A child vanishes, a marriage suffers in ‘Little Secrets’
The family thriller continues to be a formidable trend in mystery fiction. After all, everyone has a family in some way — good, bad or indifferent.
Jennifer Hillier puts a unique spin on the family thriller with a tense plot that includes complicated characters in the highly entertaining “Little Secrets,” her sixth standalone. “Little Secrets” also works well as a privatedetectivenovel,akidnapping heist and a look at debilitating grief — as well as a solid tale about obsession and betrayal as a family falls apart in the wake of a crime.
Hillierbringsthesamevigorous storytelling to “Little Secrets” as she did to her 2018 “Jar of Hearts,” which won the International Thriller
Writers’ best novel award.
Here, celebrity hairstylist Marin Machado is juggling packages, a call from her husband Derek and the crowds at Seattle’s popular Pike Place Market while tightly holding the hand of her 4-year- old son, Sebastian. But in a flash, Sebastian slips out of her hand and is gone, vanished among the Christmas shopping crowd. The security cameras only show the child with a man wearing a Santa Claus suit, but then no further trace. No calls for ransom, no random sightings.
Nearly 16 months later, Marin remains shellshocked about her son, counting how many hours and minutes it’s been since she saw him. She has little interest in managing her successful a chain of upscale hair salons. Derek seems more comfortable runningthecompanythathe built from the ground up as well as taking frequent businesstrips.Sheblamesherself for Sebastian’s disappearance and, in a way, so does Derek. The couple, once close, now rarely speak.
The police consider it a cold case, so Marin hires a private investigator who uncovers Derek’s months-long affair with grad student KenzieLi,whothrivesonbeingan Instagram celebrity. Kenzie considers herself a “professional girlfriend,” specializing in wealthy men who give her money and expensive gifts. Derek’s affair shocks Marin out of her depression, her anger and rage catapulting her into a dark emotional place seeking revenge.
Hillier skillfully shows how little lies that run through the story expand and overwhelm the characters, each of whom reaches a believable arc. Aside from Sebastian, no character is completely sympathetic, nor is any of them a villain. All the characters struggle with human flaws and frailties that, if allowed, could destroy them.