This was super twisty! I especially loved the last chapter. When I tell you my jaw dropped! I love Vi’s thrillers. So I was super excited to read another one.

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Twenty years ago she did a very bad thing, now the past has come to haunt Elizabeth. One of her students submits a fiction manuscript in exact details of her secret. But how do they know?

This is a great spicy whodunit thriller. Very fast paced and intriguing. I loved every minute of this unraveling mystery.

This definitely has a feeling trigger warnings so make sure you check those out. I also thought I knew who it was, but didn't see it ending that way!

Atria eARC
Keeland sure knows how to grab the readers attention in the first few pages of her thrillers. This one was dark and I was here for it. The way she paces the mystery kept me wanting to turn pages quicker and quicker because I had to know where the story was going. There were two solid mysteries here- the book chapters and how that connected to Elizabeth's real life. Keeland also knows how to pace her surprises and manages to surprise the reader in fresh ways. I was kept on the edge of my seat until the last page, and I will definitely be coming back to her thrillers because they make the perfect summer read.

I WAS LOCKED IN. Thank you for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! I am working through my backlog, and will be momentarily posting reviews for the stories I have yet to get posted but have finished reading.

When Elizabeth, an English Professor has an assignment handed in to her that basically tells the story of her school friend, Jocelyn’s, abuse by a teacher, Elizabeth is terrified. Because she killed that man.

There are two main themes running throughout this book, the sinister fact that someone knows what happened, all of the details, and, when Elizabeth returns to her hometown to try to find out who that person is, she is forced to face up to her difficult relationship with her alcoholic mother, who is seriously ill.

Elizabeth has a very unhealthy attitude to romantic relationships and won’t allow herself to become emotionally involved with anyone, but when she meets Noah, the chemistry is electrifying. Except he is the son of the man she killed.

The writing is tense and suspenseful, the pacing is spot on and the characters were intriguing.

And then came the twists. Wow! This is dark, intense and gripping. Buckle up, you’re in for a bumpy ride!

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Vi Keeland and Atria for an ARC of this book.

When I picked this one up, I had to do a quick Goodreads audit—Have I read Vi Keeland before? Turns out, yes! I read The Rivals back in 2022—a solid four-star contemporary romance. But thriller Vi? Total unknown. Given her prolific reputation and rave reviews, I was ready for some edge-of-your-seat magic.

So, the premise is juicy enough—Elizabeth, now an English professor in NYC, has a dark secret from high school: a teacher’s death. Fast forward to the present, and a mysterious manuscript shows up, spilling all the tea on her past. Dun dun dunnn. Intriguing, right?

But here’s the thing: while it read fast (props for pacing!), I never felt fully hooked. The twist? More huh? than gasp! I found myself scratching my head going, Wait… what? Why?! 🤷‍♀️

Elizabeth, our lead, was a tricky one. I couldn’t connect with her at all. She felt distant, emotionally flat, and kind of adrift despite all the chaos swirling around her. The subplot with her alcoholic mother had potential but also entered 'what the?' territory, and there’s allegedly a romance arc in there somewhere—but I couldn't find it. Every interaction Elizabeth had with the opposite sex left me with the ick.

There’s no shortage of shady characters, which should create suspense. Instead, it just felt a bit muddy. The whole thing had the bones of a thriller but never quite delivered that punch-in-the-gut tension I crave in the genre.

Maybe it’s me. The ratings elsewhere are glowing, so clearly this hit the spot for others. For me, it was less thriller, more meh-ller. That said, I did want to see how it ended, which earns it a very generous three stars (2.5 really). 🚶‍♀️💨

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are, as always, entirely my own.

Thank you Net Galley and VI KEELAND for the ARC.
I really enjoyed this book.
The twist shook me!!

This book follows Elizabeth, an English college professor. She starts her class with a writing seminar. She receives one about a student who has an affair with her teacher.
This would be a great read only Elizabeth knows this is a true story, as it happened to her best friend.
She also knows how this story ends, as she is the one who ended it.
Someone knows her secret but Who?

