As soon as I saw a new book by Alys Murray, I knew I needed to read it. ‘Small Town Secrets’ is a new direction from her other books, so I opened the book and went straight in.
Set in Fortune Springs, a town that is attempting to increase the ratio of women to men just as Virginia Bessel needs to start again. She moves there for a job opportunity that has free bed and board as a return. Her plan is to move on to California after the year is finished. After she arrives in the town she meets the residents already living in Fortune Springs, along with Calla, the woman who runs the Bride House. As Virginia settles in her new town she soon comes to realise she is not the only person with secrets, everyone in the town has something they don’t want to remember and they want everyone else to forget as well.
As the story unfolds we learn more about just why Virginia has ended up in Fortune Springs and how Calla does support and help her through this. As the truth emerges and it always does will this make Virginia a stronger woman, or will everything fall at her feet?
A story that is not always a light read with Virginia’s reasons for moving and her fears being very real and true. I found Alys Murrays’ writing was so well-plotted and she had the tension so well done. Virginia’s emotions were almost palpable as she attempted to carry on keeping her secrets. Calla was a great character who ran the Bride House, with her women being almost like her children and she treated them as such.
An emotional family drama with such highs and lows that it hooked me till the end, but Alys Murray always manages to do that to me.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book.
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