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We Know What You Did: The most unforgettable debut crime novel you’ll read in 2026
Everyone saw the murder happen.
Now they want to know why.
Nineteen-year-old Odette and eighty-year-old Amos were already famous. Their unlikely, heartwarming friendship captured the hearts of thousands of fans online.
But when Amos is brutally murdered during a livestream and Odette is filmed covered in his blood, there's no question who's to blame.
The video of the murder quickly goes viral, and the world is hungry for answers. How did a sweet, lonely girl turn on her only friend? And why won't she say a word in her defence?
As the media storm worsens, Odette is frightened, alone and refusing to speak. But time is fast running out and if she stays silent, the truth may never be revealed . . .
We Know What You Did is an incredibly compelling and tense debut with an unforgettable voice and a protagonist that leaps off the page.
Now they want to know why.
Nineteen-year-old Odette and eighty-year-old Amos were already famous. Their unlikely, heartwarming friendship captured the hearts of thousands of fans online.
But when Amos is brutally murdered during a livestream and Odette is filmed covered in his blood, there's no question who's to blame.
The video of the murder quickly goes viral, and the world is hungry for answers. How did a sweet, lonely girl turn on her only friend? And why won't she say a word in her defence?
As the media storm worsens, Odette is frightened, alone and refusing to speak. But time is fast running out and if she stays silent, the truth may never be revealed . . .
We Know What You Did is an incredibly compelling and tense debut with an unforgettable voice and a protagonist that leaps off the page.
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 4, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
June 21, 2026
Decent debut for this author.
The book starts with a bang, 19 year old Odette is dragged into the police station covered in blood. A murder has been live-streamed. The murder of her elderly friend Amos.
While Odette maintains her silence we learn more about the characters, how they met and how they got to this point.
It’s good, familiar themes to other stories but that’s ok. The ending felt very rushed and forced & kind of unrealistic.
Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy
The book starts with a bang, 19 year old Odette is dragged into the police station covered in blood. A murder has been live-streamed. The murder of her elderly friend Amos.
While Odette maintains her silence we learn more about the characters, how they met and how they got to this point.
It’s good, familiar themes to other stories but that’s ok. The ending felt very rushed and forced & kind of unrealistic.
Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Setting: Glasgow, Scotland
For a debut thriller, this was honestly incredible. Dark, intelligent, emotional, and unforgettable, We Know What You Did is the kind of book that stays in your head long after you finish it. Kirsty Lockwood is absolutely an author to watch.
It absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. I went into this expecting a fast-paced thriller, but what I got was something so much deeper: an emotional, unsettling, and incredibly powerful story about loneliness, social judgment, privilege, and the way the internet can both create and destroy people. What begins as a witty, heartwarming tale about an unlikely, sweet bond between two lonely souls quickly strips away its cozy exterior. The humor vanishes from the narrative, replacing small-town comfort with a stark, creeping tension and a brilliant structure that splits the timeline into a haunting "Then" and "Now."
With thanks to Kirsty Lockwood, Orion Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel.
📱 The Setup: A Murder Streamed to Millions
The premise hits you like a physical blow. A beautiful, cross-generational friendship between a vulnerable teenager and a sweet pensioner takes the internet by storm, capturing Scotland’s heart and turning them into viral TikTok sensations. But the digital fairytale ends in an absolute nightmare. During a live stream witnessed by millions of horrified viewers, the elderly man is brutally murdered.
When the police arrive, nineteen-year-old Odette is found at the scene, covered in blood, stone-faced, and completely silent. With the graphic live-stream footage acting as absolute proof, there is no question that she committed the crime. The real mystery driving this gripping psychological thriller isn't who did it, it’s why. ### 👥 The Characters: Broken Lives and Viral Stardom. The emotional depth of the story rests entirely on its beautifully drawn, highly memorable protagonists:
Odette Adin: A lonely nineteen-year-old girl with no family, no steady employment, and no permanent place to call home. Despite her threadbare existence and the grief of burying her mother in a budget wicker coffin, Odette carries an unblinking, resilient hope that life will eventually get better.
Amos: An eighty-year-old Glaswegian who crosses paths with Odette when she is at her lowest point. Kindly, warm, and protective, he offers her genuine companionship, ultimately becoming the internet's beloved "granddad" before his tragic end.
