I’ve thought about the books I have read, and it’s hard to pinpoint one particular book, but I have, in the last few years, read some women’s fiction books that have had the word secret in the title only to find it revealed in chapter two.

I lose the momentum then, and question if the novel is worth continuing with. I have usually battled on to the end, but the desire to read on has gone, and is rarely a rewarding ending.

If the protagonist has a secret, then it should be as close to the end as possible, with the consequences of it dripping through events, so you feel compelled to read on.