The writing and pacing held the whole weight of the book. Brianna Labuskes is an amazing writer and even for a 3-star book, I still enjoyed my time from beginning to end.
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The problem with the book was, the author bit more than she can chew. The more complex and outrageous the twists were, the more they stopped making sense and turned out right impossible.
Shocking twists are fantastic in a thriller, no questions about it. However, after 2 consecutive ones, the novelty of them started fading.
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I haven't read the first book of the series, so I'm not that familiar with the characters and their relationships dynamic. Judging by this book solely though, I found Gretchen to be a little bland and uninteresting. She's supposedly a low-level sociopath which should've given her an edge and made her thought process much more rich and developed. However, in reality, it was mostly the flashbacks and recounts from the side characters that revealed everything with the help of Lauren tying the strings together as they go through information.
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I think generally the book needed more time with the editor. It had a solid plot, great writing and good enough set of characters, but it felt messy for the most part.
I don't consider it a miss to be honest because the author is one my favorites in the genre. I'd recommend it to people looking for an enjoyable read but not so cynical when it comes to plot analysis.
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*I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

Love Brianna Labuskes, love this series. Fantastic follow-up to the first book, answering the question of what happened to Gretchen's aunt!

Great plot and awesome twist. Love how Brianna tells the story. Characters were fully drawn out and vivid. Will definitely read more by her!

Engaging and entertaining. A recommended purchase for collections where crime and thrillers are popular.

This is the second book in the Dr. Gretchen White series, published in May 2022, and I'm very late reading it for Netgalley for which I apologize. I think I liked this one better than the first book and yet I kept wondering why so many people cared after 30 years. I can understand Gretchen always wondering whether she actually killed her aunt but not why the police would still be investigating. I realize Lauren mostly spent her vacation time researching the case but she and Gretchen were contacting law enforcement personnel as well as the coroner to ask questions. Things must be pretty slow in Boston. But that's my personal beef. If you just ignore all that and go with the flow, it's a good story told in the present as well as in 1983 when a young girl in the area went missing and was later found dead and in 1993 when Gretchen's aunt, Rowan White, died and also some snippets from a few years in between. Lauren and Gretchen have a back and forth relationship but seem to be starting to really care about each other although the quips aren't quite as amusing as in book 1. I found the last 15-20% to be a bit much with all the revelations being thrown at us, not to mention whiplash from the speed with which we went back and forth between now and 1993. Kudos to Brianna Labuskes for writing three books featuring a sociopath. I imagine it would be very stressful wondering if you got it right. Personally, I have no idea, but it seemed believable to me. I'd give this book 3.5 stars rounded up but I think if it was shorter I'd rate it higher.

My thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow! What a 2nd book of the series. The twists in this one had me flipping pages as fast as I could. Definitely didn’t see the end coming!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

WOW! I loved A Familiar Sight but surprisingly, I loved What Can’t Be Seen even more. This book was amazing. This series has such a unique main character and it always keeps me guessing. The topic of book two was incredible; it was expertly laid out and well executed. If you enjoy psychological thrillers or mysteries then you have got to give the Dr. Gretchen White series a try.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

Gretchen White is a highly successful psychologist working with the Boston police on numerous criminal investigations but she has lived under the suspicion of being a cold blooded murderer since she was a young child. She acknowledges and accepts the fact she is a sociopath and brilliantly uses the way her mind works to her advantage in interacting with others. But did she really kill her aunt? Is she ready to find out what happened that night?

This was a terrific story that keeps the reader guessing about who can be trusted. Gretchen is coaxed into reopening her aunt’s case by Detective Lauren Marconi in an effort by Marconi to stop Gretchen’s fall into the self-destructive downward spiral she has traveled since solving the case involving a child psychopath. The story flips between events that happened during 1983, 1993 and now. It starts with a murder of a young woman in 1983 when Detective Patrick Shaughnessy was a young police officer looking to be one of the few authorities discovering a serial killer. The author does a wonderful job of drawing the reader into the details and provides enough turns to ensure you will not guess how it he murder really happened .

Wow! Was not expecting that ending at all.

Holy cow what a good second book. Can’t wait to read more by this author. Amazing.

I read Familiar Sight last year and loved it so have been waiting for book 2. What Can't Be Seen did not disappoint, it gave me a wonderful insight into the past of Dr. Gretchen White. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this advanced reader copy

This was a great follow up to the first book in the series. The main character Gretchen is a criminologist who consults often for the Boston Police Department. She is also a sociopath who was suspected of killing her aunt at eight years old. Her partner at the police department decides to help her solve her aunts murder once and for all. The story takes place in both the present and the past. Overall it was a great read and I enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced reader copy.

There are twists throughout this book that kept me turning the pages. Very compelling.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thanks. to NetGalley and the publisher. I tried to read the previous book in this series before reading this one but I did not get the time. I did not obtain the full background of the lead female Gretchen but I. was not lost readint this book either. It was a good read and had great pace. I read a book called Her last Words by this author and that one was amazing.

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I love a good twisty psychological thriller...and this meets all my criteria! Smart leading female characters abound which makes my heart sing. Gretchen is complicated but trying to work her out is half the fun.

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Discovered this author through or first book for our book club! I really enjoyed this author. She does a great job at developing plot while also paying close attention to character development. I have recently started reading more mystery and I’m really enjoying it.

Book 2 in the series and solidly put Brianna Labuskes on my radar as authors to watch. Excellently written and didn't see the ending coming. So good.

A suspenseful novel about a childhood murder.slowly unwinding this one, with a current day partnership. Did not see it coming!

I do find Ms Labuskes’s novels being on par or even quite better than the works of much more famous writers! She can write dark and innovative mysteries with an human touch, her characters are engaging and you can not help but like them, even if that feeling might not be alligning with your (supposedly) best interests. But heart wants what it wants and here my heart wants Gretchen. Gretchen the psychopath and possibly the murderer, yes, right.
But is she? What has really happened that fateful night of Rowan’s death? Why did Jennifer have to die?

The ride is wild and fast and our heroines, Dr. Gretchen the consultant and Marconi the cop (as well as Tabby in the past dual timeline) are trying to uncover the well-burdened secrets.

It is an enjoyable (for the murder mystery lovers!) novel and while some motives might be stretching it a bit, I never got bored. Not a small accomplishment these days!

Book 2 in the series and a strong addition! I love the character of Gretchen- she’s interesting and unique. Her relationships have me chuckling at times and I loved the plot of this one. In a genre that is saturated with the same formula for female leads, this one is a standout!