Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
Maybe you don’t know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . .
“This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out.”
In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses–and into the owners’ computers as well–learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.
Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they’re telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets?
In this neighborhood, it’s not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .
You never really know what people are capable of.
Olivia Sharpe sits in her kitchen drinking a cup of coffee, gazing blankly out the glass sliding doors to the backyard.
Someone We Know is my first Shari Lapena novel, and I hate to say that it has not inspired me to pick up more of her work. I know that my best friend really enjoyed The Couple Next Door, so I am open to giving it a try, but I just had so many issues with her latest release.
I will start off with what I liked! Lapena is obviously very skilled at pacing- this book was a page turner! There was never a point where I felt like it dragged, and I finished it within one or two sittings. I have to the realization that I love stories about neighbours. I always think it is an interesting dynamic! Some of the closest people in my life grew up in the same neighbourhood as me, so it is fascinating. Overall, I thought that the premise was strong and that it has the bones to be a really great mystery.
I love a good red herring, but it almost felt like there were too many in this novel. Every man (including the teenagers) was a complete jerk, which sort of felt lazy to me. Let’s just make everyone horrible so the reader will suspect them all! There are other ways to make every character suspicious. This leads me to another problem, and that is that all of the couples were interchangeable. It was nearly impossible to distinguish one from the other. For this reason, I never became invested so I never cared about the outcome. Also, a lot of this book felt so unrealistic to me, but I can not get in to it without spoilers. I will just say, a burner phone- really!?
There are so many amazing thrillers out there that I have a difficult time recommending this one! That said, there are people who enjoyed it so do not just take my word for it!
Great review!!!
Thank you!
Completely agree with you on this one. It could’ve been great but not a single character was likeable and I found myself not really caring who the murderer was. I think I was hoping someone would go on a killing spree and bump them all off. I have read one of the authors other books and enjoyed it so would suggest you try another before writing her off completely.
Hahah that would be epic! I would read a book like that.
I have heard good things about An Unwanted Guest so I might try that one!
Yep, that’s the one I read and enjoyed. Still some not so likeable characters but didn’t bother me so much.
Amazing work 😁
Thanks!
I agree with the points you make. It is a page-turner, but the story was a bit too linear and the couples too similar. Nice review 🙂
Thank you! So much potential there but fell flat for this exact reasons.
Thanks for your honest review! I have a difficult time with unlikeable characters!
You’re welcome! I would definitely skip this one!
I agree with your review! I gave Shari Lapena another shot with An Unwanted Guest and discovered that she’s just not my jam.
Ah that is good to know. That is the other book of hers I wanted to try but I certainly won’t be making it a priority!