⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Crookes Lane Books for the ARC of Not Who You Think.

This thriller grabbed my attention right away with its haunting forest setting and chilling premise. The story alternates between two timelines, weaving the past and present together in a way that kept me on edge and turning the pages quickly. The back-and-forth structure added suspense and tension, and while at times it moved very fast, that pace really worked to keep the stakes high and the secrets building.

The dual timelines allowed for intriguing character development, showing how past decisions ripple into the present. I enjoyed how each reveal tied the two storylines closer and closer until the truth could no longer be hidden. Arbor Sloane’s writing style is direct and vivid, and I could easily picture the eerie, atmospheric scenes.

Overall, this was a quick, engaging read with twists that delivered and a structure that kept the story fresh. A solid thriller for anyone who enjoys timelines colliding and secrets that refuse to stay buried.#ArborSloane #CrookedLaneBooks #NetGalley

Not Who You Think by Arbor Sloane was an immersive, quick read. I was wrapped up in the story from beginning to end.

Thank You NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Amelia Child is both loved and hated after writing a true crime book about Gerald Shapiro, the Catfish Killer. Years later, a young girl from her daughter's school is kidnapped and everything points to a copycat who seems to be imitating Gerald Shapiro's MO. As Amelia teams up with the detective who helped her gain access to Shapiro for her book, she becomes convinced that the copycat meant to kidnap her daughter but took the wrong girl in error. When Amelia's daughter finds someone she suspects is the copycat on an online forum, she intervenes in an effort to help save her classmate. Amelia meanwhile is desperate to get to the bottom of who is responsible for the recent kidnapping before the victim is hurt, or worse.

This thriller is written across two timelines with excerpts from Amelia's book interjected into the story. While the behaviour of some of the characters was frustrating, the overall storyline (with a twist!) and reasonably short chapters made for an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Fast paced and tense from the very beginning. The author captures both the past and the present with the book within a book, and its ties to the events happening in the book at the time. I had some suspicions, but I was happy to not be completely right.

Twisty, tense, and totally addictive. A true crime author gets pulled back into her own nightmare when a copycat starts targeting her daughter’s classmates and it’s creepy how close to home it hits.

Told by Amelia, her daughter Gaby, sections of a book written by Amelia, and a killer, Amelia devoted herself to the case of Gerald, the Catfish Killer but now years later, someone is copying him. And that person is targeting Amelia via Gabby. This hit some familiar themes of the genre but there's a good twist (no spoilers) Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A fast read.

I don’t doubt that some people would love this book, however it wasn’t for me.

There were 4 points of view, the kidnapper, the book, gabby and Amelia and whilst at some points this was good for most of it, it was unnecessary

Overall it was well written but the plot was lacking

[NetGalley Read #40]
3.5 ⭐️

"Sometimes we cling to things that don't serve us anymore because we mistakenly believe that things will change. When you know deep down that they won't."

Quite good. A little rough around the edges. Could have been longer.

It's a great premise. Structure is also quite good, weaving in 3 POVs with excerpts from the fictional book 'Beyond the Glass'. It could have done with more pages. There are good themes but it feels like whenever the story tries to linger and explore that theme or try to flesh out the characters a bit more, the chapter ends.

Characters are good. Relationships are well written. The themes of love, loss, betrayal, abuse, and fear are all covered with our main characters. And the scene where Gabby sees her parents back together for a moment and the whole analogy with two branches of the same tree growing apart is just heartbreaking and beautifully written.

I liked the twist. There are enough red herrings thrown around to keep you guessing. I couldn't. So I liked it when it was revealed. Made sense. Wasn't too outlandish. Props for that.

It is easy to read. Fast paced. Short (220+ pages). Lots and lots of chapters (75, to be exact). Again, it could have done with more pages to flesh out the characters a bit more and explore the themes in more depth.

Recommended. 👍

Years after Amelia Child writes a bestseller about the Catfish Killer, a copycat seems to have popped up and taken a girl from Amelia’s daughter’s school. Amelia joins forces with the police detective on the Catfish Killer case to try and stop the copycat before it’s too late.

I think this started off really strong but as the story went along, it devolved. Multiple times I caught small discrepancies in the story. There were also multiple points of views, all in the first person, that had the same tone and syntax , making it difficult to decipher whose POV we were currently in. And perhaps the most egregious were the decisions Gabby, Amelia’s teenage daughter. Each one induced more eye-rolling and created multiple unnecessary situations.

Overall, though, I do think this was a quick and entertaining read. It’s a decent debut, and I would read a future book from Sloane.

After writing a book about the Catfish Killer, Amelia finds herself embroiled in a copycat case, where a girl from her daughter's school has been kidnapped. Is the copycat in contact with the original? Is Amelia's daughter next?

