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I Know What You've Done
When Rae answers her front door one afternoon, her neighbour, Priscilla, thrusts a book into her hands before collapsing.
After Priscilla is rushed to hospital, Rae discovers the book is actually a diary full of all their neighbours' deepest secrets.
Rae knows she should hand the book over to the police investigating Priscilla's attack... but she's spotted her husband's name in the diary and she needs to know what he - and everyone else - has done.
But if someone tried to kill Priscilla to keep their secret, how long before Rae is in danger, too?
After Priscilla is rushed to hospital, Rae discovers the book is actually a diary full of all their neighbours' deepest secrets.
Rae knows she should hand the book over to the police investigating Priscilla's attack... but she's spotted her husband's name in the diary and she needs to know what he - and everyone else - has done.
But if someone tried to kill Priscilla to keep their secret, how long before Rae is in danger, too?
370 pages, Paperback
First published July 8, 2021
345 people are currently reading
4418 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy Koomson
50 books3,294 followersHello, my name's Dorothy Koomson and I'll try to make this bit that's all about me as interesting as possible.
I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.
I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my masters degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.
Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.
Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK for because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug
I wrote my first novel called There's A Thin Line Between Love And Hate when I was 13. I used to write a chapter every night then pass it around to my fellow convent school pupils every morning, and they seemed to love it.
I grew up in London and then grew up again in Leeds when I went to university. I eventually returned to London to study for my masters degree and stayed put for the following years. I took up various temping jobs and eventually got my big break writing, editing and subbing for various women's magazines and national papers.
Fiction and storytelling were still a HUGE passion of mine and I continued to write short stories and novels every spare moment that I got. In 2001 I had the idea for The Cupid Effect and my career as a published novelist began. And it's been fantastic. In 2006, third novel, My Best Friend's Girl was published. It was incredibly successful - selling nearly 90,000 copies within its first few weeks on sale. Six weeks later, it was selected for the Richard & Judy Summer Reads Book Club and the book went on to sell over 500,000 copies. Oh, there I go again, this is meant to be about me, not my novels.
Okay, back to me. I recently spent two years living in Sydney Australia, and now I'm back in England. But I can't say for how long I'll be in the UK for because I've been well and truly bitten by the travel bug
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 568 reviews
June 28, 2021
Let me take you to various upmarket properties in Acacia Villas in Brighton. There’s Rae at number 11, married to Clark and at number 24 there’s Bryony who is married to Grayson, much more about him later. There’s Lilly at number 47, who has known Clarke for many years and central to everything that explodes is Priscilla, normally pristine but on 1st June 2021 she bangs on Rae’s door utterly dishevelled. ‘I know what you’ve done’ she blurts, thrusts a bulging notebook at her, collapses then seems to vanish from her door and found moments later in the road and close to death by Dunstan a neighbour and policeman. The story which is so cleverly written, unravels a whole host of huge secrets in this surface gleaming and wealthy suburb proving yet again that you can’t know what goes on behind closed doors. The story is principally told by the four woman with some input from Dunstan.
I’ve read a number of books by the author which I’ve enjoyed very much but in my opinion this is her best to date. It has every possible ingredient on the checklist of what constitutes a hard to put down domestic noir. The characters are so well portrayed and I don’t want to give much away about them in case of spoilers but all of their issues and back stories are so well thought out and are integral to the plot. I will mention Grayson Hinter, slow of voice but not slow in giving his controlling opinions and poor Bryony imagines the broccoli she is stabbing with her fork is her husband. He’s wicked and cruel, presents a superior frontage like Acacia Villas but underneath lurks evil. Their story is not a pretty one but the author conveys the situation clearly but without unnecessary gratuity. We do have some humour courtesy of Rae’s daughter Mella with her jokes of the day and though their Yorkshire Terriers Yam and Okra. As the tension builds and the pace quickens further the humour fades into the background. The plot is extremely good as what Priscilla has learned is unleashed with all the power of a tsunami and with equally devastating consequences. There’s every appropriate emotion you can think of, guilt, fear, terror, revenge and so on. There’s masterful manipulation which builds the suspense to a real intensity, it’s sky high, absolutely gripping and you scarcely breathe! The ending is absolutely terrific for several reasons. One has a good outcome and there’s one shocker I so did not see coming! Well played Dorothy Koomson!
