Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was an unputdownable thriller. If I didn't need sleep, this book would've kept me up all night. Aggie Blum Thompson is a genius author. I did not see the big twist coming. Just wow!!! Highly recommend this book!

Gwen, Aimee and Lisa are neighbors and best friends. But when Gwen's husband ends up dead after one of their weekly dinners their friendship is put to the test.

I love a multiple POV book and this one did not disappoint. I thought the premise was very interesting, and was genuinely surprised by some of the twists! I thought Lisa was wretched. Scott's big secret was pretty crazy and I felt bad for Aimee throughout the entire book.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The story is told through the perspectives of three women. It's centered around supposed friendships in a neighborhood, the reality of what these people really think of each other, and what goes on behind closed doors. I liked the suspense and the flawed cast that kept me wondering if anyone was actually trustworthy at all. Fans of domestic suspense and neighborhood drama will enjoy this one.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group / Forge Books for an ARC!!
I don’t read a lot of non-ya mystery/thrillers so I went into this not knowing if I would like it or not. I shouldn’t have been worried, though, because I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!
Things I liked:
1. I couldn’t put this book down at all. There were crazy plot twists at the end of every single chapter. I already thought it was a good book but the HUGE plot twist at the very end of the book made it even better! I wasn’t expecting that to happen and it really tied together the whole novel in my opinion.
2. All of the characters were flawed. There were three povs, Aimee, Lisa, and Gwen, and none of them were perfect. Even the ones that were supposedly morally better than the others still had negative traits. This made it hard to figure out who to root for throughout the novel until everything was revealed.
3. There are unreliable narrators. This book is prefaced at the beginning by saying this is a book written by one of the characters (like the fictional book inside the book), so of course she is biased while writing from the others’ povs. It doesn’t really come into play until the very end in that plot twist I mentioned earlier, but it made me question the entire book once I realized it.
4. There are a lot of flashbacks. The story isn’t completely told linearly. There are moments where scenes from the past appear to give more context for a character’s actions.

This is a spoiler free review so I don’t want to mention the plot twist that I liked, but it was so unique, I’ll definitely be thinking about it for a while.

It follows three close-knit families in a suburb where everything appears to be perfect, but the secrets and lies they are hiding are the kind that can break even the most perfect family apart.

This story has plenty of twists and turns. Each one makes you rethink everything you think you understand. People are dead, and secrets are being revealed, and it kept me on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would be revealed next.

Aggie Blum Thompson’s You Deserve to Know is a gripping domestic thriller that delves into the complexities lurking beneath the surface of suburban friendships. Set in East Bethesda, the narrative centers on three close-knit families—Gwen and Anton, Aimee and Scott, and Lisa and Marcus—whose lives intertwine through shared routines and secrets. The tranquility of their cul-de-sac is shattered when Anton is found murdered after a customary Friday night dinner, unraveling a web of deception, betrayal, and hidden tensions among the neighbors.

Thompson masterfully crafts a fast-paced plot filled with unexpected twists and fully developed characters, making the novel difficult to put down. The story’s structure, with its multiple subplots and perspectives, adds depth to the narrative, allowing readers to piece together the underlying truths as the story unfolds.

The novel’s exploration of the dark side of suburban life has garnered praise for its engaging plot twists and realistic, albeit flawed, characters. The seemingly genial atmosphere steadily escalates in tension, culminating in a shocking and shattering ending.

Readers have also responded positively to the novel’s intricate plotting and suspenseful storytelling. Many have found themselves spellbound by the small cast of characters and the “onion-like” plot that peels apart layer by layer, leading to a deliciously unhinged climax. The well-paced narrative keeps readers constantly guessing about the true villain, maintaining intrigue from start to finish.

In summary, You Deserve to Know is a compelling addition to the domestic thriller genre, offering readers a suspenseful journey through the hidden facets of suburban life. Thompson’s adept storytelling and complex characterizations ensure that this novel will resonate with fans of psychological suspense and those intrigued by the secrets that lie behind closed doors.

