What an amazing thriller! There were so many twists and turns. The ending was jaw-dropping!! I did not see that coming! Worth the read.

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC to review

3.5 stars

Someone Knows is a slow-burn thriller that sneaks up on you. It starts off steady, building the characters and backstory, and while it felt a little slow at times, the payoff was worth it. Vi Keeland does a great job weaving emotional depth into the suspense, and the twists—when they hit—definitely landed.

I wouldn’t call it a heart-pounding read, but it kept me curious, and I appreciated the way everything came together in the end. A few lulls here and there, but overall, a solid, well-written thriller with just the right mix of mystery and emotion.

If you like your thrillers with a bit of heart and slow-building tension, this one's a good pick!

That ending was a surprise. I kept thinking I knew who was behind the story but then the book would take me on a different direction. I do wish that we knew why Mr. Sawyer was the type of person he became. I felt like he was the one that had two different masks he wore . It seemed to depend on the person how he treated them. I believe justice was served on a shiny silver platter. I was proud of her for seeking help to have a somewhat normal life after all the trauma that was endured. I was hooked from the first page . I highly recommend if you like a good suspense storyline.

Holly Molly! What a ride this was.
Picture this: Imagine a piece of fiction landed on your desk that wasn’t fiction at all, but a chilling retelling of something you’ve spent two decades trying to forget, complete with all the little details.
Intriguing premise, yeah?

Elizabeth, a college English professor, receives a student manuscript that hits far too close to home. The fictional story, The Reckoning, details a disturbing affair between a student and her teacher, something Elizabeth lived through as a teenager. But what makes it even more terrifying? She knows how the story ends, and it wasn’t pretty.

Someone Knows is gripping, intense, and layered with clever twists that’ll keep you second guessing everyone. As Elizabeth returns to Louisiana to confront the ghosts of her past while also caring for her dying mother, the suspense builds beautifully. There are some pretty dark themes throughout this one, including sexual abuse of a minor and physical abuse, so you might want to check the trigger warnings before diving in.

The book-within-a-book format is always a win for me, and VI Keeland executed it brilliantly here. Unfolding Elizabeth’s past through the chapters of the student’s manuscript added such a unique layer of depth to the story and kept the tension mounting.

There’s also a fair amount of spice here, and I loved reading those scenes. The chemistry between Noah and Elizabeth was so beautiful to see.

And the final twist? I thought I had it figured out. And I did. But that final reveal still left me with my jaw on the floor. Absolutely brillant!!

If you love fast paced thrillers with just the right amount of suspense that doesn’t let up, and a side dish of spice, then you should definitely read this one.

This book was fast paced, spicy and thrilling. It includes both of my favorite genres in one.
This is Vi Keeland’s second thriller and I am hoping for more in the future. It kept me guessing and entertained throughout the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an eARC of Someone Knows in exchange for my honest review!

After 2024 had wrapped up, The Unraveling by Vi Keeland ended up being a favorite book of mine from that year thanks to the psychosexual atmosphere and the twisty tale. So I'm happy to say that Someone Knows is a riveting mystery-thriller, too, plunging me into the mission that college English professor Elizabeth embarks on to uncover the truth behind these manuscript chapters that someone keeps sending her way. It's a mission that Keeland lays out well, maintaining a consistent pace and dishing out the tension as this narrative pushes Elizabeth to reckon with the past. While we spend quite a bit of time in the present day, we do essentially get some flashbacks to the past in the form of the chapters that Elizabeth has to read through, and they're segments that the book smoothly slots in against the rest of the present-day timeline.

If I recall correctly, it's around the halfway point in the plot where we learn something important, and I enjoy how that further drives things forward and allows the traumatic events of the past to hit the audience even harder. Then we keep building up the mystery and marching onward into a third act where, I must admit, I did predict a certain element. But then I didn't predict something else for this satisfying ending, and let me tell you, when that landed on the page, I had to sit back and take a minute to let all the pieces gradually click together in my head. It's interesting how this is evocative of The Unraveling, which had its own ending that effectively subverted my expectations, and now we've got Someone Knows pulling the same trick of leaving me having to view its tale through a whole new light after I've finished it.

Overall, I'm officially rating Someone Knows four out of five stars. I'm keen to commit myself to more of Keeland's writing, considering she's clearly proven herself to be excellent at guiding us down roads of suspense. I'm curious to check out her romance books someday, since that's a genre she had been focusing on before transitioning over into thrillers.

I have always loved Vi Keeland as a romance author. Her books always are full of beautiful stories often with a plot twist I didn’t see coming. So Vi being amazing as an author of a thriller is not a surprise. Someone Knows is her second thriller novel and was, to say the least, a wild ride. Throughout this story nothing is ever quite as it seems.

Elizabeth Davis is a 37 year old English professor living in New York. She lives a quiet life, prefers to be unattached, and is fiercely independent. She left her hometown and the events of the past 20 years ago and never looked back. Until now, when she discovers someone knows a secret that, if exposed, would threaten the life she has built for herself. The question is, who knows? You’re going to need to read it in order to find out, trust me, you don’t want any spoilers!

As always, Vi Keeland takes great care in developing her characters ensuring the reader is fully submersed in their life and in their journey. Elizabeth Davis is a tough character. She’s not what you would describe as endearing but she has been through a trauma and you can definitely empathize with her and what has made her the woman she is. Vi takes you on a roller coaster ride through Elizabeth’s past and present and each new revelation keeps you turning the page. While there were a couple of plot points I guessed, nothing was ever obvious or predictable.