Overall, it’s fantastic. A dark, clever, twisty domestic noir with touches of originality especially in the conveying of characters thoughts. There is some violence but it’s an integral part of the plot, it isn’t overplayed but all is made very clear to us. It’s a tad steamy here and there!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
I’ve read a number of books by the author which I’ve enjoyed very much but in my opinion this is her best to date. It has every possible ingredient on the checklist of what constitutes a hard to put down domestic noir. The characters are so well portrayed and I don’t want to give much away about them in case of spoilers but all of their issues and back stories are so well thought out and are integral to the plot. I will mention Grayson Hinter, slow of voice but not slow in giving his controlling opinions and poor Bryony imagines the broccoli she is stabbing with her fork is her husband. He’s wicked and cruel, presents a superior frontage like Acacia Villas but underneath lurks evil. Their story is not a pretty one but the author conveys the situation clearly but without unnecessary gratuity. We do have some humour courtesy of Rae’s daughter Mella with her jokes of the day and though their Yorkshire Terriers Yam and Okra. As the tension builds and the pace quickens further the humour fades into the background. The plot is extremely good as what Priscilla has learned is unleashed with all the power of a tsunami and with equally devastating consequences. There’s every appropriate emotion you can think of, guilt, fear, terror, revenge and so on. There’s masterful manipulation which builds the suspense to a real intensity, it’s sky high, absolutely gripping and you scarcely breathe! The ending is absolutely terrific for several reasons. One has a good outcome and there’s one shocker I so did not see coming! Well played Dorothy Koomson!
Overall, it’s fantastic. A dark, clever, twisty domestic noir with touches of originality especially in the conveying of characters thoughts. There is some violence but it’s an integral part of the plot, it isn’t overplayed but all is made very clear to us. It’s a tad steamy here and there!!
With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Headline for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.
November 18, 2021
The plot surrounds the residents of Arcadia Villas & the murder of the unliveable Pricilla Dunstan she thinks she is way above everyone else & makes sure she comes across that way.
She finds a hard covered note book blue in colour that has all the secrets of the residents who live there , she turns up at Rae,s house saying someone is trying to kill her Rae is bewildered then Pricilla says I KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE!!
The next thing we know is that Pricilla is found unconscious on the ground presumed dead who killed her & Why?
I found this good in parts but not in others the characters got on my nerves but was still enjoyable 3 ✨
She finds a hard covered note book blue in colour that has all the secrets of the residents who live there , she turns up at Rae,s house saying someone is trying to kill her Rae is bewildered then Pricilla says I KNOW WHAT YOU’VE DONE!!
The next thing we know is that Pricilla is found unconscious on the ground presumed dead who killed her & Why?
I found this good in parts but not in others the characters got on my nerves but was still enjoyable 3 ✨
July 25, 2021
“I know whose going to do it. That is, I know whose most likely to kill me”
WHAT!
This is based around Acacia Villa.
Priscilla who at the start of this books lives up to her name, yes, she can be quite prissy in character.
But standoffish.
She turns up at one of her neighbors house. Unusual behaviour.
So why?
She usually keeps herself to herself, minimum contact.
She’s saying, someone tried to kill her.
The book she hands her has revealing things about her neighbor.
But what?
This had my interest right away.
Nosy neighbor? Who, me?
Did get my juices at the ready though, what’s going on…..
We have various headings in each chapters following dates and person. Easy layout. Easy to follow and I loved it.
One of my favourite things are snappy chapters.
The chapters are headings of the house number and who lives there.
Everyone seems to be hiding …….something……but what? And marriages are just not what they seem.
Acacia Villa is where the action is at, and it’s where every thriller reader should visit.
I just had to give this 5*
Go visit.
WHAT!
This is based around Acacia Villa.
Priscilla who at the start of this books lives up to her name, yes, she can be quite prissy in character.
But standoffish.
She turns up at one of her neighbors house. Unusual behaviour.
So why?
She usually keeps herself to herself, minimum contact.
She’s saying, someone tried to kill her.
The book she hands her has revealing things about her neighbor.
But what?
This had my interest right away.
Nosy neighbor? Who, me?
Did get my juices at the ready though, what’s going on…..
We have various headings in each chapters following dates and person. Easy layout. Easy to follow and I loved it.
One of my favourite things are snappy chapters.
The chapters are headings of the house number and who lives there.
Everyone seems to be hiding …….something……but what? And marriages are just not what they seem.
