Another really good quality read by Andrew. Always held my interest and a gripping story line. I hope there will be many more books to come. by Andrew

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this book was a slow and nicely paced suspenseful thiller that had me hooked from the very start. There were so many twists thrown in to keep me interested in finishing the book and finding out the truth.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.

WOW!!! What a powerhouse of a novel! I literally only put it down to make dinner, but otherwise read it straight through.

What She Doesn't Know is an intense read. Riley Harper was suspected, but never convicted of murdering her daughter, Cassie, a tragedy which came only months after the death of her husband in an accidental fall. It was too much for her to handle, and she was admitted to Glendale Psychiatric Hospital for treatment. Now, several years later, Riley Harper wants a fresh start, and to get on with her life, but the press and the townspeople are still fascinated by her story, and life on the outside is harder than she expected.

Her attention is soon drawn to a young woman in her neighborhood, and Riley begins to watch her comings and goings out of curiosity. Soon, having nothing better to do, she begins to follow the woman, and they meet "accidentally". Samantha Light is young enough to be Riley's daughter, but she starts a welcomed friendship with Riley. The two women grow close quickly - too quickly - and soon Riley (and the reader) must ask "who is stalking who?" With break-ins, vandalism and other odd happenings at Riley's apartment; a budding friendship with an agoraphobic neighbor in the apartment beside her; a younger sister, Erin, that Riley is trying to resurrect a relationship with; and the friendship with Samantha that is spinning dangerously out of control, Riley has more than she can deal with, and she deals with all of it badly.

Fast-paced, intense, powerful, twisty-turny, this psychological suspense book held me firmly in it's grasp, heart racing and pages turning at an ever increasing speed, from beginning to end. What an exciting, delightful read!! Five stars from me and many thanks to Andrew Kaufman for the wonderful ride!!

Thanks also to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book (whew!) in return for an honest review. All opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

First off, I would like to take a moment and acknowledge what an accomplishment this must have been for Andrew E. Kaufman after suffering a near fatal accident and then finding out you have cancer, and only later suffer from a cerebral stroke. This would have taken the wind out of many of peoples sails, but for Mr. Kaufman, his devotion to writing and to his fans helped him through the storm. So, a big thank you is owed to Mr. Kaufman for continuing to provide us with his creative, captivating, pieces of work.

With What She Doesn't Know you will get the usual twisted, bewildering, fragmented storyline you've come to expect from Mr. Kaufman. Only, in this case, fragmented isn't a good thing, because it doesn't quite come together as well in the end as it has in his past novels. One could speculate that it's the plot itself that doesn't quite pull it together, while others may say it's the overall character development that doesn't quite sell it. I myself, probably fall within the latter. I could get behind the plot, there was concerted effort in my eyes to bring the story to life, the concept was there. I feel however that it didn't work because we just didn't get enough backstory. We didn't get enough information on how Clarissa died. We didn't get the opportunity to connect to Riley through her relationship with Clarissa because we didn't get to see into their past. We didn't get to feel the empathy needed for Riley. There was more focus given to Riley and Rose's past relationship. This allowed us to understand more about Rose as a character, but it didn't create much in the way of empathy for Riley. I also think it would have been more beneficial to have understood the relationship between Clarissa and Rose. We know that they were friends, but if Rose was so obsessed with Riley, and her becoming her new mommy, then you would think at some point feelings of animosity and resentment would turn towards Clarissa, and it would have been beneficial to see this leading up to Clarissa's death. A mother will stop at nothing to protect her child, and losing a child, knowing that you didn't protect her, would drive any sane mother crazy, so this was completely credible to me within the story, however... the past events were not evident enough to support this in the plot. The focus was too much on what Rose did to Riley, rather than what Rose did to Clarissa.

Was this my favorite Andrew E. Kaufman read? No, it wasn't, but, it certainly wasn't one I was going to put down and walk away from. It was entertaining, and I had to know how it was going to end. There were some missed opportunities for sure, but the potential was there. I definitely enjoy Kaufman's ability to keep you guessing.

I want to thank NetGallley, Thomas & Mercer, and Andrew E. Kaufman, for allowing me the opportunity to read this novel in exchange for my review.