Included in monthly horror round-up at BookTrib: https://booktrib.com/2025/03/13/the-chill-quill-march-belongs-to-women-with-these-gripping-new-reads/

I love reading Aggie Blum Thompson‘s books!
You Deserve to Know by Aggie Blum Thompson is a gripping domestic thriller!
And I ate it right up!
A well written suspense filled with twists that kept me hooked from the very beginning.
A quick and fun read that I finished in a few hours.
The characterization was superb, the writing pacey and flowing, and the tension delivered in a series of shocks and twists along the way.
This is a tightly written story, with well developed characters and enough suspense to keep you reading.

Wow. I feel sooo invested in this story! This story enveloped me to the point that I NEEDED to know what happened. I finished this book in 1.5 sittings and the ending had my jaw on the floor- so much so I wanted to reread the entire thing knowing what I know. NEVER saw it coming but also reasonable.

I highly recommend this one to everyone! It doesn’t really follow a set genre- not a deep thriller or horror or anything, but definitely a mild suspense. Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC! Easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and new fav author!

4.5 stars for "You Deserve to Know". I did find this title to be more of a Domestic Suspense" genre, BUT! There's a lot of suburban, upper middle class people acting very badly & I did not really care for any of the 3 women or their spouses. There were, however, some very, very tense moments and I did want to know "whodunit", so I did keep reading for that and I am so glad I did, cause the "TWISTS" - OMG!! Really well done there! My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the advance digital readers copy, I do appreciate it.

All small suburbs always seems to judge you, know your secrets; or at least, you’re paranoid they do. Aimee, Lisa, and Gwen, 3 moms, same age children in a suburb- so best friends for life. That is until one night, a drunken husband whispers into someone’s ear “you deserve to know”

In an intro the author relates this to auto-fiction, which is very true. A safe feeling suburb, tight knit community, could be any neighborhood. So could give you relatability. I appreciate having POVs from all 3 women and am glad it is in third person, as first person may not have been as successful. I do wish their personalities had differed some but this was more plot heavy anyway. This is a slow developing story- as you start to learn a little bit more with intrigue and jealousy, while the author still adds in a dramatic moment and development to keep the momentum going. I very much appreciated. Unfortunately some of the reactions, after the dramatic moment, didn’t really make a lot of sense- it did seem like it was to try and build up the red herrings but those usually work better if built naturally and/or logically.

This story is written well, which kept me going as a reader. The women were written clever and I really liked the ending. If you tend to gobble up any thriller you can get your hands on, I would recommend reading it.

Gwen, Aimee, and Lisa are all neighbors in their suburban neighborhood in Bethesda, MD. They are each others support systems. Until Gwen’s husband is murdered and shatters their peaceful coexistence.

I love this author’s books because they take place in my county. My favorite office lunch spot, Tatte in downtown Bethesda, is in the story! Overall this is a twisty suspense involving three suburban couples. None of the individuals are very likeable but I wanted to find out what was going on an unravel the mystery so I kept at it!

“Having an enemy was like drinking from the fountain of youth. Enemies, after all, were a hallmark of childhood.”

You Deserve to Know comes out 3/11.

You Deserve to Know is a scandalous, dysfunctional drama of a domestic thriller that I found myself unable to put down.
After one member of a close group of neighborhood friends is murdered, all the secrets everyone has kept begin to come out in dangerous ways, unraveling their perfectly wrapped lives along the way.
Figuring this one out was a lot of fun. Every time I was sure I had it, a new twist was revealed and sent me reeling. ESPECIALLY the end. I enjoyed starting at the end and then circling back around to witness all the events that led up to that night, allowing us to see the night all over again with new eyes.
The pacing was good, even the slower moments held intrigue and kept me engaged in the story. The characters were that perfect love to hate variety that you can’t stop reading. I haven’t been this shocked by the ending of a book in a while! If you enjoy domestic thrillers, you won’t want to skip You Deserve to Know.

Thank you so much to Forge Books for sending me a gifted copy!

