Thank you so much for the chance to read this netgalley!
I really adored this. A twist filled, book-driven 'whodunnit' with an epistolary theme: we meet Elizabeth, a college professor who reads a manuscript with an eerie similarity to a sexual assault she witness and a murder she committed. We follow her back to her small hometown, a romance with the dead man's son, heated interactions with her alcoholic mother, and a trip through her troubled past. There's SO much here and an early twist that caught me off guard sends the book in a million directions. It's smart, slightly spicy, and full of questions. Small town politics play a large role in understanding the dynamic of Elizabeth's homelife and I adore how epistolary passages are used to describe the sexual and physical assault sections.
Overall, just really well written. The ending is intentionally vague: this is NOT always my favorite, but it does work here. You won't come out of this really knowing 'who' knows, and I liked that!

Elizabeth is an English professor, and her online yearlong fiction-writing seminar has just begun. She picks up The Reckoning, an assignment written by a student named Hannah whom she’s never met. The first chapter recounts the story of a girl named Jocelyn navigating her senior year of high school, along with her friend Ivy, and the torrid affair Jocelyn had with her English teacher. The thing is, this student’s work isn’t fiction. Jocelyn is real, and that teacher is dead. Elizabeth killed him 20 years ago.

Someone knows, but who, and why are they coming back to haunt her 20 years later?

2.5 😭
I have to be honest, I was in a slump reading this one. Sad to say it didn’t hit for me. I was invested for the first half of the book, and then a big twist pulled me out of it. Sorta wanted to throw the book across the room. I finished it, and the ending just... wasn’t for me. Aside from my personal reading experience, the book gives 90’s thriller. I would pair it with movies like The Crush and Basic Instinct.

Someone Knows is out on June 17th. Thank you so much to @atriabooks and @netgalley for sending me the ARC!

Vi Keeland is one of my favorite authors! After reading The Unraveling last year, I dove into her backlist and quickly consumed many of her romance novels. When her second thriller, Someone Knows, was announced, it made my list of most anticipated reads for 2025. Unfortunately, it was a book that I could not finish. This has nothing to do with the writing. This author is one I'll recommend again and again. But the subject matter of this particular book was something that made me severely uncomfortable. I didn't realize this before diving in just how I would feel, but the student/teacher relationship with a minor and the controlling dynamic was just something I couldn't handle. If this is a particular trigger for you, I'd recommend skipping this read. If I could go without putting a star rating on NG, I would, but I felt it was important to voice how these triggers affected my reading experience. I appreciate the author and Atria greatly for giving me the chance to read this book.

“Precious memories fade like whispers in the wind while the worthless ones stay anchored.”

I FLEW through this book. I could not put it down. I’ve been a Vi Keeland reader for over a decade and have to say…I’m so happy she tried her hand at psychological thrillers because she has nailed it both times! This book is addictive and haunting.

Elizabeth Davis is an English professor who lives in New York City after leaving her small town in Louisiana right after high school. Elizabeth had a rough childhood with an alcoholic mother who was barely ever home. After a harrowing incident in her senior year, Elizabeth makes a pact with her best friends to never speak about it and they all go their separate ways.

Twenty years later, Elizabeth has given a book writing assignment to her class and starts receiving chapters via email for her review. One particular student sends a chapter that eerily describes the incident that happened 20 years prior. This sends Elizabeth into a tailspin as she tries to figure out how someone knows what happened. As each chapter arrives, it is evident that someone knows every detail that Elizabeth has painstakingly tried to forget.

As the story unfolds and Elizabeth needs to return to Louisiana to check on her ill mother, her past will collide with her present and nothing is making sense. There are so many surprising twists and turns. I was actually floored by the first major twist and it just got crazier and crazier. It was so well done and completely gripping. It was fast paced, dark and steamy and full of unexpected turns. The ending gave me the chills!

“But the most dangerous lies are the kind an innocent person wants to be true.”

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

**Beware the plot as there are topics of abuse and other stuff that may be triggering to some people.**

Damn you, Vi Keeland! Why did I read this at work, now I'm all discombobulated?! Is there a book 2? I really REALLY like this a LOT. It's so twisty, even when I know how the villain is I was still second guessing myself. I love how the mystery was slowly unspooled, it took us deep into Elizabeth's mind, her trauma, how she dealt/dealing with it, all the angst, until she finally found a version of the truth she's been looking for.

