You Know Why

by J.T. Ellison

From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a suspenseful domestic thriller about identity, revenge, and the dangerous secrets kept hidden from the ones we love most.

It’s the holidays, and photographer Brooklyn Locke is bound for Italy with her husband, Trey, and their two children. But when Trey vanishes from the airport, missing their connecting flight, their impromptu vacation—and life as she knows it—begins to unravel.

Desperate to find her husband, Brooklyn accepts help from a stranger on the same flight, Eden Barrow. But Eden soon makes a shocking claim. She is the sister of Trey’s first wife, and ten years ago he was the main suspect in her murder.

Struggling to comprehend these accusations, fate delivers one more a violent accident that leaves Brooklyn fighting for her life. With nowhere else to turn, Brooklyn leans on Eden for support. But each kindness feels too rehearsed, feeding her doubts about Eden’s motives and Trey’s true past.

Brooklyn has her own dark history she’d rather forget and confronts an unsettling possibility. Her life is not what it seems, and the truth is a trap—laid by someone waiting for the perfect time to strike.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Thriller Suspense

479 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 25, 2026

About the author

J.T. Ellison is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 novels, and the EMMY® award winning co-host of the literary TV show A WORD ON WORDS. She also writes fantasy under the pen name Joss Walker.

With millions of books in print, her work has won critical acclaim and prestigious awards They have also been optioned for television, and published in 28 countries.

J.T. lives in Nashville with her husband and twin kittens, one of whom is a ghost, where she is hard at work on her next novel.

Reviews

[Kayla Carlin]

NetGalley Review
4/5 ⭐️

Picture this, it’s the holiday season and your husband comes home one day to tell you that he has to be at a conference in Italy in 24 hours and the whole family is coming with. Fast forward it’s the day of and what’s a travel day without a few bumps in the road. Trey our MMC is really uptight which Brooklyn FMC doesn’t find weird at first because he doesn’t enjoy flying so his grumpiness is to be expected. That is until things take a turn. On their first flight a woman recognizes Trey but calls him Andrew and says that they went to high school together. Trey pretends he doesn’t know this woman but starts acting very weird after this encounter. Fast forward it’s time to board their connecting flight and Trey is nowhere to be found. Brooklyn is worried some thing has happened to him, that is until she sees video footage of Trey getting into a rideshare leaving her and the kids behind.
Within the first 5-6 chapters my jaw was on the FLOOR! So much happens which is my kind of book, something that grabs my attention right away and is fast paced.
I loved the multiple POVs and constantly guessing what was going to happen! Defintiely kept me on my toes with each page.

[Audrianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

This story follows Brooklyn, a retired traveler turned photographer and mother, whose husband Trey surprises the family with a last-minute trip to Italy. However, things quickly take a strange turn when Trey is recognized by a random woman while getting off their first flight. Shaken by the encounter, he excuses himself to the restroom and then disappears completely. Suddenly, Brooklyn is left stranded in the Atlanta airport with her two children, trying to figure out why her husband vanished without a trace. The story is told through multiple perspectives, including Brooklyn, Trey, Eden, and Detective Lee, which added depth and kept the mystery moving.

This book is packed with action right from the start and rarely slows down. The pacing kept me engaged, and there was always something happening to keep the suspense building. While some plot developments became a bit far-fetched for my personal taste as the story progressed, I still felt that everything came together nicely in the end. Overall, this was a solid thriller with plenty of twists, fast pacing, and an intriguing mystery at its core.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

In what should be a surprise to no one JT Ellison wrote another incredible thriller! This book gripped me from the first page and had me questioning everything. Short chapters, an alternating timeline and POV makes this move quickly. This is the type of book that you become obsessed with trying to figure out what is going on.

Brooklyn’s husband (who hates to fly) booked a surprise trip to Italy. On the plane a woman recognizes Trey but calls him a different name. While waiting for their connection he goes to the restroom and never comes back. Stranded with 2 kids Brook has no choice but to accept help from the woman on the plane.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. This was a fun ride!

