This was so good! I wasn’t expecting that at all.

It kept me guessing all along and there were so many twists and turns throughout. I thought it was going to be a simple ending but my god that was great!

I love Vi Keeland’s romance books but I’m so glad I got to read this one. I was hooked! Really enjoyed it and thank you for letting me read it early.

Another amazing thriller from Vi! Her book, The Unraveling, was one of my favorite reads of 2024, so I was thrilled to read this one. I loved it, but the sexual tension between Noah and Elizabeth wasn't as exciting as Gabriel's had been in The Unraveling. My favorite parts of the book were the chapters from "Hannah" and I wanted more!! Unfolding in such a suspenseful way and I couldn't put the book down. So many suspects.

Instagram review coming soon - i'll add my link to it this week! Overall, a 4.5 star rating from me.

Whew this was a combination of thriller and smut that I did not expect. That said I could not put this book down. I got hooked on Vi's books after The Unraveling was an Aardvark pick. I love the suspense.

Vi Keeland is back with another disturbing and twisted tale in her sophomore psychological thriller Someone Knows. There was a similar vibe to The Unraveling with its fast pace and unhinged narrator, but the story was new and addictive. I was always a little worried and uncomfortable while reading Elizabeth's point of view. I never warmed up to her character, but I was intrigued by what was happening to her. I went into this book blind without reading the blurb, and it paid off as all the events unfolded. I thought I knew where it was headed and who was messing with her. Keeland still managed to surprise me in the end, even with all her foreshadowing. Someone Knows was a great twisted read that thriller lovers are going to enjoy.

I don’t know what rock I’ve been under but I honestly had never heard of Vi Keeland before reading this book and man, I guess I’ve been missing out! This book isn’t five stars because it’s high end literature; entertaining, gritty, and a little twisted is what it is. If you are okay with that (as well as some taboo subject matter), this book is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book!

I’m a huge fan of Vi Keeland's romance novels, so when I saw Someone Knows, a thriller, I was instantly intrigued. It didn’t disappoint—it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time! I found myself constantly guessing who was behind the efforts to expose Elizabeth’s tragic past, especially since so few knew the painful details. Elizabeth’s return to confront the mystery only fueled her paranoia, and I loved the unpredictable journey Someone Knows took me on. The ending was completely unexpected, and I’m still reeling from it!

Absolutely loved this!! You could kind of guess what was happening but it was written so well that I just had to keep reading! Really enjoyed!

I gave this book 1.5 star and 4 icky, unwholesome peppers. The description didn't adequately prepare me for how twisted and gross it was. There was no joy, too many unanswered questions, and no solid resolution. I also dislike unreliable narrators and saw the big twist coming.
The writing drew me in immediately, but I couldn't care about the characters. I am also sensitive to the way non-Christians write Christians so negatively. This was not a book meant for me.

Before you read the book, you should be aware that it deals with some difficult issues such as sexual abuse by a teacher.
When someone describes a book as a sexy thriller you dont really know what to expect and do not expect a romance for it is not that but there is on page spice. This book has some really interesting twists and turns throughout that made it very interesting and you never really knew where it was going or who the bad guy was. My main issue was the sexual nature of the crime done to the student and having to relive to as a reader was very difficult especially as it never felt like it was given the seriousness it deserved.

I might’ve found my NEW mystery thriller author.
Elizabeth is a creative writing professor living in NYC. One day, she receives a draft from one of her students about a story of a high school senior having an affair with her teacher. This draft however was so detailed and eerily specific to the incidents that she knew happened to her best friend twenty-years ago. She starts becoming scared as she knows the ending of the story –with the teacher being dead, because she killed him. Someone knows about Elizabeth’s secret and now she is forced to go back to her hometown that she desperately tried to escape to find out who is trying to expose her past.
Phew! Where to start? This was a thrilling read. I had a levelled expectations going in as I am unfamiliar with the author, but the synopsis is TOO good for me to pass up.
I love how we are gradually introduced to new characters (or potential suspects heehee) as the plot moves forward. I always love a game of guessing of who’s the perpetrator (just cuz I love to find out if I’m right in the end) and in this book there were MANY characters. This would put me off usually but in this book? Noooo, because EVERY character has their own purpose and specific ties to the MC. My favourite character is obviously NOAH!!!!! Sure I suspected him –I do it to every character. But he was just so swoon worthy and his lines were out of a romance novel. I found out later that the author is originally a romance author so that checks out.
This book doesn’t only serve fantastic mystery and thriller, it also has relatable depiction of complex mother-daughter relationship, psychological problems that the MC has to deal with which stems from her past that unable her to form meaningful relationships in her adulthood. I was hooked on the mystery in the first few chapters of course, but when Elizabeth has to go back to her hometown to find the perp, I was even more interested in the people in that town. I LOVE IT! It’s a packed read (rather than an empty straight to the point read which is ok to me but this was a star)
I would say there were several plot twists in this. I did guessed the first one easily, the second one with a bit more clues, but the final revelation? I honestly don’t know how I did not see it coming? I beg this author to write more of this genre because she reminds me of my experience reading Freida McFadden books (I know people are 50-50 about Freida, but if you love Freida like me, then you WILL love this book!)
There’s a review calling this book a sexy thriller. While I agree, I would also note that it is NOT ENOUGH! I needed more sexy, if you get what I mean lol. The author just writes the characters so well, it left me wanting so much MORE.
Lastly, I have so many questions that I would like the author to answer (regarding the ending) so maybe I’ll craft those at a later time –like if the author meant for XXX to pursue the MC by sending that email and what are their true intentions, etc. AHHHH I need to know! That was a perfect read to me. 5 full fat stars! I will be buying a copy when this book hit the stores!

