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All Her Little Secrets
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Mystery & Thriller (2021), Nominee for Best Debut Novel (2021)In this fast-paced thriller, Wanda M. Morris crafts a twisty mystery about a black lawyer who gets in over her head after the sudden death of her boss. A debut perfect for fans of Attica Locke, Alyssa Cole, Harlan Coben, and Celeste Ng, with shades of How to Get Away with Murder and John Grisham’s The Firm.
Everyone has something to hide...
Ellice Littlejohn seemingly has it all: an Ivy League law degree, a well-paying job as a corporate attorney in midtown Atlanta, great friends, and a “for fun” relationship with a rich, charming executive—her white boss, Michael.
But everything changes one cold January morning when Ellice goes to meet Michael… and finds him dead with a gunshot to his head.
And then she walks away like nothing has happened. Why? Ellice has been keeping a cache of dark secrets, including a small-town past and a kid brother who’s spent time on the other side of the law. She can’t be thrust into the spotlight—again.
But instead of grieving this tragedy, people are gossiping, the police are getting suspicious, and Ellice, the company’s lone black attorney, is promoted to replace Michael. While the opportunity is a dream-come-true, Ellice just can’t shake the feeling that something is off.
When she uncovers shady dealings inside the company, Ellice is trapped in an impossible ethical and moral dilemma. Suddenly, Ellice’s past and present lives collide as she launches into a pulse-pounding race to protect the brother she tried to save years ago and stop a conspiracy far more sinister than she could have ever imagined…
Everyone has something to hide...
Ellice Littlejohn seemingly has it all: an Ivy League law degree, a well-paying job as a corporate attorney in midtown Atlanta, great friends, and a “for fun” relationship with a rich, charming executive—her white boss, Michael.
But everything changes one cold January morning when Ellice goes to meet Michael… and finds him dead with a gunshot to his head.
And then she walks away like nothing has happened. Why? Ellice has been keeping a cache of dark secrets, including a small-town past and a kid brother who’s spent time on the other side of the law. She can’t be thrust into the spotlight—again.
But instead of grieving this tragedy, people are gossiping, the police are getting suspicious, and Ellice, the company’s lone black attorney, is promoted to replace Michael. While the opportunity is a dream-come-true, Ellice just can’t shake the feeling that something is off.
When she uncovers shady dealings inside the company, Ellice is trapped in an impossible ethical and moral dilemma. Suddenly, Ellice’s past and present lives collide as she launches into a pulse-pounding race to protect the brother she tried to save years ago and stop a conspiracy far more sinister than she could have ever imagined…
384 pages, Hardcover
First published November 2, 2021
About the author
Wanda M. Morris
4 books863 followersWanda M. Morris is a corporate attorney, having worked in the legal departments of some of America's top Fortune 100 companies. As an accomplished presenter and leader, she previously served as President of the Georgia Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel, in which she established a signature female empowerment program known as the Women's Initiative.
Wanda M. Morris is an alumni of the Yale Writers Workshop and a Claymore Award finalist for mystery writing. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She is married, the mother of three, and she lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Wanda M. Morris is an alumni of the Yale Writers Workshop and a Claymore Award finalist for mystery writing. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Mystery Writers of America. She is married, the mother of three, and she lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,537 reviews
September 25, 2022
Oh my goodness! This is freaking fantastic legal thriller meets mystery/ suspense keeps you on the edge of your seats, shakes you to the core, blows your mind, forces you to cancel everything: husband, job, pets, last episode of Ted Lasso, massage appointment etc. But it’s totally worth to each cancellation, schedule changing, isolation decision.
From the beginning till the end, Ellice Littlejohn’s story hooks you up and even if you try so hard you cannot put this book down. It gets under your skin, conquers your mind. When you give short reading breaks for sneaks and booze, you still keep speculating: who is the mastermind behind the entire scheme, who could be trusted, how Ellice will survive as the walls are closing in?
You may think Ellice Littlejohn in early forties, an aspiring, successful lawyer has it all: she already reached her life goals including Ivy League degree and well paying job but she’s working so hard for promotion she didn’t get yet as younger and paler skinned colleagues keep climbing the corporate ladders.
She’s not married, no child, a boyfriend but he comes with his baggages ( married, with children, and did I mention he’s also her boss)
She harbors so many secrets about her childhood and teenage years in Chillicothe, Georgia. Something so tragic happens to change her entire life! Something she wants to bury forever! Something shouldn’t be found out unless she wants to lose everything she cared for!
But her usual early morning meeting with her boss/ lover Michael turns into nightmare when she finds him lying in his own blood bath. She couldn’t even call the authorities. She doesn’t want to get involved into investigation so she vanishes from the scene to return back her floor to act like nothing has happened.
The very same day,she gets promoted to replace Michael. The firm executives are merciless enough to move on with their lives and as the protests against the company rises up because of their lack of diversity policy at workplace, they are reckless enough to use Ellice as a pawn to prove they can assign a colored person as executive Vice President.
Naturally she has second thoughts about the offer coming out of nowhere ( actually it’s coming from hell: she takes over a dead person’s place before his body gets cold) She’s gonna be only person at 20th floor : line Black person is expected to speak behalf of Black folks, expected to represent the success and failure of every Black woman who worked in corporate America.
Before she’s thinking over, she gets an email announcing her new position! What? And this is not the only thing makes her feel she’s trapped in her dead boyfriend’s place.
At the first board meeting she’s harassed by her new partners’ racist and sexist comments and Nate who gave him the job seems like so confused, repeating each sentence he says.
Whats going on behind the closed doors? Why she cannot reach emails of Michael? Why some of the partners reject to give her information about some special cases?
And Detective Bradford who is investigating the suicide of Michael informs her the suicide is staged. The murderer may have used Ellice’s missing badge: there are camera records prove her point.
As clock ticks, the walls close on her, Ellice realizes she might be scapegoat of the murder of her boss/ boyfriend and dirty schemes the firm’s executives planned.
She has to find a way to get out which means she has to confront the ugly secrets of her past
Overall: it’s fascinatingly moving, heart throbbing, action packed, smart thriller. Ellice’s traumatic past truly breaks your heart.
I’m rounding up my 4.5 stars to 5 corporate, racism, sexism, harassment, abuse, Black women empowerment stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for sharing arc copy of one of the most anticipated books of this year in exchange my honest thoughts.
From the beginning till the end, Ellice Littlejohn’s story hooks you up and even if you try so hard you cannot put this book down. It gets under your skin, conquers your mind. When you give short reading breaks for sneaks and booze, you still keep speculating: who is the mastermind behind the entire scheme, who could be trusted, how Ellice will survive as the walls are closing in?
You may think Ellice Littlejohn in early forties, an aspiring, successful lawyer has it all: she already reached her life goals including Ivy League degree and well paying job but she’s working so hard for promotion she didn’t get yet as younger and paler skinned colleagues keep climbing the corporate ladders.
She’s not married, no child, a boyfriend but he comes with his baggages ( married, with children, and did I mention he’s also her boss)
She harbors so many secrets about her childhood and teenage years in Chillicothe, Georgia. Something so tragic happens to change her entire life! Something she wants to bury forever! Something shouldn’t be found out unless she wants to lose everything she cared for!
But her usual early morning meeting with her boss/ lover Michael turns into nightmare when she finds him lying in his own blood bath. She couldn’t even call the authorities. She doesn’t want to get involved into investigation so she vanishes from the scene to return back her floor to act like nothing has happened.