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

JT Ellison delivered for me again. There was no way to trust any of these characters and I loved that. I loved the bonus secret at the end. No spoilers, I promise. It made Brooklyn and Margot’s sisterhood even tighter, which was nice to see.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!

[Randi A · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m a fan of Ellison, but this one was just too fantastical for me. Too many weird connections and the story kept going different places, which I guess kept it surprising, but also just felt scattered. The fact both spouses had previous marriages the other didn’t know about and they end up connected somehow? Just a bit too convenient for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Collyn Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

read if you like:
📚 lots of subplots
🤷‍♀️ missing people
🙄 messy backstories

summary:
I love a good thriller set in an airport, and this one is no exception! It follows Brooklyn Locke, whose husband, Trey, plans a spontaneous and last minute trip for them to Italy for the holidays. When their travel plans change and they end up on a layover in Atlanta, Trey disappears, leaving Brooklyn and their two kids stranded and confused. A stranger offers to help, and it quickly becomes clear that she knows Trey from a past life. When an accident leaves Brooklyn fighting for her life, suddenly it turns into a tense unraveling of marriage, relationships and the secrets people keep buried.

This book is tense from the first chapter and keeps going until the very end. There are a lot of characters, but most of them are unreliable, so it forces you to question everyone. With every reveal, the story changes, and you ask yourself again — what are people hiding? The book itself hits on some of my favorite thriller elements — a missing husband, a messy past, an unreliable stranger with her own secrets, and a main character who has her whole life in question. It’s unsettling, wild and builds up the emotional tension on every page.

It’s a perfect blend of a marriage thriller, a missing person mystery and a story where a dark past comes haunting to change the future. If you like a dark mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is a perfect book. Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the advanced copy, and check this out when it releases on August 25!

[Sarah Baenen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Take every cliche of a trashy thriller, and this book has it: twins, amnesia, mental illness, and a woman who sticks by her husband when common sense says she shouldn’t. Perhaps these tropes work if used in clever or unexpected ways. For me, though, this book fell completely flat.

The plot was convoluted, with improbable choices made by characters at almost every turn. Some revelations come out of the blue while others aren’t even fully explained. In the last few chapters, one character asks another about getting a weapon through a checkpoint, and he responds only by asking her why she cares so much about that. We never even get an answer.

It didn’t help that the book jumped between characters and that each character’s voice was indistinguishable from each other. The only feature that set apart the main character was that she called everyone in her family “baby” every time she spoke. The writing felt amateurish and cliched.

If I didn’t know better, I’d suspect that the publisher fed a library of thrillers to AI, and this is the result.

ARC from Net Galley

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I enjoy JT Ellison’s thrillers, so I was excited to find this one. There is a LOT going on here, to the point that I’m not quite sure how to write a coherent review! The basic premise is that Brooklyn and Trey have a picture perfect life, although they’re both hiding dark pasts they haven’t been totally up front about. But they’ve been together for 10 years, and it’s sort of understood that this marriage represented a reset for both of them. Brook is a food photographer and Trey works for a venture capitalist firm run by Brook’s aunt and uncle. So lucky, so money, so happy, etc. Then one day he tells Brook that he has to go to Italy for some conference, so he’s taking the whole family on a monthlong vacation. Brook is first shocked because it’s such short notice (they literally leave the next day), but also because Trey HATES to fly. Like, pathologically afraid to get on a plane. This is the first thing that sets off alarm bells. When they get to the airport, they’re rerouted at the last second - instead of flying from Nashville to London to Milan, they’re flying from Nashville to Atlanta, and then direct to Milan from there. But they’ve been upgraded to first class yay!

First of all, it seems wild to me that it’s even an option to fly from Nashville to Atlanta, since it’s like a 30 minute flight (I was putting it down to a regional airport thing, but they were originally supposed to fly to London from Nashville, so shrug).

