IF THEY KNEW By Joanne Sefton

Boy, what a book. I read that this is actually a true story. Their writer pulled me in and did not let go until I finished the book. Even then I still thought about it. We have Darren and Barbara who are married with children. One day Barbara gets bad news from the doctor and so hey call their daughter Helen to tell her the news.... Cancer. Helen goes home and finds a letter on the doorstep. The letter is threatening towards Barbara who is sick. Helen will stop at nothing to save her mother and keep her away from danger. There are several other issues that are going on on the sideline that continue to make you wonder who is doing this and why? It is a great read and the author has a wonderful way of weaving the story and keeping to the facts.


I give this one 5 stars ⭐️ out of 5

Thank you netgalley as well as the author/publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book centers on Helen, a mother with two children going through a separation from her husband. During this trying time, Helen is called back home by her father with news that her mother has cancer. Upon her arrival, Helen finds a letter on her mother's doorstep, threatening harm to her mom. As her mother, Barbara battles her illness, there are more notes and random acts that has Helen searching into Barbara's past. Will she find the answer to the secrets that have been hidden all these years?

This book is told with the use of flashbacks. The flashbacks gives bits and pieces of the information you need and kept me reading to get more. The characters were well created each with their own determination and realistic flaws.

I enjoyed the plot of this book, and most of the actual story, but there were things that were problematic. I thought the characters were full and well rounded, each with their flaws and struggles. The actual story was very good. If They Knew is a book about a family whose lives are shattered when a cancer diagnosis brings to light secrets from the mother's past. I liked the slow build of the book, but I did think at times it took a little too long to get to the main part of the narrative. I also liked the different points of view from the characters, as well as the shifts in time. However, the ending was disappointing. I felt it was a little lackluster. The novel, for its length and breadth, felt unresolved, as though it was setting up for a sequel. Still, I would have loved some sense of resolution to this book. The ending is what made me give this book 3 stars instead of 4. I just really wanted the ending to be more than what it was, especially with how fast things happened from the middle of the book on.

Wow, wow and wow absolutely brilliant, just loved Joanne's style of writing, how the story developed and I was very soon hooked. She draws you in straight away and I found myself really involved with all the characters.

I read this over two days, full of twists and turns with a great ending. I have nothing negative to say about this book, I thoroughly enjoyed it and can definitely recommend. I will certainly be recommending this to my Facebook Book Groups on publication day.

I eagerly look forward to Joanne's next masterpiece and well worthy of five stars, wish I could give it ten!.

Loved the book from page one to the end. Good story line, interesting characters, mystery, suspense and a surprising ending. Fast reading and a book I would recommend. I wasn’t familiar with the author but like her style. I will look for her books.

Helen is called back to her parents house after the cancer diagnosis given to her mother Barbara. Helen takes her young kids with her. Her estranged husband, Darren, is not impressed but helps as he can. Helen finds mysterious letters left for her mother and not all is as it seems: who exactly is helen’s Mother Barbara?

This was told through flashbacks and from each characters point of view. It was engrossing and very well structured and I really enjoyed it. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I received "If They Knew" by Joanne Sefton from NetGallery in exchange for a honest review. Thank you to the publisher and author for giving me the opportunity to review "If They Knew."
Barbara Marsden has many secrets and she wants to keep those secrets safe, especially from her daughter, Helen. When Barbara is diagnosed with cancer.....will her dark secret come out? Will Helen uncover the secrets Barbara has tried to hide for 50 years? Helen is determined to uncover what happened but what will this do to her mother?
A fascinating family drama, revenge, intrigue.....a story that keeps you guessing.
Should secrets stay hidden??????

I normally do not really care for family dramas. I really love my crime thriller and mysteries so this book was a bit out of the box for me.
Even though it is not my particular cup of tea, I did enjoy reading this. The characters were interesting and the story flowed very well!

I was hooked on this novel from the moment I started reading and devoured it in a day.

While I could predict some plot lines, it was written well and I was gripped. I liked the glimpses back in time and how different perspectives were explored,

I think it shows how a seemingly ordinary family can implode and it made me wonder, how many Katy Clerys are out there, hidden in plain sight.

If They Knew follows Barbara, the mother with secrets and Helen, the daughter who tries to uncover the secrets. This book goes into flashbacks every other chapter to get clues on the characters history and start to unravel the secrets and where they started and why they stayed hidden. As children grow up and become adults the knowledge that they do not know everything about there parents is discovered. This book takes that to another degree when there is almost another life that the parent is hiding. There is a good pace that keeps the reader guessing, intrigued and not wanting to put it down. Netgalley and Avon Books UK provided a copy of the ARC for an honest review.