Absolutely loved this book! I read a LOT of domestic thrillers and this is everything I want from this genre. This book did not follow familiar formulas we've seen a million times--there were twists and turns everywhere you looked, really truly keeping you on your toes until the very last page. There were so many smaller mysteries weaving together, well-developed characters who I felt I knew very deeply by the end, nonlinear timelines, and multiple perspectives--all of my favorite things in a thriller! I haven't stopped thinking about You Deserve to Know since I finished it almost a week ago.

I'm going to read all the Aggie Blum Thompson books I can get my hands on!

You Deserve to Know by Aggie Blum Thompson is a highly recommended domestic thriller. This is a good choice for everyone who enjoys suspense novels full of bad behavior in the suburbs.

In East Bethesda, a suburb of Washington DC, three couples, Aimee and Scott, Gwen and Anton and Lisa and Marcus enjoy regularly gathering together with their children and socializing. After their usual Friday night get together, Gwen's husband Anton is found murdered behind the local watering hole. Aimee's husband Scott was one of the last people to see Anton before his murder. He is also clearly hiding a secret from her. Lisa resents Gwen's addition to the group. Now the police are investigating and this increases the tension between the three women.

With friends like these, who needs enemies. And so it goes as a soap opera worthy web of deception, betrayal, and revenge explodes in the neighborhood between these three women. None of these women are likable, but they are presented as fully realized individuals.

All the various story lines create plenty of intrigue and suspense as they head toward the twisty ending. The opening of the novel points out through an interview that the book is written as autofiction, where the author recounts a real life event in a fictionalized manner. The narrative seemed overwrought at times but the ending was worth it and bumped the rating up.

You Deserve to Know is for those who relish suburban domestic thrillers. Thanks to Tor/Forge Publishing for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.

The review will be published on Edelweiss, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The master of suburban scandal domestic thrillers, Aggie Blum Thompson, returns following Such a Lovely Family with her fourth novel, the highly anticipated— YOU DESERVE TO KNOW.

YOU DESERVE TO KNOW is a twisty suburban noir whodunit that will have you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning. It's a perfect group of friends, a seemingly idyllic suburban setting, and a shocking murder that will keep you guessing until the very end.

But remember, looks are most definitely deceiving...

About...

The book starts with a transcript from NBC's Dateline with the interviewer and guest. There is a book called, You Deserve to Know, which is the subject of several podcasts and has turned into a movie and a documentary. It is called autofiction. We do not know who wrote the book.

Now, let the games begin... As the secrets unravel and the truth comes to light, you'll be on the edge of your seat, unable to put the book down.

Set in a peaceful subdivision outside of Washington, DC, we meet three neighborhood wives: Aimee (Scott), Gwen (Anton), and Lisa (Marcus).

They're not just friends; they're a tight-knit group that hosts weekly dinners, helps out with the kids, shares parenting advice, and even goes on family vacations together. But their seemingly perfect lives are about to be shattered...

The three families live on the same cul-de-sac, Nassau Court in East Bethesda, just outside Washington DC. The five younger kids are all close in age and attend the same school.

Their Friday night ritual is piling into one of the backyards and grilling or taking out. Sometimes, they drink too much and say things they shouldn't. Yes, some are jealous. But is there more?

On the surface, Gwen and Anton seem perfect. Anton, the successful writer, university teacher, twin boys, and sophisticated Gwen, works part-time at a Georgetown PR firm.

Then Anton leans into Aimee and whispers something in her ear: "You deserve to know."

His wife wants to know what he is up to.

Later, Aimee hears an argument between Gwen and Anton. Little does she know what happens behind closed doors and her friend's marriages.

The following morning, the neighbors receive the shocking news that Anton is dead. MURDERED. This unexpected turn of events will keep you on the edge of your seat.

His body was found in an alley next to a bar in downtown Bethesda and hit by a car.

My thoughts...

YOU DESERVE TO KNOW is a wickedly scandalous thrill ride of domestic suspense, as the carefully curated lives and facade of these friends and neighbors begin to crumble with secrets and lies. The unpredictable twists and turns will keep you guessing until the very end.

The close friendship turns into a toxic web of lies and deceit in what was once a close friendship between the three women, spirals into a poisonous web of lies, disloyalty, jealousy, and infidelity. A devious, twisted tale of deception and falsehoods where every character brims with secrets, and every page holds an unexpected surprise.