Acacia Villa is where the action is at, and it’s where every thriller reader should visit.
I just had to give this 5*
Go visit.
Read
April 8, 2022DNF at 30%. There were so many characters and the depiction of domestic violence was a real turn off for me. I feel like I’ve read this story a million times and this one was nowhere near as good as some of the others.
Pricilla hands her neighbor her personal diary moments before she was murdered, twice. All the people in the neighborhood have secrets and they are written down in this diary. Each of them have motive to want Pricilla dead. Told from multiple POV’s you get each character’s perspective and how they are all connected.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Pricilla hands her neighbor her personal diary moments before she was murdered, twice. All the people in the neighborhood have secrets and they are written down in this diary. Each of them have motive to want Pricilla dead. Told from multiple POV’s you get each character’s perspective and how they are all connected.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
March 14, 2022
A minha opinião em vídeo: https://youtu.be/tE5COR8B0hs
July 10, 2022
Review coming soon.
January 13, 2022
I really enjoyed this one!
I have read Koomson before a few times and really enjoyed them, but this is a cracker! I see Koomson as more of a literary fiction or womens fiction author- 'goodnight, beautiful' stayed with me for years!
However, this recent foray into the thriller genre has been fantastic! Well thought out characters and plot and constant guessing to keep the reader entertained. As usual, I did get mixed up with the characters and their partners but once I had that nailed, I loved this. Some characters were annoying, but that was the juiciness of it all, the author seriously knows how to make unlikeable characters immensely readable!
I have read Koomson before a few times and really enjoyed them, but this is a cracker! I see Koomson as more of a literary fiction or womens fiction author- 'goodnight, beautiful' stayed with me for years!
However, this recent foray into the thriller genre has been fantastic! Well thought out characters and plot and constant guessing to keep the reader entertained. As usual, I did get mixed up with the characters and their partners but once I had that nailed, I loved this. Some characters were annoying, but that was the juiciness of it all, the author seriously knows how to make unlikeable characters immensely readable!
August 3, 2021
4.5 stars ⭐️
“Until I’m dead, or as close to dead as I can be, no one will believe my life is in danger. They’ll think it’s all petty jealousies, problems best talked out over tea and biscuits.
I know who is going to kill me.
I hope I am wrong. I hope it doesn’t happen or I hope that I find a way to outwit them.
That is all I have: hope.
Plain old hope.”
- Priscilla Calvert
——
“Lying is terrible, I know that. I’ve always known that, but I understand it now, too.”
- Lilly Masson
——
“What I hate most about my life is feeling like a victim.
I was a victim; I was powerless because I had no money of my own. I had no money of my own so I was trapped in my marriage, my family set-up, my current life. And that made me a victim.
I wanted out; I wanted, desperately wanted.”
- Bryony Hinter
——
“Being a ‘person of interest’ is even worse for my nerves. Any more stuff to obsess over is going to mean I have no nerves left because one of the underlying conditions that I have. This kind of stress pretty much always has a physical consequence in that it almost literally ‘shreds’ my nerves. Constant, sustained anxiety lights up my nerve endings, causing pain – sometimes unbearable agony. There are trigger points all over my body and when I am just that bit too tense, when I haven’t slept enough, when the police show up to question me, those points start to throb, then they start to ache and soon I am a walking ball of agony and climbing into a bath of magnesium flakes every night to try to soothe my body.”
- Raelynn Whickman
“Until I’m dead, or as close to dead as I can be, no one will believe my life is in danger. They’ll think it’s all petty jealousies, problems best talked out over tea and biscuits.
I know who is going to kill me.
I hope I am wrong. I hope it doesn’t happen or I hope that I find a way to outwit them.
That is all I have: hope.
Plain old hope.”
- Priscilla Calvert
——
“Lying is terrible, I know that. I’ve always known that, but I understand it now, too.”
- Lilly Masson
——
“What I hate most about my life is feeling like a victim.
I was a victim; I was powerless because I had no money of my own. I had no money of my own so I was trapped in my marriage, my family set-up, my current life. And that made me a victim.
I wanted out; I wanted, desperately wanted.”
