I enjoyed reading this book and loved the plot. It was a great mystery read that I brought on vacation!

I would give this book a 3.5 star rating.

The setting is a suburban neighborhood where everyone has been friends for years except for a new neighbor, a widow, and a young couple, who moved into the neighborhood about a year earlier. The story begins with two key events - Paul and Olivia find out their teenage son has been breaking into neighborhood homes and hacking into their computers and devices then, Amanda, the wife of the young couple is found murdered. These two events start a chain reaction of suspicion, lies, and half-truths. As the story unfolds, secrets from each family are revealed until everyone is under investigation.

At times, the plot was a little cliché and predictable but the fast-pace kept me engaged until the end. Although the ending had a definite conclusion, it left room for a possible sequel. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick, entertaining murder mystery.

Thanks to NetGalley, Shari Lapena, and Penguin Books for the advanced eBook copy in exchange for my honest review.

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena is a teenage boy who is breaking into neighbors’ homes and hacking into their computers. Things become very tangled when Raleigh’s mother writes anonymous apology letters to each homeowner.

Unfortunately, Raleigh isn’t the only troublemaker in the neighborhood. Someone has murdered Amanda Pierce, whose home had been a victim of Raleigh’s, and his fingerprints have been left behind. Amanda was having an affair, as was her husband, who is also under suspicion for her murder.

Shari LaPena always delivers! Someone We Know is a page turner and the possibility of suspects just keeps changing until the very end.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting August 29, 2020.

I would like to thank Penguin Group Penguin Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

*Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Books and Shari Lapena for an advanced ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This is about a neighborhood. Not a neighborhood like mine or yours but a neighborhood that has truly imploded upon itself. There is murder, several affairs, lying, breaking and entering, computer hacking, alcoholism and more. The novel begins with the disappearance and murder of Amanda Pierce who, with her husband Robert, had just moved into this lovely neighborhood, in the past year or so. Amanda is found in the trunk of her car, beaten to death about a week into her disappearance. Throughout the book, there are so many suspects because she was having affairs with several different men in the neighborhood. But the reader is not quite sure it isn't her husband, who is a psychopath, and also having an affair with their next door neighbor. Even the teenagers are involved in this story.

Someone We Know is the first novel I have ready by Shari Lapena and I was not disappointed. Every character she introduced was a "real" person with secrets and flaws. As the reader, I was kept on my toes guessing until the very end. And I was wrong all along. Very very wrong!

Lapena does it again!

Every one of Lapena's books are truly original and deeply suspenseful! I couldn't put it down. It kept me guessing at every turn. I love it when I can't wait to get back to a book and this was the case for this novel. Nothing Lapena writes feels overdone or overused. She is one-of-a-kind.

Highly recommended for psychological thriller fans!

This was a very suspenseful book from beginning to end. Shari Lapena gives twists and turns the entire time. The ending left me scratching my head though.

First I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin Books for allowing me to read "Someone We Know". I love all of Shari Lapena books this was no disappointment. This books begins with the murder of Amanda Pierce. Amanda told her husband she would be attending a girls weekend with a friend. We then move on to meet the residents of Amanda's neighborhood. .Robert, Amanda's husband reports her missing and becomes the prime suspect. Robert believes is wife is having an affair. The women in this neighborhood seem to be jealous of Amanda, she is young attractive and seems to be attracted to older men. Behind closed doors there is so much drama happening... secrets, affairs, a teenager breaking into houses, a missing wife, lies and deceit.. it is all there. When the missing woman's body is discovered there is no shortage of possible suspects. The police really do have their work cut out for them. Throughout the book you will be introduced to many characters, I had a hard time trying to figure out which character to trust. The ending will shock you.

