Requested this ARC because Marshall is my teenage son's favorite author and I wanted to share in his appreciation. I read What Lies in the Woods and was unfortunately disappointed, and apparently I'm in the minority opinion with that title. I rather liked this book, even with it's messiness.

You know who commits the murders from the beginning and Marshall does a good job writing that character as creepy as needed but not an ounce more. The fun of the book is in the teasing apart of all the layers of lies.

Page-turner thriller that stays focused without too many side-plots. Makes me wonder if I should give What Lies in the Woods another go.

2.5 rounded up. I wasn’t really into this one, which is a bummer because I liked What Happens in the Woods.

The parents of 3 sisters are murdered and everyone assumes the MC is the killer. The sisters became estranged after their parent’s deaths but now with the MC moving back into the family home after 14 years, all of the secrets of the past may come to light. Throughout the book we learn about the sister’s abusive childhood and the events leading up to the night their parents were killed.

The reveal of how the parents died wasn’t a surprise to me, it felt pretty obvious 20% in who held all of the secrets in the book and then the journey to get there felt tedious. The ending also felt a bit lackluster and I wished the story had a bit more resolution.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Well that was a roller coaster. A twisty whodunnit murder that will have you guessing it til the end.
Told in three Then and Now POVs of the sisters, Emma, Juliette and Daphne. The then follows the sisters when they found their parents dead in their home. The sisters never told anyone what actually happened that night. But the police and the town is convinced Emma did it. And 14 years later, they still think she did.
In the now, Emma and her husband move back to her family home. The sisters reunite, secrets come out and we learn more about what happened that night.
This is a gripping thriller that has twists, family drama, and interesting characters.

I won't go over the synopsis as you can easily find that on any site so I'll jump right into the review.

Emma, Juliette (JJ), and Daphne are the 3 sisters and quite frankly none of them are very likable and Emma's husband Nathan is possibly the worst. Possibly....one of the sisters runs a close second on that note but I won't divulge a spoiler.

I'm not a huge fan of the THEN-NOW back-and-forth chapters and some of these were especially annoying like: 9 hours before she calls 911 and things such as that then triple it because you've got Emma, Daphn & Juliette (JJ) telling their then and now versions. Other than the jumping around the book started at a good pace but the middle got a bit slow, mostly because I was like come on, let's wrap this up, we all know who did it. Or did we? We may never know......

I'd probably give this more like 3.75 stars but I gave it the benefit and rounded up to 4 stars. I'd like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me an e-arc!

Emma Palmer finds herself in a very difficult situation- she has just found out that she is pregnant when her husband reveals that he has lost his job. Emma and Nathan just used all of their savings toward getting a house, which will now be out of their reach. With no money and soon nowhere to live, Nathan and Emma go back to Emma’s childhood home. The catch is, something terrible happened in that house, and Nathan has no clue about it.

Emma’s parents were murdered about 14 years ago in their home, and the case was never solved. Suspicion heavily weighed on Emma, so her return to town is not an entirely welcome one. Even Emma’s sisters don’t speak to her, although they also don’t speak to each other either.

As Emma tries to adjust to life in her old house filled with haunted memories in a town that thinks she’s guilty of killing her parents, frightening things start happening. Emma finds herself questioning the past and digging deeper into what happened that night, which plenty of people do not want her to do.

With twists and surprises, you’re constantly guessing who committed the murders, never sure if your hunch is truly correct or not.

This book is told from the past and present in the perspectives of Emma and her sisters, Juliette (JJ) and Daphne. I really enjoyed the writing style and was glad to be able to get into the minds of all three Palmer daughters, especially to get all of their perspectives on what happened the night their parents died.

I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mysteries and thrillers, or is looking for a fast paced book to read..this one will have you wanting to read more until the mystery is solved!

✨New Review!✨

No One Can Know
By Kate Alice Marshall
Publishes: 01/23/24
Genre: thriller

Thanks to @netgalley and @flatiron_books for the arc copy of this title. I am very appreciative! I also chose this book from @bookofthemonth in the month of December.
Love to have a physical copy of course!

