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Someone We Know
Maybe you don't know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . .
"This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out."
In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses--and into the owners' computers as well--learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.
Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they're telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets?
In this neighborhood, it's not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .
You never really know what people are capable of.
"This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out."
In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses--and into the owners' computers as well--learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.
Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they're telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets?
In this neighborhood, it's not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .
You never really know what people are capable of.
292 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2019
6,177 people are currently reading
119k people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,028 reviews
September 30, 2024
I've really come to enjoy Shari Lapena's writing style, and for me, this is her best story yet.
Someone We Know takes place in a tranquil suburb of New York. Robert Pierce reports that his beautiful young wife Amanda is missing. Did she leave on her own or has something sinister happened to her? The police arrive in the neighborhood, and proceed to unearth the residents' every secret. And there are so many, because everyone has something to hide.
Lapena has the most interesting style. It's sparse and action-driven, so it feels like something is happening with every sentence. There are no unnecessary descriptions, no overwrought emotion, no dilly-dallying or indulgence. Every page is stripped to only the most essential, so the pacing feels taut and brisk. It makes for a riveting read, leaving me to turn the pages as fast as I could.
The mystery itself plays out like a whodunit, with plenty of suspects among a small pool of characters, and red herrings galore. Each character has secrets they want to keep hidden, and as those are revealed one by one, the twists and turns make for a truly entertaining read.
I actually sniffed out where this was going earlier on, but there were still plenty of twists I didn't see coming that kept me guessing till the very end. My only small gripe is that not everything was explained; there was a small point left purposefully unclear and I had been looking forward to its explanation.
This is one of the most fun contemporary mysteries I've come across. Usually I find this genre to be a complete disappointment, with all the drama coming from characters boozing and acting crazy and confused. Thank goodness this book doesn't employ such cheap tricks. It reads like a breath of fresh air. Shari Lapena has been getting better with each of her books, and I can't wait to read more from her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Not a Happy Family
Everyone Here Is Lying
The Couple Next Door
An Unwanted Guest
~~~~~~~~~~~~
� Connect with me � �
Someone We Know takes place in a tranquil suburb of New York. Robert Pierce reports that his beautiful young wife Amanda is missing. Did she leave on her own or has something sinister happened to her? The police arrive in the neighborhood, and proceed to unearth the residents' every secret. And there are so many, because everyone has something to hide.
Lapena has the most interesting style. It's sparse and action-driven, so it feels like something is happening with every sentence. There are no unnecessary descriptions, no overwrought emotion, no dilly-dallying or indulgence. Every page is stripped to only the most essential, so the pacing feels taut and brisk. It makes for a riveting read, leaving me to turn the pages as fast as I could.
The mystery itself plays out like a whodunit, with plenty of suspects among a small pool of characters, and red herrings galore. Each character has secrets they want to keep hidden, and as those are revealed one by one, the twists and turns make for a truly entertaining read.
I actually sniffed out where this was going earlier on, but there were still plenty of twists I didn't see coming that kept me guessing till the very end. My only small gripe is that not everything was explained; there was a small point left purposefully unclear and I had been looking forward to its explanation.
This is one of the most fun contemporary mysteries I've come across. Usually I find this genre to be a complete disappointment, with all the drama coming from characters boozing and acting crazy and confused. Thank goodness this book doesn't employ such cheap tricks. It reads like a breath of fresh air. Shari Lapena has been getting better with each of her books, and I can't wait to read more from her.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Not a Happy Family
Everyone Here Is Lying
The Couple Next Door
An Unwanted Guest
~~~~~~~~~~~~
� Connect with me � �
February 22, 2025
Three and a half stars, rounded up to four. My head is spinning right now—this book was a whirlwind! The fast pacing, the never-ending twists—knocked me out cold. Now I’m seeing cartoon birds circling my head. Where am I? Who am I? And why the hell did I read this? Did I just deep-fry the last of my brain cells?
Seriously, what an entertaining whodunit! Right up until the last moment, you have no idea who’s guilty. Questions fly, revelations only confuse you more—it’s a nonstop rollercoaster.
Raleigh, our main character, breaks into his neighbors� houses just for fun—snooping through emails, sending fake messages, stirring up drama. But in doing so, he accidentally opens Pandora’s box, and the neighborhood’s dirty secrets come spilling out. Marriages are on the brink of collapse, and someone is about to get murdered.
FACTS ABOUT THIS BOOK:
1) LIES, SECRETS, AND CHEATERS EVERYWHERE!
Nobody is innocent. Every character lies. Every character has a big secret. Every character has their own agenda. At times, the book feels like a full-blown telenovela—think of a man sleeping with his maid and daughter-in-law while his wife has an affair with the gardener and her personal trainer!
2) THE HATE YOU WILL FEEL FOR AMANDA:
I rarely dislike a victim, but Amanda? (Excuse my language.) She’s a total sl*t! If she hadn’t been killed, I would’ve volunteered to slap her myself and expose all her dirty secrets online. And let’s not even talk about the male characters—seriously, guys? Do you have no self-control? The moment a “fresh piece of meat� moves into the neighborhood, you lose your minds?
3) PSYCHOPATH ALERT!
Amanda’s husband? A terrifying mash-up of Ted Bundy and Tom Ripley. We know something’s off about him—but trust me, there’s a lot more wrong with this guy than you think.
4) TOO MANY UNLIKABLE CHARACTERS (AS USUAL!):
Cheaters, liars, fake friends, nosy neighbors—ugh. And let’s not forget Carmine Torres, who threatens everyone just to prove she’s a great detective.
That said, I did like Raleigh. Sure, what he did was wrong, but at least he had the guts to face the consequences. Olivia was probably the most decent character—though making her son write apology letters and sneak them into the victims� mailboxes was� a choice.
5) THE ENDING IS GOOD!
Not too predictable. (Okay, fine, I figured it out, but I have spider senses.)
6) THE AUTHOR PLAYED US!
She messed with our heads, leading us in different directions before pulling off a great final twist. Well played. Applause!
I love this author’s work—An Unwanted Guest and The Couple Next Door are my favorites—but this one? Surprisingly good. Fast-paced, unputdownable, and packed with twists. One of the most gripping books I’ve read in a while!
Seriously, what an entertaining whodunit! Right up until the last moment, you have no idea who’s guilty. Questions fly, revelations only confuse you more—it’s a nonstop rollercoaster.
Raleigh, our main character, breaks into his neighbors� houses just for fun—snooping through emails, sending fake messages, stirring up drama. But in doing so, he accidentally opens Pandora’s box, and the neighborhood’s dirty secrets come spilling out. Marriages are on the brink of collapse, and someone is about to get murdered.
FACTS ABOUT THIS BOOK:
1) LIES, SECRETS, AND CHEATERS EVERYWHERE!
Nobody is innocent. Every character lies. Every character has a big secret. Every character has their own agenda. At times, the book feels like a full-blown telenovela—think of a man sleeping with his maid and daughter-in-law while his wife has an affair with the gardener and her personal trainer!
2) THE HATE YOU WILL FEEL FOR AMANDA:
I rarely dislike a victim, but Amanda? (Excuse my language.) She’s a total sl*t! If she hadn’t been killed, I would’ve volunteered to slap her myself and expose all her dirty secrets online. And let’s not even talk about the male characters—seriously, guys? Do you have no self-control? The moment a “fresh piece of meat� moves into the neighborhood, you lose your minds?
3) PSYCHOPATH ALERT!
Amanda’s husband? A terrifying mash-up of Ted Bundy and Tom Ripley. We know something’s off about him—but trust me, there’s a lot more wrong with this guy than you think.
