Hard times force Emma and her husband to move into her childhood home. But going back to that stately house means opening a door on her painful past, a past that she’s carefully kept from him. It means reminders of the controlling way in which she and her two sisters were raised. Worst of all, it means dealing with the long-ignored problem of what happened the night Emma found her sisters with their parents’ bodies. What happened then becomes the biggest question of No One Can Know.

I was riveted by Kate Alice Marshall’s What Lies in the Woods, so I knew that she could nail the whole woman-goes-back-to-the-small-town-where-mysterious-tragedy-struck-her-in-the-past deal. In this novel, the narration splits six ways - between all three sisters, both in the present and at the time of their parents’ deaths. It’s complicated, and so is the truth about what happened. As satisfying as it feels for a mystery to have a clear explanation in the end, this one didn’t leave me feeling that way.

Thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for this advance read. Four stars for a well-written thriller with an intriguing mystey. Still, after reading these tangled lives, I wanted this novel to do something to stand out, and it didn’t.

Another stunner from Kate Alice Marshall. I loved her last adult thriller and this one was no different. Every time you think you've figured it out, she throws you a curve ball and even when the final reveals come there's an additional twist for you.

My only drawback with this one was some of the character work. Just talk to one another for pete's sake. I'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope or the "it's better if I don't look too hard or think too much on it" trope. But otherwise, I really did like the way the book came together. Another one I can recommend whole heartedly.

Oh. My. Word.

Look, I know I might be biased because Kate Alice Marshall can do no wrong, but this might be one of her best works yet.

Let me set the scene: Emma hasn't told her husband everything about her past. Scratch that, Emma has told him next to NOTHING about her past. He knows her parents are dead and she's estranged from her sisters. But when an unexpected pregnancy coincides with Nathan's job loss, the pair have little choice but to move in to the house Emma and her sister's (Daphne and Juliette) inherited from her parents. The same house they were murdered in. The house some people say EMMA killed them in.

Her return to Arden Hills will set in motion a series of events that will threaten to expose more than just the secrets of what happened that night.

This is another 5 star read from Kate Alice Marshall and I DEVOURED it in less than a day. You really won't want to miss this!

Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books, and the author for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

@netgalley @flatiron_books

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was definitely one of the best I have read recently. It was a multiple pov, multiple timeline, fast paced heart pounding thriller. From the first page, it pulls you in and won’t let go! Excellent writing, characters, unexpected twists and secrets!

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This is the first book I've read by Kate Alice Marshall, and definitely won't be my last. I am a sucker for psychological thrillers and twisty whodunnits, especially when I don't see the twists coming. This book had me reading way past my bedtime trying to put the pieces together.

Emma and her husband are planning for the future and buying their first home when things begin to unravel.
They can't complete the loan without Nathan's income, the down payment is forfeited, and their lease is running out. I guess this isn't the best time to spring the news that she is pregnant. As they struggle with their future, Emma is forced to share an option that may be their only choice, to move into the family home that her and her estranged sister's own. While Nathan is thrilled to know they are part owners of a home, Emma has other secret's that she has kept hidden, and moving into the home where her parent's were murdered is going to bring all those secret's back to the surface.

Shared in all three sister's point of view, both past and present; this book will leave you trying to sift through each of their memories and their lies to determine who is telling the truth. Is one of them a murderer? Did they plan it together? And if they didn't, will coming back place them all back in danger? This gripping story will keep you guessing to the very end.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this latest novel NO ONE CAN KNOW by Kate Alice Marshall is very good. Emma has just found out she's pregnant, and her husband Nathan lost his job so the home loan on the house they just put an offer in on falls through. Left with almost no other option with their apartment lease expiring, Emma has to go back to the house she and her two sisters own. Unfortunately, they inherited it when their parents were murdered 15 years prior. The sisters haven't really spoken since that tragic night (realistic??? I dunno).

I struggled with this novel, mostly with the characters and the very lagging middle 60%. You don't root for any of the characters. The characters seem very interchangeable, although Juliette/JJ is lesbian. All the dialogue feels interchangeable. Everyone's failing memory for the tragic night is exasperating. I lost my patience with finding out "who did it" and got to the point that I didn't care and just wanted it to end.

Readers with more patience for the failing memory/was she hallucinating or on drugs or blackout drunk (not that this is what THIS plotline is, but it's similar) will likely enjoy this more than I did.

Thank you to Flat Iron Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Although this one wasn't for me, I have heard the author is an amazing writer and will check out her backlist.

I was supposed to post this review yesterday but quite frankly I had no words. Not only was this little chatterbox left speechless but I also formed an inability to pick up another book.

