Not What She Seems tells the story of Jacinda Brodie's return to her hometown in South Carolina after her years-long absence after the death of her father, for which she is blamed. She had made a life for herself in graduate school, but it pulled back home after her grandfather ended up in the hospital. Jacinda is pulled back into old mysteries by way of her grandfather's old case files, with all these stories set with the backdrop of Murder Manor, the infamous home of a historic serial killer.

For a book that is supposed to be multiple mysteries, there weren't many clues or attempts to solve any of the cases. The person who is introduced as the "bad guy" remains so throughout the entire story, so there isn't any mystery there. Jac has these cold cases that her grandfather held onto his entire life and she only starts to look at them at nearly the end of the book and then the answer to the mystery was so obvious. The pacing was so incredibly slow that I had to force myself to pick this up. The dialogue was completely unrealistic and characters would reveal something and then reveal it again a few pages later. The inner monologue was repetitive as well and the writing was simultaneously weird and boring. There were a bunch of different things going on, but they all felt like they had little to do with each other. Overall, the story and the characters just felt disorganized and flat.

ℝ𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 𝔽𝕠𝕣𝕞𝕒𝕥: 𝐸-𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 & 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀

ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨: 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬), 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫. 𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐢𝐧-𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞! 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐡, 𝐬𝐨 𝐈 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐩𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝟏/𝟒 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡.

𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒆𝒎𝒔 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚’𝐬 (“𝐉𝐚𝐜’𝐬”) 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝟐𝟐 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 (𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐞). 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲.

𝒯𝒽𝒶𝓃𝓀 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓉𝑜 𝒴𝒶𝓈𝓂𝒾𝓃 𝒜𝓃𝑔𝑜𝑒, 𝒯𝒽𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓈 & 𝑀𝑒𝓇𝒸𝑒𝓇, 𝐵𝓇𝒾𝓁𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 𝒫𝓊𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔, & 𝒩𝑒𝓉𝒢𝒶𝓁𝓁𝑒𝓎 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝑅𝒞! 𝒜𝓁𝓁 𝑜𝓅𝒾𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓃𝓈 𝒶𝓇𝑒 𝓂𝓎 𝑜𝓌𝓃.

Yasmin Angoe’s Not What She Seems is a suspenseful mystery set in the atmospheric small town of Brook Haven, South Carolina, where secrets, guilt, and intrigue collide. The novel delivers a compelling blend of family drama, buried secrets, and a creeping sense of danger, but while it has a solid premise, it doesn’t fully deliver on its promise of tension or emotional depth.

The protagonist, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie, is back in her hometown after years of self-imposed exile following the death of her father, the former chief of police. Blamed for her father’s tragic fall, Jac left Brook Haven a pariah. Now, with her grandfather in the hospital, she returns to face both her family and the rumors that have long haunted her. Angoe effectively builds Jac’s internal conflict—her guilt over her father’s death and the unresolved tension with the town that still views her with suspicion. However, while Jac is a strong character, her emotional depth and connection with her past don’t fully resonate, making it hard for readers to feel invested in her personal journey.

One of the novel’s central threads is Jac’s growing suspicion of Faye Arden, the wealthy newcomer who has turned the infamous Moor Manor into a charming country inn. Jac is convinced that something sinister lurks beneath Faye’s polished exterior, and when she finds one of her granddad’s prized possessions in Faye’s office, the plot begins to spiral into a deeper mystery. While this discovery should ratchet up the tension, the pacing falters, and Jac’s investigation into Faye’s past feels predictable rather than thrilling. There are moments when the novel hints at greater stakes and danger, but it often falls short of delivering the kind of sharp twists and reveals that readers might expect from a mystery of this kind.

The small-town setting of Brook Haven, with its cliffside views and tightly-knit community, is well-crafted, providing the perfect backdrop for a story filled with long-held secrets and quiet tension. However, despite the promising setting, the novel struggles to maintain a consistent sense of suspense. The tension surrounding Jac’s return and her investigation into Faye’s true motives often feels muted, and while there are moments of intrigue, the overall pacing can feel slow, especially in the middle of the book.