4) TOO MANY UNLIKABLE CHARACTERS (AS USUAL!):
Cheaters, liars, fake friends, nosy neighbors—ugh. And let’s not forget Carmine Torres, who threatens everyone just to prove she’s a great detective.
That said, I did like Raleigh. Sure, what he did was wrong, but at least he had the guts to face the consequences. Olivia was probably the most decent character—though making her son write apology letters and sneak them into the victims� mailboxes was� a choice.
5) THE ENDING IS GOOD!
Not too predictable. (Okay, fine, I figured it out, but I have spider senses.)
6) THE AUTHOR PLAYED US!
She messed with our heads, leading us in different directions before pulling off a great final twist. Well played. Applause!
I love this author’s work—An Unwanted Guest and The Couple Next Door are my favorites—but this one? Surprisingly good. Fast-paced, unputdownable, and packed with twists. One of the most gripping books I’ve read in a while!
October 14, 2022
I don't feel like I have a lot to say about this one, other than I really enjoyed it, and I think fans of thrillers that feature in depth character study and traditional, reliable mysteries will too. It's refreshing to be able to stumble across suspense novels today that are more than the sum of their twists, and while Someone We Know definitely keeps you guessing until the end, it's not a one hit wonder. Highly recommended to those readers who want to get back to their roots of finding a read that is mysterious, suspenseful, and downright thought-provoking.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
October 16, 2021
I had just read a sad historical novel and this book was just what I needed to purge the sad. There is something about a murderous thriller, one where I really didn't bond with any of the characters but at the same time was able just to sit back and enjoy the show. In a quiet, middle class suburb, philandering Amanda, a young wife, is murdered and of course her husband is the first to be suspected of killing her. But this novel shines an unfavorable light on a lot of the neighbors and my inquisitive mind cast a wide net for other suspects and came up with about nine people who could have had a motive to kill Amanda. This is a quick read and just as the police latch on a new suspect, we learn more secrets and see that another person has a reason to murder Amanda. This neighborhood has so many secrets and it's full of rumors and indiscretions, people hiding what they've done, hiding what others have done, suspecting everyone else, not owning up to their own failings...what a mess of a neighborhood!
Throw into this murder mystery the fact that a sixteen year old neighbor has been breaking into houses and hacking into peoples' computers. His mom finds out and sends an anonymous letter to two of the people whose houses he broke into and apologizes for what he has done. This misguided action just adds fuel to the fire of suspicions, with disastrous consequences. No one would want a murderer to think that you know his/her secret.
Published July 30th 2019
Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
Throw into this murder mystery the fact that a sixteen year old neighbor has been breaking into houses and hacking into peoples' computers. His mom finds out and sends an anonymous letter to two of the people whose houses he broke into and apologizes for what he has done. This misguided action just adds fuel to the fire of suspicions, with disastrous consequences. No one would want a murderer to think that you know his/her secret.
Published July 30th 2019
Thank you to Pamela Dorman Books/Penguin Publishing Group and Edelweiss for this ARC.
August 24, 2019
4.5*
I’ve read some pretty intriguing 'bad neighbor' books... but this neighborhood just raised the bar! My For Sale sign would be immediately planted, and the only thing in my rear-view mirror would be skid marks and tire smoke as I make my get away!🚙
Pranks have a way of going wrong. Just ask Raleigh! Your typical juvenile delinquent whose particular brand of fun include breaking into neighbors� homes to hack into their computers. It looks like he may have just ended up breaking into the wrong house!
A good old fashioned whodunit that will keep you dialed in, and in the dark all the way to the end!
72% - Who is it!?
86% -Sill no idea!
90% -Don’t want to jinx it!
95% -Finally, with the end in sight� WHAT?! Shocking!
But hold on....there’s more?!
Well done, Ms Lapena! This was such a finely crafted thriller that I literally could not put down! This would make a perfect beach read! Highly recommend!
A fun and fantastic buddy read with Susanne whose detective’s cap was working better than mine!!
Thank you to Edelweiss Penguin-Pamela Dorman Books and Shari Lapena for an ARC to read and review.
I’ve read some pretty intriguing 'bad neighbor' books... but this neighborhood just raised the bar! My For Sale sign would be immediately planted, and the only thing in my rear-view mirror would be skid marks and tire smoke as I make my get away!🚙
Pranks have a way of going wrong. Just ask Raleigh! Your typical juvenile delinquent whose particular brand of fun include breaking into neighbors� homes to hack into their computers. It looks like he may have just ended up breaking into the wrong house!
A good old fashioned whodunit that will keep you dialed in, and in the dark all the way to the end!
72% - Who is it!?
86% -Sill no idea!
90% -Don’t want to jinx it!
95% -Finally, with the end in sight� WHAT?! Shocking!
But hold on....there’s more?!
Well done, Ms Lapena! This was such a finely crafted thriller that I literally could not put down! This would make a perfect beach read! Highly recommend!
A fun and fantastic buddy read with Susanne whose detective’s cap was working better than mine!!
Thank you to Edelweiss Penguin-Pamela Dorman Books and Shari Lapena for an ARC to read and review.
June 22, 2019
."This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out."
A teenage boy who breaks into his neighbors� homes to look around and hack into their computers. A woman down the street reported missing by her husband is later found dead....
Who is the young hacker and who killed the woman?
I found this book to be extremely enjoyable. Everyone has secrets. Even if you think you know your neighbors, do you truly know what goes on behind closed doors? How well do you know your spouse? In this book, secrets will be revealed as the twists and turns keep coming. There are several suspects and each one is plausible and makes sense. Just when the police bring in one suspect, someone comes forward with more information or to admit to a lie. I was right there with the investigators changing my suspect list as the book progressed. I love putting on my super sleuth hat and trying to figure out whodunit and enjoyed every second of this layered plot. As the lies and secrets are revealed, husbands and wives will learn harsh truths about each other, and neighbors will learn more about their neighbors than they might have wanted to know. There are quite a few characters in this book, but they all have distinct personalities which makes it very easy to keep track of them.
Lapena did not disappoint with this book. She is a clever writer who she everything together in the end in a pleasing and interesting way. I love her writing. I found the reactions of the characters to be realistic and found this book to be a fun, thought provoking and riveting page turner. I also appreciated that the reveal did not come of left field with this book. The reveal was believable and well done. Whether you figure it out or not, this book was a wonderful whodunit. The pacing was spot on. There was never a dull moment and nothing in the book felt rushed.
The only reason this book didn’t 5 stars from me is because I would have liked to have known more of the backstory between the murdered woman and her husband, otherwise, this was a hit for me.
As long as Lapena keeps writing I will keep reading her books.
Thank you to the Publisher and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
A teenage boy who breaks into his neighbors� homes to look around and hack into their computers. A woman down the street reported missing by her husband is later found dead....
Who is the young hacker and who killed the woman?
I found this book to be extremely enjoyable. Everyone has secrets. Even if you think you know your neighbors, do you truly know what goes on behind closed doors? How well do you know your spouse? In this book, secrets will be revealed as the twists and turns keep coming. There are several suspects and each one is plausible and makes sense. Just when the police bring in one suspect, someone comes forward with more information or to admit to a lie. I was right there with the investigators changing my suspect list as the book progressed. I love putting on my super sleuth hat and trying to figure out whodunit and enjoyed every second of this layered plot. As the lies and secrets are revealed, husbands and wives will learn harsh truths about each other, and neighbors will learn more about their neighbors than they might have wanted to know. There are quite a few characters in this book, but they all have distinct personalities which makes it very easy to keep track of them.
