I really enjoyed the author's previous book, Her Greatest Mistake, so I was very excited to read her latest novel. Sadly this one did not work well for me. Whilst I am always intrigued by several POVs, the danger is that some voices just don't engage as well as others, which was the case here. I found myself drifting and losing interest with some characters, and it was a real struggle to pick the book back up again. Some slow burns work well for me, and some don't, and sadly this was a case of the latter. I am conceding that this book is not right for me at this time and will leave it at that. However, seeing how much I have enjoyed the author's writing in the past, and the knowledge as a psychologist that feed into her novels, I am not deterred by this experience and look forward to reading her next book.

3 for neutral, while I was extremely excited to obtain an advanced copy of this book, it just didn’t grab me. Very slow paced and since I’m such a moody reader, I could never get more than a few chapters read. I’ll update later, if able to finally get into and enjoy this book.

This book started off really slow for me. There were too many characters involved in the story. It didn't really hold my interest. the characters actually were very frustrating. It did get repetitive in some sections.

Natalie and Mark have been going together and Mark wants her to move in with him. While she cares for him, she’s not ready to do that. She’s happy where she is. Mark owns the building where she lives and rents the flats. Natalie works at a bistro owned by Mark. The other people in the building’s flats are her friends. One neighbor, Morwenna, is a widow. She is kind and like a mother to the others. She works at an art gallery owned by Mark, and Daniel, another neighbor, works there as well. Nigel is a solicitor bikes into the city for work. All 4 of them have had some difficult times in their lives and they tend to look out for one another.

Before long, the residents of the building begin receiving letters with strange messages written on them. They aren't sure what they mean and they become fearful. Who is sending these letters and why?

The story delves into the lives of these four people and how their past controls who they are today. They are all flawed to some extent. I felt that the story could have moved along a bit faster because there was a lot to time spent with characters meeting up for coffee or dinner and rehashing things over and over. The ending was good but I felt that there were a lot of things that were left hanging.

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

This book really wasn’t for me as I struggled to get into the characters or plot. I stuck with it as I hoped it would improve, however I really didn’t enjoy this book and it didn’t flow as well as I would have liked.

I Know You're There is a story laced with secrets and deceit. Centered around Natalie and three other characters, this is a story about trust. Natalie doesn't trust anyone because of a bad childhood. Good! This story gives insight and details about the four people who live in four flats as neighbors. Each one is hiding something, whether big or small, from the others. When things start to get creppy and weird, who can be trusted? Does Natalie know anything true about anyone? It's a gripping and thought provoking read. My thought is just never trust anyone, and you'll be okay. This is good advice for you because I always tell the truth. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I KNOW YOU’RE THERE is the new novel by Sarah Simpson, an entertaining and suspenseful novel about obsession, control, and secrets.

I was drawn to this novel by its gripping blurb. It’s the story of Natalie, Daniel, and Morwenna (Mo). They are neighbours and close friends. Each one of them seems to have a secret and a troubled past from which they thought they had escaped, but now it seems to be back to haunt them. All of them are receiving mysterious, cryptic, and threatening notes. Who did send them? And what do they want?

The characters are down-to-earth, flawed, and intriguing. I liked how despite the different age, gender, character, and interests, Natalie, Mo, and Daniel form such a close relationship to resemble a family. Despite their affection and support for each other, the layers of secrets and paranoia take over and every one of them becomes a suspect. Who can they trust?

I KNOW YOU’RE THERE is a suspenseful and slow-paced novel. There are many mysteries and a list of people who, at a point or another, are suspects. I loved how the author managed to fill the story with secrets, lies, and different storylines that kept me guessing page after page. I envisaged various scenarios, but I would never have imagined the shocking revelation at the end created by the author.

I KNOW YOU’RE THERE is set in Cornwall which is at the top of my list of places to visit in my life. In the last few years, I have read many books set in this English region and I have fallen in love with its evocative towns and beautiful beaches. I loved Sarah’s Simpson beautiful descriptions that made me love Cornwall even more.

This is my first novel by Sarah Simpson and she is definitely an author I will keep reading.

I knew the ending from the first few chapters I just had to wade through 300+ pages to finally get to the end. There isn't really anything that I liked about this book. Highly predictable with heavy handed foreshadowing. I wish I had something nice to say.

Whew, has a hard time with this one. Not sure if it was the writing or the characters, but I just could not get into it. Some called it a slow burn, but I felt like it just fizzled out. I kept getting distracted and didn’t want to read it. Had to fight to finish.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

this book kept me glued to my kindle! thank you Net Galley and Sarah Simpson for the opportunity to read this ARC. The characters were well introduced and described. the main character Natalie lives in a building with three other tenants. they have come to know one another while living together, some better than others. Natalie's best friend is one of these tenants, Mo. They get together often for drinks and to socialize. We come to learn that all the tenants of the building have something in their pasts, Natalie starts to feel like she is being watched, and some items from her apartment start to go missing, at first she thinks she has misplaced things, Then all the tenants start to get little notes that only they understand about their pasts but makes them question who is sending them and who really knows about their pasts. The tension builds well throughout the book until the very end when it all becomes clear and everything makes sense.
this book was well written and kept me guessing about who dunnit until the very end. The book was written from different perspectives throughout, but easy to follow, I will read more of Sarah Simpson's books, this was my first.