💜𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪🩷
𝔡𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔠 𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔨𝔨𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝟷𝟷, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟻 (𝚃𝙾𝙳𝙰𝚈)🥳
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜.𝟚𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤! ★★★★✫

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...”the seemingly idyllic world of the three close-knit friends becomes a web of deception, betrayal and revenge…

♡𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...This is a domestic thriller done right!! 👏I loved the multiple POVs of each of the neighbors 🏡& the different timelines! I never knew what to expect & the secrets of all these women just kept on coming. 🙌 One of the husbands is murdered at the beginning and that is only what starts all the mayhem to unravel. 🪢It was wonderfully scandalous & had the absolute best ending! 👌If you love domestic thrillers then no way you won’t enjoy this one! 🌸

I really enjoyed this fast paced story, The overall plot and characterization were on point. I will remember this story for quite some time.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

This book was one of my favorite books so far this year. It was FULL of secrets, suspense, and twists. The best part, it wasn't cheesy or unrealistic. We follow three close neighborhood families whose lives shatter after one of their husbands is murdered. I also loved how the author focused on the main characters the most and didn't create unnecessary side stories like some suspense books. Everything was related and essential to the story. Thank you, NetGalley!

What a wonderfully twisted domestic suspense. 3 couples of friends that live on the same cul-de-sac but plenty more secrets!

I both loved & despised the characters (which I think was the point). I couldn't put this down the last half of the book. With so many secrets I had to know what was going to happen.

I highly recommend!

Thanks to NetGalley & Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Forge Books for gifting me both a digital and physical ARC of this wonderful book by Aggie Blum Thompson. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 5 stars!

Neighbors Gwen, Aimee, and Lisa are the best of friends on their street in Bethesda, MD. But when Gwen's husband is found murdered, the neighborhood is left reeling. The police investigation threatens to uncover all their secrets.

Domestic/neighborhood suspense is one of my favorite genres. It’s the knowledge you never truly know what’s going on behind closed doors or in someone else’s marriage, although we do love to speculate. Aggie Blum Thompson hit this one out of the park and I loved every minute. Starting with a Dateline snippet giving a couple clues as to murders that happened in the neighborhood, we go back and forth in time and perspective to see just what’s really happening. I was reading in the wee hours to finish it; the ending blew my mind and was pitch perfect. This one gets all the stars from me and is highly recommended. Go into it as blind as possible and enjoy the journey!

This is a good read for those who enjoy the rich, suburban, cul de sac type mysteries. Complete with tight-knit couples, secrets, lies, and scandals, this one had it all. Multiple perspectives and timelines kept the story flowing, and the reader engaged. Unpredictable and highly entertaining, I give this one three and a half stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC.

I really enjoyed You Deserve to Know! I thought the pacing was fast-paced and twisty-turny, the characters were dynamic and flawed, the plot original and engaging, and the setting was local to me as someone who lives in Maryland—it was so close to home one of the characters went to my alma mater which has never happened to me in a book LOL.

This story is centered around Aimee and Scott, Gwen and Anton, and Lisa and Marcus, three of the wealthiest families in their neighborhood outside of downtown Bethesda who share the cul-de-sac. They seem to be close friends but after one of them is murdered, things very quickly unravel and relationships are challenged as tensions and suspicions rise.

This is the first thriller in a long time where I didn't find the villains to be insufferable—I even mostly empathized with one of them lmao—and I also really struggled to figure out the whodunit here, which is a rarity for me and thrillers. I adored these aspects of the book! The story is told in an auto fiction format, which I promptly forgot about after the introduction, so when the narrative circles back to this concept in the end I was a little confused to be honest. I think this could've been addressed by the character who wrote the book breaking up the narrative every now and then to address the reader, or even some news articles, podcast transcripts, etc., something, anything, to keep the reader on track with this concept. The lack thereof made the ending's execution kind of sloppy.

Thank you to Tor Publishing Group, Forge Books, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!

4.75 ⭐️
0.5 🌶️
🚨 Pub Date: 03/11/25