Lapena did not disappoint with this book. She is a clever writer who she everything together in the end in a pleasing and interesting way. I love her writing. I found the reactions of the characters to be realistic and found this book to be a fun, thought provoking and riveting page turner. I also appreciated that the reveal did not come of left field with this book. The reveal was believable and well done. Whether you figure it out or not, this book was a wonderful whodunit. The pacing was spot on. There was never a dull moment and nothing in the book felt rushed.
The only reason this book didn’t 5 stars from me is because I would have liked to have known more of the backstory between the murdered woman and her husband, otherwise, this was a hit for me.
As long as Lapena keeps writing I will keep reading her books.
Thank you to the Publisher and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
October 24, 2024
I was looking forward to reading this book but regret I am in the minority. I was disappointed. Many readers seemed to enjoy it, so prospective readers should not be deterred by my review. I thought it was a step down from her previous book. I failed to connect with any of the characters and none were particularly likeable, I found the characters flat and defined mainly by their secrets, gossip, infidelity, coverups, or who they suspected of the crime. There were a lot of twists in the plot, but with lacking investment in the characters, I was unable to feel any suspense. I struggled through it until the end, but by that time didn't care who committed the crime.
A flirtatious, unfaithful wife is brutally murdered in the first chapter. Suspicion immediately falls on the men in her life, especially those suspected of having extramarital relations with her, or her jealous husband. Meanwhile, two mothers are worried about their teenage sons. One boy has been sneaking into neighbourhood homes and reading the content of their computers. What secrets may he have learned and how will his snooping connect with the plot? Another boy is a drunk. Their two mothers are best friends and support each other in their concerns.
The setting is mainly confined to one street in a small suburb in upstate New York, a place the reader would never want to live. How will the woman react when they discover that their husbands are suspected by the police of having affairs with the murdered woman and of killing her? Soon another woman is found dead, strangled in her home.
Although Shari Lapena has become one of the most successful suspense writers in Canada, none of her stories are set in this country. I wonder if this increases marketplace sales. Linwood Barclay does the same.
I think the plot would have been more thrilling and suspenseful for me if the characters were more strongly developed and if I had felt more interest in the resolution of the story.
A flirtatious, unfaithful wife is brutally murdered in the first chapter. Suspicion immediately falls on the men in her life, especially those suspected of having extramarital relations with her, or her jealous husband. Meanwhile, two mothers are worried about their teenage sons. One boy has been sneaking into neighbourhood homes and reading the content of their computers. What secrets may he have learned and how will his snooping connect with the plot? Another boy is a drunk. Their two mothers are best friends and support each other in their concerns.
The setting is mainly confined to one street in a small suburb in upstate New York, a place the reader would never want to live. How will the woman react when they discover that their husbands are suspected by the police of having affairs with the murdered woman and of killing her? Soon another woman is found dead, strangled in her home.
Although Shari Lapena has become one of the most successful suspense writers in Canada, none of her stories are set in this country. I wonder if this increases marketplace sales. Linwood Barclay does the same.
I think the plot would have been more thrilling and suspenseful for me if the characters were more strongly developed and if I had felt more interest in the resolution of the story.
December 17, 2023
Do you know how Alex Murtaugh was put away for murder?
In an interview, a juror said the OnStar data. A big round of applause for the GM engineers!
For those of you who missed the grand media circus around this case, Alex Murtaugh was convicted of killing his wife (Maggie) and his son (Paul). Alex claimed that he came home to discover that his wife and son had been mysteriously attacked and called 911. However……using OnStar data, it was proven that he put his GM vehicle in park and 20 seconds later called 911. 20 seconds. If one were to believe Alex, he would have had to take off his seatbelt, open the door, get out of the vehicle, close the door, find two different people in two different locations, check their status, get out his phone, unlock the screen, dial, and hit send in 20 seconds. Or he already knew that they were no longer living and called 911 as soon as he pulled onto the property.
Also, with cell phone data, the police don’t need the physical device anymore. They can just subpoena the cell phone provider records. In the Murtaugh case, certain text messages were deleted from Maggie’s phone, but this was pointless as the police recovered the entire text exchange from the provider.
With that lens, I started Someone We Know.
The author has a strong command of the mystery genre. The short, unpretentious sentence structure keeps the pages flying, and I had no less than 5 different theories of the crime.
However, some things didn’t seem real which is a dealbreaker for me. One of the characters gets a criminal lawyer for his son. Later in the book, he consents to a search of his cabin without consulting a lawyer. This character knows that he is a suspect. Even if he is completely innocent, why?!?! What about police misconduct, planting evidence because they think you are guilty? Or even accidental crime scene contamination? DNA can also be around for a long, long time, but the police may not know when it was deposited. How do you know all of the people who ever stayed in your cabin?
Also, I wanted to rewrite the ending. You see to get a criminal conviction, the prosecutor has to prove a certain person committed a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecutor can’t just say, “Oh one of these three people did it!� It has to be a specific person. I think it would have been a stronger, more poignant ending for the reader to have three people confess and leave the reader to puzzle out which one of them actually did it or have the reader know who did it but no conviction is possible because with the three confessions there is reasonable doubt.
A riveting read and got a little off-track at about the 80% mark.
How much I spent:
Electronic text � $6.99 on Amazon
Audiobook � Free through Libby
Connect With Me!
In an interview, a juror said the OnStar data. A big round of applause for the GM engineers!
For those of you who missed the grand media circus around this case, Alex Murtaugh was convicted of killing his wife (Maggie) and his son (Paul). Alex claimed that he came home to discover that his wife and son had been mysteriously attacked and called 911. However……using OnStar data, it was proven that he put his GM vehicle in park and 20 seconds later called 911. 20 seconds. If one were to believe Alex, he would have had to take off his seatbelt, open the door, get out of the vehicle, close the door, find two different people in two different locations, check their status, get out his phone, unlock the screen, dial, and hit send in 20 seconds. Or he already knew that they were no longer living and called 911 as soon as he pulled onto the property.
Also, with cell phone data, the police don’t need the physical device anymore. They can just subpoena the cell phone provider records. In the Murtaugh case, certain text messages were deleted from Maggie’s phone, but this was pointless as the police recovered the entire text exchange from the provider.
With that lens, I started Someone We Know.
The author has a strong command of the mystery genre. The short, unpretentious sentence structure keeps the pages flying, and I had no less than 5 different theories of the crime.
However, some things didn’t seem real which is a dealbreaker for me. One of the characters gets a criminal lawyer for his son. Later in the book, he consents to a search of his cabin without consulting a lawyer. This character knows that he is a suspect. Even if he is completely innocent, why?!?! What about police misconduct, planting evidence because they think you are guilty? Or even accidental crime scene contamination? DNA can also be around for a long, long time, but the police may not know when it was deposited. How do you know all of the people who ever stayed in your cabin?
Also, I wanted to rewrite the ending. You see to get a criminal conviction, the prosecutor has to prove a certain person committed a crime beyond a reasonable doubt. The prosecutor can’t just say, “Oh one of these three people did it!� It has to be a specific person. I think it would have been a stronger, more poignant ending for the reader to have three people confess and leave the reader to puzzle out which one of them actually did it or have the reader know who did it but no conviction is possible because with the three confessions there is reasonable doubt.
A riveting read and got a little off-track at about the 80% mark.
How much I spent:
Electronic text � $6.99 on Amazon
Audiobook � Free through Libby
Connect With Me!
August 30, 2021
This is a clever whodunit with enough layers and suspects to keep me guessing right up to the end. A teenage boy has a secret habit that unknowingly exposes his neighbor’s darkest secrets. When his mother sends anonymous notes to her neighbors warning them, she stirs up a hornet’s nest of secrets and lies.
