Married to Oliver, her former college professor, and living in a beautiful home with their two children, Stephanie’s life appears perfect to outsiders. Yet, the disappearance of her former flatmate and friend, Allison, has come back to haunt her as a researcher contacts Stephanie to find out what really happened to her roommate. As Stephanie digs deeper into her memories and the events that led to Alison’s disappearance, her life starts to falling apart. She realizes that finding out the truth also threatens the life she worked so hard to have.
Review

I would categorize this thriller as a predictable storyline with a twist of mystery. When I read several thrillers in a row, they all start to somewhat blend together unless the plot is unique. This one was not, and because of that, I found it rather forgettable.

The story is told from Stephanie’s point of view. After getting contacted by a TV researcher working on a true-crime documentary, Stephanie is forced to face her trauma and memories from Alison’s disappearance. While the storyline of the disappearance is an overused trope in a thriller, I did enjoy reading Stephanie’s recollections of her time in uni and her last interaction with Alison. As Stephanie explores the events that led to Alison’s disappearance, she also digs into other aspects of her life, such as the beginning of her relationship with her husband Oliver. The plot moves fast, and it alternatives from her Uni’s days to the current timeline, and there are a few secondary storylines that the author ties together at the end.

My main issue with this book was predictability. Early on in the story, the author foreshadows who is guilty of the disappearance, and the buildup to the revelation is rather boring. The plot seems to be missing in a sea of predictable storylines that have been written over and over again, so there was no real twist that made the ending satisfying. I think that some of the secondary storylines had the potential to become more engaging than the main one, so I was sad that they were not explored further.

The one thing I liked about the book was the characters. Stephanie is a likable character, and I felt so bad for her when she reveals all of the trauma she has experienced throughout her life. It is also clear from the beginning that she has not worked out any of her issues, and the life she has built is not what she really wanted. I sympathized with her when she explores her guilt and was rooting for her to get over it as she helped to solve the case

I read most of rijiks books. She is one of my favorite writers. This one definitely one of her best. It kept me guessing until the very end. I would give it 4.5 stars

What happened to Allison? What a story this is. When digging into a mystery you can uncover long buried secrets. I didn't overly like the characters. Stephanie seems spineless to me. Oliver seems controlling. But the mystery is a good one and the end was a surprise I didn't see coming. Well worth the time to read this one.

Stephanie has had a lifetime of trauma and is finally content (kind-of?) with her life with her handsome professor husband and children. Until a true-crime researcher comes in and shakes things up. I really liked the concept of the book but I found that the execution fell extremely flat.

The book was extremely slow for the first 90% and then super rushed for the last part.

This book had me hooked from page one! My favorite part of reading this genre is when there are unexpected twists and turns, and the author of this novel delivered. Would definitely recommend!

I enjoyed this- was a good mystery with surprise twists. It centers in Steph, whose best friend and college roommate disappears. Steph gets on with her life but is always haunted by what happened; when a researcher attempting to solve the mystery reaches out to her, she can’t help but want to get involved even though her family and friends worry about her mental health.

The story moves at a fast clip and the author drops both real clues and red herrings throughout. When all was said and done, the ending definitely threw me for a loop, but the breadcrumbs had been laid. I didn’t really connect with Steph- she seemed naive, insecure, and a bit catty and I found myself irritated with her at times.

The epilogue tied everything up in a nice little bow, which I enjoyed but may seem over the top for some. Overall, I walked away satisfied with both the story itself and how it all ended up. I’d recommend this book for those that like mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for giving me an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nine years ago, Stephanie’s roommate and best friend Alison disappeared and was presumed dead. It was a tough time for Stepahanie having daily nightmares and blaming herself for her disappearance. Since then, Stephanie , got married to a college professor, had two children, and lives in a nice house. But when a true crime documentary researcher shows up at her front door wanting to interview her about her best friend's disappearance, all those bad memories come back and with a question: What actually happened to Alison?
Stephanie begins to dig for the truth and there is someone who is doing what it takes to stop her from getting that truth.

I found this book to be interesting to say the least. I had to put it down for a while because it was just too slow. But, then the ending went by really rushed?.There was no character development from the main character. Stephanie was too naive for me and didn’t change since the nine years.

There also needed to be more information surrounding Oliver, William, and Naomi. They fell a little flat. It seemed that they were there in the story, but then turned realistic until the last part.

The ending was also very rushed and dramatic. One minute Stephanie is sleeping and the next, Naomi is chasing them and killing their husbands. Then after her husband dies, Stephanie gets in a relationship with her one night stand from nine years ago???? I laughed a couple of times, but overall it was entertaining.

4 Stars from me

Miranda Rijks is one of my 'always read' authors, I love her writing style. I find the words just flow so naturally, in such a straight forward way that I am engrossed in the story within a couple of pages.

There is always an element that messes with your mind - and What She Knew is no exception! I found myself going through the wringer along with Stephanie as she tried to work out what was real and who she could trust.

Flipping between present day and Stephanie's uni days, this story had me constantly questioning what was real and quite why she let herself be controlled so much... or was she being?

