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You Can Never Tell
Perfect for fans of Melanie Golding and Joshilyn Jackson, Sarah Warburton's chilling thriller inspired by the Moors Murder, explores the twisted side of suburbia.
Framed for embezzlement by her best friend Aimee, museum curator Kacy Tremain and her husband Michael move from New Jersey to a charming Texas suburb to escape their past. Kacy quickly makes new friends--preppy, inscrutable Elizabeth, chatty yet evasive Rahmia, and red-headed, unapologetic Lena. But good friends aren't always what they seem.
As she navigates the unexpectedly cutthroat social scene of her new town, Kacy begins to receive taunting postcards--and worse, discovers cameras hidden in the wall of her home. Lena and her husband, Brady, reassure her that the cameras are just relics of the paranoid previous homeowner . Once the cameras are removed and Kacy's fears are quelled, Kacy and Michael make the happy discovery that they are going to be new parents.
Months after the birth of their daughter, Michael accidentally makes a shocking discovery about Brady's past. And when Lena suddenly goes missing, Kacy and Michael begin to uncover the truth about their neighbors--and it's more terrible than anyone could have imagined.
Interlaced with transcripts of a chilling true crime podcast that follow the tangled threads of the drama, You Can Never Tell is a taut and complex psychological thriller that never lets up until its breathless conclusion.
Framed for embezzlement by her best friend Aimee, museum curator Kacy Tremain and her husband Michael move from New Jersey to a charming Texas suburb to escape their past. Kacy quickly makes new friends--preppy, inscrutable Elizabeth, chatty yet evasive Rahmia, and red-headed, unapologetic Lena. But good friends aren't always what they seem.
As she navigates the unexpectedly cutthroat social scene of her new town, Kacy begins to receive taunting postcards--and worse, discovers cameras hidden in the wall of her home. Lena and her husband, Brady, reassure her that the cameras are just relics of the paranoid previous homeowner . Once the cameras are removed and Kacy's fears are quelled, Kacy and Michael make the happy discovery that they are going to be new parents.
Months after the birth of their daughter, Michael accidentally makes a shocking discovery about Brady's past. And when Lena suddenly goes missing, Kacy and Michael begin to uncover the truth about their neighbors--and it's more terrible than anyone could have imagined.
Interlaced with transcripts of a chilling true crime podcast that follow the tangled threads of the drama, You Can Never Tell is a taut and complex psychological thriller that never lets up until its breathless conclusion.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2021
63 people are currently reading
5412 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Warburton
106 books13 followersSarah Warburton grew up in North Wales. She studied illustration at the University of the West of England, in Bristol, and hasn’t looked back since. She has created many books and illustrated the Rumblewick series, which has sold worldwide. Sarah Warburton lives in England with her husband, two children, and a grumpy guinea pig.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 299 reviews
November 14, 2021
Slow burn start embellished with delicious, heart pounding true crime podcast transcripts, taking a quick turn, fastening up its pace and giving you enough chills to glue your face to your e-reader! Yes, it was one of my greatest reads!
The book starts with Kacy and Michael- a married couple’s moving from Jersey to Texas for fresh start after Kacy’s so called, despicable best friend’s betrayal by putting blame on her for the bedazzlement at the North Atlantic Museum.
Kacy is still angry and wounded for losing everything she’s worked for including her reputation. But thankfully she finds herself a great place to improve her skills, attending Bluebonnet Society which is an association consisted of group of women specializing to host fundraising events and impressive origamis.
Nearly the half of the book continues like this till the juicy parts start ( yes, I’m talking about brutal murders)! Michael might be involved in. But he must be innocent until proven guilty, right? From the beginning, we root for him as loyal, understanding husband!
Second half of the book was more interesting, quickly captured my attention. Normally I am not so patient about too slow burn premises but the character development was impressive from the beginning and I quickly connected with Kacy. She was tough, strong, fighter, never a whiner, annoying woman. I rooted for her as like I did for Michael and kept ready to learn what was gonna happen to this struggling couple. The book kept my curiosity intact.
Podcast parts were also interesting but at some parts I wanted those hosts’ interludes stop a little so we can read the events by Kacy and Michael’s perspectives.
Overall: even the identity of the perpetrator was foreseeable, it was still gripping, riveting, well crafted, exciting murder mystery with layered, connectable, realistic characterization.
The publishers sent me this arc in the morning and I just devoured it in few hours.
It truly earned my four intriguing, murder mystery, crime podcast stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
The book starts with Kacy and Michael- a married couple’s moving from Jersey to Texas for fresh start after Kacy’s so called, despicable best friend’s betrayal by putting blame on her for the bedazzlement at the North Atlantic Museum.
Kacy is still angry and wounded for losing everything she’s worked for including her reputation. But thankfully she finds herself a great place to improve her skills, attending Bluebonnet Society which is an association consisted of group of women specializing to host fundraising events and impressive origamis.
Nearly the half of the book continues like this till the juicy parts start ( yes, I’m talking about brutal murders)! Michael might be involved in. But he must be innocent until proven guilty, right? From the beginning, we root for him as loyal, understanding husband!
Second half of the book was more interesting, quickly captured my attention. Normally I am not so patient about too slow burn premises but the character development was impressive from the beginning and I quickly connected with Kacy. She was tough, strong, fighter, never a whiner, annoying woman. I rooted for her as like I did for Michael and kept ready to learn what was gonna happen to this struggling couple. The book kept my curiosity intact.
Podcast parts were also interesting but at some parts I wanted those hosts’ interludes stop a little so we can read the events by Kacy and Michael’s perspectives.
Overall: even the identity of the perpetrator was foreseeable, it was still gripping, riveting, well crafted, exciting murder mystery with layered, connectable, realistic characterization.
The publishers sent me this arc in the morning and I just devoured it in few hours.
It truly earned my four intriguing, murder mystery, crime podcast stars!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.
August 18, 2021
Honest disclosure--I may be suffering from thriller burnout. I absolutely adore a good mystery, and although this book kept me interested throughout, I was missing a really good twist or something to make it stand out above everything else in the genre.
Kacy Tremain and her husband Michael were living a great life in New Jersey until Kacy's best friend and co-worker Aimee frames her for embezzlement. Without enough evidence to convict her, Kacy is blackballed from the industry and she and Michael move to Texas to start over. Kacy is depressed, but is able to connect with a couple of women in her new subdivision, particularly her next-door neighbor Lena. The two become very close and along with their husbands, become an inseparable group. That is, until one night Michael comes home from spending time with Brady and they head straight to the police station--Michael accusing Brady of murder. Who can be trusted?
I felt like there were so many opportunities to give this book the twists it needed to be unique and memorable and it fell short every time. It's mostly just a straightforward book and we never find out the motivations behind either of the "bad guys" despite Kacy being desperate to know (me too Kacy, me too). I realize that in real life we usually don't get to know why evil people do the things they do, but a novel has the opportunity to make that clear for the reader to give closure and satisfaction and this one didn't do that. The opening prologue basically gives away the entire plot, I just kept waiting for something else and it never happened.
I loved the crime podcast parts of the book, they gave some interesting flavor to the story, but again, they just didn't go far enough. I listened to this book as an audiobook and the narrator Jorjeana Marie does a great job, especially with the podcast. I found it entertaining to listen to and it definitely kept me interested throughout.
