The House of Lost Secrets

By: Anstey Harris

Narrated by: Annabelle Dowler, Elle Newlands

She thought she knew her best friend…She was wrong.

The weatherworn cottage Clachan has always been Jo Wilding’s sanctuary, a blissful escape from her tumultuous home life. From the first summer Rachel invited her to join the Willoughby family in the wilds of Scotland, she fell in love with the sea air, sandy beach and Tristan, Rachel’s older brother…

All these years later, Clachan is where their most important occasions and conversations take place, so when Rachel organises a weekend there, Jo never suspects that this weekend will change everything. Because it turns out Rachel has been keeping a secret, a betrayal that plunges Jo into a past she’s spent years trying to forget.

Left to untangle the pieces of their past alone, Jo has to decide if there is such a thing as forgiveness when there is no one left to forgive?

©2024 Anstey Harris (P)2024 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Gorgeously written, evocative and compelling, The House of Lost Secrets is a heartfelt ode to female friendships. It's a hauntingly beautiful, poignant story about complex relationships and the power of forgiveness. I highly recommend it.” —Sarah J. Harris, author of Meet Me On The Bridge

“The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris is a beautifully crafted study of lifelong friendship. The story is shot through with mystery and those terrible secrets we keep from the people closest to us for fear of destabilising everything we know and believe. This richly layered novel drew me in more deeply with every page turn, holding me tightly until each truth was finally revealed. A truly compelling read.” —Imogen Clark, author of Postcards from a Stranger

Solid and Engaging

Absolutely adored this story. Nothing was as it seemed, I loved the twists and turns. I hadn’t read what the book was about, I just clicked and started listening— I’m so glad I did. The writing was stunning, so many beautiful lines and observations. Would recommend to anyone!

Friendship, secrets and finding home

A story of friendship, secrets, forgiveness and finding home. I didn’t quite connect with any characters in this book but it was well written.

4 stars!

As the addict best friend in what feels like another life, I am glad I got my act together so I can torture my best friend with a different reason for my death than some form of substance abuse. This book is important and offers such a fresh perspective.

How each character was dealing with their own issues

It was an interesting book. The story does get long and covers some very deep things, overall it was a good book though.

Loved this from the start

This story brought me peace from the start and through to the very end. I believe the time of my life now has something to do with that. I wish I could have read this when I was much younger. Peace of mind is a wonderful thing!