As for the villain, idk how I feel about them. Part of me would like to think they're dealing with their own trauma so their perspective is skewed, while another part of me simply think they're batshit crazy and just as demented as Elizabeth's abuser.

Either way, do yourself a favor and read this. Gift it to your friends/family that like twisty tales. This is absolutely one of those books you'll need someone to talk to because it's a LOT to unpack.

This book has some difficult subjects so I would definitely look at the Trigger warnings before reading.

It follows the main protagonist Elizabeth, who is an English Professor, as she starts receiving chapters from an unknown writer in her class. To anyone else it would be the beginning of a great page-turner, but the girl in the story was her best friend Jocelyn, and Elizabeth knows exactly how the story will end.

It took me a while to warm to Elizabeth, most people in her life she treats poorly, which you understand the more you learn about her, but it does make it harder to like her initially and it doesn’t always justify her actions.

This book was fast-paced and I found myself hooked to the story and wanting to see how it all unfolded. The multiple timelines were written in a clever way, with the chapters providing a unique take on the format. It also provided a fun mystery element as Elizabeth tries to figure out who is sending them. However, I felt like you had alot of build up to a pivotal moment in the story, and then it seemed to fall flat. I would have liked more details into what actually happened, as this seemed to be brushed over, which was disappointing.

There were some spicy scenes, which took me by surprise, as I wasn’t expecting them and the premise of the story did make them uncomfortable to read at times. However, the author was thoughtful in the way the more difficult topics were handled.

I was kept guessing throughout, but did feel a little disappointed when the ending was revealed. I felt like it raised more questions rather than providing the answers and there were a lot of loose ends which weren’t tied up. I felt like it was potentially lining up for a sequel, but I don’t know where the story would go from here.

Overall, it was a an enjoyable thriller which did keep me guessing, even if leaving me a little disappointed with the outcome. It does have a darker theme which can make it difficult to read at times.

Vi Keeland is truly a master at everything she writes - whether it be romance or romantic thriller, she knocks it out of the part. I first read Keeland's work when she released The Unraveling and then immediately jumped into her romance backlist, adoring everything I read. When she announced a second thriller, I was so excited to read it. Someone Knows blends the past and present perfectly, leading to quite a conclusion!

"♪They think she did it but they just can't prove it♪"... or can they?

Elizabeth Davis and her friends Ivy and Jocelyn were thick as thieves in high school, inseparable, until the night their English teacher, Mr. Sawyer, was found dead. Friends like them help each other even in the worst circumstances. But a crime is something too heavy to keep as a secret, and to go unpunished, even if Elizabeth did it to save her friend.
After that fateful night, they saw no alternative except for splitting up, leaving town, and never crossing paths again so that no one would find the truth.
These days, Elizabeth lives a quiet life as an English professor at Pace University in New York. She tried to leave everything behind, but did she and her friends forget any evidence when they covered up the crime scene twenty years ago? It was supposed to look like a robbery, but maybe someone knew it was a crime, because now she's receiving emails from one of her students from the fiction-writing seminar, telling a story between a high school student and her male teacher. A story where Elizabeth knows all the main characters, this isn't fiction at all. The details and names are the real ones: Jocelyn, Ivy, Mr. Sawyer, this can't be a coincidence. This is personal, and someone knows the truth.

There's a lot of tension and mystery in this story, between discovering who's writing the chapters and Elizabeth's unhealthy relationship with her mother. You can sense her anxiety and how that drives her back to her old impulsive ways.
The lack of familiarity with her mother makes the scenes in the nursing home with her old landlord, Mr. Hank, feel very precious. He's the closest thing to family that she has, and his presence keeps her grounded when everything feels so unsteady.
"Despite the fact that he saved my life when I first moved to New York—two days shy of twenty years ago—by giving me a discount on rent and telling me where to look for a job, he sometimes can't recall who I am now."
"God, the brain is such a labyrinth of complexity. Precious memories fade like whispers in the wind while the worthless ones stay anchored."

