Elle, desperate to escape her abusive home, runs away to a seemingly cute small town where she gets a job as a waitress. And meets Vera, who offers her an attic room in her large house.
For the first time in years, Elle feels something like contentment as she bonds with Vera who becomes almost like a mother to her. Blossoming, Elle slowly begins to piece her life back together, make new friends and stand on her own two feet.
But all is not as it seems.
Because this old house contains a dark secret. And much as she cares for Elle, Vera will do anything to protect it. That’s why she’s warned her young tenant that she must never, ever go down to the basement.
But Elle doesn’t obey this simple rule and when she sees what’s down there, she finally understands that her lovely new life is actually the gateway to a special kind of hell . . .
If you enjoy a straightforward, bingeable psychological thriller that you can easily read in a single sitting, this one’s a great option. With a teen and adult protagonist, the story will appeal to both YA and adult readers and has some great tropes—unreliable narration, buried family trauma, identity changes, long-buried secrets resurfacing, and a creepy, isolated house. And despite the story being straightforward, there are some important mental health themes woven in—the long-lasting impact of childhood abuse, emotional suppression, and how trauma can shape your identity and ability to trust others well into adulthood. It’s not the most original or intricate thriller you’ll read and not Jessica Huntley’s best book, but if you’re in the mood for a popcorn thriller with dark secrets, this one is definitely worthwhile!
Told in a first-person multi-POV format, mostly alternating between mid-30s Vera and 17-year-old Elle, with Kevin’s POV (Vera’s twin brother) coming in later on to bring some surprises and added tension—you really get immersed in their very different psychological mindsets. Like so many thrillers, it opens with a prologue set in the past—a scene with Vera and Kevin as teens during a life-altering event—and it sets the tone for everything that follows and plants questions that aren’t answered until much later. From there, the story follows a present-day timeline, with flashbacks strategically woven in to add backstory when needed—giving the book a solid structure that’s easy to follow. Even though the story isn’t overly intricate, it still feels like pieces of a puzzle steadily clicking into place and is engaging enough to keep you flipping pages.
During Vera’s POV, it’s not always clear whether she’s intentionally withholding information or rewriting history in her own mind, which makes her a classic unreliable narrator. She’s emotionally closed off and distant, but you can sense that underneath she still craves the human connection she’s been missing for so long—especially as she and Elle develop an unexpected bond. Meanwhile, Elle is open and honest—the character you’ll root for the most. After running away from her abusive home, she quickly shifts from survival mode to someone forced to adapt and make quick decisions to stay safe—some of which you’ll definitely question. Still, her arc, especially for her age, remains believable, and the contrast between her and Vera is what keeps the story interesting. Add in some suspicious side characters in town, like Eric—whose girlfriend Willow disappeared years earlier—and Laura, the woman who runs the Airbnb and seems to be keeping secrets, and you’re never quite sure who Elle can trust!
At only 282 pages (under 8 hours on audio) and with short chapters that often end on cliffhangers and frequent POV shifts, you’ll quickly find yourself halfway through and then flying to the end. Seasoned thriller readers will probably predict some of the bigger twists from a mile away, so don’t expect anything too jaw-dropping. But what’s satisfying is how everything is fully fleshed out, and there’s even a final reveal in the epilogue that isn’t shocking but does add some extra context.
Overall, Don’t Tell a Soul is a thriller that keeps you engaged and is perfect for a binge read. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it’s still a solid introduction to Huntley’s writing—and if you enjoy this one, she has even more gripping and intricate thrillers in her catalog. And for audiobook listeners, the story is really elevated by narrator Charlie Albers, who brings distinct, believable voices to every POV and adds just the right amount of tension to elevate the story above what’s written on the page!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of Don’t Tell a Soul is read by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers. She hooks you into the story right from the prologue—the past timeline scene with Vera and Kevin as teenagers during a traumatic event sets a tone of unease that carries through into the present-day timeline.
Albers portrays Elle with an emotional, open-sounding voice that immediately makes her likable. In the opening scenes, Albers makes her fear and determination to escape her abusive father feel very real, and you’ll root for her. Once Elle settles into the small town with a new identity and moves into Vera’s house, Albers adds subtle hesitations and pauses to Elle’s voice to reflect how she isn’t sure who to trust—it’s very effective and adds suspense to every scene.