Then a neighbor’s wife is found dead. Are the two events related? As the police investigate it becomes clear that lies are being told, but who is lying and why? The dynamics among the small pool of suspects kept me on my toes.
This is short and propulsive, just how I like my neighborhood mysteries. I enjoy how Lapena slowly doles out the reveals right up to the end, when all the pieces clicked into place.
Audiobook whodunits are saving my life right now, and Lapena has quickly become a favorite listen. This one was narrated by Kirsten Potter, who did an excellent job.
Then a neighbor’s wife is found dead. Are the two events related? As the police investigate it becomes clear that lies are being told, but who is lying and why? The dynamics among the small pool of suspects kept me on my toes.
This is short and propulsive, just how I like my neighborhood mysteries. I enjoy how Lapena slowly doles out the reveals right up to the end, when all the pieces clicked into place.
Audiobook whodunits are saving my life right now, and Lapena has quickly become a favorite listen. This one was narrated by Kirsten Potter, who did an excellent job.
December 5, 2019
3.0 stars� Despite being all over the place with my reviews of Ms. Lapena’s first three books, I absolutely loved her last book, “An Unwanted Guest.� So, I decided to give her latest book , “Someone We Know� a try. Like all of Ms. Lapena’s books, “Someone� was a very fast paced read. It centers around the murder of Amanda who has caused turmoil in her neighborhood since she and her husband Robert moved in. Of course there is a list of suspects that continuously gets longer as the story unfolds. Unfortunately, despite a strong set up, the more I read the more the characters actions and reactions seemed ridiculous. In an effort to make one character a bigger suspect, Lapena makes his level of hatred for Amanda border in the absurd, especially when the true killer emerges. A subplot involving a nosy neighbor who goes to the extreme plus a million to find out who may have trespassed in her home is also ridiculous. The fact her nosiness leads to the killer being exposed sapped most of my enjoyment from this fast paced read. Skip this one unless you don’t mind implausible character with implausible actions and reactions leading to an implausible conclusion. In a word this book was .... implausible.
August 20, 2024
Well... I was a little over halfway though and I wasn't really entertained with this so I actually went back almost all the way to the beginning to see if I missed something?
No, I didn't... it was actually just boring and predictable. 😒
I'm in the mood for another thriller, so after I finish up my current read, I'm going to jump into my first ever Shari Lapena novel. 🤩 Hopefully it delivers. 🤞🙏
No, I didn't... it was actually just boring and predictable. 😒
August 22, 2019
4 stars! Dripping with suspense!
Neighbourhood gossip and hidden secrets makes this an addictively gripping and thrilling story that was impossible to put down.
In a quiet subdivision where everyone knows everyone, there has been a string of break-ins. A teenager has been sneaking into houses and hacking into personal computers. Secrets are uncovered. Then a neighbour is found dead in the trunk of her car. Could the exposed secrets uncover who is responsible for the murder? Whose secrets will be revealed and whose will be kept hidden? Is anyone in the neighbourhood safe?
I have read and loved all of this author, Shari Lapena’s, books. There is something about her writing that keeps me on the edge of my seat with anticipation and curiosity. The suspense hit me from page one in this story and didn’t let me go until I finished the book. It is an engrossing, fast-paced novel that had me suspicious of absolutely every character.
This was a Traveling Sister read. The ending made for a good discussion as it is a love/hate scenario. To find this review, please visit our blog at:
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC to read and review!
Someone We Know is available now!
Neighbourhood gossip and hidden secrets makes this an addictively gripping and thrilling story that was impossible to put down.
In a quiet subdivision where everyone knows everyone, there has been a string of break-ins. A teenager has been sneaking into houses and hacking into personal computers. Secrets are uncovered. Then a neighbour is found dead in the trunk of her car. Could the exposed secrets uncover who is responsible for the murder? Whose secrets will be revealed and whose will be kept hidden? Is anyone in the neighbourhood safe?
I have read and loved all of this author, Shari Lapena’s, books. There is something about her writing that keeps me on the edge of my seat with anticipation and curiosity. The suspense hit me from page one in this story and didn’t let me go until I finished the book. It is an engrossing, fast-paced novel that had me suspicious of absolutely every character.
This was a Traveling Sister read. The ending made for a good discussion as it is a love/hate scenario. To find this review, please visit our blog at:
Thank you to Edelweiss for providing me with an ARC to read and review!
Someone We Know is available now!
August 3, 2019
Neighbors lurking, anonymous apology letters, and scandalous rumors spreading like wildfire!
I love a Shari Lapena novel and this one kept me entertained and guessing throughout. I am still wanting to discuss the end! I think I swiped my kindle several times after the last paragraph. What?
The premise of murder in a cozy neighborhood has been a theme in the genre lately and I thought I knew where this was going, BUT it takes so many swerves and has such a perfect pace that I was eager to find out who was wearing the mask (So many hands in the cookie jar)!
With all the neighbors covering their tracks and the detectives breathing down everyone's back, their was a lot of squirming and pointing fingers.
This is one panicky neighborhood...
I was flipping the last pages to watch the penny drop!
I'm a huge fan of this author. Recommend to those who enjoy a twisty who-dunnit, and a clever plot with plenty of suspense and neighborly (or not) suspects.
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. This one is out July 25,2019
I love a Shari Lapena novel and this one kept me entertained and guessing throughout. I am still wanting to discuss the end! I think I swiped my kindle several times after the last paragraph. What?
The premise of murder in a cozy neighborhood has been a theme in the genre lately and I thought I knew where this was going, BUT it takes so many swerves and has such a perfect pace that I was eager to find out who was wearing the mask (So many hands in the cookie jar)!
With all the neighbors covering their tracks and the detectives breathing down everyone's back, their was a lot of squirming and pointing fingers.
This is one panicky neighborhood...
I was flipping the last pages to watch the penny drop!
I'm a huge fan of this author. Recommend to those who enjoy a twisty who-dunnit, and a clever plot with plenty of suspense and neighborly (or not) suspects.
Thanks to the publisher for my review copy. This one is out July 25,2019
September 2, 2019
4 Stars.
Deceit, lies and a whole lotta stink eye!
Shari Lapena sure knows how to get a reader’s attention!
A teenage boy covertly breaks into his neighbors homes and hacks their computers. Anonymous letters of apology are sent to the neighbors whose homes are broken into.
A woman’s body is found and her husband and all of the neighbors are suspects. Who is your friend and who is your enemy? Sorry, I’m afraid that I cannot tell.
Don’t fret, this isn’t your neighborhood..
Well played Ms. Lapena! I was all in from the beginning to the end, completely gripped. Sometimes, forgetting to take a breath. This is how you do it, ladies and gents! Shari Lapena is the Queen of the Suspense Genre!
Trying to figure out who dun it had my head spinning. How I managed to figure this one out, I simply do not know. Using the wackiest skills of deduction ever, I think!
What a crazy, wild and fun read this was! It was a buddy read with Kaceey and it was one of our favorite suspense reads of this year.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Penguin Publishing Group and the fabulous Shari Lapena for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Edelweiss and ŷ on 9.2.19.
Deceit, lies and a whole lotta stink eye!
Shari Lapena sure knows how to get a reader’s attention!
A teenage boy covertly breaks into his neighbors homes and hacks their computers. Anonymous letters of apology are sent to the neighbors whose homes are broken into.
A woman’s body is found and her husband and all of the neighbors are suspects. Who is your friend and who is your enemy? Sorry, I’m afraid that I cannot tell.
Don’t fret, this isn’t your neighborhood..
