Rachel Howzell Hall’s What Never Happened is an intriguing mystery that draws readers in with a promising setup. The novel centers around Colette “Coco” Weber, a woman returning to Catalina Island to face a traumatic past while confronting a series of suspicious deaths in the community. Hall’s writing is sharp, and the atmosphere she creates on the island is rich with tension and suspense.

However, while the plot had potential, it felt somewhat uneven at times, with certain sections dragging while others rushed through key developments. The characters, though interesting, could have been explored more deeply to create stronger emotional connections.

Overall, What Never Happened is an enjoyable read for fans of slow-burn mysteries, but it doesn’t quite reach the thrilling heights that it sets out to achieve.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

What started off as a strong story for me slowly burned out to a fizzle. The pacing was a bit too slow for me and I wouldn't say I enjoyed it much at all.

Coco Weber has just moved back to Catalina Island, a home she knew only as a place of trauma. It’s where her parents and brother were murdered one night when she was a teenager. She was cared for after this crime by her Aunt Gwen, a petty thief who manages to make the average fairy tale wicked stepmother seem like a saint. Now that the aging Gwen needs care, adult Coco returns to Catalina to live in the house that is now hers (though hostile Gwen won't acknowledge that) and takes a job as an obituary writer on the local paper edited by her college friend. Coco's job—essentially being highly skilled at capturing someone’s personality and life—will seem familiar to readers of the author’s These Toxic Things, whose protagonist was in the business of making digital memory books. As in her previous books, the author writes compellingly about family drama and racial tensions, especially on Catalina, where the aggressions are more macro than micro. Coco is determined to investigate a series of deaths among older people—deaths that the authorities are eager to dismiss. She does a good job using her skills to investigate while facing opposition on many fronts and also fending off aggressive text messages from her ex. There were a few times when, if this had been a movie, I would have been yelling at the screen to tell Coco not to do something particularly unwise. It’s not hard to see where this is going, but it’s still fun to be along for the ride.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital advance review copy.

“𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲’𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐩. 𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤. 𝐓𝐨𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭.”

I've heard lots about Rachel Howzell Hall's work (especially about And Now She's Gone), but haven't any yet. I was excited to be approved for her latest.

I listened to this on audiobook. Kristen Ariza NAILED the narration; her expression kept me engaged in the story and all of the different voices that she used, especially for aunt Gwen and Maddie, made it easy to distinguish who was speaking. Howzell Hall creates a complex story with a lot of different layers, the two main being discovered who murdered Colette's family in the past, and why are there so many elderly dying on the island in the present. Colette is a strong black female character who is intelligent and refuses to give up; Howzell Hall highlights the way in which racism intertwined in so many facets of everyday life, especially with attitudes of the islanders. I really liked Noah too, especially his support for Colette as she tries to sort out a lot of different pieces in her life. There is a LOT going on, some parts more successful than others - I liked the story but felt a more streamlined approach would’ve worked a bit better as there are threads that don't seem to go anywhere (the book deal, for example).

What Never Happened is a story of a story of resolution, grief, gentrification, anger and gaslighting. Although long, there was a lot to enjoy; it may have been my first Rachen Howzell Hall book, but it will not be my last. Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

A great thriller - I would recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I was really excited to read this and loved the way it drew me in from the first page. I did find that it got a bit slow and I had to force myself to keep reading to see what was going to happen. I did like this book but didn't love it.

3.5-3.75 stars

I mostly enjoyed this book. The story was set on a fairly isolated island (although it didn’t always feel like it), and I could definitely feel the suspense throughout. I was invested in the protagonist’s story, and while some elements didn’t feel totally new, I think they worked well together, and I didn’t anticipate everything about how it would end, which was nice. It also struck a nice balance between social commentary and fast-paced thriller. This book fits well into its genre, and I will be interested in seeing what the writer creates in the future.

A great start to the story, but then it slowed down, before speeding up again.
A good story, but maybe a little too slow paced for me.

