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The Devil You Know

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One overheard conversation. One fateful evening. A lifetime of consequences.

Sonny Fareham's lover - and also her boss - is the charismatic Tony Bridgeman, a successful and ruthless man who usually gets what he wants. But for Sonny, the affair that has promised a future of hope and happiness must end in desperate fear. Late one evening, Sonny overhears a private conversation between Tony Bridgeman and his wife. Only then does she realise she is in great danger.
Pregnant and afraid, Sonny flees her home to make a new life in the north of England, where she meets a gregarious and motherly new friend, Ellie Kenny. When the mysterious and handsome David Langham seems drawn to her, Sonny almost dares to believe that she could be happy again. But never far away is the one person who wants to destroy everything that she now holds dear...

452 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 7, 1996

113 people are currently reading
166 people want to read

About the author

Josephine Cox

111 books331 followers
Josephine Cox was born in Blackburn, one of ten children. At the age of sixteen, Josephine met and married her husband Ken, and had two sons. When the boys started school, she decided to go to college and eventually gained a place at university but was unable to take this up as it would have meant living away from home. Instead, she went into teaching – and started to write her first full-length novel. She won the ‘Superwoman of Great Britain’ Award, for which her family had secretly entered her, at the same time as her novel was accepted for publication. She is now a No.1 bestselling author with over 40 books to her name.

She wrote dark psychological thrillers under the name Jane Brindle.

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5 stars
1,013 (58%)
4 stars
435 (25%)
3 stars
203 (11%)
2 stars
46 (2%)
1 star
33 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Ghada Yusuf.
96 reviews30 followers
April 29, 2012
Thank God I've finished it finally, such boring and predictable novel, i just finish it to exercise reading, it's one of the worst love stories I've ever read.
2 reviews
September 7, 2025
OMG!

What is it with all the four star reviews? An absolutely RIDICULOUS portrayal of weak willed, weak minded women, who will do anything for an evil, disgusting, adultorous violent man.

I don't know how a female author could write women to be so unsupportive of other women, and so ridiculously simpering, ebony jealous and loose lipped with their friends life or death secrets. The older women were portrayed either to old, gruff, low-moraled or prudosh, and much older than they were.

Ugh. I gritted my teeth reading through the end.

Talk about very little sisterhood making it easy for men to take advantage of women. Would never recommend.

Implausible codswallop!
Profile Image for Tony.
73 reviews
November 13, 2021
A smashing tale that I really enjoyed, I always allow my self to enjoy this type of fiction and give a little license to the stories, after all they are stories of fiction, if you allow your imagination to carry you in to the story you can have a wonderful read in this and many other tales. I will add this one to read again at some point.
37 reviews
April 5, 2021
A heart warming read!

Such a moving and beautifully written novel! One you have to keep reading to the very end almost in one go! Josephine Cox is one of my favourite author's and looking forward to my next although I have read so many I hope I can find one I haven't read!
Profile Image for Kiera.
33 reviews
March 23, 2024
GIRL the twists and turns. i was reading this book out to my friends and having them react to what was said. i know that this isn't the most well written but it gets the job done with giving you a little drama.
3 reviews
February 12, 2025
The devil you know

Good catchy story but unbelievable in parts. 69 year old women presented more like 80+ woman with even no teeth! Heroine couldn’t be traced even though visited by people from old address. Poor riveted detective.
Profile Image for Jenni.
174 reviews1 follower
June 4, 2017
Enjoyed reading this on holiday, got fond of the character Ellie who had a warm heart, predictable ending happy ever after sort but getting there for the main character Sonny was a long haul.
Profile Image for Rowlie.
327 reviews2 followers
Read
July 10, 2018
Another great Jo Cox read.
42 reviews1 follower
September 11, 2018
Good read

Another of my favourite authors I know I'm in for an enjoyable read when I pick one of Josephine Cox s books.
2 reviews
May 27, 2020
the devil you know

lovely read right to the very end loved all the characters I enjoy reading to the very end of the book I can’t fault anyone of her books
71 reviews1 follower
March 8, 2021
Lovely

A lovely book, my heart was in my mouth several times, enjoyable story. Must read more Josephine Cox books, thanks
40 reviews1 follower
October 10, 2021
Tony Bridgeman

What an evil selfish man he was. !
A brilliant page turner lots of twists and turns. Loved reading it. Another good book by Josephine Cox
1 review
October 15, 2021
Kind


Don't with to write advice about the book as I have read a lot of her books orient enjoy this book
3 reviews
April 3, 2022
Very good read

Josephine Cox. Kept me totally engrossed from start to finish,one of the best authors going ,didn't want the book to end
Profile Image for maggie.
53 reviews
January 12, 2025
All I can say,I struggled to the end,skipping pages.didn't enjoy at all
776 reviews2 followers
July 14, 2015
Page-turner, thoroughly enjoyed this book. Plenty of twists and turns.
3 reviews
September 2, 2016
Happy and sad in equal parts.

Well written Mrs Cox has seen some life and lived it t the full,here own life perhaps reflected in her writing, would recommended it .
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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