Anyway, Trey freaks out about the rerouting, to a degree that shocks Brooklyn, even taking his fear of flying into account. And as they’re getting off the plane, a woman comes up to Trey, claiming to know him, calling him Andrew (his real name - he’s Andrew Locke III). It shakes him to the point that he’s even MORE freaked out. He insists Brook and the kids get on the flight to Milan, goes to the bathroom and just…doesn’t come back. Brook freaks out and basically grounds the flight (it’s like a less funny version of “This plane doesn’t even have a phalange!”). As she’s talking to TSA and the airline, who should helpfully appear out of nowhere but Eden? The woman from the flight who claimed to know Trey. She sets off all of Brook’s internal alarm bells, but she’s in dire straits - all of her accounts have been overdrawn or locked, she’s four hours from home, and even though her sister booked them a hotel, the hotel needs a card on file and can’t use Mallory’s over the phone. So against her better judgement, Brook and the kids end up staying with Eden. And when Eden shares her connection with Brook - Trey was married to Eden’s sister, and was also the sole suspect in her murder ten years earlier, Brook tries to run and is immediately hit by a car. It’s clear this whole thing goes deeper than just a guy wanting to bail on his family, but it’s impossible to know who to trust or who is telling the truth - including Brooklyn herself.

I can’t say much more without risk of spoilers, but again - a LOT going on here. We have perspectives from a whole host of characters - Brooklyn, Eden, Theresa the detective, Trey himself, even his first wife Chloe in flashback. It manages to give the full perspective of what’s going on, but ultimately I think there may have been one too many balls to juggle. No spoilers, but there’s a whole thing with Brooklyn’s own tragic past that I don’t think was strictly necessary? It was just one more contortion and it felt rushed - there’s probably a novel’s worth of plot in that particular development, and it’s given short shrift here. But it’s a fun, wild ride that I had a hard time putting down.

[LindaPf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recently I’ve been reading JT Ellison’s re-released Taylor Jackson series, cementing why I love her writing style. It’s action packed and thrilling; the people trying to solve mysteries are generally good guys (and stay that way); and the stories are complicated, layered, and twisty, but not totally unbelievable or confusing.

“You Know Why” is adjacent to the Detective Taylor Jackson universe, although no Taylor is in this book, John Baldwin appears near the very end.

“You Know Why” also has a lot of similarities to “The Last Thing He Told Me” although the good person primarily looking for the missing husband is not initially the wife, but the sister of his previous murdered wife (that he failed to mention that to the current one) since the living wife was also almost murdered and injured severely enough to have missing memories. Plus his wife’s twin is there as well.

The existing wife, Brooklyn, is a food blogger for a gluten-free magazine now, but once was a globe trotting photographer. She is surprised by Trey, her husband of ten years (who supposedly has aerophobia, a fear of flying), with plane tickets for them and their two kids to immediately go to Italy from Nashville for Christmas. But their flights are rerouted and they journey to Atlanta as the stopover, not London, and Trey freaks out. As the family departs the plane, a woman recognizes Trey and calls him by the first name he doesn’t use (Andrew). That woman is Eden, his sister-in-law, the sister of Chloe who was murdered eleven years ago. Trey/Andrew had an airtight alibi (he was flying — ha!) and he disappeared after the police failed to indict him. He disappears again, stranding Brooklyn and the kids at the airport. Eden still declares that he’s guilty but she swiftly ingratiates herself into his new family.

Two other women get quickly involved: Margot, Brooklyn’s twin sister, who arrives after her sister is hit by a fleeing SUV, and Theresa Lee, the Georgia detective who investigated Chloe’s murder 10 years ago, hometown friends with Eden.

As Brooklyn slowly heals and learns of Trey’s past, she is still certain that he could never murder anyone, let alone try to kill her as well. The story is well-paced, I couldn’t guess the ending, and although I liked Detective Lee and FBI agent Drake as law enforcement officers, they weren’t a replacement for Taylor and Baldwin. There might be an opening for them to appear in the future. I was totally engaged until the last page, when yet another twist is revealed. 4.5 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES If John Baldwin is in the novel, then of course there are green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO The hydrangeas described are white, so I’m not going to point out that blue or pink hydrangeas can never grow next to each other.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy!

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

When your familiar universe drop kicks you into a bottomless Black Hole.

Endless slippery slopes and the void of expansive wastelands describe You Know Why to the max. J.T. Ellison was destined to write one freaky novel in which those who inhabit these pages cannot sufficiently get a grip on life. You'll know exactly what I mean when you crack this one open.

Brooklyn Locke was a free agent most of her adult life. She was an ace photographer traveling the world snapping pics of high-end food delicacies created by renowned chefs. Every food network knew her name. But then, she met Trey in Mexico and fell into the boundaries of marriage and family. It seemed to suit her.

Trey arrives home one night and lays out a family vacation that is beyond words. He'll be attending a convention in Milan and wants Brooklyn and their two children to travel with him. The surprise gets even bigger. Their flight leaves in the morning. No notice. No extra preparation. Nothing but a smack of tension and stress. But the traveler inside Brooklyn makes it happen on short notice.

At the airport, they've been bumped from their regular flight to London and then Milan. They're now booked for a flight that takes them to Atlanta and then Milan. They board. A woman by the name of Eden Borrow recognizes Trey and says that they went to high school together. Trey denies this. Shortly after, Trey is especially nervous and snappy. He tells Brooklyn that he forgot something and gets off the plane. Brooklyn and the kids wait. No Trey. Brooklyn fights the attendants and gets off the plane to look for Trey.

Not so fast Brooklyn. Security wants to question you about the hoopla you just caused. That's when they show her the video of Trey leaving the airport and getting inside a black SUV. We readers lean into Brooklyn and we're full of questions, too. And this is just the beginning, folks, of a wild ride beyond words.

You Know Why is like being pushed off a cliff into oblivion. No one in this novel is sure-footed including us readers. What exactly is going on with Trey? Why would he leave his family high and dry at the airport? And that's not the only thing that Trey has done to his loving family. Watch this one unfold like dying petals off the rose. Nothing is as it seems. Around every corner is a bigger shock than the one before. Ellison sees to that. She's in full charge of the tremors in this one. Tremors that just keep coming. Exactly how we like 'em.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Thomas & Mercer and to the talented J.T. Ellison for the opportunity.

[Georgia Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a masterclass in the "unraveling life" trope. It took me a few chapters to really find my footing with the setup, but once the momentum kicked in, I was absolutely hooked. I’m landing on a full 5 stars because of how relentlessly the tension builds.
Why It Works
• The Multi-POV Mastery: I love a story told from different character perspectives, and Ellison uses them perfectly here. It’s not just a gimmick; it’s a way to drip-feed you information while making you doubt every single narrator. Just when you think you’ve pinned down who is lying, the perspective shifts and throws the whole board over.
• The "Stranger Danger" Hook: The dynamic between Brooklyn and Eden is incredibly uncomfortable. Leaning on a stranger who just dropped a bombshell about your husband’s past is a recipe for anxiety, and the writing makes you feel that suffocating uncertainty. Every "kindness" from Eden feels like a hidden blade.
• Identity and Baggage: I really liked that Brooklyn wasn't just a passive victim. She has her own dark history, which adds a layer of "game recognize game" to the suspense. It’s a domestic thriller where nobody is truly innocent.
My Only Gripe
• The Slow Burn Start: If you’re looking for a breakneck opening page, this isn't quite it. It takes a minute to establish the family dynamics and the airport chaos before the real teeth of the story come out. But stick with it—once the flight lands and the accident happens, the pacing becomes a total sprint.
Final Verdict
If you enjoy stories about the "perfect" marriage being a complete facade, You Know Why is a must-read. It’s twisty, atmospheric, and does a great job of making you second-guess your own theories right up until the end. Clear your schedule before you start the second half.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Know Why is one of those thrillers that begins with a single wrong turn—a missed flight, a moment of confusion—and then quietly, relentlessly unravels everything a character thought she knew. J.T. Ellison leans into that creeping sense of disorientation beautifully, crafting a story that feels both intimate and razor‑sharp, the kind of domestic suspense that tightens its grip page by page.

Brooklyn Locke is a compelling centre to the chaos: a woman who should be on the cusp of a dream holiday with her family, only to watch her life tilt sideways when her husband vanishes without explanation. From there, the novel becomes a tangle of shifting loyalties and half‑truths, with Eden Barrow stepping into the narrative like a shadow—helpful, sympathetic, and just a little too polished to trust. Ellison plays with that uncertainty so well, letting Brooklyn’s doubts seep into the reader until every kindness feels like a warning.

The tension builds with a steady, unsettling rhythm. A shocking accusation, a violent accident, a past that refuses to stay buried—each layer adds to the sense that Brooklyn is walking through a life built on sand. What I loved is how the story balances its twists with a deeper exploration of identity and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. Nothing is simple here, and Ellison never lets the truth arrive without emotional weight.

Atmospheric, twisty, and quietly unnerving, You Know Why is a domestic thriller that keeps its secrets close until the very last moment. It’s the kind of book that leaves you second‑guessing everyone, including the narrator herself, and turning pages long after you meant to stop.

with thanks to JT Ellison, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[K.C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

You Know Why was my second J.T. Ellison read, and it was a truly engaging book that kept me guessing. After Brooklyn’s husband, Trey, uncharacteristically proposes a last-minute family trip to Italy, the wheels on their lives quickly start to fly off the metaphorical rails. It was engaging to piece together what is happening alongside Brook as the story unfolds.

Right off the bat, I was immediately impressed by the quality of the writing. Ellison leads with a very well-crafted, almost cinematic prologue that memorably sets the scene and piques a reader’s interest.

While I am sure there are many more worthy armchair sleuths out there with more honed intuition as they read, my personal experience was enjoying coming up with running theories, only to learn that I was, yet again, missing something. I was repeatedly stumped, but in the best possible way.

The rotating POVs were both well-chosen and well-handled, allowing for a smooth exposition. Ellison grounds the mystery well, so everything makes sense, and, however unexpected some story elements may be, nothing feels like it comes out of thin air. I mostly appreciate Ellison's ability to write this gripping mystery in an intricate and layered manner without leaving it feeling clunky.

I would broadly recommend it to anyone who likes clever intrigue!

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Alyssa Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you OTRPR for my gifted copy!

You Know Why was Spy Kids, but for adults. A little cheesy, a lot fantastical, action packed, and there was even a thumb resembling bad guy.

J.T. Ellison is one of those go to thriller authors for me. She rarely lets me down, and her books are often packed with twists I’d never guess. But I think this one wasn’t for me. And that’s not to say it was bad - maybe I’m just not the right audience. Because there was so much going on. I mean, it’s a 453 page book. She thicc. But a lot of it was just so action movie coded, I had trouble getting behind it. I don’t have the attention span for that, even if it’s designed to KEEP your attention.

Now, I do think there is an audience for this. If you love Bruce Willis, this is for you. Hell, even if you loved Spy Kids, this is for you. This book has all the makings of an action movie, and seems like it’s ready to be cast with a muscular aged man who once traveled the world completing missions while breaking an attractive sweat, and sipping an espresso on a patio in between action scenes. Yes, this book is for you.

Despite that, you know I’ll beg and plead for my chance to read the next book from Ellison, because she really is the thriller chick. Get it? Because that’s her ig.

Anyway.

Give this a try if you are into Antonio Banderas (who isn’t??).

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even start in Ellison's latest stand-alone book that is absolutely brilliant?

Brooklyn is happily married to Trey, living a quiet, domestic life with their two kids and their dog. A few weeks before Christmas, Trey comes to her with a surprise- they are going to Italy to celebrate the holidays TOMORROW. Excited, Brooklyn gets everything ready and they head off the next day.

But once on the plane, Trey disappears. Brooklyn and the kids get off the flight to find that not only is he gone, he deserted them at the airport. To save the day is someone from Trey's past- Eden. Trey's first wife's sister. He had been accused of his wife's death ten years ago, which Brooklyn never knew.

She's finding out a lot of things she never knew about her husband's past. Which had been fine, as she didn't want him finding out about her past.

Suddenly, her family is in trouble and she doesn't know why. Trey has apparently been up to several things right under her nose. How could she have missed this? Is he really capable of all this?

This grips you from the get-go and is told through multiple POVs and the timeline shifts every so often. Utterly fantastic!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Julie Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one wild story. Kuddos to J.T. Ellison for coming up with something so tangled and engaging. It grips right from the start and doesn't let go until the very end. The plot was so multilayered and twisty that at the end you realize there's actually more than one story going on.

I loved the character development and writing style. Multiple POVs and timelines meant multiple writing styles to emphasize the mood of each different character. It's a rare trait for thrillers that adds such amazing eeriness.

This is perfect for those mystery lovers who like the ongoing guessing game. Just when you think you've figured it out - you realize there's something else happening altogether. And the guessing game continues...

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the amazing ARC that entertained me throughout one sleepless night.

----------
Follow for more of my reviews:
Instagram
TikTok

[Britney Ireland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) that I received courtesy of #NetGalley. It was a truly captivating read, and I feel like I've discovered a fantastic new author whose back catalogue I am now eager to explore.

This particular novel marks my first experience with J.T. Ellison's work, and I can confidently say it absolutely did not disappoint. From the moment I started the first chapter, I was immediately drawn into the intricate storyline. Ellison masterfully crafts a compelling narrative that had me completely hooked and invested in the characters and their fates.

The plotting was exceptional. The various twists and turns woven throughout the narrative were genuinely surprising and well-executed, avoiding predictability. Moreover, the story maintained a consistently high level of suspense, creating a palpable tension that made it utterly impossible to put down. This was a true page-turner that kept me guessing until the very end.

This book earns a strong 4 out of 5 stars from me! I highly recommend it to fans of suspense and thrillers.

[A Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strap yourselves in and hold tightly for this mind blowing read. You Know Why by J.T. Ellison is an addictive and twisty drama packed with tension and action. This is a book you aren't sure if you want to binge read all in one sitting or read it slowly and savor each chapter. (Hint: you can't go wrong either way!)

Brooklyn and Trey, along with their children are readying to take a spur of the moment trip to Italy. From the start, nothing goes as planned. They're bumped from their first flight to London, but get rebooked as an upgrade, but have to fly to Atlanta. Upon hearing this news, Trey begins to act out of character. When he disappears from the Atlanta airport, their life unravels at a mind numbing pace.

This book was so dark and twisty. The pace was fast and the writing razor sharp. It was hard to know which characters were trustworthy, adding to the tension. The climax was a jaw dropper that I didn't see coming but left me satisfied.

Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the advanced copy

[Jessica Womble · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Know Why by J.T. Ellison absolutely took me on a wild ride. I was hooked from page one and could not look away as the layers of this story slowly unraveled.

Packed with a missing person case, amnesia, murder, a tainted past, and plenty of twists and turns, this thriller constantly kept me guessing. Just when I thought I had a handle on what was happening, another reveal had me questioning everything all over again. And trust me, figuring out who to trust here is no easy task. (Although I did hate Eden the entire time 😂)

I especially loved the unraveling life trope and how the story explored a life slowly coming undone while buried secrets surfaced. The alternating timelines between past and present added so much depth, and getting multiple character POVs made the suspense even stronger while piecing together the bigger picture.

This is one of those thrillers that lingers after the final page, and I already know I’ll be thinking about this one for a while. If you love layered, twisty thrillers with unreliable characters and shocking reveals, add this one to your list

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brooklyn, her husband Trey and their two kids are traveling to Italy on vacation. As they’re landing in Atlanta for a connecting flight, Trey is approached by a woman who swears she knows him, which Trey denies. And as their connecting flight gets ready to takeoff, Trey has disappeared. You Know Why had me spellbound as Brooklyn desperately tries to connect with Trey, and things only get worse when Brooklyn discovers that the woman who approached Trey is the sister of Trey’s first wife, and Trey was the main suspect when that wife was discovered murdered ten years ago, which Brooklyn knew nothing about. So the bait is set and the reader is hooked in this twisty thriller, where more secrets are forthcoming as Brooklyn’s life unravels. This was highly entertaining, although the plot gets a little convoluted (and less plausible), but this one keeps you happily off balance right through to a satisfying ending. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Natasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brooklyn Locke’s husband Trey plans a last minute impromptu trip to Italy - completely out of character for him. Their flight gets rerouted and next thing you know, Trey disappears.

I like J.T. Ellison’s earlier works a lot but the last few I’ve read have felt a bit too convoluted for my taste. There were a lot of things thrown in here to keep you guessing but at the same time it just felt like the story dragged on a little long. Both Brooklyn and Trey have secrets in their past but wait, there’s so much more - you had the psychotic family member of the first wife, identical twin, amnesia trope, covert government agency, secret bunker, on and on… and you expect me to believe the nine year old knew some of his dad’s secrets and didn’t tell a soul until his mom asked him the right questions? Talk about suspending belief with this one!

Overall, it did keep me guessing and I was entertained. 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read an early copy.

[Takeyrah · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, I would like to extend a sincere thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this advanced digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

​Title: You Know Why
​Author: J.T. Ellison
​Genre: Thriller / Psychological Suspense
​Release Date: 8/25/26

I truly enjoyed this book. From the first page, it caught my attention and kept it. I found myself pausing other books to come back to this one to find out what's going to happen next. Very fast paced book.
I enjoyed the book being multi-POV. I was intrigued more and more each time the POV switched, and I saw a different perspective.I love feeling like I am inside the character's head. Im realizing I love thrillers where we can see, feel, taste their nterworkings. Most of the time, I was unsure of who to trust.
This book was definitely twisty. Some twists I could guess, others I didn't see coming at all. Overall, I would recommend this book to friends.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s something about her writing that always pulls me in, and this one followed suit. This is my sixth read by J.T. Ellison, and at this point I know exactly what I’m getting in the best way. I usually reach for standalones, so this one was an easy pick for me, and just as compelling as her other books. With every mystery she writes, I feel a connection to her writing style, characters, and the dialogue. The pacing kept me engaged and made it easy to stay immersed, and I always appreciate how her stories balance intrigue with character development.

That said, some of the emotional dialogue became repetitive at times, and I wanted just a little more depth in some of the scenes. Regardless, it was still a very enjoyable read and a reminder of why I keep coming back to her books.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Anna J · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trey comes home and tells his wife that he has planned a surprise trip for the family to go to Italy. They leave in 24 hours so Brooklyn is frantically packing and making hotel reservations. Her husband has always been afraid of flying and has preferred driving. Then they get rerouted and have seats upgraded.Trey starts to get more agitated at the airport. As they are getting ready to board a woman a woman says she recognizes her husband calling him Andrew and claiming they went to high school together. He claims he doesn’t know her. Before boarding the next flight he goes to the bathroom but never makes it on the flight.

Brooklyn is left wondering what is going on as her husband left the airport and depleted their savings and ditched his cell phone. This absolutely hooked me as I wanted to know why? It seems both her and her husband were keeping secrets. I liked the multiple points of view and the intensity kept building. This had so many layers to the final reveal.

