I Know You Killed Your Husband: A completely gripping psychological thriller packed with suspense

by Steena Holmes

As we toast our champagne, Lyndy leans over and whispers six little words that change ‘I know you killed your husband.’

James and I were the perfect couple. He swept me off my feet, and after years of marriage, we still seemed totally in love. Then his sudden death destroyed everything. This girls’ trip to Paris with my best friends is my first chance to try and start again.

But at Lyndy’s words, my heart races in my chest. The police said my husband’s death was accidental. If Lyndy thinks I killed him… what else does she know?

I can’t believe my best friend would turn on me. After everything we’ve been through. Everything we covered up for her…

But the next morning, Lyndy is found dead in the hotel pool. And the letter shoved under the door to my suite makes my blood run

Now you’re free, liar.

320 pages, Paperback

Expected publication May 21, 2026

About the author

Steena Holmes is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with nearly 3 million copies of her titles sold worldwide, including The Patient, The Forgotten Ones, and Sister Under the Stairs.

Named in the Top 20 Women Author to Read by Good Housekeeping, she won the National Indie Excellence Award for her breakout novel Finding Emma and the USA Book News Award for The Word Game. Steena has been featured in various newspapers and magazines, websites such as Goodreads, BookBub, RedBook, Glamour, Coastal Living and Goodhousekeeping.

One of Steena's passions is to travel with her readers, so she created her Sweet Tours, where she shares her love for the sweet life with her readers, whether in Paris, Italy, or exploring Christmas Markets.
To learn more about her books and join her on the next Sweet Tour, visit her website at http://www.steenaholmes.com.
You can also find Steena on the web at:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorsteenaholmes
Facebook: SteenaHolmes.author

LIST OF HER NOVELS STARTING FROM MOST RECENT:

SHE TOOK MY BABY

THE GIRLS IN THE BASEMENT (follow up to The Sister Under the Stairs)

THE TWIN

ENGAGED TO A SERIAL KILLER

THE SISTER UNDER THE STAIRS

THE PATIENT

THE FORGOTTEN ONES

SAVING ABBY & ABBY'S JOURNEY

THE WORD GAME

Stillwater Bay Series:
Stillwater Shores
Stillwater Rising
Stillwater Tides
Stillwater Deep

The Memory Child & The Memory Journal

FINDING EMMA series:
Finding Emma
Dear Jack
Emma's Secret
Dottie's Memories
Megan's Hope

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

**review to come**

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨

The story centers around 4 lifelong friends who take a trip to Paris. One whispers to the other that she knows she killed her husband. By the morning that friend is dead.

I found this story overall to be just okay for me. I really enjoyed the Paris details in the story, but I felt a large portion of the story was the day trips around Paris and less about the whodunnit mystery. I prefer the tension to keep building throughout a mystery/thriller and the extra scenic details were interesting but for me resulted in uneven pacing. The twist really didn’t hit very hard. I kinda felt it was a bit easy to guess if you were paying attention throughout the story to the characters. Even though this was a okay read for me, you should definitely still give it a chance if you like mystery/thrillers as it might be a perfect fit for you.

Thank you to BookSparks, publisher, author, and Netgalley for providing the book for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Julie (JuJu) · Rating 4 out of 5]

📖 “I KNOW YOU KILLED YOUR HUSBAND” by Steena Holmes
3.75 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Confessions untangle like a loosely tied noose. Your past isn’t so secret anymore. One of you has already slipped. Who’s next?”

Thanks to the author and BookSparks for the #giftedARC via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Landing a spot on the ARC team for “I Know You Killed Your Husband” was so exciting. That cover is absolutely gorgeous. The premise had me reaching for my imaginary passport. We’re talking Paris, champagne, four besties, dead husbands, secrets piled higher than the Eiffel Tower, and one little whisper that sends everything spiraling: I know you killed your husband.

Is it rude? Oh, for sure. Does it work? Like a charm.

