Member Reviews
I could have sworn this book was called The killer you know when I got a copy to review... and that's how it is listed on Goodreads. Maybe it just depends on the country you are in.
This was the second book I had read in the last couple of weeks focusing on a podcast. In this case a true crime podcast. Olivia Hall is a young lawyer who's twin brother was convicted of murdering a classmate 10 years ago when he was only 18. She has always sworn he was innocent and now with the help of a true crime podcast (not done by her) she sets out to prove this. She isn't bothered about who actually killed Tyler, maybe she doesn't even want the truth to become known, but she does want her twin brother out of jail.
The story is fast paced and entertaining enough to make it a quick read, but just not all that memorable or believable that I would want to recommend it to everyone.
I would say 3.5 stars covers it.
This was a really intriguing read focusing on a woman who always believed in her brothers innocence and becomes a lawyer involved in a true crime podcast specifically to exonerate him. Having listened to all the big crime podcasts this was a great read - told in then and now chapters and you just keep reading through all the twists and turns.
"The Killer You Know"/"Innocent or Guilty?" was the best ARC I've ever received! It was a page turner that revolved around a strong female character, Olivia Hall, who is dedicated to proving her brother innocent from a murder conviction. The format itself is interesting - the book bounces between present day (Olivia teaming up with a successful Podcast to investigate if there was a miscarriage of justice in her brother's case), the past (the night of the murder), and Podcast transcripts/interviews.
I really enjoyed Olivia's character - this book stuck out to me from others in that it didn't have a big romantic subplot. Although Olivia is romantically involved, it focuses on the more interesting parts of her story (the investigation, navigating a difficult case at her work as a lawyer, her complicated relationship with her brother). There is no cheesy subplot of her returning to her hometown and finding love - which makes her all the more interesting and well rounded.
The book takes a great deal of twist and turns, many unexpected (but none that do not make sense). My only complaint is the ending - it was certainly satisfying, but I just wanted more! I could have done with a bit more resolution in the end, instead of the cliff hanger the book ended on... sequel?
(Also posted on my GR account!)
What a ride!
The cover was quite misleading as I thought I was gonna deal with a Broadchurch-type of crime, but instead it was more like Pretty Little Liar crime.
The intro was boring that it should be cut in half, but then when Olivia finally back to her hometown and the podcast was started, it sucked me in.
Reading The Killer You Know was not just about whodunnit, but also about how author pick her words. I can say that it was good, I like how the chapters were put (quite a lot!), and I love the ending.
It's a 3.5 rounded up to 4 read for me.
Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with
Thank you for the advanced copy
Olivia's twin brother has served over 9 years in prison for murder. Olivia is convinced he is innocent and appeals to the producers of a true crime TV show to investigate the crime. Inconsistencies are quickly revealed in the case, and the reporters and Olivia question the town's residents. Who knows what really happened that night? Was there a cover-up? Will Olivia's brother be released from prison? There are lots of twists and turns in this thriller!
Browsing the “Read Now” books on NetGalley, the title and cover of this book caught my eye. Then when I saw that a podcast was part of the plot, I was really interested. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and I particularly like true crime.
The book is narrated in first person POV by Olivia, whose twin brother Ethan is serving time for murder. A murder that Olivia is convinced he did not commit. That fateful night changed the entire trajectory of Olivia's life, resulting in her going to law school. Ten years later, she's working for a law firm, and still desperately advocating for her brother. Now a true crime podcast (similar to Serial, which I highly recommend) wants to feature her brother's case in it's new season.
The narrative switches with each chapter from “Now” to “Then”. On NetGalley the book is listed as “General Fiction (Adult)”, but it felt more like Young Adult to me. In “Now”, the podcasters, with Olivia's help, are going over everything they can get their hands on regarding the case, and interviewing Olivia, Ethan, and some of their former friends. In “Then”, we're not only in the past, but going backwards, so first we learn about the trial, then the police investigation, and finally the events of the night that led up to the murder. There's a twist right at the end, which I had already guessed halfway into the book.
I didn't really connect with Olivia, though maybe we aren't supposed to, given the piecemeal way she revealed information to us. And since she's narrating, we don't get to know any of the other characters very well. It may be all about getting Ethan freed, but it's also all about Olivia. The ending was a bit abrupt, I would've liked a little more resolution and felt I'd been left hanging. But overall, I enjoyed it well enough. If you have some time to while away, this is a good way to do so.
As a crime podcast fanatic, I was drawn in by the synopsis. Now having wrapped, I can safely say that this work was worth the read. For my fellow crime podcast junkies, I would say it leans more toward Undisclosed as opposed to Serial. Although there was a quest to discover the killer, there was also a heavy focus on the legal aspects of the case.
The story took its time and unveiled beautifully. The narrative flipped between the past and the present, leaving me on the edge of my seat. Although I had an inkling of who the perpetrator was, I was still thrown for a loop at the end.
There were a couple phrases that briefly took me out of the narrative, only because they don’t seem like they’d be commonly used by someone born and raised in Oregon.
Thank you so much for the ARC! It was a wonderful read.
Full review available at:
https://www.instagram.com/restlessfiction/
This book was very suspenseful. There was lots of twists and turns.
Loved the writing of this author.
The story was very enjoyable.
