A good suburban thriller, with identity theft and murder set amidst a gossipy crowd of PTA moms and overly involved neighbors. Lots of misdirection, plus a satisfying ending.

A great debut from this new voice in the world of domestic thrillers. A story that once started is difficult to walk away from. Allie and her husband, along with their young son, have recently moved to an upscale new neighborhood in a DC suburb. Allie is anxious to make friends, but it’s not an easy process. After a neighborhood party where a local dad puts the moves on her and calls her by a name she thought she’d left in the past, Allie is suddenly at a total loss. Someone has created a fake Tinder and Facebook account in her name, someone is out to destroy her. When a murder takes place, she is instantly a person of interest. Things escalate and soon no one believes her outrageous accusations. Is she telling the truth , or is she an unreliable narrator? With enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing until the very end, this book was highly entertaining.

4 stars. Kept my interest as a definite whodunnit. The ending was unexpected but not totally unbelievable. Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was quite surprised to find out this was a debut book by the author. I found the story to be fun in a dark way, suspenseful and quite the page turner.

4.25 Stars — thanks to NetGalley for an ARC for fair review. This Wonderfully paranoid, jaunting and downright scary thriller is focused around modern times and the potentially devastating perils of social media and a cautionary risks to what can happen — albeit it in the far right of the slider scale — when one is forever blindly trusting of what one reads and views on social media.

Focused On suburban DC, our protagonist finds herself inexplicably framed for murder. The mystery is focused centrally around the whom and how, rather than necessarily just the crime itself. With an extremely strong narrative, the strength of this winding, twisting thriller is its pacing. Never quite comfortable, the reader is helplessly filled with the ever growing and escalating paranoia of our heroine Allie and the consequences of her trust in the most modern of vices.

I found myself throughout, wanting to state how clever I was by “nailing” the true culprit only to again and again prove to be wrong then right then wrong wrong wrong again — A great sign of a strongly composed thriller — this is no accident and the chilling result ensures the payoff is as strong as it can be.

With a rather stunningly apt and strong conclusion, I don’t forgive you lifts off the page at numerous points is is very much a sliver above the average modern thriller. I am definitely keeping my eye on this Aggie Plum Thompson, an excellent platform with which to build from this novel is a breeze to read and more importantly a pleasure in doing so.

I would rate this one between 3 and 4 stars. I think it was highly readable and written in a way that held my interest from the beginning. I thought the pace was well done and as the events piled up I was increasingly intrigued. I found the online stolen identity aspect of the story very creepy and compelling. Overall, I enjoyed this read and would recommend to others.

I enjoy a good psychological mystery thriller all rolled in to one and this one did the trick. I will say that I felt like the author maybe tried too hard to introduce too many characters as possible suspects and that part kind of bothered me. Some of the actions of certain characters who ended up not being "the bad guy" were not believable as actions of fairly new, getting to know you neighbors. I think I would have liked fewer red herrings. Otherwise, I enjoyed the storyline and the hacking someone and creating fake accounts on social media is a hot topic right now so that was fun. Also, I love that the help of an angsty teen was used...so much reality there!

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge for the ARC.

4.5/5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟💫

An excellent psychological thriller full of twists and turns. I Don’t Forgive You centers around Allie Ross, a photographer, wife, and mother, who recently moved to an upscale D.C. suburb. At a town party, she is assaulted by a neighbor, who calls her by a nickname she hasn’t heard since a traumatic part of her past. When the neighbor is found murdered, Allie finds herself at the center of a murder investigation and the target of a relentless cyber bully.

The villain is this story is one of the most diabolical and cruel characters I have read in a while. The cyber bullying and hacking completely dismantles Allie’s life and makes the reader just as frustrated as she feels (also cringe. I cringed a lot.). I Don’t Forgive You starts right at the party and does not slow down. It sucks you in until you realize you have been sitting in a chair for hours reading.

Thompson creates so many suspects and red herrings that you are constantly changing and coming up with more theories. As fun and juicy as the setting is, Thompson creates a very layered story that is just as sad as it is creepy and thrilling. Allie is a very complex main character that you can sympathize with, while you are getting frustrated with her over some of the choices she makes. The supporting characters are well-written and add to the drama and insanity.

Chilling, gripping, and unputdownable, I Don’t Forgive You is the perfect summer read. Fans of Shari Lapena and Lisa Jewell will love this one!

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for gifting me a digital ARC of this fabulous debut book by Aggie Blum Thompson - 5 stars! Sign me up for her next book - this is definitely a writer to watch!

Mark and Allie have just moved to an upscale neighborhood in Bethesda, Maryland, with young son, Cole. Suddenly, Allie is suddenly thrown into the competitive parenting/school world where she feels like a complete outsider. At a party, a harmless flirtation with a stranger becomes frightening when he calls her by an old high school nickname and seems to be expecting something from her. When that stranger turns up dead the next day, suspicion falls on Allie. Police have evidence that Allie sent this man messages on Tinder and Facebook. Allie has a secret from her past she is trying to hide as well, even from her husband.

Pick up this book and then set aside all other plans for the day. I was gripped with this story and the very many suspects - no one feels completely trustworthy! The author sets up the tension of Allie knowing she is being set up but feeling that no one believes her - then the tension just keeps ramping up. This book also left me wanting to completely destroy any of my social media accounts - the things that people can do to cause harm never cease to amaze. Fabulous debut novel - don't miss this one!

HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY! June 8, 2021

Title: I Don't Forgive You
Author: Aggie Blue Thompson
Publisher: Macmillan Tor/Forge Books

Allie Ross and her family are still fairly new to the tight-knit suburban neighborhood where everyone knows everything about all people within a five mile radius. One evening at a neighborhood block party Allie finds herself harmlessly flirting with with one of the dad's until he later sexually assaults her and angrily calls her a tease and tells her to stay off the app "Tinder" if she doesn't want to play the game that she suggested. The next day this man is found dead and the police are looking at Allie as a suspect.

This is only the beginning of a wild and crazy ride for Allie and her family as she finds herself being stalked on Facebook as well as an unknown person impersonating her on there as well as the Tinder app. The information on these social media apps are very damaging to her credibility as a loving wife, mother and professional photographer. As friends and family begin to doubt her Allie begins drinking too much and it's creating harmful effects to her marriage as well as her character since she starts losing control over her emotions with the people she loves and trusts the most. Eventually Allie's life completely spirals downhill not of her own doing and she finds herself being followed, possibly being arrested for murder, even her mother being attacked in a nursing facility, many neighborhood women blatantl accuse her of murder and no longer welcome her at her son's school or other programs. Even her husband begins to doubt Allie's truthfulness when one thing after another continue to cause havoc and her life begins to completely fall apart and Allie realizes that she has no one to lean on but herself and she must find answers soon to who is trying to destroy her life or time will soon be up because she will either be in prison or dead.

I was quite surprised to find out this was a debut book by the author. I found the story to be fun in a dark way, suspenseful and quite the page turner. This was a very enjoyable and entertaining book for myself. A wonderful domestic thriller with non-stop action within every chapter. Although unrealistic the story was just so good and fast paced. Plenty.of unlikable and suspicious characters as well. Much credit to the author for keeping the villain hidden until the end of the book. A few times I thought I had it all figured out, but I (happily) was very wrong. I highly recommend this book to any domestic/thriller reader and I am looking forward to reading more books written by Aggie Blue Thompson.

I want to thank the publisher "Macmillan Tor/Forge" as well as Negalley for the opportunity to read this terrific story and any thoughts or opinions expressed are unbiased and mine alone!

I have given this entertaining book a rating of 4 Tantalizing 🌟🌟🌟🌟 Stars!!

Accomplished photographer and boy mom, Allie Ross, has just moved to an upscale DC suburb. A neighborhood where parenting is considered an extreme sport and first impressions mean everything. But when Allie is framed for murder, there’s no going back. It all starts at a neighborhood party when a local dad corners Allie and calls her by a nickname she desperately wants to leave in the past. The next day, he is found dead. Soon after, the police are knocking on her door with evidence of a Tinder relationship and text messages between them. Allie quickly realizes that someone is impersonating her online and working hard to destroy her life and her career. Even her husband begins to doubt her. To figure out the identity of the killer, Allie must dig into a dark past that she vowed to forget.

WOW WOW WOW!! Labeling this book as a psychological thriller hits the nail right on the head. I was on the edge of my seat for the entire book and had convinced myself that I knew who the killer was. And boy was I wrong! But honestly, that’s what made this book so enjoyable for me. It kept me guessing and constantly changing my mind! The author used her characters very effectively and they told the story so well. There was never a dull moment!

Thank you Forge Books, NetGalley, and the author for the ARC! This book is out TODAY!

A debut novel by a former real-life crime reporter for various major American newspapers is Aggie Blum Thompson’s I Don't Forgive You. Set in the suburbs of Washington DC, Allie Ross is an accomplished photographer and the devoted mom. Her attendance at a neighbourhood gathering initiates a series of events requiring her to revisit her dark past in order to determine who wants to destroy her life. A domestic noir with a captivating narrative, enjoyable characters and necessitating a murder to be solved. A leisurely paced venture with a three-star rating. With thanks to NetGalley and the author for a preview copy for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are freely given and totally my own.

Bravo @aggie.blum.thompson on your debut! There were several twists I did not expect and I loved the unreliable narrator! The situation and the characters were relatable which makes a book better in my opinion!

I Don't Forgive You is a compulsive stand-alone debut thriller about the shame of sexual assault, the hijacking of the internet for malevolent purposes and the terrifying notion that when someone is hellbent on sabotaging your life there isn't a great deal you can do to stop it reverse the damage caused and ponders the question: is there ever a time when you can justify doing the wrong thing for the right reasons? Professional photographer Allie Ross recently moved to an exclusive Washington DC neighbourhood with her lawyer husband, Mark, and young son, Cole, but is struggling to fit in among the cliques of glamorous mothers which is important due to Mark's career as he tries to drive his success on to a new level. However, it soon becomes apparent that Allie is not likely to be accepted by these women, perhaps due to who she is, or the fact that she's a newbie to the community and these friendship groups are now well established and hardly eager to welcome outsiders. As a last-ditch attempt to gain acceptance, Allie attends a neighbourhood street party with Mark, but naturally she still feels on edge and she's certainly right to be.

When she's approached by local father Rob Avery who begins a flirty conversation with her while Mark has stepped away, she simply plays along whether due to a misguided and desperate attempt to fit in and stay on people's good side or caused by alcohol-induced inhibition or a bit of both, who knows? But when he refers to her as Lexi, an old name nickname from her high school years associated with her long-held, disturbing statutory rape secret she runs to the bathroom where she is horrifically sexually assaulted by him. She decides to keep what happened to herself not even informing her husband, which subsequently comes back to bite her in the butt, when the following day Rob is discovered dead after ingesting a deadly dose of liquid Ambien overnight. The police believe he was murdered and accuse Allie primarily based on a Tinder relationship she apparently had with him. But Allie insists she has never had a Tinder account and claims to have been hacked. She knows for sure someone is impersonating her online when a Facebook profile pops up in her name and posts intimate images of her and Rob, fuelling the already rampant rumour mill and increasing suspicion about whether she had a role in his death.

When the police find out that Allie had recently placed an order for liquid Ambien, she realises in most people's minds this has sealed the deal in terms of her guilt. If she is to save her life and reputation she must prove herself innocent in the only way possible to exonerate herself: by finding the genuine perpetrator. This is a compelling and absorbing thriller from the outset and an addictive, tautly plotted debut with plenty of drama and a riveting mystery at its centre: just who is seemingly hacking Allie? Told from main character Allie's perspective, who I didn't find particularly likeable despite her being relatable, she makes quite a few poor decisions, which had me tutting and shaking my head. It's a compulsive read and I guarantee thriller readers will have a tough time putting it down, and I found myself tearing through the pages at speed to ascertain exactly who was behind it all. It's a grim, disturbing, unsettling read full of twists, turns and misdirection and propelled by dark secrets, lies, deceit, betrayal, danger, paranoia and plenty of scintillating suspense.

