Don't Tell a Soul

Don't Tell a Soul by Jessica Huntley is a breathtaking, heart-braking, thrilling and suspenseful domestic/psychological thriller written in a dual timeline, presented from different points of view. Even though this story is heavy on child abuse and alcoholism it sucked me in immediately I couldn't put it down until the last chapter. What can I say, I love Jessica Huntley!
As usual, the main topic is well-researched and shows the psychological effects of abuse. The main characters are well-presented, and the storyline is easy to follow.

Vera is trying to keep her property on the water but she is drawing in the pail of bills. There is no option to sell the property, so she must figure something out.
When 17-year-old Elle runs away from home to escape her abusive father all she wants is a new start. She moves to a small town, far away from home and gets lucky when Vera offers to rent a room for a reasonable price. It's a win-win situation so both are happy with the arrangement.
Soon Elle feels Vera's caring side but she doesn't know how over-protective Vera becomes when she cares about you.
They both are dedicated to keeping their secrets but life has different plans.

There are some good twists that I didn't see coming and some violent scenes that are easy to skip if you don't want to read them.