What the hell did I just experience?

This was my first thriller from Keeland (I've read some of her romances before), and honestly? I'm here for this energy.

The whiplash at the end had me like WTF?, but after letting it marinate in my brain for a bit, I can appreciate what the author was going for. This has serious Freida McFadden vibes if you're looking for an easy-to-digest thriller that keeps you flipping pages.

The pacing is fantastic and kept me engaged every step of the way. I'll admit I did figure out the main twist and wasn't totally surprised by the identity of Elizabeth's tormentor, but predictability doesn't always kill enjoyment, especially when the execution is solid.

What I really appreciated was how this book straddles the line between romantic suspense and pure thriller. There are multiple guys vying for Elizabeth's attention, it never becomes the main focus. It's sexy and dangerous without being romance-centered, which hit the perfect sweet spot for me.

A solid thriller that's perfect for readers who want something dark and twisty but still accessible. Vi Keeland proves she can write outside the romance box, and I'm definitely interested in reading more thrillers from her!

Someone Knows by Vi Keeland
Rating: 4 stars
Steam: 2 chilis
Pub date: 6/17

Thank you so much to Atria for my free copy!

Trigger Warning: child abuse, grooming, sexual abuse.

Elizabeth is a 37-year-old English professor who’s perfectly content living life on her own terms. But everything changes when a student submits a writing assignment that feels a little too familiar. It’s not fiction, it’s her past. And worse, it’s a past she’s spent twenty years trying to forget… including the fact that someone ended up dead.

This book is part mystery, part emotional unraveling, and Keeland does a great job pulling us into Elizabeth’s head as she returns to her Louisiana hometown to figure out who’s behind the story, and what they really want. It’s suspenseful, fast-paced, and just juicy enough to keep you flipping pages.

Keeland is known for writing steamy romance, and she was more than happy to bring those scenes into this book, too, and I am here for it!

That ending was perfect, and even though it left me with a few lingering questions, it was still a wild and entertaining ride. If you’re a thriller fan looking to try something new or already love Keeland’s writing, definitely check this one out!

This thriller had me hooked from the start. It had it all- dark secrets, forbidden romance, and simmering tension. The story unfolds in such a smart, twisty way, and just when I thought I had it figured out… Wild, addictive, and full of suspense.
Thank you for giving me the oppprtinity to review!
3.5 stars!

Wow—what a ride! This gripping, twist-filled thriller had me hooked from the start. The story centers around Elizabeth, a college English professor currently teaching an online creative writing class. Her students are submitting chapters of their novels week by week—until one submission stands out for all the wrong reasons.
One student’s “fiction” is actually a chilling retelling of a real murder from twenty years ago—one Elizabeth was involved in. The details are disturbingly accurate. Now, Elizabeth must figure out who this anonymous student is and how they know the truth.
The chapters are short and punchy, making for a fast-paced and addictive read. And just a heads-up: there’s a bit of spice woven in. If you like suspense with a side of secrets and scandal, this one’s for you.
Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

YUP. Loved it. I could not put this one down and the ending was WILD. We follow along with our FMC as she navigates her grief and trauma that reignites with some mysterious emails. It is a bumpy journey filled with red herrings, secrets and repressed memories. We learn more about her trauma through glimpses of the past that are hard to stomach reading, but they’re important in helping us understand her. This book is the definition of binge-worthy but it is pretty heavy for a thriller. I prefer darker books, so that wasn’t an issue for me, but fair warning! There’s a direction that the author took that I can’t really explain without spoilers but that was the only part of the story that didn’t work for me. It made sense within the plot but objectively speaking, it was a little odd.

Someone Knows is the second book in a new genre that Vi Keeland is now writing, Psychological Thrillers!

Wow, Wow, Wow! I just finished reading this gripping thriller! Who knew that a romance writer could write something like this!

