She Didn't See It Coming is a fast-paced, gripping thriller that masterfully maintains suspense from start to finish, keeping me on the edge of my seat and guessing until the very last page. The story explores how everyone carries secrets—some so deeply buried that even they struggle to reconcile their own truths.

Bryden Frost appears to live a happy, content life with her loving husband, Mark, and their six-year-old daughter, Lily, in a modern, bright condo overlooking downtown. One ordinary morning, while working from her home office, Bryden becomes distracted and forgets to pick up Lily from daycare, setting off a chain of events that rapidly spiral out of control. What initially seems like a missing persons case escalates into a complex murder investigation, with a growing list of potential suspects, including jealous neighbours, disgruntled colleagues, and family members with secrets and lies.

Detective Jayne Salter, known for her sharp intuition and relentless persistence, cuts through a tangled web of truths, lies, and half-truths to uncover the truth and get justice for Bryden. The author skillfully crafts numerous twists and red herrings, adding layers of complexity and intrigue to the case. That made it hard for me to put the book down and had me reading late into the night.

While I didn't connect with all the characters, I recognize that this was an intentional choice to emphasize their flawed and layered personalities.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone seeking an engaging summer beach read. The short, punchy chapters make it easy to devour quickly, and the compelling plot will keep you captivated from beginning to end.

Thank you, NetGalley, Doubleday Canada and Penguin Random House Canada, for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. I was under no obligation to provide a review.

She Didn't See it Coming by Shari Lapena is a psychological thriller about  a woman who  disappears from her condo, with no sign of her ever leaving the building.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Penguin Random House and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.




My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Bryden and Sam have a wonderful life, wonderful friends, and a great 3-year old daughter.  They are currently trying for another baby.

But when Bryden fails to pick up their little girl from daycare, and is not in the condo, Sam calls the police.  Although there are no signs of a struggle, there are also no signs that Bryden ever left the building, and both her purse and cell phone are still in the condo.

A door-to-door search is on, and Detective Salter and her team start looking into other residents, as well as family, friends, and even acquaintances.  There is a neighbour down the hall that is suspicious, and then there's the man who Bryden had a car accident with.  Bryden's sister Lizzie is a little too into true crime, and her best friend Paige is a little too close to the whole family.

But not everything is quite as it seems.  The perfect marriage may not be as perfect as it seems.




My Opinions:
Well, this was really quite good.  Nothing was as it seemed.

The book is about secrets and lies, and some rather despicable characters.  There were a lot of suspects, and a lot of twists.  Even though not all were guilty of murder, they all were guilty of something....even the victim.

The ending almost made it feel like there could be a sequel, which I'm not sure I liked.  Most things got wrapped up,  but not everything.  I am sure one was intentional, but another felt like it was just missed.

Overall, this was a fast and very entertaining read, but the ending didn't satisfy quite as much as I had hoped.

I adore Shari Lapena's books! I've read than all and with new entry I've declared it my favourite. But this latest? She Didn't See It Coming is crazy good!! And yes, it's my new fave.

Why, you ask? Everything starts with one event. Bryden fails to pick up her child from daycare. The daycare calls her husband Sam to come and get the child. He’s rather put out about it but jumps in the car to go get Clara. The thing is…Bryden hasn't come home or the next day either.

The police are called in and the tale takes off from there. Bryden is a mother, a wife, a daughter, a sister, friend, an employee and more. And as readers we have access to everybody’s thoughts and actions. But can we believe what each character is saying?

I love twists and turns in a tale, and my goodness there’s some of the best ones I’ve ever read this book. I couldn’t predict at all how things were going to go.

What a great summer read! Well, actually it’s a great read anywhere and any place!

Shari Lapena books tend to look the same. Is that good or bad? Dean Koontz is awesome, but you knew what you were going to get.
This thriller was solid, well written and enjoyable.

The tagline for the book was ‘She didn’t see it coming…. And neither will you.
Not really accurate. Again, her books are fairly predictable. At least I was more than halfway through before my predictive abilities kicked in.

Overall, kick your feet up, sit in a beach chair, don’t spend too much brain power and enjoy.

