Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow-what a good read. I loved it. Well-written full of intrigue, thrills, and suspense. I am looking forward to the next book from this talented author.

When Rachel stumbles on a dead body while out on a run, she doesn't stop or call the police - she retreats for home. Because Rachel isn't your average law-abiding citizen. Years ago, Rachel was someone else - Casey, a nineteen year old au pair, tried and found guilty of murder in California, and awaiting her fate on Death Row.

When the body turns out to be her boyfriend's ex-wife, Rachel suddenly find herself the object of suspicion once again. She knows she didn't do it - but if she didn't, who did? Rachel must find out - before history repeats itself...

I really enjoyed this twisty and well thriller, which pans back and forth between Rachel's current life and predicament and her former one as Casey. The story kept me gripped, and I also liked that there were several well-framed suspects so that it wasn't easy to guess the twists.

A fun and fast paced thriller - I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, and to the publisher, who issued me a free advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

The two timelines worked mostly well, but there should be been more character development on the Rachel arc to understand what the last 20 years has been like; Casey was far better drawn but Rachel seemed to only be drawn against the male characters in the book. An interesting look into the true crime fascination; for fans of Lisa Jewell this is very much in line with her books (esp the themes of screwed up mothers) and the old case is more fascinating than the current one. Overall solid read.

Really enjoyed this book. Its easy to see how a little decision taken can have big repercussions and compare with what you might do in the same situation yourself.
Would reccomend it.

I had read a Claire McGowan book a few years back and really enjoyed it so I was excited to pick this one up.

I was instantly hooked on this story.

Rachel, on an innocent morning walk with her beagle Brandy, discovers a body and she makes a split decision to run.. Why did she run? Well, because 20 years ago she was convicted (and then unconvited) of murdering the family (husband, wife and 5 year old) she was nannying for.

The story is told in two narratives/timelines. It goes back and forth between present day Rachel's mix up with this murdered body she found - who just happens to be the ex-wife of the man she's seeing - and Casey's time in LA with the Hollywood exec's family (a time that lands her on death row).

The entire time, through both stories Rachel has maintained her innocence, while giving small hints here and there that she actually did know what happened in LA.

I found myself needing to get back into this story everytime I put it down. I thought I cracked the case at least 4 different times even though only one small part did I get right!

I am so thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this! I will definitely be adding McGowan to my automatic reads author list!

I enjoyed this thriller from Claire McGowan and was drawn in from the start with a good opening scene. It progressed nicely and had a good ending with a couple of twists along the way. Overall a good read.

This book was a really great journey as it is told from dual POV from two different points in the protag's life. I think I guessed pretty early on what had happened in each murder scenario but that didn't take away from the experience, especially as it felt as though there were so many layers to the mystery that were gradually peeled away.

I really appreciated that McGowan did not insult the reader's intelligence by trying to pretend that the POVs were anything other than the same person.

Fans of thrillers will really enjoy the intrigue of this story and I will definitely be on the lookout for more of McGowan's work.

A really brilliant unpredictable read from Claire McGowan.
I found the plot gripping from the start - if I had the time I could have easily devoured this in one sitting. This is the first book I've read by McGowan, I'm definitely keen to read more.
4 stars,

Thanks to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel takes her dog out for a walk in the woods and finds the dead body of her boyfriend’s estranged wife, Anna. She retreats from the woods and doesn’t tell anyone because 20 years ago, when she was a nanny working in the US under the name Casey, she was tried for the murders of the family she worked for and if anyone finds out she is that person, she will certainly be convicted.

This was a really good book, the best of the three I have read from this author. I was engaged early on and never got bored. There were 2 mysteries here, who killed Anna, and who killed the American family and I was interested in both even though I figured out who killed Anna early on. I liked the alternating points of view between current day and 20 years ago. I thought this was really well done and look forward to reading more from this author.

I thought I'd worked out who the killer was but Casey's mind led us down so many confusing paths. Early on it became apparent that Casey was Rachel and that Casey survives death row. What you don't see coming is the final knife turn and the one who helps her escape another murder trail. So does she become Casey again, even the final line leaves us wondering.
Thank you to @netgalley for allowing me to review my first novel by Claire McGowan

Rachel stumbles upon a body in the woods. She knows she has to get away because last time she didn’t and ended up accused of murder. When the victim is identified as her boyfriends estranged Wife, Rachel is already the prime suspect. With evidence mounting against her, she must keep the trust about her past hidden. Twenty years ago she was someone else – a young Nanny trying to make it in a LA. When the family she worked for were all brutally murdered, she went to prison but managed to be freed on appeal. Now she’s here again and she cant help but wonder if she is being framed?

