Wanted to love this one, but I'm afraid I couldn't get over how it was trying to make a woman's trauma from being sexually assaulted as a teen into something sexy. I couldn't do it.

Still grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

Someone Knows isn't just a book; it's an adrenaline-fueled dive into the murky waters of a buried past. From the moment college English professor Elizabeth reads the first chapter of a student's submission, The Reckoning, you're hooked. This isn't just any creative writing assignment; it's a chillingly accurate account of a secret Elizabeth has desperately tried to outrun for two decades. The story within the story, detailing her best friend Jocelyn's affair with their high school teacher and his subsequent death, is the kind of narrative genius that sets this thriller apart.
What makes Someone Knows truly shine is its unrelenting tension. Keeland masterfully crafts a sense of impending doom, as Elizabeth's carefully constructed life begins to unravel. The identity of the mystery student becomes a driving force, propelling both Elizabeth and the reader into a desperate search for answers. Every page is infused with the dread that Elizabeth's darkest secret is about to be exposed, and the stakes couldn't be higher.
When Elizabeth returns to her Louisiana hometown, the past isn't just revisited; it explodes into the present. The way Keeland weaves together the fragmented memories and current dangers is simply brilliant. You feel Elizabeth's paranoia, her desperation, and her fierce need to protect her secret, even as new layers of deception and betrayal are revealed. The supporting characters, each with their own potential connections to the past, add to the intricate web of suspicion.
Someone Knows is a true page-turner that will keep you guessing until the very end. The reveals are expertly paced, delivering satisfying shocks without ever feeling contrived. Keeland doesn't just craft a suspenseful plot; she delves into the psychological toll of guilt and the corrosive power of secrets. If you're looking for a gripping, unputdownable thriller that will stay with you long after you've turned the final page, then Someone Knows is an absolute must-read.

I loved the fast pace of this book and the twists were fantastic. The story hooked me from the very first chapter submission and didn’t let go. As Elizabeth’s past and present collide, the tension builds in all the right ways. The layers of mystery kept me turning pages, and just when I thought I had it figured out, the epilogue had my jaw on the floor.

Someone Knows is a twisty, bingeable read that explores buried secrets, guilt, and revenge. Highly recommend if you like your thrillers dark and twisty.

Thank you NetGalley & Atria Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Omg this book was amazing… just when I thought I knew who was sending the chapters, I was wrong and then a shocking ending confirmed I was right. I think this book was really good. Thank you for allowing me to have an ARC copy. I also added the paperback version to my library collection. :)

✨Thank you so much to @atriabooks for the gifted e-ARC of Someone Knows by @vi_keeland !✨

⚠️ Trigger warnings: Grooming, child abuse, assault

The Premise:
Elizabeth, an English professor at a New York university, receives a mysterious chapter from someone claiming to be her student. But this isn’t just any writing sample; it exposes a traumatic event she’s kept buried for over 20 years. Someone else knows her secret... and now, everything is at risk.

My Thoughts:
From the first page, I was hooked. This book is packed with suspense, emotion, and just the right amount of romance. The pacing is fast, the tension is real, and the storytelling is layered in a way that keeps you fully invested. The POV alternates between Elizabeth’s present and “Hannah’s” manuscript, which adds an extra level of intrigue and makes the mystery even more compelling.

Let’s talk about that twist—because wow. It drops right at the halfway point and flips everything on its head. I loved that Vi didn’t save the big reveal for the final pages. Instead, she lets the second half unravel the emotional and psychological aftermath, and it’s done so well. Just when you think you’ve cracked the mystery, she throws in another surprise that leaves you reeling.

Final Thoughts:
This is a fast-paced, emotionally charged page-turner with strong characters, dark secrets, and an unforgettable plot. It’s smart, twisty, and totally addictive. If you love your thrillers with a side of romance (and a few jaw-dropping reveals), you need this on your TBR.

Vi Keeland, more thrillers, please. 👏

Vi Keeland has quickly become one of my new favorite authors! Loved her last book and could not wait to read this one. The story was suspenseful and made you feel all the emotions of the main character. The twist was awesome! Highly recommend!

Someone Knows is a twisty popcorn thriller that sucked me in from the start. I loved Vi Keeland's previous thriller titled The Unraveling. She returns to a similar vibe here with a female protagonist in a professional position making unethical choices.

In Someone Knows, Elizabeth is an English professor with a dark past that she considers long buried. When one of her online creative writing students starts sending chapters that are eerily familar, Elizabeth travels back to her small hometown in Louisiana to try to get to the bottom of it.

I thought this was a wild ride and a standout in this easy and quick reading genre. It reminded me of The Plot but with tighter pacing and I did prefer this female protagonist. And the ending? I can't wait and truly hope we get a sequel!

