I’ll Never Tell by Philippa East – Book Review

The story centres around Paul, Julia and Julia’s 15-year-old daughter, Chrissie. Julia is a lawyer, always consumed with work, Paul is a stay-at-home dad, and Chrissie is an exceptionally talented violinist.

At a glance, the Goodlights seem like an ordinary family. But after Chrissie’s sensational violin performance, she disappears, and the walls of their perfect family start to crumble. Secrets, lies and betrayal.

I’ll Never Tell is the first book of Philipa’s I have read, and I’m a bit annoyed that I haven’t read any of her previous books, especially Safe and Sound, as people keep saying it is better than this one! And I really enjoyed this book.

After reading the synopsis, I was intrigued, but after the first chapter, I was hooked. I’ll admit that after the initial chapters, I felt the book’s pace slow to the point that I thought I might lose interest. And being completely honest and subjectively speaking, I don’t think Paul’s character was compelling enough for me to care about him. I found him a bit dry. Julia, however, was what kept the story going for me. She was flawed but strong, and she felt real.

The chapters are short and did well in keeping me engaged, and after halfway, the book picks up the pace and delivers perfectly.

The plot was great. And the writing was beautiful and flawless.

Be warned that some readers might find it triggering—the book contains sexual violence and abuse elements.

Overall, I think this is more than just a thriller; it was deeper and contained way more substance than many books I read this year. I usually read thrillers for escape and tend to forget them soon after. I don’t think I’ll forget this for a while.

This book will not disappoint you. And yes, I highly recommend it!