Thanks NetGalley, Harper Impulse & Killer Reads
Overall I did enjoy this book. When I first started it, I wasnt too sure but got hooked pretty quickly. I thought I had it all figured out and was actually pretty disappointed it was so predictable, didn't even see the ending coming!
The ending though, while very good, actually made me question the whole story I just read..
I loved the "then" vs "now" story lines, it really brought the story together and kept it interesting and kept me intrigued! Also, you sort of got a 2 in one with the addition of the Reid and Asher story. I love the suspense of the "who done it" stories. Writing/grammar needed a little work, but nothing that bothered me too much.
A brilliantly classic modern case of who dunnit….. Olivia Hall is adamant that her twin brother did not kill golden boy Tyler Washington 9 years ago, she contacts a true crime podcast in the hope that they will investigate and reveal enough inconsistencies that her brother will at the very least get a re-trial… the story is told two-fold, back when the murder happened and also in the present day with extracts from the podcast also…. With evidence covered up and taped interviews apparently botched due to a virus by the local police, can the truth get out?
I loved the idea of the podcast, gave a great modern spin on it, with so many in the suspect pool and not one “real” shred of evidence against Ethan Hall, will justice prevail?
Be careful what you wish for though is all I will say!!! I really enjoyed this book, a great crime thriller with plenty of twists!
Many thanks to Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Olivia knows her twin Ethan didn't kill Tyler but he's been in prison for the last 10 years with no hope of getting out. She persuades Kat and Ray, who run a true crime podcast, to investigate because why not? This turns out to be a good move- they pull out a lot of secrets from the town of Twin Rivers. Told in dual time frame (10 years before aka when the murder happened and today), this makes effective use of the podcast phenomena. One caution, of course, is that one never knows what might be uncovered once outsiders start to investigate. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read with enough twists to keep you reading.
This book was predictable and slow to me . I hated the characters and could not really connect with them or get into the story. I didn’t quite care for the podcast thing. While there were some parts that did hold my attention most of the story didn’t, Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced readers copy in exchange for my honest opinion. #netgalley
3 1\2 stars
The story reminds me of a TV series that is currently on TV. They try to prove that the person who is accused of Murder and convicted innocent and it has a Pod cast. The female lead instead of a Lawyer she is a cop.
While the story is predictable and everything falls into place perfectly the character stand out and give readers a glimpse that maybe not everyone who is in jail are guilty.
The story is a little to long and sometimes the details are over used but it moves slowly.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher Harper Collins for the advance copy of A.M. Taylor The Killer you know
The Killer You Know is an interesting and engrossing read. I could not put this down and finished it within a couple hours. Great “beach read.”
This book had a strong first chapter and I was immediately hooked. The story is told over two time periods, the time of the murder and trial and then around 9 years later when the podcast is being developed.
I loved the idea and concept of a podcast being made within the book and it’s not something that I have come across in a book before.
The story is very detailed and in depth and my only criticism is that I feel as though the book could have been a little shorter and it wouldn’t have detracted from the story. I enjoyed the way that the story was built through out and I felt that you got an in-depth account of how the main character was feeling and what they were thinking.
I will definitely read more from this author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Impulse and Killer Reads for the opportunity to read this book prior to its publication.
I loved this book it was incredibly goo and kept me guessing till the end .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.
This Novel follows Olivia Hall, a criminal defense attorney trying to exonerate her twin brother, Ethan who was accused and convicted ten years ago for the murder of the Mayor’s son and the town’s golden boy Tyler Washington. She teams up with the people behind a famous true crime podcast called “Shadow of A Doubt”.
The story goes back and forth between the present time where Olivia (Liv) is trying to juggle the current case she’s working on and the investigation she’s conducting alongside the podcast creators and the past where we get to see what happened after Tyler’s body was found, the trial of Ethan and also the hours leading up to the murder.
I liked the pacing of the story and how everything unraveled naturally across the Past and Present. Nothing was rushed in my opinion nor was it slow going like so many other Mystery and Crime novels. I also really enjoyed reading from Olivia’s perspective as I found her to be a really interesting character. Her relationship with her brother was the most interesting aspect in the book, and going back between the past and present we see how their dynamic changes and a little bit of insight as to why, and that helps with understanding their characters. I appreciated the fact that we got to see Olivia working on another case for her job as a lawyer in Portland, this really helped showcase her character for one and make her more real, I don’t think we see enough of characters’ work life in mystery books unless it’s directly connected to the story. Having this second murder case going also helped to draw parallels and differences with the main murder mystery of the novel and present it in another perspective. I have to admit however that I did see the end coming from about halfway through the book but I still enjoyed the reveal especially in the “Then” chapter. But I felt like the book ended abruptly after that without getting to see the aftermath of the revelation which made it very unsatisfying. Overall, this was an enjoyable Mystery novel with interesting characters and which deals with important subjects like the miscarriage of justice and how the truth can be manipulated by people with power.
*Potential Spoiler*
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
An interesting idea, although I’m not sure I would classify this as a psychological thriller. The characters were ok, although I didn’t really care what happened to them. I figured out “who dun it” about halfway through, so I wasn’t surprised.
The story line alternated between present and past, with the past chapters counting down to the events of that night. I did like the way that was done.
Took off 1 full star for the ending. I hate open endings like that.
Final rating 3.5 stars.
This book was incredibly engrossing and hard to put down. And oh my goodness, what a twisty and surprising ending. It’ll keep you on the edge of your seat and up until the wee hours of the night!