Thank you to Atria Books & Netgalley for approving my request for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

First and foremost, all of the love and deepest appreciation to Netgalley and Atria Publishing for supplying me with an ARC. That said-

1.5/5

The premise immediately drew me in. Our protagonist is a College English Professor named Elizabeth, teaching yet another year of her creative writing course. In this course, her online students are tasked with writing a book. The story picks up when at the start of a new semester, one of her face-less online students, under the name "Hannah" emails her the first chapter of her book, and the contents of that chapter exactly describe Elizabeth's own high school experience, in which her childhood best friend, Joycelyn is groomed and predatorily taken advantage of by their teacher, Mr. Sawyer, who is later murdered by Elizabeth for his actions against Jocelyn. (I won't be calling Jocelyn and Mr. Sawyer's relationship an "affair" as the book description does, because Jocelyn was 17 and Mr. Sawyer was 39. Categorization of "affair" relies on both parties being consenting adults.)

The first critique I had was that the "chapters" periodically being submitted to Elizabeth for review by Hannah were not on par with what I would expect of a college student. The writing was under developed and immature, even frustrating with the lack of complexity or artistry in the writing. I get that the intention their could have been to convey hints to the eventual author's identity reveal, but switching between the actual writing of the book "Someone Knows" and the writing of the book inside that book, Hannah's book, gave me whiplash that I think certainly took away from the cohesiveness of the story. Even if the intention was to give Hanna's book a different (worse) writing style, I don't think it was worth the disruption. Elizabeth never noted that the Hannah's writing was under developed either, so if this lesser writing style was intentional on Keeland's part, I think an opportunity was for our College Professor protagonist to address it.

As I continued to read there were a few more hiccups. The character interactions in Hannah's book that apparently matched Elizabeth's lived experience were, in my opinion, unrealistic. It is extremely random that a 39-year-old married teacher with a seemingly otherwise established personality would be 1 so incredibly focused on one specific student for his attentions and 2 so confident and comfortable verbally and physically dominating one of his 17-year-old high school students when he has no other documented history of being inappropriate. We get a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde level of personality switch up from him when he is being an average high school teacher vs a dominant predatory abuser. Yes, I know that people are multifaceted, but Mr. Sawyer's actions came off as unrealistic and extremely impractical. Surely even if you were a pedo high school teacher you would have more finesse than being normal by day and an extremely experienced, practiced, authoritative abuser by night. All of this was less than ideal for my reading experience, but you win some you lose some in reading, especially with Thrillers, so I wasn't pressed. I was fine with enjoying a medium-good-read until the next thing happened.

Which leads me to one of my biggest concerns with this book. The scenes in Hannah's chapters that detail the physical relationship between Jocelyn and Mr. Sawyer read like porn. This gets extremely questionable the more we as the audience read Hannah's chapters and Elizabeth routinely confirms "yes that is exactly what happened" especially when Elizabeth's reason for killing Mr. Sawyer was that he (in Elizabeth's words!) "abused" Jocelyn. It's made me feel really gross reading Jocelyn and Mr. Sawyer being together, it all felt so romanticized in those 'flashbacks'. It was far too detailed, and it was written like sex scenes that are intended to be enjoyable, while it was actually literally statutory rape. And not a "oh we're in love and he treats me well, we just happen to be too many years apart in age so it isn't socially acceptable" statutory rape, it was dark. Meanwhile the book is literally marketed as a "chilling and sexy thriller".

I'm a passionate and frequent reader of the Mystery/Thriller genre. I am, reluctantly, often not impressed after most of the books in this genre that I read. I am by no means throwing stones, it is hard to write something intriguing that hasn't yet been written after all this time, I certainly couldn't do it myself! BUT it is my personal opinion that the "secret mental illness" trope is the coward's way out of a mystery thriller plot twist. Frieda McFadden is prisoner zero for this, and she's not the only one.

I would take a decent, but not groundbreaking, Mystery/Thriller that is really just a retelling of an Agatha Christie book from the 1920s spun a slightly different way any day. But all that seems to be available in this genre is yet another book like this, where the answer is "the bad guy was really one of the normal characters we've known the whole time who secretly had an unrealistically exaggerated mental illness, and has shown absolutely no other signs of this mental illness boogeyman until now, the last 25% of the book".

Thank you @atriabooks #emilybestlerbooks #partner for the gifted copies of this book!

FIVE STAR ALERT! Vi Keeland knocks it out of the park again leaving me officially putting her name on my autobuy list! I just loved her “Unraveling” thriller last year and squealed when this one came in the mail. I started this one and literally couldn’t set it down until I knew who was behind the madness. In this book, our main character Elizabeth is a creative writing professor and at the start of her semester she receives several chapters from one of her students that makes the hair on the back of her neck stand up! Why you ask? Well, this thriller hits close to home. As in, this is Elizabeth’s life story…and she has secrets of her own she’s hidden for years. She’s terrified as to whom is behind it all because…someone knows!

I love how fast paced, thrilling, and eerie Vi writes. I find that she has an awesome creep factor in her books with so many twists, questionable characters and doubt for what’s really happening. I found myself completely enthralled and not trusting any character. I love books like that! Her writing feels dangerous and stressful which makes for the perfect recipe for a thriller for yours truly. 👏🏻 I loved this one so much I chose it as my traveling arc with some friends and cannot wait to get the copy back with everyone’s thoughts once they’ve read it! If you need an unputdownable thriller look no further. I forever want to read her books!

I had to look twice when I saw Vi Keeland had written a thriller/mystery.

This was a fast-paced, quick read thriller. I really appreciated that the twist wrapped up the book clearly and didn't leave me guessing at the end.

Honestly, there was a pretty major plot twist that was a bit far-fetched and then sort of didn't matter and kind of fizzled out buuut if you just forget that part, the book was great!

Also, because she is a spicy romance author, it was fun to have some romance mixed in.
*warning that there is underage sex and violence, so be warned if you're not ok reading that*
**also that is not the romance I'm referring to!**

I hope she continues to branch out from romance!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC in an exchange for an honest review.

Elizabeth has a past. She lives with it. She’s buried it deep down and severed any ties with anyone that could know. Until she starts receiving rough drafts of a novel. Chapter by chapter, the familiar story unfolds. She recognizes it because she lived it. She has to find out who is sending this before they tell anyone else and expose her and ruin her life. I kept the pages turning to find out.

VI Keeland has done it again with Someone Knows, a gripping psychological thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The novel follows Elizabeth, an English professor who receives a submission from one of her students—a story about a high school senior having an affair with her teacher. To most people, this would seem like the foundation for a tantalizing, suspenseful read, but for Elizabeth, it’s far more personal. The story mirrors her own past, one that is tied to a tragic and dark event involving her best friend, Jocelyn, and the teacher who ended up dead. And the kicker? Elizabeth knows the truth—she killed him.

Keeland's writing pulls you in instantly. From the very first page, I was hooked and could not put the book down. The layers of tension, mystery, and deep emotion between the characters are so palpable. Elizabeth's inner turmoil is so expertly conveyed that it feels almost like a character study. The way Keeland blends suspense with the raw realities of regret, guilt, and past trauma is incredible.

The plot is both thrilling and heartbreaking, with twists and turns that had me second-guessing everything. I was so invested in Elizabeth's journey, trying to piece together her past while feeling her fear as someone seemed to be threatening to expose her darkest secret. The pacing was spot on, and the emotional depth added a richness to the suspenseful moments that made the stakes feel all the more intense.

Someone Knows is a rollercoaster of emotions, and I loved every second of it. VI Keeland has created another unforgettable story that has cemented my status as a huge fan of hers. I'm officially a VI Keeland Stan—she can write anything, and I'll be the first in line to read it!

