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Dr. Gretchen White #2
What Can't Be Seen
A brilliant psychologist faces the secrets and lies of her own dark past in a shocking novel of suspense by the Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestselling author of A Familiar Sight.
“Gretchen…What have you done?”
Psychologist and criminologist Dr. Gretchen White, top consultant for the Boston PD, has solved countless cases—but never her own. Since the age of eight, she has lived her life thinking she killed her aunt. After all, she was found standing over the body, clutching a bloody knife. Most people, including Detective Patrick Shaughnessy, believe the little sociopath got away with murder. Thirty years later, Detective Lauren Marconi wants to prove them wrong.
When plucking at the threads of the past unravels a decades-old case tied to the White family, both Lauren and Gretchen grapple with the question, What if Gretchen really is guilty? As old secrets come to light and Gretchen’s lifelong grip on her darkest impulses threatens to erode, Shaughnessy is there watching, waiting for her to lose control one more time.
Everyone thinks they know what happened that night. But the truth is beyond what anyone imagines—even Gretchen herself.
“Gretchen…What have you done?”
Psychologist and criminologist Dr. Gretchen White, top consultant for the Boston PD, has solved countless cases—but never her own. Since the age of eight, she has lived her life thinking she killed her aunt. After all, she was found standing over the body, clutching a bloody knife. Most people, including Detective Patrick Shaughnessy, believe the little sociopath got away with murder. Thirty years later, Detective Lauren Marconi wants to prove them wrong.
When plucking at the threads of the past unravels a decades-old case tied to the White family, both Lauren and Gretchen grapple with the question, What if Gretchen really is guilty? As old secrets come to light and Gretchen’s lifelong grip on her darkest impulses threatens to erode, Shaughnessy is there watching, waiting for her to lose control one more time.
Everyone thinks they know what happened that night. But the truth is beyond what anyone imagines—even Gretchen herself.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 24, 2022
2475 people are currently reading
5234 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 398 reviews
March 7, 2024
My favorite psychopath is back. This time trying to dig up the truth of her own childhood. It will get tense, you will want to hide in the closet, but it will be worth it.
January 19, 2022
The premise of the book is interesting, though a bit far-fetched. Dr Gretchen White revisits a case where she was accused as a child.
The story is told in two timelines – now and when Gretchen was a child (there is a third brief timeline as well). Dr Gretchen White is now working with Boston PD as a psychologist. Her partner Marconi encourages her to revisit her own case from childhood. At the age of eight, Gretchen was apprehended and accused of stabbing her aunt Rowan to death. Her mother calls the cops and Detective Shaughnessy arrives on the scene to find Gretchen with a knife with blood on her clothes and the knife, and her aunt lying dead. Due to the family’s influence and uncertainty of the sequence of events, Gretchen is not charged, but many believe she did kill her aunt.
Gretchen and Marconi read through the case files and speak to a number of people involved at that time. They find that this is a complex story interlinked with other cases. There are a large number of twists uncovered as the story progresses.
The story had potential, though I found a lot of plot elements force-fitted. The character development is poor, and aspects of mental illness in a couple of important characters is suggested without adequate background and context.
My rating: 2.5 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a free electronic review copy.
The story is told in two timelines – now and when Gretchen was a child (there is a third brief timeline as well). Dr Gretchen White is now working with Boston PD as a psychologist. Her partner Marconi encourages her to revisit her own case from childhood. At the age of eight, Gretchen was apprehended and accused of stabbing her aunt Rowan to death. Her mother calls the cops and Detective Shaughnessy arrives on the scene to find Gretchen with a knife with blood on her clothes and the knife, and her aunt lying dead. Due to the family’s influence and uncertainty of the sequence of events, Gretchen is not charged, but many believe she did kill her aunt.
Gretchen and Marconi read through the case files and speak to a number of people involved at that time. They find that this is a complex story interlinked with other cases. There are a large number of twists uncovered as the story progresses.
The story had potential, though I found a lot of plot elements force-fitted. The character development is poor, and aspects of mental illness in a couple of important characters is suggested without adequate background and context.
My rating: 2.5 / 5.
Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and author for a free electronic review copy.
March 23, 2022
Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication.
Full disclaimer: I did not read the first book in this series, but there was enough context that I didn't feel I was missing anything.
Writing: 5/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 2.5 what in tf stars
THE PLOT
Dr. Gretchen White is back with a new case... Her own. Nearly 30 years later, Gretchen and Detective Lauren Macroni try to get to the bottom of that fateful night when 8-year-old Gretchen was found clutching a knife over her aunt's dead body. Is Gretchen truly a sociopath that got away with murder, or is the truth something much darker?
MY OPINION
Props Brianna Labuskes for executing this THICC ass plot. The pacing was incredible. There were so many bombshells evenly dispersed throughout the book that kept me engaged. Usually thrillers leave those "oh shit????!!!!!!" moments until the 80% mark... but Labuskes was dropping bombs before the first half, so buckle in! Just when you think this plot can't get thiccer, it does. 5 stars for the plot.
The writing quality is good. I would read another Labuskes novel without a doubt. She does a fantastic job writing distinct character POVs. You got a great feel for the different personalities at play, without Labuskes blatantly saying "she's sad" "he's moody". I especially LOVED how she wrote young Gretchen. She was mad creepy. I liked the dynamic between Gretchen and her babysitter. Battle of the wits. I was also impressed with her ability to keep the reader guessing and weave together multiple POVs.
Okay... now why 4 stars?
1) I don't have much knowledge about sociopaths, so I can't comment on the accuracy of Gretchen's portrayal, but some of it felt OD. Particularly the scenes where Gretchen is violent with Macroni (omg I kept reading her name as Macaroni... LOL). Also, sometimes Gretchen's "cool girl" attitude gave me second-hand embarrassment. This woman was nearly 40, and by all descriptions, an accomplished psychologist and criminologist, but sometimes she acted like a moody teenager who didn't get her way. Maybe this is a quality of sociopaths, but idk... It just didn't sit right with me.
2) The ending was doing THEE most. As I said, the plot was THICC. But the ending was like an overstuffed sausage bussin out its casing. There was too much going on. Too many last-minute reveals and twists. Too many odd coincidences that occurred to make things go the way of the villain(s). Also, a major murder in the story wasn't really explained. The reasoning/motive was like ????? compared to all the Fyre Festival level bat shit crazy stuff that was occurring. The last major scene reminded me of that episode of The Office where Mike, Dwight, and Andy are standing in a triangle pointing fake guns at each other... LOL. ANYWAYS. Because the ending was just TOO hectic for my tastes and lacked logic, it squarely knocked the rating down to a 4.
3) The author used "x lifted/shrugged one shoulder" TOO many times. So many times it was noticeable. Not a big deal to normal people, but it grated me. Can't a sista throw in a two-shoulder shrug sometimes or choose another movement... maybe a tilt of the head... a quizzical look... SOMETHING!!
Whew. Another long review. For anyone who has made it this far, thank you. You're stronger than the marines for trekking through my rambling.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Plot was fire flame. Great pacing. Good writing.