Olivia, Margo, Velissa, and Lyndy are on what’s supposed to be a glamorous girls’ trip in Paris, but let’s get real: this is less about croissants and more about who’s hiding the most dirt. These women know each other’s ugliest secrets, so friendship? I think that’s ancient history. Now they’re stuck together by bad decisions, and the kind of loyalty that feels one wrong sentence away from a police interview.

The prologue hooked me right away. An anonymous person is writing the first note to be secretly delivered, and the whole thing has that delicious “someone here is about to ruin everyone’s day" energy.

"The games have begun."

I was never fully convinced these four women liked each other enough to share a hotel room, let alone an entire vacation. I kept wondering if this trip was actually about friendship, survival, revenge, or just keeping everyone close enough to monitor their lies. No one felt trustworthy, which is exactly how I like my thriller characters: suspicious, stressed, and making questionable decisions while dressed nicely.

Olivia was my favorite. She’s the odd one out, never quite fitting into their glossy clique, which means she’s got a few morals left, maybe. Compared to the rest, she’s basically the group’s moral compass, even if it’s a little busted.

The pacing dragged more than I’d like, and I could have skipped half the Paris sightseeing. Yes, Paris is gorgeous, but I came for the secrets, not the travel brochure. Give me the lies, the cryptic notes, the poolside meltdowns, and the nonstop drama.

Still, this was a fun ride from an author I hadn’t read before, and I love stumbling onto new favorites. Steena Holmes serves up glitz, messy friendships, a shady death, and enough skeletons to make everyone look guilty.

And that twist? Did not see it coming. That’s always a win for my thriller-obsessed brain.
If you’re into domestic suspense, toxic friendships, girls' trips that go off the rails, and women who should never be trusted with secrets, “I Know You Killed Your Husband” is a juicy little trap you'll want to fall into.

#Bookouture

[Eunice Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went into I Know You Killed Your Husband by Steena Holmes expecting a tense, twisty thriller—and while it definitely has an interesting premise, my overall experience was a bit mixed.
First, I have to say I really appreciated the Paris setting. The first few chapters especially made me feel like I was traveling right alongside the characters. The descriptions of the city, the food, and the activities were vivid and immersive, which I enjoyed at the start.
That said, as the story went on, I felt like the focus leaned a little too heavily on those details. At times, it seemed like the scenery and day-to-day activities took over the narrative, which slowed the pacing down quite a bit. Because of that, the tension didn’t stay consistently high—it would build a little, then drop again—so the overall reading experience felt uneven. There were moments where I found myself getting a bit bored, which isn’t something I usually want from a mystery/thriller.
The plot itself is actually strong. The idea behind the story is intriguing, and there’s definitely potential for a gripping, suspenseful read. However, I personally felt that the suspense and “edge-of-your-seat” factor were a bit lacking. The buildup didn’t quite deliver the level of intensity I was hoping for.
As for the twist, it didn’t hit as hard as I expected. It’s something you might see coming early on, and even if you don’t fully predict it, the impact feels a little muted by the time it’s revealed.
Another thing I noticed is that the story tends to circle back to certain elements repeatedly. While this does connect to the main plot and themes, it can start to feel a bit repetitive after a while, which made the narrative drag in parts.
Overall, I’d say this is still worth picking up if you enjoy slower-paced thrillers with a strong sense of place and character dynamics. It may not be the most intense or fast-paced mystery out there, but it has an interesting concept and some solid ideas behind it.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Know You Killed Your Husband is exactly the kind of twist‑tightened, emotionally charged thriller that begins with a single whispered sentence and then unravels everything you thought you knew. It has that delicious blend of glamour and dread — a girls’ trip to Paris, champagne fizzing in glasses, old friendships rekindling — and then, with six quiet words, the floor drops away.

