"You Can Never Tell" by Sarah Warburton is a gripping psychological thriller that follows the life of Kacy Tremain, a museum curator who has been framed for embezzlement by her best friend, Aimee. Seeking a fresh start, Kacy and her husband, Michael, move from New Jersey to a charming suburb in Texas. However, their attempt to escape the past is thwarted as they encounter new friends and hidden dangers in their new neighbourhood.

The central themes of the book include betrayal, trust, and the complexity of human relationships. Warburton explores the psychological impact of betrayal on Kacy and delves into themes of paranoia and the fear of the unknown. The novel also examines the idea of starting over and whether it is truly possible to escape one's past.

Overall, "You Can Never Tell" is a compelling psychological thriller that will appeal to fans of Liane Moriarty and Joshilyn Jackson. Warburton's exploration of betrayal and trust, combined with her engaging writing style, makes this novel a worthwhile read. While some elements of the plot may be predictable, the book's strengths lie in its character development and suspenseful narrative.

This was a really interesting book. It started out as a slow burn for about the first quarter of the book then it got interesting. The way it was done I couldn't see it really be fast paced without having the first quarter as a slow burn unveiling the story. I like the true crime podcast transcripts that were in between the chapters of the storyline playing out.
Kacy and Michael move to Texas after Kacy was framed by her friend Aimee for embezzlement at the museum they both worked at. This move is to be their fresh start, especially for Kacy so she can try to move on from the damage Aimee did to her emotionally, mentally, and to her career. Kacy starts to make friends and in particular her and Michael become friends with the neighbors next door, Brady and Lena. They seem like the perfect fit of a couple and Kacy and Michael get very close to them. At one point Kacy and Michael find hidden cameras in their home and Brady helps to reassure them they must have just been left and are old not even recording or active. Fast forward to Kacy finding out she is pregnant and life is seeming to really come together for the two of them after their move.
Kacy has their baby, she has new friends and is involved in community workings, and they both have their "best friends" next door that they spend so much time with and have for about 2 years so everything seems like it has been going great. One night Michael comes home and rushes Kacy to get the baby and run to the car they need to go to the police station. Michael makes a crazy discovery about Brady, Lena seems to be missing, and nothing is what it seems! There were some decent twists and some good mystery, not too high on the thriller scale for how I like my thrillers, but I was impressed that I liked this more than anticipated. I give this a 3.5 stars. Thank you NetGalley for the copy to review with my own opinions.

Greetings from the edge of my seat,

I just had to scribble this postcard to tell you about the heart-pounding suspense that Sarah Warburton's "You Can Never Tell" delivers. Buckle up for a white-knuckle ride that will keep you guessing until the very last page!

Picture this: a small coastal town shrouded in secrets, where everyone has something to hide. Our protagonist, Emily, stumbles upon a cryptic note that sets off a chain of events that will make your pulse race faster than a cheetah chasing its prey. The suspense builds like a crescendo, each chapter revealing new twists and turns that left me breathless.

The atmosphere Warburton creates is so palpable, you can almost taste the salty sea breeze mingled with the scent of deception. Every shadow hides a potential clue, and every character seems to have their own hidden agenda. As Emily investigates deeper into the mysteries lurking beneath the town's picturesque facade, the tension tightens like a knot, leaving me desperately flipping pages to uncover the truth.

But wait, let's not forget the enigmatic stranger who enters the scene. With a piercing gaze and a hint of danger, he becomes the perfect embodiment of suspense and intrigue. Is he the hero or the villain? That's for you to unravel amidst the web of suspicion and treachery spun by Warburton's skillful storytelling.

Just when you think you've unraveled the puzzle, Warburton throws another curveball, leaving you gasping for breath. The secrets in this tale are as deep and treacherous as the ocean itself, and you'll find yourself desperately swimming towards the surface, desperate to catch your breath.

So, dear friend, prepare to be gripped, enthralled, and thoroughly captivated by "You Can Never Tell." But beware, this postcard only scratches the surface of the thrills and chills that await you within its pages. Grab a cozy spot, keep a flashlight handy, and dive into this suspenseful adventure that will keep you on the edge of your towel (and sanity!).

With suspenseful regards,
Kevin C. Wells

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great mystery and including excerpts from true crime podcasts? Amazing!
This one was a little bit different because we, the reader, know who the killer is early on but the protagonist does not. But that doesn’t stop the twists and surprises from coming.
Definitely recommended.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This book mentions New Jersey and is set in Texas. I liked Kacy's character. This book has a slow start but has great twists and turns. It is written like a podcast. This book is in stores for $27.99 (USD).

3 5 stars. As a thriller is was pretty good. But a lot of it was unsatisfying. I feel like we didn't get answers. I also had an issue with how the plot was paced out. After overlooking the issues I had it was a good read, I just don't like ending my thrillers with a feeling of unfinishedness.