Well played Ms. Lapena! I was all in from the beginning to the end, completely gripped. Sometimes, forgetting to take a breath. This is how you do it, ladies and gents! Shari Lapena is the Queen of the Suspense Genre!
Trying to figure out who dun it had my head spinning. How I managed to figure this one out, I simply do not know. Using the wackiest skills of deduction ever, I think!
What a crazy, wild and fun read this was! It was a buddy read with Kaceey and it was one of our favorite suspense reads of this year.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Penguin Publishing Group and the fabulous Shari Lapena for an arc of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Published on Edelweiss and ŷ on 9.2.19.
August 18, 2019
I was really excited about this thriller because I love Shari Lapena and the story started off so promising. This is a very fast-paced, easy to read thriller about this neighborhood. We follow a few different families - the story opens with a woman being murdered in the neighborhood and this couple Olivia and Paul find out their son has been breaking into people’s houses and hacking into their computer. The police begin a search into the murder of this woman in the neighborhood and secrets get revealed.
I flew through this book. Shari Lapena is great at writing short, quick chapters that end on a bit of a cliff hanger that makes you want to read more. I had a bunch of different theories while reading this, and I was wrong about the finale plot twist so that’s good.
I guess the reason I didn’t enjoy this one as much is because the ending felt very underwhelming. So much awesome build up, and then I felt so meh about the end of this book. I also feel like this book started to get so repetitive.
Overall this was okay, it wouldn’t be a thriller I’d necessarily recommend though. I would recommend Shari Lapenas other thrillers: An Unwanted Guest and The Couple Next Door over this one!
I flew through this book. Shari Lapena is great at writing short, quick chapters that end on a bit of a cliff hanger that makes you want to read more. I had a bunch of different theories while reading this, and I was wrong about the finale plot twist so that’s good.
I guess the reason I didn’t enjoy this one as much is because the ending felt very underwhelming. So much awesome build up, and then I felt so meh about the end of this book. I also feel like this book started to get so repetitive.
Overall this was okay, it wouldn’t be a thriller I’d necessarily recommend though. I would recommend Shari Lapenas other thrillers: An Unwanted Guest and The Couple Next Door over this one!
August 20, 2022
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
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This was an okay read that kept me entertained for the most part. I have read other books by this author that I enjoyed a lot more, namely The Couple Next Door, Not a Happy Family, and An Unwanted Guest.
I found the premis for this one be exciting but the execution and the ending was lackluster. There was a lot going on and many red herrings so I didn't figure out the who or why and that is a bonus.
All in all a quick, easy read that will keep you guessing, but definatly not the author's best work. Three and a half stars.
I borrowed this from my local library, thank you !
This was an okay read that kept me entertained for the most part. I have read other books by this author that I enjoyed a lot more, namely The Couple Next Door, Not a Happy Family, and An Unwanted Guest.
I found the premis for this one be exciting but the execution and the ending was lackluster. There was a lot going on and many red herrings so I didn't figure out the who or why and that is a bonus.
All in all a quick, easy read that will keep you guessing, but definatly not the author's best work. Three and a half stars.
I borrowed this from my local library, thank you !
December 17, 2022
🍿Book #2 of 5 in my Tour de Popcorn Thrillers to close out 2022
One sentence review: Surprisingly not too shabby, not too shabby at all
SYNOPSIS
A dead wife. A teenager breaking into neighbours' homes. Affairs on affairs on affairs. What do they all have to do with each other? Read it and find tf out!
MY OPINION
I've been banging through police procedurals lately and neglecting my physical books (as per usual), so I decided to "challenge" myself to attempt to read five popcorn thrillers before 2022 comes to an end. The five books:
(big fail)
Someone We Know
FYI, "popcorn thriller" is a term coined by @crimebythebook meaning a thriller akin to one's fave comfort movie or sitcom. Most popcorn thrillers are what I classify as "citizens gone rogue" thrillers in which the non law enforcement characters solve the case. Although this book does have a police presence, it's very much background music to lend some "legitimacy" to how the plot unfolds. The cast of non-police characters are truly the ones responsible for solving the mystery of Amanda Pierce's murder.
After DNFing The Guest List at 20%, I'm happy to report that I not only finished this book but I surprisingly enjoyed it! It ticked off all my criteria for a solid popcorn thriller, which is why it gets 3 stars from me. Do I dare call it Honda Civic Reliable? Hmm it's tough. I can see a lot of readers finding the sentence fragments and "all plots, minimal character thoughts" storytelling annoying. So I'll just say this was a solid 3, but not something I'd feel comfortable recommending to everyone.
Here's the criteria for a solid popcorn thriller that this book met:
1. Wholesome female MC with a normal job who really loves her kid(s) and will go full mama bear if need be. Check and check!
2. Third person is highly preferred. Ok stick with me because this is tricky to explain... One of my biggest gripes with popcorn thrillers is annoying characters. And first person means we have to endure the narrator's thoughts and opinions on every. single. thing. Third person is more straight to the point, with limited insight into the character's inner monologue.
An example of an inner monologue that drove me over the edge is from His & Hers. I'm paraphrasing but she said something to the effect of: "Mondays are my favourite day of the week. Yes, that's an unpopular opinion. But I grew up poor so I have lots of them." Immediately no. Instant cringe. Was this really the only way the author could tell us miss girl made it out the mud? This lil illogical ass correlation? Nah bruv.
Anyways, suffice to say, this book was written in third person with very little insights into the characters' thoughts and feelings outside of their reaction to all the drama unfolding. NO backstories in this as well, which is also a safer play.
3. Yeetage of disbelief but minimal yeetage of logic Yes, I expect to yeet my disbelief for popcorn thrillers, but the logic still needs to track. Yes, there were some questionable Paw Patrol police moments, but for the most part this was grounded in reality. Mans do be murdering their wives everyday, affairs do be happening, teenagers do be acting hella stupid and some take an interest in hacking. Yes, some of these concepts were played up a bit for the drama, but it wasn't like those two dummies from Never Lie crashing in an abandoned home and eating mysteriously fresh food from the fridge. Girl BYE.
4. No OTT ending This was actually one of the better endings I've read lately. The author didn't throw everything and the kitchen sink at us, and I actually liked the lil cliffhanger. I felt all my questions were answered.
If you love high-octane thrillers from Freida McFadden, I can't say this will be an absolute banger for you. If you're looking for a popcorn thriller that's on the safer side, pick this one up.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: very straightforward writing � absolutely no bells, no whistles, this is prose in its most simplistic form. Bingeable read, despite it being predictable I was still interested in how everything would unfold, not OTT, good ending
Cons: I can see people really not liking the writing style and finding the plot rather boring. Some questionable police moments.
One sentence review: Surprisingly not too shabby, not too shabby at all
SYNOPSIS
A dead wife. A teenager breaking into neighbours' homes. Affairs on affairs on affairs. What do they all have to do with each other? Read it and find tf out!
MY OPINION
I've been banging through police procedurals lately and neglecting my physical books (as per usual), so I decided to "challenge" myself to attempt to read five popcorn thrillers before 2022 comes to an end. The five books:
(big fail)
Someone We Know
FYI, "popcorn thriller" is a term coined by @crimebythebook meaning a thriller akin to one's fave comfort movie or sitcom. Most popcorn thrillers are what I classify as "citizens gone rogue" thrillers in which the non law enforcement characters solve the case. Although this book does have a police presence, it's very much background music to lend some "legitimacy" to how the plot unfolds. The cast of non-police characters are truly the ones responsible for solving the mystery of Amanda Pierce's murder.
