I do owe author Olivia Isaac-Henry a huge apology. I've had this book on the to be read list for far too long, and I have no idea why. On the plus side, this is definitely an author I'll be looking out for again, as Someone You Know really got under my skin, drawing me into the mystery surrounding the unsolved disappearance of Edie Piper, twin sister to Tess, who has never been able to get over the loss. Everyone assumes that Edie is dead, but Tess has never been able to let go of the idea that she simply ran away, knowing how determined Edie was to live a life that offered far more than the one she was living.

I like how the author has built up this mystery, slowly introducing not only the family at the centre of the mystery, but also the facts of what happened. We meet Tess in the present day, a woman who has clearly been impacted by the loss of her sister and whose life is rapidly going off the rails, perhaps overcompensating for Edie's disappearance and living the life she wishes Edie were living. Too much alcohol and too many casual relationships are starting to impact her work life, but nowhere near as much as getting that dreaded call to let her know that the police have finally found Edie. Now, that call brings the first real sit up and take notice point in the book, where it is clear what happened to Edie - why shs really disappeared on that fateful school day - but the who and why of it all is the mystery that will carry us through the book.

We are allowed a glimpse into the girls' past by way of the point of view of Edie, a girl clearly unhappy with her lot and yearning for things her family simply does not provide. The sense of that longing, that aspiring to be more like the girls from the fancy schools and fancy estates than the downtrodden council estate they live on really shines through in the story and highlights the difference between Edie and the Tess of their youth. That Tess is markedly different to the Tess we know today, and this makes her attempts to get to the truth and track down Edie's old friends all the more difficult, increasing the mystery and the tension. I liked the use of the contrast, not only between the two versions of Tess, but also between Tess and Edie, playing perfectly into the reasons why twins, always assumed to be closer than normal siblings, may have such great secrets.

Olivia Isaac-Henry plays a very clever game, shifting the potential blame for what has happened in many different directions. Some of them, including Edie's extra close relationship with her Uncle, do send the mind reeling a little. The what if's that put me a little on edge. But then there are many other suspects, and the more we learn about the family's history, the easier it is to believe that may be Edie leaving was her own choice. Tess, too, becomes a suspect, and it is easy to see why, the author casting just enough doubt on her memories of the past to make you wonder if this is the mother of all sibling rifts. The fina, reveal is both unexpected and not, and though the guilty may not have quite faced justice, it is a fitting end to a story that is packed with as much emotion as tension and that kept me hooked right to the last page.

I didn't always like all of the characters - Edie's sense of entitlement grated on occasion, but was no cause for what happened to her, most children grow out of that attitude eventually. But despite this I was completely invested in their story. If you like family based psychological mysteries/thrillers, you definitely ought to take a look at this one.

This started off quite strong, I liked the initial premise and it was clear that Tess was going to go to extreme lengths to find out the truth about Edie's disappearance. Initially I was hooked but as the book progressed, momentum was lost and there was something missing from the book to accelerate it to a higher level. Perhaps if this had been a bit shorter then the pace may not have dropped.
What this book does have plenty of is suspects, at one point it feels like everyone is a suspect and this means there are lots of secrets to unveil. This element was exciting and Tess learns a lot about her family and those around her.
For the most part this was a good read but it was missing something to make it incredible.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy.

Tess and Edie are twins, and for over 20 years, Tess has struggled to move on since Edie's disappearance. When Edie's body is finally discovered, the narrative revolves around uncovering the truth amidst a tangled web of lies, deceit, and family secrets. Suspicions fall on Tess herself, their father, uncle, former lovers, friends, and enemies, leading to a series of false leads before the real culprit is revealed in a surprising twist.

While the storyline is a familiar one—exploring the dynamics of a family with a long-lost member and layers of deception—the execution in this book is adequate. The plot feels believable, though the characters, mostly unlikeable, fail to evoke empathy. The writing style is straightforward but occasionally repetitive, and minor script errors detracted from the narrative flow, such as discrepancies in timing and excessive focus on characters smoking.

Despite my pickiness, having read extensively, I found the book didn't quite live up to its potential despite having all the necessary ingredients.

I do not like giving bad reviews and the only reason for this one is it just didn't flow for me. For some people it will be good, I just found it slow and a bit hard going.

Thank you for the advance copy,

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book even though I did not finish this book.

This was a brilliant read. As soon as I started reading this book I just knew I was going to love it. Highly recommended

Someone You Know by Olivia Isaac-Henry is a captivating and gripping thriller about the disappearance of Tess Piper’s beloved twin sister, Edie. In the twenty years since Edie’s disappearance, Tess has tried to move on and forget about the dark shadow that was cast upon her family. However, when a body is discovered and the police begin to dig into the family’s past, secrets are unearthed that force Tess to confront her inner demons and her true feelings. This thrilling novel is the perfect read for anyone looking for an intense, engaging, and complex mystery. Olivia Isaac-Henry crafts a story of suspense and mystery that keeps the reader engaged and captivated until the last page. Highly recommended!