This one started with a bang and then has a slow burn. The ending kind of rushes up but it was still pretty good. I did this as an audiobook and I did enjoy the narrator and it was easy to follow the story. Even though this one does mention Covid, the early days, but it's interjected in ways that felt natural and added to the plot (and especially the news accounts sporadically on the tv or on the radio really felt ominous because of what we know).

This one was pretty good, I enjoyed it!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book

First, the title is just so fitting. The book itself was entertaining and quick to get through though the pacing felt off sometimes. I liked this book overall but was not fully invested.

The description and cover of this book had me hooked. I think the plot was good, but the writing somehow didn’t ever draw me in like I wanted. This was a story I had to focus and force myself to read instead of a story I got lost in. I really liked the concept and the characters were interesting. The story moved very slowly until about the last quarter. I did like the bits of humor and I loved the obituaries that the main character wrote. Coco hasn’t returned home in years but when the aunt that raised her after her family was murdered starts to lose her memory she has to return to her home to care for her. But her aunt Gwen doesn’t appreciate her returning and reminding her that it is her home. And when the man convicted of murdering her family is found to be not guilty Coco is determined to find justice for her family. And while investigating she notices that there seem to be some suspicious deaths of elderly women. But someone doesn’t appreciate Coco poking around.

Colette "Coco" Weber has returned to her Catalina Island residence, a place that holds memories of a tragic home invasion two decades earlier, where she was the sole survivor. Seeking solace and distance from her ex, Coco's primary goal is to reconnect with her aunt Gwen and immerse herself in her craft—writing obituaries. Luckily, her college best friend, Maddy, who owns the local paper, offers her a job that involves documenting the deaths of the island's elderly residents.

However, as Coco delves into the circumstances surrounding these deaths, a disconcerting pattern emerges—indicating that they are not natural. Matters take a chilling turn when Coco receives a malevolent threat in the mail: her obituary. Drawing connections between a serial killer's spree and her family's past tragedy, Coco becomes increasingly fearful that the secrets lurking on Catalina Island may be too ominous to confront.

While I enjoyed the book, its length, exceeding 400 pages, contributed to a somewhat sluggish pace. Trimming the narrative might have enhanced its momentum. The mystery itself was compelling, with two distinct threads to unravel—the original murder of Colette's family and the current string of deaths upon her return. Despite occasional suspicions about certain characters, the revelation of the true villain surprised me. Despite the occasional sense of sluggishness, the well-developed characters, intriguing mystery, and atmospheric portrayal ensured an overall enjoyable reading experience.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for sending a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was pretty fast paced, but I don't feel like this book was for me. The references to COVID-19 were tiring for me, and I am not a fan of reading books that reference COVID anymore. The female main character was very strong, and I appreciated reading the female empowerment for that, but I just found this book to be for a different audience, and that is not me.

This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it! I am giving this book three stars, as I don't want to give it a good or bad rating, since I did not get to it and we have to leave a star rating.

Twenty years ago, Colette “Coco” Weber survived the mass murder of her father, mother, and brother on idyllic Catalina Island off the coast of California. The man accused of the murder is now in prison and Coco, who moved away, married, and is now separated from her husband, has returned to the island hoping to jumpstart her life again.

But Catalina, so pretty with its colorful homes and eclectic boutiques and restaurants, has undercurrents as well. Sure some things haven’t changed. Her Aunt Gwen, who became the caretaker of Coco after the murders, still resents her and is hiding secrets possibly about the ownership of the house where she lives. At first it seems lucky that Coco is still best friends with the owners of the family run island newspapers who hire her to write obituaries—a special skill that Coco excels in. But rampant Realtors are buying up the quaint cottages that line the hilly streets of the island, turning out owners and repricing them at astronomical fees. Catalina, it turns out, may not be the place soon for anyone but the very wealthy.

That certainly includes Gwen, a former house and hotel cleaner with a penchant for stealing both baubles and expensive items from the places she cleans. It’s in a small part, a payback for all the scorn people in her position endure particularly those of color. But it’s also part of Gwen’s sneaky nature and her disdain for most people including her niece.