The narrator’s voice is wonderfully brittle, still cracked from grief, still trying to remember who she is without James. Paris should be a soft reset, a place to breathe again. Instead, Lyndy leans in with her accusation, and the novel shifts into something taut and claustrophobic. The question isn’t just why Lyndy thinks she killed her husband, but what else she might be holding over her — what old secrets are stirring beneath the surface of their friendship.

There’s a lovely, unsettling tension in the way the story plays with memory and loyalty. These women have history, the kind that binds and bruises in equal measure. The moment Lyndy is found dead in the hotel pool, the book takes on a darker, more propulsive energy. The letter slipped under the door — Now you’re free, liar — feels like a cold hand closing around the narrator’s throat. It’s intimate, taunting, and dripping with implication.

What the novel does so well is capture that creeping sense of being watched, of being judged, of past choices refusing to stay buried. Paris becomes a maze of suspicion and half‑truths, every friendship a potential betrayal, every memory a trapdoor. The glamour of the setting only sharpens the menace.

Taut, atmospheric, and laced with emotional bite, I Know You Killed Your Husband is a compulsive read about guilt, friendship, and the stories we tell to survive. It left me turning pages long after I should have been asleep, chasing the truth through the shadows of Paris.

With thanks to Steena Holmes, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scene In Service To Story. As It Should Be. With the exception of those tales where the scene is *intended* to *be* the story, scene should generally support the story of a tale and enhance it - and this book does that quite well. Yes, there are a lot of Parisian details. Holmes has been there a few times, loves it, and wanted to celebrate it in a tale - similar to so many other writers over the years, including her colleague in the Facebook group Readers Coffeehouse Kimberly Belle's 2024 release, The Paris Widow.

Here, what we actually get is a very dark, very twisty tale of college friends who both share some very dark secrets... and are keeping other equally dark secrets from each other. This is one of those tales where there are no angels... and yet there may be a few antiheroes, depending on one's perspective. There are aspects here that will be challenging for some readers, yet they primarily happen off screen and only the aftermath is really seen on screen at all - which can perhaps be all the more concerning for some. Yet Holmes works them with care, treading the line between hyper realism and preachiness quite well, never really veering into preachy - at least for me. Read the book for yourself and let us know what you thought of that wherever you see this review. :)

If you enjoy dark, twisty thrillers involving long time friends, you're going to enjoy this book. If you enjoy being transported to Paris via books, you're going to enjoy this book. It really does work well on both levels, even as the Parisian setting truly is in service to the story and never feels excessive or weighty at all. And if you enjoy books that are twisting until almost the very last word... yep, this is absolutely going to be your kind of book.

Very much recommended.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Know You Killed Your Husband are not words you want to hear after your husband accidentally died while vacationing in Amalfi. But Olivia’s friend,
Lyndy whispers them to her. Why would Lyndy say this?

4 college friends, who made a pact years ago, make a point of travelling every year for a girls trip. Olivia didn’t make the last Paris trip but she does join this time. A fifth friend, Cass, introduced to them by Lyndy wasn’t supposed to come for Olivia’s sake but was encouraged by some of the friends. She becomes a fly in the ointment, especially for Olivia.

The girlfriends have very different personalities, assuming different roles in the friend group.
They are usually good at presenting a calm outward facade. Olivia struggles. She was a bookshop owner prior to meeting her husband and she never quite fits in with the glamourous other women. But, she has an inner strength she needs to find.

When Lyndy is found dead in the pool, the friends all react differently. Mysterious notes start to arrive. The group decides Lyndy would want them to continue to sightsee and shop for Olivia’s sake. The reader goes along for the ride.

The tension builds as Olivia begins to unravel, the notes keep coming, Cass watches and waits.

I really enjoyed this story. The ending, like life, is a little unresolved but it makes sense.

Thank you NetGalley and BookOuture for the advanced readers copy. I leave this review voluntarily.

[Angel **Book Junkie**]

Thank you to NetGalley, Steena Holmes, and Bookouture for a copy of I Know You Killed Your Husband in exchange for an honest review.

