We all want to put the past behind us, right? But what if something is standing in your way of doing so? In Hall's newest release, What Never Happened, we join Colette "Coco" Weber as she relocates back to Catalina Island - the location where tragedy struck twenty years ago. Coco is looking for a "fresh start" on Catalina, but her crazed ex-husband, her family's past, and a mysterious force on the island are holding her back from feeling the relief she needs. As Coco explores the mysterious force on the island that is claiming the lives of many, she discovers who has truly been in her corner all this time and who has been using Coco to their advantage.

What Never Happened was my first ARC of 2023 - and boy, what a way to start the year! Coco's journey on Catalina Island kept me guessing the entire time. Who was committing these horrible crimes in such a peaceful place? Why can't Coco catch a break? I was quickly invested in Coco and her desire to start fresh and begin to love her craft of writing obituaries again. Overall, the story was fast-paced and truly kept me on my toes. However, at points it did feel a bit rushed and not as fleshed out as it could have been. Despite these small issues, I found myself hooked and could not wait to see how things ended!

What Never Happened
A Thriller
by Rachel Howzell Hall
It’s murder in paradise as a woman uncovers a host of secrets off the rocky California coast in a gripping novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall.

Colette “Coco” Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft—writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island.

But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar…and not natural. Then Coco receives a sinister threat in the mail: her own obituary.

As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer’s crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive. Because whoever is watching her is hell-bent on finally putting her past to rest.

Wow! This was a well-written thriller/mystery!! I had a jaw drop in the final chapters. I have never seen it coming. I felt I was into the book so deeply, I read this through the night. The island was such a place, coco and her Aunt were not white. She had lost her parents and brother 20 years ago. Then the pandemic started, and she could not leave the island by ferry.
The suspects, I was god smacked at the people killing off seniors, and for what? You will love this if you love mystery and thrillers. I sure did.

Thank you to Netgalley for an arc of What Never Happened in exchange for a honest review. This review is wholly my own.

I was super excited to get an arc of this book because I loved We Lie Here. This was another winner for me!

This story focuses on Coco who is an obituary writer who goes to live with her aunt on Catalina Island where a lot of elderly people are dying. Coco soon realizes that these deaths are all very similar and doesn't believe they're of natural causes, so she begins to investigate.

This is a fast-paced mystery/thriller that has you continually trying to guess who the bad guy is and what the twist might be. The twist is not entirely original, but not completely predictable either. Some people will be stumped and surprised at the end.

I really enjoyed the characters and the flashbacks (flashbacks don't always work - these were done very well).

Overall 4 Stars from me!!! Great start to my 2023 reading!

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC of What Never Happened by Rachel Howzell Hall.

Pub date: July 11,2023

This is a fast paced thriller that keeps you guessing until the end. It's part mystery and part thriller. It is told in present day with flashbacks thrown in.

Colette returns to her childhood home on Catalina Island. She was raised by her Aunt Gwen after her family was brutally murdered in her home. She returns as an obituary writer for a local paper. She notices a pattern from her obituaries that elderly women are being murdered. She is also being threatened by her ex husband. Colette realizes that the murders of her family and the women may be connected. She races to solve both in order to keep herself alive.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC!

It had the mysterious, eerie atmosphere I was hoping for, it had the twists and turns I wanted. It kept me on my toes and I definitely enjoyed it.

Colette Weber returns to her Catalina Island home where her entire family were brutally murdered when she was a teenager.
She is the obituary writer for the small newspaper which is owned by her best friend Maddy, which is busy, because all the elderly people are dying in the strangest of circumstances.

She receives a letter in the mail, and it is her own obituary, stating how she will die in just a few hours time. She is convinced that she is being threatened by the killer of her family.