Overall, this is a good domestic suspense, it just doesn't have many surprises. If you like a book with a fictionalized true crime aspect, this might appeal.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Kacy Tremain and her husband Michael were living a great life in New Jersey until Kacy's best friend and co-worker Aimee frames her for embezzlement. Without enough evidence to convict her, Kacy is blackballed from the industry and she and Michael move to Texas to start over. Kacy is depressed, but is able to connect with a couple of women in her new subdivision, particularly her next-door neighbor Lena. The two become very close and along with their husbands, become an inseparable group. That is, until one night Michael comes home from spending time with Brady and they head straight to the police station--Michael accusing Brady of murder. Who can be trusted?
I felt like there were so many opportunities to give this book the twists it needed to be unique and memorable and it fell short every time. It's mostly just a straightforward book and we never find out the motivations behind either of the "bad guys" despite Kacy being desperate to know (me too Kacy, me too). I realize that in real life we usually don't get to know why evil people do the things they do, but a novel has the opportunity to make that clear for the reader to give closure and satisfaction and this one didn't do that. The opening prologue basically gives away the entire plot, I just kept waiting for something else and it never happened.
I loved the crime podcast parts of the book, they gave some interesting flavor to the story, but again, they just didn't go far enough. I listened to this book as an audiobook and the narrator Jorjeana Marie does a great job, especially with the podcast. I found it entertaining to listen to and it definitely kept me interested throughout.
Overall, this is a good domestic suspense, it just doesn't have many surprises. If you like a book with a fictionalized true crime aspect, this might appeal.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
August 4, 2021
Mixed feelings on some aspects of this novel, but ultimately I found it enjoyable and interesting.
Kacy has moved away after being framed for an actual crime (though she escaped prosecution) by her truly terrible ex-best friend. Said ex-friend, Aimee, continues to torture her by sending her nasty postcards in the mail. Kacy is having trouble trusting new people and making new friends…for understandable reasons. At the same time as this story is being told, the book is alternately narrated by two true crime podcast hosts. You will wonder for awhile how the crime fits in to Kacy’s story with her ex-friend, and the way the two stories merge is clever, if not at all the direction I expected things to go.
But, my little bone to pick. I am a girl without kids who loves to read domestic thrillers. This book had a weird need to highlight the fact that one of the characters didn’t have or like kids, and made an effort to point this out as sort of a red flag character flaw and a key part of that character being a bad person. I was really not a fan of that for obvious reasons, so it took a lot for the book to get me back on its side after that.
Also, this book is not one of your dark and ambiguous narrator books. The main character is definitely a bit of a goody two shoes, not even indulging in a LITTLE bit of dark fun or fantasy against a person who truly wronged her, and that made it a little difficult to identify with or have fun with her character. I think I would have enjoyed his book a lot more if Kacy had been allowed to exercise more of her dark side or at least express a little more healthy anger at her psycho ex-friend.
Despite these things, though, I found this a well-plotted and well-narrated mystery that held my interest and kept me coming back to find out what happened. So to sum up, I’d give this 3.5 stars for an enjoyable read despite some flaws. I like how Warburton writes and builds suspense, and I would read her again, but I’d like to encourage her to let her inner bad girl out a little more in the next one. Many of us come to these domestic thrillers for a little dark fun. No need to make the main character quite so perfect.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media for this well-narrated and suspenseful ARC!
Kacy has moved away after being framed for an actual crime (though she escaped prosecution) by her truly terrible ex-best friend. Said ex-friend, Aimee, continues to torture her by sending her nasty postcards in the mail. Kacy is having trouble trusting new people and making new friends…for understandable reasons. At the same time as this story is being told, the book is alternately narrated by two true crime podcast hosts. You will wonder for awhile how the crime fits in to Kacy’s story with her ex-friend, and the way the two stories merge is clever, if not at all the direction I expected things to go.
But, my little bone to pick. I am a girl without kids who loves to read domestic thrillers. This book had a weird need to highlight the fact that one of the characters didn’t have or like kids, and made an effort to point this out as sort of a red flag character flaw and a key part of that character being a bad person. I was really not a fan of that for obvious reasons, so it took a lot for the book to get me back on its side after that.
Also, this book is not one of your dark and ambiguous narrator books. The main character is definitely a bit of a goody two shoes, not even indulging in a LITTLE bit of dark fun or fantasy against a person who truly wronged her, and that made it a little difficult to identify with or have fun with her character. I think I would have enjoyed his book a lot more if Kacy had been allowed to exercise more of her dark side or at least express a little more healthy anger at her psycho ex-friend.
Despite these things, though, I found this a well-plotted and well-narrated mystery that held my interest and kept me coming back to find out what happened. So to sum up, I’d give this 3.5 stars for an enjoyable read despite some flaws. I like how Warburton writes and builds suspense, and I would read her again, but I’d like to encourage her to let her inner bad girl out a little more in the next one. Many of us come to these domestic thrillers for a little dark fun. No need to make the main character quite so perfect.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media for this well-narrated and suspenseful ARC!
August 13, 2021
I listened to the audiobook of You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton and enjoyed the slow build to the dramatic edge of your sear conclusion. It was perfectly voiced by the narrator Jorjeana Marie. The chapters alternated between the discussion of transcripts from a true crime podcast and the events and circumstances that led to the discovery of the true crime and dramatic ending. You Can Never Tell was suspenseful, with lots of twists, tension and secrets. It makes you second guess your intuition as to how well you really know your friends even when you think they are your “besties’.
Kacy and Michael Tremain were happily married and living in New Jersey. They had a good marriage and both had good jobs. When Kacy was set up to take the fall for an embezzlement charge, the couple was forced to move to Sugar Land, Texas so Kacy could start over and escape the constant finger pointing and jeers. The Tremain’s bought a house in a planned community. There Kacy began to heal from the scandal she had been framed for by her best friend. It was no wonder Kacy now suffered from issues of trust, confidence and her ability to form new friendships. Time and distance helped Kacy heal though. Soon Kacy began to consider Elizabeth, Rohmia, and her next door neighbor, Lena, her friends. Kacy, and especially Lena, formed a beautiful friendship where they started doing everything together. Kacy looked forward to the time she spent with Lena and soon began to trust her enough to share confidences with her. Even Kacy’s husband Michael and Lena’s husband Brady forged a friendship. The two couples spent several evenings together barbecuing, swimming in Lena’s and Brady’s pool while they sipped margaritas and even worked on a shared garden together. As far as Kacy was concerned, Lena was her new best friend. Life in Sugar Land was good. Then Kacy got pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful daughter. She and Michael, named the baby Grace. After Kacy became a mother her relationship with Lena began to change.
One night while Lena was out of town visiting her aunt, Brady invited both Kacy and Michael over. It was a night that would impact Kacy’s and Michael’s life more than they would have ever guessed. Kacy decided to stay home and Michael went by himself. That night Michael discovered something about Brady that was more than he bargained for. As a result of what Michael learned that night, Brady was put in jail but no one knew where Lena was. Since Michael went directly to the police and shared what Brady had shown him with the police, the police begin to question Michael and even Kacy to understand their involvement and what they may know about both Brady, Lena and what Brady showed Michael. Eventually, the police and FBI put Michael in a safe house and Kacy was encouraged to return to New Jersey to stay safely with her parents while the police and FBI continued to work on this case and track down Lena’s whereabouts.. Kacy was determined to find out where Lena was and put an end to the fear she and Michael had been living with. Was it a nightmare or had Kacy and Michael’s life become a true crime story? Will they survive to tell about the ordeal they faced and were living through?
Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Kacy and Michael Tremain were happily married and living in New Jersey. They had a good marriage and both had good jobs. When Kacy was set up to take the fall for an embezzlement charge, the couple was forced to move to Sugar Land, Texas so Kacy could start over and escape the constant finger pointing and jeers. The Tremain’s bought a house in a planned community. There Kacy began to heal from the scandal she had been framed for by her best friend. It was no wonder Kacy now suffered from issues of trust, confidence and her ability to form new friendships. Time and distance helped Kacy heal though. Soon Kacy began to consider Elizabeth, Rohmia, and her next door neighbor, Lena, her friends. Kacy, and especially Lena, formed a beautiful friendship where they started doing everything together. Kacy looked forward to the time she spent with Lena and soon began to trust her enough to share confidences with her. Even Kacy’s husband Michael and Lena’s husband Brady forged a friendship. The two couples spent several evenings together barbecuing, swimming in Lena’s and Brady’s pool while they sipped margaritas and even worked on a shared garden together. As far as Kacy was concerned, Lena was her new best friend. Life in Sugar Land was good. Then Kacy got pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful daughter. She and Michael, named the baby Grace. After Kacy became a mother her relationship with Lena began to change.
One night while Lena was out of town visiting her aunt, Brady invited both Kacy and Michael over. It was a night that would impact Kacy’s and Michael’s life more than they would have ever guessed. Kacy decided to stay home and Michael went by himself. That night Michael discovered something about Brady that was more than he bargained for. As a result of what Michael learned that night, Brady was put in jail but no one knew where Lena was. Since Michael went directly to the police and shared what Brady had shown him with the police, the police begin to question Michael and even Kacy to understand their involvement and what they may know about both Brady, Lena and what Brady showed Michael. Eventually, the police and FBI put Michael in a safe house and Kacy was encouraged to return to New Jersey to stay safely with her parents while the police and FBI continued to work on this case and track down Lena’s whereabouts.. Kacy was determined to find out where Lena was and put an end to the fear she and Michael had been living with. Was it a nightmare or had Kacy and Michael’s life become a true crime story? Will they survive to tell about the ordeal they faced and were living through?
Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to this audiobook through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 30, 2021
The readers know who the serial killers are early on, but the protagonists, Kacy and her husband, Michael, don’t. By the time they find out, as you can imagine, the situation is dire.
At her last job, Kacy was framed for embezzlement by the person she thought was her best friend. Shamed out of a career using her art history degree, her loving engineer husband agrees to move from New Jersey to Texas. Kacy wants to move on and, with the help of the new friends she makes in Sugar Land, she does. Except one of those friends is part of murderous duo. This is a fast read, and I thought the ending was fun.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 10, 2021.
At her last job, Kacy was framed for embezzlement by the person she thought was her best friend. Shamed out of a career using her art history degree, her loving engineer husband agrees to move from New Jersey to Texas. Kacy wants to move on and, with the help of the new friends she makes in Sugar Land, she does. Except one of those friends is part of murderous duo. This is a fast read, and I thought the ending was fun.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES AUGUST 10, 2021.
June 9, 2021
You can never tell by Sarah Warburton is a thriller set around Kacy who has moved to the suburbs with her husband Michael. Kacy reputation was destroyed in new Jersey as her best friend Aimee framed her for theft at their place of work. With such low confidence in her judgement she is wary to make new friends. However she is pleasantly surprised with some of the women she encounters developing good relationships with them and her new best friend Leena who happens not only to be her neighbour but also a serial killer.
I found this book was a slow starter espically as we are aware that Kacy's new best friend is a serial killer we are told this from the very first chapter. So I spent a while waiting to be introduced to this new friend. However once this book gets into the swing of things I was hooked.
Kacy isn't the best protagonist she isn't particularly likable but that didn't put me off. She is just a winey woman who clearly has no confidence what so ever in herself. Yet once I was committed to the book I saw why her character had to be that way. We have all been burnt by a friend and some of us unlucky ones have been screwed over by our best friends so I could totally sympathise with why Kacy was the way she was at the start of the book.
The prose is written in such a way that I found once all the characters had been introduced I couldn't put it down. It's also written so cleverly as the book is being told as a podcast so we get to hear the version of events that Kacy remembers as well as the events that had been documented for court proceedings. I loved the use of real serial killer's and the depth of knowledge the author clearly has on this subject.
The fact the book is mainly from Kacys point of view means we aren't actually privy to the murders themselves and the mystery surrounding them is fascinating. .
I found myself 50% of the way through this book and absolutely freaked out. Not because it is particularly scary or gruesome because it's not, for me the fear is around how realistic this hook is. I think by using so many real cases along side for the podcast element of the book made me question everyone in my life who could possibly be a serial killer (I don't think there is anyone but who knows). The novel also made me think of the scene on the first episode of desperate housewives where they say but how well do we really know our neighbours
I love thrillers that are blood and gore and not pleasant to read but I also love thrillers that may not have those elements but are more understated because its more of a realistic situation that scares the life out of me. It didn't matter that we know who the serial killer is or even that we know Kacy must find out at some point. No the excitement is working out how she finds out and what the consequences of finding out.
Would I recommend this book?
Heck yeah I would. It's a page turner! I would advise if like me you have a brand new neighbour then maybe give if a few months before reading it because now I'm convinced the man next door is a serial killer ha
I want to score this a solid 5 but because of the slow start I will rate 4.5☆ ROUNDING UP TO 5
Thank you netgalley the author and publishers for the dugital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I found this book was a slow starter espically as we are aware that Kacy's new best friend is a serial killer we are told this from the very first chapter. So I spent a while waiting to be introduced to this new friend. However once this book gets into the swing of things I was hooked.
Kacy isn't the best protagonist she isn't particularly likable but that didn't put me off. She is just a winey woman who clearly has no confidence what so ever in herself. Yet once I was committed to the book I saw why her character had to be that way. We have all been burnt by a friend and some of us unlucky ones have been screwed over by our best friends so I could totally sympathise with why Kacy was the way she was at the start of the book.
The prose is written in such a way that I found once all the characters had been introduced I couldn't put it down. It's also written so cleverly as the book is being told as a podcast so we get to hear the version of events that Kacy remembers as well as the events that had been documented for court proceedings. I loved the use of real serial killer's and the depth of knowledge the author clearly has on this subject.
The fact the book is mainly from Kacys point of view means we aren't actually privy to the murders themselves and the mystery surrounding them is fascinating. .
I found myself 50% of the way through this book and absolutely freaked out. Not because it is particularly scary or gruesome because it's not, for me the fear is around how realistic this hook is. I think by using so many real cases along side for the podcast element of the book made me question everyone in my life who could possibly be a serial killer (I don't think there is anyone but who knows). The novel also made me think of the scene on the first episode of desperate housewives where they say but how well do we really know our neighbours
I love thrillers that are blood and gore and not pleasant to read but I also love thrillers that may not have those elements but are more understated because its more of a realistic situation that scares the life out of me. It didn't matter that we know who the serial killer is or even that we know Kacy must find out at some point. No the excitement is working out how she finds out and what the consequences of finding out.
Would I recommend this book?
Heck yeah I would. It's a page turner! I would advise if like me you have a brand new neighbour then maybe give if a few months before reading it because now I'm convinced the man next door is a serial killer ha
I want to score this a solid 5 but because of the slow start I will rate 4.5☆ ROUNDING UP TO 5
Thank you netgalley the author and publishers for the dugital ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 3, 2021
What would you do if you found out your bestie was a serial killer? She’s planning on doing you a favor by killing your previous bestie, who ruined your life and is still taunting you about it. Is that such a bad thing?
I’ve always been interested in the minds of serial killers and psychopaths. And couples who kill are extremely interesting. How do they find each other?