- Bryony Hinter
——
“Being a ‘person of interest’ is even worse for my nerves. Any more stuff to obsess over is going to mean I have no nerves left because one of the underlying conditions that I have. This kind of stress pretty much always has a physical consequence in that it almost literally ‘shreds’ my nerves. Constant, sustained anxiety lights up my nerve endings, causing pain – sometimes unbearable agony. There are trigger points all over my body and when I am just that bit too tense, when I haven’t slept enough, when the police show up to question me, those points start to throb, then they start to ache and soon I am a walking ball of agony and climbing into a bath of magnesium flakes every night to try to soothe my body.”
- Raelynn Whickman
August 17, 2021
The book tickles your investigative taste buds from the opening page !!!
“I know who is going to do it. That is, I know the person most likely to kill me. I’m not sure how,
but I know why and I know it is going to be soon”
The setting is a wealthy suburb of Brighton, where everyone in Acacia Villas is, to the outside world, happy that is until someone attempts to murder Priscilla at number 21. Their lives start to unravel when it is revealed that Priscilla also kept a record of all its residents from her home with its prime location at the corner of the road. Who knew Acacia Villas was such a hotbed of criminality!!!
Whilst the story is told through 4 main narrators Rae, Lilly, Priscilla, Bryony (and of course Dunstan), there is no shortage of intriguing characters and a complex plot where everyone seems to be guilty of something, and everyone wants to get hold of that dossier.
The opening of the book was excellent, and the second half of the book had me gripped with a great and unpredictable ending. I felt the story took time to get going in the early part of the book, but we did have so many characters to set up before their secrets, affairs, betrayals, deceit, loves and losses were revealed.
PS. I particularly liked the ending for Grayson 😂
“I know who is going to do it. That is, I know the person most likely to kill me. I’m not sure how,
but I know why and I know it is going to be soon”
The setting is a wealthy suburb of Brighton, where everyone in Acacia Villas is, to the outside world, happy that is until someone attempts to murder Priscilla at number 21. Their lives start to unravel when it is revealed that Priscilla also kept a record of all its residents from her home with its prime location at the corner of the road. Who knew Acacia Villas was such a hotbed of criminality!!!
Whilst the story is told through 4 main narrators Rae, Lilly, Priscilla, Bryony (and of course Dunstan), there is no shortage of intriguing characters and a complex plot where everyone seems to be guilty of something, and everyone wants to get hold of that dossier.
The opening of the book was excellent, and the second half of the book had me gripped with a great and unpredictable ending. I felt the story took time to get going in the early part of the book, but we did have so many characters to set up before their secrets, affairs, betrayals, deceit, loves and losses were revealed.
PS. I particularly liked the ending for Grayson 😂
January 5, 2022
Will I never learn to NOT be drawn to the blurb written about books! This was a complete waste of time which I skim read after a few chapters as I have OCD about not finishing a book I have chosen.
The basic storyline is that all the people living in Acacia Avenue have some murky secrets and wrong-doing which is diarised by one of the residents, who is subsequently attacked and falls at the feet of our "heroine".
There follows a past and present series of revelations from various residents, which I suppose is meant to keep you on your toes, but I found irritating.
I can tell you that it is quite THE most repetitive, let's-cover-every-angle in a piece of writing.
Piece of nonsense more like.
Do not waste your time/money on this book.
The basic storyline is that all the people living in Acacia Avenue have some murky secrets and wrong-doing which is diarised by one of the residents, who is subsequently attacked and falls at the feet of our "heroine".
There follows a past and present series of revelations from various residents, which I suppose is meant to keep you on your toes, but I found irritating.
I can tell you that it is quite THE most repetitive, let's-cover-every-angle in a piece of writing.
Piece of nonsense more like.
Do not waste your time/money on this book.
April 25, 2022
First off, lets admire this cover. Its absolutely "eye catching" and had me eager and excited about what was inside without even having to read the synopsis.
I will tell you that this is a book that you will not fly through and you do need to pay attention. There are A LOT of characters and at times I found myself having to go back and reread the chapter I left off on in order to catch up and refresh my memory on who is who.
However, this did not take away from the storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and I appreciated the fact that it made me slow down and pay attention. A lot of times when we read as much as we all do, we zip through books and move on to the next without pause that we easily forget what we sometimes I have read. This book slowed me down enough to make me really appreciate what is what that I was reading and I loved that!
This is a very detailed story with many unforeseen twists. I believe this will captivate a large audience as long as they are aware that they have to pay attention!
Dorothy Koomson is a unique author that has a talent for story telling, I am eager to see what she will come out with next !
