Synopsis
The page-turning and spellbinding new novel from the million-copy bestselling author of The Glass House and The Midnight Hour!
'An intriguing mystery wrapped in the sumptuously glamorous life of a famous designer. I was enthralled till the very end' Jennie Godfrey
‘Spellbinding, evocative and beautifully written. Eve Chase’s best book yet!’ Claire Douglas
'A clever page-turner of a book, portraying a constellation of glittering characters. Sharply observed and sumptuous' Fiona Valpy
'A riveting, beautifully told mystery that absorbs from the very first page' Clare Leslie Hall
'Glorious and glamorous'Daily Mail
***
Even the darkest secrets unravel in time . . .
Mimi Mott, celebrated designer and famously private style icon, is auctioning off her legendary estate, intent on telling the true story of her life in objects.
In London, her new assistant, Jo O’Mara, is determined to win Mimi’s trust. But Jo carries a secret of her own, and time is running out to unpick the past before the auctioneer’s hammer falls.
Who is Mimi, really? A woman who rose from humble beginnings to build an interiors empire – but at what cost? What happened in that remote Wiltshire manor house where Mimi and her family worked during the summer of 1969? Who died the night of the glittering party that stole the headlines?
As the auction countdown begins, Jo is drawn into an intoxicating world of obsession, sisters and secrets – and must risk everything to unravel the truth, one thread at a time.
***
'A propulsive mystery, luminous writing, and characters who stayed with me. Her best yet' Sarah Vaughan
'Exquisite! Shimmering with allure' Evie Woods
'It glitters and winks and shines, never letting up for a moment. Absolutely gorgeous' Veronica Henry
'I devoured it! Lyrical and beguiling' Karen Swan
Publisher information
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
- ISBN: 9780241633946
- Number of pages: 400
- Dimensions: 224 x 147 x 37 mm
- Weight: 506g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
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Totally absorbing story
This was a fascinating story of family feuds and relationships. A large cast of characters, all relevant to the story. A final outpouring which answered al... READ MORE
A definite must read!
I absolutely loved The Secret Thread. I've read and enjoyed all of Eve Chase's books, but I think this is my favourite so far. It has just about everything... READ MORE
Historical Fiction
Mimi Mott, a celebrated designer and famously private style icon, is auctioning off her legendary estate, intent on telling the true story of her life in o... READ MORE
Great characters, locations and plot
This was such a joy to read with great characters, evocative descriptions of beautiful houses and gardens and a gripping plot.
Set in dual timelines of ... READ MORE
Great 60s read
I always look forward to a book by Eve Chase, and this didn’t disappoint.
Set in the present day,and the late 1960s, a time dear to my heart, this is the... READ MORE
An engaging story full of intrigue and mystery.
Ohhh, I adored this book. Fabulous characters, set in the Wiltshire countryside with a manor house, Rushwood, being the summer home of a wealthy family at ... READ MORE
A heartwarming and emotional story
This is a heartwarming and emotional story of two families and how they, and each individual, deal with an unforeseen tragedy. The descriptive narrative br... READ MORE
A joy to read
Wow! Feels like I've been waiting a long time for this and it was worth the wait! Set in glorious Suffolk, it's a classic upstairs/ downstairs problem bet... READ MORE
Emotional and pleasing
The second book by this author that I've read and again I was drawn into the story and read it quickly to find out the outcome.
The story of the Bramley ... READ MORE
A glamorous page turner
This book had me gripped from the first page, and it didn’t disappoint.