This wildly suspenseful thriller is interlaced with podcasts that make it even more entertaining, especially since I listened to the audiobook. The narration was excellent!
Kacy is sweet and friendly, but she has a knack for choosing the wrong friends. Her bestie, and coworker at a museum in NJ, framed her for embezzlement. There wasn’t enough evidence to send her to prison, but she lost her job. And become front-page news. So she and Michael, her super-supportive husband, moved from New Jersey to Texas for a fresh start.
I guess framing her wasn’t enough though, Aimee also sends her taunting postcards. I don’t know how this girl was ever able to pull off acting like a best friend!
After their move to Texas, it takes Kacy a while to settle into their new life, and start trusting her instincts again. Then she meets Lena, their next-door neighbor. Lena is pretty rough-around-the-edges, but she accepts Kacy and believes her side of the story. Kacy and Michael click with Lena and Brady immediately. Kacy has a new bestie again. This one always has her back…but happens to be a serial killer, whoops! I guess we can’t all be perfect.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Katherine Center. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up)
Expected Publication: August 10th 2021
Audio: 9 hours 47 minutes
Recommend: Yes
#YouCanNeverTell #NetGalley #PsychologicalThriller #DreamscapeMedia #Audiobook #ExcellentNarrator #JorjeanaMarie #Podcast #SerialKillers #InExchangeForReview #ARC #NoRulesJustThrills #BookReviewer #JustFinished
After publication, my reviews can be found at Amazon, Twitter, GoodReads, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, NetGalley, and Edelweiss
What would you do if you found out your bestie was a serial killer? She’s planning on doing you a favor by killing your previous bestie, who ruined your life and is still taunting you about it. Is that such a bad thing?
I’ve always been interested in the minds of serial killers and psychopaths. And couples who kill are extremely interesting. How do they find each other?
This wildly suspenseful thriller is interlaced with podcasts that make it even more entertaining, especially since I listened to the audiobook. The narration was excellent!
Kacy is sweet and friendly, but she has a knack for choosing the wrong friends. Her bestie, and coworker at a museum in NJ, framed her for embezzlement. There wasn’t enough evidence to send her to prison, but she lost her job. And become front-page news. So she and Michael, her super-supportive husband, moved from New Jersey to Texas for a fresh start.
I guess framing her wasn’t enough though, Aimee also sends her taunting postcards. I don’t know how this girl was ever able to pull off acting like a best friend!
After their move to Texas, it takes Kacy a while to settle into their new life, and start trusting her instincts again. Then she meets Lena, their next-door neighbor. Lena is pretty rough-around-the-edges, but she accepts Kacy and believes her side of the story. Kacy and Michael click with Lena and Brady immediately. Kacy has a new bestie again. This one always has her back…but happens to be a serial killer, whoops! I guess we can’t all be perfect.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Katherine Center. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up)
Expected Publication: August 10th 2021
Audio: 9 hours 47 minutes
Recommend: Yes
#YouCanNeverTell #NetGalley #PsychologicalThriller #DreamscapeMedia #Audiobook #ExcellentNarrator #JorjeanaMarie #Podcast #SerialKillers #InExchangeForReview #ARC #NoRulesJustThrills #BookReviewer #JustFinished
After publication, my reviews can be found at Amazon, Twitter, GoodReads, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, NetGalley, and Edelweiss
@swarburtonwrite @Dreamscapeaudio @NetGalley
I’ve always been interested in the minds of serial killers and psychopaths. And couples who kill are extremely interesting. How do they find each other?
This wildly suspenseful thriller is interlaced with podcasts that make it even more entertaining, especially since I listened to the audiobook. The narration was excellent!
Kacy is sweet and friendly, but she has a knack for choosing the wrong friends. Her bestie, and coworker at a museum in NJ, framed her for embezzlement. There wasn’t enough evidence to send her to prison, but she lost her job. And become front-page news. So she and Michael, her super-supportive husband, moved from New Jersey to Texas for a fresh start.
I guess framing her wasn’t enough though, Aimee also sends her taunting postcards. I don’t know how this girl was ever able to pull off acting like a best friend!
After their move to Texas, it takes Kacy a while to settle into their new life, and start trusting her instincts again. Then she meets Lena, their next-door neighbor. Lena is pretty rough-around-the-edges, but she accepts Kacy and believes her side of the story. Kacy and Michael click with Lena and Brady immediately. Kacy has a new bestie again. This one always has her back…but happens to be a serial killer, whoops! I guess we can’t all be perfect.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Katherine Center. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up)
Expected Publication: August 10th 2021
Audio: 9 hours 47 minutes
Recommend: Yes
#YouCanNeverTell #NetGalley #PsychologicalThriller #DreamscapeMedia #Audiobook #ExcellentNarrator #JorjeanaMarie #Podcast #SerialKillers #InExchangeForReview #ARC #NoRulesJustThrills #BookReviewer #JustFinished
After publication, my reviews can be found at Amazon, Twitter, GoodReads, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, NetGalley, and Edelweiss
What would you do if you found out your bestie was a serial killer? She’s planning on doing you a favor by killing your previous bestie, who ruined your life and is still taunting you about it. Is that such a bad thing?
I’ve always been interested in the minds of serial killers and psychopaths. And couples who kill are extremely interesting. How do they find each other?
This wildly suspenseful thriller is interlaced with podcasts that make it even more entertaining, especially since I listened to the audiobook. The narration was excellent!
Kacy is sweet and friendly, but she has a knack for choosing the wrong friends. Her bestie, and coworker at a museum in NJ, framed her for embezzlement. There wasn’t enough evidence to send her to prison, but she lost her job. And become front-page news. So she and Michael, her super-supportive husband, moved from New Jersey to Texas for a fresh start.
I guess framing her wasn’t enough though, Aimee also sends her taunting postcards. I don’t know how this girl was ever able to pull off acting like a best friend!
After their move to Texas, it takes Kacy a while to settle into their new life, and start trusting her instincts again. Then she meets Lena, their next-door neighbor. Lena is pretty rough-around-the-edges, but she accepts Kacy and believes her side of the story. Kacy and Michael click with Lena and Brady immediately. Kacy has a new bestie again. This one always has her back…but happens to be a serial killer, whoops! I guess we can’t all be perfect.
Sincere thanks to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Katherine Center. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
My Rating: 4.5 ⭐️’s (rounding up)
Expected Publication: August 10th 2021
Audio: 9 hours 47 minutes
Recommend: Yes
#YouCanNeverTell #NetGalley #PsychologicalThriller #DreamscapeMedia #Audiobook #ExcellentNarrator #JorjeanaMarie #Podcast #SerialKillers #InExchangeForReview #ARC #NoRulesJustThrills #BookReviewer #JustFinished
After publication, my reviews can be found at Amazon, Twitter, GoodReads, Barnes and Noble, BookBub, NetGalley, and Edelweiss
@swarburtonwrite @Dreamscapeaudio @NetGalley
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2021
How well do you think you really know your neighbors? Well, after reading/listening to You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton, you will truly start to wonder!!
I love suburbia psychological thrillers and Sarah Warburton is a new-to-me author, so I couldn’t wait to listen to this one!! I’ve never listened to a true crime podcast, but after reading this book I am intrigued! I thought the idea of interlacing the transcripts of the podcast throughout the drama of this thriller was a fantastic idea!