I will tell you that this is a book that you will not fly through and you do need to pay attention. There are A LOT of characters and at times I found myself having to go back and reread the chapter I left off on in order to catch up and refresh my memory on who is who.
However, this did not take away from the storyline. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and I appreciated the fact that it made me slow down and pay attention. A lot of times when we read as much as we all do, we zip through books and move on to the next without pause that we easily forget what we sometimes I have read. This book slowed me down enough to make me really appreciate what is what that I was reading and I loved that!
This is a very detailed story with many unforeseen twists. I believe this will captivate a large audience as long as they are aware that they have to pay attention!
Dorothy Koomson is a unique author that has a talent for story telling, I am eager to see what she will come out with next !
March 2, 2025
I've read a number of Koomson's books and always found them quite entertaining. With this one, though, I couldn't get into it. I usually like multiple POVs, but maybe four were a bit much, because it felt a little convoluted. There were quite a few twists and turns, but overall, this was not my favorite by the author.
March 1, 2022
3.5⭐
Este livro conta o drama dos vizinhos decorrido na Acacia Villa, uma pequena urbanização em Brighton. Priscilla é atacada violentamente e todos os vizinhos se tornam suspeitos do crime. Antes do ataque, entrega a Rae o seu diário, onde constam os segredos de cada um dos vizinhos, o que poderá levar a identificar o culpado pela tentativa de homicídio. Rae encontra-se dividida - entrega o diário à polícia ou tenta descobrir por ela própria quem é o culpado?
Infelizmente, este thriller não me encheu as medidas. Na minha opinião, carece da dose certa de mistério, surpresa e dúvida, que são essenciais num bom thriller. Além disso, as personagens são construídas de forma muito simplista, deixando várias pontas soltas, que não são exploradas ao longo do enredo. No entanto, este livro foi escrito durante o confinamento e diferencia-se por isso mesmo - coloca as personagens no mesmo contexto, quebrando-se algumas barreiras. Apesar disso, não foi dos meus favoritos da autora.
Este livro conta o drama dos vizinhos decorrido na Acacia Villa, uma pequena urbanização em Brighton. Priscilla é atacada violentamente e todos os vizinhos se tornam suspeitos do crime. Antes do ataque, entrega a Rae o seu diário, onde constam os segredos de cada um dos vizinhos, o que poderá levar a identificar o culpado pela tentativa de homicídio. Rae encontra-se dividida - entrega o diário à polícia ou tenta descobrir por ela própria quem é o culpado?
Infelizmente, este thriller não me encheu as medidas. Na minha opinião, carece da dose certa de mistério, surpresa e dúvida, que são essenciais num bom thriller. Além disso, as personagens são construídas de forma muito simplista, deixando várias pontas soltas, que não são exploradas ao longo do enredo. No entanto, este livro foi escrito durante o confinamento e diferencia-se por isso mesmo - coloca as personagens no mesmo contexto, quebrando-se algumas barreiras. Apesar disso, não foi dos meus favoritos da autora.
August 2, 2024
« foi uma boa leitura, intrigante, com muito suspense e com um bom twist final. Para quem gosta da nova faceta da Dorothy, certamente vai gostar deste livro. Apenas tem que ter um pouco mais atenção durante a leitura, por serem muitas personagens!»
Opinião Completa: https://alilianaraquel.pt/eu-sei-o-qu...
Opinião Completa: https://alilianaraquel.pt/eu-sei-o-qu...
March 17, 2022
opinião lá no blog: https://livrosepapel.blogspot.com/202...
August 5, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley, Headline & Dorothy Koomson for my arc of I Know What You Did, in exchange for an honest review.
DNF @ 20%. Sadly this one wasn’t for me. I usually really like Dorothy’s books but something about this one didn’t suit me. The concept of the curtain twitching and secret keeping didn’t pull me in and a lot of the timelines and characters blended together so that it wasn’t too clear at points who was part of what past story and it got confusing. I’d definitely read any future books by this author, as I say I’ve loved the ones I’ve read before but this one wasn’t a hit with me.
DNF @ 20%. Sadly this one wasn’t for me. I usually really like Dorothy’s books but something about this one didn’t suit me. The concept of the curtain twitching and secret keeping didn’t pull me in and a lot of the timelines and characters blended together so that it wasn’t too clear at points who was part of what past story and it got confusing. I’d definitely read any future books by this author, as I say I’ve loved the ones I’ve read before but this one wasn’t a hit with me.