Wow! That is the only word that I can use to describe this book. Usually I am quick to figure out the twist in psychological thrillers, but this one was so well written that the twists kept coming! I am definitely going to seek out more of the author's work.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of What She Doesn't Know!
I went into this book kind of blind. I requested it from Netgalley a while ago and wasn't expecting to be approved. So, when I started reading I wasn't too sure what this book was about. All I knew was it was about a woman who was accused of murdering a child.
Basically, What She Doesn't Know follows Riley, a woman recently released from a mental hospital. She was accused of murdering her daughter, and to top it all off her husband also unexpectedly died a little bit before her daughter was murdered. Its safe to say her mental health wasn't the best after being persecuted by the whole world, and losing the majority of her family within a short amount of time.
Riley is released from the mental hospital and with the help of her sister is trying to assimilate back into everyday life. Things quickly go down hill when she believes she is being stalked by someone who believes she murdered her daughter. They break into her apartment, key her car, and leave hateful messages on her door. She also becomes obsessed with a woman, Samantha, that lives in a building across from her.
She begins following Samantha and watching her. Eventually, Samantha ends up talking to her and they become friends.
Samantha lost her mother when she when she was younger, and also develops a dangerous obsession with Riley, trying to replace Riley's dead daughter and her dead mother.
This book had a great premise, there is no doubt about that. But, it wasn't executed very well. My BIGGEST problem would have to be the dialogue. It didn't feel natural or realistic at most parts. I found myself focusing on the dialogue so much that it was taking away from my reading experience.
Another problem I had was with the characters. They all felt very surface level. I didn't feel like I knew them very well or why they did the things they did. I didn't find myself sympathizing with the main character at literally any point in the whole entire book. I think this had a lot to do with the writing. The writing was very meh, and the author would tell us things instead of showing it through the characters and their emotions/actions.
My last problem with this book was that ending. It just wasn't done correctly in my opinion. I feel like it had potential to be good, but instead I found myself very confused. I won't go into detail about the ending to keep this spoiler free, but I honestly had a hard time wrapping my head around what actually happened in the ending. The ending also had me questioning everything that happened in the book, but not in the mind blown what the hell just happened type of way.
Overall, I think this just wasn't ready to be published. The story and characters need more time to be fleshed out. It's not an original concept by any means, but it could've been a good cozy thriller with a little more time.
One thing I will say is I would love to see this turned into some dramatic cheesy Lifetime movie.

This is my 3rd book read from Andrew E. Kaufman. I really enjoyed The Lion, the Lamb, the Hunted and While the Savage Sleeps. So I was excited to have the opportunity to read What She Doesn't Know. Unfortunately, I was really disappointed with this book.

Nearly a decade ago, Riley Harper was the suspect in her daughter's murder and it drove her into a psychiatric facility. Now released, she wants a fresh start. But it's not so easy to start anew when the public still views you as a child killer. And then Riley becomes obsessed with her neighbor, beautiful, extravagant Samantha Light.

The story was suspenseful. It kept me guessing throughout. But I really hated all the characters in it, especially Erin and Sloane. I originally was going to give it 3 stars but as I kept reading, it became more outlandish and unbelievable. <spoiler>How was she not arrested when there was a dead body in her bathroom? How was she able to go home the next day after her throat sliced? How is she being surveillanced all the time yet no one sees Samantha? A speed chase is going on in traffic yet no one calls the police?</spoiler> The ending twist just didn't work for me either. You pretty much scratch your head and ask yourself, what???

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a copy of Andrew E. Kaufman "What She Doesn't Know" in exchange of an honest review.

Excellent thriller with a completely unexpected ending.

Excellent thriller about a a woman named Riley, who has recently been released from a mental institution after standing trial for the murder of her own daughter. Riley is trying to rebuild her life, but believes that someone is stalking her. Is the stalker real? Is Riley losing her mind again? Gotta read this to find out. I really enjoyed reading this. The storyline, pacing and writing in this were on point, and the plot twists at the end really surprised the hell out of me.

I was sent an advanced copy of this book before release and really loved this book from start to finish. After being admitted to a mental institute for a few years after being accused of murduring her own daughter she is up for release. This book follows how hard it is to get back to a normal life after everyone knew what she did or thought she did. She doesn't have a close relationship with her sister who tries to help her adjust on the outside.
When she befriends another young woman things take a turn for the worse. Throughout my reading of the book I was asking myself was she guilty, was her new friend and things that happend just her mind playing tricks again. Right until the end it keeps you guessing and interested. I don't normally read this type of book but would recommend it.

No one does mind bending, teeth clenching suspense like Andrew Kaufman. I call these kinds of books "I feel a sick day coming on" reads, because they almost can't be read in small sections. From page one, Kaufman hooks you in, and holds on tight till the very end. The human mind can be a terrifying place. Each character in this well woven tale will wrap you up in their own insanity and take you down the path of chaos with them. I don't believe in summarizing novels in my reviews, that takes joy from the reader. What I do believe in is telling you that if you like dark, "feel like you are there" stories that you cannot put down until the last page is turned, then "What She Doesn't Know" is the book for you. If you have had the privilege of reading Andrew Kaufman's previous books, then I can assure you that you will not be disappointed with this tale of a woman's battle against the world and herself, for her sanity and for what she has lost. If you are new to Kaufman's work, then buckle up and hold on tight, because you will be chilled to the bone. Expect that you will get so much satisfaction from this book that you will immediately have to buy everything else the man has written, they are that good. In a market where psychological suspense genre is more popular than ever, Andrew Kaufman stands out as a gifted storyteller, the likes of which is hard to find.

A book worth losing sleep over!

Andrew Kauffman has been a favorite author of mine for quite so time now but, let me tell you, with What She Doesn't Know he has really stepped up his game. This is easily my favorite of all his books. It literally had my on the edge of my seat. I finished the book in a matter of 2 days reading into the early morning both days because I couldn't put it down. His use of imagery and character development are spot on. The characters are so well written that I found myself feeling empathy and fear towards them. Mr. Kauffman throws in enough twists to keep you guessing but then ties it all up perfectly. What She Doesn't Know is certainly not a book to be missed. If you like reading a good thriller...and don't mind missing a little sleep...this is the book for you.

