I have been in a little bit of a reading slump. Everything is sort of “eh” but I revived this as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and I really enjoyed this read. It started out with a pretty good pace. I didn’t feel like it was a slow burn. Those don’t usually get very high ratings from me. It’s a personal preference. I liked the mystery around this one. I didn’t figure it out prior to the ending. I had my finger on the wrong suspect. I’d definitely recommend this one to a friend. Thanks NetGalley!

I just reviewed I Know What You Did by Cayce Osborne. #IKnowWhatYouDid #NetGalley

Thank you NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Cayce Osborne for allowing me to read an advanced readers copy of “I Know What You Did.”

Petal Woznewski must figure out who and why someone wrote the bestselling novel of the death of her childhood best friend Megan. Normally Petal lives a quiet life in New York City with her on and off boyfriend Gus until her life is shattered when her name is found on a dedication page in a book. Who’s the author? Why isn’t there any description anywhere? With these and many more questions petal ends up back in her hometown of Madison Wisconsin hopefully to get some answers. When there is no trace of Jenny will Petal be able to solve this mystery before she ends up in danger?

When I started this book I was like this will be a great read because I love thrillers but it wasn’t . It wasn’t the worst but I felt like I was reading the longest run on sentence ever. I don’t what it was but the paragraphs seemed to long or the chapters it was just a really slow read for me . But I will be sure to read more books from this author to give it another try.

This book had a great narrative. Petta was a great main character and I was very invested in finding out what happened. The end was a little predictable but I still really enjoyed it. The chapters were a bit longer than I prefer. I will definitely be checking out more from this author.

Excellent premise, a book is published with all fake names except for the accused. I did like this character, honest about what she does and what she doesn't. She's a mess, for sure, but aren't we all? Given her history, being targeted by an anonymous author. But the book doesn't tell the story they way it was remembered so now what?
It's a fun story and a it moves along at a decent clip.
The romance part is sorta cute, and softens her edges a bit.
The best part of this was the writing, the author has a great voice.

Okay, this book was so close to 5 stars it’s not even funny! I want to give it 5 stars but I wasn’t like insanely “wowed” if that makes sense. It was SO good, I love the mystery, and the back and forth between now and the past (I love books like that, it’s like you’re living the whole story and not just what the characters telling you. So SO good, definitely will recommend when it comes out!

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 2.75/5

I struggled reading through this book. I think the hook was an interesting concept, but the book quickly started meandering and despite only being 272 pages, felt like a slow, long read to go through. The end didn’t really make it worth it for me either - the final twist reveals were of characters we hadn’t seen in present day and hadn’t had any real significance, so it felt like a cheap reveal. The motivation didn’t even make much sense either - I don’t want to spoil, as the book is an ARC, so all I’ll say is that the final motivation for this felt weak, but you can maybe get away with it because there was no actual characterization to contradict. It’s like if in this book Ghostface just randomly showed up in the final act and said they were XYZ from the past and then laid out why they did everything. Like it makes sense because the book is saying so, but it’s not anything the reader could have determined for themselves.

I also don’t really get the purpose of the cop - or why she was included in the fake book, or how that would have helped anyone who wasn’t Petal. A lot of this just didn’t really make a whole lot of sense to me.

I do give this book some points on the sweet relationship for Gus/Petal. They were honestly a little compelling for me where I wasn’t expecting them to be.

thrillers are a lil risky for me typically - i either absolutely love them or hate them (esp if they feel too trope-y/corny, which i find happens more often than not with the genre). this one fell into that a couple times but overall i thought it was a really unique read with some fun twists throughout. while it moved slow at times, i felt like it held my attention all the same. a downside is that i wasn't sure if i liked petal or not throughout the story, i found her pretty obnoxious at times.

overall tho, i'd give this one a good 3 stars. it was a fun lil ride.

This is a fast-paced, well-woven mystery especially for what I learned later is a debut novel. The characters both past and present are very well developed. The plot line stays true throughout and the tension builds realistically throughout the story. Following Petta through her journey is at times exhilarating and often stressful as danger lurks the deeper and deeper she goes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this great ARC.

This book was a stark contrast to my last few thrillers where I haven’t liked them because I haven’t had anyone to root for, I freaking loved Petal and was HERE for this thriller. So good. This one kept me engaged the entire time which few books do, I think largely because it wasn’t trying to be insanely thrilling but rather just keep a good tempo which ultimately made it a greater tempo than expected!

It’s the type of mystery thriller that makes you want to read more by the author and also makes you wish that you yourself had written it. I loved Petal and I loved the authors voice while writing the book. I love someone with character and this book delivered!

Plus very good ending. I never say that lightly.