This book was thrilling, nerve-racking, emotional, and full of secrets. There's a little bit of romance, but the main story is a mystery/thriller.
I didn't want the book to end, and after finishing it, as Elizabeth would say, "It feels like I might be awake for days, I'm so wired". How can one go to sleep after this? I recommend finishing it in the daytime and having someone to discuss it with.
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the advanced copy of Someone Knows in exchange for my honest review.

Professor Elizabeth Davis was spent years building a life and distancing herself from small town Louisiana where she grew up. As an English professor teaching creative writing she looks forward to helping her students sharpen their literary skills and become the writers they aspire to be. As the semester begins so do the chapters each student submits for review. One students writing stands out above the rest, not for its superior use of prose or foreshadowing but because the story sounds eerily familiar. Elizabeth thought she left her past behind but someone seems to know her deepest secrets and is turning it into a story that she is receiving one chapter at a time. Nothing could have brought her back to her hometown in Louisiana except for the mystery of Hannah Greer, the student who seems to be telling her story.

Elizabeth has complicated relationships with men which we see play out with Sam a police detective & Noah the son of the man she killed. What could possibly go wrong? It was disturbing and intriguing to see her relationship with Noah play out. There is instant chemistry and an undeniable attraction but once she learns who he is I found myself screaming at the pages for Elizabeth to make different decisions. She is blinded by her desperation to find out who knows and uses anyone in her path to try to unearth the truth.

This was a fast paced thriller that kept me at the edge of my seat. It deals with complicated characters that are deeply flawed. Just when you think the story is wrapping up the author drops another bomb. I loved seeing our main character Elizabeth who buried her trauma and leads a fairly productive life begin to unravel, have to deal with her past traumas and come out the other side. There were lots of great reveals, intriguing characters, and a great mystery to unravel. If you are looking for a faced paced thriller with a hint of romance then this is a great choice.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. All thoughts and feelings on Someone Knows are my own.

Someone Knows by Vi Keeland is a gripping, emotional ride full of secrets, suspense, and a slow-burning romance that hits hard. The story pulls you in right away with its intense setup and keeps you flipping pages to find out what really happened. I loved how the past and present timelines weaved together, slowly revealing the truth piece by piece.

If you enjoy romantic suspense with emotional depth and a few twists you won’t see coming, this one’s worth picking up.

Someone Knows is a gripping blend of psychological suspense and emotional drama. Keeland masterfully weaves secrets, danger, and desire into a tightly paced thriller that keeps you guessing while tugging at your heart. If you enjoy morally complex protagonists and summer reads with bite, this one’s for you.

Vi Keeland is one of my favorite authors. Her books are a must read. This one isn’t any different. I couldn’t put it down. I would definitely recommend to others!

Someone Knows is twisty.
It’s a bit on on the spicy side, for a thriller, in my opinion. If you’re into that, you will like it.
I didn’t dislike it, but it gave trash thriller vibes.
Not a ton of substance, little character development, and quite a bit of sexual encounters.
Elizabeth is an English professor. She has some obvious trauma , but she when a student starts sending pages describing a secret she has kept for 20 years, her world starts to unravel. Will she figure out who knows her past?
The twists are crazy. Kept me interested for the entire book.
Thank you Atria books for the ARC!

This was such a great fast paced thriller! I loved the main character and the twists and turns all along the way.

4.5 Mind Blown Stars!!!

From page one this book had me hooked. This was a masterful story filled with electrifying suspense and mystery that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time desperate to uncover the truth. But just when i thought i had it all figured out, i was hit with a plot twist that i did not see coming.

Honestly, what i loved about this is how the bombshell was dropped half way through the story, allowing the rest of then story to unfold a very satisfying and unexpected way.

The ending wasn't what i predicted too and i'm glad it wasn't wrapped up neatly and tied with a bow.

Happy to say Ms Keeland played me like a fiddle and I ain't even mad about it. Super glad I went on this thrilling ride and I can't wait for the audiobook to do a reread.