This intense thriller starts with the unveiling of the killers to the reader, but not to husband and wife, Kacy and Michael who just recently moved into this quiet suburb. I thought letting the reader know who the killers were up front was a creative and compelling way to start the book. I was sucked in from the get-go! Warburton’s does a great job of character building and makes you feel like the killers could easily be one of your neighbors, so it has that eerie feeling we all love in a psychological thriller. The story couldn’t unfold fast enough for me.
I really enjoyed the narrator, Jorjeana Marie. She did a great job with all the different voices. The main characters were very believable and that added depth to the story.
If you are a lover of action-packed thrillers, loaded with tense moments and serial killers, this would be a great pick for you!! You won’t want to stop listening/reading anticipating the end!
I love suburbia psychological thrillers and Sarah Warburton is a new-to-me author, so I couldn’t wait to listen to this one!! I’ve never listened to a true crime podcast, but after reading this book I am intrigued! I thought the idea of interlacing the transcripts of the podcast throughout the drama of this thriller was a fantastic idea!
This intense thriller starts with the unveiling of the killers to the reader, but not to husband and wife, Kacy and Michael who just recently moved into this quiet suburb. I thought letting the reader know who the killers were up front was a creative and compelling way to start the book. I was sucked in from the get-go! Warburton’s does a great job of character building and makes you feel like the killers could easily be one of your neighbors, so it has that eerie feeling we all love in a psychological thriller. The story couldn’t unfold fast enough for me.
I really enjoyed the narrator, Jorjeana Marie. She did a great job with all the different voices. The main characters were very believable and that added depth to the story.
If you are a lover of action-packed thrillers, loaded with tense moments and serial killers, this would be a great pick for you!! You won’t want to stop listening/reading anticipating the end!
August 6, 2021
I am grateful to the publisher for being able to receive, read, and review this audiobook. All opinions are my own. I felt like this was a good thriller with a very slow burn. There were intricate details of day to day moments and while they didn’t push the story forward they made the characters seem more real. Poor Kacy, the main character in this story, has the worst taste in friends ever. Seriously. She should never make another friend. Her best friend Aimee before this story started framed her for theft and embezzlement at the museum they both worked at. Following this scandal she and her husband move from the east coast to Texas for a fresh start. As Kacy settles in and joins a neighborhood women’s group she becomes friends with her next door neighbor. But the neighbors have secrets of their own that derail the fresh start and set Kacy and her husband Michael on an adventure they would have rather skipped. I liked the podcast transcripts sprinkled throughout with the aftermath of the story that was being told.
March 9, 2024
New to me author Sarah Warburton offers up a twisted and dark tale about a woman who is reeling from the aftermath of being betrayed by her best friend, set up for a crime, fired from her job only to move to Texas to start over only to realize that it isn’t easier to trust people in a new place either, especially with serial killers in your midst.
A fresh start is what Kacy and Michael think they need to get past the trauma of the previous year in New Jersey. They relocate to Sugar Land, Texas, a suburb of Houston, buy a house in a charming subdivision and Kacy begins to make friends with some of the neighbors. Elizabeth, a Canadian transplant who appears to have the perfect life, Rahmia, a Middle Eastern woman who is overtly friendly but also evasive and Lena, who lives directly next door and is outspoken and blunt.
For the first time in a long time, Kacy begins to feel her life is finally getting back on track. She joins a charitable women’s group and learns she is pregnant, but their sense of safety quickly turns into one of horror when Lena goes missing several months after Kacy’s baby is born.
The way the story is told both from Kacy’s perspective and the interspersed transcripts of the podcast, the identity of the serial killers is revealed fairly quickly, but the reader is left with high anticipation of what the killers will do next, giving the reader a heightened sense of tension. It was also evident to me that the killers were possibly stalking Kacy and her husband, but that fell a little flat too. It’s assumed that they are potentially the next victims, but the reader doesn’t know for sure.
I enjoyed the story and thought Kacy’s actions, for the most part, were believable and realistic, but I wish the ending had a bit more bite for all the build-up the story gives. I came away after finishing feeling that the story lacked a final punch.
The audio narration by Jorjeana Marie was quite good. The performance drew me into the story with the right amount of emotion and personality so that I would connect to the characters and empathize with them
My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a good story that cautions us to be careful of who we trust and invite into our lives. You may have a serial killer in your inner circle. Fans of mysteries, thrillers and suspense novels will enjoy this, as well as fans of true crime podcasts.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of You Can Never Tell from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
A fresh start is what Kacy and Michael think they need to get past the trauma of the previous year in New Jersey. They relocate to Sugar Land, Texas, a suburb of Houston, buy a house in a charming subdivision and Kacy begins to make friends with some of the neighbors. Elizabeth, a Canadian transplant who appears to have the perfect life, Rahmia, a Middle Eastern woman who is overtly friendly but also evasive and Lena, who lives directly next door and is outspoken and blunt.
For the first time in a long time, Kacy begins to feel her life is finally getting back on track. She joins a charitable women’s group and learns she is pregnant, but their sense of safety quickly turns into one of horror when Lena goes missing several months after Kacy’s baby is born.
The way the story is told both from Kacy’s perspective and the interspersed transcripts of the podcast, the identity of the serial killers is revealed fairly quickly, but the reader is left with high anticipation of what the killers will do next, giving the reader a heightened sense of tension. It was also evident to me that the killers were possibly stalking Kacy and her husband, but that fell a little flat too. It’s assumed that they are potentially the next victims, but the reader doesn’t know for sure.
I enjoyed the story and thought Kacy’s actions, for the most part, were believable and realistic, but I wish the ending had a bit more bite for all the build-up the story gives. I came away after finishing feeling that the story lacked a final punch.
The audio narration by Jorjeana Marie was quite good. The performance drew me into the story with the right amount of emotion and personality so that I would connect to the characters and empathize with them
My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a good story that cautions us to be careful of who we trust and invite into our lives. You may have a serial killer in your inner circle. Fans of mysteries, thrillers and suspense novels will enjoy this, as well as fans of true crime podcasts.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of You Can Never Tell from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
October 20, 2022
I was yet again drawn in by a beautiful cover but you know how the saying goes.
This wasn't bad, it was original, but it wasn't great. I kept waiting for it to pick up but I just never felt like it got there and it was frustrating.
This wasn't bad, it was original, but it wasn't great. I kept waiting for it to pick up but I just never felt like it got there and it was frustrating.
August 10, 2021
You Can Never Tell is Warburton’s latest psychological thriller inspired by elements of the Manchester Moors Murders in the 1960s and her love of true crime podcasts, and despite all the thrills, kills and terror, this is still a story about friendship and empathy that will keep you up at night. The disturbing tale picks up after Kacy Tremaine, an art museum curator, and her engineer husband, Michael, move from New Jersey to Sugar Land, Texas into an upscale Houston suburb to escape the betrayal and humiliation Kacy suffered after the scandal of being framed for embezzlement by her co-worker and supposed best friend, Aimee. Not only did she love her job as a curator but she also had her solid reputation ruined beyond repair prompting the couple’s desire to start afresh. Against this evolving backdrop, Kacy experiences heightened anxiety from the insecurities most people encounter in moving away from the family, friends and familiar places they’ve known all their lives.
Fear of exposing herself to more hurt keeps Kacy initially homebound in her new community. However, the amicability and openness of those who are living around her enable Kacy to step out of her comfort zone and make new friends amongst her neighbours, namely building relationships with Elizabeth, Rahmia and her neighbour Lena. When baby Grace makes her debut later that year, Kacy’s relationships deepen with friends who are mothers, allowing her to settle into a state of suburban bliss. But good friends are not always what they seem and facades are a common occurrence. They have secrets, none more horrific than those of Kacy and Michael’s new best friends—most aptly described as your friendly neighbourhood serial killers, a charismatic couple nobody would ever suspect of such dastardly deeds.
