Juniper is back to her old town from which she was stranded when many years ago a double murder happened and her best friend and little brother was the main suspect. Although her brother was never convicted, he never told her anything, and it was like the whole town was sure of his blame, and a podcaster now says they'll finally prove it. Can Juniper join the pieces of the puzzle to find out everything she never wanted to know about that night?

3.5 rounded up to 4.

I frankly remember too little of the other book by this same author, but from the rating I gave, it's a good thing. I'm sure I enjoyed this one better. It's a psychological thriller with a heavy foot on family drama—as one can guess from the summary.

The narration has two moments: first person by teenage June who's about to finally leave town for college and is now enjoying her last summer, but also feels the distance from her beloved brother; and third person but focusing on adult Juniper's return to Jericho and having to deal with her estranged family, as well as with the possibility of an unknown podcaster condemning her brother, when he's unable to defend himself.

It was an easy read. Though there was lots of drama mingled with the mystery, it wasn't tiresome. I did guess a good part of the big twist before the end but I can't say everything was predictable, so it did a good job on the mystery side. There isn't much action, Juniper's investigations are mostly her talking with people, but there were some scenes that truly made me breathless. This book is very well filled.

It's also true there's a good chance I'll forget it in a year or two, like I did her previous. It's not that different a plot and albeit the good twists they weren't 'freaking awesome'. It's a nice thriller, one I'll recommend to the lovers of the genre and also to those who like reading about family drama. It was a good mix.

I am thrilled to read this novel. For numerous reasons, the best being i have found a new to me author, i can go back and read some of her earlier books. I would have given this one a five star, but the back and forth had me a a little confused. In the end it was necessary since the secrets and murders were in the past. Juniper finds herself returning to her home town she never intended to. She needs to help a friend with cancer and repair her relationship with her family and her teenage daughter. Great plot and character development. Thanks to #netgalley #nicolebaart #everythingwedidn’tsay

Juniper Baker’s neighbors were murdered 14 years ago and everyone thinks her younger brother did it. She left her small Iowa town, abandoning her daughter for her mother and stepfather to raise. Now she’s back because there’s a true crime podcaster snooping around, stirring up all of the trouble from the past.

This book wasn’t what I was expecting. It was more of a slow burn family drama and less of a thriller. There’s the whole unsolved double murder thing, but the story mainly focused on Juniper mooning over her high school secret boyfriend and working on her relationship with her now teenage daughter. I wanted to know what happened, and I loved the dual timelines, but the pace was too slow for me. That said, lots of people seem to really like it, and I’d definitely read another book by Nicole Baart.

This...wasn't my favorite. It started off strong, but I felt that the flashback chapters were a little repetitive and it took quite awhile to get to the climax of the night of the murders (I get that you wouldn't want to reveal that information too early on, but I do think some of the flashback chapters could have been removed).

I think a lot of readers will enjoy this - it's more of a family drama than a thriller, and there's definitely a sense of dread smeared over the story (both in the past and present chapters).

Thank you Atria for the ARC!

From the first sentence to the last, I was absolutely astounded and hooked by Everything We Didn’t Say.

Juniper is coming home to Jericho, the little town she grew up in, to help take care of her much older friend, Cora, who has cancer. But, Juniper is also on a mission- to stop the production of a podcast that accuses her brother, Jonathan, of committing a murder that happened 14 years ago.

This novel also flashes to the past- a summer 14 years ago, where Jonathan was drifting from Juniper, a summer romance began, and the 4th of July culminated in a double murder.

I loved this read and it really kept my attention. This is the first of Baart’s ten books that I’ve read and I hope she writes so many more!

Once again Nicole Baart spins crazy family drama like you never read before! I was so captivated by the back and forth of the families and just how far they are willing to push each other. Juniper is my favorite in the story. I am so happy to once again be able to read another edge of your seat suspense filled book written by such a talented author! Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my arc! Nov 2 2021 is release day 🥳

EVERYTHING WE DIDN'T SAY is extraordinary!! This family has gigantic secrets.

Multi-layered and psychologically rich, a compelling and skillfully-plotted twisty crime/psychological thriller where the past and present collide, with a protagonist you will root for to the end.

Master storyteller Nicole Baart dazzles as she returns following You Were Always Mine with her tenth novel and best yet —EVERYTHING WE DIDN'T SAY. Sins of the past come back to haunt, and hidden secrets abound.

"Sometimes the world is fire and ash, dirt and blood spilled on the ground, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. Sometimes you pour out all of your love, and it returns to you brittle and empty. But sometimes, we're given another chance. We begin again."

A woman returns to her Iowa hometown to face down her past. She dives into the secrets of her family while reclaiming what she left behind. She hopes to help a friend in need and solve the cold case that has haunted her life and her family for years.

Juniper is returning to the small rural town of Jericho, Iowa, leaving her job temporarily in Denver as Special Collections and College Archives librarian (opened ended leave of absence). She is to help out her friend, Cora, who runs the local Jericho Public library and has stage four breast cancer.