The very same day,she gets promoted to replace Michael. The firm executives are merciless enough to move on with their lives and as the protests against the company rises up because of their lack of diversity policy at workplace, they are reckless enough to use Ellice as a pawn to prove they can assign a colored person as executive Vice President.
Naturally she has second thoughts about the offer coming out of nowhere ( actually it’s coming from hell: she takes over a dead person’s place before his body gets cold) She’s gonna be only person at 20th floor : line Black person is expected to speak behalf of Black folks, expected to represent the success and failure of every Black woman who worked in corporate America.
Before she’s thinking over, she gets an email announcing her new position! What? And this is not the only thing makes her feel she’s trapped in her dead boyfriend’s place.
At the first board meeting she’s harassed by her new partners’ racist and sexist comments and Nate who gave him the job seems like so confused, repeating each sentence he says.
Whats going on behind the closed doors? Why she cannot reach emails of Michael? Why some of the partners reject to give her information about some special cases?
And Detective Bradford who is investigating the suicide of Michael informs her the suicide is staged. The murderer may have used Ellice’s missing badge: there are camera records prove her point.
As clock ticks, the walls close on her, Ellice realizes she might be scapegoat of the murder of her boss/ boyfriend and dirty schemes the firm’s executives planned.
She has to find a way to get out which means she has to confront the ugly secrets of her past
Overall: it’s fascinatingly moving, heart throbbing, action packed, smart thriller. Ellice’s traumatic past truly breaks your heart.
I’m rounding up my 4.5 stars to 5 corporate, racism, sexism, harassment, abuse, Black women empowerment stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for sharing arc copy of one of the most anticipated books of this year in exchange my honest thoughts.
October 9, 2021
Ellice Littlejohn definitely DOES have some secrets…
The first being that she is sleeping with her married boss, Michael. Ellice is a Black corporate attorney in a VERY predominantly white office, and when Michael asks to meet her at the office early one morning to talk about something important, she obliges…only to find him dead with a gunshot wound to the head.
Instead of calling the police, shock causes her to walk away and pretend she was never there. Very soon after, Ellice is promoted as Michael’s replacement. It feels way too soon, and the timing and reasoning seems a bit suspicious.
Soon enough, past and present collide as Ellice uncovers shocking things about the company she works for...things that could kill her and her loved ones if she’s not careful.
I’ll be short and sweet because I don’t have too much to say. The writing is fantastic, and this book covers many relevant topics that should NOT be overlooked. The story is entertaining, and I didn’t dislike it.
However, Ellice is initially portrayed as strong, sensible, and smart. So it grew to be a bit frustrating reading about her making wrong decision after wrong decision that puts her in mortal danger. I feel like things could’ve been resolved earlier if she seeked help. The “secrets” in the plot aren’t as exciting as I thought they’d be, and I wasn’t a fan of the convoluted climax.
So, a bit of a mixed bag for me. Many reviewers seem to have enjoyed this more than I did. I’m glad to have read it, and look forward to reading another book by the author, but this one won’t stick with me for long.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to William Morrow and Scene of the Crime for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 11/2/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
The first being that she is sleeping with her married boss, Michael. Ellice is a Black corporate attorney in a VERY predominantly white office, and when Michael asks to meet her at the office early one morning to talk about something important, she obliges…only to find him dead with a gunshot wound to the head.
Instead of calling the police, shock causes her to walk away and pretend she was never there. Very soon after, Ellice is promoted as Michael’s replacement. It feels way too soon, and the timing and reasoning seems a bit suspicious.
Soon enough, past and present collide as Ellice uncovers shocking things about the company she works for...things that could kill her and her loved ones if she’s not careful.
I’ll be short and sweet because I don’t have too much to say. The writing is fantastic, and this book covers many relevant topics that should NOT be overlooked. The story is entertaining, and I didn’t dislike it.
However, Ellice is initially portrayed as strong, sensible, and smart. So it grew to be a bit frustrating reading about her making wrong decision after wrong decision that puts her in mortal danger. I feel like things could’ve been resolved earlier if she seeked help. The “secrets” in the plot aren’t as exciting as I thought they’d be, and I wasn’t a fan of the convoluted climax.
So, a bit of a mixed bag for me. Many reviewers seem to have enjoyed this more than I did. I’m glad to have read it, and look forward to reading another book by the author, but this one won’t stick with me for long.
2.5 stars rounded up.
Thank you to William Morrow and Scene of the Crime for an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 11/2/21.
Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com
November 3, 2021
"All Her Little Secrets" by Wanda M. Morris is a fast paced and suspenseful read/listen!
Ellice Littlejohn is an Ivy League educated corporate attorney working for Houghton Transportation Company in Atlanta, GA. She's the only black attorney in the office and she's had a 'personal relationship' with her married white boss, Michael, for several years.
Ellice has tons of secrets and she's added one more to the heap. She left Michael's office on the 20th floor after finding him dead of a gunshot to the head. Fear causes Ellice to walk away like she was never there and didn't see a thing. Why would Michael take his own life?
Ellice is swiftly promoted to replace Michael's executive position. She wonders why she's chosen as his replacement. As questionable actions continue on the 20th floor, Ellice becomes increasingly uncomfortable with her work environment. Who should she trust?
Then Police Detective Bradford informs Ellice that Michael's suicide was staged and security cameras show someone using her badge to enter the building the morning of the murder. Now Bradford is asking Ellice too many questions and she doesn't want to answer any of them! Should she be concerned for her safety now, too?
I enjoyed the author's writing style and the pace of this story. It moves quickly with little downtime making it feel like a much shorter read/listen than it is. The characters, although not all likable, are well described and all add to the drama and suspense overall.
There are socially relevant and workplace issues that highlight this story. Real life situations in current time mixed with harrowing tales of Ellice's past. I love the Southern atmospheric feel of this story that creates added tension from within our American culture. This story is brimming with them!
I feel fortunate to have been gifted with both an ARC and early audiobook of this title. I was able to read/listen at the same time or alternate between the two formats for a quicker reading experience. My personal preference was the audiobook. Narrator Susan Dalian has the perfect first person voice for Ellice and her gender voicing, although not always gender distinguishable, does work for this story.
Was this story believable? Heck no! And I'm pretty sure I'm not a "Thriller or Suspense Aficionado". I'm a reader/reviewer who enjoys a creative story that hooks me in early, keeps me entertained and leaves me with a satisfying ending. This book delivers all that!
I recommend this book to those who enjoy an edgy, fast paced, suspenseful story dripping with socially relevant tension! This is the author's debut novel and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!
Thank you to William Morrow and Scene of the Crime for an ARC through NetGalley. I am grateful to Book Riot and Harper Audio for an early audiobook via Libro.fm. It has been my pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review of both formats.
Ellice Littlejohn is an Ivy League educated corporate attorney working for Houghton Transportation Company in Atlanta, GA. She's the only black attorney in the office and she's had a 'personal relationship' with her married white boss, Michael, for several years.
Ellice has tons of secrets and she's added one more to the heap. She left Michael's office on the 20th floor after finding him dead of a gunshot to the head. Fear causes Ellice to walk away like she was never there and didn't see a thing. Why would Michael take his own life?
Ellice is swiftly promoted to replace Michael's executive position. She wonders why she's chosen as his replacement. As questionable actions continue on the 20th floor, Ellice becomes increasingly uncomfortable with her work environment. Who should she trust?
