The Children's Secret: A Novel (Hardcover)

Description

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In the vein of Big Little Lies, Nina Monroe's suspense debut explores the dangerous side of suburbia.

Nothing ever happens in a sleepy town like Middlebrook. Until the residents are shaken to their core, when one hot Saturday afternoon, at a back-to-school party, nine children sneak into a barn...and only eight come out unharmed.

The press immediately starts asking questions. What type of parents let their children play unsupervised in a house with guns? What kind of child pulls the trigger on their friend? And most importantly: of the nine children who were present in that barn, which one actually pulled the trigger, and why are the others staying silent?

Incredibly gripping and gorgeously written, this thought-provoking novel asks how much our children are capable of, and how far we will go to protect them.

About the Author

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Nina Monroe grew up in Germany, France, and England. A graduate of Oxford University, she taught English and Creative Writing in the UK before settling in New Hampshire with husband and three children.  Her writing has been translated into over a dozen languages and published worldwide. The Children's Secret is her first novel set exclusively in the U.S

Praise For…

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Praise for The Children’s Secret:
“Monroe stokes the fires so effectively as racism, snobbery, and old grudges fly around decorous Middlebrook with the fury of the woes released from Pandora’s box.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“A dark, taut, and increasingly tense page-turner, The Children's Secret is the best kind of suspense story, one that makes the reader think as well as feel.”
—DJ Palmer, USA Today bestseller author of The New Husband and The Perfect Daughter

“A child is shot at a neighborhood party, and so, with a literal bang, The Children’s Secret begins. As the story unfolds through multiple points of view, Monroe holds a magnifying glass to gun ownership, the claustrophobia of a close-knit community, and deep-seated cultural biases. Timely and thought-provoking.”
—Paula Treick DeBoard, critically acclaimed author of The Drowning Girls and The Mourning Hours

“The Children's Secret has it all: part mystery and part thriller and completely engrossing. Peel back the layers of a tragedy showcasing how powerful secrets can be. This is not an ordinary whodunit - it's gripping and relevant and thought-provoking - and you won't be able to put it down.” —Alexandra Burt, author of Remember Mia, The Good Daughter, and Shadow Garden