A Terrible Secret: Scared for her safety, Tilly places herself into care. A shocking true story.

Written by Cathy Glass

Narrated by Denica Fairman

Tilly hates her stepfather, Dave. He abuses her mother, but she refuses to leave him.

Frightened for her own safety, Tilly asks to go into foster care and is placed with Cathy. Tilly arrives with a graze on her cheek and Cathy becomes increasingly concerned by Dave’s behaviour, especially when she learns he has been showering Tilly with gifts. While she’s busy looking after Tilly and trying to keep her safe, Cathy is also worried about her own daughter, Lucy. She has a very difficult decision to make that will affect the rest of her life, and Cathy hopes she makes the right choice.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Sep 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9780008398767

Cathy Glass

Cathy has been a foster carer for over 25 years, during which time she has looked after more than 100 children, of all ages and backgrounds. She has three teenage children of her own; one of whom was adopted after a long-term foster placement. The name Cathy Glass is a pseudonym. Cathy has written 16 books, including bestselling memoirs Cut, Hidden and Mummy Told Me Not To Tell.

Reviews for A Terrible Secret

[Lynne Wintersgill · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What an amazing story loved it page after page thanks

[Angie Rose · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I always loved cathy glasses books she's a really good writer

[Destiny Weller · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Love Cathy Glass books... shes an amazing author and person.

[Kelly Hughes · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I usually live these books but the reading of text messages was boring and unnecessary in this book.

[thursohighlibrary · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One of the most exciting voices in young adult fiction, Jenny Valentine succeeds again with this story of a family coping with the death of a child.

[jennie_103 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was a good case of "never judge a book by its cover". I bypassed this one for a while because the cover just looked too teenage (I'm an adult who just happens to still read a lot of children's/YA fiction). And yet when I did get round to it, I found it completely absorbing. One of those can't-put-it-down books. And I absolutely hadn't guessed the twist at the end!

[4sarad_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First I should say that I did like the characters and cared about them. That being said, I didn't like much else. The plot varied between being unbelievable (coincidences, etc.) to being way too predictable. Also, the formatting of the dialogue was annoying. I guess I've just read so many books like this that this one doesn't stand out in any way for me, other than the fact they're in London rather than in the US.

[Cindy Mata · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Tilly’s story was so moving. I was surprised that Cathy didn’t correct her language as she usually does. Tilly seems very mature and I wish her the best.