Then Police Detective Bradford informs Ellice that Michael's suicide was staged and security cameras show someone using her badge to enter the building the morning of the murder. Now Bradford is asking Ellice too many questions and she doesn't want to answer any of them! Should she be concerned for her safety now, too?
I enjoyed the author's writing style and the pace of this story. It moves quickly with little downtime making it feel like a much shorter read/listen than it is. The characters, although not all likable, are well described and all add to the drama and suspense overall.
There are socially relevant and workplace issues that highlight this story. Real life situations in current time mixed with harrowing tales of Ellice's past. I love the Southern atmospheric feel of this story that creates added tension from within our American culture. This story is brimming with them!
I feel fortunate to have been gifted with both an ARC and early audiobook of this title. I was able to read/listen at the same time or alternate between the two formats for a quicker reading experience. My personal preference was the audiobook. Narrator Susan Dalian has the perfect first person voice for Ellice and her gender voicing, although not always gender distinguishable, does work for this story.
Was this story believable? Heck no! And I'm pretty sure I'm not a "Thriller or Suspense Aficionado". I'm a reader/reviewer who enjoys a creative story that hooks me in early, keeps me entertained and leaves me with a satisfying ending. This book delivers all that!
I recommend this book to those who enjoy an edgy, fast paced, suspenseful story dripping with socially relevant tension! This is the author's debut novel and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!
Thank you to William Morrow and Scene of the Crime for an ARC through NetGalley. I am grateful to Book Riot and Harper Audio for an early audiobook via Libro.fm. It has been my pleasure to give my honest and voluntary review of both formats.
February 13, 2022
Ellice Littlejohn is a corporate lawyer in Atlanta, Georgia. She arrives early to work to meet with her boss, Michael (who is also her lover) at his office on the 20th floor.
When she steps into his office, she finds him dead with a bullet hole on his head. Instead of calling the cops, she retraces her steps and goes to her floor where she pretends to work until someone else finds his body.
The rumor mill brings her the news. It seems that Michael has committed suicide. Or has he? Soon after, the police are calling his death suspicious and later on, murder.
Who murder Michael and why?
Ellice doesn't like the cops. She has reasons for it. One of them is that she is hiding her past. No one at work knows about her brother who has been to jail before or knows about what she had to endure when she was a young girl. She prefers it this way.
But we all know that secrets don't remain secrets for long.
Someone knows about her past and Ellice can only watch as her life begins imploding. Worse, she becomes the prime suspect in Michael's death.
How is she going to clear her name?
__
I believe this is one of those times when my expectations were too high for the story. For me, it didn't quite deliver.
Why didn't it work for me?
Well, because of Ellice. She is supposed to be a LAWYER but she behaves like someone who has no clue about the law. She does everything to make herself look guilty, guilty, guilty. I could not see past this. She had so many chances to come clean but she kept on just making the wrong choices over and over again.
What worked for me?
*Ellice trying to protect her family.
*Juice.
*Ellice's best friend. She was there for her despite learning about Elice's secrets.
Would I read a book by Wanda M. Morris again:
Yes!
Could I see this book as a movie?
Absolutely!
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by William Morrow via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
When she steps into his office, she finds him dead with a bullet hole on his head. Instead of calling the cops, she retraces her steps and goes to her floor where she pretends to work until someone else finds his body.
The rumor mill brings her the news. It seems that Michael has committed suicide. Or has he? Soon after, the police are calling his death suspicious and later on, murder.
Who murder Michael and why?
Ellice doesn't like the cops. She has reasons for it. One of them is that she is hiding her past. No one at work knows about her brother who has been to jail before or knows about what she had to endure when she was a young girl. She prefers it this way.
But we all know that secrets don't remain secrets for long.
Someone knows about her past and Ellice can only watch as her life begins imploding. Worse, she becomes the prime suspect in Michael's death.
How is she going to clear her name?
__
I believe this is one of those times when my expectations were too high for the story. For me, it didn't quite deliver.
Why didn't it work for me?
Well, because of Ellice. She is supposed to be a LAWYER but she behaves like someone who has no clue about the law. She does everything to make herself look guilty, guilty, guilty. I could not see past this. She had so many chances to come clean but she kept on just making the wrong choices over and over again.
What worked for me?
*Ellice trying to protect her family.
*Juice.
*Ellice's best friend. She was there for her despite learning about Elice's secrets.
Would I read a book by Wanda M. Morris again:
Yes!
Could I see this book as a movie?
Absolutely!
Cliffhanger: No
3/5 Fangs
A complimentary copy was provided by William Morrow via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
MrsLeif's Two Fangs About It | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
April 25, 2022
3.5 stars
I included this in a thriller reading vlog: https://youtu.be/JYo8g2YQKtY
I'll be doing a live show discussing this book soon! :)
I included this in a thriller reading vlog: https://youtu.be/JYo8g2YQKtY
I'll be doing a live show discussing this book soon! :)
November 13, 2021
My expectations for an interesting and well-crafted thriller died on the vine.
To begin with, this book is everything but fast-paced as stated in the summary.
While the main character is a lawyer, we see very little action related to her profession. If some more details of her job were thrown in it would have contributed for a much believable and fully fleshed out character. Also, for someone being portrayed as strong, smart and rational Elise sure did make a lot of stupid mistakes.
The secrets I was so desperately waiting for ended up being anything but exciting and the climax could have been easily missed.
To begin with, this book is everything but fast-paced as stated in the summary.
While the main character is a lawyer, we see very little action related to her profession. If some more details of her job were thrown in it would have contributed for a much believable and fully fleshed out character. Also, for someone being portrayed as strong, smart and rational Elise sure did make a lot of stupid mistakes.
The secrets I was so desperately waiting for ended up being anything but exciting and the climax could have been easily missed.
February 13, 2024
**4.5-stars rounded up**
I loved my time reading All Her Little Secrets. Ellice Littlejohn was an interesting main character and I really meshed well with Morris's writing style.
I listened to the audiobook and was completely swept up into the story. It was really well done with the narration just fitting to the story perfectly.
Wanda Morris has a second book releasing in October of this year, Anywhere You Run and it is loosely connected to this novel.
The main character of the new novel, I believe, is a side character in this novel and I'm looking forward to learning more of her backstory.
If you are looking for an engaging and thoughtful Legal Thriller to keep you at the edge of your seat, you should absolutely give All Her Little Secrets a try.
IMO, Wanda M. Morris is one to watch. This was an impressive debut. I selfishly hope Morris, a corporate attorney, has quit her day job, because writing is her jam!!
((although I am more than confident she's a phenomenal attorney as well...))
I loved my time reading All Her Little Secrets. Ellice Littlejohn was an interesting main character and I really meshed well with Morris's writing style.
I listened to the audiobook and was completely swept up into the story. It was really well done with the narration just fitting to the story perfectly.
Wanda Morris has a second book releasing in October of this year, Anywhere You Run and it is loosely connected to this novel.
The main character of the new novel, I believe, is a side character in this novel and I'm looking forward to learning more of her backstory.
If you are looking for an engaging and thoughtful Legal Thriller to keep you at the edge of your seat, you should absolutely give All Her Little Secrets a try.
IMO, Wanda M. Morris is one to watch. This was an impressive debut. I selfishly hope Morris, a corporate attorney, has quit her day job, because writing is her jam!!
((although I am more than confident she's a phenomenal attorney as well...))
January 16, 2022
This book did what I need all thrillers to do! Be thrilling! I was engaged from start to finish.
