All Her Little Secrets: A Novel

Beautifully written novel . Just enough suspense to keep you guessing.

A little slower than I like but it was still on ok read.

I loved the setting (Atlanta) and the author’s storytelling prowess. A multi-faceted thriller full of rich characters and emotion.

Love love love! It reminds me of how to get away with murd3r

It took a long time for me to warm up to the character but by the end I really liked her. Her disposition made a lot of sense after hearing her background.

This book is incredible. I couldn’t put it down!!! I love the way this author writes. The characters where well thought out but still had flaws, which makes the story easier to relate to and understand. Theses characters and the plot where so engrossing I found myself screaming out loud at some of the characters,???. Overall, this was an enjoyable book and one of the best mystery thriller books I’ve read in a long time.

Great suspense read with a twist. I really enjoyed this book.

This was an awesome storyline. It held my interest all through the book. I literally read it in 2 days!! Great read!!!!

Great book! Excellent narration!! Definitely a memorable book that has left a mark on me

5 meows! I loved this book. The author kept me guessing throughout the story. The characters were so realistic. Actually, I am like the main character minus the secrets. It must read if you enjoy mysteries. Of course, you have to suspend your beliefs at a point when the character was not killed, but that happens in every mystery. Happy reading!

This book was great! Lots of plot twists. Very engaging.

Enjoyed the twists and turns of to hide lies that eventually comes out. Great book for a Sunday afternoon!

Such a great book and wonderful ending. I loved it

Started out a bit slow, but picked up a steady pace. I was really surprised by the ending. Good listen ?

Excellent read! Every chapter kept me wanting to find out what happens next! Highly recommend it! ?

Excellent writing! Vivid descriptions; paints a picture in your mind while listening!

Awesome read!! I finished it in just 2 days!! I want to read from this author!

I enjoyed the audiobook. It was brilliant and relevant for 2021.

Great writing and well paced story that keeps you on the edge of your seat!

This was one whirlwind of a book with a strong Black female taking on huge social issues.

Ellice was born into a challenging family situation in a small town of Georgia and yet, she broke through and managed to become a successful lawyer. However, she admits her mistake was having an affair with her boss, Michael, who was married with children.

She said we all have buried secrets in our life. She certainly did. The book begins with a meeting she was supposed to have with Michael early in the morning. He had a comfortable suite with a nice view on the top floor as the Executive VP and General Counsel of the Legal Department. Her office is was a few floors below his and it was common that they had morning chats. But this time, she found him dead. She followed her instincts to shut the door and leave quickly remembering that this floor had no security cameras. This story takes off from there as Detective Bradford is called in to search for clues to find the suspect.

The writing is excellent with a fast flow of words. The author has a way of describing the setting and characters so perfectly that the reader could easily imagine what's happening. I could just see "a little town of nothing." With each chapter ending, there was no stopping with the high suspense. The story incorporated huge current political issues: racial prejudice, guns and rape. It made me wonder if this is fiction or on the edge of nonfiction as parts could be true.

My thanks to Wanda M. Morris, HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this copy.

A fast paced novel with many twists and turns.

I couldn’t even get half way through this book. The author obviously hates white people, conservatives and Fox News. I wish there was more warning before I started reading this. If a different ethnicity write this they would be crucified. Just unnecessary…

A twisty mystery with a very liberal bent, which is rare in this sort of book. I enjoyed it, but found a few things beggar belief. She's a lawyer but she talks to the police without representation? She tries to resign thinking the blackmail will end? I think she's a little smarter than that, but still a wild ride.

Ellice Littlejohn is an African American woman who hails from Chillicothe, a small town in Georgia. She and her younger brother, Sam, were unlucky enough to be raised by a single mother, Martha, who was too busy carousing and drinking to properly care for her children. However, thanks to the assistance of a good-hearted neighbor, Ellie obtained a scholarship to a boarding school in Virginia, where she excelled. Later, she graduated with honors from Georgetown and Yale Law School and is now the only person of color employed in the legal department of Houghton Transportation in Atlanta. Despite her success, Ellie has traumatic memories that haunt her. The author's powerful flashbacks depict the horrors that Ellie and Sam endured during their formative years. Ellie feels tremendous guilt for leaving her brother behind while she pursued her educational and professional goals.