She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena
5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada / Doubleday Canada for the advanced copy!

When Bryden doesn't show up to pick up her 3-year-old from daycare, her husband Sam knows something is amiss. After Sam picks her up and heads home, he finds their apartment as normal, and nothing seems wrong... except the fact that Bryden is nowhere to be found. What follows is a captivating thriller revealing secrets, family dynamics, and strange interactions with neighbours, and strangers alike.

I've said it before: Shari Lapena does not miss. I'm not sure what she puts in her books, but I was addicted and did not want to put this down. Lapena has delivered yet another page-turner of a suburban thriller. 

She Didn't See It Coming is out July 29th

She Didn't See It Coming by Shari Lapena is another fast paced thriller that will leave you guessing until the very end.
Bryden Frost lives a seemingly happy life with her husband and child in a nice condo. One day while working from home she fails to pick up her daughter from day-care. What starts as a missing persons case soon turns into a murder case with a long list of suspects. Detective Jayne Salter has to wade through the truths and lies in her pursuit for justice for this young woman. The twists and all the red herrings make this case intriguing.
Did I like all the characters, no, but I think that was the point. Everyone has so much to hide, so many secrets that even they find their truths hard to reconcile.
I recommend this book to anyone who needs a good summer beach read. The short chapters make it an easy read and the plot is entertaining.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for my honest review.

Wow. This is by far the best thriller I have read in a long time.

The way the book starts out with a bang and then the reader is following along trying to figure out who the killer is. There are many options and scenarios in this one. I absolutely love it.

This book keeps you wanting to read more. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I have read quite a few os Shari’s books and this one is number 1 for me.

An incredible fast paced 5 star book. I highly recommend this one.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

You can trust Canadian author Shari Lapena for a twisty read! In this latest book, a woman suddenly goes missing. Her family, friends and neighbours are interviewed by the police, but everyone is stumped at how this young mother could vanish into thin air.

Part mystery, part police procedural, with lots of potential culprits and red herrings, this story has more of a 'whodunnit' mystery vibe than a traditional suspense read.

Readers get the POVs from several characters - neighbours, friends, family and persistent police detective Jayne. Generally, they aren't an overly likeable bunch, but I enjoyed how their messy secrets, lies and motivations are revealed to the reader. Everyone seems to have something to hide!

My only beefs are that a couple of the POVs felt like they were added simply to misdirect but then dropped out of sight. And could the reveal have been more unexpected and hard hitting? Perhaps, but if you're looking for a bingeable read with short chapters that will have you putting your detective hat on because everyone is suspicious, this is it. I'm hoping we see more of Detective Jayne in future books.

Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to DoubleDay and Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary digital copy of this book which was given in exchange for my honest review.

Shari Lapena is one of my must-read authors. I always enjoy her twisty domestic thrillers with secrets and unreliable characters you’re never quite sure about. She Didn’t See It Coming had all that, but honestly, it didn’t grab me as much as some of her other books.

The story centers around Bryden, a woman who suddenly goes missing from her luxury condo in Albany, New York. On the surface, Bryden’s life looks perfect—she has a handsome husband, Sam, and a cute three-year-old daughter, Clara. But as the investigation unfolds through multiple points of view, it becomes clear that beneath that flawless facade, secrets and lies are everywhere. Everyone connected to Bryden seems to be hiding something, and nothing is quite what it seems.

The story kicks off with that classic Lapena vibe—everyone’s got secrets, no one’s really likable, and you’re left guessing who’s telling the truth. The multiple POVs add layers to the mystery, making it hard to pin down what’s real. I did find the middle dragged a bit and lost some momentum, but the ending picked up again with a strong twist and that signature cliffhanger that leaves you thinking long after you finish.

Read this if you like…
• Domestic thrillers with deeply buried secrets and shifting loyalties
• Characters who are unreliable, morally grey, and tough to figure out
• Stories where no one’s innocent, and everyone’s got something to hide
• Multiple POVs that slowly peel back the layers
• Cliffhangers and endings that keep you thinking
• Themes of betrayal, control, and appearances being deceiving
• Themes of family dynamics, sibling rivalry, and female friendships

Rating: 3.8 out of 5

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada (Doubleday Canada imprint) for the e-ARC of this book, which is set to be published on July 29 2025.