If you're a fan of thrilling, page-turning novels with a strong emotional core, this book is an absolute must-read. The only reason I’m not giving it a full 5 stars is because I wish there was just a bit more at the end to wrap up a few lingering threads, but that's a minor quibble in what is otherwise an exceptional story.

Highly recommend!

This was such a fun read! The story had a hold on me from the start and twist after twist, I couldn’t put it down. Really appreciate the opportunity to read ahead of publication. Would definitely recommend to anyone in need of a spicy thriller!

Elizabeth's a professor who keeps her past to herself, when she receives a story from one of her students that is eerily similar to her own story. Now she has to figure out who knows the past she thought she kept a secret, and what they want from her.

When I found out Vi was writing another thriller, I was, well, thrilled, because I love her first thriller and couldn't wait to dive into another by her. Someone Knows is much different than the first, but like that one, it has a twist I didn't see coming, and had me freaking out because it doesn't end with everything tied up the way my mind prefers. There's some spice, there's a guy who could be the new guy in Elizabeth's life, but most importantly, Elizabeth's journey, from the awful past, to her present, is riveting. This thriller is the kind of thriller I like best - twisty, a little sexy, and keeps the reader guessing all the way through.

Reading Journal Details
Book: Someone Knows by Vi Keeland
Format Read: Kindle eBook (288 pages long)
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

Quick Take Review
Someone Knows is a gripping, twisty thriller that proves Vi Keeland's leap from romance to suspense is a wildly successful one in my opinion. With its fast pacing, chilling atmosphere, and a few well-placed sexy sparks, this is an easy recommendation—even if a few of the twists could have used a slightly deeper dive to maximize its impact. The way the story ends, I wouldn't be surprised if this had a continuation!

Full Review
Vi Keeland's transition from romance to thrillers has been nothing short of thrilling—pun fully intended! Someone Knows proves just how seamlessly her sharp writing style adapts to the suspense genre. As someone who's long considered Vi Keeland an auto-read author, I found this book to be fast-paced, twist-filled, and chillingly atmospheric, with a few of those signature sexy moments Keeland fans know and love.

The short chapters kept the tensions high and the pages turning, while Keeland tackled dark and disturbing themes with surprising finesse. The suspense never lets up, and the story is packed with dangerous vibes and plenty of "what just happened?" moments.

That said, my only wish was for a bit more depth in the exploration of a few of the twister twists—there was so much potential to amplify their impact, and digging in a little deeper could have easily bumped this to 5-star territory. Still, even without that extra layer, this was a rock-solid read that I'd recommend to thriller lovers and longtime Keeland fans alike. She's absolutely killing it in this genre, and I can't wait to see what she writes next. For what it's worth—the way this particular novel ended, we might see a sequel (fingers crossed)!

Eek! Getting my hands on this book was exciting for me. Reading Vi Keeland’s previous thriller, Unraveling, I just knew this one would have me on pins and needles as well. And Someone Knows did not disappoint!

With an ongoing secrecy behind Elizabeth’s past, this story is like an onion - it has so many layers, and the characters are complex and not without flaws. It has your mind is in a constant state of wonder and mystery.

This is a story of the past coming back to haunt. And curiosity is peaked in perpetuity. Someone Knows is a well developed story that Vi Keeland manages to pace perfectly and unravel just so. She is a master of dangling the carrot to keep you running to catch that morsel may or may not be enough.

Inhaling this book is a given. You are sure to start off with a curiosity that is a simple wonder, and end up the investigator that needs to solve the relentless mystery.

I am so excited for those reading this for the first time. I, myself, was never intrigued by thrillers, but Vi Keeland made me a believer. I’m excited for anything else that she may write that may pique my interest the way Someone Knows did. Really and truly this is such a fantastic read!

College writing professor, Elizabeth enjoys the beginning of a new semester. As she begins reviewing assignments, one catches her eye. It's title The Reckoning, stops her cold. The initial submission chapter is a dead wringer for what happened her senior year of high school. Her best friend was bring abused, and she killed the man doing it. Elizabeth's world begins to tilt on its axis. Between the chapters lining up with her past, a sick mother, male drama, she will begin to spiral into insomnia. When everything crumbles will Elizabeth be able to stay strong or will she fall apart?

I immediately wanted to read this after Vi's previous thriller. This was absolutely a fantastic sophomore novel. She writes a character that has trauma, sanity is easy to question. You have to keep reading because you have to know. Is Elizabeth losing her mind or is someone after her. Vi writes quick chapters that will have you racing to the end of the book. Thank you Netgalley and Atria for the advanced copy of this book.