I'm weary about thrillers that mention dealing with racism now because of thrillers that just did it so badly. Wanda M Morris doesn't make the same mistakes as other author by centering the white gaze. Not once in this story did it feel like she was trying to show white readers how hard it is for Black people. Instead she crafted a twisty tale about a woman with a very traumatic and abusive past who was just doing what she thought she needed to do to stay afloat.
Ellice Littlejohn has tried so hard to distance from her rural past in Chillicothe, Georgia. She has no pictures of her family or friends in her office and as far as everyone is concerned she's an only child. No one knows about her alcoholic birth mother or emotionally, physically , and sexually abusive step-father or any of the other secrets she's kept buried. The façade of her perfectly life as a top attorney at Houghton dramatically changes one morning when she goes to meet her boss in his office before work hours. Thinking this is just another one of their early morning trysts she's shocked to see his dead body with a bullet wound in his head. Panicking she flees the scene pretending as if she was never there.
The next day she's promoted to the executive position her boss held with the promotion being announced before they officially ask her. She finds the boy's club culture of the executive board unnerving as the only Black woman working at the company especially as protestor's march outside the building chanting about how Houghton won't hire Black people. Even more unnerving is how determined the executive board is to quickly move on from one of their members dying. They don't even attend his funeral and throw a huge social club party the day after.
Soon Ellice finds herself being framed for murder and discovers the shady businesses people at her job are participating in but nothing can prepare her for some of the other secrets she's uncovers.
Fast-paced, well thought out, and full of twists even at the end All Her Little Secrets never has a dull moment.
I received an arc from William Morrow Books in exchange for an honest review.
I'm weary about thrillers that mention dealing with racism now because of thrillers that just did it so badly. Wanda M Morris doesn't make the same mistakes as other author by centering the white gaze. Not once in this story did it feel like she was trying to show white readers how hard it is for Black people. Instead she crafted a twisty tale about a woman with a very traumatic and abusive past who was just doing what she thought she needed to do to stay afloat.
Ellice Littlejohn has tried so hard to distance from her rural past in Chillicothe, Georgia. She has no pictures of her family or friends in her office and as far as everyone is concerned she's an only child. No one knows about her alcoholic birth mother or emotionally, physically , and sexually abusive step-father or any of the other secrets she's kept buried. The façade of her perfectly life as a top attorney at Houghton dramatically changes one morning when she goes to meet her boss in his office before work hours. Thinking this is just another one of their early morning trysts she's shocked to see his dead body with a bullet wound in his head. Panicking she flees the scene pretending as if she was never there.
The next day she's promoted to the executive position her boss held with the promotion being announced before they officially ask her. She finds the boy's club culture of the executive board unnerving as the only Black woman working at the company especially as protestor's march outside the building chanting about how Houghton won't hire Black people. Even more unnerving is how determined the executive board is to quickly move on from one of their members dying. They don't even attend his funeral and throw a huge social club party the day after.
Soon Ellice finds herself being framed for murder and discovers the shady businesses people at her job are participating in but nothing can prepare her for some of the other secrets she's uncovers.
Fast-paced, well thought out, and full of twists even at the end All Her Little Secrets never has a dull moment.
I received an arc from William Morrow Books in exchange for an honest review.
November 3, 2021
Ellice Littlejohn is a middle-aged Black woman working as a corporate attorney at Houghton Transportation company in Atlanta. One morning, she discovers her boss, Michael Sayles, dead in his office. Ellice is afraid to call the police because she is worried that all of her secrets will come out. She has been working hard all of these years to forget her past and won’t let anything stop her from achieving success. However, when the police suspect that she was involved in the murder, she takes the investigation into her own hands. To her surprise, she uncovers corporate secrets that threaten to upend her new promotion as an executive and reveal the past she wants to forget.
This book is a slow-burn thriller that focuses on themes of racism. It alternates between the past and present, eventually leading up to the big reveal. It took a bit too long for me to get invested in the plot, but the suspense and tension really built up around 45%. Fortunately, the second half of the book had my complete attention. I also found myself enjoying the timeline from the past more than the present day, as I had a difficult time keeping track of all of the corporate executives and their roles within the subplot.
The writing is fantastic and I understand the hype around this book. The themes that Morris explores are current hot topics and well executed. However, Ellice is a REALLY foolish amateur sleuth. She leaves evidence on phone messages, talks to the police without a lawyer, and doesn’t call the police when she discovers a dead body.
That being said, this is a terrific debut and I would love to read more from this author.
A note on the audiobook: It is read by Susan Dalian and she is fabulous. I recently listened to another audiobook that she narrated and fell in love with her voice. It is obvious that she is a professional actor and I would happily listen to more books read by her.
3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4
Thank you to NetGalley and Lainey Mays from HarperCollins publishing for the ARC of All Her Little Secrets in exchange for an honest review.
This book is a slow-burn thriller that focuses on themes of racism. It alternates between the past and present, eventually leading up to the big reveal. It took a bit too long for me to get invested in the plot, but the suspense and tension really built up around 45%. Fortunately, the second half of the book had my complete attention. I also found myself enjoying the timeline from the past more than the present day, as I had a difficult time keeping track of all of the corporate executives and their roles within the subplot.
The writing is fantastic and I understand the hype around this book. The themes that Morris explores are current hot topics and well executed. However, Ellice is a REALLY foolish amateur sleuth. She leaves evidence on phone messages, talks to the police without a lawyer, and doesn’t call the police when she discovers a dead body.
That being said, this is a terrific debut and I would love to read more from this author.
A note on the audiobook: It is read by Susan Dalian and she is fabulous. I recently listened to another audiobook that she narrated and fell in love with her voice. It is obvious that she is a professional actor and I would happily listen to more books read by her.
3.5/5 stars rounded up to 4
Thank you to NetGalley and Lainey Mays from HarperCollins publishing for the ARC of All Her Little Secrets in exchange for an honest review.
November 26, 2021
All Her Little Secrets is the story of Ellice Littlejohn, a successful corporate attorney at a transportation company in Atlanta. Her seemingly good life changes one day when she arrives at work early to meet her boss, Michael, and finds him dead in his office. Ellice is startled but walks away, as she has secrets of her own, including the affair she’s been having with Michael.
Ellice is immediately promoted to Michael’s role and has to contend with skeptical coworkers and suspicious police, while keeping a handle on her own small-town past and family secrets. As she delves further into work, things aren’t sitting right, and her suspicions about the company’s shady interactions lead to a dangerous path.
I enjoyed this story, which I listened to as an audiobook. I stayed interested in finding out what was really happening at the company and how things would play out for Ellice. I didn’t agree with all of her choices but was still rooting for her. The story covers a lot of topics including ethical dilemmas, racial tensions, navigating the old boys club at work, and family relationships.
All Her Little Secrets is Wanda Morris’s debut novel and I’d definitely read more from her. Susan Dalian narrated this audiobook and was great.
Ellice is immediately promoted to Michael’s role and has to contend with skeptical coworkers and suspicious police, while keeping a handle on her own small-town past and family secrets. As she delves further into work, things aren’t sitting right, and her suspicions about the company’s shady interactions lead to a dangerous path.
I enjoyed this story, which I listened to as an audiobook. I stayed interested in finding out what was really happening at the company and how things would play out for Ellice. I didn’t agree with all of her choices but was still rooting for her. The story covers a lot of topics including ethical dilemmas, racial tensions, navigating the old boys club at work, and family relationships.