She portrays Vera with a controlled, guarded voice that feels intentionally restrained, especially when Vera is interacting with people in town. In the dialogue sequences between Elle and Vera, Albers’ delivery emphasizes just how different they are, even though both come from abusive backgrounds. When they start opening up to each other, Albers makes their unconventional bond very compelling—but she also makes it clear in Vera’s tone that she could snap at any moment! And once Elle becomes suspicious of what’s happening in the basement, Albers adds sudden tension to their dialogue, which will keep you on edge!
Albers also does a great job making the side characters feel real and distinct enough to bring the atmospheric small-town setting to life while making most of them sound suspicious. When Kevin’s POV comes in later on, you can really feel how unstable and unpredictable he’s become from years of isolation—Albers makes his exchanges with Vera very tense, especially during the dramatic, climactic scenes! Overall, Albers really elevates this straightforward popcorn thriller into a more immersive and gripping story—so if you’re considering reading this one, the audiobook is definitely the way to go!
Narrator Performance
The audiobook of Don’t Tell a Soul is read by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers. She hooks you into the story right from the prologue—the past timeline scene with Vera and Kevin as teenagers during a traumatic event sets a tone of unease that carries through into the present-day timeline.
Albers portrays Elle with an emotional, open-sounding voice that immediately makes her likable. In the opening scenes, Albers makes her fear and determination to escape her abusive father feel very real, and you’ll root for her. Once Elle settles into the small town with a new identity and moves into Vera’s house, Albers adds subtle hesitations and pauses to Elle’s voice to reflect how she isn’t sure who to trust—it’s very effective and adds suspense to every scene.
She portrays Vera with a controlled, guarded voice that feels intentionally restrained, especially when Vera is interacting with people in town. In the dialogue sequences between Elle and Vera, Albers’ delivery emphasizes just how different they are, even though both come from abusive backgrounds. When they start opening up to each other, Albers makes their unconventional bond very compelling—but she also makes it clear in Vera’s tone that she could snap at any moment! And once Elle becomes suspicious of what’s happening in the basement, Albers adds sudden tension to their dialogue, which will keep you on edge!
Albers also does a great job making the side characters feel real and distinct enough to bring the atmospheric small-town setting to life while making most of them sound suspicious. When Kevin’s POV comes in later on, you can really feel how unstable and unpredictable he’s become from years of isolation—Albers makes his exchanges with Vera very tense, especially during the dramatic, climactic scenes! Overall, Albers really elevates this straightforward popcorn thriller into a more immersive and gripping story—so if you’re considering reading this one, the audiobook is definitely the way to go!
The audiobook of Don’t Tell a Soul is read by award-winning narrator Charlie Albers. She hooks you into the story right from the prologue—the past timeline scene with Vera and Kevin as teenagers during a traumatic event sets a tone of unease that carries through into the present-day timeline.
Albers portrays Elle with an emotional, open-sounding voice that immediately makes her likable. In the opening scenes, Albers makes her fear and determination to escape her abusive father feel very real, and you’ll root for her. Once Elle settles into the small town with a new identity and moves into Vera’s house, Albers adds subtle hesitations and pauses to Elle’s voice to reflect how she isn’t sure who to trust—it’s very effective and adds suspense to every scene.
She portrays Vera with a controlled, guarded voice that feels intentionally restrained, especially when Vera is interacting with people in town. In the dialogue sequences between Elle and Vera, Albers’ delivery emphasizes just how different they are, even though both come from abusive backgrounds. When they start opening up to each other, Albers makes their unconventional bond very compelling—but she also makes it clear in Vera’s tone that she could snap at any moment! And once Elle becomes suspicious of what’s happening in the basement, Albers adds sudden tension to their dialogue, which will keep you on edge!
Albers also does a great job making the side characters feel real and distinct enough to bring the atmospheric small-town setting to life while making most of them sound suspicious. When Kevin’s POV comes in later on, you can really feel how unstable and unpredictable he’s become from years of isolation—Albers makes his exchanges with Vera very tense, especially during the dramatic, climactic scenes! Overall, Albers really elevates this straightforward popcorn thriller into a more immersive and gripping story—so if you’re considering reading this one, the audiobook is definitely the way to go!
