I loved this book so much, I got through it in one day. Jill is the matriarch of her family and, after losing her husband a year earlier, she is helping her three sons and their families with the struggles they face. But everyone in the family is hiding something and Jill is hiding two of the biggest secrets of all. When tragedy strikes, who will be left standing and will they still be a family unit? A great read.

Unfortunately I had difficulties downloading this book to my kindle - maybe it wasn't offered in this format??

Either way, I'm loving the reviews so have requested this book from my local library and will be sure to leave a review on Goodreads as always!

Going on holidays with family should be a relaxing and fun time together, but sadly for Jill and her family this is not to be be after a tragic accident happens. The mystery and intrigue that follows will have the reader turning the pages ever so quickly wanting to find out what happens next.

My goodness, what a compelling read, this was and one I honestly couldn't put down. You Need to Know by Aussie author Nicola Moriarty is a well written story about family drama, secrets and lies. I absolutely loved this book and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my digital copy to read and review.

Thanks to #netgalley and #harpercollins for the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. Whilst I do have a few Nicola Moriarty books on my TBR shelf, this was my first time reading a book by Nicola and it won't be my last. This book was a deliciously interwoven story revolving around a family with so many secrets- just when you think there cannot be any more secrets to uncover -bam! You are hit with another one...a twisty dark read delving into family secrets and the detrimental effects they can have on other family members and also the secrets of our neighbours and how they can also impact people around them. A definite page turner for me. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ #nicolamoriarty #youneedtoknow #netgalley #harpercollins #tea_sipping_bookworm #litsy #goodreads #thestorygraph #bookqueen #bookstagram

#343 You Need to Know by Nicola Moriarty
A page turner from one of the Moriarty sisters. The story of a family with an awful secret at its very core with plenty of disfunction along the way until the heart stopping reveal. Five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@thegfcbookproject on Instagram

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Not often I sit reading a book and cover my face to stop gasping out loud. This book does that with shock after shock.

If it was perceived that Nicola Moriarty was in her sister, Liane's shadow, this book will knock that perception for six.

I think this is the best of Nicola’s novels to date, it had me gripped from start to finish. It must be hard having successful sibling authors & this familial occupation also features in this novel.
It is a domestic drama, the story of one family in turmoil after a fatal car crash involving multiple vehicles driving in convoy on Christmas eve to spend the holidays together. It is the story of parents, their three sons & their families. Alternating chapters tell the story of each family group in flashbacks to before the fateful day & in the present. Secrets have been kept but are slowly revealed with some surprising twists. It is a fast- paced gripping read, but so cleverly crafted. So many layers with well created believable characters that you become invested in & make you want to keep reading to find out more. Well worth a read!

The latest suspenseful offering from Nicola Moriarty had me sitting up long after I should have been sleeping. Suspenseful and full of unexpected twists I was left following clues and never quite able to unravel the twists.

Character driven and highly relatable Moriarty tells the story from different perspectives and we get to know a number of women from one family quite well, much better than they know each other.

Set in the lead up to Christmas there are chapters told across two different timelines and all of them show the female characters in a way that I could completely relate too.

You Need to Know houses a lot of pain and a lot of secrets, leaving my heart in my mouth on more than one occasion. This is one not to miss and you will not be disappointed.

Being a lover of Australian fiction, Nicole Moriarty is a given for me. You Need to Know was no exception to this rule and I greedily snapped it up to review via Netgalley, also purchasing a copy to take pride of place on my bookshelf.
After reading to the halfway point I still had no idea where the story was headed but thoroughly enjoyed the character building and lives of the families in the narrative. From the half way point everything started happening at warp speed and there was no way to avert your eyes!
You Need to Know circles around three brothers and their families, the lies and deceptions will leave your head spinning and all that drip feeding in the first half will make perfect sense. This is the must read domestic thriller of 2021, if you are yet to read it, what the hell are you waiting for!! Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins Australia for my ARC

A suspenseful twisty tale of a close family - three writer brothers, their mother and various partners - facing the loss of the family patriarch and overcoming petty rivalries and jealousies to stay firm and united in their grief.
At the mother Jill's insistence they are driving in convoy to their beach home for Christmas - a ritual she sees an essential to family solidarity.
A tragic smash on the way finally reveals with shocking clarity the fissures and secrets which have remained hidden until now.

