I Know What I Saw

by Kathryn Croft

'You start to suspect everyone and trust no one - I finished it in one sitting!'⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

YOU WITNESSED A MURDER
BUT NO ONE BELIEVES YOU

When Ria moves with her husband to Silverleaf Heights, she hopes to recover from the incident that nearly took her life. Everything seems perfect - the houses are beautiful, the neighbours welcoming and the locked gate keeps the danger out.

Or does it?

Late one night, Ria sees a woman being attacked. When she raises the alarm, there's no evidence. No crime. No victim. But Ria knows what she saw - and she won't let it go.

Then an anonymous text appears on her phone, a video of another woman being murdered. Looking closer, Ria realises the woman is her.

The message vanishes without a trace, but its meaning is

Stop searching for the dead woman.

Or you'll be next.

A gripping psychological thriller about paranoia, lies, and a community hiding deadly secrets. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden, Claire Douglas, and twisty, addictive thrillers.

READERS ARE OBSESSED WITH I KNOW WHAT I SAW:

'I read this with my heart pounding, constantly second-guessing myself' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'I thought I had it figured out - I definitely didn't' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'This book had me accusing EVERYONE' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'So many twists - I couldn't stop reading' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
'Every time I thought I knew . . . I was wrong' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

Genres: Amazon, Adult Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Psychological Thriller

383 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 4, 2026

Reviews

[Christina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Know What I Saw by Kathryn Croft is a gripping psychological thriller that kept me questioning everything.

The story follows Ria and her partner Leo as they settle into their new home in SilverLeaf Heights—what should be a fresh start quickly turns unsettling when Ria witnesses a murder in the neighborhood. The problem? No one believes her. As strange and increasingly disturbing events begin to unfold, Ria is left questioning not only what she saw, but also her own sanity.

The first half of the book focuses on Ria trying to piece together what really happened, and I loved the tension and uncertainty this created. The second half shifts into the reality of the situation, with the story unfolding through multiple perspectives from people in the neighborhood, which added depth and kept things even more intriguing.

The ending was completely unpredictable and tied everything together in a satisfying way. A suspenseful, twisty read that will keep you hooked!

[Gary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Know What I Saw, is the latest psychological thriller by Kathryn Croft. This was an enjoyable read, although it did push my limits of belief. A tense, paranoid exploration of trauma, gaslighting, and the terrifying isolation that happens when you are the only one who knows the truth.

Ria is trying to rebuild her life after surviving a near-fatal accident. Seeking peace, safety, and a fresh start, she moves with her husband into Silverleaf Heights, a lavish, hyper-secure gated community. On the surface, it’s a paradise but the neighbours make her feel like she doesn’t belong. Silverleaf Heights is a fortress of locked gates and state-of-the-art security cameras but total surveillance doesn’t mean protection when the danger is already inside. Ria’s fragile recovery is instantly shattered late one night when she looks out into the manicured communal garden and witnesses a woman being brutally murdered.

When the police arrive to investigate, there is no evidence of a crime. Because of her recent medical trauma, the authorities and those closest to her quickly dismiss her claims as a hallucination. But Ria knows what she saw. Refusing to let the mystery go and frantically seeks to solve the mystery.

An anonymous, untraceable video file is sent to her phone via WhatsApp, depicting another graphic murder. When Ria watches closely, a sickening realisation sets in: the victim in the footage is her. The disappearing message vanishes like it never existed, leaving her wondering if this is a message to stop looking for the dead woman, or you will be next.

I enjoyed the read but a little too far fetched in my opinion. 3.5 stars rounded up.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Headline for supplying a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Laura Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I KNOW WHAT I SAW BY KATHRYN CROFT
5 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s
Great cover.
Great storyline and it's an edge of the seat thriller.
Just brilliant.
Highly recommend

[Tam Merry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC Review.

If you’re a fan of Alice Feeney, Lisa Jewell, Shari Lapena or Mary Kubica, this one is for you..

Ria and Leo have just moved into Silverleaf, a coveted small gated community where everything looks polished, perfect and very secure. So when Ria witnesses what she is certain is a murder in the front courtyard she claims “I Know What I saw!”

Except when the police arrive, there’s no body, no evidence, and the high-tech surveillance shows absolutely nothing suspicious.

Then the neighbours start acting strangely. Her husband begins questioning her state of mind and even has her assessed by his doctor colleagues. But Ria refuses to let it go. She knows she’s not crazy. The only problem is… she doesn’t know who the victim or the killer is (and neither do we!)

The connections between the characters are tangled in the best way, with secrets, scandals, affairs, blackmail and murder cover-up theories all slowly coming to the surface. It’s twisty, suspenseful and thoroughly entertaining.

