So, I am always a little apprehensive about reading books with psychopaths as protagonists because most of the time they are really unlikeable (um, as they should be). The thing with these types of novels is the story has to be good enough for you to look past the fact that the person the narrative surrounds has some really awful qualities. This is the first time I've read this author and I did not realize this was the 2nd book in a series. This one centers on Gretchen White who is a psychopath turned psychologist/criminologist that specializes in people like her. She has helped solve many cases for the Boston Police Department. Gretchen also has a dark past she's been carrying with her her entire life-it has always been assumed that she killed her aunt when she was 8 years old. Many believe she got away with murder but there is one cop Detective Lauren Marconi who thinks things might not have been as cut and dry as they seemed and she encourages Gretchen to solve her own case. What follows is a dive into the really twisted White family, a series of unsolved murders that may be linked to this family, and people that are willing to do anything to keep this case buried and just let everyone assume Gretchen did it.

The author does a great job of laying out multiple possibilities that I had a really hard time guessing where this book was going. It flips back and forth between past and present and with how chaotic the family is, the presence of a mysterious unidentified man, the shocking connections between another area cold case, and trying to move forward while dealing with Gretchen's hair trigger temper, I was entertained the whole time. I did guess the outcome but only very shortly before it was actually revealed. So I get more of the back story, I have ordered the first book in the series to read. I think thriller fans will like.

A solid second entry and intense background work on Gretchen.

Will read more.

Thanks to Netgalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review

3.5 stars

So, I didn't realize that this was a series and this was the second book in the series, but I thought the blurb was interesting and different so I decided to give this a try.

Since this is a thriller/mystery sort of story, I'm not going to get too deeply into the plot so I don't spoil anything. There were things I liked about this story and some things that I thought needed some improvement.

Let's start with what I liked. Gretchen White is a sociopath who is also a crime expert. She's works with law enforcement to solve cases, but the one case that she hasn't wanted to dig into is her own. When Lauren Marconi, a law enforcement colleague encourages her to solve the mystery of what happened to Gretchen that night and who really killed her aunt, she reluctantly agrees.

I loved these two characters and they were really the reason I kept reading this book. Gretchen is my kind of woman -- she speaks her mind and doesn't really care what others think. She also can have violent thoughts and urges she has to keep a tight hold on. She was really a unique and interesting character and Lauren Marconi was a perfect partner for her. While Lauren is not as flamboyant as Gretchen, the two make a terrific pair and I kept reading to find out what happens to them.

What I didn't like so much is that this book is so slow in the first half. There's repetition and I found myself reading two pages and putting it down because it just didn't catch fire for me until the second half. It was really these two female characters that kept me turning the pages and I desire to learn what really happened that fateful night.

Overall, a mixed bag for me on this title. Great characters with a slow pace in the first half sums up the book for me. I would read another Gretchen White story or title from this author and that says something.

This book was so good! How am I supposed to wait until April for the next book?!?
I loved how it was finally revealed as to what actually happened that night. And everything leading up to it. I did guess a few things before they were revealed but the things I didn’t …. Wow!
I really love Gretchen. Idk if I would in real life, but her character is such a bad ass. I love Marconi too. She is so perceptive and knows how to blend in and when to stand out.
The different perspectives were great. Going from past to present. I loved how we got little pieces of the story sewn together. I liked how suspenseful this was but still had a bit of police procedural. It’s a great crime thriller.
Not sure how I feel about the ending but definitely here for the next one. Hopefully there are more in the works as well.

What Can't Be Seen by Brianna Labuskes

Is a child capable of murdering her aunt?
According to her family, that is what happened.
She doesn't remember it that way.

Thoughts:
I liked What Can't Be Seen a lot! My regret? That I didn't read book one! This book is 100 percent a great stand-alone, but I think I would've enjoyed it even more with the background from book one.

The general plot is great! Basically, as a child, Gretchen was accused by her family of murdering her aunt. She has no memory of it, but was in the room and holding the bloody knife as her aunt was bleeding in the bed. Now, with help, Gretchen is taking on the most difficult case of her career.

Her own. Can she get to the truth or will the truth destroy her?

I’m sitting, stock-still, having just finished the last sentences of “What Can’t Be Seen,” a riveting, edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller by Brianna Labuskes. My first thought is ‘WOW.’ This is a phenomenal read, which keeps you guessing until the last chapters with its many whiplash-inducing twists, turns, starts, and stops. Ms. Labuskes knows how to write a fresh novel that grabs the reader’s wide-eyed attention and keeps it throughout. It’s an unputdownable work in every sense of the word, a book I would glad read again and plan to keep as part of my book collection. I cannot recommend it enough to any and all fans of the psychological thriller genre.