The book's tagline announces "Everybody is hiding something" and Nicola does a great job of revealing the cracks in the perfecly presented facade, giving us a thrilling family drama about the secrets we keep, the lies we tell and the truths that won't stay hidden. The story gives us a slow but unquenchable burn to a fiery conclusion, masterfully executied.
Nicola talks about the book on The Joys o f Binge Reading podcast.



Jill, her three sons, their wives and children are driving in convoy on Christmas Eve. But something sinister is simmering behind their happy smiles.

Mimi is struggling with her new twins, but at least a glass of wine smooths out life's jagged edges. Andrea's starting to wonder if her marriage is as happy as she'd thought. Darren is reeling from a surprise request and teenager Callie has become increasingly withdrawn.

On the way to their holiday house, a terrifying car accident devastates them all. But someone unexpected was in one of the cars. No one is searching for them. And their time is running out.

You Need to Know is a dark domestic drama about family secrets and lies, fractured relationships, tragic mistakes and the ultimate betrayal.

This is the third novel I’ve read by Nicola Moriarty and my favourite . I’ve said before that there is nothing better than a writer getting better at their craft and Nicola Moriarty is doing that with each novel .

I was hooked on the story from the very beginning and loved the suspense . The story centres around Jill and her three sons and their families and flashes forward to Xmas eve and an accident before reverting back to present day , answering some questions but presenting more . It was cleverly written and the surprises kept coming ! Massive thanks to HarperCollins Australia and Netgalley for a copy to read and review. A must read !

EXCERPT: The kettle boiled and she poured her cup of tea, then she picked up her phone to call Mimi. For a moment her thumb hovered over the mail icon. The email had arrived three days ago. It had taken her a few minutes, but eventually she had recognised the sender's name. It was a name that gave her a nasty feeling in the pit of her stomach. And it was highly unusual that she would be writing to her.

Then she'd read the subject line: 'You Need to Know'. Her skin prickled with irritation. What on earth could this woman have to say that Jill apparently needed to know? The presumptious tone annoyed her so she'd closed the app and ignored it.

Her thumb moved away from her inbox now, and instead she phoned Mimi.

ABOUT 'YOU NEED TO KNOW': The holidays are here. The extended family has gathered. The cars are packed and the convoy sets off. The cottage is a few hours' drive - but not everyone will live to see it ...

For Jill, her three sons, their wives and children, a terrifying road crash will tear apart their family.

The crash will be an accident but the shattering that follows has been long coming.

Because at the heart of this family lies a secret - concealed, wrestled with, festering and harmful - and nothing now can stop it coming out.

But will any of them survive it?

MY THOUGHTS: I started You Need to Know when I got home from work, and I did not, could not, put it down until I finished. I devoured it, then licked my fingers afterwards. I inhaled it. I lived it. I loved every word.

Moriarty has written a dramatic tale of family relationships with believable characters, and an original plot that increases in intensity and complexity culminating in multiple wreckages .... not all of them vehicular. Secrets that have been hidden in this family, from this family, are revealed and their relationships are fractured.

