As Far as She Knew

by Diana Awad, Mindy Kaling (Introduction)

A devoted wife and mother unravels her late husband’s secret life in an emotional and suspenseful novel about betrayal, lies, love, and loss.

For twenty-three years, Amira Abadi believed she had a strong, loving marriage. But when her husband, Ali, dies suddenly, that certainty shatters with the discovery of a house she never knew existed. As whispers of betrayal spread through their tight-knit Arab American community, Amira refuses to let others define her husband’s legacy—or her path forward.

Diving into an investigation of Ali’s final days, Amira uncovers decades-old secrets that challenge everything she thought she knew. With her children struggling to process their father’s death, Amira must balance protecting her family with pursuing the truth, even as each revelation brings her closer to danger.

As Amira peels back layers of lies, she discovers that the greatest mystery isn’t what her husband was hiding—it’s how far she’ll go to uncover the truth.

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Suspense, Contemporary

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 2026

About the author

Diana Awad is an Arab-American author who published her debut thriller novel, As Far As She Knew, in 2026.
Awad grew up all over the world as the daughter of a United States Foreign Service Officer. After college, she became a local television journalist and often covered stories about violent crimes and mysterious disappearances. She eventually decided to write her own stories with unexpected endings.

Diana also writes historical romance as Diana Quincy and historical mysteries as D.M. Quincy. She is now happily settled in Virginia but still gets the itch to explore far-off places. When she's not bent over her laptop, Diana reads, devours streaming thriller series, and plots her next travel adventure.

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man, that dragged on and on. I liked the characters, the plot was okay. But sheesh, it took FOREVER for the author to get to the point.

[Kacey Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Far As She Knew by Diana Awad is one of those psychological thrillers that quietly pulls you in—and then refuses to let you go.

This story is layered with tension, secrets, and the kind of emotional depth that makes you question every character’s motives. Just when I thought I had things figured out, another twist shifted everything. The pacing was steady but intense, building suspense in a way that felt natural rather than forced.

What really stood out to me was how human the characters felt. The fear, the doubt, the guilt—it all felt believable. Awad does an incredible job exploring how far someone will go to protect the life they believe they know… and what happens when that reality begins to unravel.

If you love domestic suspense with psychological depth and twists that actually surprise you, this one is absolutely worth the read.

Highly recommend for thriller lovers!

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amira gets the dreaded knock at the door to find out her husband has died in a car accident. She has two college age children and she goes numb. As a 1st generation Muslim American, the couple follows their heritage, more for their families. This is a large part of the story and I enjoyed learning about the culture and how the characters handle the history and the future.

This book is a great reminder that we won’t live forever and people will find our secrets after we are gone. They won’t have the context from you so you can send your loved ones down rabbit holes very quickly. I enjoyed the suspense, the character relationships, and Amira being forced through circumstances to question her past and shape her future. A great domestic thriller that I didn’t want to put down!

[Natasha Hinkson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good premise with some well defined characters, but the execution could have been stronger.

For one the tension wasn’t strong enough and there was quite a but of repetition with the foreshadowing particularly as it related to the daughter and the suspicion being cast on the cousin.

Amira’s husband Ali dies and she uncovers some secrets he’s been hiding for unknown reasons and begins to suspect deep betrayals. Together with her sister and her husbands cousin she tries to uncover the truth while simultaneously sheltering her two children from the details as she discovers them in an effort to protect her dead husbands reputation.

I like that the book was relatable, and that many parts of the storyline were not far fetched. I liked the exploration of the Muslims who have be one Americanised theme was brought into the story including how it impacts marriages and child upbringing.

I didnt lime how fixated Amira was on ex girlfriends and how insecure it made her seem as a grown woman of supposed maturity. I also didn’t like how their love story didn’t seem to progress past this as we did the backward and forward in time.

Overall a great book premise but lacking in story execution. Not enough tension built, and very linear progression that felt a bit formulatic.