I will award this book 3 stars because of the twist at the end. I cannot say I was a fan of the writing, I found that it was a long boring read. Yes, there were strange occurences and deaths, but there was no emotion or real 'OMG' moments.
I started this book, and found that it grated on me somewhat and put it aside to read later.
It was not the page turner that I was expecting.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review

Rachel Howzell Hall has become one of my favorite thriller authors in the past two years — after wowing me with “These Toxic Things” and “We Lie Here”, she returns again with an atmospheric mystery and another strong Black female protagonist. This time we’re on Catalina Island, a place where the lead character’s family was slaughtered 20 years ago (she escaped as a teenager by sneaking out of the house to visit friends). Colette is finally returning after a failed relationship to care for ailing and irascible Aunt Gwen, who’s sort of a hoarder/petty thief. Colette/Coco is an obituary writer and Hall structures the chapters around various obituaries. As Coco tries to settle in at the local newspaper, her increasing knowledge of recent deaths of old widows tells her something is off in Avalon and the police aren’t noticing or don’t care. More ominously (at least to me!), pet dogs are disappearing. Someone unknown is also threatening her ownership of her parents’ house.

I was hooked immediately by the original story and its twists and turns. Ms. Hall has a perfect way of making the weather a character as well — the outside world is dark, misty, hazy — always enough so you can’t quite make out who or what is in the distance, and the ground is always slippery enough to make you stumble if you try to run. Another lurking non-human character is the oncoming pandemic — LA is shutting down; will Catalina Island become cut off from the world? Rachel Howzell Hall has another 5 star thriller!

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review! This will also be a Kindle Unlimited release.

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES. Tracie, the green-eyed waitress, at the Pancake Cottage.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The native Catalina deadly nightshade blooms in the backyard and on the cover.

As a fan of Rachel Howzell Hall's previous books, I was so excited to read this one. The premise seemed unique and mysterious, with a great setting on Catalina Island. Unfortunately, I struggled to stay interested in the story. The plot took too long to take off, and by the time it did, I was ready to move on. While this book wasn't a fit for me, I'm still a fan of Hall's, and look forward to her next novel..

4/5 stars! This was my first book by this author and I was pleasantly surprised. This was an interesting premise that drew me in and kept me surprised and searching for clues throughout the story. I'm not a huge fan of island mysteries because the inherent "can't escape without a boat or plane" vibe is cliche. Outside of the setting of the tale, the story was very enjoyable.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

I love anything by Rachel Howzell Hall so I was excited to read this! This is the story of Colette, who returns to an island where her family was killed 20 years ago. Strange and threatening things start happening immediately. This was a book I didn’t want to put down!

My thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read Rachel Howzell Hall's newest. I'm a fan of Ms. Hall's work and What Never Happened is an excellent addition. Twisty with well written interesting characters.

Coco hasn’t been home to Catalina Island since a violent home invasion twenty years before. The only survivor in the attack, she has been reluctant to return but she needs to get away from her ex, spend some time with her aunt and go back to her old job – writing obituaries. She lands a job at the local paper and finds her hands full; there are a lot of elderly people dying all of a sudden. Coco begins to believe the deaths are not natural, and then she gets a copy of an obituary someone else has written – for her. The intent is clear, back off or else. Are there connections with those long ago murders and Coco’s own family? Hall presents and engaging mystery somewhere between a cozy and a thriller

I received this ARC via NetGalley.

I like a good mystery, and this was a fun, but slightly predictable read. I liked the use of obituaries throughout the book, and it added an element of danger and morbidity. About 1/3 of the way through, I guessed the motive for the killings. That unfortunately made the rest of the book a little less interesting to me.

The easy, conversational writing style used was perfect for Colette and her story. It was believable mainly because of the parallels I could see in real life, especially with all the prejudice Black people face. Nobody believes the victims here due to racism, and that's why the killer can get away with it. This strongly reminded me of the Dahmer case in that sense.

Will update this with my goodreads review link when I have posted it there closer to the release date of the book.

Heart pounding thriller that left me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one. Definitely one of the best books this year.

Twisty and fun! This was my first book by this author but won't be my last. I loved the premise of the obituary writer and found the plot to be unique.