Let me just say… this was a did not finish for me, and I don’t say that lightly. I tried. I really did. But somewhere along the way, I realized I was reading out of obligation, not enjoyment—and that’s never a good sign.

The biggest issue? The characters. Every single one of them felt like someone I’d cross the street to avoid. I didn’t connect, didn’t care, and definitely didn’t feel invested in what happened to them. And in a thriller, that’s kind of the whole point—you need at least one person to root for, or at the very least, love to hate.

There was also this odd vibe running through the book that I can’t quite pin down. Not quirky in a fun way… more like “something feels off but I don’t know why I’m still here.” It just never clicked for me, and the further I got, the more disconnected I felt.

That said, just because it didn’t work for me doesn’t mean it won’t work for you. Every reader has their taste, and this one just wasn’t mine.

Final verdict: Sometimes it’s not a bad book—it’s just not your book. And this one and I? We were never going to be friends.

[Angel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way Bookouture always has the perfect book for me is almost eerie. When I see an email from them I always know I am in for a great story. This was definitely true of I Know You Killed Your Husband! Thank you for giving me the chance to read and review the advance copy.

𝙈𝛄 2 ¢𝓮𝞰𝒕𝐬: Chillingly Fantastic

This is my second read from the author and I am definitely going to continue watching for more.

I have never so enjoyed being so unsure of someone’s character in my life! This book managed to simultaneously make me long for a friend group as strong as the one among these ladies and rejoice that I don’t have one. The characters are both charming and repellent in turns.

I couldn’t figure out who to trust right up until the moment the truth became clear and then author Steena Holmes delivered on even more twists.

The theme of friendship and non-familial are so strong, as are feminine rag and moral ambiguity, on every page of this book.

It’s also interesting that I’ve never been interested in visiting Paris, but this sort of makes me want to go!

I 100% recommend this book for fans of psychological thrillers, who love secrets, mysteries, and complex relationships. I loved it!

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Description
"As we toast our champagne, Lyndy leans over and whispers six little words that change everything: ‘I know you killed your husband.’James and I were the perfect couple. He swept me off my feet, and after years of marriage, we still seemed totally in love. Then his sudden death destroyed everything. This girls’ trip to Paris with my best friends is my first chance to try and start again.But at Lyndy’s words, my heart races in my chest. The police said my husband’s death was accidental. If Lyndy thinks I killed him… what else does she know?I can’t believe my best friend would turn on me. After everything we’ve been through. Everything we covered up for her…But the next morning, Lyndy is found dead in the hotel pool. And the letter shoved under the door to my suite makes my blood run cold:"

Everyone has secrets. Everyone hides the truth. How loyal are your friends? Not sure if want to hang with these girls. But they did make for a good psychological thriller. Fast paced page Turner.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Get your copy on the expected release date May 21 2026

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sooo - here's something interesting: Twisty plot, five women in all, none of whom can be trusted, all with massive secrets, and Paris. Lyndy lets slip to Olivia, a recent widow, that she knows she killed her husband, then turns up dead herself the next morning. Coincidence?

Then, we're off to the races. Olivia is skittish, paranoid, and desperate to avoid Cass, her late husband's fling, who has magically shown up in Paris after Lyndy's tragic death. Cass is an evil mastermind who of course has a whopper of a secret (they all do) and is not going away. Velissa and Margo have secrets, too. Of course, a pact is involved. Of course, chocolate and shopping are involved.