After DNFing The Guest List at 20%, I'm happy to report that I not only finished this book but I surprisingly enjoyed it! It ticked off all my criteria for a solid popcorn thriller, which is why it gets 3 stars from me. Do I dare call it Honda Civic Reliable? Hmm it's tough. I can see a lot of readers finding the sentence fragments and "all plots, minimal character thoughts" storytelling annoying. So I'll just say this was a solid 3, but not something I'd feel comfortable recommending to everyone.
Here's the criteria for a solid popcorn thriller that this book met:
1. Wholesome female MC with a normal job who really loves her kid(s) and will go full mama bear if need be. Check and check!
2. Third person is highly preferred. Ok stick with me because this is tricky to explain... One of my biggest gripes with popcorn thrillers is annoying characters. And first person means we have to endure the narrator's thoughts and opinions on every. single. thing. Third person is more straight to the point, with limited insight into the character's inner monologue.
An example of an inner monologue that drove me over the edge is from His & Hers. I'm paraphrasing but she said something to the effect of: "Mondays are my favourite day of the week. Yes, that's an unpopular opinion. But I grew up poor so I have lots of them." Immediately no. Instant cringe. Was this really the only way the author could tell us miss girl made it out the mud? This lil illogical ass correlation? Nah bruv.
Anyways, suffice to say, this book was written in third person with very little insights into the characters' thoughts and feelings outside of their reaction to all the drama unfolding. NO backstories in this as well, which is also a safer play.
3. Yeetage of disbelief but minimal yeetage of logic Yes, I expect to yeet my disbelief for popcorn thrillers, but the logic still needs to track. Yes, there were some questionable Paw Patrol police moments, but for the most part this was grounded in reality. Mans do be murdering their wives everyday, affairs do be happening, teenagers do be acting hella stupid and some take an interest in hacking. Yes, some of these concepts were played up a bit for the drama, but it wasn't like those two dummies from Never Lie crashing in an abandoned home and eating mysteriously fresh food from the fridge. Girl BYE.
4. No OTT ending This was actually one of the better endings I've read lately. The author didn't throw everything and the kitchen sink at us, and I actually liked the lil cliffhanger. I felt all my questions were answered.
If you love high-octane thrillers from Freida McFadden, I can't say this will be an absolute banger for you. If you're looking for a popcorn thriller that's on the safer side, pick this one up.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: very straightforward writing � absolutely no bells, no whistles, this is prose in its most simplistic form. Bingeable read, despite it being predictable I was still interested in how everything would unfold, not OTT, good ending
Cons: I can see people really not liking the writing style and finding the plot rather boring. Some questionable police moments.
December 19, 2022
Six degrees of separation leads to wild speculation!
The fantastically flirty Amanda Pierce has turned up dead. As our story opens with her brutal murder with a hammer, and her husband Robert's general relief as he files a missing persons report a couple of days later, this seems to be an open and shut case and just another instance of "it's always the husband." However, the small suburban neighborhood holds its fair share of secrets, as teenage Raleigh has been breaking into homes just for the sheer thrill of the hunt and taking a look at everyone's internet history (and deepest secrets) while he's at it.
When his mother Olivia discovers his misdeeds, she feels compelled to put anonymous apology notes in the homes he has violated. Unfortunately, in this tight-knit community, Olivia confides in her friend Glenda that Raleigh has been up to no good, and later comes to the realization that one of Raleigh's targets was the Pierce home itself. As the gossip spreads about Amanda's possible courtships, EVERYONE becomes a suspect, leaving the women with no one to trust. Who is at the epicenter of this tornado...and will the right suspect end up behind bars before they strike again?
I have always considered myself a Lapena fan, but I feel she really ramped it up a notch with this novel! Although I figured out the perpetrator about halfway through, the gossip and lies and paranoia abound throughout the entire book, and definitely had me speculating and second-guessing myself till the very last page! This is such a fun thriller and felt sort of like an episode of Jerry Springer (although not *quite* as out there, thankfully!) with a murder (or possibly two 😉) thrown in for good measure. The characters' lives were all so intertwined, it seemed entirely possible for any or ALL of them to be involved in the murders and the epilogue also set the scene nicely for a sequel, if Lapena was ever inclined.
Late to the party, but very glad I picked this one up! A perfect domestic drama with just the right dash of paranoia! 4 ⭐️
The fantastically flirty Amanda Pierce has turned up dead. As our story opens with her brutal murder with a hammer, and her husband Robert's general relief as he files a missing persons report a couple of days later, this seems to be an open and shut case and just another instance of "it's always the husband." However, the small suburban neighborhood holds its fair share of secrets, as teenage Raleigh has been breaking into homes just for the sheer thrill of the hunt and taking a look at everyone's internet history (and deepest secrets) while he's at it.
When his mother Olivia discovers his misdeeds, she feels compelled to put anonymous apology notes in the homes he has violated. Unfortunately, in this tight-knit community, Olivia confides in her friend Glenda that Raleigh has been up to no good, and later comes to the realization that one of Raleigh's targets was the Pierce home itself. As the gossip spreads about Amanda's possible courtships, EVERYONE becomes a suspect, leaving the women with no one to trust. Who is at the epicenter of this tornado...and will the right suspect end up behind bars before they strike again?
I have always considered myself a Lapena fan, but I feel she really ramped it up a notch with this novel! Although I figured out the perpetrator about halfway through, the gossip and lies and paranoia abound throughout the entire book, and definitely had me speculating and second-guessing myself till the very last page! This is such a fun thriller and felt sort of like an episode of Jerry Springer (although not *quite* as out there, thankfully!) with a murder (or possibly two 😉) thrown in for good measure. The characters' lives were all so intertwined, it seemed entirely possible for any or ALL of them to be involved in the murders and the epilogue also set the scene nicely for a sequel, if Lapena was ever inclined.
Late to the party, but very glad I picked this one up! A perfect domestic drama with just the right dash of paranoia! 4 ⭐️
June 30, 2019
This book was like being stuck in a roundabout and you can’t figure out a way to get off. One giant neighborhood orgy with crimes galore that you almost needed to keep a chart to keep track of who was doing or doing what to each neighbor.
August 12, 2019
What would you do if you accidentally discovered your lazy but so loveable teenage son has a dangerous hobby of breaking into your neighbours ' houses and hacking into their computers?
Would you consider writing an anonymous letter to apologise for his wrongdoing? Just to make sure that his prank e-mails do not have serious consequences? Isn't it a decent thing to do? and if we, parents, do not do what is moral and decent, how can we expect our children to learn what is right and wrong?
This is what Olivia Sharpe thinks. Her husband and son, and family lawyer are of a completely different opinion. The anonymous letters she has secretly sent her neighbours have enormous repurcussions on the life of everybody in this close-knit suburban neighbourhood, because everybody here has their own secrets.
We know from the very beginning of the book that a horrendous murder has taken place. We know the murder weapon used and the fact that the murderer was male. We also learn the identity of the victim: Amanda Pierce is reported missing by her husband Robert. The murderer is someone who lives in one of these houses. It is in all likelihood someone we know... But to discover who it was and why, we'll have to doubt every single person, no matter how nice and friendly they appear to be.
Despite its relative simplicity (there is a limited number of people involved), the plot is complex and frighteningly realistic. A husband is cheating on his wife after twenty years of marriage and grown-up kids. A bored and lonely housewife gets infatuated with a much younger neighbour after he shows her a morsel of attention. A teenager who used to be so well-adjusted and 'problem-free' is suddenly showing signs of teenage alcoholism. Another teenager gets a thrill from snooping around and spying on other people's secrets. A couple who have always taken trusting each other for granted, but do not seem to be able to speak to each other about things which are important. All these characters and their lives are interlocked and interconnected in this superbly-written mystery.