So If you noticed my absence, it was because my soul needed to detox from all the secrets I had just consumed.

No One Can Know

Here we go:

I was instantly intrigued. The suspense is present yet not as prominent as Marshall’s previous book. This is a deep and intricate book that will have you questioning every secret uncovered. Now, this is still Marshall we are talking about so you know there will be some mind blowing twists and mystery but I cant even put into words how this book is just so much more.

My excitement built with each turn of the page. I kept repeating to myself "wow, this is really good" often enough that my husband finally looked over at me and said "what kor, what is so good, im trying to sleep!?!"

He would never understand...

If I can’t sleep, he shouldn’t be able to either.

So as I sit here with a massive book hangover, I still have a smile on my face....

I got my book, and it was everything I had hoped for and more.

Due out January 23, 2024, I strongly recommend you pre-order this mind-blowing banger, you do not want to miss this!

Teaser:

Emma hasn't told her husband much about her past. He knows her parents are dead and she hasn't spoken to her sisters in years. Then they lose their apartment, her husband gets laid off, and Emma discovers she's pregnant―right as the bank account slips into the red.

That's when Emma confesses that she has one more asset: her parents' house, which she owns jointly with her estranged sisters. They can't sell it, but they can live in it. But returning home means that Emma is forced to reveal her secrets to her husband: that the house is not a run-down farmhouse but a stately mansion, and that her parents died there.

Were murdered.

And that some people say Emma did it.

Emma and her sisters have never spoken about what really happened that night. Now, her return to the house may lure her sisters back, but it will also crack open family and small-town secrets lots of people don’t want revealed. As Emma struggles to reconnect with her old family and hold together her new one, she begins to realize that the things they have left unspoken all these years have put them in danger again.

4.5/5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Kate Alice Marshall for the ARC of this book! It definitely didn’t disappoint. Multiple points of view, then & now dual timelines, small town and a creepy house, what more could you ask for?

Three estranged sisters are brought back together when Emma moves back into the house their parents were murdered in. There are twists and turns along the way and the ultimate whodunnit storyline that will keep you guessing until the very end! This is a must read when it publishes in January 2024 and I cannot wait for her next book!

Thank you NetGalley and publishers for giving me early access to No One Can Know! This book had me hooked from the first page . I love how there was a change between the past and present in the book, it really tied everything together. I loved following along with each of the 3 sisters perspectives in the book. HOWEVER, while reading I did find Nathan UNBEARABLE, and it was difficult to read parts where he was there. He just grossed me out as a character completely ( which I think the intention was) He was a true menace to the story.

Overall, I loved this book, it twisted and turned, and kept me guessing up until the last page! This is my first time reading a book by Kate Alice Marchall! I look reading more and more books by her in the future!

Kate Alice Marshall is definitely an author to watch!

After devouring “What Lies in the Woods,” I was eager to get my hands on her second adult novel. “No One Can Know” tells the story of an unsolved double homicide, and the three sisters who are inexplicably linked to the case. It’s fast-paced, well plotted, and has a large cast of characters.

What I love most— without giving anything away— is how Marshall compounds twist after twist. Just when you think you know the ending, there’s a twist on the final pages.

I think fans of “What Lies in the Woods” will be very satisfied by this book! And I can’t wait to see what this author has in store next.

3.8 stars (rounded up to 4)

Three sisters reunite years after the unsolved murder of their parents. A quick read with some unlikeable characters who I was happy to root against.

If you are looking for a murder mystery that you will never guess the truth until the very end, this is the book for you. I love not being able to guess the outcome and this was perfection.

This story tells the viewpoint from three sisters past and present. Their parents murder occurred 15 years ago and no one has ever been convicted even though the middle daughter was heavily suspected. None of them had a happy childhood and all are estranged from each other. The middle daughter comes back with her husband and this causes the other sisters to follow incase she discovers something she shouldn't. Her husband is also murdered soon after they move into the house and start going through old belongings.

Who killed their parents? Was it one of the children, or was it someone else? Who killed the husband? Is it all connected? So many questions and mysteries to be answered.

This novel jumps from two different timelines. I had a hard time connecting with the plot, I wasn't really rooting for any character. I didn't really feel invested in the story- it was a bit much overall.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This was an intriguing story. The mystery is revealed a little at a time and I couldn’t put it down without knowing what happened. Highly recommended.

Emma has a past that she would prefer to forget. When her husband loses his job and Emma finds out she’s pregnant, their finances become a problem. She’s forced to tell her husband about her parent’s deaths and the fact that she still owns a portion of the family home they were murdered in.