With the backdrop of a glamorous country house mystery, this story of how one fa... READ MORE
The Secret Thread
In this book we meet Mimi Mott who is a legend in the world of interior design. We have caught her at a rather interesting time as she has decided to aucti... READ MORE
Sumptuous and Beautiful novel
The Secret Thread is a sumptuous and beautiful novel. It is tense, atmospheric and threaded with an emotional and twisting storyline that I absolutely. Eve... READ MORE
Another brilliant book from Eve Chase
A great story that had me hooked from the very beginning. This is dual timeline done in a very clever way with some very interesting plot twists! Loved eve... READ MORE
So atmospheric
Legendary interior design queen Mimi Mott is auctioning her properties and objects which may spill the secrets of her early life. She’s not a words person ... READ MORE
Gorgeous depth and drama from a skilled writer
When Jo O'Mara gets a new job as assistant to interior designer Mimi Mott, she gets what she wanted and much more than she bargained for. What results is a... READ MORE
Family Mystery
The main protagonists in this story are sisters Miriam and Pamela. They live with their parents and Pamela’s twin brother Alf in a tied cottage on the Rus... READ MORE
Lovely read
A story waiting to be unravelled and understood,, this novel pulled me into a world of glamour, secrecy. . Mimi Mott is a fascinating designer, a woman who... READ MORE
Absorbing storyline
This was a fascinating story of family feuds and relationships. A large cast of characters, all relevant to the story. A final outpouring which answered al... READ MORE
excellent
This is a book that takes a slow pace, and to take your time with. It’s not fast paced, twisty and turny- though there are plenty of those.It’s a sit down ... READ MORE
Captivating and beautifully written with a dual timeline
AD/PR/PRODUCT
Mimi Mott has led an amazing life. As an interior designer she found fame and fortune despite coming from humble beginnings. Now in her se... READ MORE
The Secret Thread - a fabulous read!
There’s something almost magical about Eve Chase’s storytelling and this is yet another beautifully written story. From the start I was gripped, and I just... READ MORE
Massively enjoyable
This is a massively enjoyable read. Jo O’Mara has applied to be an assistant to Mimi Mott, a famous interior designer who made her mark in 1960s London and... READ MORE
A besutifully captivating, vivid, atmospheric tale ✨?
A page-turning, emotional but glamorous novel for readers who enjoy - ?’The Glass House’ & ‘Midnight Hour’? Intriguing mysteries? Characters that stay with... READ MORE
Nostalgic and romantic - a lovely summer read
Elderly celebrity A-list interior-designer Mimi has a story to tell through the artefacts of her youth that she is auctioning off - and her assistant Jo ha... READ MORE
A novel of lives, love and loss
A very aptly title for this novel of lives, loves and losses and their complex interactions. Mimi Mott’s decision to auction off some of her possessions, e... READ MORE
A Tender, Intriguing Exploration of Lives Intertwined Across Time
Having read and enjoyed The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase, I was excited to pick up The Secret Thread — and I enjoyed it just as much. Her writing has that wo... READ MORE
A Wonderful Story
I loved this book ,told in two timelines 1969 and present the story reveals how hidden truths ,old choices and events continue to shape the Family's destin... READ MORE
Beautiful & Poignant
Review of ‘The Secret Thread’ by Eve Chase, due to be published on 28 May 2026 by Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House.
Interior design icon Mimi Mott i... READ MORE
The secret Thread by Eve Chase
The Secret Thread by Eve Chase is a glorious look back at the life of Mimi Mott, the legendary interior designer, who has decided to auction off her earlie... READ MORE
A lovely summer read
This was a lovely family saga spanning three generations of tragedy, secrets and lies. The character were fabulous and you could almost picture them from t... READ MORE
Beautiful story telling
Mimi MOtt the celebrated designer is selling off her collection of wondrous and unique items, each holds its own story. Jo is given the chance to tell thos... READ MORE
An Excellent Read
Another excellent read from Eve Chase. I love the detail in her writing and the depth to her characters. This story, a family saga, a slow unraveling of th... READ MORE
Pleasant but nothing special
A story of estranged sisters with a secret past. Mimi, the younger and famous sister, decides to auction off momentos from her early life, focusing on 196... READ MORE
An important auction is looming
Jo talks herself into the job of helping interiors designer Mimi Mott record her life through possessions she once held dear, each one important to stages ... READ MORE
Spelbinding
A wonderfully written family saga with a twist as one would expect . A different style of storytelling through memorabilia collected for an auction . Add t... READ MORE
A gripping read
A clever story . Moving back and forward . You have a famous design reliving her life through an auction. Some good twists . You are gripped . Perfect hol... READ MORE
Highly recommend
I absolutely loved this book, Eve Chase is now an instant "must read" for me as all of her books have been superb.