Thanks to Atria/Emily Bestler Books and Netgalley for the ARC!>

𝗠𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 4 ½✨⭐️
SOMEONE KNOWS
🤍𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: psychological thriller
📖 288 pages
𝗘𝗺𝗼𝗷𝗶𝘀: 👀✍🏼📧🚔🤫📖🌇🏫🌶️💊⛪️🏥📸😱
𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲: 6/17/2025

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
◽️ dual POV / timeline
◽️ a dark secret
◽️ twisty
◽️ unreliable narrators

💛𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲💛

Thank you @simonaudio @librofm @atriabooks @netgalley for the #gifted copy!

What a wild ride! @vikeeland you did it again! You are an auto buy author for me! From the very first page, I was completely hooked. The “book within a book” structure adds an eerie, layer that blurs fiction & reality, keeping you constantly questioning what’s real. Told through shifting timelines & an unreliable narrator in Elizabeth, the story keeps you on edge, unsure of who to trust as past & present collide.

This dark, twisty thriller doesn’t shy away from heavy themes—child abuse, grooming, cancer, and more—so be sure to check content warnings ⚠️ . Set between rural Louisiana & New York City, the contrast in settings heightens the tension & creates a haunting atmosphere. With red herrings, cryptic emails, forbidden attraction, & one jaw-dropping reveal 🤯 halfway through, this one’s packed with suspense. Mark your calendars—this hits shelves on 6/17 & will leave your head spinning! 😵‍💫

𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁: Elizabeth, a college English professor, is shocked when a student submits a story that mirrors a dark secret from her past. The tale follows a high school girl’s affair with a teacher—just like what happened to her best friend Jocelyn decades ago. Elizabeth knows how the story ends: with the teacher’s death—at her own hands. Now, someone else knows the truth & is threatening to expose her through each new chapter. To uncover who’s behind it, Elizabeth must return to her Louisiana hometown & confront the past she thought she’d buried.

Wow! I cannot believe that this is Keeland’s first thriller. I was absolutely blown away. This has everything in it that I love about thrillers. The mystery was not predictable, the story was told in a unique manner, the twists were twisty, it was dark and spicy. There were no plot holes and the ending was completely unexpected. Maybe more romance writers should write thrillers!

I would recommend this to any psychological thriller lover.

Themes: Mental Health; Abuse; Trauma Bonding; Family Issues; Self Discovery;

Setting: a small town in Louisiana

Plot: A young woman travels back to her home town to tie up loose ends when her past comes back to haunt her.

Thank you to Atria for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this! The premise was unique, the plot felt fast paced and easily readable, and I had fun guessing what was going on. While parts of it were predictable, parts of it I definitely didn’t see coming and I liked that it kept me on my toes.

I’ve been very slumpy recently and not reading much but I pretty much read this is one sitting and I had a great time doing so.

This was the first book by Vi Keeland that I read, and I must admit—I really liked it! The start will hook you and keep you engaged right up to the conclusion. This was Keeland's debut thriller, and I found it to be fantastic. It progressed at just the right speed for me to keep flipping the pages. The pacing was perfect for my taste.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

⭐⭐⭐ 1/2
🌶️🌶️
Content Note/Warning - grooming, abuse, sexual abuse, miscarriage, mental health struggles

I wanted to love this. I LOVED the idea that an English professor with a 20 year old secret receives a story from a student that feels too real. That somehow they know about her secret and are writing it. The reason it's only a 3.5 for me is I figured out each twist except the last one before they were revealed. And the last one left me with too many questions and feels more like a plot hole than a conclusion

Throughout the book, Elizabeth is trying to figure out who knows her secret. For me, there were 3 possibilities. Of those, 1 was the safe/predictable choice. The one I said while reading chapter 5 "if it ends up being this person, I'll be disappointed". I really wanted it to be someone else, it would have been such a great twist. But predictable won out and it was the safe choice.

As we learned more about Elizabeth and Jocelyn before they left their small town in Louisiana and Jocelyn headed to Florida while Elizabeth went to New York, something felt off about their shred history (hence the unreliable narrator mention coming up) and I thought "I wonder if . . ." and a couple chapters later, I found out I was right.

I almost tagged this as unreliable narrator because in a way Elizabeth isn't fully honest but at the same time the reason is because of the mental health struggles so it's iffy but if you're a fan of unreliable narrators this could check that box for you.

The final twist is the one I didn't see coming but it left me with more questions than answers.