Before reading this, I had not heard about the case or the people involved so I went in completely blind! This is a chilling true crime about the murder of Mary Yoder, a chiropractor in Utica, NY. Her sudden illness and passing came as a shock, weeks after the medical examiner discovered Mary was poisoned! The suspect, Katie Conley, is Mary’s son Adam’s ex girlfriend. Katie orchestrated this for revenge, to get back at Adam for breaking off their relationship. Crazy!! The was fast paced, gripping & suspenseful! Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a gifted copy. This is my honest review.

This is true crime story about the poisoning death of sixty year old chiropracter, Mary Yoder. The author, M. William Phelps did a much better job than Dateline, researching the case. He described the young lady accused of the crime "like black mold." While quite long, the book holds your attention to the end.

I had been awaiting this book all year and it did not disappoint. I love authors books and this was a doozy. This book pulled you in and made you read and turn the page. Hoping author is working on another book!!!

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

M. William Phelps is my second favorite true crime author (Ann Rule being my #1) so whenever he releases a new book I immediately buy it. He does an excellent job at bringing all the facts and background of the case and perpetrators and that's no different here. I devoured this one!

The Story: Mary Yoder was a sixty year-old woman who enjoyed life. She was known for her kindness and generosity. She took good care of her health, and had no history of medical illness. But on July 20, 2015, after returning from her successful chiropractic practice, she fell ill. She was suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, painful stomach cramps, and was admitted to the hospital the next morning. Her illness baffled the doctors and after going through eight cardiac arrests, Mary succumbed to this mysterious illness. All this happened within 48 hours after she fell ill.

An autopsy would later reveal that she had been deliberately poisoned by a lethal chemical substance called colchicine. Bill, her husband; Adam, their son; and Kaitlyn Conley, Adam's former girlfriend who worked at the Yoders' clinic become person of interest in the case. Was it a conspiracy to murder or did the killer act alone? Police investigation later would uncover the shocking truth behind Mary's death.

My thoughts: I have no clue about this case at all. So every piece of information in this book is new to me. This is my first book by the renowned crime writer and investigative journalist M. William Phelps and would not be my last! I have no idea he had written tons of true crime books! This book was informative, insightful and engaging. I read it in one sitting!

It is well-written, fast paced and I liked how the author did not sensationalize the crime but focused on the victim and the family instead. No doubt it is a heartbreaking case that caused division in the family and community, but it is also a case that proved diligent police and forensics work (especially digital forensics) had helped put the killer behind bars.


Pub. Date: 29 Dec, 2020

***Thank you Kensington Books, author M.William Phelps and NetGalley for this gifted review copy in exchange for an honest review.***

I received an advance copy of, We Thought We Knew You, by M. William Phelps. I love books by M. William Phelps. This book is a great book, I remember when this happened, when Mary Yoder died. Sad story, but beautifully written.

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Mary Yoder came home from the chiropractic office she shared with her husband Bill with flu like symptoms. Bill brought her to the hospital the next day. Mary could not walk without assistance. The doctors at the hospital were unable to figure out what was wrong. She passed away and the next day. An autopsy was done and that Mari died of colchicine which is hard to obtain. I have read many of M William Phelps books. This book was riveting and kept me on guessing until the very end.

I had seen the Dateline episode on this and felt very ambiguous about Katie's guilt or innocence so I decided to read this book about the case to get another perspective. And wow it feels like Dateline left out a LOT of information. A very good true crime book.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Kensington Books and the author, M William Phelps, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of We Thought We Knew You in exchange for an honest opinion.
Such a well presented story that had me hooked from the opening pages.
A life cut tragically short, and all because of jealousy and the need for revenge. This is the premise of a good, psychological thriller and murder mystery. But, what the Yoder family endured was no fictionalised story.
Definitely worth a read.

I love a good true crime and don’t read nearly enough of them. Some favorites of mine over the last year or two are If You Tell by Gregg Olsen, A Tangled Web by Leslie Rule, and American Predator by Maureen Callahan. Most recently, I read The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder byJohn Glatt, which was excellent.

Now comes We Thought We Knew You by M. William Phelps, a must-read for fans of true crime stories.