By the end, the loose ends are wrapped up nicely, making this a really enjoyable read. I did feel like I predicted the main plot fairly early on, but the side plots did a great job of keeping me entertained and trying to convince me I had it wrong.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t swayed enough to change my mind, so it falls just short of a 5-star read for me. Still, this was a thrilling and highly enjoyable book that I’d definitely recommend to anyone who loves a neighbourhood full of secrets.

I wait in anticipation for the next Kathryn Croft book and I’ll be adding “The Girl With no Past” to my TBR

[Zoe Costley · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best ARCs I’ve had the pleasure to read

Kathryn Croft absolutely delivered with this one. From the very first chapter, the tension had me locked in, and by the halfway point I knew — this was going to be a standout read for me. The storyline is sharp, addictive, and layered in all the right ways, and the twists were genuinely twisting. Every time I thought I’d found my footing, the plot shifted again, pulling me straight back into that breath‑held, page‑turning mode I love.

The characters felt real and relatable, the kind you can’t help but root for even when you’re questioning every single person on the page. And the pacing? Perfect. Not a single dull moment, just steady intrigue building toward reveals that landed with impact.

One of the strongest ARCs I’ve read — gripping, clever, and impossible to put down. Kathryn Croft knows exactly how to keep a reader guessing.

[Duckfacekim09 (Kim Howell) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
She finished a book that wasn't for a tour 🙌🙌🙌 I did do a cheeky cover reveal of this one a few months back and I'M SORRY, I WAS NOT EXPECTING IT TO BE THIS GOOD!! I literally just thought this would be a standard 4⭐️ thriller which didn't leave me thinking much of it, but that ending, wow, please please please give us a sequel.

I think this book has finally woken me up from my inability to read more than a few pages at a time (which has taken over this year) because I binged this in a few days. I was hooked. Thrillers set in tiny residential settings where everyone knows each other👌

Croft's writing felt familiar to other great thriller authors in places, but I was more than okay with that, and it made me love it even more. I had so many theories and they were all wrong 🙃

[Julisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
An enjoyable read where seemingly noone can be trusted and the main characters (and everyone elses?) decisions are questionable throughout the whole book. I did stay up until 3 am to finish it though, so how bad can it really be?

[Sammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Some thrillers hook you with shocking twists. Others keep you turning the pages because you simply can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right.

I Know What I Saw falls into the latter category.

The story follows Ria, a former teacher turned unemployed insomniac, and her husband, Leo, as they settle into Silverleaf Heights, a luxurious gated community that promises a fresh start after Ria survives a brutal assault.
But when Ria witnesses a woman being murdered outside her new home, only for every trace of the crime to disappear by morning, Ria begins questioning everyone around her. Before long, the waters become so murky that she starts to wonder whether her neighbours are right.

Maybe I didn’t see anything after all.

From the opening prologue, I was hooked. Croft immediately establishes an unsettling atmosphere, creating vivid imagery that carries the reader effortlessly through the pages while planting suspicion around every character introduced. Before long, I found myself analysing every conversation, every neighbour and every seemingly insignificant detail, convinced that everyone is hiding something, whether it related to the murder or not. So much so that Silverleaf Heights became one of the most interesting “characters” in the book.

On the surface, it’s immaculate. Perfectly maintained lawns. Beautiful homes. Friendly neighbours. Locked gates designed to keep danger out. Yet throughout the novel, Croft repeatedly flipped that image on its head. The gates began to feel less like protection and more like confinement. The security cameras became symbols of surveillance rather than reassurance, and even the wide, open spaces somehow felt claustrophobic. I loved how these recurring images of Silverleaf Heights transformed a place that should have represented safety into something quietly unsettling. There were several moments where a single line painted an incredibly vivid picture or subtly foreshadowed what was to come without feeling heavy-handed. Rather than relying solely on shocking reveals, she often let the setting and dialogue create tension, which I really appreciated.

That said, I did feel the pacing lost momentum through the middle of the novel. Much of the central section revolves around Ria repeatedly being dismissed, doubted and gaslit by those around her. While this undoubtedly reinforces the psychological aspect of the story, I found it became repetitive after a while. I understood quite early that people weren’t telling her the truth, so I kept waiting for the investigation, or the lies, to evolve into something new. Instead, the same cycle continued for longer than I felt it needed to.

The mystery itself is compelling, but what surprised me most was how much the novel explores what people are willing to overlook in order to preserve the illusion that everything is fine.