Another aspect of the novel that could have been further explored is Jac’s relationship with her family, particularly the fallout from her father’s death and the dynamics between her and her ailing grandfather. These moments of familial tension could have added emotional weight to the story, but they are often overshadowed by the external mystery. Angoe touches on these relationships but doesn’t delve as deeply into them as she could have, leaving certain emotional beats feeling underdeveloped.

Faye Arden, as the central antagonist, remains a bit of a mystery throughout the book. While Jac’s suspicions about her are clear from the start, Faye’s motivations and backstory are revealed in a way that feels somewhat predictable. The novel builds her up as a charismatic and powerful figure in town, but when the eventual revelations come to light, they lack the shocking impact that might have elevated the story.

Despite these shortcomings, Not What She Seems is not without its strengths. Angoe’s writing is accessible and descriptive, and she crafts moments of atmospheric tension that hint at the novel’s potential. Jac’s determination to uncover the truth and protect her family is a driving force that keeps the plot moving, and there are enough twists to keep readers engaged, even if the overall mystery feels a bit formulaic.

Final Thoughts:
Not What She Seems offers an intriguing premise with a strong protagonist and a richly atmospheric small-town setting, but the execution doesn’t quite match the potential of the story. While Yasmin Angoe’s novel has moments of suspense and intrigue, the pacing and emotional depth fall short, resulting in a mystery that feels somewhat predictable. Fans of small-town secrets and slow-burn mysteries may still find enjoyment here, but those looking for a twisty, high-stakes thriller might feel a bit underwhelmed.

This was my first book by Yasmin Angoe and it will not be my last. This book was so good. I gasped at least 3 times. Absolutely phenomenal.

This is a very slow burn in the beginning but then really took off towards the end.

Jacinda Brodie is in Washington D.C. Knowing her life is about to change if she is accepted into Fellows Program. When she’s declined she’s shocked until she discovers who inserted the doubt into the board her former boyfriend and professor. She sees red and decides to blow up both of her lies when she uncovers the deceit he’s been hiding. When she gets a phone call from home hearing the worst news possible. That her grandfather is in the hospital and he’s had a heart attack. Nervous because she has not stepped back into Brooke Haven since she left for college she’s wanted to leave her tragic past in the rearview mirror.
Arriving home it’s not the same place she left behind, this is when she meets Faye Arden, wealthy and charismatic woman , and she's redoing the sinister Moor Manor. Jac is immediately suspicious of her, and her suspicions are confirmed when she finds one of her grandad's favorite items stashed in Faye's office. As Jac digs into what happened to her grandad, she uncovers truths that scare her. Soon her and her families life is in danger and is to late?

I hadn't read Yasmin Angoe until I read Not What She Seems, and I definitely think I need to change that! This book was super wild at the end and while it was a slower burn to start, I was completely invested and couldn't wait to see what would happen. Jac is the main viewpoint in the story, and while I didn't always understand or agree with her choices, she was a multifaceted character who was both relatable and frustrating at the same time. She made for an entertaining and interesting FMC and the drama was top-notch.

Jordan Cobb narrates the audiobook, and I would recommend it to all the audio fans out there. I thought Cobb was an excellent narrator, especially for Jac, and she helped keep me on the edge of my seat. The conclusion of Not What She Seems blew my mind a little bit and was completely unexpected. Including Faye’s viewpoint later in the book was a brilliant idea and helped me get a better idea of her character and what was driving her throughout the story since we don't have her viewpoint elsewhere. There were a lot of what I would call stupid decisions being made when I neared the end, but it added lots of suspense, and I couldn't look away.

After reading this book that has family drama, a murder mansion, armchair detectives, past and present crimes, and a sneaky sweet antagonist, I’ll be picking whatever this author is writing down.

It’s a thriller with in depth background of its characters, set in the low country of South Carolina, and gives a shoutout to my alma mater, the University of South Carolina.