Shari Lapena continues to reign as the queen of twisty domestic thrillers that are ALWAYS full of unlikeable characters hiding bad deeds and this latest kept my head spinning from start to end. Excellent on audio narrated by January LaVoy, this started off with a mother gone missing and turns into a murder investigation where everyone is a suspect and NO ONE can be trusted. Absolutely couldn't put it down and if you are a fan of Lapena's you won't want to miss it nor will you be disappointed. I especially liked the true crime/amateur detective aspect and the sibling jealousy. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!!

First off I would like to thank Penguin Random House CA for sending me over an ebook ARC of She Didn't See It Coming.

This is the third Shari Lapena novel that I have had the pleasure to review (I have also read The Couple Next Door which was INCREDIBLE) and it is another great novel from a great Canadian writer.

How can a woman seem to disappear into thin air from her own home? Somehow, that is exactly what Bryden has done. Her phone, purse, keys and wallet are all still sitting in their spots, as if she just stepped away for a moment. Bryden does not return and detectives must race against the clock to find out what happened to her.

This is an incredibly twisty story. Everyone has secrets they are keeping from each other and the police and it leads us down a few wrong paths which is incredibly satisfying for a thriller reader such as myself. Just when I thought that I had figured out, everything took a hairpin turn and we were off on a completely different direction. It was addicting and I could see this playing out as a movie in my head.

She Didn't See it Coming is expected to be published on July 29 2025 and will be available at your local bookseller or library

I’ve been meaning to pick up a Shari Lapena book for a while. I already have a few on my shelf waiting to be read, so when I saw this ARC on NetGalley, I knew I had to request it. This book had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was constantly wondering who did it and what kind of drama was going to unfold next. Lapena is a master at pulling you into the story. I spent just as much time daydreaming about the who, what, where, and why as I did actually reading. I even caught myself in the shower thinking, Was it them? And why?

As a toddler mum, this one really hit me. My son is the same age as Bryden’s daughter, so I could easily picture the heartbreak and confusion. Trying to process that kind of tragedy while also taking care of a three year old who just wants the other parent and has no idea why they are not there…it really stuck with me.

I also loved the way the characters were written and how smoothly everything flowed. Lapena has a talent for shifting between characters without making it feel choppy or overwhelming. She does not stick to a one character per chapter format. Instead, she lets the story move through multiple perspectives within a single chapter, and it just works. It kept the pace quick and the tension high.

This was such a gripping and easy read. I did not want to put it down. Five stars from me… this one was outstanding.

Shari Lapena’s She Didn’t See It Coming doesn’t waste a second before turning a perfect life upside down. Bryden Frost, adored wife and mother, vanishes from her swanky condo, and what looks like a routine missing persons case quickly turns into a full-on pressure cooker. Suspicion seeps through the walls of her building, where every neighbour seems to have something to hide, and the story unspools into a tangled web of secrets and lies.

Lapena is in her element here. She zips between perspectives—Bryden’s husband Sam, her true-crime obsessed sister Lizzie, best friend Paige, and a handful of others—without ever letting the tension drop. The clipped chapters and sharp dialogue make for the kind of read you start before bed and accidentally finish at 3 a.m. There are red herrings everywhere, and just when you think you’ve cracked it, another twist knocks your theory flat.

What sets this thriller apart isn’t just the mystery itself (though it’s a good one), but the uneasy feeling that creeps in: how much do you really know about the people living right next door? Lapena’s knack for “suburban paranoia” is at its best, with characters who are flawed, relatable, and all carrying secrets of their own. The themes—trust, betrayal, addiction, the masks we wear for the sake of appearances—dig under your skin, making you question everyone’s motives.

If there’s a drawback, it’s that the sheer amount of characters and constant perspective shifts can get dizzying, especially if you’re the type who likes to keep everything straight. And sure, some of the plot twists are wild enough to border on improbable, but honestly, that’s half the fun.