Dr. Gretchen White, criminologist, psychologist, and psychopath, works for the Boston Police Department, to the dismay of many. She has lived with the fact that she murdered her aunt as an eight-year old child thirty years ago, including the fact that she was standing over her aunt’s body clutching a bloody kitchen knife. People think that she got away with murder, but Detective Lauren Marconi wants to disprove that idea. Fighting to maintain the lifelong suppression of the psychopathic urges, Gretchen reluctantly agrees. Everyone thinks they know what happened that night all those years ago, but the truth is much more complicated than anyone realizes—especially Gretchen herself.

I’d like to thank NetGalley, Brianna Labuskes, and Thomas & Mercer for the ability to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so good! I want to see more from this author in the future!! I couldn't put this book down. What a page turner!!!

📖BOOK REVIEW📖

I don’t know if I need a Johnny Depp mega pint of coffee, 800mg of Ibuprofen, or both because I’ve got a serious book hangover. Thank goodness this is the second book in the Dr. Gretchen White series because I can now go back and read book 1 and do this to myself all over again!

Gretchen is a diagnosed sociopath. She’s also a psychologist and criminologist who aids the Boston PD in solving murder cases. When she was 8, she was found standing over her aunt’s dead body with a bloody knife in her hand. Even today, 30 years later, many people believe she got away with murder. She’s been closely watched by Detective Patrick Shaughnessy her whole life and now his new partner, Lauren Marconi, wants to help Gretchen dig in and finally solve her case. Gretchen begrudgingly agrees to go along with Lauren and find out the truth of what happened that night. Did she kill her aunt? If not, who did? It’s a wild ride you won’t want to put down!

Brianna Labuskes takes the classic “detective solves cold case” story and gives it a huge makeover! The fact that Gretchen is a sociopath AND solving her own cold case makes this a refreshing and much needed diversion from the norm. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m on my way to the nearest book store to pick up book one: A Familiar Sight. Book three comes out next year and you better believe I’ll be preordering that one as well!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Release Date: 5/24/22.

Thank you to #netgalley #briannalabuskes and #thomasandmercer for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!

I just found a new auto-buy author! A police procedural-mystery-thriller involving a crime consultant! Gretchen is a psychologist who works with the PD to better understand the psychology of criminals but her very own childhood is covered by a dark cloud. She now wants to revisit that time where she is found next to a murder victim. There are many twists in this book! It’s fast paced and held my attention to the conclusion and just wow! This is the 2nd book in the series and was fine as a stand-alone but I’m curious to see how she got her start as a criminologist.

This was an exciting book!

Dr Gretchen White works on cold cases with the Boston PD, but the one she had never been able to solve has been her own.

This is a book I was not able to predict, I loved it!

What Can't Be Seen by Brianna Labuskes is a thriller that I couldn't put down. Dr. Gretchen White collaborates on cases with the Boston PD, successfully helping solve them, but the one case she hasn't been able to solve is her own...she was found at the age of eight, standing over her aunt's body with a knife in her hand. Thirty years later, Detective Lauren Marconi takes the case on, hoping to clear Gretchen and discover what really happened that night.

This book had so many twists and turns, it kept me guessing to the end. I didn't read the first book in the series and had no problem figuring out what I had missed. Thanks to the author,Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the first Gretchen White book "A Familiar Sight" (which I read last year), so I was so excited for this one! I'm not sure why but Gretchen's character seemed more... "wild" this time around? In the first book she seemed much more refined and professional, where in this one she was a bit more unrestrained. The peeks into 8-year-old Gretchen's personality were awesome! I found the whole murder mystery aspect of the plot pretty complicated and a little hard to follow, I kept having to remind myself of things, but that's probably just me. At 90% it was just twist after twist and I couldn't put this book down! I can't wait for #3 next year!

Dr Gretchen White is a psychologist and criminologist working with the Boston PD, but she's never been able to sole her own case. When she was eight, she was found standing over the body of her aunt, holding a bloody knife. The Detective on her case believed she was guilty. Thirty years later, another Detective wants to prove that she's innocent.

This book was superbly written, I will now need to read the first book in this series, I can't wait to read what Gretchen is up to.

#WhatCantBeSeen #NetGalley
Awesome
Psychologist and criminologist Dr. Gretchen White, top consultant for the Boston PD, has solved countless cases—but never her own. Since the age of eight, she has lived her life thinking she killed her aunt. After all, she was found standing over the body, clutching a bloody knife. Most people, including Detective Patrick Shaughnessy, believe the little sociopath got away with murder. Thirty years later, Detective Lauren Marconi wants to prove them wrong. When plucking at the threads of the past unravels a decades-old case tied to the White family, both Lauren and Gretchen grapple with the question, What if Gretchen really is guilty? As old secrets come to light and Gretchen’s lifelong grip on her darkest impulses threatens to erode, Shaughnessy is there watching, waiting for her to lose control one more time. Everyone thinks they know what happened that night. But the truth is beyond what anyone imagines—even Gretchen herself.
Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for giving me an advance copy.

Having read the first book in the series, A Familiar Sight, I was excited to see what was next in store for Dr. Gretchen White. Dr. White is a criminologist who often does consulting for the Boston Police Department. Fun fact, she also happens to have been accused of killing her aunt, Roman. At the time of this incident, she was eight and was never charged.