If you are a fan of suspense/thriller novels, I highly recommend you read Someone Knows.

This one of the best thrillers I have ever read. There were so many twists and turns and surprises I never expected. I felt sorry for Elizabeth at times, and other times she confused me. Just when I thought I might be figuring out a small piece, something changed. It was crazy that someone knew what had happened the last year of Elizabeth’s high school, but she couldn’t figure out who could know. Elizabeth’s paranoia gets worse when she goes back to Louisiana where she grew up and where her mother still lives. It was crazy the two different sides of Elizabeth’s mother. I can’t imagine how torn Elizabeth was when she found out her mother was sick since the two never got along. You will not want to put the book down once you start reading. I strongly encourage you to read it. I hope there is a part two!

This book was amazing! Completely different than what I am used to from this author! I hope this book does well because it is amazing!

Goodness me, this was such a good book. Highly entertaining. Would definitely recommend to others, that's for sure!

Elizabeth is a professor teaching a summer class about writing, her dark past seems to catch up with her when a student sends her a story that’s weirdly familiar. Twenty years ago a teacher was abusing her best friend and she killed him, seems like the mysterious student knows her secret.

It’s impossible for me to tell you my favourite parts of the book without spoiling it (and you need to go in blind to really enjoy it), I can say that there are a few things that the author always does that I love : really complicated fucked up women, and ending that are so not satisfying but also kind of are in a way? Like you think everything is nicely wrapped up and you’re safe and then booom, you’re not. The grooming scenes were also really well written, I was insanely uncomfortable reading them and that was the point, nothing sexy about it at all.

This is a story about family and trauma and about how some people could really use therapy instead of getting revenge over and over like it’s going to fix the past. It’s also about how love is sometimes fucked up including between family, but it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read “someone knows” in exchange for an honest review.

5 ✨

Wow! I have loved both books I have read by Vi Keeland. This one started a bit slower, but by 30-40% your mind was whirling at the nature of the story. It is a story that will stick with you and that possibly you find a piece of yourself in, at least for me, that’s my experience.

Elizabeth begins her story as a professor in New York. She’s independent and enjoys men just for a night or two, but she does have one friend, Sam, who happens to work in law enforcement who she has managed to keep around for a few months. He’s a good guy, but after she realizes that after they began their “relationship” he checked into her background, she becomes concerned because someone has been sending her emails about her past, but it’s a past she hasn’t shared with anyone. At first, she suspects Sam, but quickly realizes she can rule him out.

She starts contacting people she remembers from her time in Louisiana, her friend, Jocelyn is one of the top on her list, but she can’t find a record of her anywhere. She even engages sam to check his data base, to no avail.

Elizabeth’s mom is very ill and she decides to go visit her while also continuing her research to figure out who knows about her past, a past which is entangled in a murder due to sexual abuse from a teacher.

I won’t give away the details, but let’s just say… mind floofed.

There are remnants of sexual abuse from a teacher, psychological issues due to trauma, trauma bonding, and just when you think you have it all figured out… that last chapter will leave you with your mouth ajar.

I love this author and I think you will too!

A captivating page-turner! Vi Keeland has an accessible and addictive writing style. I flew through the pages. A salacious and scary story that is filled with suspense and delivers a twisty plot and a tight ending. A very unique and distinctive voice in suspense fiction. I'm definitely looking forward to more books by this author!

I really wanted to like this one, but I found the twists weren't great and were pretty predictable. I also don't love how the author set up a second book.

Out of the park again Ms Keeland, please keep 'em coming!!!

When an English professor starts receiving chapters of her teenage crime; she's committed to finding out who the sender is. In light of the estrangement from her mother, the unexpected hookup that's now in the picture and the best friend that helped cover up the crime; who could it be!!! Also could it be that her mind has resorted to playing games with her. You will never see that end coming!!

Solid 4.5 stars!!!!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC!!! Beyond humbled 🙏🏾t

SOMEONE KNOWS out June 17th 2005!!

Beautifully written. So many twist and turns. That ending. Chefs kiss. I would recommend this story.

Ohhh boy was this book good! Just when you think you know what’s gonna happen next, a big twist comes to play. I enjoyed the characters in this story! I am new to Vi Keeland’s books and I read a few of her rom-coms so far. I was super surprised by this book and how Vi can write a great rom-com but then also turn around and write an amazing thriller!

Thank you Net Galley, Vi Keeland, and Atria/Emily Bestler Books for an EARC of this book! I enjoyed it so much!!

Someone Knows by Vi Keeland pulled me in right from the start. It mixes romance and suspense in a way that really works—I couldn’t stop turning the pages. The main character, Nora, has a rough past, and just when she thinks she’s getting her life back on track, Bennett shows up and everything changes. There are secrets, twists, and emotional moments that hit hard. I liked how the story kept me guessing but also had real heart. If you’re into romance with a bit of mystery and a lot of feels, this one’s definitely worth reading.

This book had me in a chokehold, it gripped me right from the start and every time I thought I knew where it was going I was right hooked in the face.,

Wow this book was insane. Just when id think id figured it out it would completely change and leave me reeling. I really loved how it ended up and the extra twist at the end was crazy good.