31 October 2025

Thank you to Random Things Tours for the invitation to participate in this blog tour. Once again, I jumped into this one blindly with no idea what was coming. This one proved to be a well-crafted, atmospheric mystery. Little Secrets by Victoria Goldman delivers a clever blend of mystery, atmosphere, and slow-burning tension — the kind of story that pulls you in with its eerie setting and keeps you there as the secrets of the past begin to unravel.

The story moves between two timelines: then — June 1999, when five prisoners were mysteriously killed at HMP Panbrook just before it closed down, and now — twenty years later, when the former prison has been converted into a luxury hotel. (A side note: I am not sure I would want to stay in a hotel that was a former prison.) The prison nurse accused of the murders, Anna Kendall, died before she could stand trial, leaving the case unresolved and her guilt forever in question.

In the present day, hotel manager Madeleine Batten becomes fixated on uncovering the truth behind what really happened all those years ago. But as she digs deeper into the prison’s dark history, someone is determined to ensure that the past stays buried — no matter the cost.

What I really enjoyed about this book is how Goldman creates such a vivid and unsettling atmosphere. The setting of the hotel — with its locked rooms, lingering shadows, and whispers of its grim past — adds a delicious tension to every scene. You can almost feel the cold echo of those prison walls beneath the polished veneer of luxury.

The pacing is steady, building layer by layer as old secrets resurface. I found the structure engaging, with alternating perspectives and timelines that kept the story intriguing without ever becoming confusing. There’s also a subtle commentary on justice, guilt, and how public perception can twist the truth, themes that give this thriller extra depth. If I had one small criticism, it would be that some of the secondary characters could have used a little more development. Still, the central mystery and atmosphere more than make up for it, and the final reveals are satisfying without feeling forced.

Little Secrets is a well-crafted, atmospheric mystery. It’s moody, layered, and packed with tension — a perfect read for anyone who loves a modern whodunit with a sinister past lurking just beneath the surface. I would highly recommend adding this one to your TBR.