If Only She Knew

If Only She Knew #1

by Pamela Crane

Welcome to the town of Bloodson Bay, where the people are strange and the rising body count even stranger.

Peace Christie was warned never to visit the Slaughter Shed, an abandoned house at the edge of her farm. For good reason, because of its unexplainable mysteries since the unsolved murder of a family who lived there. Like a corpse vanishing from its rafters, and a girl’s body recently found in the basement.

When the news breaks with the identity of the girl, Peace has no choice but to uncover the secrets of the house. But someone will kill to keep the truth hidden...

One night, Peace finds an ancient journal that exposes the terrible history of the Slaughter Shed. As she reads each entry, more details unravel about who is behind the murders.

And then Peace reaches the last page.
She must return to the house...but she may not make it out alive.

Throw on your favorite flannel and combat boots, then dive into this 1990s throwback thriller that smells like teen spirit as Peace risks her so-called life to stop a century-old murder spree...

BUT BEWARE! With over 100,000 copies sold, this darkly witty mystery series can result in sleep deprivation and incurable reading addiction.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Google, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Crime

265 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 3, 2023

About the author

To know PAMELA CRANE, you first need to know her husband. He sleeps with one eye open. He checks the knife block to make sure none are missing. Why? It could be because they have four kids and a farm full of mischievous animals. Or it could be because she writes murder mysteries, and about the occasional woman who has lost her marbles (not based on her real-life psyche, she swears!) Don't worry—her husband is safe...for now. Her books range from witty whodunnits to psychological suspense and even humorous women’s fiction thrown in for good measure. She’s a USA TODAY bestselling author of over a dozen novels (who’s counting?), but her biggest accomplishment is keeping her zoo of animals alive…and her husband in check. Grab a free book at www.pamelacrane.com.

Reviews

[L.A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for sending this book to me. It was a fun mystery to solve and there are clues sprinkled throughout that had me second guessing what was happening.
A historical manor built on a cliff-side of Bloodson Bay, N. Carolina in the 1800's, sits abandoned at the edge of the Bloodson's family farm. The Bloodson’s have changed their last name due to the gruesome deaths of their ancestors.
When Peace Bloodson looks for clues to some mysterious happenings, she finds herself with her friends in danger in the manor. When she finds a hidden journal, it links to the past as if we are experiencing it firsthand. There is more to the haunted mystery than what the ear has been told sitting around campfires. The house is creepy, but has a story of its own to tell. When mixed with the local politics everyone involved may be in danger.
This is a quick read with a fast pace into some Scooby Doo look-like mystery sleuthing. The journal addition to the story is a big part of the story that I enjoyed.

[Kenneth Lingenfelter · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long-standing family feud with secrets that carried on. Someone wants to keep the family secrets buried. Peace Bloodson wants to uncover the truth. Murder and attempted murder keep the story enthralling.

[Suzanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A story to raise the hairs on the back of your neck.

If you love a great “spooky” yarn full of bumps in the night, eerie encounters and a family cursed this is the book for you! It would make a perfect Halloween read.

[Lynda Walls · Rating 5 out of 5]

Didn't put it down

Got pulled right in and spent my day off reading cover to cover. Too suspenseful to set aside, clear your calendar for this one!

[Donna Mallery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Pamela Crane’s books! She is on of my favorite authors. Her books have a lot of “meat” to them, and this one is no exception. It’s about some young protagonists drawn to an old house and it’s many secrets. There’s centuries old mysteries blended with the present. And how are they connected? The answers are full of satisfying twists!

[Livia Wren · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was free and it was still a rip off.

[Bambi Rathman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a gotcha from the very first page! It was like a Nancy Drew mystery on steroids that was unputdownable. Except for Nancy Drew, we have Peace Bloodson and the mysterious history of her family's curse that's been passed on for generations. Peace is drawn into solving the painful stories that just don't seem to add up and connect with what she's "heard" around the campfire. Peace and her little gang are self acclaimed "meddling kids"....."primed for a mystery worthy of Scooby-Doo and the gang". I really liked the fast pace of this story and the chapter end cliff hangers that kept me wanting to read more. The mystery and suspense never lets up. This is an all-in-one, sweaty palms read that has murder, mystery, ghosts and bumps-in-the-night that made me feel like I was along with the gang trying to figure out whodunit! Be ready for some creepy, spooky, and thrilling storytelling in this great read.

I want to thank Ms. Crane for the honor and privilege of reading her thrilling book! All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own.

[Keysa Rigney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading this author and now I can’t wait to read the next in the series.

Peace (Bloodson this name was changed due to a family “curse”) Christie, lives in Bloodson Bay and every year someone goes missing or is murdered. This year is no different but Peace is determined to figure out what’s really going on with The Bloodson Curse and if there is anyway to break these dreaded curse.