Cat: A witness at the booking sergeant's desk who observes a distraught, blood-soaked Odette being hauled into the police station in the immediate, chilling aftermath of the crime.
⚖️ Privilege, Perspective, and Modern Context
As the dual timelines slowly collide in a powerful, emotionally charged finale, the book transitions from a fast-paced procedural into a brilliant, gut-wrenching study of human compassion. The story interrogates the heavy, systemic issues of modern society, specifically how we rush to judge a situation based on a single filtered screen, and how social media has become a terrifying "necessary evil."
The narrative is incredibly sharp in its portrayal of systemic bias. It exposes how easily grace and empathy are extended to those with societal privilege, the right skin color, or a higher social status, while marginalized, vulnerable voices are completely drowned out and stripped of their context. The social media aspect was also incredibly well done. And the writing? Addictive. The short chapters and dual timeline kept me reading. The novel asks such important questions about perception, viral fame, and how quickly people create narratives online without knowing the full truth. Watching strangers turn real trauma into entertainment felt disturbingly realistic.
And then there’s the ending.
I genuinely wasn’t prepared for how emotionally complicated and unsettling those final chapters would become. The reveal surrounding Amos changed the emotional weight of the story for me. The final pages blur the line between guilt, justice, survival, and trauma in such a messy, human way that I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards. Odette’s internal conflict in the epilogue, trying to reconcile what happened, what she feels, and what kind of person Amos truly was, was heartbreaking and disturbingly powerful. It leaves you sitting with impossible questions rather than neat answers, and honestly, I think that’s what made this story hit so hard emotionally.
My perspective:
Crafted with short, punchy chapters and relentless suspense, We Know What You Did is an unforgettable debut. It forces you to look past the algorithms and ask if we ever truly know the real person behind the online filter. The ending is an absolute emotional powerhouse that left me in tears. It is unpredictable, beautifully written, and a thriller I will be raving about for a very long time!
For a debut thriller, this was honestly incredible. Dark, intelligent, emotional, and unforgettable, We Know What You Did is the kind of book that stays in your head long after you finish it. Kirsty Lockwood is absolutely an author to watch.
It absolutely wrecked me in the best possible way. I went into this expecting a fast-paced thriller, but what I got was something so much deeper: an emotional, unsettling, and incredibly powerful story about loneliness, social judgment, privilege, and the way the internet can both create and destroy people. What begins as a witty, heartwarming tale about an unlikely, sweet bond between two lonely souls quickly strips away its cozy exterior. The humor vanishes from the narrative, replacing small-town comfort with a stark, creeping tension and a brilliant structure that splits the timeline into a haunting "Then" and "Now."
With thanks to Kirsty Lockwood, Orion Publishing Group, and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel.
📱 The Setup: A Murder Streamed to Millions
The premise hits you like a physical blow. A beautiful, cross-generational friendship between a vulnerable teenager and a sweet pensioner takes the internet by storm, capturing Scotland’s heart and turning them into viral TikTok sensations. But the digital fairytale ends in an absolute nightmare. During a live stream witnessed by millions of horrified viewers, the elderly man is brutally murdered.
When the police arrive, nineteen-year-old Odette is found at the scene, covered in blood, stone-faced, and completely silent. With the graphic live-stream footage acting as absolute proof, there is no question that she committed the crime. The real mystery driving this gripping psychological thriller isn't who did it, it’s why. ### 👥 The Characters: Broken Lives and Viral Stardom. The emotional depth of the story rests entirely on its beautifully drawn, highly memorable protagonists:
Odette Adin: A lonely nineteen-year-old girl with no family, no steady employment, and no permanent place to call home. Despite her threadbare existence and the grief of burying her mother in a budget wicker coffin, Odette carries an unblinking, resilient hope that life will eventually get better.
Amos: An eighty-year-old Glaswegian who crosses paths with Odette when she is at her lowest point. Kindly, warm, and protective, he offers her genuine companionship, ultimately becoming the internet's beloved "granddad" before his tragic end.
Cat: A witness at the booking sergeant's desk who observes a distraught, blood-soaked Odette being hauled into the police station in the immediate, chilling aftermath of the crime.