This book was an easy read, with a nice twist at the end.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Crooked Lane Books and Arbor Sloane for the early read!

I could not get into this book. Unfortunately, it was just not the right story for me to be reading at the time.

I loved the plot of this but some connections felt a little far fetched to me. Overall, a great popcorn thriller!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

Arbor Sloane’s Not Who You Think is a psychological scalpel, slicing through the skin of identity to expose the raw, twitching nerves beneath. The novel opens with a deceptively simple premise: a woman wakes up in a hospital with no memory of who she is, surrounded by people who insist they know her. But Sloane doesn’t play this for cheap suspense. Instead, they orchestrate a slow, cerebral unraveling that feels more like a philosophical interrogation than a whodunit.

Sloane’s prose is taut and clinical, almost sterile in its precision—until it isn’t. Moments of emotional rupture are rendered in jagged, fragmented syntax, mimicking the protagonist’s fractured psyche. The structure itself is a puzzle box: nonlinear chapters, unreliable narration, and shifting perspectives that force the reader to question not just what’s happening, but how they’re being told. It’s a masterclass in narrative disorientation.

The protagonist—known alternately as Mara, Elise, or “Jane Doe”—is a cipher whose identity is constructed through others’ projections. Sloane resists the temptation to make her sympathetic; instead, she’s unsettlingly blank, a mirror reflecting the fears and desires of those around her. Supporting characters—especially the enigmatic Dr. Kessler and the obsessive journalist Theo—are rendered with chilling ambiguity. Are they saviors, manipulators, or something worse?

Not Who You Think is a meditation on the instability of self. Sloane probes the idea that identity is not fixed but performative, shaped by memory, trauma, and external narrative. The thriller elements—missing persons, hidden files, cryptic messages—are scaffolding for a deeper existential dread: what if the person you think you are is just a story someone else told you?

Not Who You Think is not for readers seeking tidy resolutions or conventional thrills. It’s a literary labyrinth, where every turn leads to another hall of mirrors. Arbor Sloane doesn’t just twist the plot, but the reader’s perception of reality itself. This is a thriller for those who crave intellectual vertigo.

Best For: Fans of Gone Girl, The Silent Patient, and philosophical thrillers that leave you questioning everything—including yourself.

I thought I would be more drawn into the book Not Who You Think by Arbor Sloane. The story presents Amelia Child, a dedicated researcher who finds herself in familiar yet unsettling territory when a copycat killer emerges. The exploration of online personas and the dangers of trusting strangers is timely and relevant, especially in today's digital age.

However, the story's execution left a bit to be desired for me. The pacing also fluctuates throughout the novel as the story is told by Amelia, Gabby (Amelia's daughter), the killer, and excerpts from Amelia's book about serial killer Gerald Shapiro. The subplot involving Amelia's daughter Gabby conducting her own investigation had potential, but it often felt like a distraction rather than a cohesive addition to the main story.

Overall, Not Who You Think has interesting moments and raises important themes about trust and identity. However, its execution sometimes falters, making it an average thriller for me.

#NotWhoYouThink #NetGalley @crookedlanebks

<i>Not Who You Think</i> is a fast-paced and entertaining story. It has an interesting plot and compelling characters. Ultimately, I found it to be a very strong debut and would recommend to fans of mystery suspense/thriller, especially if you also enjoy true crime stories.

This story centers around an apparent copycat of a well-known serial killer in the Iowa City area. There is quite a bit of lore surrounding the serial killer due to a true crime book written by the daughter, Amelia, of one his victims, released 5 years before present day. The serial killer is behind bars, but he has many fans. When a new abduction occurs, Amelia notices the similarities to the true crime story. She also notes the similarities of the new victim to her own daughter of the same age. This causes Amelia to dive back into investigating to lend her expertise, helping the same FBI investigator she worked with previously, and protect her daughter.

This story has many moving parts and players, as well as featuring excerpts from the true crime book. My main critique is that it was too much going, so there were some loose ends. There were some head-scratching moments by some of the main characters, and I would have appreciated more story build up and character development. However, the short chapters and easy pace detract from those questions/critiques. It was a very consumable and enjoyable read.

Overall, it is a good read. I was impressed by the debut story from Arbor Sloane and hope to check out more in future

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. Views are my own.

"This review is for an ARC received through Netgalley!"
__

Wow! What a thrilling ride that was! The book discusses an issue of our times—the risks caused by online predators who can easily take advantage of the information we share online. It serves as a reminder to be cautious about what we post online, raising awareness of the potential dangers that come with our digital footprints. The author highlights these concerns well, effectively making us think twice before posting.

