Okay, Vi Keeland… how do you keep doing this? Just when I thought I had my heart safely tucked away after the last emotional rollercoaster you put me through, Someone Knows comes along and yanks it right out with a perfectly timed mix of swoon, sass, and a few well-earned sniffles. The chemistry? Off. The. Charts. I’m talking sparks-flying, tension-so-thick-you-need-a-machete kind of stuff. The banter had me grinning like a fool, and the emotional depth snuck up on me in the best way—like, one minute I’m laughing at a snarky comment, and the next, I’m whispering, “Oh no, my feelings.” Without giving too much away (because you deserve to go in unspoiled!), this story has the kind of second-chance-meets-secret-past vibe that pulls you in fast and does not let go. The characters feel like real people—flawed, messy, lovable—and their growth felt natural, not forced. So why not the full 5 stars? Just a tiny bit of pacing near the end felt rushed, like the emotional payoff came a little too quickly. I wanted just a bit more time to bask in the glow of everything coming together. But honestly? Someone Knows is the kind of book that stays with you—in your chest, in your grin, and definitely in your “reread when life feels a little too boring” pile. Brava, Vi. You’ve done it again.

Elizabeth’s reading her student’s story, and suddenly it hits her—this story sounds exactly like something she’s been through. Someone knows the secret she thought was buried twenty years ago. And the twists? Totally unpredictable.

Vi Keeland nails suspense with clever surprises that keep you guessing. Her move from romance to thriller feels effortless, proving she can write across genres without missing a beat. If you want a fast-paced, twisty read that’ll keep you on edge, this one’s a no-brainer.

As a big fan of Keeland romance books, I was excited to see how she wrote a thriller. The story was a little slow, the back and forth, hot and cold of Elizabeth got to be redundant and a little frustrating. There was a “holy sh*t” moment that helped the plot line pickup. The ending … total shock, jaw hanging open, what did I just read (and read the last few pages again). Fans of Keeland should keep this on their radar, but I’m a bigger fan of her romance books.
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Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

As a college English professor, Elizabeth looks forward to the start of each new semester teaching her creative writing seminar. At least until she reads chapter one of The Reckoning, a tale about a high school senior who has an affair with her teacher. To anyone else it would be the beginning of a great page-turner, but to Elizabeth it is the beginning of the end. She knows this story. It’s all familiar because she lived it, and she knows exactly how the story will end—with the professor dead. Because she was the one who killed him. Someone knows what Elizabeth did twenty years ago and her secret is about to be exposed, but who is the mystery student submitting the chapters?

I just finished this book and my jaw is still on the floor. This book had me flying through the chapters, with just enough cliffhangers that I found myself unable to put it down because I had to know what was coming next. Quite a few twists, some of them a bit predictable, but the final one left me shocked. I very much enjoyed reading this book!

Also, please make sure to read the trigger warnings before starting this book!

Thank you to Atria, Vi Keeland and Simon & Schuster audio for the ARC/ALC!

“The most dangerous lies are the kind an innocent person wants to be true…”

Elizabeth, an English professor, enjoys her creative writing class where her students each submit chapters of their own stories. One day, a story hits way too close to home - the story of a high school senior having an affair with her professor. Elizabeth lived this story - or rather, she watched her best friend Jocelyn live it, and they vowed never to speak of it again. But clearly someone knows. In an attempt to get to the bottom of things, Elizabeth returns to her Louisiana hometown.

To say this book was a wild ride was an understatement! It grabbed my attention from the beginning and I even found myself thinking about it long after I finished reading. I enjoyed the dual setting of New York and Louisiana as Elizabeth travelled back and forth between the two parts of her life to try to figure out what the heck was going on. Keeland delivered twist after twist in a way that was not at all too much; in fact, she executed them brilliantly. The final twist had my jaw drop. SO good! If you enjoy psychological thrillers, you don't want to miss this!

The audiobook was narrated by Leslie Howard (one of my faves) and Aiden Snow; they really brought the story to life.

"Someone Knows" releases June 17, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

In Someone Knows, college professor Elizabeth’s carefully controlled life begins to unravel when a student submits a short story that mirrors a dark secret from her past. As she tries to uncover who knows the truth about a decades-old crime, Elizabeth is forced to return home and face everything she tried to leave behind.

