Get out. Stay strong. Trust your truth.


A solid 4 star read for me. The book started off really compelling and felt impossible to put down. It thrusts you right into the story with Riley coming from a mental institution and moving out, ready to start her new life and put her past behind her. But it seems like that’s the last thing she can do – the past keeps coming back to haunt her.

I didn’t like the info dumping somewhere around 35% into the story, and I was worried the book would head in that direction. Thankfully it veered off but I felt like the new direction it took wasn’t done perfectly – it felt a little rushed and like an afterthought. I thought it could have been done better if the author paid more attention to all the details. I thought this book would have benefitted from another read-through or edit, just adding things here and there to make things more believable.

Nevertheless What She Doesn’t Know was a fast-paced, thrilling read that kept me on the edge of my seat as well as kept me guessing the whole time! I would definitely read more from this author – his acknowledgements were great and very emotional. As always, I’m a fan of books by this publisher – I always seem to enjoy them a lot.

Would recommend for: fans of psychological thrillers with an unexpected twist (if you like easy, fast reads you might enjoy this one, but if you prefer more well-thought out mysteries it might not be for you).

Riley is trying to start her life over after losing both her husband and her daughter and spending time in a mental hospital. But someone seems out to get her or is she just paranoid? A lot of suspense and twists and turns throughout this book. I did feel confused at the end of the novel though and didn't really care for the ending.

Bat-crap crazy. That may not be the correct clinical term for these women but I’m not a licensed psychiatrist so it works for me. What She Doesn’t Know (Andrew E Kaufman) builds slowly and continues into a steady spiral into madness. The mother and child relationship is such a prominent theme that it becomes another character.

Riley Harper has lost her husband, her daughter, and possibly her grip on reality. Having just been released from a mental institution following her trial for murdering her daughter, she has a plan to catch the real killer and reclaim her life. She becomes obsessed with a neighbor in the next building or is it the other way around? Who is spying on whom?

I read a lot of books in the suspense thriller genre and I’ve come to expect twists and turns designed to throw off the reader and create drama. Andrew E Kaufman doesn’t disappoint. He ratchets up the drama to a level that caused me to scream in disbelief at one point.

Isolation, revenge, obsession, and trust are all at the forefront of this story. Losing a child leads Wendy to being trapped in her apartment as Riley is confined to an institution. Losing a parent sends both Rose and Samantha into a maternal compulsion. The bond between mother and child are designed to be strong and powerful so as to ensure the survival of the human race; breaking that bond can prove to be catastrophic and debilitating as these characters learn.

What She Doesn’t Know is a dark, creepy thriller. It’s twisted and insightful, you won’t want to put it down!!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.