Fifteen years ago, there was a tragic double murder of a sweet couple, Cal and Beth Murphy, and dog, Baxter (poisoned). They were different than most folks in the area, and they owned the hobby farm where they sold organic fruits and vegetables, made handmade goat milk soap and jams, and had beautiful flowers for sale from their garden at their roadside stand.

Who would want to murder them and why? A lovely wholesome young couple, but what was the motive? Was there a witness they missed? Because it was such a small town, the FBI did not put a lot of energy into it. However, it is coming alive once again.

The Murphys were neighbors of Juniper's family. Jonathan, her stepbrother only a year younger than her, was very close to them and helped them out since they had no children.

This town does not bring back fond memories for Juniper (June), who found herself pregnant as a young teen and went off to college. She left her daughter Willa with her mom and stepdad to raise, and her visits are always awkward. They have a strained relationship, and she finds it very difficult to step back into her old life.

To complicate matters, someone is stirring up the decades-old cold-case murder again. All fingers pointed to Jonathan since he found the bodies. But he was the one who called it in, and they had no other evidence, so he was not charged back then, but everyone has always believed it was him.

Now someone has a true-crime podcast and blog called Jericho Unscripted, and they are digging up old secrets and the past. Something else happened that night of the murders that changed the course of Juniper's life.

Flashing back and forth from 14 1/2 years ago to the present, we learn about her mom and stepdad's strained troubled relationship. It seems everyone is hiding something, thinking they are protecting themselves or others.

Guilty or not, her brother bore the stain of accusation and had been treated accordingly for almost fifteen years. People in the area thought he got away with murder. He had to start his own web business because no one in town would hire him.

Is the original killer back? Then there is Ashley, June's nemesis and former best friend, (great back story here) who is also holding a grudge and now married to the rich boy Sullivan (June's former love) and the powerful Tate Family Farms that runs the town.

June was someone's alibis. Does she recall what happened? There are also plenty of red herrings and suspects with this powerful Tate family.

Strange things start happening again after she arrives in town —phone calls, drive-bys, harassment, sliced tires, dog poisoning, etc. In addition, Jonathan is acting weird and hanging out with the wrong crowd and seems to be hiding something from her. Her mom is also drinking more and not herself, and is she missing clues?

When her brother winds up in the hospital, Juniper is scared for her life and her brother. Maybe the secrets she had buried in the Iowa soil were now bearing bitter fruit.

The frantic race to find the truth places her family on a dangerous course. Land contamination and other issues put others under suspicion for the double murders, but those families (Tates) were like royalty, and no one would cross them.

When she left at age nineteen, she was edged out of her daughter's life and sent off to college as if nothing had happened. Now there is Sullivan Tate. But she has a job and a life and is strong and independent.

What about the Tate family? Everyone knew the Tates and the Murphys were feuding that summer over the land spillage. However, everyone is still pointing fingers at Jonathan, and she must help prove his innocence. He was the one who called 911 that night so long ago, and Jonathan was devastated when they died.

June is also holding a secret about her daughter's father and others about the night of the murders. Her mom is hiding something, and June senses her mom and brother need protection. She does not even know the identity of her own father.

No one is communicating. June, stuck in Jericho, and her decisions have the potential to unravel her world. Can she have love again, and will her daughter want to come and live with her in Denver one day? A second chance? Can she mend her relationship with her brother? Everyone seems to be dealing with their pain and memories in their own way.

Were the murders premeditated, a crime of passion? THE TRUTH IS ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS.

"Guilt, grief, and love are sometimes impossible to untangle, and we all have regrets."

Atmospheric, Riveting, Haunting!

WOW! The author racks up the suspense to the explosive ending. EVERYTHING WE DIDN'T SAY is a perfectly fitting title for this well-written, emotionally-charged gripping thriller with richly drawn characters, lyrical prose, and vivid descriptions. The author is in total control, and fans of true-crime fiction will devour this one.

I found it difficult to put down and read in two sittings. Fans of Heather Gudenkauf, Mary Kubica, Lisa Unger, Wendy Walker, and Lisa Jewell will find a lot to like here! Top Books of 2021.

Stay tuned for my #AuthorElevatorSeries QA with Nicole (11/2), where we will go behind the scenes of the book and this talented author!

A special thank you to #AtriaBooks and #NetGalley for an early reading copy. I also pre-ordered the paperback (beautiful cover).

Blog Review:
#JDCMustReadBooks
@JudithDCollins
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pub Date: 11/2/2021
Publisher: Atria Books

Thank you NetGalley and Atria for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Is there such a thing as a heartfelt thriller?! This is how I felt about Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart.
This is the first book I’ve read by Baart and it was amazing! The main character, Juniper Baker was so likeable and relatable. I loved her tenacity to desperately want to solve the Murphy murders that happened in her hometown of Jericho, Iowa 15 years ago. There were so many deep dark secrets between all of the characters in this book. I loved how the chapters switched from past to present. The only thing I felt was a little off about this book was the mention of a podcast and then it was mentioned later on but then nothing else came of it. I felt it didn’t go with the storyline. But that’s just my opinion! Highly recommend this book!

I will post my review on @thrillersandcoffee on Instagram.