This has many of the makings of a taut thriller. Alas, the author has a liberal hand with the similes, and it got to be ridiculous after a while. The coffee tasted like regret....the scarf lay languidly like a mermaid on a rock (please note I am making these up for dramatic effect)....it was like the time a dozen clowns serenaded my neighbor....and so on. Way too much; hence, I knocked off a star.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Andria Lambert · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story starts when lifelong friends take a trip to Paris together. While there Lyndy whispers to Olivia that she knows that Olivia killed her husband, the next thing that happens is Lyndy is found in the hotel pool dead, supposedly of an "accident." Then Olivia finds a note saying that "now you're free liar." This is the story of friends that made a vow or bond that they would protect one another and one another's secrets no matter what. They made this vow back in 1999 when they were in school. Now years later, the problem comes when secrets start to be revealed. Who do you trust and what will you do to someone to make sure the secrets are not revealed. They all have secrets, dangerous secrets including murders. The story is told by different POV's along with some present day and past day timelines. I thought it was a pretty fast read. It all comes down to Confessions are contagious, once one starts to unravel who may be next? Secrets never stayed buried! I liked the story and and will be looking to read some more by the author. Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the complimentary copy of the story.

[Betty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this one. The premise immediately pulled me in—Paris, old friends, secrets, dead husbands, and plenty of tension simmering beneath the surface. It definitely gave me that “everyone is hiding something” feeling from the start.

For me, though, the story felt more focused on sightseeing and conversations than the actual mystery. The pacing was slower than I expected, and it took quite a while before I felt fully invested.

That said, the atmosphere was strong. Paris added a glamorous but uneasy backdrop, and I did enjoy the messy friendships, buried secrets, and constant feeling that no one could really be trusted.

Overall, this ended up being more of a slow-burn domestic suspense read for me than an edge-of-your-seat thriller. While it didn’t completely work for me personally, readers who enjoy character-driven mysteries with a strong sense of place may enjoy the ride more than I did.

[Barbara Powell · Rating 3 out of 5]

A group of women travels to Paris. They've known each other since college and have been holding onto secrets since then, little do they know that they're each hiding even more secrets now.
I have mixed feelings about this one because the location was fab-the description of the city and the food and whatnot made it feel so immersive but the characters were hard to root forthe pacing was kind of up and down as well which kind of took me out of the story. That being said, the story line itself I enjoyed because the plot itself was strong. And the idea behind it is interesting. It just needed a bit more oomph to get you to the edge of your seat factor that you hope for in a thriller.
Was it predictable? Yes. But I would still recommend it as one worth reading.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

[Angela Michaels · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fantastic.

I went in with low expectations and frankly it’s because i didn’t like the cover of the book.

Once i started reading, i couldn’t put it down. While every character was flawed, they all had enough humanity to still like something about them and root for each one in one way or another.

While i guessed one twist/reveal when i was about a third of the way through the book, the other major reveal i did not, and was trying to figure out as i read.

For those who need background and depth in their suspense novels, this story provides you that.

There is room for a sequel, and i hope the author will write us one.

Thank you so much to Steena Holmes, Bookouture, and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[A Lane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Know You Killed Your Husband is a fast paced, twisty psychological thriller set in Paris. This roller-coaster ride kept me hooked all the way through.

Four friends on a fabulous trip to Paris. What could go wrong? Turns out when you all have dark secrets, plenty can and does.

I absolutely loved the beautiful Paris scenes. The details were very vivid, giving the reader the feeling of actually being there. As for the group of friends, the old saying of with friends like these..... could certainly apply with this group. How they stayed friends for all these years is beyond me. The premise of the story had me intrigued, and the pacing kept me reading.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the advanced copy

[V · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about 4 friends who visited Paris. One evening, the one friend whispers to the other, “I know you killed your husband” — the next morning, that friend is dead.

I feel like this book was a bit of a let down. I was hoping for more twists and turns, but it wasn’t really giving. Maybe I’m not used to reading this type of mystery, but it felt a bit drawn out and didn’t pack a punch. I did appreciate the location, which was Paris, and I enjoyed reading about the stops they made. The sprinkles of French phrases throughout was a nice added touch (I got to test my French reading skillz lolz).

Thank you Booksparks and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this e-arc!