[K. East · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike some reviewers, I found the story quite compelling. The discovered secrets from the past were just different enough to keep me flipping pages to find out what the real link was between Ali and Lizzie. I was glad it wasn't just another secret affair. Amira's persistence felt obsessive at one point in the story, but given the nature of marriages in her culture and her bewilderment about Ari's actions, I accepted her drive to find out the truth. As the story closed, I felt it became a very sad tale because of the deception played on Ari by Lizzie's family. Amira and Ari were so much in love and had decades left to enjoy together until his accident. I was also glad to see the author didn't feel compelled to neatly tie up Amira's love life with a new man when her husband had been gone for only a short while. I really prefer that any romance looks more like real life than a fairy tale.

[Bo.reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

As Far As She Knew is a steady-building, emotionally layered domestic thriller that slowly pulls you into a story about secrets, grief, and how well we really know our other halves.

After her husband’s sudden death, Amira is forced to confront a secret life he kept hidden from her. Grief-stricken, her journey soon turns to suspicion when she discovers he owned a house she never knew about, leading her to dig deeper into the truth about his final days.

It’s the kind of story that makes you wonder how you’d handle a situation like this if everything you thought you knew was a lie. I liked how driven Amira was in her search for answers, especially as she struggles with an emotional tug-of-war, trying to reconcile the man she loved with the truths she uncovers.

The novel also explores themes of family and cultural expectations within a first-generation Arab American community, especially when it comes to marriage, adding an extra layer of complexity that I don’t often see in domestic suspense focused on fractured marriages.

While I found the pacing a little slow and the ending reveals weren’t entirely surprising, the layered plot and complexity kept me engaged as the pieces came together.

I think this would appeal to fans of steady-paced, character-driven domestic suspense that asks how well you know the people closest to you and who exactly you married.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mindy's Book Studio for the ARC in exchange for my feedback.

[Nairi · Rating 2 out of 5]

genuinely why did I read this - 2 stars only because some of the characters were compelling, other than that there was nothing good about this book, the plot was weird, the writing wasn't my favorite, I could see everything from miles away, and there was no suspense at all

[Justine · Rating 3 out of 5]

four stars as a family drama/coming-to-terms-with-loss novel, but two stars at best as a thriller/suspense. although i will say


****MASSIVE SPOILER AHEAD****







it was kind of a relief that the husband WASN’T an asshole for a change

[Hannah]

The premise of this book was promising but I couldn’t finish it. The main character was driving me nuts and the story was dragging on. Plus it was getting really repetitive. I had already listened to one hundred pages and nothing was happening.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story gave a glimpse into a world I knew very little of. Just a glimpse. It's a fairly familiar plot: husband dies suddenly and the widow discovers he had a secret, that there is a part of his life he didn't share with her. She's always known him to be a kind and gentle man, a loving husband, a wonderful father. But what if all her memories are carefully constructed lies? What if he had a whole other life? What if he loved another woman more than he loved her? She's determined to investigate until she finds out the whole truth. We've read this story before, right? NO. We haven't. This one is different. The narrator is a Muslim wife. Her parents and her husband's parents basically arranged their marriage. They weren't forced marry, but it was heavily encouraged. His parents wanted to end an inappropriate relationship with a blonde named Lizzie. And Amira's parents had never allowed her a single date before. She was ready to accept what her parents wanted. So was he. But she fell deeply in love with the spouse her parents chose. And she thought he did the same. Now she is not sure. So well written - I wanted to know to know what her husband was up to almost as much as Amira did. She hated Lizzie, I did, too. I even worried about her kids away at college right along with her. A thoroughly satisfying family story/mystery with a neat twist at the end.

[Jacquelin Stoner · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay story but a little too wordy

Was fascinated by the cultural aspects of it but after a while it got to be rather Was fascinated by the cultural aspects of it but after a while it got to be rather redundant And seemed to go slower and slower and slower

[Debbie Macdonald · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth reading!

This book is pointless. The main character is unlikeable and is portrayed as if she’s an 11 year old girl talking about a boy she fancies instead of a fully grown woman talking about her husband.

I didn’t enjoy this book at all.

[Katia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟 Uff! This book was so entertaining and fast-paced—an absolute joy to read.

