As someone who got to experience the student aspect of getting a child into a school of the arts this brought back many memories and a bit of anxiety. Thankfully my mom never had to deal with quite this much! The only thing that keeps this from being a five star book is how the author keeps mixing up Violet and Caroline. I have no idea how the editor didn’t catch this.

Three mothers of 8th graders live in the Upper East Side and are competing for an acceptance to Crofton Boarding School. The snippy mothers, Poppy, Heather and Norah use a “secret” app UrbanMyth, where the can post their juiciest parts of their lives anonymously.. Slow burn book that reminds me of the scandal in Boston a few years back.

Loved the concept of this book and the inclusion of social media. While it is different, I loved how everything connected and watching the characters show their true colors.

Book Summary:

These days, there are dozens of different online forums to let neighborhoods and community communication. UrbanMyth isn't like the others. It's a confident and anonymous forum. Well, it was both of those things – until it got hacked.

Now all the dirty secrets of one neighborhood in New York are out in the open. It's not pretty, and somebody will die because of it.

My Review:

No One Needs to Know is a fast-paced thriller with familiar vibes. By that, I mean it fits in nicely with the thriller genre – but doesn't have a lot to make it stand out. I don't mean that in a terribly negative way. No One Needs to Know is a great beach/stormy night binge.

This book is very much a slow-burn murder saga, and boy, it has a satisfying ending. That said, it took me a bit to get invested in the story. I will blame the prologue on this, as it didn't feel as connected/necessary as the rest of the story.

The one thing I loved about No One Needs to Know is that actions had consequences. That made it so satisfying for me, and I hope other readers feel the same way. Regardless, this is the perfect binge read if you're looking for something quick and satisfying.

Highlights:
Same Vibes as Gossip Girl
Slow Burn Murder Mystery

(Actual: 3.5) Overall a quick, compulsive read with elements of Gossip Girl/nepotism + socialite vibes littered throughout! This thriller did take a moment or two to really get started for me but, once it did, I had a great time reading it and it kept my curiosity piqued all the way through to the end.

My goodness, this book felt like such a guilty pleasure read and so incredibly addicting. Most of the characters are completely unlikable, but you just can't look away.
It's filled with gossip and secrets, and I loved every minute of it!
I'm not sure what category this book really falls into. It's not quite a thriller, maybe a mystery, but whatever it is, please sign me up for more. No one Needs to Know is deliciously fun.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This thriller deserved more hype. I know I'm just posting about in on netgalley but I did post about it on my socials earlier. I love the rich people drama thing and I have recently found myself loving the books that weave forums into there. The two worked together so well. There was drama and cheating and jealousy. I loved it all. It was great and so well done. It could be made into a TV show I would eat every episode up.

No One Needs to Know was my first Lindsay Cameron book but will certainly not be my last! If I had to summarize this book succinctly, this is truly the adult Gossip Girl. It's the ultimate "neighborhood" drama, with a wide variety of characters, each with something to lose. A great read for 2023!

I love this book. I finished it in two days. I was drawn to the title and author. I read Just One Look by the same author, and liked it, but this one is much better!

This book was clever and quite scandelous. I was hooked from the beginning and finished it in one sitting!

This book is like a storyline straight out of a Bravo reality show: it’s full of the rich people problems and gossip all of us “normal folks” love to hate watch. People are scheming to get their kids into the best schools, spending money like it grows on trees, day drinking, and sleeping around. It’s simply delectable. I loved it! There are three narrators, each with a different POV and their own agenda. Each also frequents an anonymous social media site for the Upper East Side crowd called UrbanMyth, where one can share their secrets without worry….or so they think.

And it all revs up when a photo starts circling on social media after an exclusive private club dance showing one of the main characters’ daughter vaping marijuana and she’s labeled “the private school drug dealer.” That night, a chain of events is set off that can’t be reversed. I don’t want to spoil anything but it’s all drama-filled and just amazing messes of each woman’s own creation.

The “hack” and death don’t happen until pretty far into the book, but that didn’t bother me. I enjoyed getting immersed in the world of private schools and having the scene set, so that I was completely invested in the characters by the time things “got real.” It was also a nice break from the slasher/serial killer genre.

And I DID NOT see the ending coming. Phew! What a punch! I think I picked it all up; it was a lot of information, but I’m pretty sure I got it right. That’s what took it from a five to a four - just that I had to read it a couple of times and I’m still not entirely sure I got it all right. But I got the gist, and it was brilliant!

All I can say is pick this one up. It’s unique, brilliantly plotted and was a quick, easy read. I can’t wait to read more from this author! (I’ve already read some from her and this is yet another winner!)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐½

Review:

No One Needs to Know by Lindsay Cameron is a suspenseful thriller that keeps readers guessing until the very end. Cameron's writing style is engaging, and the pacing of the novel is well-executed. The author skillfully builds tension and creates a sense of unease that had me eagerly turning the pages, eager to uncover the truth. The plot is intricately woven, and the story unfolds through alternating timelines, adding layers of mystery to the narrative. The main and supporting characters in the novel are also well-developed, each contributing to the overall suspense of the story. The relationships and dynamics between the characters are intriguing and add depth to the narrative. However, there were moments when I wished for further exploration of some of the secondary characters, as their motivations and actions felt slightly underdeveloped.

The plot twists in No One Needs to Know are where the novel truly shines. Lindsay Cameron manages to keep readers on their toes, continually throwing unexpected curveballs that challenge assumptions and deepen the mystery. I appreciated the intricate web of secrets and the gradual unveiling of the truth, which kept me engaged throughout.