What surprised me most, however, were the ideas simmering beneath the mystery. In particular, the novel explores our growing reliance on technology as the ultimate source of truth. Throughout the story, surveillance cameras become the deciding voice in almost every conversation. If the footage doesn’t show it, it didn’t happen. If the cameras disagree with a witness, the witness is assumed to be mistaken. It raises an uncomfortable question: at what point do we begin trusting technology more than the people standing in front of us?
Croft never offers an easy answer, but she encourages readers to sit with the tension between objective evidence and human perception, and the consequences when those two things don’t align.

That idea sits alongside another recurring question about appearances. Silverleaf Heights isn’t simply a neighbourhood; it becomes a symbol of status. The residents have spent years building lives that look successful from the outside, and protecting that image becomes just as important as protecting the truth itself. Again and again, people choose reputation over honesty, image over accountability. In many ways, the technology and the status symbolise the same thing: both offer the illusion of certainty while making it easier to ignore uncomfortable truths.

By the end, I couldn’t help thinking that the real danger wasn’t the community itself, but the performance everyone was committed to maintaining.

“Silverleaf Heights doesn’t choose the best people after all. Only the best actors.”

To me, that perfectly captured the novel’s heart. The story isn’t really asking who the murderer is. It’s asking how well we can ever know the people around us when everyone is performing the version of themselves they want the world to see.

My only criticism is that a few twists relied a little heavily on withholding information rather than allowing readers to genuinely piece everything together. There were also one or two revelations that felt slightly convenient. But honestly, the psychological tension and bigger ideas more than made up for it.

If you enjoy domestic thrillers that do more than deliver shocking twists, stories that explore trust, perception, status and the unsettling gap between what people present and who they really are; I think this is well worth picking up.

It left me thinking less about who committed the crime, and more about how easily certainty can be manufactured when we’re willing to trust appearances, technology and reputation over the people standing right in front of us.

[Pav S. (pav_sanborn_bookworm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

Prepare for the unexpected, because this book has it all! Welcome to a small neighborhood that's dripping with cult-like vibes—chilling, right?

In "Silverleaf Heights," Ria moves to an upscale gated community, seeking solace after a near-fatal accident. She feels out of place despite the warm welcome from neighbors and the perceived safety. Her world shatters when she witnesses a murder in the communal garden, but the police dismiss her claims due to a lack of evidence. Determined to uncover the truth, Ria receives an unsettling anonymous video revealing another murder in which she is the victim, warning her to cease her search for answers...

The story is filled with questionable characters, and at times, I found myself unsure of whom to trust. It felt like everyone was hiding something, and slowly, we uncovered details about Ria's accident. Things take a dark turn when Ria, struggling with insomnia, witnesses a woman being murdered in her new neighborhood. The memory haunts her, and she even sketches the victim. Strangely, no one seems to know anything, and the lack of camera footage or witnesses raises more questions. This tight-knit community appears to be under the influence of one mysterious person, but why? There are several reasons, and you'll need to dive into the book to uncover them!

I really like the main character; she's smart and has overcome a lot. However, her husband Leo is often absent, and his suspicious behavior began to irritate me. When secrets finally came to light, I was genuinely disappointed. This neighborhood is bizarre, and not just anyone gets to live there—these residents are handpicked! Crazy, right? Nothing and no one is as it seems, because silence hangs heavily in the air. After reading this, I’ve learned my lesson: trusting anyone in my neighborhood might be a mistake, especially after witnessing the unhinged dynamics in this book!

The author does an incredible job of creating suspense. I was completely in the dark about what was happening, and when the dual timeline came into play, we learned so much more. This book completely blew me away! It’s intricately woven, dark, and filled with unexpected twists. I didn't see any of it coming, and the ending played out just as I imagined—full of terror and dread. I felt compelled to rush in and help! The author kept everything under wraps until the very end, leaving me blindsided by the reveal of the antagonist or antagonists. Whoa! Bravo!

This read is for anyone who enjoys eerie cul-de-sac communities where closeness feels suffocating, with just one person controlling all the cameras and changing the gate code. It's wild! Even if you reside there, it doesn't guarantee inside knowledge. If you're out of the loop on the neighborhood group chat, good luck figuring out why everyone is gathering at a particular home. The vibe is seriously cult-like, with someone crafting a meticulously vetted community to meet impossible standards. I think I let out a huge sigh of relief when Ria finally made her escape! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to check if the gate code has changed recently! Ha!

Thank you, Headline and NetGalley, for the DRC copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Akilesh Sridharan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two weeks after moving into Silverleaf Heights, an exclusive gated community outside London, Ria and her husband Leo hope for a quieter life following the traumatic assault that left Ria with lingering memory loss.

The secluded community consists of just five affluent households, equipped with extensive security systems that seemingly make violent crime impossible.