Cons: Ending was doing the most. Sometimes Gretchen's behaviour was annoying and seemed over-the-top.
Full disclaimer: I did not read the first book in this series, but there was enough context that I didn't feel I was missing anything.
Writing: 5/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 2.5 what in tf stars
THE PLOT
Dr. Gretchen White is back with a new case... Her own. Nearly 30 years later, Gretchen and Detective Lauren Macroni try to get to the bottom of that fateful night when 8-year-old Gretchen was found clutching a knife over her aunt's dead body. Is Gretchen truly a sociopath that got away with murder, or is the truth something much darker?
MY OPINION
Props Brianna Labuskes for executing this THICC ass plot. The pacing was incredible. There were so many bombshells evenly dispersed throughout the book that kept me engaged. Usually thrillers leave those "oh shit????!!!!!!" moments until the 80% mark... but Labuskes was dropping bombs before the first half, so buckle in! Just when you think this plot can't get thiccer, it does. 5 stars for the plot.
The writing quality is good. I would read another Labuskes novel without a doubt. She does a fantastic job writing distinct character POVs. You got a great feel for the different personalities at play, without Labuskes blatantly saying "she's sad" "he's moody". I especially LOVED how she wrote young Gretchen. She was mad creepy. I liked the dynamic between Gretchen and her babysitter. Battle of the wits. I was also impressed with her ability to keep the reader guessing and weave together multiple POVs.
Okay... now why 4 stars?
1) I don't have much knowledge about sociopaths, so I can't comment on the accuracy of Gretchen's portrayal, but some of it felt OD. Particularly the scenes where Gretchen is violent with Macroni (omg I kept reading her name as Macaroni... LOL). Also, sometimes Gretchen's "cool girl" attitude gave me second-hand embarrassment. This woman was nearly 40, and by all descriptions, an accomplished psychologist and criminologist, but sometimes she acted like a moody teenager who didn't get her way. Maybe this is a quality of sociopaths, but idk... It just didn't sit right with me.
2) The ending was doing THEE most. As I said, the plot was THICC. But the ending was like an overstuffed sausage bussin out its casing. There was too much going on. Too many last-minute reveals and twists. Too many odd coincidences that occurred to make things go the way of the villain(s). Also, a major murder in the story wasn't really explained. The reasoning/motive was like ????? compared to all the Fyre Festival level bat shit crazy stuff that was occurring. The last major scene reminded me of that episode of The Office where Mike, Dwight, and Andy are standing in a triangle pointing fake guns at each other... LOL. ANYWAYS. Because the ending was just TOO hectic for my tastes and lacked logic, it squarely knocked the rating down to a 4.
3) The author used "x lifted/shrugged one shoulder" TOO many times. So many times it was noticeable. Not a big deal to normal people, but it grated me. Can't a sista throw in a two-shoulder shrug sometimes or choose another movement... maybe a tilt of the head... a quizzical look... SOMETHING!!
Whew. Another long review. For anyone who has made it this far, thank you. You're stronger than the marines for trekking through my rambling.
PROS AND CONS
Pros: Plot was fire flame. Great pacing. Good writing.
Cons: Ending was doing the most. Sometimes Gretchen's behaviour was annoying and seemed over-the-top.
April 18, 2022
That was the bomb! It is the sequel to A Familiar Sight where we first met the three main characters and I do think the book would read better if you have read the first one. Dr Gretchen White is a brilliant criminologist who often consults for the Boston Police Department. She is also a sociopath who is believed to have killed her aunt, Rowan, when she was eight years old although she was never charged. Detective Patrick Shaughnessy, who investigated Rowan’s death, is Gretchen’s ‘moral compass’ - he is waiting for her to slip up and prove she is evil and she is equally determined to prove him wrong. Detective Lauren Marconi is Gretchen’s current BPD partner. She is having a few days leave and she shows up at Gretchen’s place with Rowan’s file suggesting they solve the thing for once and for all.
The story takes place in the present and at various stages in the past. Gretchen isn’t keen on picking over these old scabs but Marconi is persuasive. It is not long before they find evidence of a shoddy investigation or, even worse, a cover up.
There is no doubt that the White family is pretty freaky and that there are skeletons in their closet. There is also no doubt that Shaughnessy was far too close to the investigation and got blinded by his own hubris. How badly remains to be seen.
There are so many shocks and reveals in this story that I was completely gripped and still had no idea how this would end. The truth was even more shocking than anything I could imagine.
I loved the characters. In this book, we didn’t get lectured so much about Gretchen’s sociopathic tendencies and she actually buckled down to work the case. Marconi puts up with a lot from Gretchen and, while she takes most things in her unflappable stride, Gretchen nearly pushes her too far. It’s as if she doesn’t think she deserves to be innocent of murder. Gretchen of course pulls back just in time and two continue to rub along - not friends but grudging allies. Shaughnessy starts to look like a man obsessed with an idea and it’s not a very professional look! The supporting cast were crisply portrayed. There are no cardboard characters in this book.
The pace never let up as we are hit with one shock after another. Too much? Possibly, but I nevertheless loved it from start to finish. I think this series is Labuskes’s best work by far and I hope we see more of Dr Gretchen White and Detective Marconi. Many thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
The story takes place in the present and at various stages in the past. Gretchen isn’t keen on picking over these old scabs but Marconi is persuasive. It is not long before they find evidence of a shoddy investigation or, even worse, a cover up.
There is no doubt that the White family is pretty freaky and that there are skeletons in their closet. There is also no doubt that Shaughnessy was far too close to the investigation and got blinded by his own hubris. How badly remains to be seen.
There are so many shocks and reveals in this story that I was completely gripped and still had no idea how this would end. The truth was even more shocking than anything I could imagine.
I loved the characters. In this book, we didn’t get lectured so much about Gretchen’s sociopathic tendencies and she actually buckled down to work the case. Marconi puts up with a lot from Gretchen and, while she takes most things in her unflappable stride, Gretchen nearly pushes her too far. It’s as if she doesn’t think she deserves to be innocent of murder. Gretchen of course pulls back just in time and two continue to rub along - not friends but grudging allies. Shaughnessy starts to look like a man obsessed with an idea and it’s not a very professional look! The supporting cast were crisply portrayed. There are no cardboard characters in this book.
The pace never let up as we are hit with one shock after another. Too much? Possibly, but I nevertheless loved it from start to finish. I think this series is Labuskes’s best work by far and I hope we see more of Dr Gretchen White and Detective Marconi. Many thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.
December 24, 2022
When Gretchen White was eight years old, she was found standing over her aunt’s dead body holding a bloody knife. The murder weapon. Responding quickly, Detective Patrick Shaughnessy responds to the scene, which he immediately believes to be an open-and-shut case. Already known to be an odd child who lacked an empathetic side, no one ever questioned that the conclusion drawn that night wasn’t the truth…at least, perhaps not the whole truth. Due to the immense wealth surrounding the White family, however, Gretchen was shielded from being charged with the crime they’re all so certain she committed.
