Cover Image: I Know What You Did

I Know What You Did

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Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley, Cayce Osborne and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Petal (Petta) finds a book that is dedicated to her, using her full name. The book tells about what happened to her and two friends when there were in high school. Only the book does not tell the truth and she doesn't know who wrote it. Petta finds herself traveling back to her hometown to find answers about who wrote this book and why.

As a Wisconsinite, I loved that this book took place in Madison. It was a quick read with twists and turns throughout. I loved the original premise of the book and it kept me guessing while reading.

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What would you do if you came across a popular book that not only included your REAL NAME as one of the characters, but also showcased one of your biggest secrets as the plot? A secret that only 2 other people know and one of them is dead. Thats the plot of this book by Cayce Osborne and I was very intrigued from the beginning. As the story went on and you think you're uncovering the truth, it began to drag on and I began to lose some interest. While I didn't guess the ending, it seemed predictable once it was became known where it was going. I didn't love it, but I definitely didn't hate it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Cayce Osborne and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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I was grabbed by the title initially but the blurb had me intrigued. I can honestly say I was hooked in the first half of the book but it became a slow burn not long after. I was too invested to put it down though, I was dying to find out why all signs were pointing to Petta. I didn’t love it entirely but it was still a good read. I typically hate a slow burn but it kept me on the edge enough to keep on going.

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I had so much fun reading this story. It’s a quick read with plenty of suspense, and it kept me guessing. Osborne wrote a unique book-within-a-book novel, unlike any I’ve read. I’ve also never read a book with a main character quite like Petal, and I loved her. Petal’s personality, her junk food, amateur sleuthing… I loved all of it. I Know What You Did is a page turner from start to finish and the Wisconsin references were amazing!

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4.5 ⭐️’s
Years ago three fourteen year old friends went into the woods and only two came out. Covering their tracks, Petal (now Petta) and Jenny don’t tell the truth about being there that night, but a new best selling book just might have the answers to what really happened that night. Petal has no desire to read the book, but everywhere she turns it’s staring her in the face. When she finds out one of the characters actually has her name, while all the others are fictionalized, she buckles and starts to read the book. It’s a good thing the book is fiction because while there’s a lot of truth, the outcome is all wrong. The author remains anonymous and Petal is desperate to find out just who knows so much about the trio and why they are pointing fingers at her. Petal decides she must go back to Madison to find the answers. Back in Madison, Petal digs in deeper, but the more she digs the more questions arise, but when Petal hears that Jenny has been murdered, she knows that her days are numbered and she must find the answers before it’s too late. This book was very hard to put down once the first page was turned and I found it hard to believe that it was a debut novel! Osborne has quite the career ahead of her and I will be standing in line for her next one. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

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This book was so good! It was a quick read, and unputdownable. So so good! I was immediately intrigued by it and kept on the edge of my seat. I liked the various formats included in the books (normal story, book excerpts, and even interviews). Super cool!

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While at the gynecologist's office, an overly chatty substitute doc recommends a book to FMC Petta which shockingly has a rather sinister dedication to her, using her full name! As much as she tries to avoid the book, she grudgingly starts to read and realizes that someone close to a story buried in her past is bringing the story to light and in a twisted way that blames Petta for her friend's death. Thus begins a desperate search for the author and clearance of her name for good.

Having met the author in person, I enjoyed the book even more. She writes a brash lady who isn't afraid of who she is who will stop at nothing to figure out the mystery of the book. I was drawn into the story and couldn't wait to find out how it ended.

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Thank you, NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the early review copy of this book.

This was such a fun mystery, different from everything else I've read.
The plot is unique, while I've read a large amount of "books within the books" and unhinged authors, this story brought something new to the table. I connected the dots early on, except for why and why now, so the ending was satisfying and closed the loop.
The main character was real and simple, she is not your usual society pleaser and I was here for it.
The book got very creepy towards the end and had the most amazing WI references. I will definitely read future books written by Cayce Osborne.

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My feelings regarding this book are very mixed. Did I enjoy it? I think so. Did I only like it because it takes place in Madison, Wisconsin (where I went to college)? Maybe. Was it entertaining? Yes. Did it hold my attention? Sure (after I switched to the audiobook).