From the very beginning, it grabs your attention and pulls you into an intriguing story that keeps you guessing. It makes you doubt everyone and feel the same urgency as Amira in her search for the truth. I was completely invested—I couldn’t stop reading, flipping pages like a detective trying to crack the case.

I had a blast. There were a few twists I didn’t see coming, and the character I thought was the shadiest turned out not to be a bad guy at all—lol.

I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the ending, but it felt realistic given the justice system we have. And I have to say, the romance element was surprisingly… romantic. ❤️‍🔥

I also really appreciated how the book portrayed the evolution of friendships and relationships over time—through marriage, kids, and shifting family dynamics. It felt honest and relatable. My favorite quote:

“I was learning that maybe friendships, even the longest and deepest ones, had a season, and ours had come to an end.”

Overall, this book was absolutely worth my time. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to Amazon for providing me with the ARC.

[☆Danielle☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

ugh i’m so sad i didn’t like this one more😭

it was just so repetitive, a phrase would be mentioned on one page and then on the very next page, it’d be repeated again!

all the jealousy/ex girlfriend talk was so annoying, and mentioned way too often

and i’m sorry but i thought all the talk about their sex lives was so unnecessary😭once again, mentioned way too often

i would be interested in reading from this author again, because i thought this was incredibly solid but just not my favorite.

[Tonya · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Far As She knew: a page turner

Immediately captivated by a story I was not able to put this book down until I finished it. Long after I finished the last page, the main character sits with me. Her journey resonates with my own - specifically her role as a wife, mom, and also as a woman who goes straight from her parent’s house to be married.
The plot twist really had me guessing!

I love our main character, Amira… her friends and family and culture wrapped me up into her world. The writing is impeccable.
Definitely a highly recommended read- mystery and suspense!

[Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent mystery/suspense novel that makes you think, keeps you guessing, and will absolutely have you staying up late to read! I really liked Amira. She’s so formidable in the face of tragedy. The dual timelines were well done and easy to follow, and the story unfolded so wonderfully.

[Michele Springer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the plot of this book but the execution fell flat for me. The writing style was a bit bland and didn’t build a ton of suspense.

Amira’s world is shattered when she learns that her husband of 23 years, Ali, has died in a car accident. Ali’s death leaves Amira heartbroken and lonely and also saddles her with a lot of responsibility - including all the household finances - that she had previously been happy to let him manage. This is how she learns that Ali had purchased a second house in another state that he left to his ex-girlfriend when he died. Naturally, this sends Amira into a spiral that only gets worse when she learns that detectives are looking into Ali’s death as suspicious. She begins to feel like she didn’t know her husband and all and is determined to figure out exactly what he was up to before he died.

Again, an interesting story but overall I wasn’t very invested.

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cleverly layered and suspenseful story featuring deception, layered secrets and loss.

'For twenty-three years, Amira Abadi believed she had a strong, loving marriage. But when her husband, Ali, dies suddenly, that certainty shatters with the discovery of a house she never knew existed. As whispers of betrayal spread through their tight-knit Arab American community, Amira refuses to let others define her husband’s legacy—or her path forward.'

I enjoyed this as an immersive read, listening to the audiobook while following along on the ebook. I personally love to read stories like this (when possible) and found the narration by Lameece Issaq worked brilliantly for the characters and the story.

This was an enjoyable and mysterious debut novel. I am looking forward to reading what is next from Diana Awad.

[Hot Mess Book Lover · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Far as She Knew was a captivating read from start to finish. Diana Awad crafts richly layered characters who feel authentic and emotionally raw. As the story unfolds, it explores grief, anger, and every complicated emotion in between, pulling at your heartstrings in the best way.

There were moments that had me rapidly turning the pages, needing to know what would happen next. And that twist? 😱

Put on your detective hat and prepare to uncover the truth alongside Amira. This one will keep you guessing.

[Jodie Lowery · Rating 2 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

“My husband died on a cold summer night.
Later, when I discovered the truth, and the haze of shock and disbelief melted away, I wished he were alive so I could kill him”.