On a summer night, Ria witnesses a woman strangled to death just outside her house by an unknown person.

When she reports what she witnessed to her husband Leo and the estate owner Giles Barton, no one believes her.

Having sustained a traumatic head injury a year earlier, Ria struggles with fragmented memories, making even her own recollections difficult to trust.

Determined to uncover the truth on her own, Ria begins investigating the woman’s identity while unsettling anonymous messages and disturbing video clips suggest that someone is watching her every move.

Kathryn Croft skilfully uses Ria’s unreliable perspective to keep readers constantly reassessing every suspect, layering the mystery with convincing red herrings without immediately revealing where the truth lies.

At times, Ria’s impulsive decisions feel frustrating, especially considering how cautious her circumstances demand her to be, and these moments slightly weaken the otherwise convincing psychological tension.

While the abundance of red herrings effectively sustains suspense, a few feel deliberately engineered to misdirect readers rather than emerging organically from the narrative.

Once the victim’s identity and the motive behind the murder are finally revealed, Croft ties together the various narrative threads in a satisfying conclusion that rewards patient readers.

Overall, I Know What I Saw is a tightly paced domestic psychological thriller that balances unreliable narration, neighbourhood secrets, and steadily escalating suspense.

Despite a few overextended misdirections, Kathryn Croft delivers a compelling page-turner that is difficult to put down once the investigation gathers momentum.

[Read_with_Beans · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC of I Know What I Saw by Kathryn Croft.

How do you prove a murder… when no one believes it happened? That was the tag line for this book, and it instantly had me convinced I needed to learn more about this book. Then I read a bit more of the synopsis, and I knew I had to get my hands on a copy of this book.

In the words of the great Taylor Swift, “NO body – NO crime,” and that essentially proves true in this book when the FMC, Ria, sees a woman get attacked, or did she?! Without a body or any evidence of a crime, Ria begins to second-guess herself, but refuses to let it go. Then the anonymous text and video arrive on her phone of another woman being attacked, only this time it’s Ria in the video.

This book had so much potential, so many exciting elements to this story, but fell short in the execution because the number and level of unbelievable elements needed to make this story make sense were downright offensive. I have no problem suspending my disbelief a bit, but this author and this story simply asked too much out of this reader.

This book comes in just short of 400 pages, but it did not feel long for a thriller. I believe that is due to the author’s storytelling abilities and excellent pacing. The build-up of suspense was well down but the way things just happen to fall perfectly into place frustrated me to the point that the other strong elements of the book weren’t enough to rate this any higher than a 3.5

I would recommend this book if you aren’t afraid of some unbelievable elements because it was well written, had a strong plot, and good pacing. I personally didn’t love this book, but I enjoyed it enough to want to check out the author’s other works.

[Carrie Ramirez · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Tense, Paranoid Thriller That Will Make You Question Everything

I Know What I Saw by Kathryn Croft is a masterclass in psychological suspense, delivering a premise that is every thriller lover’s dream: a reliable witness, a crime no one believes, and a community that is just a little too perfect.

From the moment Ria steps into the gated community of Silverleaf Heights, the atmosphere is thick with unease. Croft does an excellent job of juxtaposing the pristine, camera-laden security of the neighborhood with the deep, unsettling feeling that Ria is an outsider. The author skillfully uses Ria’s past trauma, the accident that nearly killed her, as a tool to make both the other characters and the reader question her sanity, adding a brilliant layer of unreliable tension.

The central plot device, a murder in the communal garden that leaves no trace is gripping, but the story truly elevates itself with the introduction of the terrifying WhatsApp video. The image of Ria seeing her own murder on a disappearing message is genuinely chilling and propels the narrative into high gear. The pacing is relentless, forcing you to turn pages as Ria desperately tries to uncover the truth while realizing that her own life is in imminent danger.

While the "gaslighting" trope is a familiar one in the genre, Croft executes it with precision and a fresh sense of dread. The cast of neighbors is suitably suspicious, and the reader is kept guessing until the very end. If you are a fan of twisty, fast-paced domestic thrillers like those by Lisa Jewell or Shari Lapena, this is an absolute must-read. It’s a compelling reminder that sometimes, the safest-looking places hide the darkest secrets.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Know What I Saw is a sleek, unsettling domestic thriller that plays beautifully with paranoia, memory, and the quiet dread of not being believed. From the moment Ria arrives in Silverleaf Heights — all manicured lawns, perfect houses, and neighbours who smile a little too easily — there’s a sense that the safety she’s craving is only surface‑deep.