I DNF this book at 52% I read reviews on this book at good reads and they didn’t liked it as much. It is also a confusing thriller. For that this thriller just was not for me

🚘 B O O K T O U R review 🚘 featuring “Not What She Seems” by Yasmin Angoe!

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today is my stop on the book tour for “Not What She Seems” which released on August 1, 2024!

This book is about Jacinda Brodie’s return to her small hometown of Brook Haven, South Carolina. A place where Jac isn’t welcomed or wanted even after all these years that she’s been away. As a child Jac was blamed for pushing the police chief/her father over a cliff and the rumours and accusations never died down, which is why she left town without turning back.

However, Jac returns to Brook Haven once she learns that her precious Grandfather is on his deathbed. Jac knows she has no choice but to face her past … but something else is OFF about the town. Something very sinister is lurking among the streets and the new town benefactor Faye Arden. What truths will Jac come across and will they put her family in the line of danger??

Thank you kindly to @author_yasminangoe @otrpr @amazonpublishing for my gifted copy in exchange for my honest review and a spot on this book tour!

Not What She Seems was a pretty good read for me. Lots of stuff going on, and I especially the Grandfather and his mysteries. Solid read. Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC.

Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is back in Brook Haven, South Carolina. She left years ago after her sheriff father fell to his death and rumors blamed her. While she had no intention of returning, her grandfather is ill in the hospital. Faye Arden is a newcomer in town, transforming the old Moor Manor into an inn. Locals love her, but Jac is convinced something sinister is at work. One of her grandfather's prized possessions is in Faye's office, cementing that belief. The more Jac learns, the more dangerous it becomes, not just for her, but for her family.

Jac is angry, hot headed and almost incapable of not reacting to everything around her. She's not a southern belle as her mother wanted, but interested in detective work like her father and grandfather had been. Some cases haunted her grandfather, and the clock he cherished was a reminder of a case he consulted on but couldn't solve. Seeing it in Faye's office causes her calm to unravel, and she soon tries to investigate Faye in her clumsy way, causing more rumors in town as well as possible harm to herself as some of her other reckless behavior comes to light. She looks bad, while Faye continues to look like a victim. As we learn more along with Jac, we see the lengths each of them will go to.

I enjoyed both cases that Jac's grandfather had been troubled with. It not only is about the deaths of girls across the country, but a missing person's case. The reveals are very well done, and I was pulled into Jac's family, the chaotic emotions she felt, and the need for justice. This is a great summer thriller.

WHAT A TWIST!!!!!

I received this from NetGalley.

This book had so many twists and turns. It kept me on my toes wanting to read more! A great plot twist ending. Such a great read - you will not be disappointed.

I liked this book a lot. It kind of started off slow and didn’t pull my attention right away but then I couldn’t put it down. Good read.

Thank you NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, Yasmine Angoe for this E-ARC! I’d rate this book a 3.5/5.. for me I didn’t love it but I also didn’t hate it! It was hard for me to relate to the main character “Jac” and made me dislike this character every page I read. Overall, this book had a lot of twist to it and I enjoyed the ending..which made me round up a half a star!

3.5 rounded up. I liked the mystery surrounding Jac’s past and didn’t mind the slow burn because there were other mysteries intertwined in it. My favorite parts were Jac trying to piece together the cold cases that her grandfather was working on and the group they were apart of. At times it seemed a little too obvious who the villain was but I wasn’t sure if that’s because who I chose to believe for the truth. Even though it was only a small part I loved getting the villain’s backstory once everything was revealed. I was still surprised at some of the details that were unsurfaced. The pace really picked up towards the end and was where a lot of the thrilling moments happened.

Thank you @author_yasminangoe @otrpr @amazonpublishing for the #gifted copy.

Jacinda "Jac" is reeling from the betrayal of a bad boyfriend who had the nerve to steal one of Jac's real life traumas for his novel. No doormat, Jac breaks into his house and steals all his notes.