But all the same - I'm just not sure. I will probably know better after my book club discussion and talking about it out loud for a while. Or - more likely - listening to why other people liked it or disliked it and seeing which side I relate to more.

rating: 3.5 STARS
genre: mystery, suspense
format: digital + audiobook

The audiobook really saved this for me. For some reason, physically reading the book made it hard for me to relate to or like the MC. But once I switched the audio, the. narrator made her more likable for me and suddenly I was racing through the book to see what would happen next.

I suspected SO MANY different people in this novel. There are so many characters who seemingly have a motive OR would be a crazy twist to be the antagonist. And I'm proud to say - I did kind of guess who the bad guy was. GO ME.

Read if you like:
The Midwest
Unreliable narrators
Dual POV
Multimedia chapters
MCs who are a complete and total mess

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“I Know What You Did” by Cayce Osborne is a gripping and thrilling mystery novel that takes readers on a journey of secrets, lies, and self-discovery. Petal Woznewski, content with her quiet life in New York City, is thrown into turmoil when she discovers her name in the dedication of an anonymously written thriller that uncovers a buried secret from her past. As she delves into the mystery, she realizes the story is connected to the tragic death of her friend, Megan, from thirty years ago. Armed with the book and her suspicions, Petal returns to her hometown to unravel the truth and find the mysterious author.

The plot is intriguing and well-structured, with twists and turns that keep readers engaged and guessing. The use of a book within the book adds an extra layer of complexity to the story, making it a unique and enjoyable read. Petal, the main protagonist, is a relatable character with her snarky and witty commentary. As an introvert, she faces her fears and ventures outside her comfort zone to confront her past, which adds depth to her character. The writing style is humorous and engaging, drawing readers into the story from the beginning. The author’s ability to create a nostalgic and throwback atmosphere adds to the overall enjoyment of the book.

While some aspects of the plot may have been predictable, the overall experience of reading “I Know What You Did” is thrilling and entertaining. It keeps readers on their toes and invested in Petal’s journey to clear her name and solve the mystery. Overall, this novel is an enjoyable thriller that offers a good balance of mystery, humor, and suspense. Despite some predictable moments, the book keeps readers entertained and engaged throughout. If you’re looking for a thrilling mystery with relatable characters and a touch of nostalgia, “I Know What You Did” is worth a read.

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At her recent Pap-smear peda finds out there’s a book that is written and cheese in it after all how many Petal Kowalski‘s are there? The book is called No one Suspects and it is written by someone called ME Littleton and Petta has no idea who that is. She is haunted by the book everywhere she goes in her little New York neighborhood but the existence of the book pushes her too far when her boyfriend/good friend/hook up tries to tell her all about it when she investigates the book she learned it is about the tragic event that happened to her best friend when she was 14 living in Madison Wisconsin it was an accidental death but in the book it says pedal murdered her. And to make matters even worse everyone’s name is different except hers. When she goes back to Madison to figure out who wrote the book and why they blamed her she immediately starts getting stalked with notes Pages from Megan‘s diary and even a recording of her other friend telling the story of petals actions on that horrible night but who’s doing it could it be her other friend Jennifer? She wants to know why someone is doing this and who but when one of the people involved is murdered there’s not just her pride on the line but her life. I kind of had a love-hate relationship with petta but in the end I totally loved her especially her with Gus! I found this book to the Uber interesting and it had me from the very first page with Pettas inner dialogue that had me laughing out loud because she had some really funny comments about life and all that that encompassed having said that they do have some parts of the book that has you having to suspend belief but this is one of those books that’s so good you’re willing to do it I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend that if this is her first novel then I cannot wait for the next one. I do hope the author read this review because I want to tell her son Reese thanks for haunting my dreams. I cannot get the thought of the trees having eyes out of my head. This is not only a funny book but a great mystery thriller I want to think crooked lane books and Net Galley for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

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Petal Woznewski had done a pretty good job of moving on from the deaths of her parents and her childhood friend, Megan. Despite all the years that had passed, Petal finds that her past isn't quite done with her. A bestselling book comes out of nowhere and is dedicated to Petal, as well as includes her in the fictionalized events of Megan's death. However, the book doesn't tell it exactly right and paints Petal as the murderer. Petal returns to the town where it took place in order to find out who wrote the book and why. Overall, an interesting mystery that makes the reader think Petal is an unreliable narrator and that there's more to what happened the night of Megan's death. The book is told in two timelines with one part being the fictionalized version and the other part in the present with Petal's investigation.

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This book captured my attention right away and held it the entire time. I really enjoyed the premise and how real the main character was.