Three decades later, she’s a psychologist and criminologist specializing in antisocial personality disorder. Known to close cases, she also consults for the Boston Police Department, working with the very detective who thought she’d gotten away with murder. Despite the fact that Shaughnessy still believes her to be a sociopath guilty of her aunt’s murder, his new partner, Detective Lauren Marconi, is determined to prove Gretchen’s innocence. But is she truly innocent? Or is she just as guilty as Shaughnessy has always thought? Even Gretchen herself doesn’t know what to believe.
As Lauren and Gretchen work together to untangle the truth hiding amongst the lies surrounding the decades old cold case, each wonders if perhaps Gretchen is guilty after all. And, worryingly, as they get closer to discovering long hidden secrets, the less control Gretchen seems to have over her darker urges. Waiting for her to defenses to weaken, Shaughnessy watches, biding his time. But, when revealed, the truth is darker and more complex than any of them know…even including Gretchen herself.
At the beginning of What Can’t Be Seen, the second novel in the Dr. Gretchen White series, I had a hard time getting into it due to a relatively slow burn start and the back and forth timelines. Within the first 75 or so pages, however, I found myself captivated all over again by the unique character of Gretchen. Composed of multiple points-of-view and timelines, one in the present and the others beginning at different points in the past, what could have been a confusing web of subplots instead was well-organized and methodical. And with twists that were plentiful and shocking (and beginning far earlier in the storyline than a standard thriller), Labuskes has crafted an intense, plot-driven follow-up to A Familiar Sight.
As for the characters, while I had already fallen in love with Gretchen’s straight-forward, near emotionlessness ways in the previous book, the deep-dive into her past in the second of the series showed her in a way that allowed me to fall in love with her character even more (never thought I’d say that about a sociopath). Because Gretchen is an unusual one to be sure. Straight-forward, cold, and driven by her urges, she is not endearing by any stretch of the imagination. Through entertaining interactions with Detective Lauren Marconi and the insight gleaned from her past, however, her character was humanized allowing me to further connect with her despite her brash, unsympathetic ways.
The best part of this novel was by far the shock-and-awe second half that I completely did not see coming. Talk about twists! I’m usually pretty good at picking up clues, but the story was so complex with many points obscured in extraneous minutiae and complicated timelines that I (happily) didn’t figure it out until it was revealed at the end. And with a climax that could rival Agatha Christie (albeit darker and more chilling), I found myself completely surprised and dumbfounded by how I missed what suddenly seemed so obvious. The only negative I could really find was that perhaps there were too many twists thrown at me. I know you’re thinking, really, how’s that possible? But it is, trust me, as I started to not know whether I could trust any “facts” by 70% through the read.
Regardless, adept and action-packed, Brianna Labuskes has shown immense talent for spinning a slightly unfamiliar take on the police procedural novel. In addition, she somehow has managed to create a character in Gretchen that will keep me coming back for more. Now I have to somehow (impatiently) wait for See It End, the third book in the series, which comes out in April of 2023. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves a story full of bombshell twists and turns that will leave you shocked. And who doesn’t love that? Rating of 4 stars.
Trigger warning: suicide, gaslighting
Three decades later, she’s a psychologist and criminologist specializing in antisocial personality disorder. Known to close cases, she also consults for the Boston Police Department, working with the very detective who thought she’d gotten away with murder. Despite the fact that Shaughnessy still believes her to be a sociopath guilty of her aunt’s murder, his new partner, Detective Lauren Marconi, is determined to prove Gretchen’s innocence. But is she truly innocent? Or is she just as guilty as Shaughnessy has always thought? Even Gretchen herself doesn’t know what to believe.
As Lauren and Gretchen work together to untangle the truth hiding amongst the lies surrounding the decades old cold case, each wonders if perhaps Gretchen is guilty after all. And, worryingly, as they get closer to discovering long hidden secrets, the less control Gretchen seems to have over her darker urges. Waiting for her to defenses to weaken, Shaughnessy watches, biding his time. But, when revealed, the truth is darker and more complex than any of them know…even including Gretchen herself.
At the beginning of What Can’t Be Seen, the second novel in the Dr. Gretchen White series, I had a hard time getting into it due to a relatively slow burn start and the back and forth timelines. Within the first 75 or so pages, however, I found myself captivated all over again by the unique character of Gretchen. Composed of multiple points-of-view and timelines, one in the present and the others beginning at different points in the past, what could have been a confusing web of subplots instead was well-organized and methodical. And with twists that were plentiful and shocking (and beginning far earlier in the storyline than a standard thriller), Labuskes has crafted an intense, plot-driven follow-up to A Familiar Sight.
As for the characters, while I had already fallen in love with Gretchen’s straight-forward, near emotionlessness ways in the previous book, the deep-dive into her past in the second of the series showed her in a way that allowed me to fall in love with her character even more (never thought I’d say that about a sociopath). Because Gretchen is an unusual one to be sure. Straight-forward, cold, and driven by her urges, she is not endearing by any stretch of the imagination. Through entertaining interactions with Detective Lauren Marconi and the insight gleaned from her past, however, her character was humanized allowing me to further connect with her despite her brash, unsympathetic ways.
The best part of this novel was by far the shock-and-awe second half that I completely did not see coming. Talk about twists! I’m usually pretty good at picking up clues, but the story was so complex with many points obscured in extraneous minutiae and complicated timelines that I (happily) didn’t figure it out until it was revealed at the end. And with a climax that could rival Agatha Christie (albeit darker and more chilling), I found myself completely surprised and dumbfounded by how I missed what suddenly seemed so obvious. The only negative I could really find was that perhaps there were too many twists thrown at me. I know you’re thinking, really, how’s that possible? But it is, trust me, as I started to not know whether I could trust any “facts” by 70% through the read.
Regardless, adept and action-packed, Brianna Labuskes has shown immense talent for spinning a slightly unfamiliar take on the police procedural novel. In addition, she somehow has managed to create a character in Gretchen that will keep me coming back for more. Now I have to somehow (impatiently) wait for See It End, the third book in the series, which comes out in April of 2023. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who loves a story full of bombshell twists and turns that will leave you shocked. And who doesn’t love that? Rating of 4 stars.
Trigger warning: suicide, gaslighting
May 15, 2023
Psychologist, criminologist and sociopath Dr. Gretchen White is independently wealthy but is also a sometime consultant for the Boston PD. Thirty years ago, when she was 8 years old, she was found standing over her aunt's dead body, clutching a bloody knife. Detective Patrick Shaughnessy believes Gretchen got away with murder but his partner, Detective Lauren Marconi, wants to prove him wrong and joins forces with Gretchen to unravel what happened 30 years ago.
This is the second book in the Dr. Gretchen White series, published in May 2022, and I'm very late reading it for Netgalley for which I apologize. I think I liked this one better than the first book and yet I kept wondering why so many people cared after 30 years. I can understand Gretchen always wondering whether she actually killed her aunt but not why the police would still be investigating. I realize Lauren mostly spent her vacation time researching the case but she and Gretchen were contacting law enforcement personnel as well as the coroner to ask questions. Things must be pretty slow in Boston. But that's my personal beef. If you just ignore all that and go with the flow, it's a good story told in the present as well as in 1983 when a young girl in the area went missing and was later found dead and in 1993 when Gretchen's aunt, Rowan White, died and also some snippets from a few years in between. Lauren and Gretchen have a back and forth relationship but seem to be starting to really care about each other although the quips aren't quite as amusing as in book 1. I found the last 15-20% to be a bit much with all the revelations being thrown at us, not to mention whiplash from the speed with which we went back and forth between now and 1993. Kudos to Brianna Labuskes for writing three books featuring a sociopath. I imagine it would be very stressful wondering if you got it right. Personally, I have no idea, but it seemed believable to me. I'd give this book 3.5 stars rounded up but I think if it was shorter I'd rate it higher.
I have the third (and final?) book, See It End, published in April 2023, on my Kindle and hope to get to it soon because I'd like to see it end (the series)! See what I did there?
My thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
The new words I learned from this book were "eidetic memory" - the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision - and "echoic memory" - the ultra-short-term memory for things you hear.
This is the second book in the Dr. Gretchen White series, published in May 2022, and I'm very late reading it for Netgalley for which I apologize. I think I liked this one better than the first book and yet I kept wondering why so many people cared after 30 years. I can understand Gretchen always wondering whether she actually killed her aunt but not why the police would still be investigating. I realize Lauren mostly spent her vacation time researching the case but she and Gretchen were contacting law enforcement personnel as well as the coroner to ask questions. Things must be pretty slow in Boston. But that's my personal beef. If you just ignore all that and go with the flow, it's a good story told in the present as well as in 1983 when a young girl in the area went missing and was later found dead and in 1993 when Gretchen's aunt, Rowan White, died and also some snippets from a few years in between. Lauren and Gretchen have a back and forth relationship but seem to be starting to really care about each other although the quips aren't quite as amusing as in book 1. I found the last 15-20% to be a bit much with all the revelations being thrown at us, not to mention whiplash from the speed with which we went back and forth between now and 1993. Kudos to Brianna Labuskes for writing three books featuring a sociopath. I imagine it would be very stressful wondering if you got it right. Personally, I have no idea, but it seemed believable to me. I'd give this book 3.5 stars rounded up but I think if it was shorter I'd rate it higher.
I have the third (and final?) book, See It End, published in April 2023, on my Kindle and hope to get to it soon because I'd like to see it end (the series)! See what I did there?
My thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the opportunity to read this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.
The new words I learned from this book were "eidetic memory" - the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision - and "echoic memory" - the ultra-short-term memory for things you hear.
Read
May 31, 2022DNF I quit after 50 pages because I could not decipher what the novel was about. This is only my own opinion. I am sure most will enjoy this book. I will not rate or review this book.
June 13, 2023
As any active GR member knows, GR is big on reading challenges. While I’m not big on reading challenges, I must admit, I recently got intrigued by one regarding the second installments in a series. It’s been fun digging into the second installments for some relatively new series (at least to me) that I’ve discovered recently. I’m halfway through the challenge and it’s been fun
This second installment picks up a few months after the end of the first installment. Gretchen has been hiding out from Det Shaughnessy and Det Marconi. However, Marconi, who’s on vacation, finally catches up with her and goads her into looking into the 1993 cold case of the murder of Gretchen’s aunt, Rowan, who Gretchen (who was eight) was accused of murdering. The book summary basically just introduces the premise for the primary storyline, so I won’t repeat it here.
What the book summary doesn’t mention is the secondary storyline; the investigation of the death of a woman, named Jenny, that happened 10yrs before the death of Rowan. The story flips back and forth between Shaughnessy from 1983-93, Tabby, Jenny’s younger sister, from 1992-93, and Gretchen in 1993 and the present day. Needless to say, there’s a lot going on in this story and readers who don’t enjoy the constant (every chapter) flipping back and forth between different timeframes and different character POV, probably won’t enjoy this story. JMHO
Most of the present-day story revolved around Gretchen and Marconi investigating the cold case and talking to witnesses like Gretchen’s parents, sister as well as her childhood nanny. Most of Shaughnessy’s story revolved around his encounters and obsession with Rowan and Tabby’s story revolved around her growing up without her sister and finally looking into her sister’s death. From pretty early in the story, I had my suspicions of who the killer was. At the halfway point, I was pretty much convinced who it was and shortly thereafter, there was a major reveal that I felt supported my suspicion.
The last 20% was a flurry of one reveal after another merging all the different storylines. The killer? Well…..I was wrong, but I also wasn’t surprised about who the killer was either. However, it was that final chapter that had me developing a lump in my throat with my eyes getting just a little misty. It will be interesting to see how Labuskes moves forward with the series. I’ve already added the next installment to my to-read list.
This second installment picks up a few months after the end of the first installment. Gretchen has been hiding out from Det Shaughnessy and Det Marconi. However, Marconi, who’s on vacation, finally catches up with her and goads her into looking into the 1993 cold case of the murder of Gretchen’s aunt, Rowan, who Gretchen (who was eight) was accused of murdering. The book summary basically just introduces the premise for the primary storyline, so I won’t repeat it here.
What the book summary doesn’t mention is the secondary storyline; the investigation of the death of a woman, named Jenny, that happened 10yrs before the death of Rowan. The story flips back and forth between Shaughnessy from 1983-93, Tabby, Jenny’s younger sister, from 1992-93, and Gretchen in 1993 and the present day. Needless to say, there’s a lot going on in this story and readers who don’t enjoy the constant (every chapter) flipping back and forth between different timeframes and different character POV, probably won’t enjoy this story. JMHO
Most of the present-day story revolved around Gretchen and Marconi investigating the cold case and talking to witnesses like Gretchen’s parents, sister as well as her childhood nanny. Most of Shaughnessy’s story revolved around his encounters and obsession with Rowan and Tabby’s story revolved around her growing up without her sister and finally looking into her sister’s death. From pretty early in the story, I had my suspicions of who the killer was. At the halfway point, I was pretty much convinced who it was and shortly thereafter, there was a major reveal that I felt supported my suspicion.
The last 20% was a flurry of one reveal after another merging all the different storylines. The killer? Well…..I was wrong, but I also wasn’t surprised about who the killer was either. However, it was that final chapter that had me developing a lump in my throat with my eyes getting just a little misty. It will be interesting to see how Labuskes moves forward with the series. I’ve already added the next installment to my to-read list.
January 9, 2023
It's hard for me to find suspense/thrillers that I love. Either I figure out whodunnit too early in the book (I have an annoying habit of this) or the plot ends up being unsatisfying in the end. Well, this series has kept me on the edge of my seat every step of the way! Both books have been filled with endless plot twists that I never saw coming, and they both have very satisfying endings! (This is a must for me.) Gretchen White is the very definition of an unsympathetic heroine. She is an unapologetic sociopath, and she does some awful things, and yet...I kind of love her? It's a trip to be in her head. Watching her work through a crime scene (while acknowledging her own blind spots as a sociopath who can't truly understand the emotional intricacies of empaths) is fascinating indeed.
tl/dr: I love this series so much that I just pre-ordered book 3 before it even has a description on the Amazon page! (although I have an idea of what it might be about.)
tl/dr: I love this series so much that I just pre-ordered book 3 before it even has a description on the Amazon page! (although I have an idea of what it might be about.)