⚖️ Privilege, Perspective, and Modern Context
As the dual timelines slowly collide in a powerful, emotionally charged finale, the book transitions from a fast-paced procedural into a brilliant, gut-wrenching study of human compassion. The story interrogates the heavy, systemic issues of modern society, specifically how we rush to judge a situation based on a single filtered screen, and how social media has become a terrifying "necessary evil."
The narrative is incredibly sharp in its portrayal of systemic bias. It exposes how easily grace and empathy are extended to those with societal privilege, the right skin color, or a higher social status, while marginalized, vulnerable voices are completely drowned out and stripped of their context. The social media aspect was also incredibly well done. And the writing? Addictive. The short chapters and dual timeline kept me reading. The novel asks such important questions about perception, viral fame, and how quickly people create narratives online without knowing the full truth. Watching strangers turn real trauma into entertainment felt disturbingly realistic.
And then there’s the ending.
I genuinely wasn’t prepared for how emotionally complicated and unsettling those final chapters would become. The reveal surrounding Amos changed the emotional weight of the story for me. The final pages blur the line between guilt, justice, survival, and trauma in such a messy, human way that I couldn’t stop thinking about it afterwards. Odette’s internal conflict in the epilogue, trying to reconcile what happened, what she feels, and what kind of person Amos truly was, was heartbreaking and disturbingly powerful. It leaves you sitting with impossible questions rather than neat answers, and honestly, I think that’s what made this story hit so hard emotionally.
My perspective:
Crafted with short, punchy chapters and relentless suspense, We Know What You Did is an unforgettable debut. It forces you to look past the algorithms and ask if we ever truly know the real person behind the online filter. The ending is an absolute emotional powerhouse that left me in tears. It is unpredictable, beautifully written, and a thriller I will be raving about for a very long time!
June 6, 2026
Everyone saw the murder happen. Now they want to know why.
Nineteen-year-old Odette and eighty-year-old Amos were already famous thanks to their tiktok videos. Their fast, unlikely, heartwarming friendship captured the heart of thousands of fans online.
Odette had felt alone in the world. Her only known relative has died and she has no friends to rely on. She is desperate to feel like she fits in somewhere. Following an appointment at the job centre, she visits Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, where she unexpectedly meets Amos. He seems wise, funny and she loved listening to his stories. He can see she is vulnerable and soon takes her under his wing. She sees him as a kind companion, a guide and almost a grandfather figure and a soon, they begin spending all their time together and create a social media presence.
But when Amos is brutally murdered in his home during a livestream and Odette is filmed covered in his blood, there is no question who is to blame. The video of the murder quickly goes viral and the world - as well as the police - are desperate for answers. She is frightened, alone and refusing to speak. How did a sweet, lonely girl turn on her only friend? And why won’t she say a word in her defence? What really was going on in the house and within the friendship?
Great character development of the main as well as supporting characters throughout. My favourite character was Cat, the police station’ domestic! What a woman 👏 the location of Glasgow was also really well portrayed. Some really strong and important themes are considered within this book including social media pressures, results of trauma and systemic bias.
An amazing debut novel from KL! Her switch in mood told through writing is amazing - from humorous to haunting. This is a fast paced, compelling, dark book with lots of psychological elements and misdirection that will have you questioning right until the very end!
Thank you to NetGalley, Orion Publishers and Kirsty Lockwood for the ARC of the book in return for an honest review.
Nineteen-year-old Odette and eighty-year-old Amos were already famous thanks to their tiktok videos. Their fast, unlikely, heartwarming friendship captured the heart of thousands of fans online.
Odette had felt alone in the world. Her only known relative has died and she has no friends to rely on. She is desperate to feel like she fits in somewhere. Following an appointment at the job centre, she visits Kelvingrove Museum in Glasgow, where she unexpectedly meets Amos. He seems wise, funny and she loved listening to his stories. He can see she is vulnerable and soon takes her under his wing. She sees him as a kind companion, a guide and almost a grandfather figure and a soon, they begin spending all their time together and create a social media presence.
But when Amos is brutally murdered in his home during a livestream and Odette is filmed covered in his blood, there is no question who is to blame. The video of the murder quickly goes viral and the world - as well as the police - are desperate for answers. She is frightened, alone and refusing to speak. How did a sweet, lonely girl turn on her only friend? And why won’t she say a word in her defence? What really was going on in the house and within the friendship?