From the blurb, I was utterly hooked. I found myself on the edge of my seat, with my toes curling in suspense. While the plot may have some predictable elements—especially if you read between the lines—I still found it to be engaging and engrossing. The suspense was palpable throughout, keeping the excitement alive and making it difficult to put the book down.

Moreover, the end was wrapped up quite nicely. It's a book that not only entertains but also leaves a lasting impression, reminding readers of the importance of vigilance in our online lives. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would highly recommend it.

My Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

Let me preface this by saying that the book is told between several different years, and points of view. One of these points of view is through the book that Amelia wrote called Behind the Glass which detailed the life and subsequent kills of the original Catfish Killer.

Now, before I jump in, let me just say that I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this novel so it very well may be that the issues I am about to address have been corrected between the time I read it, and the final publication.

There were several inconsistencies that I came across while reading this one. In an earlier chapter of "Behind the Glass" it is said that Gerald aka the catfish killer never took to breastfeeding as an infant. No matter how often (or for how long), his mother tried, the baby simply wasn't interested. However, that directly conflicts with information we are given prior to that which says that his mother didn't produce enough milk to keep him satisfied so he was wanting to feed every forty-five minutes, causing her to become overwhelmed. Then later on in another excerpt from Behind the Glass, it talks about how Gerald went on to punish his own son for "lying about cookies". Only, the boy didn't lie. He refused to eat the lunch that his mother had prepared for him, saying he wanted cookies instead. So Gerald let him eat cookies, until became physically ill from them. The one final mistake I noticed was near the end in chapter 61 when the sentence reads "teachers who said Jack that she'd left his classroom crying." I'm still trying to figure out just what the author meant by that.

Again, those are things that I noticed in my Advanced Copy, so while they may have been fixed before publication, however, I pride myself on my honest reviews so I would be remiss if I did not include those things and then others noticed them later on.

Moving on, I have to say I was super confused as to why Amelia, an author, was allowed to accompany the lead detective to interview potential suspects, much less why she was allowed to accompany him when they finally had a solid lead on the killers whereabouts. I get that her daughter was involved, but that is all the more reason why she shouldn't have been allowed to go. Also, considering the local PD was on scene then the address was discovered, why did they not immediately take over especially considering how close Amelia was to what was going on? I mean for crying out loud when the detective takes her to interview Gerald in jail about the copycat killer, she lets her emotions get the better of her to the point she spits on him.

And then we have her sixteen-year-old daughter Gabby. Who not only realizes pretty early on that she looks like the kidnapped girl, but also receives a threatening letter and that still doesn't stop her from making some of the stupidest mistakes that I have ever seen. Although, considering she IS only sixteen, I suppose I can forgive that, but it leads me to another question. If the police knew this website existed (which I'm sure they did all things considered, and if they didn't Amelia certainly did), why weren't any of them keeping an eye on it? Why did it take two teenagers to break the case? A minor detail to be sure, but still a pretty blatant one. I will say that I was pleased by the twist on who was involved as that was something that I definitely had not expected.

Considering this appears to be an author's debut novel, I would give them another read down the line as I do see the potential in their story-telling abilities.

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

"Not Who You Think" by Arbor Sloane is a gripping thriller that blends elements of true crime with psychological suspense. The novel follows Amelia Child, a renowned true crime author who finds herself ensnared in a case that mirrors the one she made famous: the notorious Catfish Killer. When a copycat emerges, targeting Amelia’s daughter Gabby’s schoolmate, the tension escalates, and Gabby becomes the next possible victim.

Sloane skillfully weaves a narrative that keeps readers engaged with its rapid pace and unexpected twists. The alternating perspectives between Amelia and Gabby add depth, capturing the personal stakes for the characters. While the writing occasionally feels simplistic, the central mystery and dynamic character interactions compensate for this shortcoming.

The storyline’s unpredictability captures the essence of a well-crafted thriller, making it perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins. "Not Who You Think" is an intense, satisfying read that successfully keeps readers guessing until the final page.

Great read with twists and turns! We’ve got a serial killer in prison, one of his victims daughter who helped put him away, a kidnapped teenager, and a Nancy Drew wanna be! Is the right person locked up? Is there a copycat? Lives are in danger…. Fast paced, maybe a little predictable, not graphic but very descriptive and the relationships are complex and made you want to know more.

A story of a serial killer, locked away, and a current copycat killer. Amelia wrote a book about it, her own mother being a victim. But now it seems this new copycat killer is targeting Amelia’s family again. A gripping read, and I didn’t spot the killer until the last minute. Kept me guessing nicely! Recommended. Thanks to the Author & Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review