Synopsis:

In July 2015, Mary Yoder returned home from the chiropractic center that she operated with her husband, Bill, complaining that she felt unwell. Mary, health-conscious and vibrant, was suddenly vomiting, sweating, and weak. Doctors in the ER and ICU were baffled as to the cause of her rapidly progressing illness. Her loved ones–including Bill and their children, Adam, Tamryn, and Liana–gathered in shock to say goodbye.

In the weeks that followed Mary’s death, the grief-stricken family received startling news from the medical examiner: Mary had been deliberately poisoned. The lethal substance was colchicine, a chemical used to treat gout but extremely toxic if not taken as prescribed. Mary did not have gout. Another bombshell followed when the local sheriff’s office received a claim that Adam Yoder had poisoned his mother. But Adam was not the only person of interest in the case.

Pretty and popular Kaitlyn Conley, Adam’s ex-girlfriend, worked at the Yoders’ clinic. She’d even been at Mary’s bedside during those last terrible hours. Still, some spoke of her talent for manipulation and a history of bizarre, rage-fueled behavior against anyone who dared to reject her.

Had Kaitlyn and Adam conspired to kill Mary Yoder, or was the killer someone else entirely?

In another twist, accusations were hurled at Bill Yoder himself, ricocheting blame in still another direction…

Renowned investigative journalist M. William Phelps details this incredible story piece by piece, revealing a heartless plan of revenge–a scheme that would tear a family apart, divide a community, and result in two gripping, high-profile trials.

An extremely well-written tale of evil, this book is a must-read for my fellow true crime fans. I didn’t know anything about the story going in, and I think its best that way. Everytime I read a true crime book, I am reminded of the saying, “Truth is stranger than fiction,” which is certainly the case here.

This is another remarkable true crime story from one of my favorite authors. I am a die hard true crime fan and this book was very easy to follow and very well written. It still amazes me after everything I read the lenghts people will go to commit murder to get what they want. Another home run from M. William Phelps. Highly recommend this book. Thank you netgalley for letting me give an honest review of this book.

We Thought We Knew You is an incredible true crime story about evil, deception, and control. Well written and full of details, the book offers a look into the mind and actions of Katie, who was determined to destroy an innocent family. It is difficult to fathom how a woman could be so cruel and unfeeling. Truth is definitely stranger than fiction as can be seen in We Thought We Knew You. Highly recommended. You'll never be the same again after reading this book. Thank you to the publisher.

As a sucker for true crime and someone who has read a TON of books in this genre, M. William Phelps is one of the authors whose books are always on my TBR list, and one whose books generally are well written. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley, I received a copy of his latest, We Thought We Knew You, in exchange for this honest review.

TBH, I hadn’t a clue what the book was about when I began reading. All I knew was it was by Mr. Phelps, who rarely disappoints. As soon as I began reading, I realized I knew the story, who was going to be killed, who did it, and why. I’m not sure if this was covered in one of the TC podcasts I listen to, or if I’d seen it in a magazine or news story somewhere along the way, but it was familiar. Despite that, I enjoyed it. Well written as usual, and I appreciated that the story unfolded as it did. I was imagining how it would be received if I had no clue about the murder of a chiropractor by a woman who worked in the Dr.’s office and had been dating the victim’s son. The sociopathy of the wretched woman who committed the crime was revealed gradually, and the picture of the son presented his flawed character without any effort to pile blame onto him just for emphasis (I’m sure he has enough guilt to last his entire lifetime). Considering how much I knew about the crime and the people involved, it really held my interest. Four stars.

I am very much a fan of this author. I find his books informative, easy to follow and engrossing. This book was no different. This is the story of a very demented woman who would do anything to get her way. Even if that includes murder. This book gives you some good writing on why a woman would kill her ex boyfriend’s mother. Read this well written book to find out!!! Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book in return for my honest review. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on this review.

4 stars
We Thought We Knew You by W. Michael Phelps is a stunning, fascinating and utterly intriguing look at the murder of Mary Yoder by her son's ex-girlfriend. Phelps concisely writes an absorbing book about the sociopathic young woman who took the life of a beloved woman. mother, gardener and doctor all because she was trying to get her boyfriend to return to her.
Phelps has a real knack for writing true crime. He writes in such a way that it is not sensationalizing the crime or the murderer but paying tribute to the victim and their families by sharing their stories.
I highly recommend this book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own.