Great character development of the main as well as supporting characters throughout. My favourite character was Cat, the police station’ domestic! What a woman 👏 the location of Glasgow was also really well portrayed. Some really strong and important themes are considered within this book including social media pressures, results of trauma and systemic bias.
An amazing debut novel from KL! Her switch in mood told through writing is amazing - from humorous to haunting. This is a fast paced, compelling, dark book with lots of psychological elements and misdirection that will have you questioning right until the very end!
Thank you to NetGalley, Orion Publishers and Kirsty Lockwood for the ARC of the book in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Nineteen year old Odette develops an unlikely friendship with eighty year old Amos. Posting online about their friendship, they build up a following. But when Amos is brutally murdered during a livestream and Odette is covered in his blood, there is no doubt at who is to blame. As the murder goes viral, the world goes crazy for answers at how a sweet girl could so quickly turn.
This sounded like it would be a compelling read and I was drawn to the cover. After finishing I am reminded why I enjoy taking a chance on debuts so much. This ended up a highly accomplished read and was different to what I expected it to be, in that it ended up much darker, unsettling and emotionally charged than the beginning led me to believe. The story felt original and I loved the exploration of the friendship between the characters. This friendship and the characterisation was developed so well, that it was fascinating to read and kept me turning the pages. It really made me question my own judgement, as my mind kept changing as the story developed.
I enjoyed Odette as a main character, finding her fascination with facts and learning interesting to read and I really enjoyed discovering her unique personality. I also enjoyed the way the chapters were told in a now and then format, as well as the police elements. The story explored some sensitive subjects, however did so well, raising thought provoking questions. Overall this was a fantastic debut that I would recommend and I will continue to seek books by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
This sounded like it would be a compelling read and I was drawn to the cover. After finishing I am reminded why I enjoy taking a chance on debuts so much. This ended up a highly accomplished read and was different to what I expected it to be, in that it ended up much darker, unsettling and emotionally charged than the beginning led me to believe. The story felt original and I loved the exploration of the friendship between the characters. This friendship and the characterisation was developed so well, that it was fascinating to read and kept me turning the pages. It really made me question my own judgement, as my mind kept changing as the story developed.
I enjoyed Odette as a main character, finding her fascination with facts and learning interesting to read and I really enjoyed discovering her unique personality. I also enjoyed the way the chapters were told in a now and then format, as well as the police elements. The story explored some sensitive subjects, however did so well, raising thought provoking questions. Overall this was a fantastic debut that I would recommend and I will continue to seek books by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Let me introduce you to what I predict will be my favourite debut thriller of 2026!
19-year-old Odette strikes up an unlikely but endearing friendship with 80-year-old Amos, and soon they’ve captured Scotland’s heart through their TikTok videos.
But when Amos is brutally murdered during a live stream, and Odette is covered in blood, steely eyed and refusing to speak, there’s no doubt that she has killed him.
The question is Why?
This was such a stunning and unforgettable thriller from a debut author to watch!
What starts off as a witty and heart-warming story of an unlikely but sweet friendship, quickly changes into something far from cosy. The humour vanishes from the narration. And then things get dark and more and more unsettling.
The story of Odette and Amos is splintered with the present day police investigation. We know Amos has been murdered. We know Odette has killed him. But we have no idea why and what has brought this lovely friendship to this brutal conclusion.
I can’t say too much without spoiling the story but it was incredibly emotional. There were a lot of serious topics to interrogate here from how we make judgements on people and situations to vulnerabilities and social status. Everything hit hard.
The short chapters and incredible suspense meant I devoured this in 24 hours and I will be raving about this for a long time!
19-year-old Odette strikes up an unlikely but endearing friendship with 80-year-old Amos, and soon they’ve captured Scotland’s heart through their TikTok videos.
But when Amos is brutally murdered during a live stream, and Odette is covered in blood, steely eyed and refusing to speak, there’s no doubt that she has killed him.
The question is Why?
This was such a stunning and unforgettable thriller from a debut author to watch!
What starts off as a witty and heart-warming story of an unlikely but sweet friendship, quickly changes into something far from cosy. The humour vanishes from the narration. And then things get dark and more and more unsettling.
The story of Odette and Amos is splintered with the present day police investigation. We know Amos has been murdered. We know Odette has killed him. But we have no idea why and what has brought this lovely friendship to this brutal conclusion.