After the first few sentences, I was thinking, ohhh this is going to be interesting! I was sadly disappointed. I think the story/plot had a good vibe… wife finds out her husband had a secret after he dies, she sets out to get to the bottom of it…I genuinely wanted to know what the heck was going on….but holy moly was this book slow. I will say, it picked up a bit about the last 15%. I think this book had a lot of potential, just didn’t quite get there for me.

[Anika (Encyclopedia BritAnika) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.65 🌟

I enjoy a mystery that unravels when a husband dies and you’re like omg did I even know this man? Very specific I know but it’s a good genre. What this book brought that was new was a woman a bit farther in the marriage and family journey - the kids are late teens/ early twenties - and a Palestinian perspective. I LOVED the cultural pieces that were woven into this - the police treating you like you’re strange and foreign, the expectations of the culture about your husband and your role in the marriage - that all hit so well. What irritated me- I, as an attorney, am always itchy when a suspect or even sort of suspect talks to the police without a lawyer and this woman had a lawyer who begged her to stop talking to the police without him and she just… kept doing it. I was really yelling at her like WHAT ARE YOU DOING. If I could have reached in to the book to shake her, I would have. She didn’t make great decisions but she was also actively grieving. And I think Awad has a good perspective on this grief as she recently lost her husband.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced review copy. As Far As She Knew is out April 1 but you can get it now through Mindy’s first reads on Amazon.

[Bookaholic__Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as she knew is a domestic thriller about a woman whose husband dies and leaves her with more questions than answers. It turns out that not only did he have a secret life but he was harboring a huge secret for the decades!

Cultural expectations, betrayal and grief are some of the key elements within this story.

As far as she knew is definitely a slow burn, and I'm starting to think that I just don't enjoy that sort of pacing as much. Don't get me wrong the story is good but man it felt like forever before anything big happens.

Once the secrets start unraveling it's really an interesting story but it does take some time to get to the big "Ah-ha moments"

I received a copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Sharon Leff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets Beget More Secrets…

Told in present day with alternating flashback chapters, a wife reflects on how her husband died only to learn while still grieving that he had somehow set up an account for a mortgage on a house she knew nothing about.

Doubts, insecurities, and fears haunt her as she remembers the woman before her, her husband’s other love. Detectives investigating her husband’s accident discover suspicious circumstances, and the plot accelerates.

If we did not like the wife and ultimately her husband too, we would not become as invested. However, the two are likable and admirable, and so we cannot help to want to learn the truth.

[Jesslyn Bacon · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ You know that tik tok audio trend that’s like “Talented, brilliant, amazing, show stopping, totally unique…”

That’s exactly how I’d describe this thriller. Heart-stopping twists and unique characters. On a whim, I chose it as my Amazon first reads freebie and I’m so glad I did! This book grabs you and refuses to let you go! Even up to the final chapters, I never one figured out the twists. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I’m so excited to see what everyone else says when it publishes next month!

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

"As Far as She Knew" is a novel about marriage, secrets, and identity that will leaves the Amira questioning how well she knows those closest to her. Overall, a good story. Ms. Awad kept me turning pages until just about the end. The ending fell really short for me.

[Jamie Gillespie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost listened to this entire book in one day while cleaning my house & cooking! To say it was a good book is an understatement. The twists and turns and mystery of it all had me from the beginning. Highly recommend!

[Sandybfl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great!

This was a great book, I highly recommend! I read it fast because I couldn't put it down! Lots of twists and turns.

[Beth Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a twisty fun read. Not my usual book but I needed an escape. Figuring out what happened and why kept me reading through the night.

[Rosemarie Petri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story.

I enjoyed the story. Sad but great ending. I wanted to keep reading as much as Amira wanted to keep looking for the truth.

[Belkys · Rating 5 out of 5]

At every turn!!

This book is impossible to put down. And if you manage to actually put it down you are thinking about it!! Excellent writing and keeps you looking for the next page to finally discover what happened. Loved and looking forward to reading more Diana Awad books!!