Still recovering from the incident that nearly killed her, Ria is fragile but trying to rebuild. The gated community should feel like a sanctuary. Instead, one late‑night glimpse shatters the illusion: a woman being attacked, a moment of violence so vivid she can’t shake it. But when she raises the alarm, there’s nothing. No victim. No evidence. No one willing to entertain the possibility that she’s right.

The tension tightens beautifully as Ria clings to what she knows she saw, even as those around her begin to treat her like a problem to be managed. And then comes the anonymous text — a video of a woman being murdered, a woman who looks exactly like her. It’s a brilliant, chilling twist, the kind that makes your stomach drop. The message is clear: stop digging, or you’re next.

What gives the novel its bite is the way it captures the claustrophobia of being dismissed, the gaslighting that seeps into Ria’s bones, and the creeping sense that danger is already inside the gates. The atmosphere is taut, the pacing sharp, and the threat feels increasingly intimate.

A gripping, quietly unnerving thriller about fear, control, and the cost of insisting on your own truth. It lingers long after the final page.

With thanks to Kathryn Croft, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Venne · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎉 Happy Publication Day! 🎉

😮‍💨Oh my Lord. The betrayal, the gaslighting, the secrets, the lies…Kathryn Croft absolutely delivered with this one!

🕵🏽‍♀️ Secrets & Deception
This story kept me invested through a tangled web of half-truths, hidden motives, and characters who always seemed to be withholding something. I never felt completely comfortable trusting anyone.

💔 The Betrayal
The betrayals were shocking, despicable and packed an emotional punch. Watching relationships unravel as truths slowly surfaced was incredibly compelling.

😵‍💫 Gaslighting & Manipulation
Whew. The manipulation in this book was maddening in the best possible way. There were moments where I wanted to scream, “Trust yourself!” at the characters. The author did a fantastic job capturing that feeling of doubt and confusion.

🌫️ Atmosphere
A steady sense of unease runs throughout this entire story. Every conversation felt loaded, every interaction felt suspicious, and the tension quietly built chapter after chapter.

🤯 The Ending
While this isn’t a thriller that’s throwing twists at you every five minutes, there were definitely a few reveals toward the end that caught me off guard. The final stretch really brought everything together and made the journey worthwhile.

✨ Final Thoughts
This was a thoroughly engaging read that relied more on deception, character dynamics, and psychological tension than nonstop twists. So, if you enjoy character-driven suspense filled with secrets, manipulation, and emotional tension, this one is definitely worth picking up.

📖✨OUT TODAY!

Many thanks to Headline publishing group and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ceecee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ria and her surgeon husband Leo move to Silverleaf Heights, an isolated, gated community of just a few houses. Leo desperately wants Ria to be safe after she suffers a terrible attack a year ago. All seems well and then late one night she witnesses a woman being attacked and when she tries to get help, there’s no evidence whatsoever. Yet she knows what she saw, and like a dog with a bone she’s determined to find answers even though she is very clearly warned off.

I think it’s fair to describe this book as one heck of a wild ride, down a very bumpy road with a multitude of obstacles to navigate around. There is so much going on it makes my head spin and yet more keeps getting chucked into an already overcrowded plot, so I’m not sure if I’m on this earth or Fullers. Once I accept it’s absolutely OTT it becomes more entertaining and enjoyable.

However, Ria must be one of the most irritating central protagonists I’ve come across in a long time – no wonder they don’t want her in their exclusive enclave! She keeps digging and digging and it drives me nuts and I want to yell at her to just stop! But, where with the fun (i.e. the plot) be in that?! She’s not the only unlikeable character, to be fair, none of them anyone I’d want to have a glass of wine or a coffee with.

Overall, I’d say it’s just go with the flow read and not question it too much and probably pack it in your suitcase or download it for holiday reading.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can highly recommend I Know What I Saw (Kindle Edition) a fast paced dark psychological thriller by Kathryn Croft which I enjoyed immensely.

Ria a teacher who has suffered a viscious attack, suffers from memory loss. Her husband Leo, an oncologist surgeon move to an affluent neighbourhood, Silverleaf Heights, comprising of five houses within a gated community surrounded by security cameras and the neighbours including them have been specially chosen to reside there.

Ria suffers from insomnia and is witness to a woman being murdered but nothing has been captured on the security cameras and nobody else heard a woman screaming. Then as Ria tries to get evidence she receives ominous texts from someone showing a video of another woman being murdered and it's her, also a text saying "You'll be next." Then the message has been deleted.

Ria appears to be the crazy lady because she thinks that one of her neighbours is the murderer. She feels like someone is always watching her and is determined to hunt the murderer down.