Moriarty's characters are so realistic, so complete, that they could have stepped off the pages and into my life. They could be my friends, my neighbours. This is a situation any family could find itself in. Moriarty writes her characters with a deep understanding and compassion.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

#YouNeedtoKnow #NetGalley

I: #nicolamoriarty #harpercollinsaustralia

T: @NikkiM3 @HarperCollinsAU

#contemporaryfiction #australianfiction #familydrama #fivestarread #mystery

THE AUTHOR: Nicola Moriarty lives in Sydney's north west with her husband and two small daughters. She is the younger sister of bestselling authors Liane Moriarty and Jaclyn Moriarty. In between various career changes, becoming a mum and studying teaching at Macquarie University, she began to write. Now, she can't seem to stop.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins Australia via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of You Need to Know by Nicola Moriarty for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

These Moriarty sisters sure know how to tell a good story! I heard an interview with Liane saying their Dad used to pay them to write stories as kids. Maybe I need to start paying mine to write?
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This new one from Nicola is a family drama, but also has suspense and quite a few twists and turns. I enjoyed it, especially towards the end. I couldn’t put it down. The second half definitely moves at a fast pace.

Each character has a great storyline and it's one of those books where the point of view switches a lot, but I enjoyed every character so I did not mind. I'm going to have to look into her back catalogue now. :)

A fast paced, domestic drama set in North Shore Sydney that I read very quickly. It’s told from multiple points of view which initially I thought there were too many characters, it took a little while for the brothers to be distinctive for instance. Eventually it all fell into place and I found it impossible to put down. It all takes place in the weeks leading up to Christmas. The previous Christmas Eve Jill’s husband Frank died. She has three sons who are all writers. Tony married to Andrea, a teacher with no children. Peter married to Mimi, with four daughters, 16yo Callie, 8yo Tara and newborn twins. Lastly Darren, currently single but still hung up on his ex. Jill, Mimi and Andrea are the strongest voices and their various issues are told well. In between the narratives are the description of a car accident on Christmas Eve so you know the story is going to reach a dramatic climax. Such an entertaining read with a few laughs, some shocks and a twist or two.

You Need To Know is written by Nicola Moriarty and follows the story of a family - Jill, her three sons, daughter in-laws and grandchildren in a domestic thriller set in Australia. The story is told in different points of view a month out from Christmas. I absolutely enjoyed reading about each family member. Jill wants to do the family Christmas day tradition and has decided this year they are all to travel together in a convoy (especially because of what happened last Christmas). We find out that something terrible has happened on the convoy and we learn the secrets some of the family members have tried to hide.

I loved that this book was set in Australia and I highly recommend reading this book. The story is jam packed with family secrets and drama. I did not want to put this book down, it is fast paced and easy to read. I don't want to give too much away as this book was amazing going in blind. This is my first Nicola Moriarty book and it won't be my last.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the advanced copy for an honest review.

‘Secrets can be dangerous.’

Sydney, Australia. An extended family is heading away for the Christmas holidays. There’s Jill, the family matriarch, her three sons, Pete, Tony and Darren, her daughters-in-law Mimi and Andrea and her grandchildren Callie, Tara, and twin girls Elliot and James. Jill, recently widowed, is still grieving her husband Frank’s unexpected death.

The story unfolds through multiple points of view, mostly in the month leaving up to Christmas. Each of the families has issues. Mimi is struggling with four children, especially as her eldest daughter Callie has become remote and moody. Tony and Andrea have decided not to have children, but Andrea might want to revisit that. Darren’s partner has left him, although he has not yet accepted it. Each of the brothers is a published author, but right now both Tony and Darren are struggling to write. Every family has secrets: some secrets are more toxic, more dangerous than others.

Jill insists that the family travel in convoy: she is trying to keep them all safe. But an accident along the way leads to tragedy, and to some painful secrets being revealed.

Ms Moriarty has delivered a fast paced, utterly engrossing story full of surprises. Highly recommended if you enjoy domestic drama with a twist.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for providing me with a free electronic
copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This is an excellent and very clever family drama novel that I read in a matter of days.
The story centres around a lady named Jill, her three sons and their wives, plus Jill's grandchildren.
It is told from different perspectives (which I always enjoy), and it is easy to follow.
As the story unfolds, the reader discovers that Jill lost her husband and his one year anniversary is approaching, along with the Christmas period.
The families are all set to make a trip to their holiday cottage, but not everyone will make it. Who will be the ones to survive, and will secrets be uncovered before its too late?
I don't want to give too much away, but will also add that each of the characters have flaws in a very realistic way, and lots of secrets too. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. It is very well written and I highly recommend. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

You Need to Know by Nicola Moriarty is the third book I have read by this author and is my favourite one so far.