In the suspenseful thriller, "All Her Little Secrets," by Wanda Morris, we cringe as Ellie becomes entangled in a potentially ruinous situation at work. One morning, she arrives early at her firm and finds her boss dead of a gunshot wound. Instead of reporting the incident to the police, she leaves the scene of the crime for what she believes are legitimate reasons. Before long, Ellie suspects that some of the executives in Houghton are involved in illegal activities and expect her to help cover up their misdeeds. She fears that if she refuses to go along with their demands, she will risk her reputation, career, and possibly her freedom.

As matters become ever more perilous, Ellie faces some unpleasant truths about herself; for too long, she has been gullible and cowardly. Will she find the courage to do what is right, rather than what is expedient? Ellie is a fascinating albeit flawed character who, having made terrible choices in the past, belatedly tries to redeem herself. The story moves along briskly and consistently holds our interest. "All Her Little Secrets" is the absorbing tale of a lost soul who desperately wants to change the trajectory of her life. It is also an indictment of influential, bigoted, and arrogant men who believe that they are above the law.

I am not usually a reader of mysteries, and I felt there were too many coincidences to make this credible, but the book was worth reading for other reasons. I appreciated gaining insight in to how this Black woman and many people of color feel they must live and present themselves. I also learned about the rampant racisim, sexism, anti-semitism, and misogyny that is part of corporate America. I also liked reading about the everyday life of the main Blackl character.

When the promotion of lawyer, Ellice Littlejohn, turns out to be a token promotion of a Black female to hopefully prove that Houghton Transportation is not racist proves to be a token move, Ellice is troubled by many things. First there’s the death of her lover and chief legal counsel. It looks like suicide but its murder. Ellice has so many secrets to hide ranging from the romance she hoped to keep under wraps to events that happened to her growing up poor in rural Georgia and the brushes with the law her brother, Sam, finds himself enmeshed in over and over. Ellice finds herself the suspect of the Atlanta police and searches for what really happened. There’s a lot in this story about the “boys’ network” and the power of white supremist groups. The more she uncovers the more sinister the plot is. This debut thriller packs a real punch as the action moves swiftly, exposing the deep racism in the workplace. The audio version is competently read by Susan Dalian whose ability to portray both male and female characters and Black and white characters.

Ellice Littlejohn seemingly has it all: an Ivy League law degree, a well-paying job as a corporate attorney in midtown Atlanta, great friends, and a “for fun” relationship with a rich, charming executive—her white boss, Michael.

But everything changes one cold January morning when Ellice goes to meet Michael… and finds him dead with a gunshot to his head.

And then she walks away like nothing has happened. Why? Ellice has been keeping a cache of dark secrets, including a small-town past and a kid brother who’s spent time on the other side of the law. She can’t be thrust into the spotlight—again.

But instead of grieving this tragedy, people are gossiping, the police are getting suspicious, and Ellice, the company’s lone black attorney, is promoted to replace Michael. While the opportunity is a dream-come-true, Ellice just can’t shake the feeling that something is off.

When she uncovers shady dealings inside the company, Ellice is trapped in an impossible ethical and moral dilemma. Suddenly, Ellice’s past and present lives collide as she launches into a pulse-pounding race to protect the brother she tried to save years ago and stop a conspiracy far more sinister than she could have ever imagined…

John Grisham and Michael Connelly should be looking over their shoulders now that Wanda M. Morris has released her debut, All Her Little Secrets. Tightly plotted and unpredictable, Morris’ novel is a welcome addition to the canon of legal suspense thrillers. Ellice Littlejohn has carefully sculpted her life to reverse the trauma and abuse of her childhood. Now a respected attorney at an Atlanta law firm, Ellice has created an entire new identity for herself. The character is ambitious and determined, but also insecure about her chances of success in a firm where no one else looks like her. When one of the executives dies unexpectedly, Ellice is thrust into a promotion for which she feels inadequate. In her new position, she begins digging into the firm’s dealings. Ellice notices some underhanded activity that may be connected to the earlier death of the boss. It may even be part of a larger, more insidious conspiracy. Meanwhile, remnants of Ellice’s past have tracked her down and threaten both her status and safety. Ellice is a flawed but forgivable protagonist who is strong and complex. All Her Little Secrets also deftly handles issues of discrimination and power imbalance without becoming too didactic. With this promising debut, Morris provides an enticing plot, a unique point of view, and cleverly woven commentary about current social ills.

Thanks to the author and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.