Once the couple’s secret is out, Kacy’s world is turned upside down. She sees danger peeking around every corner and the threat of a vengeful killer coming after her, Grace, Michael, her parents, not to mention the trust she once placed in people swiftly evaporates. With a newfound inner strength born out of her new role as a mother, Kacy takes matters into her own hands to protect those she loves, willing to risk her own life to do so. This is a compulsive and engrossing serial killer thriller from start to finish with intense drama, devious twists, rampant toxicity and sinister secrets. With gradually heightening suspense, it is a taut, emotionally fraught and enthralling first-person tale in which the culprits/s are kept under wraps superbly. Woven through Kacy's perspective is Warburton's fictional podcast featuring two unapologetically irreverent women to underscore the novel’s central theme of friendship. A compelling, creepy and refreshing take on the thriller novel.
Fear of exposing herself to more hurt keeps Kacy initially homebound in her new community. However, the amicability and openness of those who are living around her enable Kacy to step out of her comfort zone and make new friends amongst her neighbours, namely building relationships with Elizabeth, Rahmia and her neighbour Lena. When baby Grace makes her debut later that year, Kacy’s relationships deepen with friends who are mothers, allowing her to settle into a state of suburban bliss. But good friends are not always what they seem and facades are a common occurrence. They have secrets, none more horrific than those of Kacy and Michael’s new best friends—most aptly described as your friendly neighbourhood serial killers, a charismatic couple nobody would ever suspect of such dastardly deeds.
Once the couple’s secret is out, Kacy’s world is turned upside down. She sees danger peeking around every corner and the threat of a vengeful killer coming after her, Grace, Michael, her parents, not to mention the trust she once placed in people swiftly evaporates. With a newfound inner strength born out of her new role as a mother, Kacy takes matters into her own hands to protect those she loves, willing to risk her own life to do so. This is a compulsive and engrossing serial killer thriller from start to finish with intense drama, devious twists, rampant toxicity and sinister secrets. With gradually heightening suspense, it is a taut, emotionally fraught and enthralling first-person tale in which the culprits/s are kept under wraps superbly. Woven through Kacy's perspective is Warburton's fictional podcast featuring two unapologetically irreverent women to underscore the novel’s central theme of friendship. A compelling, creepy and refreshing take on the thriller novel.
June 14, 2021
I’ve read a lot of similar mystery/thriller books and this one really is nothing special. The narrative is slightly different and refreshing, but the mystery itself is predictable and maybe because of the narrative not really thrilling.
The story is mostly written in first person POV from Kacy. She is listening to a true crime podcast and the hosts are telling the story of a crime Kacy is very familiar with. The true crime podcast chapters actually reveal too much in my opinion, I had already figured it out, or had at least an inkling, but these chapters really confirmed what I thought was happening. It takes away from the mystery and actually takes me out of the story itself, almost like a commercial break.
I’m not going to say too much about this, it’s easy to spoil it, even if it is easy to figure out, it’s better to figure out while reading it yourself. The main mystery is resolved in the end, but there are some smaller things that get picked up and raised a few time throughout the book that I feel needed to be either part of the main mystery or resolved separately, or maybe not raised at all. I also had some issues with the passing of time in this book. It’s something that doesn’t happen too often in mystery books for me. In some chapters you are jumping from today to 3 weeks on to skip 3 months ahead in the next chapter. I don’t like that. Mind you, most of the chapters are rather short so there really is no lead in for it. And other chapters span over a day or two, it’s too inconsistent for me. And for a mystery I like a lot packed in a short amount of time.
This wasn’t a mystery for me, reminded me of too many other books and was spoiling its own mystery, 2.5 stars
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
The story is mostly written in first person POV from Kacy. She is listening to a true crime podcast and the hosts are telling the story of a crime Kacy is very familiar with. The true crime podcast chapters actually reveal too much in my opinion, I had already figured it out, or had at least an inkling, but these chapters really confirmed what I thought was happening. It takes away from the mystery and actually takes me out of the story itself, almost like a commercial break.
I’m not going to say too much about this, it’s easy to spoil it, even if it is easy to figure out, it’s better to figure out while reading it yourself. The main mystery is resolved in the end, but there are some smaller things that get picked up and raised a few time throughout the book that I feel needed to be either part of the main mystery or resolved separately, or maybe not raised at all. I also had some issues with the passing of time in this book. It’s something that doesn’t happen too often in mystery books for me. In some chapters you are jumping from today to 3 weeks on to skip 3 months ahead in the next chapter. I don’t like that. Mind you, most of the chapters are rather short so there really is no lead in for it. And other chapters span over a day or two, it’s too inconsistent for me. And for a mystery I like a lot packed in a short amount of time.
This wasn’t a mystery for me, reminded me of too many other books and was spoiling its own mystery, 2.5 stars
*ARC received in exchange for a voluntary and honest review*
January 22, 2022
How do you know your life is a true-crime story? How do you know you will survive?
Kacy and her husband Michael moved to Texas from NJ after Kacy was disgraced on her job. Now it is the time to start again, make new friends, and have a new life. Kacy and Michael became best friends with the neighbors, Lena and Brady, until one night when their secrets were revealed and the terror begins.
Can Kacy keep her family safe? The story is interspersed with episodes of a true crime podcast, which is a unique addition to the book. The story is fairly suspenseful from start to finish, with a bit in the middle that drags while there is more reflection. The main protagonist is likable and the villains are appropriately despicable. Even though you know fairly early who did it, you will be left guessing if someone else is involved.
The narrator in the audiobook is good and has various voices to help distinguish the characters.
Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this audiobook.
Kacy and her husband Michael moved to Texas from NJ after Kacy was disgraced on her job. Now it is the time to start again, make new friends, and have a new life. Kacy and Michael became best friends with the neighbors, Lena and Brady, until one night when their secrets were revealed and the terror begins.
Can Kacy keep her family safe? The story is interspersed with episodes of a true crime podcast, which is a unique addition to the book. The story is fairly suspenseful from start to finish, with a bit in the middle that drags while there is more reflection. The main protagonist is likable and the villains are appropriately despicable. Even though you know fairly early who did it, you will be left guessing if someone else is involved.
The narrator in the audiobook is good and has various voices to help distinguish the characters.
Thank you to Net Galley, the publisher and the author for an advance copy of this audiobook.
September 29, 2021
⭐⭐
This book could have been SO much more. There were plenty of opportunities for the author to throw in a twist or two. It's why I kept reading. I was waiting for something, a twist, anything, because surely the people telegraphed as the baddies literally RIGHT FROM THE START couldn't possibly be the actual baddies. Alas, there was no twist or big surprise. There was literally nothing "taut and complex" about this book. Just a whiney heroine with awful taste in friends, and a bunch of flat side characters. Speaking of which...did Sandy come back from the dead? In the final chapter, the heroine mentions her shooting the "new girl" a dirty look. 👻🤷🏻♀️
**ARC Via NetGalley**
This book could have been SO much more. There were plenty of opportunities for the author to throw in a twist or two. It's why I kept reading. I was waiting for something, a twist, anything, because surely the people telegraphed as the baddies literally RIGHT FROM THE START couldn't possibly be the actual baddies. Alas, there was no twist or big surprise. There was literally nothing "taut and complex" about this book. Just a whiney heroine with awful taste in friends, and a bunch of flat side characters. Speaking of which...did Sandy come back from the dead? In the final chapter, the heroine mentions her shooting the "new girl" a dirty look. 👻🤷🏻♀️
**ARC Via NetGalley**
March 22, 2021
I really liked this one, even though it was pretty predictable. Even so, it kept me reading. I thought the inclusion of the podcast transcripts was particularly well-done. Unlike in some books when they try this, these transcripts actually sounded like real podcast banter.