First, I have to say how completely unputdownable this book was. I read it over a very busy weekend and still found myself sneaking in chapters any chance I got. If my schedule had allowed, I’d have easily devoured it in one sitting. The pacing is that good.

Elizabeth is such a deeply drawn character. From the very first chapters, I felt fully invested in her. She’s been through so much; family trauma, the kind of suffocating religious upbringing that leaves lasting scars, and more that I won’t spoil here. Check your content warnings before diving in, because there are definitely moments that will hit hard. But because of the care Vi Keeland takes in writing Elizabeth’s experience, you end up really rooting for her. That’s no small feat.

There’s also a bit of spice in this story, just enough to heat things up without overpowering the suspense. And the twists? Masterfully done. Every time I thought I had the plot figured out, the story turned in another direction and left me questioning everything. That’s the mark of a great thriller… when nothing is quite what it seems, and you’re kept guessing right up to the final pages.

What I especially appreciated was that even after the big reveal, there were still just enough open threads to let me sit with the ending and ask, what would I believe happens next? It wasn’t frustrating, it was intentional. And it was done right.

Vi Keeland may be best known for her romance novels, but she’s clearly got a strong handle on the psychological thriller space too. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for her next one, and I might just explore her backlist while I wait. Four stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Vi Keeland has done it again! Another dark and propulsive 5 star psychological thriller that I absolutely could not put down.

Elizabeth is an English professor, and she is shocked when a student submits a piece that details an event that hits too close to home. Does this student somehow know the secret that has been hidden for twenty years?

Wild, dark, and definitely intense, Someone Knows hits all the right notes to keep you reading late into the night. As Elizabeth heads back to her small hometown, multiple characters are introduced and I never knew who to trust. Keeland's writing constantly kept me guessing all the way to the final pages. You do not want this one spoiled, so pick it up ASAP and be ready to binge it in a day!

WOW WOW WOW What a ride. This was my first Vi Keeland book but it certainly will not be my last. Elizabeth a college professor has a 20 year hidden past that keeps coming back to life. The twists and turns in this thriller keep coming until the very end and then some. All I can say is READ this book. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4.5/5

Vi Keeland is best known for her contemporary romances, but in her latest, she takes a darker turn and absolutely nails it. This was a fast paced, cleverly plotted thriller that had me hooked from the very first chapter. It’s smart, gripping, and laced with just enough spice to raise your pulse between the twists. The final chapter? Absolutely jaw dropping.

Though there’s some spice woven in (mild for romance fans, potentially spicy for thriller readers), it’s never the focus. Instead, the emotional intensity and unsettling themes, particularly around abuse and grooming, take center stage. The author handles these darker elements with care, using them to deepen the story rather than shock.

If you’re in the mood for a thriller that blends emotional weight with page turning suspense, Someone Knows is a standout. Smart, addictive, and unexpectedly powerful, I’m a huge fan of the authors thriller journey!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨ (4.5/5)

“A massage offer from a man is never just an offer for a massage.”

“… the most dangerous lies are the kind and innocent person wants to be true.”

Thanks to Atria / Emily Bestler Books / Simon & Schuster Audio for my #gifted copy of this awesome psych thriller.

I finally burst outta my reading slump with this book. I looked forward to reading it so much. It’s absolutely a compulsive read that you won’t want to miss.

My jaw dropped at the end of chapter 12! Also for being in a disgusting bathroom, that was a pretty hot sex scene. 🎬

Here’s the thing I was so invested in the story and just following it I forgot about trying to figure it out then partially through chapter 25 I was like oooooh I see where we are headed yesssssss!

I don’t want to give anything away, just know this…I love this authors work and I’m always impressed with authors who can write across genres and do it well.

Highly recommend this one!

I love a good solid thriller with believable twists. This one was so good and original and I flew right through it!!

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and author Vi Keeland for Advanced copy for honest review

4 stars recommend I want to get my review out there as Someone Knows by Vi Keeland was an Aardvark Book Club pick for June (early release). Someone knows but how? It is not possible, yet she reading the paper with her own eyes. As a student turns in their rough draft assignment of story so familiar, there is no point to finish because she knows the outcome of what happened 20 years. Only a few people knew and they’re not talking. So who is doing this and why now? Gripping from beginning, twists throughout, recommend!

