Every Last Secret

Really enjoyed this book - loved it! Couldn’t put it down I had to complete it it in a day!

Good read

Every Last Secret opens in a police interview room, with one of the main characters being questioned about an attempted murder. We revisit this scenario on three more occasions, and each time it creates an intriguing present-day scenario that will frame your perception of the story as it unfolds in the intervening chapters. The story is narrated by the book’s two main characters - Cat Winthorpe, and Neena Ryder - with chapters swapping between the two women, recounting the events in the four months leading up to that police interview.The book is set in the ultra-affluent San Francisco suburb of Atherton, where the average home has it’s own cinema, gym, indoor (and outdoor) pool, and a small army of staff. ‘To have and to hold’, takes on a whole new meaning amongst the diamond-encrusted women in this elitist community, and social gatherings are a combat sport.Neena and Matt Ryder are the two newcomers, moving-in to the one blot on an otherwise perfectly manicured landscape. Rather than celebrate this five-year-vacant home finally facing improvement, their new neighbours chalk this up as the first black mark against the couple. Matt has worked hard to establish and grow his demolition business, and would do absolutely anything to keep his very-surgically-enhanced (another black mark) wife happy. Unlike the other wives of Atherton, Neena has to work (yet another black mark) and has just started a new job at Winthorpe Technologies as their Director of Motivation.Cat and William Winthorpe are the neighbourhood’s golden couple; stinkingly rich, extremely gorgeous, members of all the right societies and clubs … but there’s one thing neither their wealth nor their influence can buy. Winthorpe Technologies is one of their companies, and it’s on the cusp of elevating this seemingly perfect couple from mere multi-millionaires to the infinitely preferable status of billionaires. Right now, they’re managing to scrape by with a second home in Hawaii, a private jet, and a Ferrari in the garage … being kept company by a handful of other supercars. Oh, and they live right next-door to the Ryders!Whilst Cat has almost everything she could possibly want, Neena is at the smash-and-grab stage of a ruthless social ascent. Killer heels double-up as elegant climbing spikes as she strives to make her way up the ladder … and she’s got her seductively-shadowed eyes set fast on the boy next-door: William.As the book progresses it gradually reveals and enriches the back stories of both couples, and you’ll feel yourself being urged to choose a ‘side’. Drip by drip, intriguing little morsels are woven into the fabric of the two women’s narratives … a breadcrumb trail of snippets that’ll shift and distort how you respond to the ensuing scenarios. The more I got know the two woman, the less likeable they became. Insidious secrets are dragged to the fore; some hardened my dislike, some inspired pity, others aroused suspicion … each of them dropped into the story by the author with superb timing, designed to keep the reader guessing.The final two chapters of the book come with a twist. Narrated by Cat and William, they deliver a bitter sweet ending, with a sting that will flip your opinion of one of the characters on its head.Sharpen your claws … Every Last Secret is an enormously addictive thriller that’ll raise your hackles and draw you into to a monumental bitch fight. Only one character could be described as likeable, and yet it’s impossible not to engage with everyone in the story. It’s like watching a famously-catty reality television show … one that has a full-on Dallas glamour budget. Hugely compulsive and highly recommended.

I loved the characters and the way the telling of their story went from one character back to the other. The book held my attention all the way through and I read it quickly because I wanted to know.what happened next”…..Totally recommend this book for anyone who loves a story with a twist

Wow I was totally addicted to this story of two women fighting for the same man. One is married to said man and the other a newly moved in neighbour who is married as well. Storyline was great, writing perfection and the characters were so interesting to get to know with all their faults into the bargain.This story is told from the two main female characters Cat Winthorpe, and Neena Ryder. Cat is married to a wealthy gorgeous man who owns his own company, they live in a beautiful house in the affluent San Francisco suburb of Atherton and want for nothing. Where as Cat and William are at the top of the ladder, Nina and her husband Matt are trying to slowly crawl up their one with great difficulty. Neena has started a new job working for William at his firm and she makes no bones about the fact that she is attracted to William and his money of course, and basically goes all out to grab his attention any way she can.William is a man who has worked hard to get where he has and he does really love his wife Cat so will Neena be able to draw him into her spiders web ? Not if Cat has anything to do with it and so the story unfolds.Neena's husband Matt is the opposite of William. He's a lovely kind but submissive man and Neena takes him for granted every chance she gets. He's dominated by her but love is blind for Matt, he tries so hard to please her that I really felt for him.This is a tale about jealousy and greed, two women fighting over the same man; one trying to keep her husband and the other trying to steal him away for her own gain with no thought to any one else.There are lots of secrets in this book and many a twist that will take you a while to work out and is so worth the read. I could not put it down for one minute.Make your own mind up and read this book, how some of these reviews are so negative beats me because as far as I was concerned this story was addictive, clever and very very enjoyable. Brilliant work from this author that I love.

Every Last Secret was enjoyable, unputdownable and a little crazy. This book was a bit consuming, a lot conniving and cunning with characters I don’t think I was ever supposed to like. However, I definitely appreciated the characters, their development, the evil sides and morally grey-ness. There were a few good types thrown in just to balance it out though.The story focused on an uber-rich community and a interloping couple Neena and Matt. Cat and William were too good to be true and boy did that play out in a spectacular way. William in particular was an aloof character, not particularly nice and Cat was a crafted and perfected individual; lots of facets for the reader to get their teeth into.While I was there for every twist and turn, I did know where it was going broadly and who the perpetrator was. I really enjoyed the dynamics between Cat and Neena, Cat and William, Matt and everyone. The blurring of lines between these couples was gripping and kept me hooked."She smiled, and I smiled, and the morning chill didn’t have anything on us."There was something about the end portion of the book that begged for a little more depth in my opinion although I did love the final pages. This was such a clever story and A.R. Torre always gets me with her thrillers/suspense. I think this genre is where she is most talented.Every Last Secret really gave me Big Little Lies-vibes so if you’re a fan of that book, definitely try this one.

An interesting twist too. I will look for more books by this author.