Praise for Someone Else’s Secret 

“Suspenseful and dishy, Someone Else’s Secret exposes the dark underbelly of a moneyed summer town and the lengths one outsider will go to belong. Spiro brings Martha’s Vineyard to life with delicious precision; I felt like I was there with my toes in the sand, a glass of rosé in my hand, and plenty of reasons to look over my shoulder. If the walls in these summer estates could talk, they would say, ‘Trust no one.’” —Jessica Knoll, New York Times bestselling author of Luckiest Girl Alive

“Someone Else’s Secret is a sandy, sun-soaked, character-driven exploration of what happens when there are no good options, when the truth turns out not to be enough, when following your heart proves impossible. It is a novel about being young and very young and then not so young after all and about finding the strength to fight for all those former selves.” —Laurie Frankel, New York Times bestselling author of This Is How It Always Is

“Someone Else’s Secret explores the realities of young love, coming-of-age, and the traumatic events women often face. Julia Spiro handles these difficult issues gracefully by pulling us into her fictional journey but also elevating the voices of women everywhere who are sure to recognize a part of themselves along the way.” —Wendy Walker, national bestselling author of The Night Before

“In Someone Else’s Secret, debut author Julia Spiro has crafted a timely exploration of the weight of secrets and what it takes to tell the truth. When an ambitious recent college graduate lands a ‘cushy’ job among the elite of Martha’s Vineyard, she gets an unwelcome lesson on the dark side of power and privilege. A compelling and cautionary tale that pulses with authenticity.” —Karen Dukess, author of The Last Book Party

“Someone Else’s Secret is a gorgeous debut that, from page one, sets itself apart from the rest…Julia Spiro has written a story that is truly a breath of fresh air. The layered plot and rich cast of characters plunge the reader into a masterful story of secrets, ambition, and the fragile bonds of friendship. Someone Else’s Secret is perfect for book clubs and should be on everyone’s summer 2020 list.” —Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, bestselling authors of The Two Lila Bennetts

“In Someone Else’s Secret, Julia Spiro weaves a relatable, heart-wrenching tale full of secrets, lies, denial, and redemption. A dizzying dance with the truth for fans of Kristin Hannah and for women everywhere.” —Rea Frey, author of Not Her Daughter and Because You’re Mine

“Someone Else’s Secret is at once an arresting work of storytelling and a page-turning exploration of the violent power dynamics that weave throughout Martha’s Vineyard and other glamorous summertime retreats. I was left haunted, moved, and in awe of Julia Spiro’s taut prose. A propulsive riptide of a book.” —John Glynn, author of Out East: Memoir of a Montauk Summer

“Engaging and perceptive, Someone Else’s Secret uses the sunny idyll of Martha’s Vineyard as the backdrop for a coming-of-age story about two women navigating class, desire, and the things that go unspoken.” —Sam Lansky, author of The Gilded Razor

Popsugar’s Best Books Coming Out July 2020

Someone Else’s Secret by Julia Spiro

Two women must confront a shared trauma in Julia Spiro's wrenching Someone Else's Secret. In 2009, 19-year-old Lindsey and 15-year-old Georgie bond during a summer in Martha's Vineyard where Lindsey is working as the nanny for Georgie's family. However, when a shocking event takes place on the beach, their friendship is shattered, leaving them unable to face what happened that night for 10 long years.

Out July 1

The Vineyard Gazette

Vineyard Bookshelf: Someone Else's Secret / Review by Steven Donoghue

“…Instead, her summer on the Vineyard changed the entire trajectory of her life — not just professionally but personally (“that summer, she learned to lie”). The trauma at the lighthouse changed her fundamentally, and readers finish out the book wondering if things can ever be made right again.”

 The Martha’s Vineyard Times

Sharing Secrets: Julia Spiro’s new novel takes place in Edgartown, with a plot that keeps you guessing. Review by Abby Remer

…”Spiro, a year-rounder on the Island for three years, started writing “Someone Else’s Secret” when she was an executive at Warner Bros. Pictures in 2017, and, interestingly, the book has a cinematic feel both in her ability to evoke the essence of the Vineyard as well as the way she unfolds her story. Asked about her motivation for writing the novel, she answers, “I simply wanted to write a book that I’d want to read — one that tackles important, emotional, complex issues, but that doesn’t hit you over the head with them. Personally, I don’t want to read a book that’s entirely grim. I need a level of escapism and humor, so that was important to me, even though I wanted to book to pack an authentic, emotional punch.

And lucky us, this is exactly what “Someone Else’s Secret” does.”

Get Started On Summer Reading With An Excerpt Of ‘Someone Else’s Secret’ By Julia Spiro

BY: SARA LEVINE / MAY 1, 2020

When it comes to picking out a new book, sometimes I can be indecisive. I’m about to commit to this for the next 300 or so pages. Do I want something summery? Something dark and twisted? Or maybe more domestic fiction? It can be a real head-scratcher. That is, until I picked up a copy of Someone Else’s Secret by Julia Spiro, out July 1, 2020, which has a little bit of everything.

After graduating Bowdoin with a degree in art history, no job prospects, and no trust fund or rich parents to fall back on, Lindsey takes a job as a nanny for Carol and Jonathan, a well-to-do and well-connected couple on Martha’s Vineyard. In her care are 5-year-old Robert aka Berty, and 15-year-old Georgina aka Georgie. Lindsey, who comes from a working-class family, doesn’t exactly fit in with the types of people who summer on Martha’s Vineyard (and use “summer” as a verb), like her fellow Bowdoin alum Joanna and her friends. Over the course of the summer, Lindsey and Georgie develop a sort of friendship (or at least, an understanding), until an act of violence shatters their bond. Someone Else’s Secret is Julia Spiro’s first novel, and Betches readers can get an exclusive excerpt right here, before it comes out on July 1.