December 14, 2022
Já tinha lido várias opiniões sobre este livro, algumas melhores que outras e a verdade é que me atirei a ele sem grandes expectativas, apesar de gostar muito da autora.
O que posso dizer é que é um livro diferente, mas um livro que me conquistou facilmente. A escrita envolvente, a dose certa de drama entre vizinhos e mistério faz-nos ler muito rapidamente, e acabamos por ser surpreendidos ao longo do livro.
Para mim poderia ter mais suspense, mas tenho a dizer que o plot twist fez (a meu ver 🤭) valer a pena!
O que posso dizer é que é um livro diferente, mas um livro que me conquistou facilmente. A escrita envolvente, a dose certa de drama entre vizinhos e mistério faz-nos ler muito rapidamente, e acabamos por ser surpreendidos ao longo do livro.
Para mim poderia ter mais suspense, mas tenho a dizer que o plot twist fez (a meu ver 🤭) valer a pena!
February 21, 2022
I won’t say what this book is about- there is a synopsis for that. What I will say is that this book is phenomenal. Absolutely phenomenal. The way it’s written, the building suspense, and the conclusion. I don’t want to say anymore because it would be a huge injustice to even accidentally say too much. So what I will say is that if you love suspense done flawlessly, get this book and read it as soon as you possibly can.
July 17, 2022
3.5 stars
A real page turner that I raced through but the ending, although a surprise, was slightly disappointing as I didn't feel like it tidied up the story neatly. It wasn't so much a cliffhanger ending but I do like my reads to be clear and not leave me wondering!
Some truly hideous characters amongst this neighbourhood - one of the book club questions from the author was "who was your favourite character, and why"....literally struggled to think of anyone!
A real page turner that I raced through but the ending, although a surprise, was slightly disappointing as I didn't feel like it tidied up the story neatly. It wasn't so much a cliffhanger ending but I do like my reads to be clear and not leave me wondering!
Some truly hideous characters amongst this neighbourhood - one of the book club questions from the author was "who was your favourite character, and why"....literally struggled to think of anyone!
July 18, 2021
3.5 ⭐️
September 11, 2022
This book really centres around the question of how well do you really know your neighbours? In the neighbourhood of Acacia Villas Rae who lives in number 11 opens her door to her neighbour who thrusts a book into her hands before collapsing. The book contains the neighbours secrets and Rae discovers her husband's name in the diary and she needs to know what he - and everyone else - has done. But after Priscilla's attack will Rae be in danger too. After I finished the book my immediate thought was it should have been obvious but that is Koomson for you. Her writing is so cleverly laced in mystery in twists and books that you can't put down. Told in 4 p.o.v's the story is super-pacy Priscilla's detective work the neighbours secrets unravelling and the most interesting Rae's secret and the ending of the book, there has to be a book two where Priscilla wakes up please. Unputdownable, one not to be missed, I urge everyone to pick up this brilliant book soo good!
Quotes/
'If the Year of Our Lord 2020 taught me anything, though, it is just this: that you have no idea who anyone is and what they're capable of.'
'You can never compete with someone's first love.'
'How can any of us know what we may do, who we may kill, until we might actually have to do it?'
'Life has a way of throwing you lines - lifelines - that you could c noose to ignore or you could grab with both hands and do whatever it takes to get you what you want.'
'None of us are who or what we seem.'
'But 2020 showed me that the world is unpredictable; anything can happen at any time to anyone.
Quotes/
'If the Year of Our Lord 2020 taught me anything, though, it is just this: that you have no idea who anyone is and what they're capable of.'
'You can never compete with someone's first love.'
'How can any of us know what we may do, who we may kill, until we might actually have to do it?'
'Life has a way of throwing you lines - lifelines - that you could c noose to ignore or you could grab with both hands and do whatever it takes to get you what you want.'
'None of us are who or what we seem.'
'But 2020 showed me that the world is unpredictable; anything can happen at any time to anyone.
July 6, 2021
I was excited to read this, my first time trying this highly regarded author.
It's an unusual suburban neighbourhood noir set in a well-to-do street in Brighton.
The opening scenes are dramatic and full of potential. There is a secret diary full of observations on the various neighbours. There are points of view from multiple neighbours.
The characters and their thoughts, feelings and histories are vividly told, in great detail.