I hate giving 1 and 2-star reviews, but I really struggled with this one. The pace of this book was so slow, I was distracted so many times and almost gave up reading. It took ages and pages for the story to captivate me and I found myself starting to take interest about 80% into the book. Where's the fun in that...

Natalie spent most of her childhood feeling afraid. So when she moved into her cozy little flat in St Ives and met her three friendly neighbors, she knew at once it was somewhere she'd feel safe. Before long, Natalie's neighbors have become the family she never had. Kind, motherly Morwenna, serious, reliable Nigel, and sweet, anxious Daniel. They collect each other's mail, water each other's plants, and share each other's lives. But as Natalie knows all too well, the people who are closest to you can also be the most dangerous. And this house is not as safe as she thinks...

The story is told in alternating POV's - Natalie, her neighbors- Morwenna and Daniel. Somehow, Nigel, the last neighbor got left out. Why? I'll never know! Among all, I found Daniel's POV to the most repetitive - it was almost as if I were reading the same chapter over and over again - it just got frustrating at the end. The "Natalie" and "Morwenna" chapters were mildly interesting, but it was a slow slow slow book( and in a get-to-the-point-already sort of way). I've read books on the "issue" that's troubling the 4 people, (which is sadly revealed only at the end) and hence I feel that this book had so much more potential. Sadly, I could not wait to just get this book over with.

Thank you NetGalley, Aria and Sarah Simpson for an arc!

I'm quite worn out after reading this; my brain has been in utter turmoil!

Natalie lives in one of four flats in St Ives, Cornwall where the neighbours have become friends. For the first time in her life, she feels safe in her home and life is good. The further into the story we get, the more aware we become that secrets are definitely in the air and Natalie isn't the only one with doubts about her past . When each of the them are on the receiving end of anonymous notes, their fears begin to rise to the surface. But who can possibly the doing this .. and can they each live with the terror these notes are instigating?

This is a very different novel from Sarah Simpson, and I feel her psychological experience coming to bear throughout. Easing the reader in gently, this is a slow burning novel with the tension mounting slowly but surely. I had plenty of empathy with Natalie's tremulous  reaction to the notes she received; there is nothing worse than letting your head have free rein over a personal problem. Haven't we all been guilty of fretting? Each resident has something to be afraid of and their nerves become more shredded each day. As the tension mounts - and unable to see where it was heading - I found myself turning the page almost before I have reached the end of each one, such was my sense of urgency to get to the bottom of things. And when it came, I was breathless with expectation and completely taken aback with the twist. Completely floored! But, finally, it all made sense and I'll sleep much better tonight for knowing that it's all sorted out. This author has certainly produced a stunning and completely different book from her others, and it raises her profile considerably. Absolutely a five star read!
My thanks to publisher Aria for my copy via NetGalley and especially to Victoria Joss for including me on this Blog Tour. All opinions stated here are entirely my own.

Sooo this book and I hadn't worked well together. The blurb was intriguing and that's why I decided to read a book. Yet execution wasn't that gold as I was often confused and couldn't get the style of narration.
I finished reading doing so in a quick manner and I gave 3 stars as I hadn't expected that kind of ending.

Natalie has a devastating past, that she has tried to leave buried deep, except it is always there playing on her thoughts. She has done her best to walk away from those that have hurt her. Except every day she is worried that she come face to face with those she fears the most. Is her past about to reemerge and haunt her? This book was a slow build in tension throughout the entire book. As myself and Natalie tried to figure out what the hell was going on in her life. I truly had no idea what was reality and what may have been Natalie's state of mind. I don't think Natalie knew either! It was so craftily written that I was forced to guess the entire book.


As Natalie is truly rebuilding a life for herself, I thought it was fantastic that she found a pseudo family in her neighbors. They seemed to be a supportive tight knit group even if they were a bit dysfunctional. Slowly though I began to question each of their motives. They seemed supportive and yet they all had secrets...so many secrets...


Then things start getting creepy...things start disappearing from Natalie's flat, strange smells lingering in her home, things are rearranged- or are they? I found myself wondering if Natalie had gotten herself into such a frenzy that this was pure paranoia as she admits to such. Or has someone in fact been in her home? Is someone following her every move?


Wow! Sarah Simpson managed to keep me guessing all the way until the end. I truly was not able to determine what was in fact reality or just our characters secrets, lies and paranoia. A major twist at the end left me shocked as everything fell into place.

This was a great read! The author took the time for the first part of the book to introduce the characters and lay groundwork for their relationships with each other. This really helped with getting me invested when the twists came, as I cared about the characters. I am definitely going to be reading more from this author!

