Every time I start a book by K.L. Slater - this is my sixth - I know I'll be treated to a good story. It's not very often that I stay up later than usual to finish a book, but it happened here (granted, I had only two chapters left, but still).This one begins not long after Janey Markham lost her mother, for whom she'd been providing care. She and her husband Isaac and young son Rowan have been able to make ends meet - barely - since she stopped working as a teaching assistant. But now, hope is on the horizon; Isaac, it seems, has landed a new job at nearly double his old salary. A bonus of paid moving expenses makes the switch to West Bridgford, England, irresistible. Sweetening the pot even more is the "perfect" house just waiting for them to buy.
Janey is surprised at the turn of events, but relieved; just before her mother passed away, she revealed a secret to her daughter - one that totally changed Janey's view of her world. Now, she thinks, she can start fresh - maybe even land a job at the posh private school Rowan will be attending - and no one will be the wiser.
Early on, though, she gets cold-shoulder treatment from a hoity-toity group of mothers who bring their kids to school each day (I felt a definite Stepford Wives vibe going on). They all dress to the nines and have homes far grander than Janie's, making her wonder whether she'll ever measure up. Gradually, they begin to "accept" Janey - or at least two of them do. The third, seemingly jealous of Janie's new friendship with Tanya, the woman she considers her bestie, sulks and makes snarky comments. That's disturbing to Janey, who doesn't have a clue as to why. But when Janey discovers that something may be amiss with Tanya's teenage daughter Angel - and an elderly neighbor warns her about getting too cozy with the snooty ladies - she begins to suspect her picture-perfect life may have a few cracks in it.
Then one day, Janey and her friend Tanya get schnockered drinking "fizzies" in the hot tub, and Janey spills the beans about her mother's secret. Isaac is livid, but Janey argues that her new friend would never betray her. That works, until it doesn't; something Janey sees threatens to disrupt Tanya's life, and she, in turn, threatens to let the rest of the community in on what she knows about Janey. For his part, Isaac isn't much help; despite his promise when they moved, his new job is demanding even more of his time than did his former one.
What's really going on - with the women and with her husband - is a question Janie desperately wants answered. But who can she trust? No one is talking, and suddenly Janey's life turns into a living hell. Readers learn the truth as the story progresses and comes to an exciting end. I did take a bit of an issue with Janey's so-called "shocking" secret; granted, it's not pretty, but neither did it seem to be devastating enough to nearly destroy her life. But overall, I give this one high marks - and thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.
Little Whispers by K.L. Slater (Bookouture, May 2020); 259 pp.
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