Blum's chilling psychological thriller cleverly exposes the dark secrets behind a seemingly perfect marriage's closed doors. This dark and twisted domestic suspense will keep you on your toes and have you wondering exactly what goes on behind your neighbor's door with characters you love to hate.

Interview...

Stay tuned for my upcoming #AuthorElevatorSeries QA ride with Aggie where we go behind the book and this talented author.

Recs...

YOU DESERVE TO KNOW is for fans of the author and those who enjoy cleverly written domestic thrillers by B.A. Paris, Mary Kubica, Lisa Unger, and Liv Constantine.

A special thanks to Forge Books and NetGalley for an advanced review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Mar 11, 2025
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Scandalous!! Peyton's Place was historically known for its significant shock value in the 60's, where appearances in neighborhoods can be deceiving. In "You Deserve to Know", there is a small town in the D.C. area that carries a lot of hidden secrets, scandals and complicated relationships. I couldn't read it fast enough. On Nassau Court, it appears as a quiet residential area, well-maintained homes, and a sense of community where residents can enjoy a calm and tranquil environment. The families on the street consist of couples: Aimee & Scott, Lisa & Marcus, Gwen & Anton. They are close friends who vacation and party together, as well as BBQ's in the backyard. There are so many fronts put up that you would never know the dark underbelly of shocking secrets and illicit affairs lurking in the neighborhood.
When one of the neighbors ends up dead in a horrible tragedy, these characters draw you in and hold you. I loved venturing into their shadows, watching the questions answered and justice trying to be served, but these characters are several steps ahead of what we think is going on. There is a lot of hidden drama that you won't know until the last page. What an outstanding twist!! Get your copy March 11th because You Deserve to Know! ;)
Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing group/Forge Books for this incredible ARC in exchange for my honest review.

“WAIT.. WHAT??!! i love a good friend group drama, and this one hit all the marks! so many twists had me on edge, dying to know what would happen next. the pacing was just right, and i loved the way the story moved between past and present, slowly unraveling the truth. highly recommend!

This book starts with a transcript of Dateline interview calling it a work of “autofiction” - a story written as an autobiography, but with some fictional details thrown in. We just don’t know who wrote the novel in question until the end…and it’s a fun ride getting there!

We have three best friends in this story: Gwen, whose husband Anton is killed after saying the words “you deserve to know”, Aimee, whose daughter has been hanging out with a woman the group doesn’t know well, and Lisa, who is newest to the group. They are all together with their kids and husbands having a barbecue when everything seems to fall apart.

The next morning, Aimee texts Gwen to see if she can watch her kids, but Gwen tells her the shocking news that Anton is dead. He went to a bar in the middle of the night and was hit by a car. His body was found in an alley and the police are treating it as a homicide. Now, these friends and neighbors are learning much more about each other, and nobody knows who to trust.

I didn’t think this was mind-blowing, but there were definitely some good surprises as these characters try to figure out who their friends are. The book bounces back and forth through time, showing how these people all became related and how their pasts affect who they are today. And of course, we will learn who killed Anton - it’s good! 3.5 stars, rounded up.

(Thank you to Forge Books, Aggie Blum Thompson and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on March 11, 2025.)

4.25⭐️

You Deserve To Know is unlike most thriller/mystery novels I have read before. This is not a super fast paced thriller with a bunch of twists and turns. Rather it’s a character study on three suburban moms and just how little you truly know about the people you spend your time with!

I enjoyed one single character in this book but that was certainly the point! The story really allowed you to connect with the characters and be in their heads and the “real” ending was incredibly satisfying.

This definitely felt like watching a new season desperate housewives with Nassau Court being the new Wisteria Lane! Such a fun read!

Thank you to netgalley and tor publishing group for this arc!

I love a juicy suburban domestic thriller and I love it even more when it’s set in a ritzy neighborhood. There’s something about seeing behind closed doors that appeals to my nosy side and there were so many secrets in the cul de sac that these families lived on. This follows three couples, Aimee and Scott, Gwen and Anton and Lisa and Marcus and these six do everything together. With so many characters there were a lot of subplots besides the main murder mystery, but they were laid out clearly and I was never confused. Each character had distinct characteristics to make them easy to distinguish and while many of them were terrible, a couple weren’t so there were people to root for still. Besides, I enjoy reading about messy rich people with horrible habits so this was fun. While there were lots of twists and turns along the way the ending was the best part for me, a really solid and shocking final few pages. Definitely recommended if you like domestic thrillers with dark secrets and betrayals.