I never saw it coming…. That was an unexpected ending for me. I hated having to put this book down once I started it! I would never have guessed who done it! What a surprise! This was a phenomenal read for me. I would give it more than 5 Stars if I could. I don’t want to say anything else about the book because I don’t want to give anything away! I loved it!!!

Vi Keeland’s second thriller proves she’s not just testing the waters—she’s diving deep, and Someone Knows is her sharpest, darkest story yet.

Elizabeth, a college professor, is used to reading student fiction. But when one chapter lands too close to home—recounting a buried secret from her past—it becomes clear that someone else knows what happened twenty years ago. And they want her to remember.

This is a fast-paced, twist-heavy psychological thriller that kept me guessing. I flew through it, pulled forward by a constant stream of reveals, misdirections, and last-minute twists. I thought I had it figured out—more than once—and still ended up speechless by the final reveal.

The structure is part of what makes it so gripping. Past and present timelines are woven seamlessly, and the tension never lets up. Elizabeth is a layered, compelling protagonist whose trauma is slowly revealed with emotional precision. I know it’s not a romance, but I still found myself hoping she'd get her version of an HEA.

Keeland balances suspense with emotional weight, though be advised: this one includes heavy content—childhood neglect, grooming, sexual assault, and religious oppression—handled on-page and with impact.

If you want a thriller that’s tightly written, full of surprises, and leaves you haunted by the final lines, this is it. Keeland is leveling up with every book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Oh my Vi and her thrillers, she is really good. I really enjoyed this one, it was fast paced. Hooked me right off the bat and never let up until the end. I thought it was very well done and I enjoyed it!

Vi Keeland's "Someone Knows" is a suspenseful and sexy story about a college professor named Elizabeth. She reads a story that's too familiar – it's about a murder she committed years ago! Now, someone knows her secret and is sending her chapters of this story.

To find out who's threatening her, Elizabeth goes back to her hometown in Louisiana. But going home means facing her past, which she can't escape.

This book is a thrilling mystery. You'll want to know who knows Elizabeth's secret and what they will do with it. If you like stories with suspense, secrets, and maybe a little romance, this could be the book for you. It's about a past mistake coming back to haunt someone in a big way.

A quick paced romantic thriller. It has alternating timeline that can get confusing at times. Overall if you are looking for a good summer thriller, check this one out.

Someone Knows
By Vi Keeland

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Pub Date: June 17, 2025

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Let me start by saying this book IMMEDIATELY grabbed my attention.

You think you know the plot, even if you go in blind (like I did), based on the title.

The whole time I was reading the book I was trying to figure everything out. Nothing was absolutely transparent, which made for the best type of suspense.

I devoured this book in one sitting.

The ending. Oh, the ending. A+.

This book deserves all the hype.

No matter how many years have gone by, can you ever really escape your past? This little stunner packed a whole lotta punch! Gripping from beginning to end, I found myself along for a fun and engaging adventure in this dark and twisty thriller by Vi Keeland.

Elizabeth, an English professor at Pace University, is ready to teach a new semester of creative writing. That is until she reads the first chapter of The Reckoning, a submission from one of her students. The story delves into a high school senior’s affair with her teacher. To most, it would be an engaging page-turner, but to Elizabeth it’s the start of a nightmare because she knows this story well. It’s the story of her best friend. And worst of all, Elizabeth knows how it will end – with the professor dead…because she killed him.

Strap in for an adventure that will take you to Elizabeth’s Louisiana hometown in an effort to find out who’s behind the submissions. You’ll be questioning everyone’s motives and flipping pages to see how this one shakes out. It’s so fun!

Thank you to Vi Keeland, Atria Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of the book for an honest review.

IMO, this was MUCH better than The Unraveling. Nothing earth-shattering in terms of writing, but a fun, super unputdownable popcorn thriller. Will definitely read whatever she writes next!