This book was such an easy, flowing read. I felt like it was very well written, and I enjoyed it from start to finish. The drama, the secrets, the suspicions & tension, and the suspense were thick throughout. The ending was a little chaotic, but deliciously twisty. I highly recommend this one!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 💫

All this and more…
🏃‍♀️ bingeable book/unputdownable
🎮 controlling relationships
👧 sisters
🤫 secrets and lies
⚠️ abusive parents
🥃💊 drug and alcohol use
🪨 rocky relationships
😵 multiple murders
👮‍♂️ police investigation
🏠 family house/small town
⏳ past and present timeline
☁️ cloudy memories
3️⃣ multiple pov
🌪️ twisty ending

#earlyrelease #bookrecommendation #bookreview #bookofthemonth #botm #netgalley #arcreview #flatironbooks #noonecanknow #katealicemarshall #january2024book #thrillerbook #bookstagram

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall. I really enjoyed this book. The character development was well-done. This kept my attention throughout and was very suspenseful. I loved the plot and can't wait to read more by this author.

I enjoyed this one. I read another review that the author must have kept changing her mind about how she wanted it to end and I definitely agree it felt that way - the last 50 pages were turn after turn, some explanations making more sense than others. Everyone seemed suspicious, and I did guess the ultimate ending fairly early on, but the ride to get there was intriguing. I liked the past/present timelines and hearing from all 3 sister's POVs and think that worked well to tell the story. I think I liked What Lies in the Woods better, but I'd still recommend this one!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! Review live now on GoodReads and StoryGraph.

Read if you like:
3️⃣ Three POV
⏳Past and Present timelines
🤐 Secrets and Lies
🔀 Twists and Turns

This one was so interesting and if you were a fan of Riley Sager’s The Only One Left last year, I highly recommend this one as it’s vibes feel somewhat similar in some aspects from the old mansion setting, to the old unsolved murders in the home, to the who did it/what happened with the messy family dynamics of both stories.

This story focuses on Emma returning to the family home with her husband after finding out she is pregnant & on the verge of homelessness when the house they were going to buy fell through because her husband lost his job and lied about it. When she returns to the family home we learn that she was suspected of killing her parents with the help of a boyfriend years ago (a bit of Gypsy Rose vibes).

We also get the POV in past and present from her two sisters as they try to unravel what happened to their parents so many years ago. This one has so many twists and turns all the way to the ending and I truly loved the added suspense with the three sisters being estranged since the murder of their parents..

Thank you so much to the publisher, Flatiron Books for my ARC in exchange for my review!

I was so intrigued and excited to get this ARC, thanks s much to the publishers! I kind of struggled with this one because it almost felt to me like it was trying to end chapters too high on suspenseful points. Don’t know that I have ever described a book like that before but it is hisI felt. All in all it was a solid 3.25 star for me and a good thriller for the new year!

3.5

I think the three sisters were interesting characters, especially in the past perspectives, and I liked the flashback chapters to understand what their home life was like as children and how their parents treated them. Their home life was really sad and abusive, but I found that past timeline more interesting than the present timeline of trying to uncover the secrets of what happened many years ago. The ending and resolution to the mystery had a lot going on, and I thought the ending was pretty average.

I would still recommend for those who love thrillers where the character returns to their hometown and past secrets are being uncovered.

Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for an early copy in exchange for a review!

“No one can know.” If your sister said that to you, how far would you go to cover up the truth?

Turns out the Palmer sisters would go pretty far. Their parents are murdered, and middle daughter Emma was the number one suspect, but never convicted. Years later, she’s estranged from her sisters, when she and her newly unemployed husband have nowhere to live, and have to return to her childhood home. Yup, the home her parents were murdered in, in a small town that holds grudges.

The story bounces between THEN and NOW, and we get each of the sisters POV too. I liked the air of mystery and not knowing what version of the truth was the truth - that made it fun for the reader.

This was a pretty predictable thriller, but a page turner nonetheless! The sister dynamic was fun, and the characters were all well-developed. I give this a solid 4!

