The Secret Place

The photograph shows a boy who was murdered a year ago. The caption chillingly states, I KNOW WHO KILLED HIM. Detective Stephen Moran, who hasn’t seen Holly Mackey since she was a nine-year-old witness to the events of Faithful Place, finds her at his squad room, now sixteen, with this photograph and a story to tell.

In her elite boarding school, hidden beneath the veneer of privilege and tradition, lies a shadowy world where secrets proliferate. The previous year, Christopher Harper, a student from the neighbouring boys’ school, was found murdered on the school grounds. Recently, on the school’s anonymous noticeboard known as ‘The Secret Place’, Holly discovered the cryptic card that reignites the investigation.

Determined to solve the case, Stephen sees this as an opportunity to join the elite Murder squad. However, he is paired with Detective Antoinette Conway—fiery, sharp, and very much an outsider. Navigating their partnership, Stephen must delve into the enigmatic world inhabited by Holly and her close-knit group of friends. In this labyrinth of teenage secrets and lies, the truth proves to be elusive and perhaps more disturbing than he anticipated.

The Secret Place masterfully combines psychological suspense with the intricate dynamics of adolescence, set within the confines of a seemingly idyllic yet fundamentally flawed institution. This gripping narrative is a testament to Tana French’s prowess, from the multi-award-winning author of the New York Times bestseller In the Woods.