Detective Lauren Marconi works with Gretchen in the BPD, and she suggests they revisit this crime. I enjoyed seeing this quasi friendship develop. There is Detective Patrick Shaughnessy, who believes that Gretchen is responsible for the crime and can't wait to prove it. The novel keeps up a brisk pace and the author throws twists along the way. I was fully engaged in the plot. The story unfolds in different timelines, but the reader will have no trouble keeping up.

Do we want Gretchen to have done killed her aunt? Read the book and enjoy the ride!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. The review is my own.

“Gretchen…What have you done?”
Psychologist and criminologist Dr. Gretchen White, top consultant for the Boston PD, has solved countless cases—but never her own. Since the age of eight, she has lived her life thinking she killed her aunt. After all, she was found standing over the body, clutching a bloody knife. Most people, including Detective Patrick Shaughnessy, believe the little sociopath got away with murder. Thirty years later, Detective Lauren Marconi wants to prove them wrong.
When plucking at the threads of the past unravels a decades-old case tied to the White family, both Lauren and Gretchen grapple with the question, What if Gretchen really is guilty? As old secrets come to light and Gretchen’s lifelong grip on her darkest impulses threatens to erode, Shaughnessy is there watching, waiting for her to lose control one more time.
Everyone thinks they know what happened that night. But the truth is beyond what anyone imagines—even Gretchen herself.

This is a brilliant read.
Wonderful well written plot and story line that had me engaged from the start.
Love the well fleshed out characters and found them believable.
Great suspense and found myself second guessing every thought I had continuously.
Can't wait to read what the author brings out next.
Recommend reading.

I was provided an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher. This is my own hone\st voluntary review.

What Can't Be Seen, by Brianna Labuskes, is a police suspense with one mystery after another. With all its twist and turns, this book really had me turning pages. I don't know if you could say that I actually liked the central character, Dr Gretchen White. While she's a brilliant psychologist and criminologist, she's also a sociopath. Fortunately, she understands consequences and is working as a well paid consultant for the Boston PD, While she has solved several cases, she's never solved the one that she & her family were involved in back when she was just eight years old, Since then, she's assumed that she was the one who murdered her aunt.
Now it's 30 years later and "could be friend", Detective Lauren Marconi, wants to reinvestigate what happened back then. When they start to pull at the threads of the past, they reveal a 30+ years old case and learn that it's connected to the White family. Now secrets are being revealed and Gretchen’s hold on her darker impulses is threatening to shatter,

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mystery Thriller

This is the second book in the series and you have to read book one for book two to make sense.

This picks up pretty much where book one stops. Gretchen is spiraling and really, nothing can stop her except her. As Gretchen sees her behavior for what it is, the question really is, is there anything she would stop for?

In this book, you read present day and the past where Gretchen is accused of killing her aunt.

Marconi is back, and I really enjoyed her character and the way that she interacted with Gretchen. The two women were a force. Then you have Detective Shaughnessy. He is kind of an enigma in this story. You see two very different detectives between the two stories. In this book, he's a little more in the background and you are just given snippets from his point of view.

The twists and turns within this plot are as gnarled as Curly Willow bushes. And while it does seem slightly rushed for me at the end, overall, I was happy with how it ended. There's closure without it being predictable in the happily ever after manner.

You won't be disappointed to delve into this mind bender.

With What Can't Be Seen, Brianna Labuskes has penned a stunning follow-up to A Familiar Sight, the second in the Dr. Gretchen White series. Fast-paced, great writing, and plenty of knock-you-out-of-your-seat twists, this book has everything going for it.

Dr. Gretchen White, a psychologist, criminologist, and top consultant to the Boston Police Department, has an insight into the criminal mind that few others can match. She is a sociopath, accused of murdering her aunt Rowan when Gretchen was eight years old. Never charged with the crime, there are many who seem to think that she got away with murder. Detective Marconi decides to reopen the case 30 years later and figure out what really happened that night. What she uncovers will shock everyone.

This is an excellent read and one I thoroughly enjoyed. I'm already looking forward to the next installment of the series.

My thanks to Thomas and Mercer for allowing me to access an ARC of the book via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are freely given.

An extremely twisted murder mystery with shocking revelations and well worth the read. A bit confusing at times as throughout the story we moved from the present to the past and back to the present with the characters offering their own insight into the murder. The main character, Dr. Gretchen White, consults on cases with the Boston police even though it was believed that she stabbed her aunt to death when she was eight years old. Detective Lauren Marconi has worked with Gretchen before and her ability to close a case makes her a valuable consultant. Although Gretchen has degrees in psychology and criminology, she freely admits that she is a sociopath. The interaction between Lauren and Gretchen, as they work to solve her aunt’s murder, is intriguing. Lauren believes that Gretchen is not truly evil, but is a survivor. Nothing is at it seems in Gretchen’s dysfunctional family. I received an advance review copy at no cost and without obligation for an honest review. (paytonpuppy)