Andrew is a master at psychological suspense. This book was truly disturbing and creepy and made me "throw" it down and walk away a couple of times, but the story kept me from staying away too long. I HAD to know what would happen next. It is engaging and enthralling and gets under your skin from the first moment to the last. I was in tears by the end.

Wow! What a roller coaster ride that was. Let me begin by saying that I have been a big fan of Mr. Kaufman since his first book, all the way through Twisted. Sorry to say this one was a bit too twisted for me. Not too dark, not too scary, just too twisted and confusing. Of course, my brain is old and it doesn't always pick up on everything it needs to but I'm still not sure what happened. Which is why me and psychological thrillers have agreed to part ways except what can I do when it's by one of my all-time favorite authors. Mr. Kaufman has never received anything but a 5-star rating from me but I just can't do it with this one.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and, of course, Mr. Kaufman for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was disappointed in this book. I never felt sympathy for any of the characters. I wish more time had been spent on setting up Riley, the woman who was leaving a psychiatric hospital after possibly killing her daughter, as a likeable, sane character. Well, I felt sorry for Riley's sister who had to deal with everything. Additionally, the story was predictable and when a twist at the end finally surprised me, it felt overly contrived.

The book drew me in right away and I could feel the uneasiness and confusion of a mother whose daughter was murdered. This is a mother who was accused of murdering her daughter, who doesn't remember the details of what happened to her daughter but who knows she isn't the murderer. After being released from a mental hospital, Riley, the mother, must attempt to begin a new life, knowing that she is a hated person to the public, while she experiences strange happenings in and around her apartment.

The book has so many twists and turns and surprises. All the while we are seeing things from the perspective of Riley, knowing that her version of any event could be skewed by mental illness and paranoia. It's a fast read, with each chapter making me want to move on to the next.

My only wish is that, at the end, there was more of an explanation of what happened throughout the story. Did certain things really happen and who actually caused those things to happen? The end came so fast, that I was left with questions that my mind can't answer.

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for this advanced review copy in return for an honest review.

What did I just read?! I wasn't sure what my I was getting into when I requested a copy through Netgalley. The author was new to me, the cover is cool and the blurb was intriguing. You are in for a long ride on the crazy train. Riley has been released from a mental health facility after a mistrial for the murder of her daughter. Once on her own she never feels safe and fears for her life. A new friend brings a different dynamic to her world. There are twists and turns that will keep you interested and guessing. Definitely a favorite thriller.

This book was amazing! It took me 2 1/2 days to read. It was an easy, pull you in immediately, book. I love how Andrew has the ability to put your mind right into every twist and turn. I felt like I was a character. You can easily identify with the emotions of the main characters, I felt their pain, sorrow, happiness. I was even able to sense the smell of the greasy pancake house. Usually, I am able to predict the outcome of stories by the 3rd or 4th chapter. This one had my mind going, “oh, wait” and constantly questioning my prediction. I was completely thrown off up until the very last sentence. This is just another extremely well written book by this great author! I can’t wait for the next one! Thank you Andrew for taking me out of reality for a few days and testing the limits of my mind.

Wow. What a whirlwind of a book. I honestly didn't completely see the end coming. There were parts that I picked up on, but not the full range of what was going on. The last thirty or so pages were gripping and I couldn't put it down. The twist that we find is rather unique and I won't spoil that for everyone, but I think it is worth giving this book a read if you like psychological thrillers, twisted characters, and a quickly moving plot.

Let's discuss characters:
The main character is a very unreliable narrator and we start as she is being released from a mental hospital after being accused of killing her daughter, standing trial, and the mistrial after a hung jury. For obvious reasons, Riley is disturbed and haunted by the tragedy of her life. As this continues to spiral out of control, her depression and psychotic tendencies become more and more pronounced. I am a sucker for unreliable narrators. For some reason, I just love not knowing what is coming, if what I am reading can be trusted, and just where all the crazy mess is going. This book did not disappoint on the twisted characters.

The plot:
The pacing ebbs and flows. You have your peeks where the action and plot are strong and you don't want to stop, but then you also have moments where you aren't sure why these things are important. Although many of those things eventually make sense, I can see why some people would become frustrated with the narrative and become bored. I do think that the book having been written with somewhat short chapters really helps the pacing. I personally love shorter chapters that are gripping and keep me turning the pages to find out what could happen next. There are also some very gruesomely described scenes within the book. That wasn't an issue in terms of sticking with me until around 80 or so percent. That stuck with me and actually caused a nightmare or two after falling asleep.

Overall, I think this is a very enjoyable, fast-paced thriller with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. Like I mentioned earlier, I had pieced bits and pieces together and has a few theories; however, I didn't have everything figured out. The end comes together quickly and left me having to go back and read it again just to make sure that I had all the facts together. I do feel like the last few chapters could have been extended a little more for better understanding as I was left slightly confused.