Before I get into the review, a quick thank you to both NetGalley and the publishers over at Forge Books for allowing me access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review. You Deserve to Know follows a group of friends from a rich neighborhood in the suburbs of Washington D.C. These friends are all super close: grabbing things at the store for each other, picking up each other's kids from school when needed, going on vacations together. But one day their peaceful neighborhood is rocked when one of their husbands ends up dead in an apparent homicide. How well do they really know each other? You Deserve to Know comes out on March 11th and is available for preorder now.

I'm going to start by saying that I spent a lot of this book enjoying it at around a 3 or 3.5 star level. It was good but it was really going to take a solid ending to bump it into a 4 star rating. Which is what happened. Although, I didn't know how to feel about the ending at first. But the more I considered the implications of the last chapters the more it really sank in as a solid, solid end. For most of the novel, you can see what you think the ending is going to look like, who did it, why they did, etc. But once you actually get to the end of the novel, it's a twist that makes you wonder how you didn't see it coming. In a good way. I will always be down for some rich people drama and some murder in a close knit group. The author does a good job of laying out all the players and giving you people you can root for and root against. The murder itself acts more as a catalyst for certain events but still leaves the reader wondering what exactly happened until the big solve at the end. It was a good, turned great by the ending, read that felt quick and easy to read from an author I've enjoyed before.

There were times throughout the novel that I was wondering why the author decided to go down these different rabbit holes. It's not that I wasn't enjoying what felt like a few different subplots, but it felt like it wasn't relevant. Until it was. But it made reading it feel a little disjointed during the actual reading. Once everything connected at the end, it all made sense. I just wish the actual time reading those scenes was more enjoyable, if that makes sense. And while I did really enjoy the ending, I wish there had been a little more after that final twist. I would have enjoyed another 10 or so pages to just really settle in with what that twist means for everyone involved. But more pages is my typical complaint when I'm enjoying something so we can all take that with a grain of salt.

Overall, this was a fun and enjoyable Mystery/Thriller. I think it has a low barrier to entry for those who don't typically reader the genre. I am definitely going to keep my eye out for what this author comes out with next. Maybe even sliding into her backlist if any of those sound interesting.

Think Desperate Housewives, but with more murder and mystery. Although maybe DH had that; to be honest, I never watched the show.

Two couples have been friends for years thanks to having kids of a similar age and living on the same street. Then a third couple enters the fold, and that's when crap hits the fan. One husband is murdered, another goes missing, and the wives aren't so bored themselves.

It definitely didn't pan out the way I thought it would. I don't know if I'm losing my edge or if Thompson is better than I think. I found myself getting bored at some points (there are multiple POVs), so it took me longer than expected to get through this one.

Thanks, NG!

Usually I don't like books where every character is some variety of jerk and there's no one to really root for, but there's something about Aggie Blum Thompson's ability to write the worst people that sucks me in every time. Such a Lovely Family was my gateway drug to Thompson, and I'm dying to read her backlist. One thing I especially loved is that I live on a cul-de-sac and am VERY close friends with three of my neighbors, so it was cracking me up how much scheming and backstabbing mayhem Gwen, Aimee, and Lisa got up to - I cannot even imagine LOL

Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys reading about suburban women acting like utter maniacs.

Aggie Blum Thompson's You Deserve to Know is an edge-of-your-seat thriller about three couples living on the same cul-de-sac in an upscale neighborhood. On the surface, everyone gets along and the couples are happily married. But the reality is that most of them are hiding life-changing secrets, not only from their friends but from their spouses....

Gwen works for a PR firm and is married to Anton, who spends most of his time gaming instead of working on a follow-up to his critically acclaimed debut novel. Marcus is married to Lisa, who seems to look for drama everywhere she goes. Aimee and Scott worry about their daughter Noa's unusual behavior, but it turns out that they have a bigger problem when events from Scott's past are brought to light.

You won't know who to trust or what to believe until the very last shocking twist. Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC that kept me up way past my bedtime!

Title: You Deserve to Know
Author: Aggie Blum Thompson
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group- Forge Books
Genre: Domestic Thriller
Pub Date: March 11, 2025
My Rating: 3 Stars
Pages: 336

Neighbors Gwen/Anton, Aimee/Scott, and Lisa /Marcus all live on the same tranquil cul-de-sac, Nassau Court in East Bethesda. They have children similar in age so the moms share the good and bad with motherhood and also confide secrets. Basically they support each other.
As couples they get together for weekend back yard cookouts. But when Gwen’s husband Anton is found murdered after one of their Friday night get-togethers- things shatter in their peaceful cul-de-sac!