December 28, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for this advance listener copy in exchange for my honest review.
Great book! I found this one to be "un-putdownable". It was fast paced and truly thrilling.
In this book we are introduced to Kacy, a former museum curator who recently relocated across the country with her husband after her best friend, Aimee, frames her for embezzlement. Kacy has obvious trust issues and finds it difficult to navigate the social scene in her new community. That is until she meets Lena, her next door neighbor and instant best friend. Kacy and her husband Michael quickly become very close with Lena and her husband Brady. All is going extremely well for Kacy until one day when Lena goes out of town for a few days. That day, Michael discovers the truth about their neighbors.
I found Kacy to be likeable and relatable and I was rooting for her the entire time. Great characters, great writing and great story. It's interlaced throughout with the transcripts from a "true crime podcast", which really adds a fun element to it. I enjoyed the audiobook especially for this reason. I wasn't the biggest fan of the narrator, but she was alright. All in all 4 stars. A really good book.
Great book! I found this one to be "un-putdownable". It was fast paced and truly thrilling.
In this book we are introduced to Kacy, a former museum curator who recently relocated across the country with her husband after her best friend, Aimee, frames her for embezzlement. Kacy has obvious trust issues and finds it difficult to navigate the social scene in her new community. That is until she meets Lena, her next door neighbor and instant best friend. Kacy and her husband Michael quickly become very close with Lena and her husband Brady. All is going extremely well for Kacy until one day when Lena goes out of town for a few days. That day, Michael discovers the truth about their neighbors.
I found Kacy to be likeable and relatable and I was rooting for her the entire time. Great characters, great writing and great story. It's interlaced throughout with the transcripts from a "true crime podcast", which really adds a fun element to it. I enjoyed the audiobook especially for this reason. I wasn't the biggest fan of the narrator, but she was alright. All in all 4 stars. A really good book.
January 11, 2023
2.5 stars that go over the top. But I can't round them up.
I really liked her first book, but this one jumped the shark for me. And the intense self conscious introspections of the new mother (both in her earlier life and consistently) also rather killed it for me. If a friend didn't annihilate her, she was doing a fairly good job of doing that herself. And Michael?
Well, her love for her daughter and her parental supports made it is seem real. But for me, hardly any else of it was. What are the odds? I'm sure everything is possible. BUT!
And what huge melodrama at the ending face to face? Lena seemed too smart for that. It just didn't jive as reality possible.
Crazy exists. But this was too much like Bonnie and Clyde adopting Lizzie Borden logistics. Next they will have serial killers forming corporations to help each other with new pairings.
This entire thriller women friendship cored action genre fiction has blown up to farce. It has for the ones which I have read lately.
Why don't these women get some physical or mental work that gets their minds off themselves continually 24/7? Thank God all my friendships have been with just enough competition and full blown work or actions to not have any of the participants so self-involved.
I really liked her first book, but this one jumped the shark for me. And the intense self conscious introspections of the new mother (both in her earlier life and consistently) also rather killed it for me. If a friend didn't annihilate her, she was doing a fairly good job of doing that herself. And Michael?
Well, her love for her daughter and her parental supports made it is seem real. But for me, hardly any else of it was. What are the odds? I'm sure everything is possible. BUT!
And what huge melodrama at the ending face to face? Lena seemed too smart for that. It just didn't jive as reality possible.
Crazy exists. But this was too much like Bonnie and Clyde adopting Lizzie Borden logistics. Next they will have serial killers forming corporations to help each other with new pairings.
This entire thriller women friendship cored action genre fiction has blown up to farce. It has for the ones which I have read lately.
Why don't these women get some physical or mental work that gets their minds off themselves continually 24/7? Thank God all my friendships have been with just enough competition and full blown work or actions to not have any of the participants so self-involved.
January 6, 2022
I wish there were half stars! I would give a 3.5. It kept me interested, but wanted more detail on characters and less on mundane activities and unimportant descriptions.
Lena was a fascinating character but I wanted to know her better. There was a lot to explore with her. Would’ve also liked more backstory on her relationship with Brady.
Lena was a fascinating character but I wanted to know her better. There was a lot to explore with her. Would’ve also liked more backstory on her relationship with Brady.
April 19, 2022
An intense listen/read! This is the first book I have listened/read of Sarah Warburton. I am interested in reading more books of hers. (Audio)
August 13, 2021
This was a very different kind of thriller, a thriller which reveals the killers early on in the story, where the readers know who the killers are but the protagonist doesn't. Now I've seen great reviews for this one and I really tried to like it, but it just wasn't for me.
Some things that I LIKED ✔️
• Action packed
• Great character development
• Emotional and realistic
• The presence of a true crime podcast
Some things that I DISLIKED❌
• Slow paced with no twists or turns
• No 'big reveal' or something like that, it's just that you know who the killer is quite early, and the protagonist doesn't, and you just get to see the events unfolding, and the killer gets caught and boom! that's it. Nothing else to the story.
• I really wanted multiple/double POVs in this story instead of a single one because it would've helped me to know the mindset of the killer, as I already knew who it was.
That's it. I guess, um there's not much to this story and it's just the protagonist being naive and doing stupid things and you just have to get along with it.
Nevertheless, it was an okay read for me and I was anxious to see where the story was going and how it was unfolding and that's what urged me to go on.
If you're a lover of action-packed, tense thrillers with serial killers and a true crime podcast, this one is for you! 🔎
Some things that I LIKED ✔️
• Action packed
• Great character development
• Emotional and realistic
• The presence of a true crime podcast
Some things that I DISLIKED❌
• Slow paced with no twists or turns
• No 'big reveal' or something like that, it's just that you know who the killer is quite early, and the protagonist doesn't, and you just get to see the events unfolding, and the killer gets caught and boom! that's it. Nothing else to the story.
• I really wanted multiple/double POVs in this story instead of a single one because it would've helped me to know the mindset of the killer, as I already knew who it was.
That's it. I guess, um there's not much to this story and it's just the protagonist being naive and doing stupid things and you just have to get along with it.
Nevertheless, it was an okay read for me and I was anxious to see where the story was going and how it was unfolding and that's what urged me to go on.
If you're a lover of action-packed, tense thrillers with serial killers and a true crime podcast, this one is for you! 🔎
July 31, 2021
You Can Never Tell is a thriller inspired by the Moors Murders and includes podcast transcripts throughout the book. Ugh, unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. I liked the first half well enough and I love books with podcasts but the story got a bit convoluted during the second half. The narration was decent.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for providing my advanced listeners copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media & NetGalley for providing my advanced listeners copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 23, 2021
⭐⭐⭐.5 not really a 4 but I rounded up!
Kacy and Michael Tremain move to Sugar Land, Texas as Kacy’s reputation was ruined by being framed by a friend for embezzlement.
Although Kacy and Michael are happy in their new home and find they are about to be new parents, Kacy is still bitter by her friend’s .betrayal, Ashe decides she needs to get involved in her new environment and joins the neighborhood a fund raising association the ‘ Bluebonnet Society’.
Hmm I thought I accidently opened up another book as this story was slow and all over the place ~ wasn’t really sure what I was reading.
I hung in there and sure enough the mystery kicks in. Michael is accused of brutal murders.
What?