[Pamela Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Welcome to 1990s, my reader friends! In this small-town mystery, I couldn't resist heading back in time to an era before binge-watching Netflix or when cell phones were attached to our palms. Back when life was simpler. The nineties brought us "Friends" and Girl Power and flannel over baby doll dresses with combat boots...what more could a girl want out of life? How about a murder to solve!

Bloodson Bay has become one of my favorite settings to write about. While it's a fictional town in coastal North Carolina, it holds a rare feature of being the site of a manor called the Slaughter Shed (for good reason), and is located on a bay with a deadly cliff and an even deadlier curse that's been killing people since 1836.

People die in this town way too often.

For this book, I wanted to relive my teenage years, so meet the main character, Peace Bloodson, a young adult with a penchant for getting into trouble and a passion for righting wrongs. Her family's name holds a dark mark, as her ancestor and town founder, Reginald Bloodson, committed a heinous massacre that is still told in ghost stories even today. The mass murdering legacy he left behind for Peace has made her life a living hell. But she's ready to shed the rumors and find out the truth...even if she has to go up against the corrupt town Judge Valance.

She's wiser than her years, though, as she suspects a link between who killed her ancestors and the ongoing feud between her family and Valance family. If only she wasn't in love with the son of the judge. With a dash of Romeo-and-Juliet forbidden romance, let yourself slip back to your own young love like I did...and am glad I don't have to navigate that emotional roller-coaster any longer!

I hope you enjoy this fun little whodunnit packed with 1830's diary entries, 1990's nostalgia, a "haunted" house, and loads of mystery. May it keep you turning pages all through the night!

And for my die-hard fans, you'll find some fun Easter Eggs from other books hidden in here, which I always seem to do because it's, well, fun to keep you guessing!

[Alicia Schaefer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun trip back in time! We go back to where it all began, the start of the Bloodson Bay curse...

Having devoured the first two books in the series, this brought us back to where it all started back in 1836 when Bloodson Bay was founded. Peace (Bloodson) has grown up in Bloodson Bay but under the shadow of the family/town curse. There has also always been extreme animosity between the two most prominent families in town, the Bloodsons and the Valances, but no one ever really knew why and Peace is now struggling with her own crush on one of the Valances, making it a true Romeo & Juliette kind of situation. To find out why though, Peace, her brother Chris, and their good friends, Tara and Jonah start digging where no one wants them looking, and what they find surely puts them in danger themselves.

This was such a fun trip back in time! Not only did I truly enjoy all of the 90's references that I remember well, it was so much fun coming across fun easter eggs, for those of us familiar with the series, and most of all, the backstory to where this fabulous series began. Watching the very start of Tara and Chris's relationship was so heartwarming and after finishing this one, I'm jumping right into the next book in the series as I just don't want to leave Bloodson Bay!? (especially now that we know the REAL story!)

Highly recommended series and author!!

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mystery… Murder…. Mayhem, this book has it all!! I loved the spookiness of this read with the curse and dark mystery behind it all. Peace Bloodson wants to solve the mystery of her family’s “curse,” but she may be taking on more than she bargained for! I love the small-town plot, the Nancy Drew type sleuthing, the group of friends that go searching to solve the mystery together, and the murder to put the thrills and chills into this book from start to finish! Pamela Crane is a new author on my radar and so far, I’m loving her creativeness, and love how she puts a lot into the story to really make you feel like you are part of it! Thank you, Goodreads Giveaways, for one of the winning copies to read and review with my own thoughts! This is a 4 1/2 star read for me!

[Donna Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four teenagers decide to sneak into Bloodson Manor which was abandoned and is rumored to be haunted. They discover items in the manor that could help explain what happened 160 years ago. There is a history and secrets that have kept the Bloodson and Valence families at war with each other through time. A young girl is murdered and an attempted murder by someone intent to stopping Peace Bloodson from learning the truth and ending the feud.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If she only knew.

Mystery

Reading books by pamela crane are awesome they simply pull me in.

Peace bloodson

Well, she just knows there more to the things that are happening. But finding clues. And who's responsible well not what she was expecting.
But I didn't see that either.

For me this was a perfect book.

I found this author a few years back. And well now I read her books because there so good. I'm just a
Pamela Crane fan.

[Kookie9200 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Pamela Crane's books! This one wasn't my favorite, especially coming off of her last book, which I loved. It was a little too campy for me compared to her other books, but I'd still read it again. I enjoyed all the 90s references, but at times they could be a little overwhelming and detracted from the story.

[Kelly Blanchard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pamela Crane’s If Only She Knew is a chilling and nostalgic ride into the heart of small-town darkness. Set in the eerie town of Bloodson Bay, the novel follows Peace Christie as she becomes entangled in the terrifying secrets of the Slaughter Shed an abandoned house long haunted by unsolved murders, whispered curses, and a fresh body in the basement.

Crane captures the spirit of 1990s thrillers perfectly, layering suspense with a sly sense of humor that makes the horror all the more unsettling. The ancient journal that Peace discovers functions as both a mystery within a mystery and a direct portal into the house’s sinister past, steadily tightening the grip of dread until the final, breathless page.

