THE strongest structures are often built on shifting sands. In her upcoming psychological thriller Where Secrets Lie, Harlow-based author Cindy Taylor explores guilt, memory, and the devastating consequences of a pact made in adolescence.

Where Secrets Lie

The Synopsis:

A pact. A disappearance. Memories that refuse to be silenced. How do you build a future on a foundation of lies? What if the pact you swore to protect at fourteen became your death warrant at twenty?

At the prestigious Bartlett School of Architecture, Iris, Lea, and Chloe are taught that the integrity of any structure lies in its hidden supports. But their own lives are built over a void—a “solemn pact” sealed in the frantic shadows of their adolescence. During a holiday in the Scottish Highlands, on a night of biting wind and black ice, Rose, their best friend — a twin sister to some and a cousin to others — vanished without a trace after a violent argument. What happened that night was never forgotten.

As a new winter sets in, the women begin receiving anonymous packages containing objects linked to that night. Each delivery reopens buried memories and suggests that someone knows the truth — someone who remembers every sound: the slam of a car door, frantic footsteps on ice, and a final stifled cry. Someone knows. Someone remembers — and the silence has ears. The past is never dead. It waits. It listens. And it demands justice.

Told through a tense psychological lens and enriched by the perspective of a blind witness who “sees” through sound, Where Secrets Lie explores guilt, trauma, and the devastating power of silence. As the past resurfaces, the women are forced to confront a reality they can no longer outrun: secrets can be buried, but memories always find a way back.

Why This Book is a Must-Read This February:

A Compelling “New Adult” Narrative: Set against the high-pressure backdrop of an architecture university, the novel poignantly depicts the brutal transition into adulthood through the lens of trauma.

A Unique Sensory Perspective: Through Liam’s character, the author offers a total immersion where sound replaces sight, creating a rare and breathless narrative tension.
Strong Social Themes: The book bravely addresses themes of assault, forced silence, and the immense courage required to “scream without making a sound.”

About the Author:

Cindy Taylor is a French author, Harlow-based, whose work focuses on psychological tension, memory and silenced voices.

“I write to give a voice to those who, like Rose, have been condemned to silence.”
— Cindy Taylor

Key Themes:
Psychological manipulation
Memory and perception
Trauma and forced silence
Identity and guilt
Control and power

Why Fans of Pretty Little Liars Will Be Hooked:

A Grittier, “New Adult” Edge: This isn’t high school drama. The stakes are life-altering, the trauma is visceral. Deeply atmospheric. Psychologically gripping. The ultimate university thriller.

A rare sensory narrative, where sound replaces sight to heighten suspense. Liam, a blind young man, is the only one who heard the unthinkable. His unique sensory perspective provides a level of suspense you won’t see coming.

Psychological Warfare: The mystery packages and tokens from the past create a suffocating tension.
Fast Facts:

Title: Where Secrets Lie
Genre: Psychological Thriller


Publication: 27 February 2026
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Availability: Bookstores and major digital platforms

Media Contact:

Cindy Taylor / Austin Macauley Publishers
📧 [email protected]
📷 Instagram: @_taylorcindy