All Her Little Secrets is Wanda Morris’s debut novel and I’d definitely read more from her. Susan Dalian narrated this audiobook and was great.
October 21, 2021
Ellice Littlejohn has too many secrets. When her married boyfriend dies on the top floor of her Atlanta company, the life she has built in the legal department of an Atlanta trucking company begins to crumble. She soon realizes that her secrets are being used by people who do not wish her well. Told in past and present story lines, this does have some excellent legal thriller moments. There were also a few times when I questioned whether Ellice really had a law degree? For the most part I found it engaging. I would have enjoyed it more without the addition of a few poison pills. In this book white conservative Christians are automatically white supremacists, a woman "saves the children" by aborting them with a knitting needle, and a gun store is evidence of a violent society. Not a book I can recommend.
Thank you to William Morrow and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to William Morrow and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
January 1, 2023
Well, all it took was a comparison to Attica Locke for me to be drawn to this debut mystery. Morris takes a standard formula, a woman suspected of killing her married lover, and makes it seem fresh.
Elyce Littlejohn is a middle aged, hard working, black attorney. She comes to work one morning to find her lover’s dead body in his office. In a panic, she leaves the crime scene without reporting it. On the same day as his murder, the firm offers her his position. She knows she’s being tapped for her skin color as much as her ability, as the company is dealing with protests over their lack of diversity. And, to make things worse, before she can even accept the offer, they post that she’s taken the position.
Ellice has hidden her background since she came to Atlanta. Thus, the secrets in the title (not to mention the secret of her affair). I found her an interesting character. As an older woman who was often the only woman in the upper management room, I had a bit of an inkling what Ellice was dealing with. But I, at least, was white. But at the same time, Ellice seemed to lack some basic common sense. I tried not to play armchair quarterback, assuming I would have reacted differently in the same circumstances. But some of the decisions she made beggared belief, especially her willingness to hide certain information from the authorities.
The author is a corporate lawyer and it shows in her explanation of certain legal requirements.
Morris does tell a ripping good tale. It moves quickly and there’s a nice sense of tension throughout. I thought the ending worked really well.
I was very impressed with Susan Dalian as the narrator.
Elyce Littlejohn is a middle aged, hard working, black attorney. She comes to work one morning to find her lover’s dead body in his office. In a panic, she leaves the crime scene without reporting it. On the same day as his murder, the firm offers her his position. She knows she’s being tapped for her skin color as much as her ability, as the company is dealing with protests over their lack of diversity. And, to make things worse, before she can even accept the offer, they post that she’s taken the position.
Ellice has hidden her background since she came to Atlanta. Thus, the secrets in the title (not to mention the secret of her affair). I found her an interesting character. As an older woman who was often the only woman in the upper management room, I had a bit of an inkling what Ellice was dealing with. But I, at least, was white. But at the same time, Ellice seemed to lack some basic common sense. I tried not to play armchair quarterback, assuming I would have reacted differently in the same circumstances. But some of the decisions she made beggared belief, especially her willingness to hide certain information from the authorities.
The author is a corporate lawyer and it shows in her explanation of certain legal requirements.
Morris does tell a ripping good tale. It moves quickly and there’s a nice sense of tension throughout. I thought the ending worked really well.
I was very impressed with Susan Dalian as the narrator.
December 6, 2021
3.5 Secretive Stars
I enjoyed this one and found it a quick and compelling read. To others, Ellice looks like a high-powered, Ivy-League educated, professional black woman. She’s a corporate attorney for a transportation company. Once you dig deeper though, you discover things are a bit tarnished by her bad choices.
She’s still having an affair with her married boss, and she followed him to this job. She’s also reluctant to share any personal details at work because she’s keeping deep secrets from her past.
She’s headed to the office early one morning to meet with her boss and discovers that he’s dead in his office. Rather than call the police, she leaves his office and hopes that no one has seen her. You just know this won’t end well for her!
As the police begin to investigate, things heat up for Ellice and her secrets from the past threaten her current life. What exactly is going on at the company? When Ellice is quickly promoted at work, the police get even more suspicious. Can she keep her secrets under wraps?
I enjoyed the writing in this one although her character made me a bit crazy! I look forward to future books by this debut author!
Thank you to William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley for the copy of this one to read and review.
I enjoyed this one and found it a quick and compelling read. To others, Ellice looks like a high-powered, Ivy-League educated, professional black woman. She’s a corporate attorney for a transportation company. Once you dig deeper though, you discover things are a bit tarnished by her bad choices.
She’s still having an affair with her married boss, and she followed him to this job. She’s also reluctant to share any personal details at work because she’s keeping deep secrets from her past.
She’s headed to the office early one morning to meet with her boss and discovers that he’s dead in his office. Rather than call the police, she leaves his office and hopes that no one has seen her. You just know this won’t end well for her!
As the police begin to investigate, things heat up for Ellice and her secrets from the past threaten her current life. What exactly is going on at the company? When Ellice is quickly promoted at work, the police get even more suspicious. Can she keep her secrets under wraps?
I enjoyed the writing in this one although her character made me a bit crazy! I look forward to future books by this debut author!
Thank you to William Morrow/Custom House and NetGalley for the copy of this one to read and review.
November 15, 2021
I don’t regret reading this book, but I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected to. Mainly because one of my biggest pet peeves in any story is when a character, of well above average intelligence, Ivy League educated, makes continuous bad decisions to the point of coming across as dumb and naive. I get that we are human and make mistakes, but this seemed like overkill in repeated poor choices which is a tough sell for me. If you are writing about a “strong” character, they shouldn’t seem so wishy-washy and passive.
November 6, 2021
Ellice is an in-house attorney who discovers the dead body of her boss/lover and walks away, fearing that his violent death would somehow lead to the exposure of her childhood secrets. Actually, that was a pretty lousy motive for her behavior, but that was just one example of how this convoluted thriller didn’t really hang together. The parts of the book that dealt with her childhood, during which Ellice and her younger brother had to cope with a drunken mother and abuse, felt much more real. I wish that the author had written that family story, or a more realistic picture of a black, female attorney in a sea of white men, rather than cramming it together with a crime plot. I know that thrillers sell, but I think the author’s strengths might lie elsewhere.
Want to read
July 5, 2021I have approximately 26210362;8725 thrillers on my TBR but I am still adding this one cause HELLO
February 19, 2023
Ellice Littlejohn is stuck in a rut. She clawed her way out of Chillicothe (a poor small town in Georgia) at the early age of 14 to make herself what she has become today. Ellice now in her 40’s is a high paid corporate lawyer working for Houghton Transportation in Atlanta, but she’s not satisfied with well paid, she’s eager for her promotion. A promotion her boss, a very married boss, that she has been sleeping with for years has been promising for longer than she can remember. She’s pretty sure the delay is because of the color of her skin, seeing as Houghton has no other black lawyers in their legal department and very little black (or other race besides white for that matter) employees altogether, even in low ranking, low paid positions.
But Ellice’s life changes in a flash when she reports to Michael’s office for their early morning meeting, only to find him dead with a gun shot wound to the head, in what looks like a possible suicide. And instead of calling for help she walks away covering her tracks like she was never even there. She can’t be tied up in the investigation because Ellice has secrets to hide and family to protect.
Now Houghton Executives want to promote Ellice to Michael’s position as lead attorney. But Ellice can’t understand why so soon after Michael’s death? And why did they announce her promotion before she even had time to say yes? Something is off at Houghton, and Ellice finds out why when she uncovers some secret illegal and quite dangerous dealings within the company. Ellice is shoved into an impossible situation with the police breathing down her neck on one side and sinister forces at Houghton working against her on the other. She’s not sure how to get out unscathed or worse how to stay alive.