Elizabeth Davis is a creative writing professor at a university in New York City. Each semester, she has her students submit their work and she enjoys reading the stories and seeing the promise of future writers. That is, until she reads a story from a student that mirrors her hidden past. When she was a teenager back in Louisiana, she and her two friends committed a crime after one of them had an affair with a teacher and he ended up dead. Elizabeth is shaken and determined to figure out who knows this secret. She and her two friends, Ivy and Jocelyn vowed never to talk about it and have not spoken to each other in over 20 years.

Elizabeth has to return home due to her mother's terminal illness and she tries to Jocelyn, but can't. She gets in touch with Ivy, who swears it is not her. She encounters Noah Sawyer and starts a fling, only to find out that he is the son of the man from her past that was killed. Is it him that knows her secret and is taunting her.

Elizabeth is a very flawed character who uses her sexuality and men and makes very bad decision. Her relationship with her mother is complicated, but when she dies, all is revealed. What I though was the conclusion left much to be desired, but the epilogue bumped this up to 4 stars .This is a propulsive read that keeps you guessing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

𝙶𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚎: 𝙼𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚢/𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬💭:
Get ready for one of my top thrillers this year! I enjoyed this author’s debut thriller last year, so I was excited to pick this one up. I think it’s also best to go in blind like i did! I enjoyed it all the more that way, so i would highly recommend to do the same!

Thank you Atria Books for my ARC

𝐁𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐛📝: (Skip if you wanna go in blind!)
Elizabeth is an english professor teaching creative writing. When she reads through a submission from her student about a high school student who has an affair with her teacher, it felt too familiar. Until she realizes the story is her friend’s life that should have long been buried. She knows all too well how the story will end, her teacher winds up dead and she killed him.

𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. My first impression of the book after reading the prologue was that wow, this book is gonna be good. I love a book that hooks me right from the beginning. I was also surprised to breeze through the book quickly than my usual pace! An absolute bingeable read! A page turning ride that comes with dark themes, twists, turns and red herrings that kept me on my toes. And all of a sudden my head was spinning as i raced to the end. This was highly addicting, and a book that keeps me interested and makes me gasp with its twists deserves 5⭐️ The author is known for her romance books, so she didn’t fail to insert some subtle spice into this one without being out of place. She will just continue to be an auto buy author for me, and i can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚: 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘺 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘢𝘳𝘴, 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘺, 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

ARC Review

Tropes:
Murder Mystery
Thriller
Flashbacks
English Professor FMC
Journalist MMC
Shocking Ending

I've read several of Vi Keeland's romance novels and I like her writing style, seeing her write a murder mystery was a pleasant surprise.

The story follows Elizabeth who is now an English professor in NYC, when one of her students in an online writing class, submits a story(chapter by chapter) of a murder that Elizabeth committed 18 years ago. Only 3 people knew of this murder and all three had sworn to secrecy. Now Elizabeth is paranoid and needs to find out who is after her and what they want.

The writing flowed nicely and the jumps from past to present didn't confuse you.

I really enjoyed reading this story even with such heavy topics. With each chapter another piece of the puzzle unfolded and it was nice getting to put the pieces together.

The touch of romance and spice was a good touch. It did seem a bit random at first and unnecessary, but with the full picture, it made so much sense! I really hope Elizabeth is happy and has a peaceful life from here on out!

While I'm happy that Elizabeth got a sense of closure, that ending sort of left me annoyed. Just when we thought the mystery was solved there was a new piece of information given, which completely crossed out the previous conclusion. I honestly loved and hated it at the same time. There seemed to be a hint of a book 2, so I'm excited, but if not I'm content with this ending(but would much rather have a book 2😅)

“I press my lips together and don’t point out that I have a life and a career too, and my life isn’t worth less just because I chose not to have a family.”

As an English professor, Elizabeth loves to read her students work in her creative writing seminar. When she gets a story that sounds eerily familiar though, she needs to know how this student knows. she knows this story. She knows it because she was there. Can she find this student and stop them before her secrets are laid bare?

I did this book on audio and really loved that format for this read! From the very beginning I could not stop listening and wanted to know more. I didn’t guess a lot of the twists i this one which always makes for a fun read, and I found the story to be fast paced and so enjoyable! If you want a quick read that will keep you reading, look no further than Someone knows!

Thank you to @atriabooks and @simon.audio for my gifted copy of this book!

This was such a great read! I love Vi Keeland's books and this was no different. There were twists and mysteries and I definitely struggled to figure out who was messing with whom. I appreciated the present chapters as well as the chapters in the book that revealed more and more as it went on. I was not expecting that Jocelyn was not real and was actually part of Elizabeth. The story was well written and the last chapter had me face palming. It was such a great ending to the story. I appreciated how everything was developed and how there is ultimately a letter from Elizabeth's mother that answers a lot of questions. I believe she did love Elizabeth but did not know how to show it. I would definitely recommend this to any thriller lover!

