A Guilty Secret

‘An intricate story, full of tension’ The Sun

'Masterful, clever, surprising at ever turn; a proper page-turner and a one-sitting read. I couldn’t stop turning the pages. Sublime’ Andrea Mara

‘A truly gripping thriller filled with teenage nostalgia and vividly rendered toxic friendships. It had me turning pages late into the night’ Heather Darwent

2003: Carrie and her friends spend their days studying at boarding school, and their nights sneaking out to the woods. It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

2019: When Finn receives a shocking call from his estranged wife, Mhairi, informing him of their friend Kate’s death, neither is prepared for the secrets they will uncover. The trail leads them to the events at a boarding school many years before.

They are on the verge of unearthing the whole story – but someone will do anything to keep it buried.

‘Packed with dangerously charismatic characters you can’t get out of your head’ Laura Vaughan

'A psychologist and therapist herself, Philippa East, the author of Little White Lies, gently unspools her tale with great skill' Choice Magazine

‘A skilful, layered and ultimately emotional read. East is at the top of her game!’ Louise Swanson

'An engaging and unsettling novel that explores the spectrum of human connections, painful and tender' Lincolnshire Life

‘An addictive page-turner and a nuanced exploration of consequences and guilt. Complex and clever in the best ways’ Laurie Elizabeth Flynn

'Loved this claustrophobic and gorgeously written thriller' Fiona Cummins

Reviews

'It grips like a tourniquet' Peterborough Telegraph

‘Highly engrossing and recommended’ Penny Batchelor

Praise for Philippa East

‘Breathtaking suspense. A phenomenal talent’ Holly Seddon

‘Terrifically engaging’ Jo Spain

‘Addictive. I couldn’t put it down’ Phoebe Morgan

‘Tense’ Araminta Hall

‘Heart-breakingly realistic’ Gytha Lodge

‘Compelling and beautifully written’ Debbie Howells

‘An engrossing, twisty tale’ Nell Pattison

‘A Thought-provoking thriller’ Heat

‘This emotional, twisty plot leads to a satisfyingly spellbinding end’ Candis

About the author

Philippa East grew up in Scotland and originally studied Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Oxford. After graduating, she moved to London to train as a Clinical Psychologist and worked in NHS mental health services for over ten years. Her debut Little White Lies was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger for best debut of 2020, and she has since published three further psychological thrillers. Philippa now lives in the Lincolnshire countryside with her spouse and cat, and alongside her writing she continues to practise as a clinical psychologist and therapist. A Guilty Secret is her fourth novel.