This was a such an entertaining read. It had it moments of slow burn but when the paced picked up it really picked up. The story is told in 2 time lines going from Ellice’s present to the past of the 1970’s when Ellice was living in Chillicothe with her little brother Sam, her drunken and very un maternal mother and later on her horrible white step father who also happened to be a police officer. The only scant light amid the darkness was a neighbor/second mother named Vera. The emotional and physical trauma that Ellice went through shaped her to be the very smart, but keep people at a bay woman she became as an adult.
Ellice’s story has a mystery so you know there are going to be twists and turns. Some I picked up on pretty easily, but that didn’t deter from my enjoyment. But one of the big twists got me pretty good. I also like the fact that WM was not afraid to take some risks and pull some punches with her characters. I can’t go into detail due to spoilers but one punch in particular broke my heart, but it also made it that much more authentic.
WM brought several important themes into her story: extreme racism, workplace discrimination and not being able to outrun your past. All were written and well translated in Ellice’s story, even if you do have to suspend belief a bit.
I think the only complaint I have is how Ellice being a very intelligent woman made so many mistakes and bad decisions. Her actions cost her a lot more than was necessary.
Overall All Her Little Secrets was a terrific book even with the few flaws. And if Wanda M. Morris’ debut book is any indication she has a strong writing career ahead of her. 👏
But Ellice’s life changes in a flash when she reports to Michael’s office for their early morning meeting, only to find him dead with a gun shot wound to the head, in what looks like a possible suicide. And instead of calling for help she walks away covering her tracks like she was never even there. She can’t be tied up in the investigation because Ellice has secrets to hide and family to protect.
Now Houghton Executives want to promote Ellice to Michael’s position as lead attorney. But Ellice can’t understand why so soon after Michael’s death? And why did they announce her promotion before she even had time to say yes? Something is off at Houghton, and Ellice finds out why when she uncovers some secret illegal and quite dangerous dealings within the company. Ellice is shoved into an impossible situation with the police breathing down her neck on one side and sinister forces at Houghton working against her on the other. She’s not sure how to get out unscathed or worse how to stay alive.
This was a such an entertaining read. It had it moments of slow burn but when the paced picked up it really picked up. The story is told in 2 time lines going from Ellice’s present to the past of the 1970’s when Ellice was living in Chillicothe with her little brother Sam, her drunken and very un maternal mother and later on her horrible white step father who also happened to be a police officer. The only scant light amid the darkness was a neighbor/second mother named Vera. The emotional and physical trauma that Ellice went through shaped her to be the very smart, but keep people at a bay woman she became as an adult.
Ellice’s story has a mystery so you know there are going to be twists and turns. Some I picked up on pretty easily, but that didn’t deter from my enjoyment. But one of the big twists got me pretty good. I also like the fact that WM was not afraid to take some risks and pull some punches with her characters. I can’t go into detail due to spoilers but one punch in particular broke my heart, but it also made it that much more authentic.
WM brought several important themes into her story: extreme racism, workplace discrimination and not being able to outrun your past. All were written and well translated in Ellice’s story, even if you do have to suspend belief a bit.
I think the only complaint I have is how Ellice being a very intelligent woman made so many mistakes and bad decisions. Her actions cost her a lot more than was necessary.
Overall All Her Little Secrets was a terrific book even with the few flaws. And if Wanda M. Morris’ debut book is any indication she has a strong writing career ahead of her. 👏
October 13, 2022
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This was another book I had campaigned pretty hard to get an ARC of. But once again, book-blocked. How rude. But then it went on sale and I bought it IMMEDIATELY. Reading ALL HER LITTLE SECRETS, I had very high expectations-- but somehow, this book still managed to exceed them. The comparison to THE FIRM is excellent but I would also compare it to ACE OF SPADES, with how it deals with the subjects of privilege and infrastructural racism.
Here's the premise. Ellice is a high-powered lawyer nursing a very dark secret, which we find out slowly through the dual timeline medium (MY FAVORITE MEDIUM). She might have her professional life together but her personal life is a mess: she's sleeping with her boss, for one. Which is why it's such a shock when she arrives to one of their early morning tete-a-tetes only to find out that he's dede-a-dede. That is: dead. Uh oh.
After deciding to flee without telling a soul, Ellice waits out the discovery and is shocked when she's promoted to her late-lover's job: the much-coveted position on the executive level suite. It seems too good to be true. And you know what they say about things that sound too good to be true. But if you don't, this book is going to be an even bigger surprise for you than it will be already, and I'm so thrilled for you.
I honestly don't want to say too much about this book because the less you know going in, the better it will be. There are MAJOR TRIGGER WARNINGS, though. Not just for racism (but also that), but also for a rather graphic and chilling depiction of what happens when you deny a woman reproductive rights. That's not a huge spoiler, and it's honestly so awful that I feel like people should brace themselves for it. I didn't see any reviews with warnings, so it surprised me in a really unpleasant way.
Apart from that, I loved every moment of this book. I loved the heroine's voice, I loved the pacing of the story and the satisfying ending. I loved the writing style and the message. I thought all the characters were really well done (good and bad). After Ellice, Juice and Vera were probably my favorite people. And I LOVED her friend, Grace. This isn't just a story about a woman triumphing over evil: it's also an ode to the power of having a good support network and the bonds between women.
I can't wait to read this author's next book.
5 stars
November 1, 2022
I really wanted to like this book, since it would tackle issues like racism and being a woman in a world where men dominate. But I found myself dozing while reading. My mind just went numb, and I can’t put my finger on why. It was a slow-paced tempo and the plot didn’t engage me. I’m disappointed and wasn’t sure if I even wanted to finish it.
May 31, 2021
Chock-full of deeply buried secrets that slowly claw their way to the surface, a beyond toxic work environment that’ll make you break out in hives, and a gutsy, marvellous heroine you’ll be rooting for right from the start,
ALL HER LITTLE SECRETS
by Wanda Morris is a terrific, timely legal thriller you won’t be able to put down. I devoured this story faster than a plate of chicken and dumplings and the deeply satisfying conclusion made me cheer out loud!
May 25, 2021
I've been excited to get my hands on this book since I first heard about it and I'm happy to say that it exceeded by expectations. Ellice Littlejohn would be right at home in a John Grisham novel. It has all the ingredients that make his books ones you can't put down -- mysterious corporation, complex main characters, and a story that takes you in unexpected places -- with the added bonus of seeing it through the unique eyes of a smart, capable and often underestimated black woman.
November 30, 2021
So glad I ordered this from the US. Absolutely loved it. Plenty of twists and characters you will love to hate. Highly recommend if you want a quick, addictive read
January 23, 2022
Ellice's story started immediately with discovering Michael's dead body in his office. We then see her make terrible decision after terrible decision. This is definitely one of those books where you want to shake the character because they just won't make better decisions.
I enjoyed sleuthing with her to find out what exactly what was going on in her company. This was very well written (the narrator did an awesome job as well), fast-paced, and entertaining. This will make for a great book discussion. I see a lot of mixed reviews coming from this one.
I enjoyed sleuthing with her to find out what exactly what was going on in her company. This was very well written (the narrator did an awesome job as well), fast-paced, and entertaining. This will make for a great book discussion. I see a lot of mixed reviews coming from this one.