This gated community requires a password to enter and depart and the owner Giles is ever watchful over the residents towing the line. Leo and Ria's marriage is put through the mill as they both start to have suspiscions about each other.

This thriller consists of gaslighting, hidden secrets, murder, and coverups. There is also a spectacular twist which I wasn't expecting.

This thriller would make an amazing movie on the big screen as it was so good.

[Mary Carbajosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Know What I Saw is an entertaining, deliciously twisty read, albeit towards the end, a slightly far fetched one, but the tension, twists and isolation make this a real page turner.

It focuses on the main protagonist Ria, who has recently moved into a luxury house in the exclusive gated community of Silverleaf Heights in the Surrey hills with her husband Leo, an oncologist. Ria witnesses a woman being murdered outside her home in the middle of the night. But there’s no evidence of a crime and no victim, so no one believes her. When she receives an anonymous message threatening her life, Ria feels her life and marriage are slipping away from her. Why will no one believe her ?

The premise is good and I enjoyed the build up and slow burn pace of this book, full of claustrophobic, unsettling lies with secretive residents and an eerie community. Mostly told from Ria’s POV I could feel her paranoia escalating and I was rooting for her throughout the story, which was tense from start to finish and had me questioning everyone.

My only criticism is that towards the end of the book it starts to feel a bit chaotic and turns into a sort of thrill a minute thriller which stretches credibility somewhat. That being said, if you enjoy stories where trust is fragile, where danger lurks everywhere and which is full of unreliable characters, this will delight you.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Headline Books for the ARC.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of ‘I Know What I Saw’ by Kathryn Croft, due to be published on 4 June 2026 by Headline.

Ria and Leo have moved to their new home, an exclusive community of five houses at Silver Leaf Heights in the Surrey Hills, having left their flat in Canning Town following Ria having a near fatal accident. Leo is a prominent oncology surgeon, Ria is currently on a break from her job as a primary school teacher whilst she recovers from her injuries.

Unable to sleep one night, Ria hears a scream and looking out of the window, she witnesses a hooded figure strangling a woman to death, but when she runs outside moments later, there is no sign of the body or the attacker.

The storyline follows Ria attempting to get to the truth of what she knows she saw, even though her neighbours and her own husband don’t believe her. More things start happening to Ria and she is sure that she is being targeted, but without any evidence she struggles to get anyone to help her. 

This was an engaging psychological thriller, with intricately woven secrets, lies, twists and turns - just when you think you’ve cracked it, another person looks to be implicit in the actions they are taking. The environment is written to be claustrophobic and atmospheric, the gated community feeling anything but safe. It’s dark, tense, mysterious and a recommended read.

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story, though the telling of it was a bit lengthy and sometimes chaotic. It centers on Ria, who moves with her husband Leo to a super fancy gated community with only 4 other houses. Ria is recovering from a serious head injury and when she sees someone get attached in the common area, no one believes her. She can't let it go, though, and keeps pushing on her neighbors to see what they are hiding.

Ria, unfortunately, was a very annoying character for me, even though she did some things that made sense. Though the action picks up in the back half of the book, a lot of the first half revolves around her internal dialogue and repetitive conversations with her neighbors and I think that could have been cut down to make for a more engaging read. Once the reader gets an inkling of what secrets some of the characters might be hiding, the pace picks up and there are a few crazy twists. You have to suspend your disbelief just a bit but I did enjoy the surprises. I thought the ending of the book worked and loose ends were all tied up.

Overall, this was a good book that could be really good with some more editing, especially in the first half. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sandie McCormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love Kathryn Croft’s thrillers you won’t be disappointed this one is really good it keeps you guessing all through the book this one absolutely delivers. The tension builds from the very first page and never really lets up. The estate where they live is so scary and creepy it felt polished and safe on the surface, but underneath there was this constant feeling that something was very wrong.

Ria was such an easy character to root for. After everything she’s already been through, watching nobody believe her made the story even more frustrating and gripping at the same time. The anonymous messages and disappearing evidence added so much suspense, and every chapter left me wanting “just one more.”

The author does a brilliant job of creating paranoia and uncertainty. You start questioning every neighbour, every interaction, and even what’s real. The pacing was fast, the twists were clever, and the ending genuinely caught me off guard.

A tense, addictive thriller packed with secrets, danger, and plenty of suspense. I loved it and couldn’t put it down. Perfect for fans of domestic and psychological thrillers that keep you guessing until the final page definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and Headline Books for an. ARC

[Cc Readsss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Release: June 4, 2026
Author: Kathryn Croft
Publisher: Headline

Rating: 4★ 

This was a tense, paranoia-driven thriller that keeps you questioning reality alongside the protagonist. The gated community setting adds a false sense of security that makes the unfolding danger even more unsettling. It’s twisty, fast-paced, and builds a strong sense of psychological unease.