When her beloved grandfather then suffers a heart attack, she heads to her hometown to be at his hospital bed but immediately suspects that his diagnosis is wrong: someone tried to kill him.

Jac is a strong and entertaining main character. My only criticism of Not What She Seems is that it is not really a true mystery. Jac is pretty sure right away who is responsible for her grandfather's condition and just needs to prove it. That said, the book has plenty of action and betrayal and kept me on the edge of my seat until the end!

Small towns like to label people in specific roles and leave them there. Jacinda was a murderess, and Faye was the town’s new savior. What if people no longer fit in their molds?

The way the author introduces us to Jacinda, she is definitely not an example of responsibility or good choices. She’s in the process of changing her entire future while getting well-deserved revenge on an ex. If these are the impulsive sort of decisions she acts on, it’s easy to imagine her doing something similar to make her unwelcome in her hometown.

When Jac returns to her hometown after so long, she expects to still not be welcomed or accepted. The townspeople have long memories and still think she’s responsible for her father’s death. People are polite, as she’s there grieving the loss of her granddad. Jac and her granddad liked to try and solve old crimes together with some of his online friends, and she’s suspicious when she sees the scene of his heart attack. She wonders if it could actually be the scene of a crime.

While a lot of what Jac does is not well thought-out, her history makes it hard for others to believe that she is usually trying to do the right thing. As a sort of underdog, she isn’t very likable, although the title of the book felt like it was more about the unknown Faye, who moved into town after Jac left and is marrying the mayor. Faye has done good things for the community and everyone wants the mayor to be happy, so most people aren’t looking for anything to be less than perfect.

The story was engaging and earned 3 out of 5 stars. It would be an enjoyable book for those who enjoy contemporary mysteries, small town stories, and characters with surprising pasts.

Not What She Seems is a deliciously twisty, atmospheric, slow burn of a thriller that keeps you hooked and leaves you guessing till the very end.

Give me a small town, southern setting, a pool of mysteries and a cast of flawed characters any day. I live for these types of plots where everyone is a little suspicious and everyone is keeping secrets.

@author_yasminangoe has created a fantastically flawed and often frustrating lead character in Jac, who is fascinating to read if only because she makes terrible decisions. I loved following Jac on her journey of trying to figure out the secrets behind the suspicious nature of her grandfathers death while simultaneously trying to navigate being back in her hometown and balancing her reputation that always precedes her.

No spoilers, but while the first two thirds of this book are a simmering slow build, the last third becomes an all out wildfire of drama. I read well into the night finishing this one, just to see how it played out. Totally worth it.

This one is out now, so don’t wait on getting yourself a copy and getting cozied in with all the sultry mystery.

Many thanks to @amazonpublishing for the copy, @otrpr for inviting me to join the tour and Yasmin for sending such a fabulous story into the world. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me the chance to read an early copy of this book and for inviting me to be a part of the tour for this book. I will be posting my review on my bookstagram page @readingmama_reviews on my scheduled tour date, which is Monday, August 12. This rwas a very interesting story. I will say that there are several storylines going on here, so you may have to pay close attention so that you don't miss anything. Our main character is a woman named Jacinda Brodie, who returns to her small hometown after the death of her grandfather. Her grandfather, Montavius, is a retired copy who still investigates cold cases and is part of an online group called the Armchair Detectives. Jacinda, or Jac, doesn't believe that her grandfather just had a random heart attack; she believes that it may have been intentionally triggered. By whom you may ask? There is a new woman in town, Faye Arden, who seems to be quite the socialite, but Jacinda sees right through her. This is a bit of a cat and mouse back and forth as Jac tries to catch Faye in her lies and expose her to the town for who she really is. As I mentioned earlier, there are quite a few storylines going on, which was a little confusing at times, but overall, did work to make the plot more exciting. There are also some other topics that are dealt with, such as racism and sexism in the workplace.

This book didn’t really do it for me. When I can’t really understand at least half of why a character makes the decisions they make it’s not going to end well for me. Maybe I will try reading this book again at a later date but for now it’s a no for me.