The police are there and they are doing excellent work by continually discovering new clues and putting pressure on the right people. They also know when the suspect (or rather the suspects, because there are several) they arrest appears to be innocent and is to be released, because new evidence and new leads keep appearing and need to be checked out.
When the mystery is finally resolved and it all makes sense, you will still be asking yourself questions about how far people are willing to go to cover a crime committed by somebody they love.
This is my first book by Shari Lapena and now I can see why her previous titles became bestsellers. The writing is incredibly compelling. Someone We Know is a clever fast-paced whodunnit that will keep you entertained and might even give you the satisfaction of guessing the identity of the murderer before anybody else.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pamela Dorman Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
My reviews can also be found on:
Would you consider writing an anonymous letter to apologise for his wrongdoing? Just to make sure that his prank e-mails do not have serious consequences? Isn't it a decent thing to do? and if we, parents, do not do what is moral and decent, how can we expect our children to learn what is right and wrong?
This is what Olivia Sharpe thinks. Her husband and son, and family lawyer are of a completely different opinion. The anonymous letters she has secretly sent her neighbours have enormous repurcussions on the life of everybody in this close-knit suburban neighbourhood, because everybody here has their own secrets.
We know from the very beginning of the book that a horrendous murder has taken place. We know the murder weapon used and the fact that the murderer was male. We also learn the identity of the victim: Amanda Pierce is reported missing by her husband Robert. The murderer is someone who lives in one of these houses. It is in all likelihood someone we know... But to discover who it was and why, we'll have to doubt every single person, no matter how nice and friendly they appear to be.
Despite its relative simplicity (there is a limited number of people involved), the plot is complex and frighteningly realistic. A husband is cheating on his wife after twenty years of marriage and grown-up kids. A bored and lonely housewife gets infatuated with a much younger neighbour after he shows her a morsel of attention. A teenager who used to be so well-adjusted and 'problem-free' is suddenly showing signs of teenage alcoholism. Another teenager gets a thrill from snooping around and spying on other people's secrets. A couple who have always taken trusting each other for granted, but do not seem to be able to speak to each other about things which are important. All these characters and their lives are interlocked and interconnected in this superbly-written mystery.
The police are there and they are doing excellent work by continually discovering new clues and putting pressure on the right people. They also know when the suspect (or rather the suspects, because there are several) they arrest appears to be innocent and is to be released, because new evidence and new leads keep appearing and need to be checked out.
When the mystery is finally resolved and it all makes sense, you will still be asking yourself questions about how far people are willing to go to cover a crime committed by somebody they love.
This is my first book by Shari Lapena and now I can see why her previous titles became bestsellers. The writing is incredibly compelling. Someone We Know is a clever fast-paced whodunnit that will keep you entertained and might even give you the satisfaction of guessing the identity of the murderer before anybody else.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pamela Dorman Books for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest opinion.
My reviews can also be found on:
July 28, 2019
I'm not even sure where to start or even what to say about this one. It was an entertaining and quick read but I wasn't too fond with the way a few things played out in the end. So I'm going to leave it at that.
Once again this was a Traveling Sisters Read and I was one of the few that didn't enjoy this book as much as others did in the group. So with that being said, please don't let my thoughts sway you from picking this one up.
Thanks so much to Edelweiss, Pamela Dorman Books, and Shari Lapena for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
Once again this was a Traveling Sisters Read and I was one of the few that didn't enjoy this book as much as others did in the group. So with that being said, please don't let my thoughts sway you from picking this one up.
Thanks so much to Edelweiss, Pamela Dorman Books, and Shari Lapena for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
July 15, 2019
What a neighbourhood! Seemingly quiet and middle-class on the surface but behind closed doors, there are affairs, secrets, a teenage boy breaking into their houses and a missing woman later found murdered. Lapena keeps us guessing as the murder suspects pile up and the police keep changing their focus. Some of the characters are not very likeable and some seem pleasant enough but are hiding unpleasant secrets. An engaging, suspenseful read with enough twists to keep the waters muddy until the murderer finally reveals themselves.
With thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a digital copy to read
With thanks to Netgalley and Random House for a digital copy to read
August 17, 2023
Wherein each character could have easily been the victim or the perpetrator and I accused each of them of "doing it" along the way. Very fast read.
November 7, 2019
I am so very late to this party so I won't bore you with a re-cap because you all have read this already. But what I will say is that this book is FUN!!!
By far my favorite Lapena yet. This book was the equivalent of a juicy soap opera. Lies & secrets. Secrets & lies. Everybody has them and the skeletons spill on nearly every page. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough. 4 *scandalous* Stars!
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
By far my favorite Lapena yet. This book was the equivalent of a juicy soap opera. Lies & secrets. Secrets & lies. Everybody has them and the skeletons spill on nearly every page. I couldn't flip the pages fast enough. 4 *scandalous* Stars!
Thank you to Edelweiss and Pamela Dorman Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
July 18, 2019
4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5
Raleigh Sharpe has been breaking into his neighbours homes. He doesn't steal anything. He just wants to see if he can hack into their computers. His mother, Olivia finds out about the break-ins and leaves anonymous notes to let the home owners know what her son has been up to. But one of of her sons victims I'd dead. As the news of Amanda Pierce's death spreads, the list of suspects grows. Her husband and some of her neighbours are under suspicion. Each have area son why they might want Amanda dead, but is any of them guilty? Or could it even be someone else? The book opens with Amanda's murder.
I was hooked from the first page. With everyone a suspect, who actually held the hammer that killedAmanda Pierce? Everyone has a believable and justified reason for killing her. There are so many secrets, lies and twists. I did not like Amanda's husband from the start. It's obvious from the beginning that's he's a man with something to hide. I felt at times like I was reading the s riot for an episode of Desperate Housewives. This is the best book so far that I have read by the author.i never guessed until nearer the end, who had killed Amanda.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Shari Lapena for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Raleigh Sharpe has been breaking into his neighbours homes. He doesn't steal anything. He just wants to see if he can hack into their computers. His mother, Olivia finds out about the break-ins and leaves anonymous notes to let the home owners know what her son has been up to. But one of of her sons victims I'd dead. As the news of Amanda Pierce's death spreads, the list of suspects grows. Her husband and some of her neighbours are under suspicion. Each have area son why they might want Amanda dead, but is any of them guilty? Or could it even be someone else? The book opens with Amanda's murder.
I was hooked from the first page. With everyone a suspect, who actually held the hammer that killedAmanda Pierce? Everyone has a believable and justified reason for killing her. There are so many secrets, lies and twists. I did not like Amanda's husband from the start. It's obvious from the beginning that's he's a man with something to hide. I felt at times like I was reading the s riot for an episode of Desperate Housewives. This is the best book so far that I have read by the author.i never guessed until nearer the end, who had killed Amanda.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and the author Shari Lapena for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 12, 2019
I can’t figure out if Shari Lapena is 80 years old, or a fifth grader writing her idea of an “adult thriller.� The sentences are choppy, every other adverb is “miserably,� and the characters have absolutely no personality. I can’t for the life of me figure out how she got any of her books published, let alone how she is a New York Times bestselling author.
Narration was equally bad. Skip this one folks. 👎
Narration was equally bad. Skip this one folks. 👎
December 13, 2021
The town of Aylesford in New York State's Hudson Valley is an affluent community where families know one another and have the occasional neighborhood party.
It was at the last communal barbecue, about a year ago, that new arrival Amanda Pierce - a gorgeous young brunette with long tan legs - caught everyone's eye.
"All the husbands had watched her, practically drooling, stumbling over one another to hand her things" while the wives looked on trying not to appear annoyed.