November 1, 2021
4.5
I was fortunate to read some good books in October and I finished the month with this fantastic debut. Ellice Littlejohn is set to have an early morning meeting with her boss and when she walks into his office she finds him dead. How’s that for an opening? The reader follows Ellice as she slowly uncovers a whole heck of a lot of illegal activity going on at her firm and the people involved are way at the top. Ellice wants to expose what she finds, but bit by bit we learn why that isn’t possible for Ellice. She has a lot of skeletons in her closet she wants to keep hidden and for good reason. So what happens? You’ll just have to read to find out!!!
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I read this book. I loved how the author paced the novel as well as how she gave the readers a peek into Ellice’s backstory. There were some very intense moments, but everything was written masterfully with respect to whatever the topic was. There is also no question that anything pertaining to the law or being a lawyer is coming from an expert since the author is a well respected and experienced attorney. Being a political junkie, I really enjoyed the contemporary setting, with plot lines that could be pulled from the news, but this was written with mainstream appeal for sure. There is something in this book for everyone and I for one cannot WAIT until her next book comes out if it’s anything like this one!!
I did have one little issue that bothered me so that is the issue for the slight downgrade, but it was something I could let go based on the strength of the rest of the novel. Others may not be able to do this, but luckily I could.
Review Date: 11/01/2021
Publication Date: 11/02/2021
I was fortunate to read some good books in October and I finished the month with this fantastic debut. Ellice Littlejohn is set to have an early morning meeting with her boss and when she walks into his office she finds him dead. How’s that for an opening? The reader follows Ellice as she slowly uncovers a whole heck of a lot of illegal activity going on at her firm and the people involved are way at the top. Ellice wants to expose what she finds, but bit by bit we learn why that isn’t possible for Ellice. She has a lot of skeletons in her closet she wants to keep hidden and for good reason. So what happens? You’ll just have to read to find out!!!
I was on the edge of my seat the entire time I read this book. I loved how the author paced the novel as well as how she gave the readers a peek into Ellice’s backstory. There were some very intense moments, but everything was written masterfully with respect to whatever the topic was. There is also no question that anything pertaining to the law or being a lawyer is coming from an expert since the author is a well respected and experienced attorney. Being a political junkie, I really enjoyed the contemporary setting, with plot lines that could be pulled from the news, but this was written with mainstream appeal for sure. There is something in this book for everyone and I for one cannot WAIT until her next book comes out if it’s anything like this one!!
I did have one little issue that bothered me so that is the issue for the slight downgrade, but it was something I could let go based on the strength of the rest of the novel. Others may not be able to do this, but luckily I could.
Review Date: 11/01/2021
Publication Date: 11/02/2021
March 12, 2022
The lead character is the strength of the novel more so than the thriller plot. The author was able to explore things with the Ellice that we don't typically get to see in this genre. If you appreciate a well-developed character and a story with substance, All Her Little Secrets is worth checking out.
Ellice Littlejohn grew up in a small town and has tried hard to leave her past behind. She earned a law degree from an Ivy League school and works as a corporate attorney in Atlanta. She's one of only a few Black people employed by the company. The lack of diversity at the company has drawn protests and negative press.
One early morning, Ellice shows up for a meeting with her boss. She gets quite the shock when she arrives at the executive suite. Her boss is dead with a gunshot to the head. Rather than call the police, she makes the decision to quickly get out of there and let someone else discover the body. Sounds crazy but when you've got secrets, you certainly don't want the authorities digging them up.
I didn't want to give away too much about the plot because watching everything unfold was interesting. The only issue I had was I didn't feel like there was a jaw dropping ending. There's great buildup but the payout doesn't match up.
But like I said Ellice is really the driving force. I love how she's strong but not perfect. Her moments of humor, biting at times, was just one of the reasons I was drawn to her.
An impressive debut novel. I can't wait to read more from Wanda M. Morris.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
Ellice Littlejohn grew up in a small town and has tried hard to leave her past behind. She earned a law degree from an Ivy League school and works as a corporate attorney in Atlanta. She's one of only a few Black people employed by the company. The lack of diversity at the company has drawn protests and negative press.
One early morning, Ellice shows up for a meeting with her boss. She gets quite the shock when she arrives at the executive suite. Her boss is dead with a gunshot to the head. Rather than call the police, she makes the decision to quickly get out of there and let someone else discover the body. Sounds crazy but when you've got secrets, you certainly don't want the authorities digging them up.
I didn't want to give away too much about the plot because watching everything unfold was interesting. The only issue I had was I didn't feel like there was a jaw dropping ending. There's great buildup but the payout doesn't match up.
But like I said Ellice is really the driving force. I love how she's strong but not perfect. Her moments of humor, biting at times, was just one of the reasons I was drawn to her.
An impressive debut novel. I can't wait to read more from Wanda M. Morris.
Thank you to William Morrow for providing me with a copy! All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
March 8, 2022
3.5 stars - This went a little bit off the rails for me in the last quarter of the book from a plot perspective, but I REALLY liked the writing and the POV character was super engaging & compelling. Looking forward to more from this author in the future!
CW: racism in the workplace
CW: racism in the workplace
January 25, 2022
3.5 stars
A fun, fast paced mystery that kept me hooked with it's multiple layers to the storylines. Although I did want to shake Ellice at various points through this book
Watch me discuss this book in my January wrap up (part 1): https://youtu.be/x76AXw_Q-DY
A fun, fast paced mystery that kept me hooked with it's multiple layers to the storylines. Although I did want to shake Ellice at various points through this book
Watch me discuss this book in my January wrap up (part 1): https://youtu.be/x76AXw_Q-DY
Read
January 23, 2024My introduction to the fiction of Wanda M. Morris is All Her Little Secrets. Published in 2021, this debut novel is set in a legal department of an Atlanta transportation company being picketed by Black and Hispanic activists for its discriminatory hiring practices. Ellice Littlejohn is the only Black attorney at the company and reports to work early at the urging of her white boss and lover, who she discovers dead at his desk from a gunshot wound to the head.
I abandoned this on page 71/371. At 20%, the story didn't grab me, the writing is cursory and character motivation implausible. The author moves back in time to the protagonist's childhood in Chillicothe, Georgia when she wins admittance to a school for the gifted that will get her out of town and away from her alcoholic mother. Morris sets the stage for dark secrets or past crimes coming back to haunt her protagonist. This distracts from the mystery developing in the present day.
I struggled to empathize with the protagonist, not because she was helping commit adultery, but because she made the stupid decision to sleep with her boss. Rookie corporate mistake there and if there's one thing I dislike in a novel, it's people who are lousy at their jobs. If Ellice was introduced at being really good, maybe even the best at something, I would've followed her anywhere. An inept protagonist? Mildly annoying.
The writing leans toward the superficial, but the larger issue I had is that Morris employs what Roger Ebert coined the Idiot Plot, which dictates that the story would be over in 5 minutes if the protagonist didn't behave like an idiot. Fleeing a crime scene seems like a big risk for a corporate lawyer. I don't think they teach that in Junior Law. So we begin with a protagonist who's following an ill-advised romantic choice with a potentially disastrous legal choice, because, reasons.
Morris has since published two more novels, but since this was her debut, no rating from me.
I abandoned this on page 71/371. At 20%, the story didn't grab me, the writing is cursory and character motivation implausible. The author moves back in time to the protagonist's childhood in Chillicothe, Georgia when she wins admittance to a school for the gifted that will get her out of town and away from her alcoholic mother. Morris sets the stage for dark secrets or past crimes coming back to haunt her protagonist. This distracts from the mystery developing in the present day.
