Title: If You Knew Me
Author: S.P. Miskowski
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review: S.P. Miskowski’s If You Knew Me is a gripping psychological thriller that explores the fragile boundary between truth and perception. The story follows Parker Dillon, a novice reporter who, after losing her job, becomes obsessed with a chilling story pitched by Ann Mason—a woman with a dark confession. As Parker follows Ann from Seattle to Arizona, their lives begin to mirror one another in unsettling ways, drawing readers into a suspenseful, character-driven narrative.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the layered storytelling and tense atmosphere, the book had a noticeably slow start and included some extra details that felt unnecessary to the plot. However, once the story gains momentum, it delivers a compelling examination of identity, guilt, and obsession. Miskowski’s thoughtful prose and complex characters make this a memorable and haunting read. This book will be available to purchase on September 25, 2025.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publications for providing an advanced reader copy of this book.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I had trouble with the author’s writing style, and much of it seemed to be rambling. I couldn’t connect with the characters. I DNF’d at around 40%.

Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

I am a big fan of S.P. Miskowski's short fiction, I Wish I Was Like You, and the Skillute Cycle novels and novellas. I was excited to see a new novel from her and picked it up right away. Thank you to S.P. Miskowski and NetGalley for the advance reading copy.

I love the way Miskowski uses the story-within-a-story structure as well as an innovative kind of narration later in the book, giving us a closer view of Ann than we might otherwise have. Ann is an unforgettable character, and uncomfortable as it was to be in her head, I also found her quite entertaining and relatable at times.

I'll be recommending this to lost of horror readers, for sure!

This book tells a story about Parker, a writer who got laid off because of COVID-19. One day when she cleaned her Aunt's desk (she worked in her Aunt's company), she found a package from woman named Ann Mason. Since then, Parker's life has changed..

This is the first time for me to read this kind of book and also first time for me to read a book by S.P. Miskowski. Yes, I usually read thrillers; but this one, it surely hits different. It builds slowly, making readers wondering what will happen next. From the start to finish, I couldn't understand what Ann's intention. I don't even know whether she's faking it all or it really happened. But I know for sure that she has this weird obsession; what started it, sadly doesn't explain in the book. The ending has this ambiguity because we don't know what happen to Ann, and I think it made me a little bit disappointed.

But despite everything, I love this new experience from Miskowski and can't wait for this book to be published on September!

Acknowledgements: Thank you to NetGalley and S.P. Miskowski for providing an advance review copy of If You Knew Me in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book wasn’t for me. I had trouble with the author’s writing style, and much of it seemed to be rambling. I couldn’t connect with the characters. I DNF’d at around 40%.

Thank you for the opportunity to read in advance!

I was very disappointed with this book. The long, rambling passages by Ann bored me so much that it took away from the moments that should have been shocking. Plus, there were tons of moments that just didn’t serve any purpose whatsoever. The worst part, though? Ann’s story wasn’t all that interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

I just reread the book description for If You Knew Me. Let me see what I can add to it without giving anything away.
Chapters switch between Parker( more chapters are by her)and Ann’s POV. I have to say, even though Ann had a front row seat on the Cray Cray train, her chapters just pulled me in and even managed to make me laugh more than once. Between chuckling at some of her mannerisms and thoughts, then being shocked by her actions, she was an unforgettable character. I loved her devotion to Vann Marshall: Private I and how she called her parents, the Old Dears. If Ann wasn’t totally bonkers, she might’ve had a career as a writer.
When I first finished, I thought to myself, this is not my favorite ending ever. I can’t say why, without giving the plot away, but I guess, even though it was wrapped up, there were still more loose ends than I like. That is just a personal thing, and I am sure as I start seeing other reviews, I will find just as many people who thought it was the perfect ending.

This story was different, that’s for sure. Parker Dillon lost her job working for her aunt’s website when the company was sold. Now she can’t afford her apartment, and she has no other work lined up. She’s temporarily staying at her aunt’s house and cleaning up the remaining company files to keep herself busy. She finds a pitch someone mailed in a few years back, and after reading it, she’s instantly intrigued. The writer, Ann, claims she did something unforgivable and is ready to tell all. She contacts the writer and immediately sets out to meet and interview her. Perhaps this story will set her on a new career path and show that she’s got what it takes to discover new talent.

But something’s a bit…off about Ann. She disappears before Parker even arrives in Arizona to interview her. She claimed to be so excited about meeting Parker, so what happened? And why does it seem like she’s ghosting her? But Parker’s determined to stay on the story and figure out what Ann really did and what her true intentions are.

Ann is an odd character. What the reader has to determine is if she’s harmless or if there’s a more sinister side to her hiding deep inside. Or maybe not so deep! Is she a liar, or is she simply deluded? You kind of go through the story, taking everything in her narrative with a grain of salt. I flew through the pages, wondering how everything would work out. Not everything was explained by the end, which was a bit disappointing, but it does make the story more realistic. It’s certainly not your typical mystery, which made it all the more entertaining for me.

In S.P. Miskowski’s new novel “If You Knew Me,” Parker Dillon is adrift. She’s lost her job, lost her apartment and has suffered the end of a relationship. Trying to regain her emotional footing and find a new career direction, she settles into reviewing a stack of correspondence as a favor to her aunt, who is on a sabbatical.

It’s not long before Parker reads a “pitch letter” from Ann, who has been dealing with emotional trauma from her own past and is seeking her own resolution to past emotional scars.

The happenstance intersection of these two women’s lives kicks off the action of this thriller. Miskowski has crafted a tale that is equally devoted to the mysteries that Parker discovers when she starts communicating with Ann and to the families and environments that shaped (and continue to shape) each character as the story moves forward.

“If You Knew Me” is a fun read, with enough tension and mystery to propel the reader, yet taking time to offer insights about the formative power of family relationships on adolescents. It’s a suspenseful tale, sprinkled with humor and memorable characters. Put it on your reading list for the next time you think you might hear someone following you home.

I was provided a reviewer's copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley. My opinions are my own.