It ends very well, I just found it too slow and wordy to really get involved in. A little too much character building and not quite enough plot or tension for my taste.
3.5*
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline
It's an unusual suburban neighbourhood noir set in a well-to-do street in Brighton.
The opening scenes are dramatic and full of potential. There is a secret diary full of observations on the various neighbours. There are points of view from multiple neighbours.
The characters and their thoughts, feelings and histories are vividly told, in great detail.
It ends very well, I just found it too slow and wordy to really get involved in. A little too much character building and not quite enough plot or tension for my taste.
3.5*
Thanks to Netgalley and Headline
February 14, 2022
I haven’t read this author before, but I’ve been told she can write.
Not in this instance, she can’t. Her syntax is dreadful, her descriptions go on and on and on (yes, that dog going upstairs is the bigger dog we get it…..I was bored to death). The names (of both dogs and persons) were preposterous the characters deathly uninteresting and the ending transparent and so much wasted space.
I shan’t bother with this author again - talk about a convoluted plot without any credence whatsoever, I don’t know how this got past the editors, I truly don’t.
Not in this instance, she can’t. Her syntax is dreadful, her descriptions go on and on and on (yes, that dog going upstairs is the bigger dog we get it…..I was bored to death). The names (of both dogs and persons) were preposterous the characters deathly uninteresting and the ending transparent and so much wasted space.
I shan’t bother with this author again - talk about a convoluted plot without any credence whatsoever, I don’t know how this got past the editors, I truly don’t.
November 24, 2023
Regressei a Brighton com mais um thriller/policial desta autora que tanto adoro...foi um regressar peculiar confesso 😅 este livro foi escrito durante a pandemia e a ação ocorre nesse mesmo período - quando o mundo volta a abrir após o confinamento. Só por esse motivo a ação já foi diferente do comum, juntando a isso algo único que a autora resolveu criar aqui, e o resultado é isto - algo diferente.
O início da história é um pouco confuso, são demasiados POV's, e a ação apesar de focada naquela rua em específico, é bastante difusa. Demorei a encarrilar com tudo...mas quando encarrilei não descansei até saber a verdade toda 👀
Não consigo dizer que tenha uma personagem preferida porque todas são bastante bipolares, todas escondem imensos segredos e é impossível confiar em quem quer que seja. A história tem o seu quê de intrigante e apesar da revelação final ser surpreendente, tenho que dizer que até me passou aquilo pela cabeça 🤭
Gostei, foi bom. Mas não é dos melhores livros da autora.
O início da história é um pouco confuso, são demasiados POV's, e a ação apesar de focada naquela rua em específico, é bastante difusa. Demorei a encarrilar com tudo...mas quando encarrilei não descansei até saber a verdade toda 👀
Não consigo dizer que tenha uma personagem preferida porque todas são bastante bipolares, todas escondem imensos segredos e é impossível confiar em quem quer que seja. A história tem o seu quê de intrigante e apesar da revelação final ser surpreendente, tenho que dizer que até me passou aquilo pela cabeça 🤭
Gostei, foi bom. Mas não é dos melhores livros da autora.
May 14, 2023
Uma vizinhança repleta de segredos, onde nada é o que parece. Maridos violentos envolvidos em negócios sujos. Ex-namoradas obcecadas e sem escrúpulos. E mães aparentemente inocentes mas capazes de todo para proteger as suas filhas.
Quando uma tentativa de assassinato acontece no prédio, todos são suspeitos e todo se complica quando descobre-se que a vítima possui um diário em que aponta todos os segredos dos seus vizinhos.
Um thriller surpreendente que demonstra o lado mais mentiroso de cada humano, quão honestos podemos ser uns com outros. Podemos conhecer verdadeiramente os nossos vizinhos?
Quando uma tentativa de assassinato acontece no prédio, todos são suspeitos e todo se complica quando descobre-se que a vítima possui um diário em que aponta todos os segredos dos seus vizinhos.
Um thriller surpreendente que demonstra o lado mais mentiroso de cada humano, quão honestos podemos ser uns com outros. Podemos conhecer verdadeiramente os nossos vizinhos?
January 6, 2022
It is quite remarkable how quickly the author made me hate all the characters. The writing style is abhorrent. I'm using a pompous word because everything was so pompous from the start. Or maybe I'm too poor to enjoy this book. I'll never know who did it and I think my life is better for it.