4 Stars.

Everything We Didn’t Say is going to take you on an adventure. You will be in an idyllic small farm town in Iowa. Juniper, a 34 year old woman, who left her home town for college and never looked back return home to reclaim all that was left behind. Including a daughter that she never got to know.

The summer before she left for college, Juniper’s neighbors were shot dead. A tragedy that has gone unsolved for 15 years. Her brother was a main suspect and still to this day, people have not forgotten.

There are lots of fun storylines woven in here. The characters are interesting. I loved the dual timelines, as well. I’m trying hard to figure out what I felt like was missing here. I think possibly some narrative from the other characters perspectives would have added the spice that I was looking for. Overall, a well written engrossing story!

A special thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Nicole Baart for proving me with an ARC.

Mysterious, heartbreakIng, a forbidden love, and just a hint of family drama made this read a can't putter downer. I just had to know what happened.
From Goodreads: "A race-to-the-finish family drama" following a mother who must confront the dark summer that changed her life forever in order to reclaim the daughter she left behind. With varying viewpoints from today and fourteen and a half years ago, Everything We Didn't Say reels you in from the beginning and holds on until the end. Juniper Baker is the character you want to fight for. The one you want to thrive. To heal.
I look forward to reading more from this author!
A big thanks to the author and Atria Books for the advanced read copy in exchange for my honest review.

Everything We Didn’t Say is a very well done domestic suspense novel about family relationships, secrets, and things we keep hidden that come back to haunt us. The story’s dual timelines (with the first person perspective used in the past and third person in the present) is very effectively done and really helps to being the reader into the mind and experiences of the teenage protagonist in the earlier timeline. The book is very descriptive and draws the reader in, the pacing was good and the plot interesting and engaging. This novel took me away into another world and I enjoyed the time I spent there! Everything We Didn’t Say is out on December 1.

Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I love this book. It's suspenseful, engaging, and keeps me turning the pages. The dual timeline is very interesting and I loved following the characters throughout each. I would definitely recommend this book!

First, I would like to thank Netgalley for this ARC of Everything We Didn't Say by Nicole Baart. I truly enjoyed this dramatic story that is told in two different time periods. Juniper left her hometown years ago and is coming back to help a sick friend. We soon find that there was a horrific crime committed there years before….and it has never been solved. Many are suspicious of Juniper’s brother, but nothing has been proven. Juniper begins to dig and finds the shocking answers. This was a great thriller for me!

Everything We Didn't Say kept me guessing right until the end. The characters were well developed, believable and likable. I did not always agree with their decisions, but those decisions were harmonious with the character that we had come to know so well. The relationships were not forced and were allowed to unfold on the page. The setting was descriptive and was easily able to be imagined while reading and you felt transported by the written word. One of the better written stories I have read lately. I really enjoyed and look forward to reading more from Nicole Baart.
I would like to thank the publishers and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this one. Very fast paced, had me turning pages as I tore through it – I had to see how it would end. The characters were well rounded and the narrative felt believable. Gave me chills. Solid five

I loved that this book was set in the Midwest; I'm from Nebraska and could completely relate to the farming references and the landscape. The characters were well done and complex and their relationships were realistic and relatable. This was a solid murder mystery that kept me guessing - and turning pages! The pace was steady - a good slow burn - and I enjoyed the chapters going back and forth from past to present to tell the story of the Murphy murders. Even though I had a good idea who the murderer was a few chapters before the end, there were still some surprises that caught me off guard. Small town drama, family angst, strong assumptions, betrayal, indiscretion, and so much more. Overall, this was a great fall read!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I will explain why.

The story line was great, I really enjoyed the suspense and intensity of who killed Cal and Beth all those years ago. However, the animal cruelty was way too much for me. I believe it was irrelevant to the story line and could have been left out .

Opening up with Cal and Beth's family dog being poisoned. A few chapters later Jonathan's family dog is killed. Why?

I feel like the animal cruelty took away from what could have been a fantastic book. It was well written and the character development was well done. I loved Juniper's character and I was intrigued to know more about her. Juniper was real, she had her flaws and her mistakes were outlined. The betrayal of what she did to her best friend years ago is a feeling most girls know way too well and made her relatable .

All in all it had potential to be great but I could not confidently recommend this book due the issues I had with the violence against the animals.

A roller coaster ride between "then and now" as Juniper Grace returns to her hometown, searching for answers and finding only more secrets at every turn. Who can she trust? Can she even trust herself? The reader is drawn into the mystery, trying to figure out who is responsible for a double homicide in the small town of Jericho over 14 years ago. Can you solve this cold case before the end, or will you be as surprised as everyone else when the killer is revealed?

For me this was a good mystery read, but the pacing felt a bit off. The back and forth in time was a bit challenging for me but I did enjoy the rest of the writing style. Unlike the other books I've read by this author, it had more of a YA vibe. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you for the opportunity to read the ARC! The plot and characters were easy to follow and imagine. The beginning felt a little slow but it gave the base of the storyline. I felt like I was discovering the truth about the situation rather than being told. If you like to feel part of the solution this story will make you happy!