Book Smart: Family secrets simmer in three new thrillers

We all have secrets that we keep from others, including those we love. Whether it's a poor choice we are making in the present, or a past mistake that has resurfaced, we often prefer to avoid confrontation, disapproval and criticism. But secret-keeping is a big deal, especially in families.

The most common type of secrets within a family typically involve health issues, changes in finances, extramarital affairs, impending divorce, sexual abuse and addictions. These kinds of dramatic secrets are often rooted in broken expectations or taboo subjects. The problem is that such secrets burden family members with anxiety and can damage their long-term well-being.

One spouse keeping a secret from the other is the most common occurrence. The problem here is that it inevitably results in one partner pulling away and putting up walls. The rest of the family may sense that something feels off without being able to pinpoint why. Yet, children are often extremely perceptive, and can become alarmed because they sense a disruption in the parental bond. The most damaging outcome is when one or more of the children come to believe that they are responsible for whatever rift is going on in the home.

Parents will sometimes jointly choose to keep a secret from children, withholding information that is too overwhelming or age-inappropriate. While understandable, long-held secrets within a family create a false sense of reality for children. When they are eventually told the truth either by parents or someone outside the family, trust is often irreparably damaged. Even worse, older children may come to doubt their own perceptions and judgments long term.

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The most destructive secrets, however, are those that are forbidden from being shared with outsiders. Most of these secrets typically fall under the domain of alcohol abuse, domestic violence, bankruptcy, etc. While the intention is to fend off outside judgment or even punishment, these family secrets apply immense pressure to limit all outside relationships. Individual members often grow to feel isolated, ashamed and increasingly resentful. Ultimately, family secrets engender a false sense of loyalty, based not on closeness and connection, but rather on fear of exposure.

The three riveting psychological thrillers below dramatically highlight the dangers of family secrets.

'The Soulmate' by Sally Hepworth

Gabe, his wife, Pippa, and their two little girls live in their dream home, a beautiful cliffside house outside Melbourne. There’s just one unfortunate drawback: the cliff is a common spot for people choosing suicide. Unexpectedly, Gabe becomes a local hero, having had great success talking potential jumpers off the ledge. Until one fateful night, he doesn’t. Despite his entreaties, a woman named Amanda falls to her death. At least, this is what Gabe tells the authorities. But both the police and Pippa have their doubts. When Pippa discovers Gabe knew the victim, her questions spiral out of control. Could her soulmate be lying? What really brought Amanda to the cliff? What dark secrets does their marriage contain?

Why read it? Hepworth ("The Younger Wife") does it again with a pulse-pounding, propulsive domestic thriller that will keep you turning page after page until its final shocking twist. Part suspense thriller and part an anatomy of lives rife with personal ambition, infidelities and psychological illness.

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'All That Is Mine I Carry with Me' by William Landay

In 2015, author Phillip Solomon is seeking inspiration for his next book. He finds it in an unexpected meeting with childhood friend Jeff Larkin, whose mother, Jane Larkin, vanished suddenly in 1975, leaving her children and her Newton, Massachusetts, community questioning whether husband, Daniel Larkin, was responsible. The detectives and Jane’s sister Kate suspect Dan of foul play from the beginning. Yet, Dan, a clever, successful, philandering criminal defense attorney, claims his innocence, and no charges are filed in the absence of a body. Ultimately, construction workers finally find Jane’s remains in 1993, but they yield no further clues. All three Larkin children have suffered the pain of their mother’s absence, but as adults they remain divided about their father’s involvement. Hope remains that a civil suit filed against Dan Larkin might provide answers. But can there ever be closure?

Why read it? This gripping, slow-burning, yet tension-packed family drama, from the author of the best-selling "Defending Jacob," is a haunting story of family trauma, family secrets and fraying sibling bonds. It highlights the question of whether family loyalty has its limits.

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'Gone Again' by Minka Kent

On her 40th birthday, Celia Guest has much to celebrate. She is happily married and has many beloved friends in her Connecticut community. But buried among the many gifts at her birthday celebration is a card that says, “You don’t deserve any of this.” Sometime during the early-morning hours after the party, Celia suddenly vanishes, leaving no clues. While her friends and neighbors fear foul play, younger sister Genevieve knows that Celia has a long history of running from conflict. Could someone or something from her toxic past be forcing her to run again?

Why read it?  Past and present collide in this haunting and deeply satisfying thriller that touches on the dangerous intergenerational consequences of family secrets and lies.

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Book Smart is a monthly column by Nancy Harris, of Scituate, a practicing psychologist and a former instructor of psychology at Harvard Medical School.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Sally Hepworth's 'The Soulmate' and more thrillers to read this month