Ahhh this book, am I into mysteries now? There's alot to unpack with this book, its thrilling, has complex characters, its very suspenseful. I thought the beginning was a little slow but then it took off. Definitely worth the read! 4.5 stars!

Thoroughly enjoyed Like it Never Happened by Jeff Hoffmann!

Thrilling, complex, intriguing, and totally captivating. The story is interwoven as four key characters and their supporting cast resolve issues from a decades old murder. Did not want this one to end.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this excellent ARC.

LIKE IT NEVER HAPPENED is an engrossing and insightful tale that delves deep into the endless ripples of trauma, lies, and ruined hearts left in the wake of even one moment of violence.

This was such a great job in the mystery genre, it had a great feel for the psychological suspense genre. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the plot of the novel. Jeff Hoffmann does everything that I was hoping for and glad I got to read this.

3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review.
A group of four friends are confronted with a fight in the parking lot of a Burger King, which ends with the death of one of the opponents and the other under special care. After 30 years, these friends, separated by that tragedy, are reunited for the funeral of one of the 4, where they realize that the wife knows their great secret, and is not willing to hide it anymore. The book keeps you attentive and entertained, learning about the family history of each of the friends, which has been affected by their remorse over the years. While the book didn't have anything particularly spectacular or jaw-dropping, it kept me entertained and interested in each story. I enjoyed it.

Thank you for letting me read this arc copy. The storyline was fantastic and genuinely kept me hooked! Characters were well developed and the storyline was interesting. Perfect for fans of psychological thrillers

The plot of this book is rather prevalent to some male ideologies that are current, so it was very interesting to see how it played out.

In a culture where too much aggressive male behaviour is written off as simply a case of "boys will be boys", sometimes men are left paying for the sins or trauma of boyhood decades after the event.

That is precisely the case with the four men in this story - Kevin, Tommy, Henry and Malcolm - who did something terrible nearly three decades ago, when they were young boys. A fight they got into with two others at a fast food joint resulted in death for one of that duo, and disability for the other. The four friends made a pact never to tell the truth of what they did that day.

Now, so many years later, the three survivors meet at their friend Kevin's funeral only to discover that his wife Naomi knows the truth of that tragic incident. Since Naomi is a reporter, Tommy, Henry, and Malcolm are terrified at the idea of what she could do with the information. Though what she actually has in mind is a little unorthodox...

Because Naomi has watched her husband struggle in the aftermath of the violence of that day, and is determined to make the trio pay for their part in it. But with so much to lose, will the men allow her to simply go ahead with whatever she has in mind?

This is quite a hard-hitting story about secrets, lies and cultural attitudes to testosterone-fuelled folly that can lead to serious consequences for supposedly typical "boyish" shenanigans. Overall, the story is both suspenseful and interesting, and the book establishes and retains a hold on the reader's attention quite successfully.

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review-
This book will stir many different emotions in you. What a read!
Four boys get in a fight with to others at Burger King. The fight gets out of control leaving one dead and one in long term care. They run but each boy has the memory of the secret they keep and how it affects their lives.
30 years later the case has not been solved but one of the boys dies and the three go his funeral, His wife knows and she is a reporter. What now? What will she do? What will happen to them?
You won’t want to miss this book!

It’s been 30 years since they graduated from high school, but they’ve never forgotten what happened that long ago night and the secret they’ve kept for so many years. Kevin, Tommy, Henry, and Malcolm were the best of friends in those days. But now, all these years later, Kevin, is dead, after colliding with a truck. The remaining three friends gather at his funeral. Was his death a terrible accident or was it something else? Kevin’s wife Naomi tells the friends that she knows their terrible secret, and they’re afraid that the jig is up. Because Naomi is a reporter. Naomi lost her husband because of what his friends did all those years ago, and she’s found a way to make them pay. A tense and satisfying thriller.