It’s hard to believe that this is my sixth psychological thriller and my second to be published by the dedicated team at Avon. I’ve worked with two brilliant editors this time, Tilda McDonald and Phoebe Morgan – and I’m so grateful to both of you, as I am to Laura McCallen and Helena Newton for expertly scrutinising every last word of this manuscript! Huge thanks also go to Ellie Pilcher, Molly Walker-Sharp and to all of the Avon team for your hard work getting my books out there.

None of this would happen without my superstar agent, Juliet Mushens. And also Liza DeBlock. A heartfelt thank you for everything you do.

And the biggest thank you to you, my readers, for buying my books, sharing them with other people, blogging and writing reviews, because every single one makes a difference. I’m grateful to each and every one of you.

This isn’t the first time I’ve written about abusive relationships and coercive control, and I hope I have done them justice. The consequences can be far-reaching and while the scars may be invisible, the damage is very real. If in any way this book helps highlight this, it can only be good.

Last, but by no means least, I want to say thank you to my wonderful family and my friends. To my sisters – Sarah, Anna and Freddie – to whom this book is dedicated. Thank you for being my first readers and supporters, and so much more – I know how lucky I am to have you. To Dad. And to Georgie and Tom: you ceaselessly inspire me. Thank you for being the centre of my universe.

About the Author

Debbie Howells is the bestselling author of The Bones of You (Macmillan), a Richard & Judy Book Club pick. It was followed by The Beauty of the End, The Death of Her and Her Sister’s Lie (Macmillan).

The Secret is her second book with HarperCollins, following The Vow, which was a #1 eBook bestseller.

You can follow @_debbiehowells on Instagram or @debbie__howells on Twitter.

Also by Debbie Howells

The Bones of You

The Beauty of the End

The Death of Her

Her Sister’s Lie

The Vow

About the Publisher

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United Kingdom

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United States

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