Review of 'Every Secret Thing' by Susanna Kearsley

Review of 'Every Secret Thing' by Susanna Kearsley

Release date: Nov 17th, 2026

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

REVIEW

I am speechless after finishing this unforgettable dual timeline WW2 mystery from Canadian author Susanna Kearsley. Once I started Every Secret Thing I could not stop. What a riveting read! I was fully engaged and immersed in the storyline and transported to the locations described. I felt every heart-thumping event that unfolded, thanks to the author’s persuasive and imaginative story telling talent.

Kate Murray is a strong female figure who pulled me in from the first page. I fiercely followed her every step and could not wait to see what next clue she would overturn. As a journalist she notices details and uses her meticulous mind to work out the mystery handed to her. It is easy to see why she is admired for her investigative skills. Although she is up against a very slippery villain, and has some awful experiences, she manages to manoeuvre through the terrible mazes and curve balls she encounters. She comes across as a realistic caring soul who exhibits courage when needed but our heroine also shows a healthy dose of fear. With all she endures, including threats on her life, running and hiding at times is a smart move. For after that chance meeting with the old man, she is always in danger. Yet still, her drive for justice propels her—along with her concerns for the safety of her friends and family who ALL become targets in this perilous cat and mouse chase.

The novel begins with a Beforehand section which is a great setup for the mystery. I always like to go back to the start when I finish a story and read that part again as it ties everything together. These are the thoughts of the main character, Kate, who comments that the hardest part of writing a story is its beginning and end. And true events make it even harder for ‘the truth does not allow for tidy endings’. She goes on to tell us that the details of this story began before she was born but she starts where she came into it. The novel is composed of her own narration plus testimonies and flashbacks from others. And not everyone who spoke to her survived, so we immediately know there will be deaths. As she states, what she wrote is a ‘chronology of strange, confusing days, and what I saw, and what I lived, and what was told to me.’ The tea roses on the cover have some significance. In this section she mentions an arrival of a gift on her birthday, these roses and another item which she does not name. This item is revealed at the end. But the mystery is set up at the start, when the gifts arrive which launches the story—along with her memories of those events. Which follow with the words: ‘back to that first morning on the grey steps of St Paul’s, in London.’

Kate’s dangerous journey begins when an elderly man approaches here. He is keen to tell her about an age old murder. He wants her to pursue the facts to get justice. She is not sure what to make of him but when he mentions she has her grandmother’s eyes, it makes her wonder. Does this man know her grandmother? But Kate is busy and initially sees him just as another old man in an overcoat and hat. This lack of attention will become her great regret, not studying him properly. And listening to what he had to say. For the next moment everything changes. She witnesses his death. Andrew Deacon our mystery man is now gone. But he has quite a tale to tell. And now she cannot get the facts from him. Many questions surface in her mind. One being: what is his connection to her grandmother?

This novel bursts with suspicion. And like Kate with all the people she encounters on her search, it is hard to tell who is an enemy or a friend. There are many twists and turns and surprises that kept me spellbound and wanting to know the truth. One thing we know is that meeting Andrew Deacon ends up changing Kate’s life. And she learns so much about her grandmother’s mysterious wartime work. This part of the novel was especially fascinating to see the secret work that women were doing. And as the politics, the deceptions, double crossing and dangers of the time wove their way into the narrative, the story heightens along with the tension.

There are some excellent supporting characters that assist Kate in her search for the truth. And as she traces Andrew Deacon’s footsteps across countries, the discoveries, the people she meets and surprises she encounters— certainly made my heart beat faster! I was enthralled, mesmerised and on the edge of my seat--thinking and wondering what the next event would be. What piece of the puzzle might fall into place? There are some brilliant scenes of which I cannot elaborate on but they certainly turned up the heat in the chase. This story had me in its grip and kept me on my toes.

It is obvious a lot of research went into the writing of Every Secret Thing. The author tells us in her notes that it took four years to write. It is easy to see why as the depth of knowledge and details used to create this well-designed mystery are epic. I understand this is a re-release. I for one am glad it is coming out again as I never read it before but so happy I have now. This incredible treacherous tale of war time secrets was worth every moment of my time.  I have enjoyed other books of Susanna’s and now can say Every Secret Thing is high on that list of favourites. Highly recommend. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to SourceBooks Landmark and Netgalley for a review copy.