The townspeople think Emma killed her parents and the rumor mill hasn’t quieted in her small town. Can she stand living back in the house? Moving back also means contacting her sisters, whom Emma hasn’t spoken with in years. Will they be able to repair their relationship?

Secrets will begin to unfold. The truth about Emma’s family and her parents’ deaths will be revealed. Will the killer target Emma next?

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Emma, Juliette, and Daphne would do anything to protect each other, including murder, in this latest thriller from Kate Alice Marshall.
This novel alternates between the sisters' teenage years growing up in Arden Hills, and years later, when they have become estranged. Each of them has reinvented herself to bear no resemblance to the past and what happened to them growing up.

The three of them have not spoken in years when the book begins, not since their parents murder, and are all busy with their own lives, when the past comes creeping back in to haunt them.
Emma has fallen on hard times. Her husband, Nathan, has been laid off, she's been on and off steady employment, and she discovers that she is pregnant.

Nate has the genius idea to move back to her childhood home to save money until they get back on their feet financially.

She reluctantly agrees and arrives at Arden Hills with more questions than answers. You see, her parents murder was never solved, and she was the main suspect. She and her sisters have limited memory about what happened that night, only that they must cover it up and admit nothing.

This is the beginning of a great premise, and you immediately are sucked into the story. Did one of the sisters kill her parents, or an outsider with a grudge? You see, the Palmers had plenty of enemies, from the fathers' shady business dealings, to the mothers' drug use, to the abuse they inflicted on the girls, all would make anyone a suspect. But who would have the most to gain?

As Emma uncovers more clues, the sisters join her to hash out what really happened that night. Old boyfriends are unearthed, and Emma begins to question her future with Natan. The final reveal is not a surprise but as we go through several suspects to get there, it keeps you guessing.
A good, solid thriller at hand. I did find it hard to believe that the sisters went years without discussing what happened, and who might have been the murderer, but they did pledge a vow of silence.

I was a huge fan of ‘What Lies in the Woods’, so when I saw this, I jumped at the chance to read the ARC!

Emma is pregnant and her husband just lost his job. With nowhere to go, they end up back at her childhood home in Arden Hills. The home where her parents were murdered years ago and everyone in town thinks she did it. As expected, once she returns, she secrets she tried so hard to keep are bound to escape. What really happened the night her parents were murdered? Who did it and how far are they willing to go to keep their secrets?

This kept me hooked from the very first page and I didn’t want to put it down! It was fast paced and full of twists and turns until the very last page. I loved the alternating time lines that gave us a glimpse into the sisters’ past. I can’t even say much about this book without giving spoilers, but it was definitely worth the read! Another 5 star from Kate Alice Marshall!

Big thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the ARC of No One Can Know.
I loved Kate Alice Marshall’s previous novel, What Lies in the Woods, so I was eager to dive into her newest thriller.
The story follows three sisters, who were torn apart 14 years ago following the murder of their parents. The cased remains unsolved, but the law enforcement and locals placed blame on the middle sister, Emma, who has returned to town in search of the truth.
I greatly enjoyed this who-dunnit mystery, falling just short of five stars simply because I felt the blame/truth was shifted around too many times, particularly near the end. I love a good twist, but I also feel there can be too many.
Otherwise, still loved this one and would definitely recommend to a friend!
Pub date: 1/23/24

This novel jumps from two different timelines. To be honest, I wasn't really rooting for any character. I didn't really feel invested in the story at all. In fact, I didn't really care to find out who the killer was. I had to push myself to finish this one. I loved this authors' previous novel, so I will still pick up her works in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Emma and her husband, after dealing with a financial hit and job loss, moves back to her family home and small hometown.

However, returning to the place of so many horrible memories and loss, secrets are soon uncovered and brings her estranged siblings back home as well.

Kate Alice Marshall unveils another spooky thriller with an underlying sweetness/bitter sweetness beneath it all. Enjoyable, as always.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the free e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a twisty, psychological thriller about 3 sisters and the secrets that they carry. One night their parents are brutally murdered in their home and all 3 girls are there. The police try to pin the murder on Emma but she is exonerated. Fast forward many years in the future, none of the girls have kept in touch. Emma and Nick, her husband, decide to move into the family home as they hit a bit of financial bad luck. This is the catalyst for all 3 sisters to reunite and secrets to be revealed!

I really enjoyed this story! The pace is fast, the characters are weird at best but likeable and well developed. The plot alternates between the 3 sisters and the timing of then and now. There is a lot going on but its not difficult to keep up. The twists are well done...just when I thought I had figured it all out, there was another twist that changed the course.

A fun mystery that I highly recommend!