February 6, 2022
Everybody thinks Gretchenkilled her aunt when she was eight, she was found covered in blood over her aunt's body. But she is not so sure this is what happened and now, when she is a psychologist and criminologist she is trying to find out the truth.
Nice thriller, thanks to Netgalley for this book.
Nice thriller, thanks to Netgalley for this book.
May 24, 2022
What Can't Be Seen by Brianna Labuskes is the second book in the Dr Gretchen White series following A Familiar Sight.
Thirty years ago eight year old Gretchen was accused of killing her Aunt Rowan White. She can't remember that day so Gretchen and her friend (Detective Marconi) reopen the case to find out if Gretchen was blamed for a crime she did not commit. While searching for new evidence they contact Detective Shaughnessy (the previous detective) on the case and a very astonishing twisty story begins to unfold.
What Can't Be Seen is a serious thriller, but has low key dark humor vibes. An example of this is Gretchen while describing her family dynamic.
"All I know is our particular gene pool should have been diluted with bleach and drained".
Final thoughts...
The first half if the book is great, but the last half is a little drawn out. Overall, it hits many high notes and is worth reading.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this free e-book in exchange for my honest opinion
Publication date is May 24, 2022
Thirty years ago eight year old Gretchen was accused of killing her Aunt Rowan White. She can't remember that day so Gretchen and her friend (Detective Marconi) reopen the case to find out if Gretchen was blamed for a crime she did not commit. While searching for new evidence they contact Detective Shaughnessy (the previous detective) on the case and a very astonishing twisty story begins to unfold.
What Can't Be Seen is a serious thriller, but has low key dark humor vibes. An example of this is Gretchen while describing her family dynamic.
"All I know is our particular gene pool should have been diluted with bleach and drained".
Final thoughts...
The first half if the book is great, but the last half is a little drawn out. Overall, it hits many high notes and is worth reading.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this free e-book in exchange for my honest opinion
Publication date is May 24, 2022
May 15, 2023
What Can't Be Seen by Brianna Labuskes is book 2 of the Dr. Gretchen White series and it takes a deep dive into her character and backstory where the big question is if she killed her aunt or not. Once again, she is collaborating closely with her new friend and apparently, now partner, Detective Lauren Marconi, and the two have some wonderful banter that made me laugh out loud multiple times. This time the viewpoints alternate between THREE different characters which are Gretchen, Detective Patrick Shaughnessy, and Tabby, and I was quite excited to have Kate Marcin and Chris Ciulla back as the narrators for the audiobook. I would like to say it was weird to have Ciulla narrating a different person and Marcin narrating 2, but it wasn’t, and I just love their voices and skills for the narration.
As with the previous book, I do think that a couple of the twists were almost expected, but there were 2 major things that truly shocked me which was awesome. I also love how logical the author makes these twists, so it's not just things that are completely implausible. Once again there is also quite a bit of time jumping and more characters to keep track of but for the most part, the characters are repeats from the first book so if you read this series in order (which is what I recommend) you will already be familiar with most of them. Gretchen's favorite person at the police department is of course Dr. Chen at the morgue and oddly, Labuskes used basically an entire paragraph plus more from A Familiar Sight in this book to describe Chen and how Gretchen feels about him. Not sure if this was to keep things consistent but it was very strange to me to see the same exact wording in 2 different books of a series. Not my favorite if I'm being honest, and it left me curious as to why.
Final Word: What Can't Be Seen was an extremely quick read and I easily finished it in one day because I couldn't put it down. I loved this dive into both Gretchen and her family's past, as well as clearing up the big 'if' of her involvement in her aunt's murder. We also got Shaughnessy's backstory which I really liked, and the end was very satisfying as well. This was a great follow-up to book 1, and I can't wait to see where we go in book 3!
As with the previous book, I do think that a couple of the twists were almost expected, but there were 2 major things that truly shocked me which was awesome. I also love how logical the author makes these twists, so it's not just things that are completely implausible. Once again there is also quite a bit of time jumping and more characters to keep track of but for the most part, the characters are repeats from the first book so if you read this series in order (which is what I recommend) you will already be familiar with most of them. Gretchen's favorite person at the police department is of course Dr. Chen at the morgue and oddly, Labuskes used basically an entire paragraph plus more from A Familiar Sight in this book to describe Chen and how Gretchen feels about him. Not sure if this was to keep things consistent but it was very strange to me to see the same exact wording in 2 different books of a series. Not my favorite if I'm being honest, and it left me curious as to why.
Final Word: What Can't Be Seen was an extremely quick read and I easily finished it in one day because I couldn't put it down. I loved this dive into both Gretchen and her family's past, as well as clearing up the big 'if' of her involvement in her aunt's murder. We also got Shaughnessy's backstory which I really liked, and the end was very satisfying as well. This was a great follow-up to book 1, and I can't wait to see where we go in book 3!
March 31, 2022
Pretty dizzy over here, comparable to getting off the scream machine at Great Adventure.
This is a wild wild ride of a book. Fasten your seatbelt because it goes so quick if you don't pay attention, you may miss something! I was completely mesmerized with this book . Brianna Labuskes, you have made a fan out of me!
The main character is a sociopath, now, that is my kind of book. I could not get enough!! I devoured each page with addiction. I just could not get to the next chapter fast enough. I was completely consumed and hung on every word.
If you are looking for a book that is fast pace and will keep you engaged from start to finish, this is a book for you!
This is a wild wild ride of a book. Fasten your seatbelt because it goes so quick if you don't pay attention, you may miss something! I was completely mesmerized with this book . Brianna Labuskes, you have made a fan out of me!
The main character is a sociopath, now, that is my kind of book. I could not get enough!! I devoured each page with addiction. I just could not get to the next chapter fast enough. I was completely consumed and hung on every word.
If you are looking for a book that is fast pace and will keep you engaged from start to finish, this is a book for you!
July 14, 2024
I think what I love about these books is how the main character cuts men no slack. They don't get a pass for doing a couple of things right, but everything else wrong.
July 28, 2022
There is a lot going on in this one, two story lines, 1 past, 1 present, with a lot of the same characters. By the end and you know what is going on you are kinda shaking your head. I feel bad for Gretchen, for all that has followed her, her whole life. I hope that she feels a bit freer going forward after all of this.
April 6, 2025
My favorite little sociopath is back at it again! Love this series
Want to read
May 24, 2022What Can't Be Seen by Brianna Labuskes is the second book in the Dr Gretchen White series following A Familiar Sight.
Synopsis:
Thirty years ago eight year old Gretchen was accused of killing her Aunt Rowan White. She can't remember that day so Gretchen and her friend (Detective Marconi) reopen the case to find out if Gretchen was blamed for a crime she did not commit. While searching for new evidence they contact Detective Shaughnessy (the previous detective) on the case and a very astonishing twisty story begins to unfold.
What Can't Be Seen is a serious thriller, but has low key dark humor vibes. A humorous example of this is Gretchen while describing her family dynamic. "All I know is our particular gene pool should have been diluted with bleach and drained". This quote is priceless and had me laughing out loud.
Final Thoughts:
The first half of the book is fast pace, but the last half is a slow burn. Overall, it hits many high notes and is definately a thriller worth reading. (3.5 bumped up to a 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐)
What Can't Be Seen by the very talented Brianna Labuskes is available May 24th.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this free e-book in exchange for my honest opinion. Your kindness is appreciated.
Synopsis:
Thirty years ago eight year old Gretchen was accused of killing her Aunt Rowan White. She can't remember that day so Gretchen and her friend (Detective Marconi) reopen the case to find out if Gretchen was blamed for a crime she did not commit. While searching for new evidence they contact Detective Shaughnessy (the previous detective) on the case and a very astonishing twisty story begins to unfold.
What Can't Be Seen is a serious thriller, but has low key dark humor vibes. A humorous example of this is Gretchen while describing her family dynamic. "All I know is our particular gene pool should have been diluted with bleach and drained". This quote is priceless and had me laughing out loud.
Final Thoughts:
The first half of the book is fast pace, but the last half is a slow burn. Overall, it hits many high notes and is definately a thriller worth reading. (3.5 bumped up to a 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐)
What Can't Be Seen by the very talented Brianna Labuskes is available May 24th.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this free e-book in exchange for my honest opinion. Your kindness is appreciated.
July 11, 2023
the plot is confusing with unexpected twists and turns ... grabs your attention and keeps it ... the only downside for me was an excess of what I call "psycho-babble" ... some of this is needed and interesting, but too much is deadening, and I just skipped past it
December 15, 2021
We need people in our lives who don't expect us to be anything but who we are.'
Psychologist and police consultant Dr. Gretchen White and Detectives Shaughnessy and Marconi are back again with yet another case; this time though the action hits a little too close to home.
Gretchen has been on a downward spiral for the past three months, following the events of the first book, after Det. Marconi broaches the subject of re-opening Gretchen's own case - the stabbing of her aunt, Rowan White, thirty years ago in which an eight-year old Gretchen was the prime accused. Despite exhibiting psychopathic tendencies at an early age, this event shaped the rest of Gretchen's life, earning her the tag of a killer and putting her in the cross-hairs of Det. Shaughnessy, who ironically became her moral compass. While she has always toed the line just to prove Shaughnessy's accusations of her as a killer wrong, Gretchen fears that re-opening the case may just prove him right.
A sequel to 'A Familiar Sight,' (a book that I loved and couldn't stop gushing about) the plot for this book was relevant in the sense that it gave a much needed peek into the psyche of Gretchen and her traumatic childhood. Detectives Shaughnessy and Marconi play a more important role in the story. Shaughnessy's link to Gretchen's past is revealed, explaining why he has always lurked by the sidelines of her life while Marconi, through her astuteness and loyalty, forges something of a friendship with the otherwise difficult Gretchen.
The first half of the book is quite slow and at some points repetitive too. But as in the first book, the author is quite generous with the plot twists and suspense factors, keeping one hooked throughout. The narrative deals with obsession and manipulation, and it does get pretty intense at times. The ending however was totally unexpected and I am still reeling from the shock of it.
Overall, an enjoyable, entertaining, suspense-filled read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Psychologist and police consultant Dr. Gretchen White and Detectives Shaughnessy and Marconi are back again with yet another case; this time though the action hits a little too close to home.
Gretchen has been on a downward spiral for the past three months, following the events of the first book, after Det. Marconi broaches the subject of re-opening Gretchen's own case - the stabbing of her aunt, Rowan White, thirty years ago in which an eight-year old Gretchen was the prime accused. Despite exhibiting psychopathic tendencies at an early age, this event shaped the rest of Gretchen's life, earning her the tag of a killer and putting her in the cross-hairs of Det. Shaughnessy, who ironically became her moral compass. While she has always toed the line just to prove Shaughnessy's accusations of her as a killer wrong, Gretchen fears that re-opening the case may just prove him right.
A sequel to 'A Familiar Sight,' (a book that I loved and couldn't stop gushing about) the plot for this book was relevant in the sense that it gave a much needed peek into the psyche of Gretchen and her traumatic childhood. Detectives Shaughnessy and Marconi play a more important role in the story. Shaughnessy's link to Gretchen's past is revealed, explaining why he has always lurked by the sidelines of her life while Marconi, through her astuteness and loyalty, forges something of a friendship with the otherwise difficult Gretchen.
The first half of the book is quite slow and at some points repetitive too. But as in the first book, the author is quite generous with the plot twists and suspense factors, keeping one hooked throughout. The narrative deals with obsession and manipulation, and it does get pretty intense at times. The ending however was totally unexpected and I am still reeling from the shock of it.
Overall, an enjoyable, entertaining, suspense-filled read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing a digital copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
January 22, 2022
I was delighted when I saw the second installment of this series was available so I snapped it up immediately. Let me tell you, I was not disappointed.
Gretchen White is back and better than ever, we begin the book with Gretchen in a pretty bad place, having a serious bender over the bombshell Detective Marconi dropped on her at the end of the last book, no spoilers you have to read it ‘tsk tsk’.
The dynamic duo are able to get it together and start investigating a riveting case, Gretchen’s own. All her life she’s been led to believe in no uncertain terms she’s a cold blooded killer since the age of 8, but… is everything as it seems.
Detective Patrick Shaughnessy has some secrets of his own and his behaviour is erratic and weird. We are introduced to some diabolical characters that are Gretchen’s ‘family’. It is a ride, twist after, twist after twist.
We go back and forth in time hearing from multiple view points to get to the very deep dark thrilling bottom of ‘That Night’ the night Gretchen’s young life changed forever! Nothing and I mean nothing, is as it seems and when you think holy hell that was wild, even that isn’t what it seemed.
Gretchen and Marconi’s semi-friendship/working relationship is tested to it’s limits. All you want to know is will Gretchen find out what she wants to hear or is this a rabbit hole best left alone!!
It’s a must read for anyone who loved the first book. Brianna Labuskes has done a brilliant job of keeping this story on a knifes edge the entire time.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy for my honest review.
Gretchen White is back and better than ever, we begin the book with Gretchen in a pretty bad place, having a serious bender over the bombshell Detective Marconi dropped on her at the end of the last book, no spoilers you have to read it ‘tsk tsk’.
The dynamic duo are able to get it together and start investigating a riveting case, Gretchen’s own. All her life she’s been led to believe in no uncertain terms she’s a cold blooded killer since the age of 8, but… is everything as it seems.
Detective Patrick Shaughnessy has some secrets of his own and his behaviour is erratic and weird. We are introduced to some diabolical characters that are Gretchen’s ‘family’. It is a ride, twist after, twist after twist.
