Someone We Know

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No, I don’t know who the killer will be at the outset, but I know it has to be one of several people. I start with a situation with a lot of possibilities, one that can go in many different directions, and then, as I develop all the threads, and as I come to the end, the best answer presents itself. 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." Oh, that's good to hear," his mom says in her most sarcastic voice. "Because it looks like you've been up to a bit of breaking and entering!" He thumbs the phone and sees the damning texts from Mark. He sits there staring at them, wondering how to spin this. He's afraid to look his mother in the face. What is your process for developing characters? Are any of these characters based on anyone you know?

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? A good old fashioned whodunit that will keep you dialed in, and in the dark all the way to the end! Slyly plotted . . . Lapena skillfully maximizes suspense with her dual story lines that eventually collide, as well as some deft misdirection . . . many fans of domestic suspense will be satisfied.”Do you think the relationship between Olivia and Glenda is one of true friendship, or something more layered? Can you be a true friend to someone who is hiding a big secret? I'm a huge fan of this author. Recommend to those who enjoy a twisty who-dunnit, and a clever plot with plenty of suspense and neighborly (or not) suspects. The setting is mainly confined to one street in a small suburb in upstate New York, a place the reader would never want to live. How will the woman react when they discover that their husbands are suspected by the police of having affairs with the murdered woman and of killing her? Soon another woman is found dead, strangled in her home. You actually broke into someone's house last night?" his mother says, aghast. "I can't believe this! Raleigh, what were you thinking?" She throws her hands up. "Why on earth would you even do that?" Paul feels the need to employ an attorney since their son broke the law. Even though Olivia agrees, she takes it upon herself to type out anonymous notes of apology to be left in plain white envelopes at the homes Raleigh entered. Ironically, one of the homes was that of Robert Pierce, while the other was a relatively new person to the neighborhood, a woman named Carmine Torres, who lives alone.

Still, Raleigh's mother Olivia feels awful about her son's transgressions, and - without telling Raleigh or her husband Paul - Olivia writes anonymous apology letters. She slips these missives under the doors of the two houses Raleigh admits to entering (though there were many more). One house is the residence of a widow named Carmine Torres and the other is the home of Amanda's husband Richard. In this neighborhood, it’s not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . . Lapena keeps the well-developed twists churning, with each a surprise notch in this ever-evolving plot, and she continues this skillful storytelling until the stunning twist at the end . . . memorable.” The action is set in the fictional town of Aylesford, located in New York State’s Hudson Valley. It is a picturesque and haunting part of the Empire State, nestled within the Catskill Mountains a little more than an hour outside of NYC. Jumping ahead to present day, a man named Robert Pierce is phoning the police because his wife, Amanda, has not returned from a weekend away with one of her girlfriends. The problem is that the girlfriend, Caroline Lu, said she never went anywhere with Amanda and knew nothing about her weekend getaway.

Retailers:

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. Although Shari Lapena has become one of the most successful suspense writers in Canada, none of her stories are set in this country. I wonder if this increases marketplace sales. Linwood Barclay does the same.

We know from the very beginning of the book that a horrendous murder has taken place. We know the murder weapon used and the fact that the murderer was male. We also learn the identity of the victim: Amanda Pierce is reported missing by her husband Robert. The murderer is someone who lives in one of these houses. It is in all likelihood someone we know... But to discover who it was and why, we'll have to doubt every single person, no matter how nice and friendly they appear to be. Someone We Know is a tour de force of thriller writing. Shari Lapeña proves yet again that she is the mistress of the pacy plot, cliff edge tension and menacing suburban claustrophobia. Fans will be delighted and if you haven’t read her books yet, then why on earth not? The many never-saw-them-coming twists and questionable characters . . . will keep you on the edge of your seat. First-time novelist Lapena’s writing is spare and tense, and it makes The Couple Next Doora compulsive read. The last line is absolutely a killer.”An example of an inner monologue that drove me over the edge is from His & Hers. I'm paraphrasing but she said something to the effect of: "Mondays are my favourite day of the week. Yes, that's an unpopular opinion. But I grew up poor so I have lots of them." Immediately no. Instant cringe. Was this really the only way the author could tell us miss girl made it out the mud? This lil illogical ass correlation? Nah bruv. And when a missing local woman is found murdered, the tension reaches 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 secrets? The fantastically flirty Amanda Pierce has turned up dead. As our story opens with her brutal murder with a hammer, and her husband Robert's general relief as he files a missing persons report a couple of days later, this seems to be an open and shut case and just another instance of "it's always the husband." However, the small suburban neighborhood holds its fair share of secrets, as teenage Raleigh has been breaking into homes just for the sheer thrill of the hunt and taking a look at everyone's internet history (and deepest secrets) while he's at it. Who is this boy, and what might he have uncovered? As whispers start to circulate, suspicion mounts. I read this novel at one sitting, absolutely riveted by the story line. The suspense was beautifully rendered and unrelenting!”

All the husbands had watched her, practically drooling, stumbling over one another to hand her things" while the wives looked on trying not to appear annoyed. THE AUTHOR MADE FOOL OF US: Yes mostly she did! She confuses your mind by giving different end scenarios! Final twist was nicely served. We read a great book of a gifted mind. APPLAUSE! They don't even know I was there," Raleigh says defensively. "I was really careful. I told Mom-I never took anything. I didn't do any harm." Maybe we'd better all sit down," his mother says, pulling out a chair at the kitchen table. "Raleigh has something to tell you, and you're not going to like it." No OTT ending This was actually one of the better endings I've read lately. The author didn't throw everything and the kitchen sink at us, and I actually liked the lil cliffhanger. I felt all my questions were answered.Proving that time periods may change but people do not, Lapena delivers a solid whodunit with an ending that would make Dame Christie proud.” Someone We Know is a tour de force of thriller writing. Shari Lapena proves yet again that she is the mistress of the pacy plot, cliff edge tension and menacing suburban claustrophobia. Gilly Macmillan, author of THE NANNY Someone We Know takes place in a tranquil suburb of New York. Robert Pierce reports that his beautiful young wife Amanda is missing. Did she leave on her own or has something sinister happened to her? The police arrive in the neighborhood, and proceed to unearth the residents' every secret. And there are so many, because everyone has something to hide. Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival.