The Man I Didn't Know: A Powerful Domestic Thriller

by A.M. Sinclair

Samantha Holland had the perfect life, or so she thought.

Then, he disappeared without a trace.

A loving fiancé. A dream home in a quiet suburb. A future filled with wedding plans and happily-ever-after. But when Ethan vanishes without warning, Sam’s entire world shatters.

One day, he’s sending sweet texts. The next, he’s erased, his clothes, his records, even his toothbrush gone. The man she loved… never existed.

As police dismiss her panic and friends urge her to move on, Sam begins to uncover chilling clues that point to something far more sinister than heartbreak. Someone has been watching her. Manipulating her. Setting her up.

Staggered by grief and confusion, Sam tries to understand what went wrong, until a cryptic clue makes her question everything she thought she knew.

Was her perfect fiancé a carefully constructed lie?

Now, Sam is caught in a deadly game of deception, obsession, and revenge. And the only way out… is through.

Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, B.A. Paris, and Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, The Man I Didn’t Know is a twisty domestic thriller that explores how love can be the perfect con—and how far one woman will go to take her life back.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 23, 2025

Reviews

[Kariane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of The Man I Didn’t Know by A.M. Sinclair. I realize advance copies are still a work in progress, but this one felt like it needed more polishing than most. The story itself was enjoyable enough, though a little predictable at times. I did find the pacing rushed and wished the characters and plot had been given more depth. With some additional development, I think this could become a much stronger and more engaging read.

[Kristen C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book with alot of twists and turns that kept me turning pages well into the night. If you like a strong women lead character and psychological suspense you'll love this book.

[Donna · Rating 1 out of 5]

I finally had to quit this book about halfway through. I wanted to like it. The plot is decent but there is so many things wrong with the timeline of how the events occur that I thought I was losing my mind. For example, first her mother died years ago, then she's helped her pick out a wedding dress. The main character does something, then three pages later she does it again. There is a lot (and I mean a LOT) of descriptions of the weather and it's either humid or raining. And don't even get me started on all the repetitiveness her thoughts and feelings. If you're looking for a page-turner, this is not it. It was a definite loser for me.

[Karla Basil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a couple of A. M . Sinclair's books and have enjoyed them. I received an arc copy.
Sam has the perfect life, or so she thinks. She has an amazing fiance that treats her like a princess.
They just purchased her dream home in The Elms, a high class area, and are getting married soon.
Ethan, the love of her life, has a great job, but a past he doesn't like to talk about. He lost his mother, whom he was very close to. His only remaining family is a brother that he hasn't spoken to in years.

Sam also has issues with her family. Her mother recently died leaving her a large inheritance. She too has a sibling, a sister, that she is no longer close with. Her sister also received money when their mother passed, but not as much as Sam. Sam took care of her mother before she passed. Melanie never helped. That is why there mom gave Sam more. Melanie feels like she was shafted. Sam has always gotten all the attention. She's the perfect daughter. Melanie is jealous and wants revenge.

Sam's world soon falls apart when she shows up at Ethan's job to surprise him with concert tickets. She has been at his office only once before for a holiday party. When she asks the receptionist where his office is located, she is shocked to learn that Ethan never was employed there! When she gets home, his belongings are gone.

Where has he been going? They have been dating for several years. He has been leaving town "on business trips" regularly. Why did he suddenly leave? What secrets will Sam discover?

[Terri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this story started off slow, it builds up nicely, creating an increased level of anxiety and thrills. It has great character growth and the author has a nice way of giving creative word usage to describe not only the setting, but the tone of the scene as well as feelings from the characters. I loved the complete conclusion given for the main character at the end. "People are so desperate to be seen, to be validated. They'll believe anything."

Where this book fell short for me was so many missed opportunities to include the other "scorn women" in the search and story line. As Sam continued to stumble upon clues, it almost appeared to be too easy that she put each thing together to not only find 'Ethan' but to find out what was happening, in such a small timeline. As this was an ARC and not a beta reader copy, I expected fewer errors. (Repeated paragraph on pages 22 and 147, as well as several punctuation and grammatical errors.)

I received this book as an ARC from Hidden Gems for my honest review.

[Kat · Rating 2 out of 5]

she was going to get married. she didnt meet any of his family, he only had a brother and never talked of his past

she was making wedding plans. she went to a party at his office
then she got tickets to a concert she wanted to surprise him. she went to his office, he never worked there

she went home and all his belongings (except his car) were gone

the police did nothing

she called her sister and her best friend called and her best friend came over after she heard what happened

i dont know why she trusts her sister to give her financial advise, but she hires the man her sister said can take care of her finances. she gives him ALL her info

she looks on the web, she finds another woman her fiancee conned but the woman is scared of him , he sent her a photo of her 5 yr old son

i dont know why she broke into his storage unit, she had the key

she found all his aliases and his notebooks on all his victims including her and her sister

i dont know why she gave her acct info and let it get sent to the scammer financial advisor but she set up a trap and he and her sister came to her house. he beat her sister and was attacking her , she fought back. the police showed up cause she made a phone call to her best friend before they got there and it worried her enough to send the cops (why they sent the ambulance too i dont know)

so her sister and him got arrested. her and her friend went on vacation and she sold the house

[Bobbi Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this thrilling story. This is a new author which I enjoy their writing skills and their attention to details that made the story realistic. The twist and turns had me sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next. This is a well written story about deception and revenge. Sam thought she had everything until she didn't. Sam's fiance goes missing and now she is left questioning everything. Is perfection and lies one in the same or are they different? Sam is about to find out. I really enjoyed the characters in this story. They have great growth and had me wanting to know more. A fast paced, enaging, hard to put down story and one you don't want to miss. I really enjoyed this story and I highly recommend it.

[Tabitha Henninger · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Man I Didn't Know follows Samantha Holland down a rabbit hole of confusion, anger, revenge, and karmic justice. It has a good story, and the MC was relatable in general. I enjoyed this book, and I believe that I would put this book as recommended for others.

Once the stage has been set with Ethan's mysterious disappearance, Sam shows just how smart she is. Anna is a supportive best friend, and Melanie definitely shines in her own way.

The stage that is set at the end of the novel is by far my favorite part, along with the tiny discoveries made along the way.

[Dictionary101 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This could be a really good book. BUT, there are too many duplicated paragraphs, plot errors, and sloppy editing throughout. Samantha and Ethan aren't yet married, but both have the same last name? They aren't yet married, but the nursery should already have a baby? Mom died years ago, she helped pick out Sam's wedding dress. Multiple times, Sam is referred to as both the older and then younger, then, again, older sister. The same can be said for Melanie. Chapter 35 seems completely out of place. Do better.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I liked that the main character didn’t ignore all the red flags and didn’t make stupid decisions as is usually the case in thrillers. I liked that she took charge and had common sense. What I don’t especially like was the way the story got so overly dramatic and the plot was exaggerated to be so much more intense and serious than it was. Also there were several repeated paragraphs throughout the book which was weird.

[Dianne McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this powerful, well-written tale of revenge. I think it's every woman's fantasy when they're abused by a terrible man. Great plotting and interesting characters help it shine. I'll be looking for more from this author. I rarely give 5 stars, but this earned it.
Dianne McCartney
author of Dark Vengeance and others.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

She was so happy with the man she loved until he disappeared and it seemed like he never existed. The police are not interested and so she tries to look for him but it seems things were never what she thought it was. An absolute wonderful mystery
I received an advance copy from hidden gems and a great thriller

[Celinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story. More than a few editing errors, but overall, I enjoyed!!