The Secrets of Us by Lucinda Berry #lucindaberry #thomasandmercer #psycologicalthriller @absltmom

My review

It was extremely interesting that the author of this book Dr Lucinda Berry was for a time a clinical psychologist, specializing in childhood trauma. She is well equipped to write of the characters Nichole and Krystal and the traumas the girls faced both in their young lives living as foster children in a home which was not loving but cold and demanding.

As they grew, the girls, who always felt like sisters even though they were not blood relatives, managed to achieve both prestige and success. Kyrstal becomes a lawyer while Nichole married a man who adored her, an architect, and her life seemed idyllic.

However, horrific instances of the past come back to haunt both ladies and seem to be even more prevalent in Nicole, as she experiences what appears to be psychotic episodes. These episodes seem to be triggered by her husband and because of her behavior and trying to burn down her home with her husband in it, Nichole is brought to a mental hospital where her behavior spirals out of control.

The question is who is responsible for this behavior? Is the husband all he seems to be, and is Krystal able to protect a sister who she loves and has a close affinity for?

The story does deliver a quick read and a definite look into the concept of a person’s mental state brought on by a childhood trauma they can’t seem to forget.

Thank you to Lucinda Berry, Thomas and Mercer, and NetGalley for a copy of this psychological thriller.

and here’s the author:

Dr. Lucinda Berry is a former clinical psychologist and leading researcher in childhood trauma. Now, she spends her days writing full-time where she uses her clinical experience to blur the line between fiction and nonfiction. She enjoys taking her readers on a journey through the dark recesses of the human psyche. Her work has been optioned for film and translated into multiple languages.

If Berry isn’t chasing after her son, you can find her running through Los Angeles, prepping for her next marathon.