This book suits someone in the mood for something: dark, tense, mysterious, emotional

Pace: fast

Mainly plot or character driven? a mix

Is there strong character development? it’s complicated

Do you find the characters loveable? it’s complicated

Is the cast of characters diverse? it’s complicated

Are character flaws a main focus? yes

Main themes, topics, tropes: unreliable witness, gated community secrets, paranoia, stalking, hidden danger

After moving into a seemingly perfect gated community, Ria hopes to rebuild her life following a traumatic event. But when she witnesses a brutal attack that no one else believes happened, her reality begins to unravel. As threatening messages escalate and the danger closes in, Ria must uncover the truth before she becomes the next victim.

Favorite Quote:
“The meaning is clear: stop looking… or you’ll be next.”

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ria moves to Silverleaf, a luxury gated community, after she suffered a terrible accident and husband Leo thinks this will
Keep her safe. One night she looks out of the window and sees a woman being murdered. But when she reports this, no one believes her as there is no sign of a disturbance. Ria is convinced what she saw is real and sets about proving this. Then she receives an anonymous video of another woman being murdered and quickly realises the woman is her.

I recently discovered Kathryn Croft’s books and have really enjoyed them, so was really excited to read this one with an intriguing mystery. This ended up being a really fun read, reading as a classic psychological thriller, with an unreliable narrator and plenty of red herrings and misdirection. I really enjoyed that it kept me guessing and there were quite a few enjoyable twists and turns, some that surprised me, others that I had some inkling of. Even though I found the story entertaining, I did find some parts quite far fetched and the story felt dragged out at times. Overall though, this was an engaging read, full of secrets and with a fun mystery to unpick. I look forward to reading more by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

[Mackenzie Busalacchi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ria and her husband just moved to the exclusive and highly secure Silverleaf Heights neighborhood. Despite its elite, upscale reputation, Ria constantly feels uncomfortable and out-of-place. She truly just wants to move back to her small but cozy city apartment. She doesn't need all the ritz and glamour. Then, one night, she witnesses a brutal murder; however, when she tries to get help, no one believes her. The situation is made more worrying when no body or evidence is found. Ria, already finding her surroundings unbearable, now struggles with thinking that she's going crazy. When she thinks things can't get worse, she begins receiving threatening texts.

I Know What I Saw is a fast-paced, very twisty thriller. As long as the reader is willing to suspend their disbelief, the book is quite enjoyable. With that said, the characters are all quite unlikable and extremely untrustworthy. I truly had no idea who to believe. The story is told through a dual timeline and with multiple POVs - all of which adds to the overall plot. The author does a great job setting the scene of Silverleaf Heights; I felt the eeriness of the neighborhood as if I was living there. I would recommend I Know What I Saw to anyone looking for an easy summer thriller.

[Michele Roden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ready for a rollercoaster? This book leaves you second-guessing yourself every inch of the way. Once you think you have everything figured out, you will soon realize it's not what you think at all.
Join Ria as she navigates her new life in a new house. You see, Ria suffered a terrible attack that left her not remembering much at all. She can not recall her attack or the person responsible; she has no memories leading up to the attack. The police have no leads at all to help catch the person who did this to her. Ria is getting to know her new neighbors and the surrounding areas, which has cameras everywhere for everyone's safety. The Subdivision only includes a very select few 5 houses all together. Every resident carefully selected, or were they?
Ria feels uneasy in the neighborhood once she see a woman getting strangled in her backyard, but no one seems to believe her, and there is no body. She's the only witness to the supposed murder. Camera's were watched but nothing found. Things quickly turn difficult for Ria when no one believes what she saw. Is Ria crazy? or is something more sinister going on.
Find out more when you read this awesome book!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kathryn Croft is one of my goes to authors so I was excited to receive a copy of her latest book ‘I know what you Saw’
A year ago, Ria suffered a traumatic attack which left her with memory loss. Present day Ria has moved into an inclusive gated community called Silverleaf Heights. Her husband Leo thinks that it will keep her safe.
One night she cannot sleep, she gets up and go the spare room where she leaves her art supplies. Whilst she does so, she looks out the window to witness and women being murdered. But, when she tries to tell someone about it, including her husband they don’t believe her as there is no evidence to back up her case. No body etc.
But later, she receives an anonymous text with a video of someone who is being murdered. Which turns out to be her!
I always look forward to a new book by Kathryn Croft, and I was fully engaged throughout this book and found it mysterious and intriguing. But, on the downside I found this to have so many plotlines in this that I felt it hard to catch up with. I found it so complicated than it needed to be. I also found the last few chapters a bit too farfetched to be fair. 3.5 stars from me.

