Hmm..really wanted to rate this book higher and love it more as I think the sexy husband and wife writing duo of Nicci French do an amazing job of building suspense, creating the tension and making you want to know what is going to happen next..however I felt the tension didnt meet the ending and ultimately when there should have been a brilliant novel I was kinda let down..Okay so the story follows hardenend smartass Miranda as she does what she wants, is a female painter that loves to be dirty and crass and sleeps with who she wants..it is with this attitude she meets Branden and sleeps with him..however instead of being a one night stand she gets involved in a semi relationship with him for eight days and ends it abruptly when she finds him going through her diary..An intensely private person Miranda cant forgive him and moves on with her life and thinks he is a thing of the past until her older sister calls gushing about falling in love with a man she knows, the slimy Branden..It starts from there as Branden charms his way into the lives of her family and friends sickening Miranda with tragic and traumatic results..The lengths that Branden goes through to harass her is deliciously evil and he is truly a manipulative and sneaky man with the power to fool everyone and make Miranda even doubt herself..I loved the book for this part, it was a definite page turner and was super suspenseful however the ending seemed unfinished and unsatisfying--you want more but I suppose it can be appreciated for what it was and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
I'd read several Nicci Frenches years earlier and liked them at that point of my life. I may have read Secret Smile then as well, I can't remember anymore.The book starts in a promising fashion - the "bad guy" is creepy and there is tension and a sense of dread of what will happen next, because you know it's not going to be anything good. Unfortunately the tension just stays there for ages and the story doesn't reach a satisfying climax at any point.In the beginning I was able to relate to the main character, a young woman Miranda, feeling threatened by her ex boyfriend Brendan, who in turn pretends like everything's fine and normal as he starts dating her sister.The book grows tension from the very beginning, but after about halfway through it all just deflates. Miranda's actions start getting irrational, which is in contradiction with her earlier relatively sane behaviour. She has felt like Brendan has harrassed her and her family, but when he finally leaves her alone, she starts to seek him out herself. Logical? I think not. The reader is only slightly hinted at things through Miranda's own doubts and suspicions, but on the other hand, I wouldn't trust the later-half-Miranda.I thought the book was OK, not as intriguing as I remember feeling about the other Frenches from earlier years, but not a waste of time either. Good enough for some entertainment.
What do You think about Secret Smile (2006)?
Op een feestje maakt Miranda Cotton kennis met de charmante Brendan Block. In een opwelling neemt ze hem mee naar huis, waar de twee een hartstochtelijke nacht beleven. Al gauw lijkt zich tussen Miranda en Brendan iets moois te ontwikkelen. Maar dan, tien dagen na die eerste nacht, treft Miranda haar nieuwe vriend zomaar onverwacht in haar huis aan. Erger nog, Brandon heeft een oud dagboek gevonden waarin hij heeft gelezen dat Miranda op haar achttiende naar bed is geweest met de vriend van haar zus Kerry. Miranda is woest en maakt direct een einde aan de relatie. Een maand later gaat ze lunchen met Kerry, die bij die gelegenheid haar nieuwe vriend aan haar zus voorstelt. Het is niemand minder dan Brendan. Na verloop van tijd raakt Miranda er steeds meer van overtuigd dat Brendan een duivels spel speelt. Maar wie zal haar geloven? Ik vind het verhaal erg voorspelbaar, Miranda is wel erg doorzichtig. Het duurt lang voor er iemand vermoord wordt. Een lekker vlot boekje voor tussendoor meer niet.
—Wendy Koedoot
This was my second Nicci French book which I enjoyed almost as much as the first. It made for a really good "holiday read" as it grabbed my attention pretty much from the outset. I did find it a little annoying that no-one was prepared to believe Miranda's side of the story, not one person from her family, still I guess this is what a stalker can really be like. It did seem a little unlikely that even Detective Rob Pryor was taken in by him. Anyway, I particularly liked the twist in the final few pages.
—Sabrina Grounds
I'm thoroughly irritated with Miranda. Instead of investigating her creepy 2 week week ex, she seems to spend her time drinking and sleeping with men that she just met, while the creepy 2 week ex is whispering creepy vulgar things to her. It seems Miranda didn't think to google creepy 2 week ex or to hire a private investigator. Miranda's entire family seems stupid and naive. Apparently, her family members would rather take the words of a man they just met a month ago over their own daughter. The ending was rushed. I found it hard to believe that she goes from drinking and sleeping with men she just met to planning an elaborate setup to frame creepy 2 week ex.
—Ella