More than a murder mystery, If Only She Knew is a fast-paced, darkly witty exploration of courage, fear, and the lengths one will go to uncover truth even if it means stepping into the jaws of danger. It’s a throwback that feels both familiar and fresh, and a perfect hook for readers who like their thrillers smart, sharp, and just a little bit sinister.

[Lise · Rating 4 out of 5]

The town of Bloodson Bay awaited each June 27th with trepidation. On each anniversary of a murder-suicide, someone's life would come to an end. Peace Christie (nee Bloodson) and her friends hope to stop this annual curse.

3.5 Stars rounded up

The story read like a young adult novel to me with limited tension and much teenage angst. I wanted more from the plotting - more genuine emotion, more puzzle solving, perhaps even more puzzle.

***Massive spoiler***Peace's reaction to the death of her friend felt lacking. She had planned to escape with this person and yet she easily shrugged off the girl's death.

Perhaps when I get into the series, this will all make sense.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every June 27th the town of Bloodson Bay awaited what was to come with nerves. For 160 years every year the Bloodson Bay Curse came back with someone losing their life.

Two families at war with each other for just as long.

Peace Christie (ne Bloodson) along with her brother and friends set out to unravel the mysteries and secrets behind the Bloodson Bay Curse and this years victim of it.

Once it starts it grabs you and pulls you right on in. Definitely a book you can’t put down.

Perfect for a Halloween night binge

[Bev · Rating 5 out of 5]

It all started out as a campfire family lore story. Little did Chris, Jonah, Tara, and Peace know what some harmless breaking and entering to the Bloodson Manor, aka, Slaughter Shed would lead them. Peace is determined to find out what happened between the Bloodsons and Vances families. If only she knew would was in store for not only her, but those around her. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

[Michelle Mulder · Rating 3 out of 5]

A family curse hungs over Bloodson Bay.
Peace Bloodson has always been curious about the weird curse that has plagued her family. Her antsestors had a history of going mad and ends up killing themselves.

Peace discovers the dairies of Cordelia Bloodson. And soon Peace is determined to solve the mystery behind the curse.

This is an interesting book to read, something I would rather reccomend to a teenage reader.

[Tarina Jameson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 14 of '25 - If Only She Knew by Pamela Crane (205). Murder, Mystery, and a good old family curse to make it interesting! This book was really well written, taking the reader along on a ride through the present and past to solve a mystery and make sense of years of mysterious deaths, all on the same date, all at the same old creepy house. I liked the sneak peek at the next book at the end, too. It will have to wait til the next time my Kindle dies, though! 8/10.

[Shaunna Grace-Lidrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it, lots of twists and turns. It would have been much better to have this book before the first book, Little does she know. If you have not read any of them yet, I would read this one first. It does not spoil anything for the first one other than explaining the history of the town and people. You will enjoy Little Does She Know much better if you do.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first book by this author. Family feud from centuries ago and yearly murders. The story was good up until it became predictable and details were skimmed over or didn’t make sense. I had to keep reading though to see how it all played out. Struggling with the rating because it wasn’t horrible, wasn’t awesome, and I’ll definitely have to read the next book in the series. 3.5-4 ⭐️

[Sarah Lewin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pamela Crane - If Only She Knew
On my goodness, what a great story, full of twists and mystery. Abduction, murder, old letters, a family feud, a criminal element. Peace is left with no choice but to investigate by herself. The crimes are too close to home. Who can she trust, who will listen to her?

[Jennifer Platt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch out for twists and turns

Join Peace and her friends as they try to solve decades old murders. Follow the clues and twists. There’s some foul language but no F-words. Would recommend

[Angela Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very intriguing until the very end. I was eagerly flipping the pages to figure out what curse plagues Peace's family. Definitely felt like stepping back in time to 1997 . I highly recommend this mystery.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series just keeps getting better. Rivalry, secrets and eye opening revelations will make your head spin. It starts out as a slow burn but then BAM, you’re not believing what you just read. I already preordered the other two books in this series and I’m anxiously waiting on them.

[Janeal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was full of soft twists and surprises. The main character was persistent and true to her rebel self. The ending is not what you would expect. Thank you Pamela Crane for this great read!

[Meital Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I did enjoy this series, there were some things that seemed out of place and unnecessary. There were things in this book that just weren’t believable and threw off the entire vibe for me but I still wanted to finish it along with the other 3 books.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely riveting. 🔥 This book pulled me in from the very first chapter and didn’t let go. The twists, the tension—it was such a gripping ride. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, and now I have to know what happens next. On to Book 2!

[Hazel Leu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, albeit a little corny

I didn't think I'd enjoy this book as much as I did. It was entertaining, even though I predicted the whodunnit early on. The main character was a bit annoying, but it reminded me of watching Scooby Doo.