This story is immersive and engaging.
Love how the author portraits the characters with such details that you can connect with them.
The struggles of living in between the poverty line, how the actions of an alcoholic parent and the weight of working two jobs can affect the children in the household.

I've seen Erik at a few book signings and finally got around to reading one of his books. And I wasn't disappointed. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat, while taking you on a ride that you weren't expecting. When her sister goes missing and the only clue are texts from her phone, Bree goes searching in hopes of bringing her home safely. But, she wasn't expecting the clues to be so close to home. Enlisting her brother's help they unravel the mystery. Wonderfully written and very fast paced. I would definitely read Erik's books again.

This was the first book I have read by this author and I quite enjoyed it. 3 children – Bree, Tyler and Alissa – are raised by their single mother who works two jobs to make ends meet. The eldest daughter, Bree, helps to look after her younger siblings especially her youngest sister Alissa. Their father is mean – he is neglectful, abusive and is an alcoholic who is kicked out of the home more often than he is in it. So it is up to Bree to care for her siblings.

8 years later, when Bree is a young adult she gets a text message on her phone. Her sister has been kidnapped and the person messaging her wants Bree to bring her brother to this person in exchange to get Alissa back. There is just one problem… Bree has no idea where her brother is. If she wants to get her sister back, she has to find her brother first. She is unsure what to do or where to look. Who took their sister and why? Will Bree be able to find her brother Tyler before it is too late?

A great read that will have you biting your nails wondering what will happen next. I really enjoyed Bree’s character in this book. She had done well for herself despite everything she was tasked with in her life. She got an education, worked a job and helped raise her younger siblings. She was kind hearted and cared for others.

I didn’t expect the ending at all which I loved. Keep me guessing the whole way through.

This is the second book by this author I've read, and like Keep Her Close this one also focuses on family, and tugs at the heartstrings.

This is a story about a family - 3 siblings, a hard working, worn down mother and an alcoholic dead loss of a father. Despite a ten year age difference, sisters Bree and Alissa have always been close, although it's harder now Alissa is a teenager and often goes off unannounced to stay with a friend. Their brother Tyler has gone off the rails a wee bit, and very rarely shows up at home, with the rest of the family often having no idea where he is.

Alissa is kidnapped for no apparent reason, and Bree is told if she follows instructions and doesn't involve the police, she will get her sister back unharmed. But in return for something else... As she enlists Tyler's help in the search, we find out more about his recent erratic lifestyle, and some problems he had with an ex girlfriend.

Bree is a brilliant character - I instantly cared about her, and could sense her desperation. She has really been a surrogate mother to Alissa, despite her own long working hours. She's strong, capable, dependable, fiercely loyal and willing to fight for her family. Tyler is well written too - he struck me as a decent kid who'd taken a few wrong turns.

The story was sufficiently complex to easily hold my interest and keep me turning the pages - in fact, I read it in just a day. There are plenty of red herrings and dead ends too. The pace is perfect - increasing as the story goes on, moving towards the sad and bloody final scenes, which I really hadn't seen coming. Talk about twisted grief!

For me, as well as being a fab psychological thriller, this was also a study of a family's love, strength and loyalty, and being there for one another. There is one short scene towards the end of the book between Bree's parents which discusses just that, and I actually cheered out loud for her mum! Really enjoyable book.

The author wrote a thriller that started with a bang and just kept going! The twists kept coming, so I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

Bree is the strong one in the Walker family….

The Walker family live on a trailer park, Cassie, the mother works two jobs to keep them. Jack, the father is a violent, unpredictable drunk who can’t keep a job for long. Bree is the eldest daughter and she and her brother Tyler look out for younger sister Alissa.

As usual, Cassie has kicked out Jack, Bree works at a grocery store to help bring money home, Tyler has moved out and Alissa is a hormonal teenager…..but then Alissa doesn’t come home….and Bree receives anonymous text messages…If you tell anyone she dies!!!

Bree is frantic and the abductor says she must find Tyler to swap for Alissa….

What follows is a tense and frantic search for Tyler and Alissa…..why has Alissa been taken? What has Tyler done to cause this? Just who will come out of this alive?……

This is a relatively short novel, but it packs a punch…..it’s non stop panic and you can feel the tension seeping off the pages….

Ultimately, this is about family and the lengths we would go to protect that…..just how far would you go? …..if you like a fast, gripping thriller, this is for you. I really enjoyed it and read it in one sitting.

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and the Author for the opportunity to read a free copy of the ebook. This is my honest, unbiased review.

If you're in the mood for something dark and suspenseful, 'I Know You' would be RIGHT up your street! 

Older sister, Bree, has unintentionally become the guardian of her two siblings due to their parents neglect. I say 'neglect' loosely as they certainly haven't had the typical childhood, nor have their parents been all there when they should have been. Without giving too much away, it seems as though their parents have multiple skeletons in their closets.

I thought the suspense of the novel was utterly brilliant. It was unexpected and had me racing through the pages like a woman on a mission. The fact that multiple portions of the book made for uncomfortable reading, actually had me more hooked because I had to find out who the puppet master was, so to speak. 

I have to admit that, despite the fab levels of suspense, I felt as though something was missing. At times it felt as though I had walked into the storyline half way through, missing out on vital pieces of information which would have helped me to understand the why's and wherefores about the entire situation. I felt as though the storyline had a lot going on in it, yet came together a bit higglepiggidly and as I say, confusingly. 

For such a relatively short novel, 'I Know You' is an incredibly intense read. I thoroughly enjoyed the rollercoaster ride of uncertainty. The lead up to the conclusion had me glued to the pages, eager to find out more. I had goosebumps up and down my arms in anticipation! However, I was expecting the conclusion to have more of Big Bang to it, just as us readers were led to believe. It didn't quite match up to the suspense surrounding it.

All in all, 'I Know You' ticks multiple boxes with its high levels of suspense and intensity; Erik Therme clearly knows how to keep the readers guessing, that's for sure. I would have liked it even more if it didn't have the anti-climax to it, however the events leading up to it were certainly one of a kind and a pleasure to read.

This was just okay for me . The plot felt disjointed and slow and found it didn’t hold my interest.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review this book

Siblings Bree,Alissa and Tyler Walker had a terrible upbringing. Life was tough,living in poverty on a run down trailer park with a mother who was always at work and a drunken,abusive father. Bree has always felt that it was her responsibility to take care of her siblings and keep them safe from harm.

Then one night after Bree and Alissa have a massive argument,Alissa runs away. Bree just assumes that Alissa has gone to her best friend Liz's house and she will return home once she has calmed down. But two days later,Bree returns home and discovers Alissa's backpack on the porch but there is no sign of Alissa and she is not answering her phone.

Then Bree receives a terrifying text message,someone has abducted Alissa and if Bree wants to see her beloved sister again,then she has until midnight to comply to the kidnappers demands.

As Bree begins a desperate search for her sister,she discovers that the person who has kidnapped Alisss knows a lot about the dark truths within this Walker family and is prepared to go to any lengths to get their revenge.

I Know You is a fast paced tale of revenge,forgiveness,strength of character,secrets and the bonds that hold families together. It had some wonderful,diverse,vivid characters,some likeable,some not so likeable. The characters who stood out for me were Bree and my absolute favourite character Liz. I loved Liz's guts and feisty determination to help Bree find Alissa and the way she stubbornly followed Bree wherever she went,despite being constantly told to go home. My favourite setting in the story was isolated,deserted Camp Menapace,what a wonderful setting to use in a thriller. I just wish the author had utilised the setting more and had the characters find themselves in more danger there than they did. But that's just my humble opinion being the adrenaline junkie that I am.

It's not a very long book but the author has certainly packed a lot into the 217 pages. There was a number of unexpected twists and turns,I suspected more than one person of being behind Alissa's disappearance and the identity of her abductor wasn't revealed until towards the end of the story. There was some threads that were left unresolved but as in real life,you can't always expect answers to every question to be delivered,packaged up in ribbons and bows. I really enjoyed this well written,enthralling thriller and look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

I have seen lots of social media regarding this book and was fortunate enough to receive a copy from Netgalley. I haven't read any from Erik Therme before.
The issues raised of family abuse, lies, secrets and addiction were the base of the story.
The book was a quick read and kept me interested enough to continue until the end.
I would have preferred the settings to be more descriptive considering where some of the story was set. But, I appreciated the writing was concentrating on the personal storyline.

Sort of a hit and miss for me, so 3-5 stars. While I thought that the synopsis sounded very intriguing, I felt that something was missing to make it an absolute 5 star love! It definitely had suspense, chills, and thrills, but I felt it was not as fast paced or captivating as most thrillers I absolutely love. Would still highly recommend to my fellow thriller lovers!
I will be showing the members of Chapter Chatter Pub after my break!

I didnt find that this book was really for me. It felt like it was too busy but the premise was good.

This is my second book by this author and it tells the story of the Walker family. Coming from a family where their alcoholic father was abusive to them, sisters Bree and Alissa have always looked out for each other. One day, Bree finds 16 year old Alissa’s backpack on the steps of their trailer. When she then receives a text message saying that Alissa has been taken, Bree has to call upon people within her family that she’d rather have nothing to do with. Doing this brings up dark family secrets which Bree wishes she didn’t know. Can she discover who has taken Bree and bring her back home?

This was a relatively short book at just over 200 pages, but it packed a lot of action and suspense into those pages! Bree was a strong, gritty character, having to have supported her mother, brother and sister both financially and emotionally throughout the past 10 years. I did really feel for Bree and really liked her as a character. She appeared so much older than her age, even in the prologue many years before and she was determined to find her sister no matter what she found out in the process.

