, just can’t get it right and seems to bungle everything except the loyalty that true friendship commands - joining her on her daily rounds is a series of frustrations and trying to understand her convoluted logic and her capability of embracing her “small white lies” is exhausting. You can’t help but mutter, “really, really, in what world is that a good idea?” Unfortunately she is not the only flawed character here. Pick the most vile fairy tale villainess and that would be her Mother. Then there is the nasty, back-stabbing woman on her postal route, a stereotypical misogynistic and greedy landlord, an ex-husband that cheats and then sues for total custody of the children he has with Elizabeth, are just a few of the many dark figures in this story. On the plus side, Elizabeth’s sweet daughters are her biggest fans and cheerleaders.

A few twists and turns, nothing outrageous nor mind boggling, just so hard to wrap my mind around one person making so many mistakes and taking so many chances when so much is tenuous. Rounding up for the character development and great descriptions. Thank you Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a copy. ( )

Review of eBook

After twenty years away, Liz Barrowman has returned to Easthaven, something she’s promised herself she would never do. But a nasty divorce has forced her to move into her mother’s home with her two daughters, Ruby and Mia. As she delivers mail along her postal route, she discovers that her one-time best friend, Tamsin Lakewell, is also returning to Easthaven.

Feeling drawn to the estate, Liz heads for Lakewell Manor and instantly recognizes Tamsin beside a table at the side of the manor, overlooking the sea. Liz bandages a cut on Tamsin’s hand and soon the two women are renewing their acquaintance after twenty-some years.

Tamsin introduces Liz to her fiancé, Carl; taken aback by his resemblance to Gabe, Liz leaves to continue delivering the mail along her route. The next day when Liz sees Tamsin in town, she doesn’t look the same. She doesn’t sound the same. She doesn’t remember Liz . . . she doesn’t even know her name. And she definitely is not behaving the way Tamsin would behave.

Can Liz solve the mystery of Tamsin’s abrupt change? And what about what happened that night, all those years ago?

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Told from Liz’s point of view, the unfolding story takes place in two timelines: the present and twenty-some years ago when Liz and Tamsin were both sixteen and were best friends. Liz still dreams of being a journalist; Tamsin, true to her dream, has become a published poet.

The characters are well-drawn and realistic, but not always likable [especially Liz’s caustic mother whose extreme bitterness makes her seem more like a caricature]; the plot, both inventive and intriguing, includes several surprising twists and keeps readers guessing as secrets are slowly revealed and mysteries resolved as the story reaches an unexpected denouement.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley
#SecretsBetweenFriends #NetGalley ( )