[Judy Odom · Rating 5 out of 5]

You Know Why is a fast paced thriller that is gripping from start to finish.

Its travel day for Trey, his wife Brooklyn and two children . It is a last minute surprise tripthat he booked for the family. That is odd in itself as he hates to fly.

Someone on the flight recognizes him and Trey vehemenlty denies knowing her.

Then he disappears just before their connecting flight takes off.

The tension mounts, people are dropping like flies.

J.T. Ellison gives the reader clues before the characters know what is happening and you want to yell at them : look out, don't trust them.

Who can you trust.

You Know Why is full of twists and turns, action packed and you will be holding your breath as you say just one more chapter.

Its easy to binge read with short and punchy chapters and I could not put the book down.

Tbanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the privilege of reading and reviewing You Know Why.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a terrific surprise and I’m so glad I got it for review via NetGalley. There were layers upon layers and twist after twist. The story grabbed me from the first page, and I couldn’t figure out where it was going. What a wild ride!

Brooklyn’s husband proposes a Christmas trip to Italy (along with their two young children, and they’re way braver than I am) and they begin with a hiccup of being bumped to another flight and that starts all the commotion. The big theme overall is wondering who is telling the truth and who is lying through their teeth!

I highly recommend this one! I haven’t read a lot of standouts lately, but this one achieved that! Thank you, JT Ellison!

I received a copy of the digital ARC via the publisher, the author, and NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

[Kelliann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book said “just one more twist” about 47 times 😅

The premise immediately pulled me in – a wealthy husband disappears at the airport just before a family vacation to Italy a couple of weeks before Christmas. While his wife tries to piece everything together, a stranger shows up with some very unsettling information about his past. From there, it just keeps getting worse for everyone involved.

What didn't work for me was the length of the story. At nearly 500 pages, it definitely started to feel a bit drawn out at times, even with the multiple POVs and timeline shifts. Financial crime isn’t really my favorite thriller element, so some parts didn’t fully hold my attention.

Overall though, it’s a twisty, entertaining read that keeps you guessing and second-guessing the whole way through.

4.25 ⭐

[Melissa DeLong-Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckle up for a wild ride and suspend disbelief because right when you think you know what's going on, it gets even less plausible. Holy cow. This was a journey from start to finish — it doesn't feel like ANYONE is a reliable narrator and the red herrings are in shades from pink to ruby. As I always say, I'm here reading with the lights off and very often miss the hints towards any reveals, and I prefer it that way! I want to be surprised and confused (lol) and there was not a moment throughout this story — even at the alleged ending where we "know" the truth — that I wasn't on the edge of my seat.

Easy 4.5 star read, and a great recommendation for someone just coming back to reading or in a slump.

*Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC!*

[Agnieszka Frankowska · Rating 5 out of 5]

J.T. Ellison is simply too good at what she does. This book had my stomach in knots the entire time 😅 The way she captures a mother’s instinct to protect her children felt so raw and authentic—it’s exactly how I imagine I would feel in that situation.
I loved how engaging and fast-paced the story was. I sometimes struggle to keep track of characters in standalone novels, especially when multiple perspectives are involved, but that wasn’t an issue here. The narrative quickly finds its rhythm and never lets up.
This was a brilliant read from start to finish. And for longtime fans, there’s even a small Easter egg tucked in—a fun little cameo that I won’t spoil 😉
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy of this fantastic novel.

[Steven Netter · Rating 4 out of 5]

READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books

Dramatic, anxiety-inducing and with Single White Female vibes, You Know Why will hold you in suspense as you scream out loud at the characters and hang your head in despair as they ignore the warnings they cannot hear. J.T. Ellison has crafted a brilliant psychological domestic thriller that you feel with your whole being, giving you heart palpitations and a pounding pulse.

I cannot stress enough how brilliantly stressful You Know Why is for the reader. An exceptional stories that invades your bones and sets up shop for the duration. Leaving a lasting and powerful impression that you’re unable to shake for weeks afterward.