This is the story of Jill, her sons and their families. The holidays are here, but not everyone will survive.

A family convoy.
A family secret.
Truth and lies.

It is also the anniversary of Jill’s husband’s death so emotions are high. Told from multiple perspectives we learn about the various family members in the lead up to the holidays. How they think and how they interact with each other.

The storyline is a page turner and the characters are incredibly well developed. A highly recommended rare five star read from me.

Wow – what a page turner! I don’t often stay up to continue reading but I couldn’t put this one down. This is a story of Jill and her family of 3 sons, their wives and children. The cars are packed, and they are ready to set off on their annual family Christmas holiday but there’s an accident. Who will survive and what secrets (past and current) are they all holding on to? How will these secrets impact the Lewis family going forward? There’s so many things going on, I don’t want to give away any spoilers but put it on your ‘to read’ list now!
The book is filled with secrets, drama, relationship issues and characters all of whom you get to know very well (without becoming confusing). It moves between characters and past and present but is well written and easy to follow. Moriarty has developed each of the characters and their stories brilliantly. One of my favourite reads for 2021 so far!
Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins Australia for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Nicola Moriarty, You Need To Know, Penguin 2021

The title is the directly connected to Jill Lewis. She is a complex combination of strength with which she deftly achieves her aims in handling her family, weakness in relation to adopting the email heading command to know, and, although belated, courage. Jill is the wife of Frank; mother of three brothers, Tony, Pete, and Darren; mother-in-law to Andrea and Mimi, and formerly prospective mother-in-law to Charlotte; and grandmother to four girls, ranging from teenaged Callie, eight-year-old Tara and new-born twin girls, Elliot, and James.

What a clever move Nicola Moriarty has made in naming the twins so. By rejecting any character’s use of comfortable diminutives such as Jamie and Elly, the reader must come to terms with preconceptions about gender. An excellent move in a novel that puts on notice the way in which people find it difficult to adapt to new expectations and ‘knowledge’ about what they think (or want) to be true. This discomfort pervades the novel, from Mimi’s recall of a scream in a restaurant, to her realisation she is replicating that scream; Callie’s behaviour to Mimi; Jill’s letters to Frank expressing contrition; Charlotte’s almost successful manipulation of Darren; and Andrea’s fear for a neglected child in her complex.

The novel moves between characters and past and present. In this work the well-worn device is admirably executed. This, to me, is the sign of a writer who is not only competent but uses devices with robust attention to how they work best. In this novel the speakers move the story forward smoothly, logically, and flawlessly. Another positive feature is that the Lewis family is not alone in a landscape peopled only with the main protagonists. Other characters interacting with the family include people such as publishers, agents, neighbours, friends, dishonest interlopers, former and new partners, and a delightful class of students learning cooking. There are also unnamed people whose thoughts are recorded as they zip along the highway: the outside world ignoring the family but having a tenuous link to them.

Andrea’s concern with the neighbouring child and Jill’s determination to influence the family’s Christmas celebrations are pivotal. Both raise complex issues about control, personal interests vying with social, or other people’s, concerns, and the capacity to be honest about motivation. Jill’s character in particular raises difficult issues about love, responsibility, and her somewhat matriarchal role. Moriarty deals well with the dynamics around the social issues raised, despite their being somewhat predictable.

Nicola Moriarty has written a competent novel, depicting a realistic family with its members’ flaws highlighting broader social concerns. You Need To Know circumvents the risk of becoming a closed world, which is always possible where a family is the focus. Rather, the Lewis family has ties to the community through individuals or the issues raised by its members. There are some clever links between characters’ actions, which with further knowledge become ironic. Horribly so. The ending was satisfyingly realistic. So, there is a great deal to recommend this novel and I thoroughly enjoyed my read. I found it a very worthy four stars.