This one was just kinda blah for me . It was billed as a mystery but nothing really happened till 85% in . It just didn’t hold my interest .
Thanks for letting me review this book to Netgalley and the publisher

Okay! This book just made me go 'Aaaargh' at the end!!
This could have been so good, it had so much potential but it ended up doing literally nothing!

The blurb:-
Retired nurse Francine Greene moves into a senior living facility and becomes friendly with her new neighbour Katherine. However, when she discovers that Katherine's husband is the judge responsible for the trauma and grief her family went through in the recent past, Francine finds herself angry, agitated and depressed.
She starts harbouring thoughts of revenge and payback!
One night, on observing the medication cart used to deliver the medicines to the residents in the facility, a plan forms in Francine's mind - after all who better than a senior, retired nurse to know her way around medicines and drug dosages.

Why I picked the book:-
The book description sounded so good! I was looking forward to a story of grief and revenge in a unique setting - I mean, no one expects that a senior living facility would become a scene of crime!
Also, the story seemed to promise emotions, anger and situations that would drive a sane, respectable citizen to do the unthinkable!

Only, it didn't quite deliver!

What I didn't like:-
Although the initial build up was engaging, the story seemed to meander and lose its way somewhere around the middle! There was too much focus on the morality of things.
We spend a good part of the book reading about corrupt judges and officials and how a regular day in office for them can wreak havoc in the lives of the people affected by their judgement!
And just when we are sufficiently outraged, and rooting for the corrupt individuals to be taught a lesson, the tone of the story switches .
The ultimate focus was in proving to the reader that the good guy remains a good guy - they might have had a temporary lapse of judgement but their soul was never endangered! And the bad guy realises the error of their ways and feels something llike, but not quite, repentance!
While I might wish that in real life people would be god-fearing, and sensible and righteous, in my book I want a little more grey, a little more scandal, and I want my characters to make a few more questionable choices !!😈

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The plot of this book was unique and creative. I can definitely say I’ve never read a similar book before. The writing style was great, not too descriptive, easy to follow and fast-reading.

I will say I felt a little misled by the description of the book. The description made me think I was reading a mystery novel that would have twists and turns and a complex story based on lines the description “things are more complicated than they seen”, “what really happened that night”, the police getting involved etc. in reality, there was no mystery to this book until the 85% mark.

I would say this is more of a non-fiction book with a little twist at the end, not a thrilling mystery. I think because of how different the book was to my expectations my rating may be considered unfair by some but I think a lot more could have been done with this book. The characters could have been better developed- Frannie and Iris were well developed but Frannie also has a son and we know almost nothing about him. Most of the book from the moment the meds were tampered with to the moment the police are (barely) introduced felt like filler. Building more drama and suspense around the consequences of the meds-tampering would have done a lot for this book.

Thank you Netgalley & Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

This topic intrigued me as it is so different. Not many books are written from an elderly perspective. I felt that this book progressed slowly, but the plot was interesting. It really made me think about I would have done in Frannie’s situation.

I would honestly give it a 3.5 because it was so near a 4 star review. It was just missing a bit more action for me.

Plumped Pumpkins! 😳😯🤯🥺

I absolutely adored the aspect of this novel! An endearing novel of mystery & suspense dealing with a past & present of an elderly mother moving into a home - a retirement residence. My grandparents had been in one and I just loved this aspect! An epic novel of morals, mortality, values and justice with illicit mystery! It seriously touched nearly every genre and I was here for it. I adored the backstory, each character & their development and the plot was divine. I couldn't believe how quickly I read this - over before I knew it. It delivered a huge firework of family, love, loss, some fab mystery, morals but most of all, moving on and even forgiveness. The ending is enough to get you teary-eyed, but yet so calming & gratifying. You can't help but put your own life on hold to read about Frannie's that will tug at your heart strings.

Mყ 𝐒ყɴ𝐨ρѕιѕ: Begrudgingly Frannie moves into a retirement home alone by the pressure of her children worried about her safety and mobility. Surprisingly, she finds herself connecting with another resident, Katherine, and form a friendship until Frannie realizes Katherine's husband, Nathaniel, was the judge that was involved with her granddaughters death. Impulse, anger, rage and justification cause Frannie to turn to the medicine cart and the next day, a resident is dead. As the investigation ensues, with an innocent person being suspected, Frannie needs to make it right. But can she?