Next Aimee’s husband Scott goes missing. Thing get involved ~ times when I was having a hard time figuring out what exactly was happening. The one thing that definitely crossed my mind was – How in the world were these three couples friends?
When I read " Such a Lovely Family"" I knew I wanted to read another Aggie Blum-Thompson story!

However, I guess my expectations were too high as this was not the wow read I was hoping to read. True that doesn't mean it was bad - just not a wow for me!

Want to thank NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group –Forge Books for this early eGalley.
Publishing Dare scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, 2025.

Overall, I would say I mildly enjoyed this (not extremely twisty and not thriller-y enough for me TBH). I did like the epilogue (of course) because it had some surprises (finally). The characters were good, the plot was a bit far fetched and elicited some eye rolls from me. I found myself wanting to reach the ending, so bonus points for keeping my attention the whole time. In summation….. meh.

Three couples in a cul-de-sac meet often and engage in grilling and dinners together. A true to form suburban scandal takes place amongst the characters, who initially bonded over marriage, motherhood, and everything in between. We find out everyone has secrets and potentially deadly stakes are raised.
This one was certainly thrilling, albeit sometimes hard to keep up with. While I enjoyed the flawed and majorly realistic characters, a few of them were so atrocious I had a hard time being in "their" head. The twists were fun, but nothing too life changing or jaw dropping. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys a plot within a plot, John Marrs, or Freida McFadden. Thanks so much to the author and the publisher for the eARC!

In this tight group of friends, there are many layers of secrets. Some could make you question a friendship. Some could damage a relationship. Some could send you to jail and some could get you killed. Aimee Stern, Gwen Khoury, and Lisa Greco-King are neighbors and best friends. Their husbands, Scott, Anton and Matthew are go along with that friendship until one night, after a drunken Anton whispers “You deserve to know” to Aimee. Later that evening, he is deliberately run over and killed by a driver who leaves the accident scene. The police investigate because Anton’s death is suspicious. Scott was the last to see Anton and is not totally truthful about what happened that evening. Now the lies, some new and some long hidden, start to unravel.

You Deserve to Know is a suspenseful domestic thriller that will keep you reading long into the night. No one is who you think they are. Everything you think is true is not. The twists and turns keep coming until the final pages. Enjoy this dark look at suburbia! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group and Aggie Blum Thompson for this ARC.

In an exclusive cul-de-sac, three families build close bonds over the years. Group vacations. Child pick ups. Weekend cook outs. They believe they know eachother (and their secrets) very well.

Then Gwen's husband goes out one night only to be found dead in a hit and run the next morning. Aimme and Lisa rally around Gwen as the truth is unravelled by each other and the police. The women, all three, deserve to know what their husbands do and what they have done to eachother.

4.25⭐️

An exciting suburban thriller that had me hooked from start to finish. The characters were interesting, the plot was well developed, and that ending was clever! A dark and twisty read.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC.

You Deserve to Know eases you into the world of upper middle class DC families, making it seem like the book will be a domestic slice of life tale. But when the husband of one of the families is found dead in an alley things take a turn. And then keep turning. While some of the reveals were more easily seen than others, I enjoyed the ride. The ending felt a bit forced, hence the loss of half a star, but this is a great book for readers of domestic thrillers.

In suburban East Bethesda, Maryland, neighbors Aimee Stern, Gwen Khoury, and Lisa Greco-King are all friends. Lisa highly values her relationship with Aimee and has become increasingly envious since Gwen and her family moved in. Following one of their weekly family get-togethers, where there was tension among the friends, Gwen's husband Anton, who is an author, was discovered dead in an alley near a local bar. After the police determined it was a homicide, they found out that Aimee's husband Scott was one of the last people to see Anton alive. Aimee can't help recalling Anton whispering to her at the barbeque, "You deserve to know." Through flashbacks and present-day developments, the truth behind the lives of these families shockingly unfolds.

Author Aggie Blum Thompson's latest domestic thriller, You Deserve to Know, implodes a seemingly tranquil cul-de-sac filled with quite a dysfunctional group. It's a clever plot filled with twists and surprises that keep coming. What a ride!

4.25 stars.