My name is Elizabeth Davis. I'm 37 Year-old English professor living in New York. It’s been years since I left my hometown in Louisiana, and my life has been going well—until an email turned it upside down.
One of my students submitted a story. It was supposed to be fictional… but I knew it was true. How? Because I’m the killer of the main character in it.
Who would do this after 20 years?
Who knows the truth?
I haven’t spoken to anyone about it—except my friends and, well… my mother!
But someone else knows. And they want revenge.

What a rollercoaster this book was! Intriguing and fast-paced, I couldn’t stop reading because I had to know what would happen next. It’s full of twists, turns, and shocking surprises. It also tackles some heavy topics, so make sure to check the trigger warnings.
And the ending? I stared at the wall for a solid five minutes—I did not see that coming.
If you're a thriller fan, you’re going to love this one.
Thanks to @netgalley and the publisher for granting me an ARC of #SomeoneKnows in exchange for my honest review.

Xoxo😘

This book blew me away! I have to admit, I wasn’t the biggest fan of Keeland’s last novel but this one really impressed me. I truly did not see the twist coming which made me love it even more. Make sure you check your trigger warnings before reading because this book covers some heavy topics such as sexual abuse. I absolutely loved the psychological aspect of this book & you could really see what the FMC acted the way she did. Happy pub day to this absolute gem!

This was a lot of fun! It definitely covers some darker and tougher topics that would make it maybe not for everyone, but I enjoyed it a lot. I ended up reading most of it on a plane ride and couldn't get enough of all of the twists and turns, and I really loved the ending! I thought this was a unique thriller and satisfied the itch for a good twisty story that I had before reading it.

Note: a list of content warnings can be found at the end of this review.

English Professor Elizabeth Davis gets the shock of a lifetime when she reads one of her student's assignments for her yearlong fiction-writing class. The first chapter of this Hannah Greer's thriller is too familiar, chronicling the beginning of a jarring event in Elizabeth's life, exactly 20 years ago. She tries to reconcile it in her mind: it's simply not possible someone knows. It's just a coincidence. Doesn't matter that the events, location and names are completely the same. Doesn't matter that the first chapter describes, to the letter, the start of the affair (if you can call it that) between best friend Jocelyn and their 40 year-old high school English teacher, Mr. Sawyer. When more chapters make their way to Elizabeth's inbox, she is forced to confront the fact that someone does know everything... including how everything culminated in the murder of Mr. Sawyer by Elizabeth's hand... and whoever it is is inching closer toward a reckoning. What follows is Elizabeth's frantic attempt to discover Hannah's identity, before it's too late.

As someone whose formative years were spent watching hours of slasher movies, I was intrigued by the "I Know What You Did 20 Years Ago" premise of this thriller-with-a-touch-of-spice. Much like the antagonist of that film, Hannah Greer lets Elizabeth know the cat's out of the bag: they know everything. But rather than spit it out immediately, Hannah taunts Elizabeth by sending her eerie novelized chapters of various moments leading up to Mr. Sawyer's (deserved!) demise. None of them mention the murder, but Elizabeth senses the implication regardless.

Hannah's chapters, which we of course get to read too, are not for the faint of heart. I don't subscribe to the idea that a relationship between teacher and minor student is anything other than abuse of power, and Keeland doesn't romanticize this at all. Thankfully. But it does mean the chapters are deeply unpleasant to read, and readers should check content warnings.

Someone Knows is a gripping psychological thriller. The more Elizabeth tries to stay ahead of whoever this Hannah person is, the more desperate and paranoid she becomes. It's palpable and awkward at times, because it's almost a self-fulfilling prophecy: in ruling people out and fishing for information, she draws a lot of attention to herself, which only causes her to spiral further, not knowing who to trust.

Can she trust her current lover, police officer Sam? What about Ivy, the only other person who was there that night, besides Jocelyn and Elizabeth? The Sheriff clearly thinks she's behaving strangely, which, facts, she is. What about Jocelyn? There are so many more people to consider, and it's no wonder Elizabeth's despair grows. So when a handsome young man, Noah, shows interest in Elizabeth back home in Louisiana, the passionate distraction is very, very welcome. As her relationship with Noah develops, another continues deteriorating: the already strained relationship with her dying mother. Elizabeth's navigation of all of these relationships is uncomfortable at times, but I quite like that Elizabeth isn't altogether morally superior to those around her. Keeps things from being too predictable.