Thank you NetGalley for providing this book for an honest review. This is the second book I have read by Lapena and I have enjoyed them both. The author does a good job of keeping you guessing until the very end. You may have suspicions but they tend to change as you progress in the book. I did enjoy learning about the different characters and trying to figure out the mystery. I have to say I was disappointed in the ending. I like books to end and not leave you hanging. I kept trying to turn to the next page to see what was next but there wasn't another page.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of Someone We Know by Shari Lapena. I am a fan of her writing and have read all of her thrillers.

For me, this story was more predictable than many of this author’s other books. I enjoyed the story, but felt that I knew what was going to happen next. It is full of secrets and neighborhood gossip that leads to multiple suspects in a murder. Some of the characters could have been better developed and eventually left too many loose ends. However, I am still a fan of Lapena and will continue to read her psychological thrillers.

3/5 stars

Really enjoyed this read. The characters had depth and you felt for them, even the side characters. And a crazy twist at the end! Totally unexpected.

This book uses several points of view from people in the same neighborhood as the missing woman. It turns out that almost every person in the neighborhood has a secret to protect and many of them aren't very likable people. Though it's in third person, the author uses deep POV to illustrate the thoughts and feelings of the characters, but I thought there were areas that it was overdone and we were jumping in and out of different people's heads within chapters to fill some plot gaps. This is, however, a mystery that will keep you guessing and does have very intriguing suspects. The author is great at making you hate the busybody characters.

I really liked the twist and turns in this book! It seemed true to the thriller genre. My problem with it however, is that in some places it drags without tension. Yes, this person is being accused on wait this person is being accused. The back and forth made the book almost unreadable. I stuck it out and was pleasantly suprised by the ending.

I loved this psychological thriller about the secrets a neighborhood is keeping. A teenage boy breaks into his neighbor's homes, hacks into their computers and discovers their secrets. A neighborhood woman is murdered. Is it her husband? The boy? A lover? A stranger? It was perfect read to keep my mind occupied during this shelter at home time.

Someone We Know
A Novel
by Shari Lapena
Read an Excerpt
PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Books
Penguin Books
Mystery & Thrillers
Pub Date 12 May 2020 | Archive Date Not set

Thanks to Net Galley and Penguin Group for the ARC of this book. I really enjoyed reading it and found it very thrilling. I like Shari Lapena books and will recommend this to our patrons.

"We all wear masks. We all have something to hide at one point or another."

Aylesford, a charming city in New York's Hudson Valley -- close to the Catskill Mountains -- is a "congenial place to live." Until a quiet neighborhood is rocked by the news of a murder of one of the residents. In addition, a teenager has confessed to sneaking into homes and hacking into owners' computers. What secrets lie hidden behind the charming facade of this sleepy suburbia?

The dead woman, Amanda Pierce, was reported missing by her husband. We all know the police usually figure him to be the number one suspect. But in this particular case there is no shortage of possible perpetrators as more shady information is discovered by Detectives Webb and Moen. In this hotbed enclave that sounds more like Peyton Place (I'm dating myself here) than idyllic haven, the neighbors seem to have a lot to hide. As tension mounts and suspicions simmer and details are confirmed, the truth is revealed. It always comes out in the end. NO SPOILERS.

This was a very fast-paced and entertaining book that I could not put down until I read it, in one sitting, cover to cover. The characters are a fascinating mix and their believability is compelling as each is put under a microscope. I could not wait to find out the surprising conclusion as I analyzed the clues while the narrative perspective shifted between the characters in this drama. Excellent writing propelled me forward as the focus narrowed. Who did what? Another summer blockbuster no doubt and again, one that should be slated for a television deal for sure. I enjoy novels by this author as she does a wonderful job examining what appears to be a nice little neighborhood, but isn't.

Thank you to the publisher, Pamela Dorman Books/Viking for the e-book ARC to read and review. This is another absorbing and fun novel of domestic suspense and I can't wait to read Shari Lapena's next book!

I love Shari Lapena, and this is one of my favorites of her books. A perfect thrill ride, keeps you guessing to the end.