[The.Book.Monster · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of an advanced free copy received from Netgalley, many thanks!


The premise of this book sounded really appealing to me, and probably is one of the more unique storylines I have ever read. That said, this book was kinda messy for me.

It started good and I was very invested from page one, there were a few mystery aspects to it, and I wanted to know more. As the story progressed though, the mysteries kept piling on, and not in a good way.

There are some aspects I liked, and there are some aspects I didn't like. As the rating would suggest. The main thing I needed more of was characters interacting with each other. And my least favourite thing about the story is the MC, she made some dumb decisions. I mean, literally face palm dumb. And I couldn't get over some of them. Thankfully she has some character development, and I appreciated that.

That being said, I did enjoy it to some extent, and wanted to know what the hell was happening. The ending was somewhat satisfying, and some things did surprise me. It's a good book to pick up on vacation, or as a no brainer. And if you like mysteries with a few plot lines and a lot of twists and turns.

[Emma F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ria and surgeon husband Leo have moved into a small gated community, made up of five houses. Ria was attacked a year ago, and though recovered she’s still taking her time away from her job, as primary school teacher, while she decides if that’s still what she wants to do. Suffering from insomnia one night she looks outside only to witness a murder. Somehow when she goes outside the body has gone. Leo and the neighbours don’t believe her blame the attack, suggesting it’s a hallucination or a flashback. Then things start to happen, she receives strange messages, neighbours exclude her. Ria begins to question herself, can she trust what she saw.

This is a thriller that kept me hooked. There is a sense of dread, confusion and a questioning of the narrative as told by Ria. It’s hard to know what, or who, to trust. The community is a creepy one, with cracks showing. Ria was an interesting, and at times frustrating, character. I was rooting for her to make sense of the events. Some of the other character were, purposefully, unlikeable. Overall I enjoyed this story.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would I want to live in Silverleaf Heights? No, thank you!
Ria and Leo move into their new home in Silverleaf. There are only five houses in the gated community, and each home owner has been carefully chosen.
Ria is recovering from being attacked at her flat in London, so this is meant to be a fresh start.
Ria has trouble sleeping, and one night, while she is looking out the window, she sees a woman being attacked, the killed. As she runs outside, there is no one there.
What is going on? How does someone just disappear into thin air?
As Ria starts to ask questions, the neighbours close ranks, telling Ria she must be suffering trauma after her accident.
I found the plot to be quite implausible. It just seemed to me that the author tried to pack in so many twists and turns.
The protagonist is just so annoying. No wonder the neighbours rebuffed her.
The rest of the characters didn't have any redeeming features either. How one person can have so much hold and control over everyone is mind-boggling.
A quick, easy read. Just go with the flow.
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the invitation to read this ARC in return for an honest review.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Know What I Saw by Kathryn Croft is a thoughtful thriller with an intriguing premise.

The central plot focuses on Ria and her husband Leo. After moving into an exclusive development, Ria witnesses what she believes to be the murder of a woman in her community. Yet with no clear evidence of an attack, and given difficulties in her past, persuading others that anything has happened proves challenging.

The premise is compelling, and the opening is particularly strong. Conflicting accounts from neighbours, alongside the introduction of unsettling WhatsApp messages, build tension effectively. Silverleaf Heights is an interesting community and provides an eerie backdrop for the unfolding events.

However, in several respects the plot and characterisation feel somewhat chaotic. There is an overabundance of deceptions, revelations and general activity between characters, which at times distracts from the central narrative and makes it harder to connect with Ria.

There are engaging moments throughout, and it works well as a holiday read.

[A Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shut the front door! Kathryn Croft has rendered me speechless with her latest psychological thriller I Know What I Saw. This dark and evil thriller is packed with twisted lies, deception, and gaslighting. There is no wanting for action as the entire story is layered with tension and suspense.

Ria is recovering from a traumatic event that left her memory compromised. When she sees a woman beaten and killed in her neighborhood one night, she rushes out to help. But she can't find the woman's body. Going neighbor to neighbor, she begs them to help her figure out the events of the night. Since no one believes her, including her own husband, Ria takes matters into her own hands.

This book was so deliciously dark and twisty I devoured it in one sitting. Having read all of Kathryn Croft's books, I can without doubt say this is my absolute favorite by her, and that's saying a lot because I enjoyed each one of her previous thrillers. Her writing, as always, is razor sharp and fast-paced and hard to put down.

Thanks to Netgalley and Headline for the advanced copy