Review: One Tiny Secret By: Adam Kunz

Title: One Tiny Secret
Author: Adam Kunz
Publisher: C.A. Kunz LLC, 413 Pages (May 16th, 2013)
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Synopsis: **Mature Content Warning** Recommended for 17+ due to language, violence, and sexual content.

Just one tiny secret has the potential to ruin everything.

Being the daughter of the sheriff in a small town like Holden Ridge means that eighteen-year-old Danielle “Dani” Marks’ life is under constant surveillance. She’s made a habit of staying under the radar by being a floater among social circles at school, which has kept her out of trouble—until now.

After a missing persons case stirs up the entire town, Dani finds herself caught right in the middle of the scandal. When she’s labeled a possible suspect, things quickly go from bad to worse. The sudden return of her old flame, Parker Reed, manages to make her whole situation even more complicated.

When an elusive unknown person begins to blackmail Dani by threatening to reveal her deepest secrets, Dani refuses to play along. That is, until the person’s actions take a violent turn. Holden Ridge begins to lose its sense of quaint town security, and Dani is caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

Who can she trust when anyone around her could be a suspect?

One thing’s for certain though: Never underestimate the power of one tiny secret.

Review: 4 Stars - One Tiny Secret by debut author Adam Kunz is an intense, edge of your seat thrill ride of a book. The story will keep readers guessing right up until almost the very end.

Eighteen year old senior Danielle and her father live in a small town of Holden Ridge. She tries to stay out of trouble more than most because her father just so happens to also be the town sheriff. When Dani helps promote the annual invite only Halloween party, she goes out of her way to keep the event from her father.

It’s when people from her past start showing up at the party and her best friend who lives next door comes back into her life that a chain of events begins that she, nor I as the reader, could have seen coming.

What frustrated me about Dani was parts of the relationship she had with her father. It was more him than her, and how he failed to believe her when something was very wrong. While Dani’s claims were hard to believe, isn't your parent(s) supposed to be the one person who SHOULD believe you when you’re in danger or trouble? She wasn't continually in trouble to have such a drastic reaction to the events that unfolded.

Parker is one of the returning people in Dani’s life. They have history and issues that are going to further complicate the trouble ahead. Parker had moments where I loved him. Then there were moments when he was what felt like the typical guy. The two have chemistry, there’s no doubt about it but it puts extra strain on Dani and makes her choices that much more important.

Without giving too much away, One Tiny Secret has a chill factor to it. In my opinion it reminded me of Pretty Little Liars, Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer. As a huge fan of all three, especially Pretty Little Liars I was hooked by the synopsis alone. It’s pretty suspense- filled tension that grips as you can’t  turn the pages fast enough, and when I felt I was reading too quickly I had to force myself to slow down.

It’s a bit gory which was perfect for the events that unfold around our main character and her friends. Kunz leaves no stone unturned for an almost perfect mystery. The romance between Dani and Parker wasn't overwhelming and didn't take away from the overall plot of the story. It was there in bits and pieces as they dealt with the bigger issue at hand… Who was “Unknown” and what did they want with Dani? For me, their relationship somewhat rubbed me the wrong way. Parker was the typical guy and the two had me frustrated over their actions a couple of times. To be honest that’s the part that had me questioning my rating of 4 vs. 5 stars. Even as I somewhat figured out who was behind the terror, it wasn't until almost the big reveal so I was still shocked that I had guessed correctly.

In the end One Tiny Secret kept me up reading late into the night. It had me jumping when a message came through on my phone and when I heard bumps in the night. Kunz did a brilliant job crafting suspense and terror for his characters and the reader. I highly recommend this title for any reader who likes a strong story with a high chill factor. I’m looking forward to see what Kunz writes next and I hope it’s another thrilling story. Enjoy!

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.