I’m not sure if I liked this book or not, to be honest. It’s hard to read. Like excruciating. Watching someone be picked apart from afar is gut wrenching. The ferocity of the cyber attacks against Allie is so visceral, yet completely believable. I physically hurt. I guess that means it’s really well done, but I hated being a witness to it.

Allie is trying to build a life after a horrible choice at 17 derails her future. She’s picking up the pieces, or perhaps merely hurling them back into the abyss in an attempt to live beyond them. But suddenly her world is turned upside down when an unknown enemy begins tearing her life apart. Fake Facebook and Tinder accounts, the murder of someone she barely knows and yet is somehow intimately connected to. How can she take control of a situation she can’t even see?

Shocks come hard and fast in this thriller. The characters’ reactions to them are decidedly believable. Whole outlandish in their scope, each step is cruelly logical.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this free copy. These opinions are my own.

I Don’t Forgive You is a psychological thriller that will have the reader guessing how the story ends until the end. I found the storyline very current and had me questioning how this could happen. I will definitely be checking out Aggie Blum Thompson’s next book.

What a ride! This book is a must-read for anyone who loves psychological thrillers. Allie Ross seems to have the perfect life -- a photography career, a loving husband and young son, living in a wealthy Bethesda suburb. Within pages, Allie's life begins to fall apart like a house of cards when she appears to be framed for the death of a man who has been corresponding with her on a fake Tinder profile. Anxiety-provoking, highly-propulsive, no aspect of Allie's life remains untouched. Highly recommended beach read. An amazing debut -- I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forge Books for a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Can't quite place what it is about this that I didn't love. Maybe cause it seemed more like a lifetime movie? And a bit so good one? At times it was clunk and it was quite repetitive. The mystery was overall predictable and obvious but there was still enough intrigue to keep my turning the page. Just over all, I don't know. it was a meh kind of read for me

I knew from reading the synopsis that I’d enjoy I Don’t Forgive You by Aggie Blum Thompson and I was correct. I was completely swept up in this well-written, clever, suspenseful book and I highly recommend it!

Here’s the plot:

An accomplished photographer and the devoted mom of an adorable little boy, Allie Ross has just moved to an upscale DC suburb, the kind of place where parenting feels like a competitive sport. Allie’s desperate to make a good first impression. Then she’s framed for murder.

It all starts at a neighborhood party when a local dad corners Allie and calls her by an old, forgotten nickname from her dark past. The next day, he is found dead.

Soon, the police are knocking at her door, grilling her about a supposed Tinder relationship with the man, and pulling up texts between them. She learns quickly that she’s been hacked and someone is impersonating her online. Her reputation—socially and professionally—is at stake; even her husband starts to doubt her. As the killer closes in, Allie must reach back into a past she vowed to forget in order to learn the shocking truth of who is destroying her life.

Absolutely loved this one and I need more like it. When a book is compelling and fast-paced with a plot that keeps me totally engaged, well, nothing makes me happier!

This comes out on June 8, don’t miss it.

4.5 Stars

I really enjoyed I Don't Forgive You. I thought this thriller was the right pace and I couldn't stop turning pages and trying to unravel the mystery.

What I appreciated about this book: The short chapters and pace of the book was perfect and made it hard to put this book down. I liked how at one point, each character was a suspect so I was left guessing until the reveal.

What I didn't like about this book: There were a few story details that bothered me (everyone having a key to neighbors' houses and the relationship between Allie and Mark to name a few) but that's because I have a different perspective/experience and those details didn't take away from the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and would definitely recommend as a great summer beach read in the thriller genre.