A slow burning, character centric story, Other People’s Secrets elicits emotions ranging from sadness, anger and despair to hope, acceptance and satisfaction. Meredith Hambrock’s stellar debut novel delivers a compelling read that is part sociological case study and part noir crime thriller.
Baby has had a tough life. She was found in a dumpster as a newborn, her adoptive mother died of a stroke, she’s stuck in a small town with little money and few prospects, has a summertime boyfriend who won’t commit, and the lakeside resort she lives and works at has just been sold to someone with grand plans of making changes that will alter the only home Baby has known. But one thing Baby does have is fiercely loyal friends, who band together with her to plot and scheme to try finding a way to thwart the proposed changes in order to keep the resort the way it is. But there’s more going on at the resort than her and her friends can possibly understand and while Baby has been a screw-up her whole life, this time she might be in over her head and lose everything she holds dear.
For a good chunk of Other People’s Secrets, it’s a story about a group of people resistant to change and desperate to hold onto their version of normalcy. Something many of us can relate to. Getting comfortable with the status quo even if it doesn’t serve us, but unwilling and/or unable to take the necessary steps to embrace the possibilities that come with the opportunity to evolve. In this book, it’s about holding onto a one-sided relationship, the inability to accept changes to the workplace, and not seeing a bigger world is out there beyond this small town. Desperation wafts off the pages like the stink emanating from a dumpster in a back alley. And it makes you feel for the characters, wishing there was a way you could guide them to a better future.
But then there’s a point in the book, a big twist/revelation, where the story evolves into one about haves vs. have nots, good guys vs. bad guys and having the courage to make things right in the face of a dangerous foe. And that’s when Other People’s Secrets kicks up a notch and moves from a dark tale of people down on their luck to an even darker tale of the little guy taking on those who would hold them down. And that’s where the fun really begins.
Fans of stories featuring well developed characters who are the underdogs taking it to the man will especially love Other People’s Secrets. It’s a strong debut by Meredith Hambrock and one that sticks with you for days after reading the last sentence.
Follow Steve on Twitter or contact him via the site.
Purchase Other People’s Secrets
(Note: most indie bookstores can fulfill an order as quickly as larger retailers. Please consider contacting them for your next purchase.)
Barrington Books
Chapter 2 Books
Murder By The Book
Once Upon A Crime
The Book Dragon
The Poisoned Pen