We go back and forth in time hearing from multiple view points to get to the very deep dark thrilling bottom of ‘That Night’ the night Gretchen’s young life changed forever! Nothing and I mean nothing, is as it seems and when you think holy hell that was wild, even that isn’t what it seemed.
Gretchen and Marconi’s semi-friendship/working relationship is tested to it’s limits. All you want to know is will Gretchen find out what she wants to hear or is this a rabbit hole best left alone!!
It’s a must read for anyone who loved the first book. Brianna Labuskes has done a brilliant job of keeping this story on a knifes edge the entire time.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and Thomas and Mercer for an advanced copy for my honest review.
May 28, 2022
I loved the first Gretchen White book "A Familiar Sight" (which I read last year), so I was so excited for this one! I'm not sure why but Gretchen's character seemed more... "wild" this time around? In the first book she seemed much more refined and professional, where in this one she was a bit more unrestrained. The peeks into 8-year-old Gretchen's personality were awesome! I found the whole murder mystery aspect of the plot pretty complicated and a little hard to follow, I kept having to remind myself of things, but that's probably just me. At 90% it was just twist after twist and I couldn't put this book down! I can't wait for #3 next year!
July 13, 2022
The first book in this series, 'A Familiar Sight' completely captured me. I spent an entire weekend mesmerised by it. It was fresh and original, brilliantly told in lean focused prose, full of surprises and it had a main character, Dr Gretchen White, who was unashamedly different - a 'voluntarily non-violent' sociopath. And she was the one investigating the murders, not committing them. The relationship that built up between her and her Police Detective 'babysitter' Lauren Marconi was one of the strengths of the book. Marconi's ability to see beyond White's reputation and her outward aggression and to build a basis for trust gave emotional depth to the book.
So how do you write a sequel to a book like that and still deliver something fresh? Well, if you're Brianna Labuskes, you do it by putting White under so much pressure that she's likely to crack, by putting Marconi's trust in her under strain and by revealing a backstory that made me question everything I thought I'd learned about Gretchen White in the first book.
The book opens with Marconi trying to pull White out of the pattern of depression and self-destructive behaviour that she fell into after the events in 'A Familiar Sight' by getting her to focus on solving a challenging cold case: her own.
I knew from the previous book that, as a child, Gretchen White had been the prime suspect in the murder of her mother and that the policeman who investigated her case, Detective Shaughnessy, still dogs White's heals, treating her as someone who got away with murder once and will eventually murder again. Marconi wants to prove Shaughnessy wrong.
What follows is a fairly intense, plot-driven, thriller which uses two and, on one occasion, three timelines to unwrap what really happened on the night that Gretchen White was found standing next to a corpse with a bloody knife in her hand; a night that White is unable to remember.
The plot has even more surprises than I expected. One of the timelines is told from Detective Shaughnessy's point of view. He was a new Detective at the time and was the first person on the scene of the murder. One involves meeting with Gretchen White's family in the present day and trying to pry open their secrets.
The suspense kept taught throughout. Every revelation produces more doubt, uncertainty and mistrust, especially as the evidence of White's guilt builds. The ending caught me by surprise but made perfect sense.
As a surprise-laden thriller, this book worked very well. I felt that characterisation was a little overwhelmed by the plot at times. I think that moving back and forth between timelines, especially when Gretchen White is a child in one of them, meant that the relationship between White and Marconi wasn't as much at the forefront of things as in the previous book. That was mostly offset by the introduction of strong and frankly scary characters from White's family and by getting a more intimate understanding of Shaughnessy's history and motivations.
Although I didn't find 'What Can't Be Seen' to be as compelling as 'A Familiar Sight', it was still a well-above-average thriller.
I've already pre-ordered the third and I think final book in the series 'See It End', which is due for release in April 2023.
So how do you write a sequel to a book like that and still deliver something fresh? Well, if you're Brianna Labuskes, you do it by putting White under so much pressure that she's likely to crack, by putting Marconi's trust in her under strain and by revealing a backstory that made me question everything I thought I'd learned about Gretchen White in the first book.
The book opens with Marconi trying to pull White out of the pattern of depression and self-destructive behaviour that she fell into after the events in 'A Familiar Sight' by getting her to focus on solving a challenging cold case: her own.
I knew from the previous book that, as a child, Gretchen White had been the prime suspect in the murder of her mother and that the policeman who investigated her case, Detective Shaughnessy, still dogs White's heals, treating her as someone who got away with murder once and will eventually murder again. Marconi wants to prove Shaughnessy wrong.
What follows is a fairly intense, plot-driven, thriller which uses two and, on one occasion, three timelines to unwrap what really happened on the night that Gretchen White was found standing next to a corpse with a bloody knife in her hand; a night that White is unable to remember.
The plot has even more surprises than I expected. One of the timelines is told from Detective Shaughnessy's point of view. He was a new Detective at the time and was the first person on the scene of the murder. One involves meeting with Gretchen White's family in the present day and trying to pry open their secrets.
The suspense kept taught throughout. Every revelation produces more doubt, uncertainty and mistrust, especially as the evidence of White's guilt builds. The ending caught me by surprise but made perfect sense.
As a surprise-laden thriller, this book worked very well. I felt that characterisation was a little overwhelmed by the plot at times. I think that moving back and forth between timelines, especially when Gretchen White is a child in one of them, meant that the relationship between White and Marconi wasn't as much at the forefront of things as in the previous book. That was mostly offset by the introduction of strong and frankly scary characters from White's family and by getting a more intimate understanding of Shaughnessy's history and motivations.
Although I didn't find 'What Can't Be Seen' to be as compelling as 'A Familiar Sight', it was still a well-above-average thriller.
I've already pre-ordered the third and I think final book in the series 'See It End', which is due for release in April 2023.
July 5, 2022
Book 2 in the series and a strong addition! I love the character of Gretchen- she’s interesting and unique. Her relationships have me chuckling at times and I loved the plot of this one. In a genre that is saturated with the same formula for female leads, this one is a standout!
May 22, 2022
I have been so frustrated trying to write this review; the first 75%, I was fully on board, it started off strong and hit the ground running. I was enjoying reading it and looking forward to what I hoped would be a fantastic conclusion. What I got instead was a lot of head shaking as I found the last 25% of this book improbable.
I’m rating this a 3, because it really did hold my interest and I appreciated the story up until that last quarter.
I’m looking forward to seeing the author continue to hone her writing, as she is capable of creating really engaging stories.
eARC kindly provided by Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.
I’m rating this a 3, because it really did hold my interest and I appreciated the story up until that last quarter.
I’m looking forward to seeing the author continue to hone her writing, as she is capable of creating really engaging stories.
eARC kindly provided by Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.
December 1, 2023
I liked the first book in the series more than this one.
Here, we go back 30 years ago and back to present time to try to understand what really happened that night where everyone is convinced that Gretchen killed her aunt in her sleep.
The story and plot are interesting, it kept me guessing and I stayed up till I was through.