Another amazing thriller by Kate Alice Marshall! She has become one of my favorite authors and definitely on my auto buy list. Emma, Juliette and Daphne survived a horrific night in their childhood when both of their parents are discovered murdered in their home. After being separated for years, life events bring all three girls back to their small town and their neglected family home. Like it or not, the demons of the past will resurface and insist on being dealt with. I don’t want to say too much about the plot for fear of ruining the fun for anyone but I could not put this one down! This story is so well written with an interesting cast of characters, an intricate plot line, and a suspense filled reveal of events through the “then” and “now” format. I will be recommending this one all year long! Thank you Netgalley, Flatiron Books and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on January 23, 2024

What an absolute thrilling read! Marshall has become and auto read for me! And with all these twists and turns, I will be sure to suggest this to all my thrill seeking patrons!

No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall

Thank you to @netgalley and @flatironbooks for the #advancedreadercopy in exchange for my #honestbookreview. This suspense read is out January 23 and also available early as a BOTM pick!

I really enjoyed this one a lot! Took me a little time to get into the story at first and it is slow at moments. Every single character in this book is somewhat sketchy and everyone has their secrets. I truly went back and forth on who I thought the killer was and ultimately was shocked by the final reveal. Definitely a domestic thriller that keeps you guessing throughout. I recommend this for suspense fans!

TW: fr*ud, bl*ckmail, infidelity, substance use, more

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ - 4.25/5

No One Can Know was a twisty thriller that keeps you guessing. The story explored the bonds of sisters and the lengths they would go to protect each other. Full of family secrets and misdirections, it makes No One Can Know an intriguing read. I look forward to reading more from Kate Alice Marshall.

Thank you FlatIron Books and Netgalley for a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was very excited to read No One Can Know after reading What Lies in the Woods last year and enjoying it. This book did not disappoint. I read the book and listened to the audiobook at the same time.

When Emma and her husband, Nathan, go through a tough time, they are forced to return to her childhood home—the home where she and her two sisters lived and where both of her parents were murdered. Being forced to return to town, Emma needs to tell Nathan that most of the town thinks that Emma killed her parents. After the murder, the three sisters split ways without talking about what happened. When they reunite, they face the secrets they've been keeping for years.

I loved the setting of the book. Returning to this mansion where both parents were killed sets a perfect eerie vibe. The pacing of the book was odd. This is why I knocked off a star. There was a point between the beginning and middle where the book dragged and nothing happened. After that point, the book picked back up and was action-packed until the end. I felt like I was getting whiplash towards the end with all the plot twists, but I personally loved that. The reader truly doesn't know what happened until the last page. I would highly recommend this book to any thriller or mystery lover!

A great who-done-it that keeps you guessing until the end! I found myself surprised to find out the truth of their childhood (even though I still kind of wonder if it really happened that way or not)! I always love unreliable characters that you don’t know if you can or can’t trust.

I read What Lies in the Woods and then waited zero days to dive into No One Can Know, Kate Alice Marshall’s second adult mystery/thriller. Not only did I get my hands on the ARC from Flatiron Books and the ALC from MacMillan Audio, but I also chose the BOTM edition for my December box.

Emma is in a tight spot. Her husband Nathan loses his job and she finds out they are unexpectedly pregnant. They have no choice but to return to Emma’s childhood home she owns with her two sisters. They haven’t spoken in 14 years, since the night their parents were murdered in the very same home. Emma was immediately convicted by the court of public opinion of the heinous crime, but the three sisters never hashed out what exactly happened that night. But Emma and Nathan’s presence in town is bringing up old memories and older grudges, and its not long before the truth slowly begins to come to light.

This second (adult) novel was great! There were many twists and turns along the way that had me pulling my hair out. I made so many notes and highlights trying to figure it out! There are so many suspects for the original crime, and really any one of them could have easily had the motive and means to commit the murders. This made for a fun read. One thing I particularly loved was the relationship of the sisters- each of the characters were quintessentially developed for their birth order and role in their strained family.

No One Can Know had me furiously turning the pages, desperate for answers. What more can you want from a thriller? I absolutely recommend this book! Thank you to Flatiron books for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this ARC!

I really loved Kate Alice Marshall’s first book so I almost couldn’t contain my excitement about this one.

Unfortunately, like other readers, I did not love this book. I found myself stuck somewhere between halfway and 3/4 through, hoping it would pick up pace. I appreciate how secrets were revealed, which left me guessing - perfect suspense ingredient.

I’m still a huge fan of Kate Alice Marshall. I have the same excitement for her future books!