However, while the suspense and mystery were strong, I felt that certain elements of the story were not fully explored or resolved. There were aspects of the plot and character arcs that could have been further developed to enhance the overall impact of the narrative. Additionally, the resolution felt a bit rushed and left me wanting a more satisfying conclusion.

Despite these shortcomings, No One Needs to Know remains a solid thriller with enough suspense and intrigue to keep readers hooked. Lindsay Cameron's ability to create a tense atmosphere and deliver surprising plot twists is commendable. If you enjoy psychological thrillers with complex characters and an undercurrent of suspense, this book is worth a read.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As much as I was looking forward to this book, it was highly disappointing. This really didn't feel like a thriller to me. When u first started the book, I was expecting murder, drama, and some mystery. I felt it failed to deliver.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I am always a sucker for books about wealthy people and the gossip and drama of their lives. The parents in this book reminded me a lot of the rich parents from where I grew up, willing to do anything to fake their child’s way through life. I also really enjoyed the concept of this anonymous website where all these people thought they could post their secrets and lies without getting caught. This story was really engaging from start to finish, and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

I loved this book, like I loved her first book. It’s in the vein of Big Little Lies, which is my favorite trope. It’s about rich mothers and the lengths they go to to give their children the best of everything… no matter what

No One Needs to Know is part thriller, part women’s fiction/drama about a group of wealthy women who live on the Upper East Side and reveal their secrets anonymously on an app. The gossip site turns into a warzone ending in murder.

Urban Myth, an app, allows the rich and elite to anonymously post. Users feel comfortable enough to post about their affairs, share fantasies about killing their spouses, and the thrill of shoplifting. When the app is used to target a 13-year-old private school student, all hell breaks loose.

The narrative alternates between the perspectives of the three women:

Heather: A helicopter parent who will do anything for her daughter’s success.

Poppy: The queen bee who is hiding a dirty secret.

Norah: An executive whose head is buried in the sand.

Most of the characters are unlikable, but a few good ones are mixed in. As awful as the characters were, I had fun watching their lives implode.

This book is so much fun. Don’t take it too seriously--it's a mindless, entertaining read with some strong commentary on people’s willingness to share copious amounts of private information about their lives on social media without blinking an eye. But when their user information becomes public, they must scramble to face the truth.


No One Needs to Know is a page-turner. I got caught up in the scandals and chaos the app created, and I was invested in the two mysteries at play. The last chapter was a bit of a drag, but appropriate. I just feel like this book deserves a juicier ending.

Overall, this was a deliciously fun read!

I saw this book was called “Big Little Lies meets Gossip Girl” and was instantly intrigued. Upon finishing it, I think that comparison holds up. The story centers around three women who live in Manhattan’s Upper East Side and all have kids attending the same private school. There’s Heather who sits on the social fringes of the group, but devotes most of her time to ensuring her daughter gets into even better schools in the future. Poppy, the too good to be true trophy wife, is definitely hiding something. And finally Norah, who works as an executive with Poppy’s husband, but has a difficult time finding work/family balance.

There is an anonymous discussion board that takes the Upper East Side by storm until it is hacked, and all of the secrets aren’t so anonymous anymore. Blackmail, infidelity, and murder are all packed within this book. It’s a twisty ride that will have you wondering up until the end who ends up dead and who killed them. Because some secrets might just be worth killing for…

All three of our protagonists were flawed (and I wasn’t even sure how much I liked them), but this was a pretty quick read that will be enjoyed by fans of Big Little Lies. If you like alternating perspectives, this is a great book for you. It will make for a great beach read this summer! Thank you to Random House – Ballantine and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

A group of rich Manhattan women and an anonymous gossip site are the setting of this latest book by Lindsey Cameron. Cameron writes intriguing books with convincing dialogue and good pacing, but the subject matter of the plot was not interesting enough to qualify as a thriller. The book centers on three women: Heather, who didn't grow up rich but will do anything to get her young daughter into the right schools, Poppy, a very wealthy woman in a sexless marriage and Norah, a woman who is an executive and doesn't fit in with the stay at home mothers.

UrbanMyth is a website that people can post anonymous gossip and confessions. It is stated that you can only see posts that are made within three blocks of your location. That seems a bit dangerous to me as you would likely have some idea who made some of the posts especially since these women all have children that go to the same private school. The problems start when a picture is posted on Instagram of Heather's daughter holding a vape pen. This leads to many posts calling the girl a drug dealer, a heroin addict and other things that Heather is convinced with keep her daughter out of an exclusive high school. I thought these women seemed way over the top over a vape pen but in general these women are unlikable and high strung.

It takes a long time to get to an actual thrilling moment and when UrbanMyth is hacked, the secrets people had are no longer private. This did remind me of the book "Big Little Lies' but it lacked real suspense and characters to root for and the ending didn't seem to quite fit. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House publishing for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

UrbanMyth sounds like the next big thing. A completely anonymous discussion forum, this new form of social media sucked up the residents of the Upper East Side faster than anyone expected.

Heather, Norah, and Poppy are all involved with UrbanMyth. One with an affair, one with money troubles and another with murder. Who's the culprit? The author? The perfect stay at home mom or the ladder climbing career woman?

This was like an adult version of Gossip Girl and I couldn't put it down. To think people life like this... it's mind blowing!

3.75 stars

This book definitely reminded me of Big Little Lies, but a bit more sinister. I can't even imagine if there really was a message board like Urban Myth h where you could post questions or lies without anyone knowing who said it. Well, I guess Facebook is now allowing for people to post anonymously, so maybe this isn't too far off of a concept. Yikes. I would hate for this happen in real life.

It took a bit for my to get into this book, but then it took off and I really enjoyed it.

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for the digital copy in exchange for my honest review!