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Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this was such an original premise for a novel. Petta was a complex character. I loved her humor, although at times her snarkiness made her a bit unlikable. The story was a well-written slow burn. However, at the end the characters did that thing I hate where they start monologuing instead of getting on with finishing the job. Overall, this was entertaining and intriguing, but I probably won’t remember it for long.

My rating: 3.5/5

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Thank you Cayce Osbourne, Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC e-book. Authors can write about anything... sometimes they bring in their own experiences, sometimes they base it loosely off of others. But what if you read a book that used your whole name and happened to blame you for a horrific murder of your childhood best friend? What if this same book also threatened more secrets lied buried but would be brought to light???? This book definitely sucked me in and had me trying to figure out who and why the whole time. Definitely a book I had to finish in one sitting.

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This mystery/suspense follows Petal Woznewski as she finds her name, her full name, listed in the acknowledgements in the newest hit thriller - "I know what you did, Petal Woznewski. And now everyone else will, too". She tries to go back to her regular, introverted life in NYC but she can't shake her curiosity. As she reads the book, it becomes clear that the story is based upon the true death of Petal's friend in high school. Only Petal and their other friend, Jenny, know the truth of what happened that night. There is no information available about the anonymous author, so Petal returns to her hometown to find out who wrote the book and why, after all these years, did they decide to unearth the past.

TW/CW: death of parents, suicide, death of a friend, stalking,

The standout element to this debut novel is by far Petal's voice and character. Some readers will definitely find her unlikable because she is pretty selfish and jaded. I loved her character and found that her attitude and personality quirks made perfect sense given her background. I also think these sorts of mystery/suspense that revolve around one character's past really need a strong lead character to draw the reader into the story. Half of the fun is figuring out what happened in the past that would lead them to act the way they do. Due to Petal's anti-social nature, we don't get a ton of side characters. However, the ones that we do get, I thought Osborne does a good job of building their characters out quickly and I was really able to get a sense of these characters in the short time that Petal interacts with them.

This was a fun take on the 'secrets from the past' trope, especially as Petal gets deeper into the book. She can tell immediately that the book is based on true events and everything is lining up perfectly to her memory of those days. However, then the author veers away from how the events truly happened. We get portions of the book which serve as flashbacks, of sorts, but then we get Petal immediately either agreeing with or correcting the flashback. We then get flashbacks of her own memory. It is an interesting push/pull sort of balance going on where even Petal questions her memory, at times. There are some details revealed that she didn't know but isn't quite sure if these details are even real or more creative liberties.

The stalker element was a bit understated but I think it was a real integral part to upping the stakes of the story. It acts as an occasional reminder for both Petal and the reader that this isn't just all a coincidence and that there is something bigger going on. I do wish there was more escalation with the stalker elements - either with type of stalking or frequency - so that tension really ramps up. I also think there could have been some great red herrings with the stalking element, specifically, that would have been fun. The stalker element does come into play when we get to the solution of the mystery and I always like when all the different threads in a mystery come together at the end.

The resolution to the mystery element was probably the weakest part of the book and where this really felt like a debut. I liked where we ended up, but I found the road to that resolution to be a bit rough. Like any good mystery, there were a number of red herrings but I never felt like these options were pursued in-depth enough for them to come off as real options for resolutions. Now, most mystery readers know that the resolution, most times, won't be the first option presented but I find part of the fun is having the case for that option be made so well that it makes you double guess your senses. I also found Petal's personal drive to solve the mystery to sort of wane at certain parts and if the main character isn't super driven to solve the mystery, it can be a bit of a drag to read. I will note that these choices could have been 100% on purpose, but they just didn't come together in the type of mystery read I prefer.

Overall, this was a really fun read with some interesting elements and played on my favorite tropes. I loved Petal's prickly character and though the premise of secrets being revealed via a book was fantastic. I do think the mystery reveal wasn't quite as tightly plotted as it could have been, but I enjoyed the overall resolution.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC

Publication date was July 18, 2023

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Happy Pub Day!!
4.75 ⭐️ (but honestly, I couldn’t find much wrong with this.) Wow!! This is a debut?! I was having so much fun with this book!

Honest thought: I don’t know if I would have felt differently if I lived elsewhere in the country— The fact that this takes place in my home state def helps because I’m familiar with the locations. But I definitely don’t know everything about Madison, WI. And even in the author’s note, Osborne explains that she didn’t want to paint her view of the town she loves so much, but that she wanted to really hone in on her protagonist’s viewpoints of it being a place that she ran from. I appreciate that because I have to say that I LOVED our MC!!