The book was fast paced and had me hooked from the first page. It didn’t let up with the action at all and this kept me turning the pages to find out what was going on. There were plenty of twists and turns in this book to keep you in suspense until the end. The family issues ran deep and the secrets that came out on Bree’s hunt for Alissa were probably better being left buried. A really enjoyable read which had my eyes glued to the page and my heart beating just that little bit faster in anticipation! Would recommend!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and of course the author for this digital ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

I found this book initially a great twist and turn novel a fantastic mix of tense psychological family drama yet the ending fell short for me.

I am not sure it the twist was not enough or I felt personally like it needed to be a like more tied up with a full ending rather than been left hanging on some elements.

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I Know You
by Erik Therme

Kindle Edition, 217 pages
Published April 12th 2019 by Bookouture




Goodreads synopsis:
Sisters Bree and Alissa Walker share a special bond. Neglected by their parents, they have always looked out for one another. But one day, sixteen-year-old Alissa goes missing. When Bree discovers her green backpack with all her belongings, abandoned on the steps of their run-down trailer, she knows that something bad has happened …

Then she receives a chilling text message. Someone has Alissa. But Bree will have to give up something very precious in exchange.

Desperate to save Alissa, Bree looks at everyone close to their family. She’s sure that Alissa’s best friend is keeping something back about her little sister and a boy at school, and why has their estranged uncle, who they’ve not seen in years, been hanging around again?

It soon becomes clear that the person behind the message knows a lot about the dark truths within the Walker family and will go to any lengths to get revenge. And as the search for Alissa continues, Bree discovers something about her brother Tyler that she wishes she hadn’t, a dangerous secret, which is also the key to bringing her little sister back home

***

4 Stars

It took me a minute to get into this book. I felt like it was more thriller than my usual cozy mystery. Now that I think about it, there was no dead body till the end and I won’t spoil who.

This was a story about an abduction of a 16 year old girl from a trailer park. I knew there had to be a personal reason why the victim was taken since their family was around the poverty level. And since most abductions were about money, I figured this was personal. The mother spent most her time at work and father had left the family years earlier. Bree was the only adult in the family, it seems and she was barely starting her adult life.

This book makes you care for Bree and how she goes about finding her sister and all the pitfalls she encounters. It was good. Very good. I liked it a lot. I totally recommend it. One of the better books I have read this year. Hope to read more from this author.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

What an utter disappointment. I Know You is poorly written with what appears to be a cobbled together and ridiculously improbable plot. The characters also left a lot to be desired as they very much lacked development. It is a fast-paced, easy read but time should've been taken to give the cast some relatable features as I had a real problem connecting to them or feeling anything for them and their situations. It doesn't come together as a cohesive whole making it rather disjointed, and although there are some good twists I felt the execution of a decent premise failed spectacularly in attempting to catch my imagination.

It really irked me and felt almost patronising that Mr Therme decided to explain everything in long-winded fashion when he could've shown it - show is so much more immersive and engaging than merely telling. This started to grate on me as it was so unnecessary. Sadly, I can only recommend this to those new to domestic thrillers and those who enjoy women's fiction and family drama; anyone who reads this genre often will easily and quickly guess the direction the story is heading.

Many thanks to Bookouture for an ARC.

Bree Walker is 26-years-old and lives in a trailer with her mother, younger siblings, Alissa, 16, and Tyler. Life has always been difficult for them as their father is an alcoholic and a gambler, and after putting up with him for many years, her mother kicked him out. Now, her mother works two jobs to pay bills. Bree also works long hours as a checker in a grocery store doing all she can to keep up and protect her siblings.

One day, Bree learns that Alissa apparently has been kidnapped. She finds Alissa’s backpack sitting on the doorstep and a photo inside shows the girl sitting in a concrete cell. She gets a message that if she wants Alissa back, she has to give Tyler to this person.

Thus, the race is on by the determined Bree to do anything she can to find her beloved sister. This means coming face to face with some very lowlife people to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Who took Alissa and why do they want Tyler in exchange?

This is a very gritty story with characters of little or no redeeming value. I found a lot of repetitive verbiage in the story. Unfortunately, this book is a total turnoff to me and I cannot say that I enjoyed reading it at all.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a quick easy read. In the synopsis the story sounded really good. In reality though the characters seemed wooden and the writing style did not add any suspense to the story. It felt like a chore to finish it.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Enjoyable and a fun read!

The story caught my eye from the moment I read the blurb, and I just knew I wanted to read this book. I was not let down and can recommend this to everyone!

Bree and Alissa along with their brother, Tyler, did not have a terrific childhood. The dad is gone, the mother works all the time, leaving the kids alone a lot. As the oldest, Bree feels responsible for taking care of the family.

Then comes the day that 16-year-old Alissa goes missing. Her backpack is on the front porch. She's not answering her phone ...

Then she receives a text message. Someone has Alissa. And they want something from Bree. It becomes clear that whoever has Alissa knows their family ... and wants revenge.

As Bree discovers, there are lies and even darker secrets.

This is a psychological thriller about family secrets and relationships ... and what someone is willing to do to protect their family. Well written, the mystery and suspense is well paced and does not let up until the very end.

Many thanks to the author / Bookouture / Netgalley for the advanced digital copy of this Psychological Drama. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.