Now Amanda's handsome husband Richard Pierce has reported her missing. Amanda was supposed to have gone on a girls' weekend with her friend Caroline, but she never returned. And a call to Caroline revealed that no trip was planned.
The police don't concern themselves too much at first, thinking Amanda probably ran off with another man. Then Amanda's car is found sunk in a nearby lake, with her bludgeoned body in the trunk, and the murder investigation begins.
An early order of business is a search of the Pierce house, where the police find several sets of fingerprints. Most of these belong to family members and neighbors, but one set of prints can't be identified.
These prints belong to sixteen-year-old Raleigh Sharpe, a local teen who breaks into neighbors' houses 'for fun.' Raleigh is honing his skills as a hacker, and likes to sneak into people's homes and snoop through their computers. Raleigh never breaks items or steals anything, so his shenanigans go unnoticed by the victims.
Raleigh's exploits accidently become known to his shocked parents, who ground him after he promises not to do it again (ha ha ha).
Still, Raleigh's mother Olivia feels awful about her son's transgressions, and - without telling Raleigh or her husband Paul - Olivia writes anonymous apology letters. She slips these missives under the doors of the two houses Raleigh admits to entering (though there were many more). One house is the residence of a widow named Carmine Torres and the other is the home of Amanda's husband Richard.
As the story unfolds, the above occurrences have escalating repercussions.
Olivia and Paul Sharpe take their son to a criminal lawyer, who advises them to DO NOTHING. The attorney points out that, if Raleigh's actions come to light he could be charged with breaking and entering, which is a serious crime.
Olivia is worried about having written the anonymous letters, but she doesn't fess up. The letters - and Raleigh's crimes - prey on Olivia's mind, however, and she confides in her best friend Glenda. Glenda has problems also, since her teenage son drinks. The women share many cups of coffee and glasses of wine as they commiserate with one another.
Olivia and Glenda soon have more to talk about as the police investigation into Amanda's death reveals suspicious behavior all over Aylesford�..as well as many cases of marital infidelity.
Everyone who knew Amanda is interviewed, and the cops suspect one person after another of being her killer.
Olivia's anonymous letters also spawn consequences. Carmine Torres is very disturbed by learning she had a break-in, and shows the letter to everyone in the neighborhood as she tries to discover who violated her privacy.
And Richard Pierce worries about what the intruder might have seen in his house....like the burner phone he hid.
The book has a claustrophobic feel since Aylesford is small and there are a limited number of people who might be the murderer. Thus the armchair detective has a pretty good chance of closing in on 'who done it.'
In addition, many of the characters are two-dimensional, defined by characteristics like sleeping with Amanda; seeing Amanda at work; spotting Amanda with a man; having an affair with Amanda's husband; and so on.
The most well-rounded characters are the Sharpes, and I empathized with Olivia and Paul, who wanted to protect their son in a chaotic situation. As for Raleigh, I hoped he'd learn his lesson about invading people's privacy. 😒
All in all this is an entertaining mystery, fun for an afternoon's reading.
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August 21, 2019
This was better than I expected. It's a tight, short and addictive mystery. At the centre of the story is Amanda, who is found dead toward the beginning of the novel. The story is then told from the many points of view of people in her neighbourhood who live in a tangled web of secrets. What I liked most about Someone We Know is how Lapena tells the story. We move quickly from one point of view to another. Layers of secrets and lies are revealed one after the other. It's never clear whether people of telling the truth or lying, and whether what their lies are to protect themselves or someone else. Well done! I've never read Lapena, but I'm now tempted to read her other books. Thanks to Edelweiss and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
October 14, 2019
This is the 3rd book I have read by the author (I still need to read The Couple Next Door) and this is my fave of the three. Even though the big reveal is pretty lackluster, the story held my interest from start to finish. Give me a book with neighborhood drama and scandals and when you throw in a murder, it doesn't get much better than that.
Who said the suburbs were a safe place to raise a family? In the upstate New York neighborhood featured in this story, a woman has been murdered and a teenage boy has been sneaking into people's houses and hacking the owners' computers. The story follows several of the neighbors and it sure seems like everyone is hiding a secret or two. And some of these secrets are so big, well, let's just say some people go to extraordinary lengths in order to protect themselves.
As I mentioned before these neighborhood dramas usually provide a good amount of entertainment. The things people are up to behind closed doors! The police certainly had their work cut out for them as there were quite a few murder suspects and as you are reading it's difficult to really eliminate anyone from the list. Now if you are looking for a story with likable people, keep searching as this is not the book for you. To be quite honest I don't think there was a single person I liked but that sure didn't stop me from being interested in their dirty laundry!
This book fits my definition of good lazy weekend read. The ending is pretty much the only thing preventing me from giving this book 5 stars. Had the big reveal been something I had never considered, I probably would have bumped up my rating a star. (I try to save my 5 star reads for the few books that really hit it out of the park.) Regardless, I still recommend reading it especially if you have enjoyed the author's other books.
Who said the suburbs were a safe place to raise a family? In the upstate New York neighborhood featured in this story, a woman has been murdered and a teenage boy has been sneaking into people's houses and hacking the owners' computers. The story follows several of the neighbors and it sure seems like everyone is hiding a secret or two. And some of these secrets are so big, well, let's just say some people go to extraordinary lengths in order to protect themselves.
As I mentioned before these neighborhood dramas usually provide a good amount of entertainment. The things people are up to behind closed doors! The police certainly had their work cut out for them as there were quite a few murder suspects and as you are reading it's difficult to really eliminate anyone from the list. Now if you are looking for a story with likable people, keep searching as this is not the book for you. To be quite honest I don't think there was a single person I liked but that sure didn't stop me from being interested in their dirty laundry!
This book fits my definition of good lazy weekend read. The ending is pretty much the only thing preventing me from giving this book 5 stars. Had the big reveal been something I had never considered, I probably would have bumped up my rating a star. (I try to save my 5 star reads for the few books that really hit it out of the park.) Regardless, I still recommend reading it especially if you have enjoyed the author's other books.
August 31, 2019
What a thrill ride, my favorite book from Shari Lapena
This book had my hooked from the very first page..... a gruesome murder, very entertaining it had me flipping the pages of my kindle so fast til the very last page. And let me tell you that last page I was swiping looking for more..... Shari dangled that carrot.
Set in a quiet suburbia, its a family neighborhood everyone knows every one but do they? When Amanda is brutally murdered the police start interviewing the neighbors. This tight knit community starts to unravel and people are quick to point fingers.... not all is what it seems, the police uncover their secrets, affairs, breaking and entering ......As the police investigation tightens we think we know who the murderer is but more layers are revealed and so begins the game of cat and mouse....
This book had me on the edge of my seat, finishing it this morning around 3am. I highly recommend this book, it is my favorite so far from Shari, can wait to see whats next.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Penguin Random House and Shari Lapena for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book had my hooked from the very first page..... a gruesome murder, very entertaining it had me flipping the pages of my kindle so fast til the very last page. And let me tell you that last page I was swiping looking for more..... Shari dangled that carrot.
Set in a quiet suburbia, its a family neighborhood everyone knows every one but do they? When Amanda is brutally murdered the police start interviewing the neighbors. This tight knit community starts to unravel and people are quick to point fingers.... not all is what it seems, the police uncover their secrets, affairs, breaking and entering ......As the police investigation tightens we think we know who the murderer is but more layers are revealed and so begins the game of cat and mouse....
This book had me on the edge of my seat, finishing it this morning around 3am. I highly recommend this book, it is my favorite so far from Shari, can wait to see whats next.
Thank you to Edelweiss, Penguin Random House and Shari Lapena for my review copy in exchange for an honest review.
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