This is our August bookclub pick and I’m not writing this way because of the fact that the author is coming to visit us— these are my genuine thoughts. As I approach 50, my rating scale varies and I have noticed in myself that I have come to really, thoroughly enjoy a good throwback, nostalgic viewpoint from a story. We get that with this novel and I WAS HERE FOR IT! When I think of authors like Alice Feeney, you expect an off-the-rails, “no one saw it coming” outcome… she is probably my favorite thriller author for that reason alone. I hate figuring out the plot halfway through book only to be right in the end. While this novel is not an “off the rails crazy”, it was so FUN (in a chase sort of way with an excellent protagonist, Petta) and kept me guessing, and I honestly didn’t predict the outcome.

This book starts out, so freaking hilarious, especially if you are a woman! That caught my attention, and I know that was her intent. It worked! Was the ending perfect or believable? Not really. But my rating here is solely based on my sadness each time I couldn’t grab the book to read because of summer break busy days… I really had fun with this one (have I said it enough? Lolol!) I think fun sometimes outweighs content or style, or if a book fits perfectly in a genre box, reiterating the fact that I can’t stick to a general star rating scale.

Super thankful that I was one of the winners of this advanced copy, and I’m looking forward to our discussion with the author in August!

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4.5* Absolutely mind-blowing! I enjoyed this book within-a-book mystery thriller.
"Truth and fiction collide in this captivating debut novel..."

The story comes from a 30 year secret Petta has been hiding as well as her best friend Jenny about one of their peas in a pod friend Megan's death when they were only 14 years old in Wisconsin. Ruled as a suicide, they let it ride instead of revealing the truth.

Petta now lives in NYC mainly reclusive with her boyfriend Gus. They enjoy each other's interests in their chilled life. When a book emerges with the dedication page encrypted to someone with her name "I know what you did, Petal Woznewski. And everyone else will too.", her life is about to change. Hints and clues arrive sending her on a scavenger hunt back to Wisconsin. Jenny is missing and there is no one else that knew what happened or so she thought.
This will keep your heart racing and on edge until the end!
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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3.5 stars. Imagine that you are a woman with a unique name (say, Petal Woznewski) and that you have some secrets in your past that you've never told anyone. Now imagine that one day you pick up a popular bestseller called No One Suspected, penned by a pseudonymous writer, and see this on the dedication page: “I know what you did, Petal Woznewski. And now everyone else will, too.”

This is the scenario in which Petal (now going by Petta) Woznewski finds herself, prompting her to leave her quiet life in New York City and travel to her hometown of Madison, Wisconsin, in search of answers. As Petta delves into her past, someone dangerous is stalking her present, and her only clues to that person's identity are in the pages of a book accusing her of a horrific crime.

What a premise, right?! Cleverly utilizing a book within a book, past-and-present structure through the use of excerpts from No One Suspected, Cayce Osborne sucked me in immediately with this well-constructed, slow-burning suspense debut. Osborne is a Madison native and it shows; I Know What You Did is atmospheric and evocative.

The real strength of this novel, though, is the protagonist and her distinct narrative voice. Petta is funny and self-deprecating and damaged, shaped by a traumatic past but never self-pitying. I found her so engaging and I really rooted for her all the way through. Overcome those self-destructive tendencies, girl!

I'm rounding this one down instead of up, because the culprit kind of came out of left field for me, with a motive that was over-explained and over-the-top. I had a different person in mind for the baddie, which I think would have made this a more interesting novel as a whole. Overall, though, I Know What You Did's unique premise, compulsively readable structure, and strong protagonist make it a worthwhile read. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for the early reading opportunity.

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Imagine picking up a copy of this years best seller. As you read, you notice a character who has your name. I am sure that's happened to a few of us from time to time. That's not too far-fetched with most names. But then again, most of us don't have a name like Petal. Where it gets really weird is when the characters seem to be reliving your past. But it doesn't stop there. This version isn't just wrong it paints you out to be responsible for one of your best friends' deaths!

Honestly, this book was a lot of fun to read. It is fairly short, paced well, characters are developed decently, and the twist will shock you. Overall, this is a solid debut novel, and I do think I will be on the lookout for books from Osborne in the future.

As always, thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review

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