This brings a memorable cast of charact... READ MORE
I was engrossed!
I think I fell in love with this story when we were told about Miriam and Lawrence's fossil-hunting trip to Lyme Regis. The language is so immersive, I co... READ MORE
Fabulous
An absolutely fabulous read. I was invested from the first sentence right through to the last. Heart warming and heart breaking throughout. Such a wonderfu... READ MORE
A heart-warming read
Some important lessons to be learned from this story but that’s for later. The book is packed with emotions. It’s a gentle read but there is loss and pai... READ MORE
Powerful
The Secret Thread is a powerful family drama, full of secrets, lies and, sadly, estrangement. The characters are wonderfully drawn with the gardener's fami... READ MORE
kept me awake into the early hours !
I found The Secret Thread by Eve Chase to be an absorbing and atmospheric mystery woven with glamour, secrets, and family intrigue. The dual timelines slow... READ MORE
A delight to read and escape to
A delight to read and escape to. The story has a duel timeline which I loved and tells of the life and decisions made many years ago by two sisters. The de... READ MORE
A moving and memorable story
The Secret Thread is a beautifully crafted, character-driven novel that explores family, memory, and the long shadow of the past.
Told across two timeli... READ MORE
Epic
Absolutley epic family saga. Loved the sweeping time lines and family dreams and secrets. Brilliant. Thanks netgalley fof the early read. #TheSecretThre... READ MORE
A most enjoyable and satisfying read
Mimi Mott, legendary interior designer, is auctioning off her properties and memorabilia from her early years. She employs Jo O’Mara to help her tell her ... READ MORE
A wonderful dual time novel
Now cemented as an automatic read for me, Eve Chase has written another compelling, utterly readable novel with her usual rich, realistic and multi layered... READ MORE
Compulsive reading
Mimi's character really stands out in this book about family life from the middle classes to the gardners of the eastate. The difference bewtween generatio... READ MORE
Great characters, locations and plot
This was such a joy to read with great characters, evocative descriptions of beautiful houses and gardens and a gripping plot.
Set in dual timelines of 19... READ MORE
Thought provoking
Jo is a freelance copy writer and on her way to a job she desperately needs to get. It’s writing some copy for an auction
of items that belong to Mimi Mo... READ MORE
A beautiful, captivating and emotionally immersive story
A book as beautiful as its cover…
The Secret Thread by Eve Chase is a beautifully layered story told across multiple POVs and timelines, moving between ... READ MORE
wonderful storytelling
The secret thread is all encompassing. I was transported into the world of Rushwood. The storytelling is wonderful, the characters are vivid, I loved Mimi ... READ MORE
New favourite book by Eve.
I’ve read and enjoyed many of Eve’s books so I was keen to read this new book. I’m pleased to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. Mimi is sell... READ MORE
Four stars!
The Secret Thread by Eve Chase is a beautifully woven, multi layered story that blends glamour with long buried secrets.
At the centre is Mimi Mott, a f... READ MORE
A haunting story
A beautiful and haunting story of a family feud told over two timelines and several view points. From the 60's to the present day, those who threw the part... READ MORE
Enthralling
I read this book courtesy of NetGalley. An enthralling book which slowly draws the reader in. Set in two time zones, 1969 in a sprawling country estate i... READ MORE
Gorgeous story
This is a stunning story that I was not able to put down. Set in the past and the present, the author has skilfully created a story of love, loss, fracture... READ MORE
Family Drama
The Secret Thread has secured itself firmly as a new favourite on my bookshelf. Eve Chase's ability to bring family drama, exciting twists, and a sense of ... READ MORE
Cleverly crafted
Design maven Mimi Mott is holding an auction of pieces that mean a lot to her and she employs young writer Jo to be her amanuensis. Each lot in the auctio... READ MORE
Lovely book.
Another beautifully written and engaging story from Eve Chase. Dual timelines with wonderfully portrayed characters and settings, I thoroughly recommend.
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The Secret Thread is a gorgeously crafted novel—quietly tense, richly atmospheric, and threaded with the kind of emotional resonance that lingers long afte... READ MORE