All Her Little Secrets was an outstanding debut novel that held me on the edge-of-my bed, up until the time I fell asleep with the book in my hand. The author’s juxtaposition of the protagonist’s decades old horrific abuse against the backdrop of a present-day corporate greed and systemic racism scenario, was a refreshing culturally-based approach to a white-collar murder mystery.
Interwoven in the narrative was the erroneous assumption embedded in the U.S. Declaration of Independence’s centuries old dichotomous creed that “all men are created equal,” and was best expressed by Morris in the following passage:
“Black people in Atlanta coexisted around Confederate soldier statues and venues containing the words plantation and Dixie. The expectation was that such things were harmless symbols of white heritage. They weren’t. They were relics of slavery and a secessionist society that stirred hurtful messages of racism,” p. 79.
Morris had me fully engaged in the life and cumulative exploitation of the protagonist from the start, and the suspense that followed only guaranteed that I’d remained hooked until the end of the novel. Most profoundly, I could finally see myself in a character made from fiction.
All Her Little Secrets is an exceptionally well-written novel with unforgettable characters and character development. I am sincerely hopeful that Wanda Morris will see fit to write a sequel in the near future.
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One of the best thrillers I’ve read!
When you first meet Ellice Littlejohn, here’s what you know:1. She’s a successful, Ivy-league educated attorney.2. She’s impeccably put together in tailored designer clothing.3. She has been having an affair with her married, white boss Michael who she just found dead in his office.With composure that only someone who has been through worse can muster, Ellice collects herself and leaves the office, pretending she was never there.Instantly I knew Ellice was not an average character in any way. She is a woman with a perfect exterior, but behind it she is flawed, damaged, resilient, and strong.But there’s more… Ellice has a past. A deep, dark, leave-it-all-behind-and-never-tell-anyone kind of past. She didn’t just grow up poor, she grew up barely able to survive. The kind of poor where people take advantage of you. The kind of poor where no one comes to your aid when you need help. The kind of poor, black life that the rich, white good-ole-boys at work would judge her for.I really enjoyed the chapters telling her past and learning about the people who shaped Ellice, in good ways and in bad ones. Ellice’s past seems separate from what is happening in the present, but ultimately this is a book about how you never truly leave your past behind.In present day, Ellice quickly finds herself promoted into her dead boss’s role. And while this is the job of her dreams, nothing about this feels ok. Ellice knows that her education and performance only had so much to do with this promotion—she’s the token black board member in a time the company is facing pressure about racism.And someone knows about Ellice’s secrets and is threatening to expose them. As Ellice struggles to keep her past hidden, perform her new role, and dig into what really happened to Michael, she soon learns that everything she thought made her life so secure can unravel with the pull of a single thread.This book is not only an expertly crafted thriller at the top of the genre, it also is an unapologetically black story about a black woman in a white corporate world facing racism, sexism, and corruption at the highest of levels. This book delivers for those looking for a thriller, but you’ll be hard pressed to read it and not learn more empathy for black women in the corporate world. One of the best books I read in the past year—this should be on every thriller-reader’s list!
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2022
1. She’s a successful, Ivy-league educated attorney.
2. She’s impeccably put together in tailored designer clothing.
3. She has been having an affair with her married, white boss Michael who she just found dead in his office.
With composure that only someone who has been through worse can muster, Ellice collects herself and leaves the office, pretending she was never there.
Instantly I knew Ellice was not an average character in any way. She is a woman with a perfect exterior, but behind it she is flawed, damaged, resilient, and strong.
But there’s more… Ellice has a past. A deep, dark, leave-it-all-behind-and-never-tell-anyone kind of past. She didn’t just grow up poor, she grew up barely able to survive. The kind of poor where people take advantage of you. The kind of poor where no one comes to your aid when you need help. The kind of poor, black life that the rich, white good-ole-boys at work would judge her for.
I really enjoyed the chapters telling her past and learning about the people who shaped Ellice, in good ways and in bad ones. Ellice’s past seems separate from what is happening in the present, but ultimately this is a book about how you never truly leave your past behind.
In present day, Ellice quickly finds herself promoted into her dead boss’s role. And while this is the job of her dreams, nothing about this feels ok. Ellice knows that her education and performance only had so much to do with this promotion—she’s the token black board member in a time the company is facing pressure about racism.
And someone knows about Ellice’s secrets and is threatening to expose them. As Ellice struggles to keep her past hidden, perform her new role, and dig into what really happened to Michael, she soon learns that everything she thought made her life so secure can unravel with the pull of a single thread.
This book is not only an expertly crafted thriller at the top of the genre, it also is an unapologetically black story about a black woman in a white corporate world facing racism, sexism, and corruption at the highest of levels. This book delivers for those looking for a thriller, but you’ll be hard pressed to read it and not learn more empathy for black women in the corporate world. One of the best books I read in the past year—this should be on every thriller-reader’s list!
One of the best thrillers I’ve read!
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2022
When you first meet Ellice Littlejohn, here’s what you know:Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2022
1. She’s a successful, Ivy-league educated attorney.
2. She’s impeccably put together in tailored designer clothing.
3. She has been having an affair with her married, white boss Michael who she just found dead in his office.
With composure that only someone who has been through worse can muster, Ellice collects herself and leaves the office, pretending she was never there.
Instantly I knew Ellice was not an average character in any way. She is a woman with a perfect exterior, but behind it she is flawed, damaged, resilient, and strong.
But there’s more… Ellice has a past. A deep, dark, leave-it-all-behind-and-never-tell-anyone kind of past. She didn’t just grow up poor, she grew up barely able to survive. The kind of poor where people take advantage of you. The kind of poor where no one comes to your aid when you need help. The kind of poor, black life that the rich, white good-ole-boys at work would judge her for.
I really enjoyed the chapters telling her past and learning about the people who shaped Ellice, in good ways and in bad ones. Ellice’s past seems separate from what is happening in the present, but ultimately this is a book about how you never truly leave your past behind.
In present day, Ellice quickly finds herself promoted into her dead boss’s role. And while this is the job of her dreams, nothing about this feels ok. Ellice knows that her education and performance only had so much to do with this promotion—she’s the token black board member in a time the company is facing pressure about racism.
And someone knows about Ellice’s secrets and is threatening to expose them. As Ellice struggles to keep her past hidden, perform her new role, and dig into what really happened to Michael, she soon learns that everything she thought made her life so secure can unravel with the pull of a single thread.
This book is not only an expertly crafted thriller at the top of the genre, it also is an unapologetically black story about a black woman in a white corporate world facing racism, sexism, and corruption at the highest of levels. This book delivers for those looking for a thriller, but you’ll be hard pressed to read it and not learn more empathy for black women in the corporate world. One of the best books I read in the past year—this should be on every thriller-reader’s list!
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Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2022
