Don't Tell Anyone by Eleanor Gray

Title: Don't Tell Anyone
Author: Eleanor Gray
Published by: Midnight Ink
Publication date: 08 December 2016 
Read: April 16 - April 18 2017
Genre: Mystery; General Fiction; Family Drama
Pages: 384
ISBN:  9780738750224
Mareli's rating: 4 stars
Recommend to: Lovers of Whodunnit 
Description: Nearly lost in a fog of grief over the fatal stabbing of her daughter, art historian Grace Neville feels only sorrow as Jordan Dukes is found guilty of murder. Days after the sentencing, Grace receives a visit from Jordan’s father, who claims that his son is innocent and a grave miscarriage of justice has taken place. Jordan’s history of gang-related violence and the fact that he doesn’t have an alibi make his father’s plea hard to believe. But then why does somebody break into Grace’s home and go through her daughter’s belongings? In Don’t Tell Anyone, Eleanor Gray explores the relationship between a mother and a daughter, and the secrets that drive Grace to seek the truth no matter what the cost. Goodreads

Don't Tell Anyone is one of those books that you can actually tell everyone about. Most readers enjoy a good Whodunnit every now and then. Don't Tell Anyone is a decent mystery with a twist or two in the tail. 

 Grace is devastated after the brutal stabbing of her only child, Tara. Her "almost picture perfect life if you take in account where she comes from" was already shattered three years ago when her husband, Archie, walked out on them for a younger, blonder, version. After Tara's death, she basically stopped living. She went through the motions of the trial and when Tara's boyfriend, Jordan Dukes, is convicted of the murder, she thought - just like everything else, this is over.  A couple of days later, Jordan's father Allan Dukes, appears on her doorstep claiming that his son is innocent and Grace is the only one who can help him proof that. Grace can't seem to shake the feeling that perhaps Allan is right and when she discovered someone was snooping around in her house, she starts digging.

Secrets might be taken to the grave, but they are rarely kept there.

A strong point in favor of this novel was the characters. They came from all walks of life and they were all portrayed very well. Grace's family is a real lucky packet, but to me, it was this family dynamic that kept the story together most of all. Grace's ex-husband is woosy and although there is a very interesting twist regarding his new blond girlfriend, I had no sympathy for him. 

Both Grace and Allan are victims of their children's bad choices. That makes it a bit more of a family drama. No matter how hard you try to raise your children well and make the best of difficult circumstances, they will still follow their own minds. Children lie, they hide things from their parents, they make devastatingly bad choices. 

Don't Tell Anyone kept me guessing until the final chapter. The revelation was a bit of a let down however. It will be really very hard for anyone to make an accurate guess about the whodunnit. It was a bit like one of those Murder She Wrote episodes where the killer is randomly picked five minutes before the end. (No, it wasn't the lawyer)

A big thank you to NetGalley and Midnight Ink for the ARC of this novel to review. 

Mareli