Keep Them Close

by David Ellis

From the bestselling author of Look Closer comes a new domestic thriller about betrayal and murder inside one twisted family

Siblings Allison and Luke have been through a lot together. They’ve always stood by each other. They’d do anything for each other.

When Allison’s husband, Finley, is murdered, the investigation threatens to expose the siblings’ darkest secrets. An illicit affair. A decades-old accident. A stunning deception. How do these events explain Finley’s death? How far will Allison and Luke go to keep their secrets buried? And can the siblings even trust one another anymore?

As the investigation winds tighter and past and present collide, the most shocking betrayal might lie a little too close to home…

Genres: Thriller, Mystery Thriller

Kindle Edition

Expected publication June 30, 2026

About the author

David Ellis is a lawyer and the Edgar Allan Poe Award winner for Best First Novel for Line of Vision. Ellis attended Northwestern Law School and began his legal career in private practice in Chicago in 1993. He served as the House Prosecutor who tried and convicted Illinois Governor Blagojevich in the Impeachment Trial before the Illinois Senate. He was elected to the Illinois Appellate Court in 2014 and took office December 1, 2014. Ellis currently lives outside Chicago with his wife and three children.

Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Liana Gold]

Two siblings, one murder & a bunch of lies.
Really enjoyed the last two books Ellis wrote.


Many thanks to NetGalley, Putnam/G. P. Putnam's Sons and the author, David Ellis for an early copy!

Publication date: June 30, 2026

[Collyn Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

read if you like:
👩‍❤️‍👨 affairs
🙋🏻‍♀️ strong female protagonists
⏰ multiple timelines

summary:
David Ellis is an automatic must-buy author for me, and this one is no exception. I absolutely flew through this book — finished it in a day — and honestly could read it again in a heartbeat. The story follows Allison, a high-powered attorney whose life is turned upside down when her husband, Finley, is found murdered. The situation is already complicated by the fact that Allison recently discovered Finley had been having an affair. Determined to figure out what really happened, Allison and her brother Luke immediately start digging for answers.

But Luke is dealing with serious problems of his own. Not long before the murder, he was pulled over while driving a friend’s car that turned out to be full of opioid pills, leaving him entangled in legal trouble. As Allison searches for the truth about Finley’s death, the pressure mounting around Luke raises an unsettling question: how much trouble is her brother really in — and how far will she go to protect him?

The story centers around April Fools Day, which is a fun nod to the irony that weaves its way through the book. The timeline cuts back and forth before and after Finley’s death, but it’s surprisingly easy to follow, even while tracking all of Allison’s cases — Luke’s, a senators, and her own. The chapters are short and fast-moving, and the shifting perspectives keeps the tension high throughout. Each new revelation adds another piece to the puzzle, and just when you think the truth is within reach, the story pivots again. The pacing makes it bingeable, and the final twists land with the kind of shock that you won’t expect.

Thanks to Putnam and NetGalley for the advanced copy, and make sure you preorder this before it releases on June 29!

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for an amazing, fast-paced, knock your socks off thriller that will keep you turning the pages long into the night, this book is a MUST read! My mind is still reeling from all the twists and turns, and I have yet to pick my jaw up off the floor. The secrets and lies were endless. So much so, that I had a hard time deciding who to root for. I liked that the author chose to let the story unfold in two different timelines. Switching back and forth between POVs from before Finley's death and the investigation that takes place after created lots of tension and suspense and allowed for maximum shock value when secrets were revealed. I would classify this book as part legal thriller and part domestic thriller, all of which were executed with the cleverness of a well-played chess match. I absolutely loved it! I know that I'll probably be waiting for months, but I cannot wait to get my hands on the next David Ellis book. I can't rave enough about this one! Add it to your TBRs and/or preorder now. You won't be disappointed, I promise.

Thank you to Putnam and NetGalley for granting me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

4.5 stars

Great thriller that leaves you guessing. I am glad to have a much different relationship with my sibling.