Some of chapters and details could have been shortened or cut off. The entire conversations between detective shaughnessy and the serial killer expert ( can’t remember the name now), were too long and boring for me. Tabby’s chapters also could have been briefer.
What I didn’t like very much was the fact that the characters are very different from the first book in the series, Gretchen is more childish and sulky, Patrick is so unreliable and is totally inconsistent with the detective in book one.
I wasn’t a fan of the ending either, and that’s same opinion I had for the former installment. The series seems to find one character to deem deserving of all the punishement and penalize them for everyone’s deeds.
Here, we go back 30 years ago and back to present time to try to understand what really happened that night where everyone is convinced that Gretchen killed her aunt in her sleep.
The story and plot are interesting, it kept me guessing and I stayed up till I was through.
Some of chapters and details could have been shortened or cut off. The entire conversations between detective shaughnessy and the serial killer expert ( can’t remember the name now), were too long and boring for me. Tabby’s chapters also could have been briefer.
What I didn’t like very much was the fact that the characters are very different from the first book in the series, Gretchen is more childish and sulky, Patrick is so unreliable and is totally inconsistent with the detective in book one.
I wasn’t a fan of the ending either, and that’s same opinion I had for the former installment. The series seems to find one character to deem deserving of all the punishement and penalize them for everyone’s deeds.
June 27, 2022
A great continuation to the series. Can't wait for book #3.
September 18, 2022
"Czego nie widać" to druga część serii o doktor Gretchen White, która jest specjalistką w dziedzinie psychologii i kryminologii. Gretchen od lat żyje w przekonaniu, że w wieku ośmiu lat zabiła swoją ciotkę Rowan. Lauren Macroni, detektyw bostońskiej policji, nie wierzy w winę Gretchen i po trzydziestu latach od tej zbrodni postanawia rozwiązać zagadkę. Wspólnie z Gretchen rozpoczynają śledztwo sięgając daleko w przeszłość. Czy uda im się dojść do prawdy? A co jeśli Gretchen jest niewinna?
Po przeczytaniu genialnej "Podejrzanej" nie mogłam odmówić sobie kolejnej książki Brianny Labuskes. Już po pierwszych kilku stronach czułam, że to będzie świetna lektura i nie pomyliłam się. Śledztwo prowadzone przez Gretchen i Macroni wciągnęło mnie niesamowicie, nie mogłam oderwać się od czytania.
Fabuła poprowadzona jej w trzech ramach czasowych, z perspektywy kilku osób, co daje nam lepsze rozeznanie się w prowadzonym śledztwie, krok po kroku poznajemy przeszłość Gretchen. Powoli budowane napięcie budzi w czytelniku różne emocje a powoli odkrywane puzzle łączą się w całość odkrywając przed nami szokującą historię sprzed lat. Z każdą kolejną stroną Autorka zaskakuje ujawniając nam coraz to mroczniejsze tajemnice z przeszłości.
"Czego nie widać" to dobry przykład thrillera idealnego. Z czystym sumieniem mogę stwierdzić, że ta część jest dużo lepsza od poprzedniej, nie zmienia to jednak faktu, że polecam przeczytać obie! Zasiadając do lektury przygotujcie się, że nie odłożycie książki przed poznaniem zakończenia, które z pewnością Was zaskoczy.
Po przeczytaniu genialnej "Podejrzanej" nie mogłam odmówić sobie kolejnej książki Brianny Labuskes. Już po pierwszych kilku stronach czułam, że to będzie świetna lektura i nie pomyliłam się. Śledztwo prowadzone przez Gretchen i Macroni wciągnęło mnie niesamowicie, nie mogłam oderwać się od czytania.
Fabuła poprowadzona jej w trzech ramach czasowych, z perspektywy kilku osób, co daje nam lepsze rozeznanie się w prowadzonym śledztwie, krok po kroku poznajemy przeszłość Gretchen. Powoli budowane napięcie budzi w czytelniku różne emocje a powoli odkrywane puzzle łączą się w całość odkrywając przed nami szokującą historię sprzed lat. Z każdą kolejną stroną Autorka zaskakuje ujawniając nam coraz to mroczniejsze tajemnice z przeszłości.
"Czego nie widać" to dobry przykład thrillera idealnego. Z czystym sumieniem mogę stwierdzić, że ta część jest dużo lepsza od poprzedniej, nie zmienia to jednak faktu, że polecam przeczytać obie! Zasiadając do lektury przygotujcie się, że nie odłożycie książki przed poznaniem zakończenia, które z pewnością Was zaskoczy.
September 28, 2022
Jedno jest tutaj pewne – to człowiek stanowi największą tajemnicę. Książka Brianny Labuskes to przede wszystkim zagadkowa i nieobliczalna główna bohaterka – z jednej strony niezastąpiona konsultantka w dziedzinie psychologii i kryminologii, z drugiej natomiast zdiagnozowana socjopatka. Czego nie widać to w mojej opinii ekscytujący thriller psychologiczny z wyraźnie zaakcentowaną ścieżką kryminalną – świetnie rozpisany na różne ramy czasowe, odczuwalnie niepokojący i przenikliwy, momentami wręcz dziwnie złowieszczy. W tej historii świadomie zaszyte są ludzkie słabości, czai się w niej także fenomenalna intryga.
May 20, 2022
As an eight year old Gretchen White as accused of murdering her aunt Rowan White but Grechen has no memory of these events. Gretchen is now 38 years old and is a qualified psychologist who works closely with the Boston Police Department. Detective Shaughnessy was one of the first on the scene when the murder occurred after receiving a call from her mother and he has been following her for 30 years trying to get her to admit her guilt. Gretchen is friends with Detective Lauren Marconi who is her current partner in the police department and Lauren believes that Gretchen may not have committed this heinous crime and wants Gretchen to open up and talk to her about it so they can see if there are any holes in the police theory that Gretchen truly killed her aunt.
I have to say I loved this book, and even though a little far fetched I could not stop turning the pages quickly enough. Twists, turns, revelations and complete and utter shocks are all thrown into the mix to make an incredibly fast paced thriller that held my attention throughout, also when I should have been sleeping I continued to read making work a little hard the next day. Always the sign of a great book If you are ready for a crazy journey then take this on, I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy the ride.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the book, these are my unbiased opinions are completely my own.
I have to say I loved this book, and even though a little far fetched I could not stop turning the pages quickly enough. Twists, turns, revelations and complete and utter shocks are all thrown into the mix to make an incredibly fast paced thriller that held my attention throughout, also when I should have been sleeping I continued to read making work a little hard the next day. Always the sign of a great book If you are ready for a crazy journey then take this on, I am sure you will thoroughly enjoy the ride.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the book, these are my unbiased opinions are completely my own.
December 17, 2022
another hit
I love Gretchen as the heroine- her struggle for understanding how normal people think, her desire to do what is right and good despite her nature. If she, of all people, can choose to do the right thing, why can’t everyone?
I love Gretchen as the heroine- her struggle for understanding how normal people think, her desire to do what is right and good despite her nature. If she, of all people, can choose to do the right thing, why can’t everyone?
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