I struggled to empathize with the protagonist, not because she was helping commit adultery, but because she made the stupid decision to sleep with her boss. Rookie corporate mistake there and if there's one thing I dislike in a novel, it's people who are lousy at their jobs. If Ellice was introduced at being really good, maybe even the best at something, I would've followed her anywhere. An inept protagonist? Mildly annoying.
The writing leans toward the superficial, but the larger issue I had is that Morris employs what Roger Ebert coined the Idiot Plot, which dictates that the story would be over in 5 minutes if the protagonist didn't behave like an idiot. Fleeing a crime scene seems like a big risk for a corporate lawyer. I don't think they teach that in Junior Law. So we begin with a protagonist who's following an ill-advised romantic choice with a potentially disastrous legal choice, because, reasons.
Morris has since published two more novels, but since this was her debut, no rating from me.
November 27, 2022
A female attorney finds her dead boss, who also happens to be her married lover, dead in his office of an apparent suicide. Offered his job, she quickly discovers a rampant conspiracy taking place within the walls of a company built on racism. Will she be able to uncover the truth before she’s either charged with murder or killed herself?
Ellice Littlejohn comes into work early one morning for a private “meeting” with her boss/lover, Executive VP and General Counsel for Houghton Transportation, Michael Sayles. Entering his office she finds him shot in the head and, without thinking twice, she turns and runs away, leaving someone else to report his body. Why? Because she’s been hiding a collection of secrets, most dating back to her childhood in rural Chillicothe, Georgia. Secrets she’s worked hard to bury and keep hidden since she was a teenager.
Not twenty-four hours later, however, the Houghton’s CEO offers her Michael’s job. But when the police reveal that what appeared to be a suicide was actually murder, Michael’s widow enlists her to dig into some of her husband’s business. Ellice realizes, perhaps too late, that she’s trapped in an impossible ethical and moral situation and that, somehow, her brother Sam has become entangled in the conspiracy as well. Racing to discover the truth before anyone else gets hurt, Ellice’s past and present collide and her secrets may be revealed after her lies begin to catch up with her.
Wanda M. Morris’s debut novel is a suspenseful, yet eye-opening, legal thriller right up there with the illustrious John Grisham. Fast-paced and captivating, the reader is taken on twists and turns as Ellice tries to discover the details of the conspiracy looking to swallow her carefully reinvented life whole. Not just a strong thriller,All Her Little Secrets explores what it means to be Black and female in corporate America and the only person of color in the room. I’m not deluded enough to think that I caught every racist remark or action that Ellice and her brother Sam endured or how being a Black woman influenced her decisions, so it was enlightening to talk to friends who had also read this book for their thoughts. For that as well as the pure entertainment value, I strongly recommend it for book club reads. In addition to the nail-biting storyline, it brings to light revelations that are necessary for those of us privileged enough not to experience both “polite” and overt racism.
What makes this book truly spectacular, however, is that, on top of being a novel unapologetically discussing Black culture with astounding epiphanies for non-POC readers, it is a first-rate legal thriller packed full of suspense, conspiracy, secrets, and lies. Ellice is a strong, educated Black woman who has reinvented herself, but quickly learns, as things start to fall apart around her, that you can never truly escape your past and how it molds you into who you are. Moreover, while not quite as well-rounded as the protagonist, all of the characters present as authentic and tangible (including those that bring the Nazis to mind) in a way that many do not in a thriller. Told in three parts with two separate timelines (Ellice’s past in Chillicothe and her present), the language is beautifully descriptive without being flowery. It touches on a number of issues sharing some important truths about sexism, child abuse, racism, alcoholism, dementia, and, of course, racism. And the twists just kept coming, finishing with a superb ending that kept me turning pages faster and faster. If there was one issue I had with the plot, it was how fast the major plot twist was concluded. The rest of the novel had such depth to it and, while it was all nicely tied up, it lacked the complexity that the rest of the book had, although without taking away from the dénouement. Regardless, I’m already looking forward to the next novel (thankfully) coming out later this month entitled Anywhere You Run. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Trigger Warning: dementia, teen pregnancy, physical and sexual child abuse, abortion, alcoholism, police brutality, and racism
Ellice Littlejohn comes into work early one morning for a private “meeting” with her boss/lover, Executive VP and General Counsel for Houghton Transportation, Michael Sayles. Entering his office she finds him shot in the head and, without thinking twice, she turns and runs away, leaving someone else to report his body. Why? Because she’s been hiding a collection of secrets, most dating back to her childhood in rural Chillicothe, Georgia. Secrets she’s worked hard to bury and keep hidden since she was a teenager.
”Every lie you tell, every secret you keep, is a fragile little thing that must be protected and accounted for. One misstep, one miscalculation, and your safe little treasures can topple the perfect life you’ve built around them.”
Not twenty-four hours later, however, the Houghton’s CEO offers her Michael’s job. But when the police reveal that what appeared to be a suicide was actually murder, Michael’s widow enlists her to dig into some of her husband’s business. Ellice realizes, perhaps too late, that she’s trapped in an impossible ethical and moral situation and that, somehow, her brother Sam has become entangled in the conspiracy as well. Racing to discover the truth before anyone else gets hurt, Ellice’s past and present collide and her secrets may be revealed after her lies begin to catch up with her.
Wanda M. Morris’s debut novel is a suspenseful, yet eye-opening, legal thriller right up there with the illustrious John Grisham. Fast-paced and captivating, the reader is taken on twists and turns as Ellice tries to discover the details of the conspiracy looking to swallow her carefully reinvented life whole. Not just a strong thriller,All Her Little Secrets explores what it means to be Black and female in corporate America and the only person of color in the room. I’m not deluded enough to think that I caught every racist remark or action that Ellice and her brother Sam endured or how being a Black woman influenced her decisions, so it was enlightening to talk to friends who had also read this book for their thoughts. For that as well as the pure entertainment value, I strongly recommend it for book club reads. In addition to the nail-biting storyline, it brings to light revelations that are necessary for those of us privileged enough not to experience both “polite” and overt racism.
What makes this book truly spectacular, however, is that, on top of being a novel unapologetically discussing Black culture with astounding epiphanies for non-POC readers, it is a first-rate legal thriller packed full of suspense, conspiracy, secrets, and lies. Ellice is a strong, educated Black woman who has reinvented herself, but quickly learns, as things start to fall apart around her, that you can never truly escape your past and how it molds you into who you are. Moreover, while not quite as well-rounded as the protagonist, all of the characters present as authentic and tangible (including those that bring the Nazis to mind) in a way that many do not in a thriller. Told in three parts with two separate timelines (Ellice’s past in Chillicothe and her present), the language is beautifully descriptive without being flowery. It touches on a number of issues sharing some important truths about sexism, child abuse, racism, alcoholism, dementia, and, of course, racism. And the twists just kept coming, finishing with a superb ending that kept me turning pages faster and faster. If there was one issue I had with the plot, it was how fast the major plot twist was concluded. The rest of the novel had such depth to it and, while it was all nicely tied up, it lacked the complexity that the rest of the book had, although without taking away from the dénouement. Regardless, I’m already looking forward to the next novel (thankfully) coming out later this month entitled Anywhere You Run. Rating of 4.5 stars.
Trigger Warning: dementia, teen pregnancy, physical and sexual child abuse, abortion, alcoholism, police brutality, and racism
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