3.75

Overall, I enjoyed reading this, but it wasn't without issue. The pacing was bizarre and we never do get a sense of why the bad guys were being bad guys, which I find unsatisfying. The ending is so cozy I kind of wanted to gack about it.

I’m that nosy neighbor that has to be in everyone’s business because i just dont trust people. especially if you live in small knit communities where we judge the new people that move in. It was intense and found myself wanting more

I absolutely loved this book! I found it hard to put down. I highly recommend reading it! You won’t be disappointed.

You Can Never Tell had such a slow burn start that I switched over to the audiobook (via Scribd.)

Having been falsely accused of embezzlement Kacy and husband Michael move across the country for a fresh start. In the first few chapters she comes across as fragile, depressed and unstable but quickly that is shed as they make friends as a couple and Kacy, in her own branches out rather quickly.

Told from Kacy's POV and also including crime podcasts interspersed throughout. These podcasts, while interesting and added a nice change of pace, gave some of the mystery away at the same time it had me wondering how the two story-lines connected. But it wasn’t until after the half way mark where things really picked up. I wonder if that was a little too late as the rest of the book felt rushed and impulsive.

The ending okay, I was hoping for some twists and even a feeling of satisfaction but that never came. All in all a mystery that wasn’t all that suspenseful and could have been so much more but was still an entertaining read. Also the blurb gives too much of the story away (just mho.)

My thanks to Crooked Lane Books for a digital copy.

4.5 stars

Kacy an her husband Michael make a move from New Jersey to the best state ever Texas after Kacy is framed by her best friend Aimee for embezzlement. Even though she has some trust issues Kacy is still able to make some new friends in her neighborhood. We quickly find out that Kacy and Michael will get caught in the middle of a killing spree. This is my first time reading Sarah Warburton and it wont be my last. The truecrime pod cast chapters and the setting being in Sugarland made this book a little too real lol I had to remind myself twice this book is fiction.

You Can Never Tell is a fun, juicy mystery with unreliable narrators who somehow manage to still be really compelling. I loved the neighborhood/society setting, the pacing is taut, and the true-crime podcast pieces are a fun addition.

This was definitely one of the best books I have read this year... I did managed to finish this book within a few hours. It was captivating and difficult to put down.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND

I am not sure why this book was compared to Liane Moriarty’s books. But once the comparison was made I had to read it. I enjoyed the book with all its twists and turns.

However, I do not see a similarity to Laine’s writing style. Maybe it was the way some of the stories are told with a podcast. Many of Laine’s books are told through the perspective of witnesses in a room like a waitress or a customer. I didn’t like the way the podcast was used.

I received this galley from NetGalley.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* really loved this book! i liked the podcast part as well, would read again and would buy

This book involves a true crime podcast which I love especially in a book. I felt that it was a bit flat in parts which reflected my review. It just didnt stand out for me.

Did not complete - couldn’t get through the first chapter and I was so disappointed as the blurb and cover did draw me in!

What a great serial killer story! I really enjoyed this book, Even though Kacy thought her life as she knows it was over - she finds out that she is no longer a victim and puts herself at risk to catch a serial killer. She fiercely protects the people she loves and does everything she can to make sure that they are safe! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

How much do you trust your neighbours?

Fleeing New Jersey to Texas, Kacy and her husband are hoping to have a fresh start. Framed for embezzlement by her closest friend, she needs to move where nobody knows her name. A place where she can keep her head down, and rebuild her life.

As she cannot work, she eagerly joins a women's social club that organizes fundraisers. Trying to fit in with this group of women is hard, and she struggles to accept the cattiness (and not so subtle racism) that pulses through the group. After a particularly large blowup she's applauded by Lena, another misfit from this group of polished housewives, and as luck would have it they happen to live next door to each other.

Kacy didn't think she'd be able to trust again, but a burgeoning friendship blossoms. Their next door neighbours become their best friends. It's a whirlwind of margaritas and pool parties. Life is good, until Kacy finds a hidden camera in the bathroom of their house. But that's only the beginning of events that bring to question the friendship the couples have together.

So how much do you trust your neighbours?

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley for a review copy of this title.

⭐⭐

This book could have been SO much more. There were plenty of opportunities for the author to throw in a twist or two. It's why I kept reading. I was waiting for something, a twist, anything, because surely the people telegraphed as the baddies literally RIGHT FROM THE START couldn't possibly be the actual baddies. Alas, there was no twist or big surprise. There was literally nothing "taut and complex" about this book. Just a whiney heroine with awful taste in friends, and a bunch of flat side characters. Speaking of which...did Sandy come back from the dead? In the final chapter, the heroine mentions her shooting the "new girl" a dirty look. 👻🤷🏻‍♀️

**ARC Via NetGalley**