Miranda Rijks creates the perfect storm for psychological thrillers and this one is no different - it will make you think, doubt, fear and be desperate to know the truth.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this title! Perfect if you need to cleanse your mind between books as this is a thriller that holds your interest all the way through!

Finished reading this in the early hours of this morning as I NEEDED to know what happened and wow, I thought I'd worked it out several times but was always slightly off track! I've found my mind wandering back to it most of the day and keep remembering different elements. There was a lot going on, some huge themes, but the way they were interwoven felt almost organic, rather than contrived. The switching from past and present was done well, it didn't feel gimicky which can happen with these stories.
Definitely have Miranda's next book on my TBR pile!

A thriller that one can enjoy, What She Knew is a fast read. It is not complex, the characters and the plot work well. A few twists surprise the reader here and there, but a good book overall.

Stephanie is living a charmed life with her husband Oliver and two children and possibly another on the way. Life has it's challenges, but none quite like her life before.

A decade ago Stephanie's best friend went missing, someone was convicted, but as her past joins her current life, is the convicted party guilty?

A good, well thought out novel that had great twists and kept me guessing until the end.

Stephanie. Married to college professor, Oliver, with two adorable children, she lives in a lovely house, surrounded by beautiful things.

It hasn’t always been like this.

Nine years ago, Stephanie’s flatmate Alison vanished, presumed murdered. It was a horrible time, and Stephanie tries hard not to think about it.

But when a TV researcher working on a true crime series wants to interview her about the case, Stephanie is forced to confront the past and recognise that she has a deep need to answer one burning question – what happened to Alison?

It soon becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her digging for the truth and is willing to do anything to conceal a shocking web of lies. As her perfect life unravels, Stephanie realises that by opening a door into the past she has woken a sleeping monster. And now it’s her own life that is on the line…

This book wasn’t for me. I didn’t feel a connection to the characters, and I wasn’t able to keep interest. Thank you for sharing.

Domestic thrillers are my favorite, so going into this I had a good feeling about it. I am happy to report I am as happy ending it as I was starting it. I thought this was really well written. From the very first page I was hooked. I spent the entire novel going back and forth with Steph with whether we trusted her husband. I loved the way this unfurled and revealed itself little bits at a time. The distrust from Stephanie really kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. The shocking reveal definitely took me by surprise. I was flabbergasted by the turn of events. I do think the epilogue laid it on a bit thick and I could have done without Rahul coming back but if you want things tied up in a nice bow I guess that's how you do it. Overall, I thought this was a really well done thriller with the perfect amount of character development and drama. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for a review.

A fantastic story with interesting characters. It was full of twists which had me reading till the early hours . I look forward to reading more by Miranda

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of What She Knew by Miranda Riijks
What a great read. This was a page turner and I couldn't out the book down
Main character Stephanie is married to Oliver, professor of History and art collector. They have 2 children and are happily married. Stephanie finds out she is pregnant and isn't sure if another child is what she wants, she really wants to pursue her Law degree.
But of course there is a twist, Stephanie lost her best friend about 10 yrs ago, she disappeared and has yet to be found. Josh is currently convicted, but did he really commit a murder?
This is a must read with twists and turns, find out who dunnit

Stephanie's roommate vanished while they were both at university. Stephanie has always felt guilty about not being there for her friend, so much so that she gave up her relationship with Rahul and instead, turned to her professor, Oliver for solace.

Oliver is older and more sophisticated and Stephanie had made him and their kids the focus of her life, until a reporter shows up asking about the disappearance of her friend. Stephanie has to defy her husband to talk to the reporter, but then things start to go awry. Stephanie ponders the unthinkable - did Oliver have something to do with the missing girl?

This is a well written mystery with a few flaws, some women might find Stephanie's lack of self confidence a bit off-putting (she feels that she has to hide a lot things from from her husband including the fact that she is studying for a law degree!) and like me, some reader might find the ending a bit of a let down. However, I would read another book by this author.

Thank you to Net Gallery for providing this e-book in exchange for an unbiased review.

What She Knew is another mystery thriller written by Miranda Rijks. The book's layout is similar to The Influencer and will keep you intriguing from the beginning. The author is jumping from the past to the present, from chapter to chapter, providing two different stories to solve the puzzle finally. Its intriguing mystery kept me turning pages and guessing until the end. The ending twist, I think, was a bit too rushed - too much happened at once. Interesting protagonist creation, with some shortcomings that make her more realistic - naive nature or flustrating thoughts.
Stephanie has an average life - husband, two children. Trying to develop her qualification, she is secretly studying in the home. Nine years ago, during their studies, her flatmate disappeared. As a result of an ongoing investigation, her boyfriend Josh qualified for Alison's murder, even if her body was never found. Now David Green, a true-crime reporter reopening Alison's case and trying collet material for a podcast. As much as Stephanie is keen to help, her husband is against talking to journalists. Stephanie is beginning a secret investigation by herself and finding out that some want her to drop it. Some stranger things start forming, and she will be unsure whom she is supposed to trust. How far will she move to dig out the truth from the past? How devastating will it be?
An overall quick, thrilling read.

Thank you, NetGalley and Incubator Book, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

3 for neutral, tried to read a couple times and just didn’t grab me. Will update at a later date if able to finish.