Just finished Someone Knows by Vi Keeland(thank you atriabooks for the ARC!) 📖

This story follows a woman whose past trauma resurfaces when a student begins sending her secrets as a story back to her, chapter by chapter. Set in a small town with buried secrets, it had twists I didn’t see coming , especially in the middle and toward the end.

Just a heads up … this book includes sensitive topics like SA and teacher student relationships, which might not be suitable for everyone. Please read with care.
It reminded me a bit of some other thrillers I’ve read, but it definitely had its own vibe. The story is pretty gripping, and with not too many characters, it was super easy to keep track of what was going on. I really liked the ending, I usually figure out how thrillers end, but this one totally caught me off guard.Someone Knows was released on June 17, 2025.So go pick it up if you’re in the mood for a small town thriller.
⭐️ Rating: 3.75 / 5

This was such a fun & spicy thriller. I loved it. I read Vi’s debut thriller and this matched the same energy for me. The romantic undertones kept the premise of the story interesting while also delivering plot twists throughout. She has a way of luring you, making you think you know the direction she’s heading and then pulling a 180 on you. Normally I guess most thrillers but this kept me on my toes. The last few pages made me laugh out loud and stare at the wall because she pulled the sheet over my head. This is exactly what I look for in a thriller.

This held my attention & I couldn’t put it down until I finished it in one sitting. Definitely recommend this and unravelling if you’re wanting to dip your toes into thrillers!

Many thanks to NetGalley & Atria books for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️. Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Vi Keeland for an arc of this book.

Check your trigger warnings before proceeding with this book.

I really enjoyed the first half the book. The unreliable narrator, the mystery, the suspense was all so good. When the twist hit around half way, I was shocked. I did not see that coming. But then the book took a little of a turn for me…

I severely disliked that she started abusing Noah in the same manor as her abuser. When she told him “down on your knees”, I almost just quit the book. Then for author to make her messed up enough to do that but have just enough awareness to know it was messed up and then proceeds to still do the messed up thing made me so frustrated. The book lost a whole point, just for that. The half point came down to the fact that the last 25% was a little all over and then for her to keep seeing the son of her absuser and to find out he is basically continuing to screw her over at that! 😡

Definitely a check your triggers book. Overall still a solid thriller, just a few things that bothered me.

Content Warnings: ABUSE, CHILD ABUSE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A MINOR, GROOMING, violence, spice, death, murder, death of parent, religious aspects, homicide, death of a child, alcoholism , miscarriage
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Tropes: thriller, suspense, psychological, teacher-student, unreliable narrator

Elizabeth, a college professor, has assigned her creative writing students to write and submit chapters to her for review and critique. All is going well until she reads one of her students first Chapter. It's exactly a story from her past. She's scared, as someone knows what she did 20 years ago. This was a twisty story that had me on edge every time I had to put it down.

Someone Knows is a psychological thriller that keeps you on edge and guessing until the very last chapter. As a longtime fan of Vi Keeland’s romance novels, I was curious to see how she’d handle a darker genre—and she absolutely delivered.

This gripping story reminds me of The Teacher by Freida McFadden or something you’d find in a Steve Cavanagh novel—fast-paced, twisty, and completely addictive. From the first sentence to the last, I was hooked.

Another 5-star read from a talented author. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

Holy shit this may be my favorite thriller of the year so far. Vi Keeland is a goddess - this is the second of her books that I have loved. She really knows how to drop a bomb at the end of a book

This was really engaging, and I wasn't sure how it was going to end. The last chapter blew my mind and made me want to start over to see what I had missed.

You know those thrillers where you truly don’t know the ending until the final page? Where you finish reading and think “What the heck just happened?” Yeah. That’s this book. I haven’t had this feeling about a thriller in a LONG time – there have been some good ones, but nothing that shook me to my core. Someone Knows had my jaw beyond the ground.

When Elizabeth was a teenager, she killed her teacher when she found out he was abusing her friend. She’s never told anyone about what happened that night – the only other person who knows is her estranged childhood best friend, Ivy. So, when one of her online students begins submitting chapters of a novel that contain the chilling details of this story, she knows the secret is out. She just has to figure out who knows, and stop before they can ruin her life.

There were some good plot twists here that I didn’t see coming. I don’t want to give anything away – but there was one element that I had a gut feeling about, but even though that gut feeling was mostly right, there was one shocking twist at the end that I did NOT realize would happen, and honestly had me wishing for a second epilogue!

I will give warning – this is heavy handed on the abuse aspect, and some scenes are steamy in an almost unsettling way. If that doesn’t bother you, don’t let it deter you, but I do feel like it needs to be said.

This book really packs a punch. It moves with a lightning fast pace, and I know I say this a lot, but I really could not put this one down. If you are in the market for a wild ride of a thriller, Vi Keeland is ready to take you on one!