Things start to get nasty in this cutthroat social environment.
The last part when superfast and I was sure I would to have to reread.
Hmmm I cannot say that the “Crime to Char’ podcast was great but different!
Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Wednesday Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 10, 2021
Kacy and Michael Tremain move to Sugar Land, Texas as Kacy’s reputation was ruined by being framed by a friend for embezzlement.
Although Kacy and Michael are happy in their new home and find they are about to be new parents, Kacy is still bitter by her friend’s .betrayal, Ashe decides she needs to get involved in her new environment and joins the neighborhood a fund raising association the ‘ Bluebonnet Society’.
Hmm I thought I accidently opened up another book as this story was slow and all over the place ~ wasn’t really sure what I was reading.
I hung in there and sure enough the mystery kicks in. Michael is accused of brutal murders.
What?
Things start to get nasty in this cutthroat social environment.
The last part when superfast and I was sure I would to have to reread.
Hmmm I cannot say that the “Crime to Char’ podcast was great but different!
Want to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press ~ Wednesday Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for professional review purposes only.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 10, 2021
April 2, 2023
3.5
I was enthralled throughout but thought the ending was lacking both a good twist and efficient wrap up.
I was enthralled throughout but thought the ending was lacking both a good twist and efficient wrap up.
October 4, 2021
How much do you trust your neighbours?
Fleeing New Jersey to Texas, Kacy and her husband are hoping to have a fresh start. Framed for embezzlement by her closest friend, she needs to move where nobody knows her name. A place where she can keep her head down, and rebuild her life.
As she cannot work, she eagerly joins a women's social club that organizes fundraisers. Trying to fit in with this group of women is hard, and she struggles to accept the cattiness (and not so subtle racism) that pulses through the group. After a particularly large blowup she's applauded by Lena, another misfit from this group of polished housewives, and as luck would have it they happen to live next door to each other.
Kacy didn't think she'd be able to trust again, but a burgeoning friendship blossoms. Their next door neighbours become their best friends. It's a whirlwind of margaritas and pool parties. Life is good, until Kacy finds a hidden camera in the bathroom of their house. But that's only the beginning of events that bring to question the friendship the couples have together.
So how much do you trust your neighbours?
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley for a review copy of this title.
Fleeing New Jersey to Texas, Kacy and her husband are hoping to have a fresh start. Framed for embezzlement by her closest friend, she needs to move where nobody knows her name. A place where she can keep her head down, and rebuild her life.
As she cannot work, she eagerly joins a women's social club that organizes fundraisers. Trying to fit in with this group of women is hard, and she struggles to accept the cattiness (and not so subtle racism) that pulses through the group. After a particularly large blowup she's applauded by Lena, another misfit from this group of polished housewives, and as luck would have it they happen to live next door to each other.
Kacy didn't think she'd be able to trust again, but a burgeoning friendship blossoms. Their next door neighbours become their best friends. It's a whirlwind of margaritas and pool parties. Life is good, until Kacy finds a hidden camera in the bathroom of their house. But that's only the beginning of events that bring to question the friendship the couples have together.
So how much do you trust your neighbours?
Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Net Galley for a review copy of this title.
August 13, 2021
Whoa. A bit terrifying. Especially since the story begins with a bit of a spoiler, or so I thought.
Kacy and her husband Michael move to Texas to start fresh after a traumatic framing for embezzlement from her best friend in New Jersey. After a few strange starts, Kacy begins to feel at home in her new suburbia with new friends, especially her next door neighbor Lena, and her husband Brady. Then it all turns horrifyingly awful when her husband comes home in a state of panic and fear setting off a new level of tension.
I honestly expected a fairly straightforward creepy neighbor story. It seemed that way for the beginning and I was thinking that this was too easy. As the story unfolded, I realized this wasn't as much as a twisty suspense, but a more terrifyingly realistic thriller. I was thoroughly caught up in the tension and even though I knew who the "bad guy" was, there was still the angst of wondering how it would all unfold.
I enjoyed the snippets of the crime podcast that was sprinkled throughout the narrative. It gave the story a realistic feel and also helped explore and explain what we would all be thinking! I very much looked forward to the analysis from the podcasters!
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the E-ALC!
Kacy and her husband Michael move to Texas to start fresh after a traumatic framing for embezzlement from her best friend in New Jersey. After a few strange starts, Kacy begins to feel at home in her new suburbia with new friends, especially her next door neighbor Lena, and her husband Brady. Then it all turns horrifyingly awful when her husband comes home in a state of panic and fear setting off a new level of tension.
I honestly expected a fairly straightforward creepy neighbor story. It seemed that way for the beginning and I was thinking that this was too easy. As the story unfolded, I realized this wasn't as much as a twisty suspense, but a more terrifyingly realistic thriller. I was thoroughly caught up in the tension and even though I knew who the "bad guy" was, there was still the angst of wondering how it would all unfold.
I enjoyed the snippets of the crime podcast that was sprinkled throughout the narrative. It gave the story a realistic feel and also helped explore and explain what we would all be thinking! I very much looked forward to the analysis from the podcasters!
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the E-ALC!
August 31, 2021
This is the book I needed right now. I’ve been finding it hard to get into books lately and keep feeling disappointed by the outcome or simply give up before they have a chance to win me over. This book felt so different from other mysteries I’ve read and I can’t wait to recommend it! The true crime podcast excerpts gave the story a great pace and always made me itching for the next chapter. Definitely worth the read!
September 26, 2021
This is the first book in a long time that kept me on the edge of my seat. There were a couple of times I was even scared. I loved the back and forth between first person and then podcast hosts telling the story. I'd recommend this book to anyone!
July 28, 2021
Kacy and her husband Michael move from New Jersey to the Texas suburb of Sugar Land for a fresh start after Kacy is framed by her former best friend for embezzlement. Kacy has major trust issues but is able to make a couple close friends in her new neighborhood. However, not everything is as idyllic in suburbia as it appears and some of Kacy’s experiences become the topic of a true crime podcast, but what really happened in Sugar Land?
Most of this story is told from Kacy’s point of view, but there are also chapters with a transcript of a true crime podcast. The podcast chapters are written in a way that makes them seem like a real show. A lot about the case is revealed in the podcast before they occur in Kacy’s narrative, so the author trades a surprising reveal toward the end for a sense of foreboding throughout the book. It is intriguing to wonder when and how the events hinted at in the podcast will unfold. The book starts out with a leisurely pace as Kacy tries to get on with her life after being betrayed by someone she thought was her best friend. The later chapters really start to pick up and are scary because a lot of the things that happen are very realistic. I enjoyed the book and especially as the story progresses, and the plot starts heating up. I was shocked when the truth eventually came out and enjoyed the dramatic ending. I think fans of Liane Moriarty would like this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The book was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
Most of this story is told from Kacy’s point of view, but there are also chapters with a transcript of a true crime podcast. The podcast chapters are written in a way that makes them seem like a real show. A lot about the case is revealed in the podcast before they occur in Kacy’s narrative, so the author trades a surprising reveal toward the end for a sense of foreboding throughout the book. It is intriguing to wonder when and how the events hinted at in the podcast will unfold. The book starts out with a leisurely pace as Kacy tries to get on with her life after being betrayed by someone she thought was her best friend. The later chapters really start to pick up and are scary because a lot of the things that happen are very realistic. I enjoyed the book and especially as the story progresses, and the plot starts heating up. I was shocked when the truth eventually came out and enjoyed the dramatic ending. I think fans of Liane Moriarty would like this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane for providing an advance copy of this ebook. The book was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.
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