If you a thriller lover, you will enjoy reading about Petal and her quest to find who has written a best selling book about her traumatic secret past.

I really connected with “Petta” as she is now named. She was easy to like, as I am an introvert as well. The author does a great job covering all of the “bases” throughout. I had not read a book inside of a book yet, so it was definitely interesting and fun.

Being that this is Cayce Osborne’s debut, I am excited to read more of her work. This was a more soft type of a thriller, whereas I usually read the horror type of thrillers. I did enjoy and hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Thank you to Netgalley, Cayce Osborne and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed I Know What You Did more than I thought I would. While it's not as fast paced as most thrillers I read and has a tendency to repetitively over describe certain situations....I liked the descriptions.
Petal, the main character is so moody and dark but I couldn't help but like her in an almost relatable way (minus her childhood drama). Her odd relationship with Gus kept my interest as well.
The story line is interesting, the ending twist is decent. I'd say 3.75 but ill round up to 4. I would definitely read more from Cayce Osborne!
Thank you Netgalley, publisher, and author for the ARC.

I’ve read a lot more debut novels lately and found so many new authors I enjoy. I still have my tried-and-true auto-buy authors, but I think its always fun to explore and find new one – and that’s what happened here!

Petal is living her life under the radar in New York. She prefers to not stand out, and just meld into the background. That is until she becomes the main character in a book loosely based on an event that happened when she was a teenager. Now Petal is back home and trying to figure out who wrote this book. Will she be able to figure it out before its too late for her and she meets the same fate as her friend?

This book was so fun! The plot of this one was unique, and I really enjoyed it. I would not be happy if my life was made public via the plot of a best-selling novel! This one held my attention, and I enjoyed the pacing – it was a nice steady pace that kept you wanting more. The tension that was present gave me definite suspense novel vibes as well, so suspense readers will enjoy. I enjoyed the messy life that the main character had, and I also appreciated how much she just wanted to blend in. I loved the mini sideline about bookstagrammers – how fun! I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next.

If you’re looking for a different take on a suspenseful thriller, then check this one out this summer – July 18th! Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, @crookedlanebooks, and @netgalley for a copy of this e-ARC in exchange for this honest review.

What would you do if you found out there was a book written about your past trauma. Would you read it?
Petta finds out just that, not only is a secret she's been keeping published in a bestseller, but she's made out to look as the guilty party. So what does a badass New Yorker do? Laces up her Doc Martens and heads to her hometown to solve a mystery of course!

This book is a medium paced mystery type. Some great moments of Petta/Petal being just a regular person, flaws and all which I absolutely adored. I think she and I could be friends. The plot is a little bumpy as we go from present day to reading blurbs from the book inside the book, but it's a fun time. I figured out the ending pretty easily but I read a LOT of thrillers so I have a bit of an edge in that department, Good book, fun and not too scary if you want to dip in the softer side of thriller/mystery genre,

Thank you to NetGalley and Caycee Osborne, as well as Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ebook copy in exchange for this honest review.

This had an original story so I was excited to see how it'd worked its way out.
The plot was a bit slow paced but it was creative how everything was set up. The main character does seem to exist mainly around her drug habit which was oddly featured quite prominently throughout the story. The ending is quite predictable just because who else could or would it be? It is an original take on the "childhood secret forcing someone to return home and someone else tries to murder them" plot. I appreciate the opportunity for the advanced read from NetGalley and the publisher.

During an appointment Petta's gynecologist yammers on about a new thriller called No One Suspected by ME Littleton and mentions she should read it as it contained her unusual name. Disturbed, Petta left the office and after obtaining a book she read inside, "I know what you did, Petal Woznewski". Chills and nausea enveloped her. Who knew her high school secrets and hated her enough to spill them? Just who is ME Littleton?

Petta takes time off work and returns to her Wisconsin high school town to dig for answers. She talks to an old friend and others she knew from school days. Of her two best friends Jenny and Megan one has died and the other untraceable. Meanwhile, her closest friend Gus is concerned about her leaving town. Though she treats him abominably he is loyal. And then police get involved as things get dangerous and the layers are exposed.

The air is thick with suspense and tension as Petta desperately searches. I practically felt the anxiety.

Thriller readers, this one is well worth reading. Though Petta is very unlikable and immature the story is gripping, packed with red herrings and somewhat dark and brimming with angst.

My sincere thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this engrossing book.

Jenny, Megan and Petal/Petta. Jenny and Megan were best friends in high school and then Petal came along. Megan and Petal became friends and Jenny was jealous. One thing Megan and Petal had in common was they both had money, whereas Jenny’s family were poor. There were sleepovers and sneaking out of their houses at night, all the things teenagers do, but there was also jealousy and the fact that Megan wanted things her way. Everything changed one night when they all crept out to go to one of their haunts, the reservoir. (No spoilers!). What happened night became a life long memory too difficult to shake. A mystery worth reading.