This is the story of 4 housemates, Natalie, Morwena, Nigel and Daniel. all very different personalities, all keeping secrets. After an abusive childhood Natalie finds it hard to trust, but somehow trusts all her housemates explicitly. When her father is released from prison, weird things start happening around the apartment, and someone can't be trusted.


I felt like this book was never ending.
I generally read these 'thriller' books as my 'fluff' books. they don't require a lot of thought and they are fast and easy reads. This book, went on and on and on and it lost me.

The story line was not gripping enough to hold my attention, by the end I didn't even care what was going on, I just wanted it to be over. I was reading it to finish it and not because I cared about the story. I found the author would throw in a lot of decoy mysteries. Like she would want you to think one thing, and you wonder "whats that about?" and then it is nothing, it goes no where... just a silly misunderstanding.

Unfortunately this book was not for me, I didn't care for any of the characters, and could not get emotionally invested in them.

Natalie lives in an apartment in a house shared with three other people. After an abusive childhood she finds it hard to trust others but she finds she can trust her neighbours and has managed to built a friendship with some of them. The something happens that changes her world – her father is being released from prison and at the same time she and her friends start to receive mysterious postcards from someone who seems to know a lot personal information about them all. Are they all in danger?

The story introduces us to relatively many characters but the author takes her time to give us a chance to get to know them all, dedicating alternative chapters to each one. Because of this the pace was rather slow and it wasn’t easy to engage with all the subplots, to be honest, the not knowing what is significant and what is not has provided for a rather confused feelings. But – the characters were well developed, each of them had their own story and really, the author has managed to play with my mind, making me change my mind and my suspicions were jumping all over the place. Natalie comes across as paranoid and anxious but honestly, after her abusive childhood you can understand her. She’s dating her landlord and is full of secrets. Mowenna, Natalie’s friend, is the motherly one but also with past that she’s afraid to be exposed one day. Serious, quiet Nigel, and Daniel, young and naive and also with a past that’s haunting him, even though he tries to escape it. Each of them has their own issues and secrets but they are all believable and complex characters. They all have flaws, you might not agree with their decisions, you’re going to have doubts about them but they’re all going to get under your skin.

This story was full of tension and this creepy feeling that something bad is going to happen, and it was great. I could feel Natalie’s fear, anxiety and uncertainty, as the chilling sense of fear and insecurity was truly strong. Moreover, almost each chapter ends with a cliff-hanger, so in the end you’ll find telling yourself only one chapter more and than totally forgetting the time. There were twists and turns, and they for sure turned out well, as some of them managed to shock me and gasp in disbelief, and well, as usual, yours truly had no idea how it’s going to end, the book kept me guessing till the very end.

It was captivating, character driven thriller written in a great way, Sarah Simpson has for sure a way with words. It was complex, unpredictable and gripping, a slow – burner but I think this laying down the foundations at the beginning was really necessary. Full of secrets, lies and grim atmosphere it still makes for a brilliant, captivating and clever read. Recommended!

This was a very slow burn for me.

The story is split between 4 characters (though it focuses on two of them primarily) and this draws the story out. Each characters has issues and secrets. Each is also rather unlikable to a degree.

The story goes beyond the halfway point before things start to happen, so this one requires some patience. The conclusion is quite good and unexpected so hang in there.

This was a quick entertaining read with some pros and cons. I will try more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Aria for a copy in exchange for a review.

The four inmates of the four flats seem like a very nice bunch of people. Differing ages, differing personalities but they all get on well. There are no hidden tensions or agendas. It seems so.

Natalie permanently afraid of her bullying and father who is now in prison, sent there by her complaint. Morwenna motherly but with a past addiction and a fear that she killed her husband whom she was devoted to, Nigel serious and just right and then there is Daniel the young boy who is fearful and has everyone looking out for him. We have Mark their landlord who is also now in a relationship with Natalie.

Under the blithe surface all of them have secrets and when a series of anonymous postcards keep appearing in their flats and when Natalie always fears that there has been someone in her flat in her absence though she cannot pinpoint exactly why and how the house of cards begins to tumble. It is an exercise in living on the edge, fearful of shadows, fearful of the dark and now fearful and suspicious of your neighbour.

Fairly tense, living on the edge thriller. Nice characterization. Nice setting.

I Know You're There is Sarah Simpson's third book. It is a book about how well you really know others. It's also about secrets.

Natalie, Daniel, Nigel, and Morwenna all live in a house that has been turned into four flats. They are neighbors and have become friends. Everyone has secrets but some secrets are more dangerous others. When they each start receiving typed notes they start to worry about their secrets because someone seems to know their secrets. How well do you know your neighbors? How well do your neighbors know you?

I found this book interesting. I would definitely read another book by Sarah Simpson.

Thank you Netgalley and Aria for the opportunity to read and review this book.

General Fiction (Adult)
Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: June 6, 2019