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Bookouture, for providing the copy of I Know You Killed Your Husband by Steena Holmes. I really wanted to love this book, but somehow the characters weren’t interesting enough for me to care about them. They all had secrets, and I liked learning more about their pasts and why they were still friends, but somehow they came off as being banal. I loved the Paris setting, and it made me want to eat a box of chocolates! I also enjoyed the story and the ending was a surprise! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

[Christine M in Texas (stamperlady50) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Know You Killed Your Husband
By: Steena Holmes
Pub Date: May 21, 2026
Publisher: Bookouture

My first book by the author. I loved the premise of the title and secrets throughout the story.

Friendships are tested, and secrets are revealed. Whom can you trust if you can’t trust friends you have known for along time.

A vacation in Paris is supposed to be a nice break, but when someone close turns on you, all heck breaks lose, not to mention the death of a friend and a cryptic note has you guessing what happened.

[Beth Moylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced murder mystery. There are 5 friends that have many secrets that they made a pact to never tell anyone. Can they be trusted not to tell anyone. They all go to Paris where the secrets finally come out. You will not believe how twisted these secrets can get and the outcome that will happen. You will not want to put this down until you find out all the secrets. Very enjoyable! Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Kim Wilch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The setup hooked me immediately: four lifelong friends in Paris, one chilling accusation, and a dead body by morning. I loved the glamorous Paris atmosphere and all the messy, toxic friendship drama. None of these women seemed trustworthy, which made the whole thing deliciously suspicious. The pacing dragged a bit at times with all the sightseeing (and who does that with your friend freshly dead?), but it was entertaining, packed with secrets, lies, and enough tension to keep me scrolling.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four friends travel together and are very close.
Their pacts are legendary but what happens when their secrets they’ve kept from each other surface??
I was kept guessing about which person knew what and had done what.
I loved the location of Paris.
The loyalty among the women was solid but even cracks always exist.
Sometime the devil we know is better than the devil we don’t….
Thanks Bookouture and NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow so these are some seriously messed up friends and everyone is keeping secrets and telling lies. When a chance conversation sends one friend spiralling and another one is found dead can anyone trust each other. Maybe these friends are not as close as they like to think and maybe some secrets won’t stay buried! A crazy thriller about secrets that bind us but can also break us. Trust no one!

[LaWanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like fast paced mysteries, give this one a try. This is well written with no errors that I could find. The characters felt real and were very different from each other. I enjoyed my time reading this book.
I received this as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

[Britney Ireland · Rating 4 out of 5]

I Know You Killed Your Husband was a 4 star read for me. I loved the characters and all the storylines for each one! It was definitely mysteries! The author has you wondering the whole time who killed one of the friends and you get to hear each one’s story.

I highly recommend! Thank you #NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of this book.

[Julia Richardson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A group of friends is traveling to Paris. Every woman has secrets, and these will be revealed. Lives have ended, lives have altered. This is a story that had great promise, but I just found I didn’t care for any of the characters or their stories. I’m usually a fan of the author’s books, but this one just didn’t resonate with me.

[Suzan Larson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Steena never disappoints! This was an amazing story set in Paris! 4 women with many secrets and someone may know them. How far are they willing to go to keep them! Many twists in this one. The descriptions of Paris are a charecter all on their own and are woven seamlessly into the story. There is so much packed into this one, it’s a definite must read!

[Denise Little · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another mysterious thriller from Steena Holmes! On a girls trip to Paris one friend whispers to the other, “I know you killed your husband.” The next day, that friend is found dead.

This was a suspenseful thriller filled with lots of secrets and toxic friendships.

Release date May 22, 2026

[Georgie · Rating 2 out of 5]

AN ADVANCED DIGITAL COPY FOR AN HONEST REVIEW BEFORE BEING PUBLISHED.

Really struggled to completed this book as I didn’t find that it grabbed my attention.

[Murphy Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a free copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

I enjoyed this story line. The ending was quite predictable.