I received this book from Netgalley. The first thing that attracted me to this book was the title and then the cover. Then I read the blurb and it sounded so good! One chapter in and I already don't like the main character. Not ideal when you still have an entire book ahead of you.

This book is such a slow read. I really struggled to get into it. I think one of the reasons I struggled with this book was because it was just a lot of Petal. She did a lot by herself without other characters and as I found her a bit annoying, I struggled to get interested in her story.

I liked the ending of the book. I do like that it was a bit of a surprise. I'd also like to know what the real reason for Petal's character change was but I guess I'll never know. Overall, the book felt a little long for what it was about.

Secrets and lies abound in this mystery! 'I Know What You Did' tells the story through the first-person narration of the main protagonist, Petal Woznewski. or Petta as she prefers to be called, is a self-proclaimed hermit who prefers the company of herself to other people. A simple job, junk food, the occasional smoke, and her sometimes boyfriend, Gus are all she needs to exist. The world has proven unreliable, so why risk getting hurt? One day, however, she is confronted with news that shakes her life as she knows it - someone's written a book that names her as the killer of her childhood best friend! While it would be easier to keep burying her head in the sane, Petta realizes it is time to confront her demons. With all not as it seems, she maneuvers through dangerous moments which change her in unfathomable ways.

I really liked Petta's character - as an introvert, I definitely commiserated with her more often than not. Though afraid, she pushed herself outside of her comfort zone when confronted with no choice. She struggled; but she never gave up. I enjoyed the realism of her. The plot of this was also very different from the regular mystery read, as there was literally a book within the book! Such fun.

I took away a star from the overall rating because the 'whodunit' aspect of it was quite easy for me to figure out. However, this did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the novel.

In the end, I give 'I Know What You Did' 4 out of 5 stars as it was a great read, fraught with enough thrill and mystery to keep me engaged. The debut work by Cayce Osborne, the author has a fan in me as I will be awaiting more of her work in the future!

*A great many thanks to Netgalley, Cayce Osborne, and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC. It is important to note that I was under no commitment to provide a positive review, and all opinions are undoubtedly my own.*

What would you do if you were reading a book, and the opening acknowledgement said " I know what you did ___" with your full and exact name filling that space? That is what our main character Petal is dealing with as she tries to figure out who wrote this book, and who could know her deepest, darkest secret.

This was an amazing debut novel from author Cayce Osborne. While this wasn't a very fast paced novel, it did keep me on my toes trying to figure out along side Petal, who knew her secret, and who would write about it. Osborne does a fantastic job presenting all of her characters, and making me question every single ones true motives. While I wouldn't classify this as a horror novel, I was definitely on edge and scared for Petal. I will say, I really appreciated that the author had Petal not do dumb things constantly, and did have her reach out for help as any normal person would! So thank you for that! Overall, I recommend checking out this thriller and seeing if you can figure out who the mystery author is before it's too late!

What a great read. I loved so much about this book. Petta (formerly Petal) is an obnoxious, pot smoking, commitment avoiding middle aged woman trying to be invisible in NYC and to forget her past that’s filled with the deaths of just about everyone she loved. That is until a random gynecologist tells her about a book she has to read. The book is dedicated to her and the author has named a murderous villain her name. She ends up back in Madison Wisconsin dealing with her ghosts while trying to figure out who wrote the book and what they have planned for her.

We find out what happened all those years ago throughout the book, while also reading chapters of the fictional book within the book.

I loved the premise but I also loved the writing, which was so much better crafted than the average mystery suspense. It’s at times very poetic and metaphorical, and at other times snarky and self deprecating.

Excerpt from when she’s finally bought this book with her name in it that keeps turning up everywhere that she doesn’t want anything to do with and has thrust it in the freezer:

I’d thought about leaving the book in there for eternity, letting it warp in the damp chill and become part of the lumps of frost that were taking over my small freezer compartment like tumors inside a body. Maybe I could hold out until a new bestseller knocked it off the shelves and it disappeared. My life would go back to being the same.

Could I deal with more of the same?

More barely surviving, more clawing through each day. I was running on fumes, and hadn’t realized it until the book crept into my life on little rat feet. My past had been feeding on me for years, leeching the nutrients from my blood until nothing but salty water ran through my veins. It was time to tie off my past once and for all, wrap a tourniquet around the place where the dead part of me met the living. Hopefully, whatever was left after the amputation could survive.

This was a fun romp by a new author and I’d happily read any more books she puts out.

I read a digital copy of this book via NetGalley. To be released summer of 2023.