She Didn’t See It Coming is a tightly wound, fiendishly plotted domestic thriller that doesn’t let up until the final page. If you want a book that’ll keep your heart rate up and your mind spinning, this is it.

*huge* Shari Lepena fan here. I believe I’ve read all her books (9?), save for the short stories. As a Canadian, SL is our Canadian thriller queen!

She Didn’t See It Coming was everything I hoped it would be. I absolutely could. not. put. it. down.

I saved it to read while on my “summer vacation” and it was the perfect vacation read. Fast paced, multiple POV, unreliable narrators, 350 pages. Enjoyed this until the very last page.

5⭐️

The best parts of summer are long days, beautiful sunsets and the latest book written by Shari Lapena. I look forward to a new SL thriller every summer and this one did not disappoint.

The story drew me in immediately with a scene involving a minor fender bender between our FMC and a mysterious sounding man. The sense that this would come back to haunt her kept me turning pages to find out more. Short chapters with perfect cliff hangers kept me up reading much too late! As always, just when I thought I knew who our bad guy was, I was wrong. This summer thriller kept me guessing and thinking about it even when it wasn’t in my hands. The ending was perfectly shocking and I loved that I could look back and see all the clues in hindsight.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you to @netgalley @doubledayca and the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I generally adore Shari Lapena's book but this one just...annoyed me. Too many characters, oand an ending that just fell flat ...n9t a horrible book but not a great one either...but I know our patrons will lap it up.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada (Adult) | Doubleday Canada for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

A woman goes missing. When police arrive, it seems that Bryden and her husband, Sam, are a happy American family. A beautiful three-year-old daughter, a lovely condo apartment, good jobs and loving friends and family. But the detectives on the case cannot help but feel that something is not right, and with every passing moment, those around Bryden seem to be trying to keep it together, but it soon becomes clear, things might not have been perfect after all.


This book was so hard to put down. So many twists and red herrings, and my jaw kept dropping as different characters had their time with the narrative. I was very satisfied with how it all went down, and I think I almost fell off the couch because I didn't notice how on edge I happened to be.😂

Pack this one in the beach bag! But don't forget the extra sunscreen.








Publication Review Date 29/07/25
Goodreads Review Date 21/07/25

✨Reviews✨
📚She Didn’t See It Coming - Shari Lapena📚
📖 2.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an early copy of Shari Lapena’s new novel “She Didn’t See It Coming”. 

 A suburban mystery including some of my favorite tropes: missing person, adultery, murder and the inclusion of an online true crime community. With lots of likely suspects the reader is working with the police to piece together the clues and try and figured out what happened to Bryden.

This one has a very slow rhythm, with numerous POV’s unfolding in the same chapter telling the same story. Though it was a unique and interesting choice, it just didn’t work for me as a reader. I found it chaotic and a bit confusing to be jumping from person to person within the same chapter.

I almost DNF’d at 35% because nothing had happened but I pushed myself to finish the book. It did get better for a time, with lots of suspects and motives I was intrigued with the different relationships and secrets hiding beneath the surface of a healthy, happy family.

With so many good options to wrap this up and redeem the story for me, unfortunately the “twist” came out of left field and not in a good way. With how long it took to get juicy I was expecting a crazy twist and it just fell flat for me. I normally love Shari Lapena’s writing style and thrillers, this just wasn’t for me.

Wow!! Might just be the best psychological thriller that I’ve read this year. I don’t very often give 5/5 reviews but I loved She Didn’t See It Coming. I flew through the short, action packed chapters. So many twists and possible culprits; it was like a volleyball game of ‘who dunnit’. Clear your schedule before you start this one, cause you won’t want to put it down.
I always look forward to Shari’s new books- this one is my new favourite of hers!
Thank You to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Shari Lapena for the opportunity to devour and enjoy this ARC.

I love Shari Lapena’s books, and her latest domestic thriller was really hard to put down. Easily one of the best novels I’ve read this year, with many twists and potential suspects throughout the story. There were one or two things I would’ve liked a bit more clarity/finality on, which is why I didn’t give it a perfect score.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada (Adult)/Doubleday Canada for this ARC!
Strong 4.5/5 rounded up!