Every time I think I've got this book pegged, I'm sent in another direction with more whiplash. And because the book is fast-paced, it becomes almost overwhelming at times to keep track and doubt creeps in again and again. (Which is fantastic for a thriller.) Everyone and their chia pet is a suspect at one point. The eventual reveal is both surprising and not surprising at all, which sounds illogical, but it is what it is. I thought it was infuriatingly awesome to feel both proud of myself for actually figuring it out, AND feel thrown for a complete and utter loop regardless.

I would have liked to read more about some of Elizabeth's other significant relationships, in particular the one with Ivy. I also wanted to know more about what actually went down the night of the murder. We don't get that. There is a lack of closure in many ways: the ending can be considered to be open. It's jarring enough to fill in some blanks for us, but I'm also not entirely resigned with it. I have questions! Argh. It'll stay with me for a long, long time though. My lower jaw is still on the floor.

**Thank you NetGalley and Atria / Emily Bestler Books for generously providing me with a copy of this book; all opinions expressed are honest, voluntary and 100% my own.**

Following below is a list of potential (spoilery) Trigger Warnings: 

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- On-page grooming of a minor by an adult authority figure
- On-page physical, verbal and sexual abuse of a minor
- Mentions of child abuse
- Off-page character deaths
- Religious tension

‘The Unraveling’ by Vi Keeland was one of my favorite thrillers I read last year, so I couldn’t wait to read her newest book!

‘Someone Knows’ is about a woman named Elizabeth who has left behind a childhood of being raised by a neglectful alcoholic and is now a successful English professor in New York City. Her creative writing class is in full swing, and she gets to see some of the most unique stories cross her desk. One, in particular, catches her eye this semester: It’s about a teenager who forms a relationship with her high school teacher, and the story of what happened to him. It’s familiar to Elizabeth, because it’s a true story, and she knows where it is headed. She helped her best friend kill him all those years ago — and now someone knows.

I honestly had no idea where this book was going to go. There is a huge twist at the halfway mark that completely changes the trajectory of the story, and that’s when I found myself fully invested in trying to figure out who knows Elizabeth’s secret — and I was shocked by the ending!

Yet, while this story had me turning pages, I personally didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I loved ‘The Unraveling.’ I think this was mostly due to a few unanswered questions I had, but the ending does allude to more, so maybe my questions will be answered one day.

This book was very unsettling to me, and it makes me sick to my stomach thinking that there are young people out there going through this kind of abuse. If you are sensitive to stories about a teacher grooming a teenage student, then I would advise you to take care when approaching this book, and keep in mind some of the other sensitive topics I’ve listed below.

CONTENT WARNING: Recurring topics include a character with dementia, cancer, teacher-student grooming, addiction, death of a loved one, and detailed depictions of abuse.

One word of advice, don’t finish this before bed. It will haunt your dreams and leave you wondering what the heck did I just read. Insane is the only word I can think of to describe this book. A true psychological thriller. Kept me guessing until the very end.
This is the second book I have read by this author and I want to read her whole collection.

Check the trigger warnings before reading.

[arc review]
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
Someone Knows releases June 17, 2025

Twenty years ago, Elizabeth saved her best friend’s life by killing the teacher who was grooming and abusing her.
Now, as an English professor, Elizabeth’s past has come back to haunt her when a student in her creative writing class submits chapters of a book in which they describe Jocelyn’s experience with the man Elizabeth killed in great detail.

Who is this student, and how do they know about what happened twenty years ago when Elizabeth and her friends made a pact to never speak about their senior year?

This is such a captivating thriller that realistically explores complex family dynamics and the ways in which trauma and generational abuse shapes us. Keeland does an excellent job of utilizing every page she is given and really works the unreliable narrator trope to her advantage.

With her sophomore thriller, Keeland solidifies her talent as a multi-genre author, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

Thank you to @Simon.audio for the gifted audiobook! Thank you to @atriabooks for the eARC!

Vi Keeland writes the most unhinged thrillers! They are intriguing and addictive and no matter how off the rails things go I can’t stop reading. I very much enjoyed this novel and finished in nearly one sitting. The audio was well-done and the book kept me guessing. Twists on twists and so much to consider throughout, this thriller was captivating! I’ll be reading her next thriller for sure!