Thank you to NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.
Release Date: April 4, 2023

𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭: 4 / 5 Autumn Leaves! 🍂

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A decent mystery novel. I enjoyed the aspect of the main character being in an assisted living situation, haven’t read a similar plot. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

What a debut. I will be watching for more novels from Rebecca Keller. I couldn't put this one down. I just needed to know what was going to happen with Frannie. If mysteries are your thing give this a read. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for.the ARC.

This novel had a ton of potential and has a lot of great discussion points. This would be a good book club book. Personally, I found the book too slow paced for my taste, but the idea behind the book was very interesting. I would definitely read more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this digital arc in exchange for my honest review which is not affiliated with any brand.

A real page Turner,agood setting for this story, looks at relationships between husband qnd wife,between women revenge abd it consequences

You Should Have Known
by Rebecca A. Keller

What an amazing read. Retired nurse Frannie Greene lost so much, She’s spent years aching for accountability from people in power. Finally, she moves into a senior living apartment and thought she killed her friend, new neighbor Katherine. OMG, I loved this bitter-sweet book full of justice and standing her ground. My favorite read this year,

It’s a new chapter in the life of retired nurse, Frannie Greene, as she moves into an assisted living facility. She quickly makes friends with fellow resident, Katherine, only to discover that Katherine is the wife of the man Frannie believes is responsible for her granddaughter’s death. As a retired nurse, Frannie has knowledge of medicine, medicine that is available on the daily meds cart that rolls through the halls of the facility. Seeking revenge, Frannie goes against everything she’s ever believed in and the next day, someone is dead. I really enjoyed this book, an older heroine with plenty of hutzpah and daring makes a nice change from the young ingenues who routinely star in thrillers

Francis Green is convinced, by her children, to move into assisted living. She is reluctant to join in activities, etc, but joins a book club, meeting Catherine. Francis continues to think she' recognizes Catherine's husband, but she can't quite put her finger on it. She later learns he was the judge who went very easy on a drunk driver who killed her granddaughter. While she might be old, Francis is not done with trying to seek out justice (revenge.) This was a very good book, and I recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

When widow Frances Green fell and broke her hip her children convinced her to move into an apartment in an elderly assisted living home. Although one of the nicer ones she is still indignant about not needing to be there and will not allow her self at first to make friends or do activities. When her son Charlie looks as if he gets worried about her she makes a halfhearted attempt to do the activities offered. The first thing she does is join the book club this is where she meets Catherine, a woman she instantly connects with. Unfortunately Catherine is married to Nathaniel a grumpy Imperius egotistical ex judge who looks strangely familiar to Francis. Then it hits her he was the judge who gave the drunk driver who hit and killed her granddaughter probation and she is incensed and looking for a bench. The problem is she wanted revenge for Nathaniel and not the innocent people it looks like her deed is going to affect. Even worse another resident Evan watches her every move an even worse he wants to be friends. This is a really good book and Francis Green is a great character and a force to be reckon with she is 72 spry, active an intellectually owner game but what makes the book even better is that Evan is all that and more. I highly recommend this book if you love literary fiction at its best you need to read “ you should have known“ by Rebecca Keller. I was given this book by Net Galley A the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

This is a fantastic book. It is one of the best books I have read in years. The author is talented and gifted at her craft. The characters are intriguing...the setting, the assisted living complex, is a character in itself. This book has it all...friendship and family, mystery and intrigue...family dynamics...aging...caring about others...facing the realities of life...starting again...arguments...making up...grief...marriage and loss...if I could give this book more than five stars, I would. The novel was sent to me by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publishr for the electronic copy. I have already advised friends to look for this book when it is released. I will buy a copy to read again. There is much to be learned from this story which is fiction that reads like nonfiction. It is happening daily...it is life...the process of getting older. The protagonist is in her seventies, and we read few books with aged protagonists...that doesn't seem to matter...she is not less than because of her age, despite what others might believe. she is not invisible because she is aged...this author has written a cannot put down story that transports us to the assistant living complex, lets us meet the characters, and permits us to become embroiled in their stories. I am going to read it again before it is released. One of my favorite books of 2022 (release is 2023). I am indebted to this author for writing a book for ages as all of us are either elderly, going to be elderly one day, have parents, are parents...are children...it relates to most readers...don't miss this book. Curl up in a comfy chair...sip a cup of steaming herbal tea, enjoy a hot delicious scone...be transported...I really liked this fantastic book. Oh yes, there is a moral problem also...right from wrong...what must one do?