An exciting and gripping thriller, this will keep you guessing. I enjoyed the alternating chapters, which meant I could not stop reading until I had all of the answers I needed to be satisifed! Gutted when it was over...that's always a good sign of one I won't forget!

Omg talk about a roller coaster read wow this book kept me on the edge of my seat threw out I just couldn't put it down this writer keeps you hooked and once your hooked your not letting go I found this book thrilling the characters were fantastic and well thought out and the little clues all the way threw keep you guessing until the end this book stays with you long after you close the book this book is well worth the read I promise you wont be disappointed

Dear Publishers.

Firstly, thanks very much for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Unfortunately, I just wanted to let you know that I won't be reading and reviewing this title due to the large number of titles that I currently have on my shelf, and my inability to read them all. Also, I feel that a review at this late stage probably won't assist you or the author. For these reasons, I've decided to tidy up of my Netgalley shelf and I will be removing this one from my TBR pile.

I hope to be able to read and review further titles for you in the future.

Thanks and Regards
Kim

Someone You Know by Olivia Isaac-Henry is a standalone psychological thriller about twins Tess and Edie. At the age of 14 Edie disappears and 20 years later Tess receives a call to say a body has been found.

Tess has been struggling to come to terms with her sister’s disappearance for years. Now, it’s all being brought back again, and she’s plunged back into the horror of that time, questioning everyone around her. She doesn’t know who to trust.
A fabulous twisty-turny thriller, with a great main character, ‘Someone You Know’ is a very accomplished debut. There are some clever red herrings, some very perceptive characterisation, and a real sense of time and place in those parts of the story that take place in the nineties.
I wasn’t completely convinced by the ending, if I’m honest, but this is certainly a great debut in the genre.

The task of repopulating the senior library has been an exciting and daunting task aS in a boarding school our aim is to encourage all members of the community to read. Because of this, I have been searching down a wide and diverse range of books to read that will entice a wide cross-section of the school to come in, browse and find books that they love.
Books like this will ensure that the senior students in the school see the library as a diverse, modern and exciting place with books that speak to them and they want to recommend to their friends, classmates, teachers and tutors.
It is an engrossing and exciting read with fully-formed characters and a plot that ensures that it's hard to look away. It is as far from formulaic as it is possible to be and kept me up far too late in order to finish it. I immediately wanted to read all of this writer's other books as I loved their voice and found that it really drew me into the story and made me think about it even when I'd stepped away from this tale.
This is a thought-provoking read which I'm sure will be a popular and well-read addition to our new library; I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to read it and I know that the students are going to absolutely love it too!

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

The book was a page turner to the end. I read it in one sitting with my heart pounding. Great job and masterful storytelling.

I should have loved this book. It had elements that I usually love in thrillers. But unfortunately, this book wasn't for me. May check out future books by this author.

Edie and Tess are twin sisters. As children they do everything together, but, then they tragically lose their Mum. Soon afterwards they move to a new home and school for a fresh start but, all of the changes have a negative affect on the sisters relationship. Edie wants to fit in with the popular girls at the posh new school, go to parties and meet boys, but Tess wants it to be like it had always been; just the two of them. When Edie disappears nobody can believe it; only a few years after the death of their mother as well. The police can't find Edie or find out what happened to her until twenty years later when her body is discovered and thdy re-open the investigation. The now, grown up Tess is devastated by the news and wants whoever murdered her sister caught and punished. She's aware that the family, along with old friends and neighbours, have been keeping secrets from her for a long time. Probably because she was just a child and that they were just trying to shield her from the horrible truth. But 20 years have passed; adult Tess wants answers, no matter how painful the truth may be. Will she ever find it? Will it give her the peace and closure she needs to move on with her life?
Read it to find out. It's a great story. The chapters flip from Edie's story in the early 90's to the present day investigation really well. I'll definitely be looking for more from Olivia Issac-Henry in the future.

Someone you know was an okay story. Not as gripping as I had hoped, but I managed to plod on to read it to the end. At times I felt it was going to grip my attention but in the end it didn’t.

Olivia Isaac-Henry's debut novel Someone You Know is a tense, claustrophobic thriller about the need to know the truth following a horrific crime. It follows the story of twins Tess and Edie. Twenty years ago, Edie, the more outgoing twin, doesn't come home after school. Tess never gave up the hope of finding her sister but, one day, Tess receives a phone call that Edie's body has been found. The police reopen the case and they start to look closely at the twins' family and friends. The story is expertly told by Edie in the past and Tess in the present as Tess investigates the life and relationships that her sister hid from her when they were kids. The book particularly examines familial relationships as Tess must face some very harsh truths about her family and the life that her sister was leading before she disappeared.

This gripping read kept me guessing till the end, with the many potential suspects and believable red herrings keeping me on my toes! The ending surprised me in a good way and I liked that each person's motives were explored and there were no stones left unturned.

It missed out on 5⭐ because I felt it lost pace in the middle. I have never known characters to smoke so much and it is constantly pointed out (yes! this is a minor nag but it did break the flow of the narrative and constantly hammering that point home is necessary).

Thanks to Avon Books UK & Netgalley for sending me this in exchange for an open and honest review.

⭐⭐⭐⭐