A fast-paced novel with a superb premise but didn't live up to the author's previous work.

When thirty-two-year old Stephanie is approached by a true-crimes researcher, David Green, regarding the case of her roommate, Alison, who went missing over nine years ago, she immediately agrees to help. Despite having a seemingly perfect life on the surface, the mystery behind Alison's disappearance has plagued Stephanie no end, as she blames herself for not having responded to Alison's last message.

While I loved the author's previous book, The Influencer, I felt like this one was hastily put together. The suspense build-up was good, but there was no plot twist, as such and right from the start, the writing pointed in one direction only, thereby not creating that much of a surprise/shock factor at the climax. I felt like there was was a lot that could have been done with that premise to make it more snappier, but by making Stephanie an anxious mess and confining her to bed, the possibilities for this story to turn out awesome was grossly limited. The ending too was very neat and tidy, like it was guaranteed to give Stephanie a happy ending.

Overall, an average thriller.

What She Knew tells the story of Stephanie, whose best friend Alison disappeared years ago. The man accused of her murder claims his innocence, and Steph is still traumatised by the events. On top of that, her husband Oliver starts acting strange when she receives the visit of a journalist working on a documentary about Alison's disappearance.... or is it all in her head?

Miranda Rijks has done it again!

This book was very fast paced and easy to read. I read it in one sitting! The dialogue is quick yet full of detail and information, and the characters are well written.

A great summer read, definitelly recommend it!

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Disclosure: I would like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy of the book. This is my honest review

Nine years ago, Stephanie's best friend and fellow art history student Alison disappeared from university. Stephanie has tried her best to put the pain of Alison's disappearance behind her - married to her former lecturer, and mother of two beautiful children, her life is complete. Or it should be. But when a true crime researcher comes calling, wanting to know more about Alison's disappearance, Stephanie is quickly drawn into a web of lies, secrets and misdirection..

I am fairly new fan of Miranda Rijks, and as soon as I saw this advance copy was available, I hit the request button. Some authors just have that knack of plotting a book in such a way that not only does it pull the reader in, it also surprises them. This book was no exception. Skilfully plotted with relatable characters and escalating tension- I am already looking forward to the next book from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, who granted me a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

What She Knew is my first thriller by Mirana Rijks and it was impressive.

The story starts when a man approaches Stephanie to inquire about her presumed dead flatmate 9 years after the incident.

Right off the bat, we know that Josh has to be innocent. Right off the bat, we also notice Oliver acting strange. But then we're proven wrong, or are we, or are we not?

The pacing of the story turned slower and faster as we progressed through different situations that the narrator was experiencing which provided with a very natural flow.

The book also touched on some areas which I was glad it did: when Steph talks about being a sacrificial lamb, the decision she makes when clearing out Alison's room, and the abrupt internal workings of feeling caged but also going back to her husband with love in her eyes the very next second.

All of it made Steph a very real 3d character, and the same could be told for Oliver, how until the very end, she could not be certain of knowing him or trusting his words (or lack thereof).

I although did feel there could be some more distinction in the voices that narrated the past and present, but I won't complaint much because it wasn't something that distracted me often, especially when the timeline went pretty steady in the second half of the book.

Any thriller is judged by its reveal, the reveal here, subjectively, was bittersweet to me.

The motives aligned well and the prologue fit well with a reread (because ofc I found myself thinking of it whenever I suspected someone), but the actual explanation of how it took place left me unsatisfied and with questions.

Since there were only a handful of characters you could really think as the answer to the whodunit, one would assume it to be a cakewalk, but it was surprising how well the suspicion bounced on and off people and back to them again. I continuously went from person#1 to person#2 to person#1 to person#3 and traversing the vines was a fun experience.

Of course, I tried to be more than confident and placed my bets on the wrong person, but that is okay as long as I am promised the experience of being on the EDGE OF MY COUCH!! (which it delivered)

(Note: This review is based on an e-ARC and is unbiased)

I love when I find an author who consistently pens tightly woven, multi-layered thrillers filled with ordinary people facing horrible things.

Miranda Rijks has done it again with WHAT SHE KNEW. Told in dual timelines, this is the story of Stephanie, whose school flatmate Alison went missing nine years earlier. Stephanie carries tremendous guilt because Alison had something to tell her, and Stephanie blew her off for a one-night stand. When she returns from her encounter, the flat is empty, and Alison is gone. Blood is found in her boyfriend's apartment, and he is promptly arrested.

But that's not all Stephanie did. Struggling to get her thesis completed, she comes across Alison's, which is nearly complete, as she is boxing up her belongings for Alison's parents. She turns it in as her own, receives high marks, and starts dating (and eventually marries) one of her professors, Oliver. Interesting.

Then a man filming a documentary about Alison's disappearance and presumed death shows up. Stephanie's nightmares, which have plagued her for years, return with a vengeance. Cryptic notes addressed to her show up at her house. Worse, Oliver is away from home more than usual, lying about faculty meetings and such. Oh, and he's changed the combination on his safe too.

This book was an absolute whirlwind with so many red herrings, and while I guessed the culprit before the resolution, I NEVER saw the motive coming. The ending was quite sobering and very satisfying.

Much gratitude to the publisher for allowing me to read this early e-copy.

Good book! This is my second book by this author and it definitely won't be my last! I enjoyed reading both books! This book had suspense intrigue and action packed! Lots of twists and turns! I stayed up all night reading this book lol it was a real page turner! I highly recommend reading this book! Its well worth reading! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Miranda Rijks did such a great job on this novel! She is really great at setting the tone for the story. I felt like this was very fast paced - I could not put it down! I especially loved the true crime series aspect.