Before long Coco is involved with a handsome rich guy who works at the paper as a lark. His parents make enough money that he really can just dabble in whatever interests him. Soon, though, Coco suspects him of lying to her about his whereabouts at certain times when he goes radio silence so to speak and doesn’t answer his cell phone. And why has he chosen Coco when there are all these luscious beauty queen types in his past.

“As for her choice of jobs, her family's obituaries were not special and didn't capture who she knew they were. And now she has a chance to do for others what she wished had happened for her,” says Rachel Howzell Hall, an award-winning mystery writer about her latest standalone novel, “What Never Happened.” “This is also a story about a woman who's trying to figure out where she belongs.”

Determining where she belongs also means figuring out who to trust and as she becomes immersed into island life during the isolated time of Covid, she soon learns that’s not easy to do. One big question is who is sending her threatening obituaries—her own—outlining the day of her death. It turns out there are many secrets and as she writes obituaries, Coco notices a stunning similarity in the deaths of many elderly women. They have refused to sell their homes which now are worth small fortunes. But unfortunately, it’s hard to get someone to believe her.

“Coco has been stunted in her growth and her ability to figure people out—she lost her parents during the time when they should have been guiding her and her aunt begrudges having to take care of her,” says Hall, who lives in Los Angeles and has visited the island on field trips with her daughter and also conducted extensive research that goes beyond the tourist brochures. “The way her family was taken away from her left her not knowing who she can trust and that becomes even more so with all that is happening on the island. And then she learns that this person she thought—and the law thought—killed her family, did not do it.”
Determined to find answers, Coco takes chances in trying to solve the mysteries swirling around her. She knows that is the only way she can remain on the island and survive.

Follow Rachel Howzell Hall at rachelhowzell.com

The writing style here was not my favorite. I am of the opinion that ellipses are one of those types of puntuation that should be useed sparingly, and they were on practically every page of this.

I thought this book started off strong with the murder of a teenage girl's entire family and had a lot of potential, but it just fell flat for me after that. Plotwise, this just had way too much going on and could have easily been a hundred pages shorter. The whole plotline with Colette's ex ended up going nowhere, and I felt like this taking place during the beginning of the pandemic was just thrown in for no reason. I also found most of it to be pretty predictable.

I loved that the main character was an obituary writer, and the obits included in the book were entertaining. I did like this book, and was definitely curious as to who the murderer was. But I found the family dynamic between the main character and her aunt a bit frustrating. I would say this was a 3.5 star read for me. I wanted to finish it (and I did), but I didn't find myself gripped in the way that I prefer my thriller/suspense novels to do.

Rachel Howzell Hall's "What Never Happened" engages readers in a suspenseful exploration of secrets and consequences. The plot is skillfully crafted, with well-developed characters. However, the pacing occasionally falters, and the resolution may feel rushed. Hall's narrative offers a satisfying but not groundbreaking experience, appealing to those seeking a solid yet familiar mystery.

This book starts off with a bang young Colette “Coco” walks in on her entire family having been brutally murdered while she was out partying. We jump 20 years ahead Coco makes is back on Catalina Island where the scene of the crime that took her family took place. Her marriage on the rocks, all she has left of family is her Aunt Gwen. She has hope of fixing her aunt’s house, of course with the money from the ring she stole from her ex.
She finds a job at the local paper writing obituaries, Coco is kept busy because a lot of the elderly are suddenly dying on the island. Things take a dark turn when Coco starts getting racist threats, which isn’t that uncommon in the island but then she receives her own obituary delivered to her. Catalina is a small island that’s being a big secrets. Will Coco ever learn the secret surrounding the murder of her family, and who is threatening her and killing the elderly on the island? This was a quick read for me I loved it and I didn’t even guess the killer!!

What Never Happened has an interesting plot and has a ton of potential, however, it fell a little flat for me. It was at times a bit confusing to follow, I can definitely see how many people would enjoy it!