This was such a thrilling read. I didn’t know what to expect going into this but was pleasantly surprised. I found it fast paced and read it so quickly, over a couple of days. The chapters are split between present tense and Rachel’s past life as a Nanny. I loved the twists and turns in this one.
A perfect read for spooky season!

A truly intense, entertaining thriller with multiple twists and a shocking race to the end which will leave you breathless.

Brilliant book, love this author. Gripping right from the beginning and twist and turns throughout, 5 stars.

Fabulous thriller about Rachel who finds a dead body in the woods but she doesn’t report it and runs away being really scared of the police as she has a lot of history which she doesn’t want to repeat. But unlucky for her she finds out who the body is and it’s not good news.

The book goes from present time to her time as a nanny in America where she had such hopes of becoming an actress but it all goes terribly wrong when the whole family who she’s a nanny for were brutally murdered. A real page turner and one of her best.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

The Casey Anthony case meets the Jon-Benet Ramsey case in this suspenseful, well-written thriller by Claire McGowan. But what would happen if a child-killer like the one who killed Jon-Benet was exonerated on appeal, grew up, changed her name, and then stumbled upon another murder way too close to home? Did someone discover who she was and try to frame her? And was she actually innocent of the original crime?

This was a great premise, interesting and suspenseful, and very well-executed by McGowan. Speaking of executions, one thing I really appreciated about this novel is the way it took a look at America’s barbarous (in comparison to England) justice system and the experiences of women on death row. This was really thoughtfully done and had an impact that I wasn’t expecting from what I thought was the usual fast-paced psychological thriller. The author did great research on capital punishment in America and the scenes on death row were touching and thought-provoking. (The only note I would give her is that most executions in California are done at midnight.)

Rachel, the heroine, was well-drawn and sympathetic without being goody-goody or perfect - a normal, slightly irresponsible 19-year-old girl who finds herself accused of a terrible crime, and comes face to face with all the prejudices and tabloid media unfairness that come with being an attractive young girl who has not yet found her adult self and who os suddenly accused of being a murderer. Though I had the ending figured out early on, it was one of those books where the journey to that ending was suspenseful, fun and logical. Though there were other red herrings and possibilities for both the old and the new murder, the ending and resolution to each crime was satisfying and I wouldn’t have wanted to see it end any other way.

McGowan is a solid, thrilling, and thoughtful writer and she has become an auto-buy author for me. This book grabbed me from the first page and I couldn’t put it down. Well done.

Thanks to Thomas and Mercer, NetGalley, and the author for this very good mystery/thriller. 4.25 stars.

Thank you #NetGalley for my e-arc uncorrected proof copy of #Iknowyou in exchange for my honest review.

It’s not that I didn’t like this book the whole premise of the story was great. However I didn’t feel that it lived up to this.

I wasn’t expecting it to be as predictable as it was and unfortunately I felt that the narrative dragged and was also repetitive.

From the start it was clear that this was a story told by the same girl at different times/ stage of her life.

I found the ‘twist’ of Rachel’s lover to have been accused of a crime as heinous as her own just so unbelievable.

It wasn’t a bad novel I was just expecting much more from it hence my review and three star rating.

Casey sets off for America to find fane and lands in a dysfunctional family of horrors.
With no support from home, she is very soon out of her depth and sinking.
I like the way that this book flicks from her younger life to her current life - it reads really well.
The outcome of the story is not predictable, very clever.

This was the first book by Claire McGowan that I have read, and it did not disappoint. The story of Rachel in the present easily entwined with Casey finding the Safran's murdered many years prior. This was a great read! Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a digital arc of this title.

Rachel / Casey came from the UK to USA at 19 to be a nanny to a family in Hollywood. It ends up with the family murdered and she falsely accused of the crime. About 20 years later she is back in UK after some prison time and then a successful appeal. She is living under a different name in a different part of UK just enjoying her freedom when suddenly she is set up to take the fall for another murder.

This book was hard to get into at first but after a few chapters I got the rhythm of it and enjoyed the suspense. The story goes back and forth between the crime in the US and the present day in the UK, explaining a little more of the details as it goes along.

I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book that I received from NetGalley. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

This is a well written and cleverly plotted mystery thriller. The storyline is revealled across two time frames, the present day and 20 years ago, and both parts are compelling and intriguing. A very enjoyable read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.