I can’t say too much without spoiling the story but it was incredibly emotional. There were a lot of serious topics to interrogate here from how we make judgements on people and situations to vulnerabilities and social status. Everything hit hard.
The short chapters and incredible suspense meant I devoured this in 24 hours and I will be raving about this for a long time!
June 9, 2026
A gripping novel that plays on the fact that what we see online is rarely the full story…
I couldn’t put down this highly addictive read, which centres on the unlikely relationship between 19-year-old Odette and 80-year-old Amos. Lockwood’s writing is confident thank you. How to do a cool what you doing dude and bold, throwing readers straight into the gruesome scene of Amos’ murder, with little doubt cast on Odette’s involvement.
What makes this such a clever read is the way Lockwood then unspools the evolution of Odette’s and Amos’ relationship, shifting between past and present as tension builds and the police close in. The result is a clever, emotional, and sinister story, full of twists, and called with a highly satisfying ending.
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.
I couldn’t put down this highly addictive read, which centres on the unlikely relationship between 19-year-old Odette and 80-year-old Amos. Lockwood’s writing is confident thank you. How to do a cool what you doing dude and bold, throwing readers straight into the gruesome scene of Amos’ murder, with little doubt cast on Odette’s involvement.
What makes this such a clever read is the way Lockwood then unspools the evolution of Odette’s and Amos’ relationship, shifting between past and present as tension builds and the police close in. The result is a clever, emotional, and sinister story, full of twists, and called with a highly satisfying ending.
Thank you to the publisher for an advance copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.
June 4, 2026
This book is a very good debut novel which has a little bit of everything in it. The story opens with what appears to be the 'live' murder of an old man by his teenage friend with hundreds on line watching. But is all as it seems and why does Odette keep silent when being interviewed by the police?
Throughout the story you will keep changing your mind as to what has happened and who really is the bad one in the book, and just when you finally think that you have it all figured out, the author throws in another couple of curve balls to mix it up even more. A very good start from this new novelist who is already short listed for the Bloody Scotland debut prize. Overall 4,5*
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.
Throughout the story you will keep changing your mind as to what has happened and who really is the bad one in the book, and just when you finally think that you have it all figured out, the author throws in another couple of curve balls to mix it up even more. A very good start from this new novelist who is already short listed for the Bloody Scotland debut prize. Overall 4,5*
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC to review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was an emotionally charged psychological thriller. I was drawn in with the unlikely friendship, and was sad knowing something must be amiss. Odette and Amos were pretty deep characters, although the rest felt a little underdeveloped. I enjoyed the then and now perspectives, however I felt that the chapter endings of the ‘now’ were often very abrupt and unfinished, I know there’s suspense to be built with cliffhangers but it made the story disjointed for me. The twists weren’t surprising, although some had impact in the context. This is a slower paced story, which works for its atmosphere and mood.
A great debut for the author.
A great debut for the author.
June 19, 2026
5 stars-I cannot believe this was a debut novel, it was that good! It can sometimes be difficult to find thrillers where we know what happened to start but the why is slowly revealed though out. In this case a 19 year old woman kills her 89 year old friend and tenant on livestream. The chapters alternate between then and now. It is not until chapter that the story tells us what happened (not a verbal confession) which I really appreciated. Thank you to the What Michaela Reads YouTube channel for bringing my attention to this book (I am in the US so I bought it at Blackwells.com.) I cannot wait for what is next from Kirsty Lockwood!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An unlikely friendship. The online murder of an elderly man. An alleged perpetuator without an apparent motive. A teenager who refuses to break her silence.
These are the confusing components of an absorbing thriller with a truly original storyline. This story holds the reader's attention from the start comma and earns 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
These are the confusing components of an absorbing thriller with a truly original storyline. This story holds the reader's attention from the start comma and earns 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, and wow what a book it was. It drew me in from the first page and kept me gripped until the last page. The characters were well drawn and the story was so believable, I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.
June 4, 2026
I flew through this book, I really couldn’t put it down. I’ve even found the characters have stayed with me in the days since finishing the book.
June 11, 2026
This was the absolute perfect palette cleanser!! I’ve been in such a big slump and this cured it. It was such a fast paced book and I really could not tell which direction it was going
June 14, 2026
4.5 rounded up
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews