Fan-freaking-tastic. This book is sooo good - I was worried it wouldn't live up to how much I enjoyed What Lies in the Woods, but it was right on par! An excellent novel, and my enjoyment only increased tenfold with this awesome narrator. Her pace and tone made the production.
I did guess part of the big twist, but I like that the ending just kept taking unexpected turns! I really enjoyed this book and was so glad to start my year off with such a great thriller. I'll be recommending it to friends and patrons alike!

This was a fast-paced thriller with twists that kept my interest piqued throughout the whole thing. The narration was great, which always adds an extra layer to any book. It's always a sign of good writing when an author can make a character you actually dislike (ahem the husband). I will definitely be recommending this one.

Small town secrets, a murder and the daughter who was blamed for it all.

After her husband is fired, Emma is forced back to her hometown and childhood home where her parents were murdered. Coming home means facing the ire of the town and uncovering a lot of hidden secrets. Can she finally figure out who killed her parents and put the gossip to rest?

This was a pretty fast paced thriller with lots of twists. I enjoyed the plot and thought it had a lot going for it. I just didn’t feel super connected with any of the sisters and wanted to connect more with them. But let me say, if you think you’ve got this one figured out… think again. I think a lot of mystery/thriller fans will enjoy this!

I can’t say enough good things about Kate Alice Marshall’s work, which takes the basics of mystery/thriller themes and tropes and spins them into something unique and of unusually good quality.

Marshall is so good with both intricacy and pacing, and with keeping her plots enthralling without every resorting to gimmicky stuff, grotesqueness, or absurdity.

This is probably my favorite to date of her novels, and it combines a terrifically well-structured mystery with nuanced, intriguing characters and tremendously good sense of place.

The atmosphere of the book is so menacing without ever tipping over into cheap scare tactics, and the characters’ actions are at times delightfully unexpected without feeling contrived.

The ending, too, is a doozy. Though I was able to peg both the villain and who-actually-dunit (are they the same person? Maybe, you’ll have to read it to find out), the air of suspense didn’t diminish at all, and the book keeps you guessing until the very last page.

Also, I don’t think I’ve ever rooted harder for a character to get murdered than Emma’s husband, so just wait until you meet HIM.

Excellent narration as expected on this one! I enjoyed this book more than the last one put out by this author, and while it managed to keep my attention the whole time, it just wasn't unique enough to really stick with me. I will continue to keep an eye on her titles, as they are fun to listen to.

3.5 Stars
This was a decent mystery/thriller but I found it hard to like most of the characters. With audiobooks, my preference is to hear a variation in the male voices. For me, each male character sound the same so it would get a little confusing at times.

I felt bad for the three sisters who had to endure such horrible abuse at the hands of their parents. It is no wonder they needed to rebel. A little more background on why of their abuse would have been helpful.


Thank Netgalley for an ALC of this book.

The book dragged on as it was long, convoluted, predictable, with a mediocre plot. The timeline of the book was simply all over the place and the 3 POVs in the story did not make it easier to follow. I love twists and turns in a book, but this book simply had too many that it really got confusing by the end.

NO ONE CAN KNOW by Kate Alice Marshall starts with Emma finding out she is pregnant. Meanwhile, Emma’s husband is laid off and they’ve lost their housing. Emma confesses she still has her family estate that she shares with her two estranged sisters. With no other options, they go back to Emma’s family home. Of course, this plan comes with the downfall of moving back in to the house where Emma’s parents were murdered and to the town where everyone believes she’s guilty. Emma and her sisters have been holding onto secrets about the past and that grueling night their entire lives, and these secrets are about to unravel.

No One Can Know is not a simple whodunnit but a layered mystery with each chapter peeling back little clues revealing a few twists towards the end. While some of the characters were not very likable, I enjoyed the pacing and couldn’t wait to see where it headed. I’m definitely looking forward to more from this author.

Many thanks to @macmillan.audio for this ELC! Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators, and she doesn’t disappoint in this book.

Loved the family aspect to this thriller! I absolutely devoured this one and highly recommend it! I really enjoyed this on audio and found it very easy to follow.

Thank you for allowing me to listen to and review this story, my review has been posted to storygraph, goodreads, barnes & noble and book of the month. The review can be found on my insyagram @manymerrybooks

This is an okay thriller, with an okay plot twist. Maybe it's me and I'm just a little over predictable thrillers, but this one was not for me :( The audio was great, but the story itself didnt do it for me.

No One Can Know is my first Kate Alice Marshall, and now I am looking forward to reading more of her books in the future. No One Can Know focuses on three sisters and the murder of their parents. It alternates between the past when the murder happened, and fifteen years later when Emma, the middle child who was never found guilty but considered the most likely to have killed their parents as a teenager, returns to the family home to live for the foreseeable future. Almost immediately upon returning to her hometown, Emma begins working to unravel what happened to her parents and eventually her two estranged sisters are drawn in as well.
The pacing of No One Can Know worked well for me, and it never slowed down for too long as some thrillers can – there were always more surprises. Information was revealed in such a way that I was always excited to return to the novel. The sisters were particularly well drawn. It was a fun read.
Karissa Vacker was an excellent audiobook reader who brought nuance to the characters and the narration.

🤫 No One Can Know - Kate Alice Marshall

4 ⭐️ - This is my second Kate Alice Marshall read and I’m definitely a fan! This one had a spooky setting, lots of plot twists, unreliable unlikable characters, and a bit of an open ended ending. I felt addicted to this rollercoaster ride of a thriller.

Emma hasn’t shared a lot of her past. Her husband knows her parents are dead and she hasn’t spoken to her sisters in years. When Nathan is laid off, they lose their apartment and their bank accounts are in the red - Emma decides to share that her and her sisters jointly own their parent’s house. But returning home brings up a lot of secrets for Emma, including that her parents were murdered… in this house… and the town thinks Emma did it.

I am a big gullible mystery/thriller readers. I never know who did it. In this one, I had my suspicions, I thought I could be right, guess what.. I wasn’t. This book kept me hooked from the beginning, kept me guessing for answers, and secrets that everyone seemed to have. The ending is a big vague and keeps you guessing at what is true and what is false, which can sometimes be frustrating but I really liked it for this story. Definitely recommend if you’re a Marshall fan or looking for a new thriller!

Keep your eyes out for this one on shelves on 1/23! Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Flatiron Books for the early ARC copies!

Thank you to #NetGalley for early access to No One Can Know in audio format.

This thriller follows Emma, Juliette, and Daphne years after their parents unsolved murders. We find out who kills the Palmer parents, who’s been lying, and who’s been keeping secrets.

Emma is a newly pregnant married woman who finds herself in a bind when her husband, Nathan, is unemployed and didn’t let her know. He suggests they move into the family home Emma and her two sisters, Juliette and Daphne, own. Emma is reluctant to do so because her entire hometown suspects her to be the person who murdered her mom and dad years prior.

Juliette, the oldest sister, is curious as to why Emma has moved back to town and is nervous her own secrets might be revealed although estranged from her sisters.

Daphne, the youngest of the three, has kept tabs on her sisters since their parents murder and subsequent separation. She also has owned a home in their hometown and comes back into town to keep her eye on her sisters.

No One Can Know spans over a few weeks after Emma and Nathan move into the house. It has time jumps between past and present to help readers piece along who was guilty of the various crimes committed.

There’s no way to predict everything that happens. I didn’t guess a good majority of what happened to the Palmer parents. But I did guess that Daphne killed Nathan. She’s the only one who’d been keeping tabs on Emma and Juliette. She’d always kept watch over her sisters. She also was in and out of the house unseen several times over.

I couldn’t rate this five stars because there were things that really didn’t make sense or have answers. One thing I really didn’t understand was why the flash drive was so important years later. It’s not like the Palmer’s company was still running. Everyone Hadley came in contact with was dead. So why did he have such an obsession with the drive?

No One Can Know is a thriller that reveals sisters are always going to have your back, share your burdens, and keep your secrets.

I think that readers that enjoy soft thrillers and are introducing themselves to this genre would really enjoy No One Can Know.

In true Marshall form this is a dark and twisty read. I love the narrator and I would read anything she does, however in some instances having different narrators for different characters goes the extra mile for an audiobook.

The layout of the story works well. There are some scenes you will be on the edge of your seat.

No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall
Release Date: 1/23/24
Format: audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

This is the second book I’ve read by Kate Alice Marshall - big thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy of this book in return for my honest review!

I’m a big fan of thrillers that revolve around unsolved crimes of a childhood so this book got off to a great start! I was dying to figure out what happened to Emma’s parents from the very beginning. Marshall is great at developing messy stories that leave you wanting to learn everyone’s dirty secrets and that definitely shows in No One Can Know.

I really loved the ending of this story as well! I was unsure how it would wrap up pretty much until the end and was pleasantly surprised. There are parts of this book that confused me (not sure if that was just due to the audio format or the actual novel) but I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a slow & steady thriller in the new year! Maybe just read this one with your eyeballs instead of your ear holes.

First book of the year and it was a five star read! Emma doesn't speak much about her past. Her parents are dead, she's estranged from her two sisters, and all of them own a house they refuse to live in. When Emma and her husband fall on tough times, Emma is forced to go back to the house she has been avoiding for over ten years. She will have to admit the truth of what really happened in the house that night...

I LOVED this one and it is right up my alley. It was a quick read with a million twists and turns. I am typically picky with audiobook narrators, but I loved this narrator and always felt engaged. I bet you will be hearing about this book a lot this month and the hype is real! 5 stars and I highly recommend it!

This audio is great. I always enjoy it when Karissa Vacker narrates and this was no different. She brought the characters alive and held my attention throughout. I loved the sister dynamic, family secrets, and unexpected twists. I'd highly recommend picking this up, audio or physical. The only reason I held back from a 5-star was the amount of chaos at the end.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC!

The Palmer house holds a lot of secrets. From the outside, people thought Juliette, Emma, Daphne, and their parents lived a perfect life. Except it wasn't perfect- far from it. Their parents were controlling and abusive. Then, the parents were murdered. Emma, the most rebellious of the three sisters, was instantly considered a suspect. After that fateful night, the sisters all went their own way- Juliette back to college. Emma and Daphne into separate foster homes until they each came of age. Circumstances send Emma back to their childhood home, along with her husband. Once Emma is back, she can't help but try to figure out what really happened that night.

I read this one straight through. I couldn't put it down. The end did get a bit ridiculous, but overall, it had me hooked. You can't help but root for Emma- for her to find out the truth, finally clear her name, and to actually live as opposed to hiding within herself.

Karissa Vacker narrates the audiobook, and she did a phenomenal job as always. She is one of my favorites.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was a decent thriller for me. A lot of the "twists" were super predictable for me, but I liked meeting the characters and the peeling back of what happened in the past vs. what is happening in the current day of the story. Some of the characters' actions seemed strange to me, but I chalked that up to the lingering effects of major childhood trauma. All that being said, no matter how down on my luck I was, I don't know if I could ever bear to move into the house where my abusive parents were murdered, but that's the whole premise of the book so I kind of just ran with it.

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

(I would probably rate this a 3.25-3.5 overall, so I don't think I can honestly round up to a four-star rating.)

No One Can Know follows Emma Palmer as she and her husband fall on hard times and are forced to move back to Emma's childhood home which has stood empty since the murder of her parents when she was a teenager. Returning to the house after so long would be hard enough, but to make matters worse, Emma is infamous for being the prime suspect in the unsolved crime. After Emma returns, her two estranged sisters, Juliet and Daphne aren't far behind but a new murder is about to strike the Palmer house...

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, Kate Alice Marshall, and NetGalley for the audiobook ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I was really interested in the premise of sisters who haven't seen each other since the murder of their parents and one sister shouldering all the suspicion while they each guarded their own secrets. I think I would have enjoyed it more had at least two of the sisters seemed more like they were lying or knew everything/almost everything and were still trying to hide the truth as opposed to what we got, which was everyone seeming like they didn't know most of it. The time spent on each sister's POV pretty clearly telegraphed who had the most information in the end as well. The setup was great, but I think the story would have benefitted more from a deeper dive into unreliable narrators.

The sisters' dynamic could have been more intriguing and complicated, but it wound up feeling lackluster because they didn't have the emotional confrontations or reckonings that you would expect in this scenario. I would have liked to see a more fraught relationship between each of them while maintaining that bond of sisterhood. I believe that would have made the drama of what really happened all those years ago more compelling and rewarding because as it stands, our main characters aren't especially likable and don't inspire you to root for them.

Most of the other characters seemed like throwaways in comparison. Nina was barely in the book despite the evident impact she had on Juliet/JJ. Gabriel and Nathan were tissue paper men. Ellis and Hadley, our main antagonists, also felt underdeveloped. Even Emma's parents, around whom this entire narrative revolves, lacked depth.

The romance plot (if you can call it that) feels so strangely and unnecessarily inserted. Not only does it not really go anywhere, but it starts as a 16 y/o and a 20-something? I know nothing technically happened back then, but to me, a 20-something even having those feelings for a 16 year-old gives me the ick. It could have been played as the result of Emma's unhealthy home life, but the fact that it's continued in adulthood makes it feel as though it's more of a "meant to be" situation. Overall, I think this aspect of the storyline should have been struck from the final draft because it adds nothing of value and just winds up feeling strange.

The story being told was one that I enjoyed overall, and Karissa Vecker gives a great performance as the narrator of this audiobook. She gives a subtle difference to the voice of each character and can convey the emotion of the scene well without going over the top. Kate Alice Marshall's prose is also very easy to digest and well-suited for the suspense/thriller genre. Her narrative voice and pacing make it easy to get through this book in only a few sittings, and the plot is intriguing enough to keep you coming back. It starts to fall apart for me around the 1/2 or 2/3 mark, when it seems to lose its sense of direction. The plot shoots out in different directions without a real focus, and the book seems to forget what it was trying to say in the first place. When the conclusion comes, the reader is left feeling vaguely puzzled, particularly because the last act of the story moves so rapidly. The story itself is an interesting mystery that would have easily been a 4-star read if it had been executed with more clarity, focus, and depth.