April 22, 2022
Começo por dizer que ainda só tive oportunidade de ler dois livros desta autora, tres a contar com este, mas desde o primeiro soube que era uma autora que não só gostei bastante como quero ler todos os seus livros. São sempre livros que nos agarram e a escrita dela, apesar de simples, é cativante, já para não falar da sua versatibilidade.
Este livro conta-nos a história de Priscilla, uma moradora da Acacias Vilas que que é vítima de tentativa de homício e nessa sequência deixa o seu diário a uma das suas vizinhas, Rae, pedindo-lhe que descubra quem é que a tentou matar.
Rae, perante a chegada da polícia tens duas hípoteses: entregar o diário às autoridades competentes ou simplesmente ficar com ele a fim de atender ao pedido da sua vizinha e de descobrir quem é que foi o verdadeiro culpado pelo sucedido a Priscilla e quais as suas motivações para tal.
No diário constam os segredos mais obscuros dos vários moradores daquela rua, pelo que será fácil perceber qual deles é que teria mais motivos para atacar Priscilla. Ou talvez não. A escritora foi excelente na forma como conduziu este livro, a forma como nos leva numa direção e depois noutra e ainda nos faz questionar se aquela será realmente a resposta certa para o problema. Eu confesso que tive o livro todo a desenvolver um ódio de estimação por uma personagem em particular e que tudo indicava ter sido ela, mas achei essa direção tão óbvia que descartei as minhas suspeitas pouco tempo depois.
Os capítulos vão-se intercalando pelos vários moradores e vão revelando um pouco mais sobre a vida de cada um deles e de que forma é que aquilo que Priscilla escreveu sobre cada um deles é ou não verdadeiro, o que torna esta leitura muito mais fluída porque estamos sempre ansiosos por ler o capítulo seguinte e descobrir um pouco mais.
Um pormenor que achei super interessante é que este livro foi possivelmente escrito durante a pandemia, uma vez que aborda a mesma e de que forma é que esta e até os próprios confinamentos impostos pelo mundo fora mexeram efetivamente com a cabeça de alguns de nós. Isso tornou o livro não só muito atual, como também bastante pertinente pelas questões que levantou a esse nível.
O final é aquilo que chamamos de surpreendemente. Quando achei que já tinha chegado ao final e que este era demasiado fraco, eis que sou surpreendida com plot twist bem interessante que até me deixou com a ideia de que poderia haver uma continuação. Dificilmente acontecerá uma vez que o crime em si foi resolvido, na prática, mas ainda assim creio que teria potencial.
Só não dou a classificação máximo ao livro porque mesmo sendo um bom livro porque nos deixa agarrados e sempre a querer saber mais, penso que andou sempre em torno das mesmas questões e que tinha personagens que poderiam ter sido mais bem exploradas e dar mais alguns acrescento à história.
Este livro conta-nos a história de Priscilla, uma moradora da Acacias Vilas que que é vítima de tentativa de homício e nessa sequência deixa o seu diário a uma das suas vizinhas, Rae, pedindo-lhe que descubra quem é que a tentou matar.
Rae, perante a chegada da polícia tens duas hípoteses: entregar o diário às autoridades competentes ou simplesmente ficar com ele a fim de atender ao pedido da sua vizinha e de descobrir quem é que foi o verdadeiro culpado pelo sucedido a Priscilla e quais as suas motivações para tal.
No diário constam os segredos mais obscuros dos vários moradores daquela rua, pelo que será fácil perceber qual deles é que teria mais motivos para atacar Priscilla. Ou talvez não. A escritora foi excelente na forma como conduziu este livro, a forma como nos leva numa direção e depois noutra e ainda nos faz questionar se aquela será realmente a resposta certa para o problema. Eu confesso que tive o livro todo a desenvolver um ódio de estimação por uma personagem em particular e que tudo indicava ter sido ela, mas achei essa direção tão óbvia que descartei as minhas suspeitas pouco tempo depois.
Os capítulos vão-se intercalando pelos vários moradores e vão revelando um pouco mais sobre a vida de cada um deles e de que forma é que aquilo que Priscilla escreveu sobre cada um deles é ou não verdadeiro, o que torna esta leitura muito mais fluída porque estamos sempre ansiosos por ler o capítulo seguinte e descobrir um pouco mais.
Um pormenor que achei super interessante é que este livro foi possivelmente escrito durante a pandemia, uma vez que aborda a mesma e de que forma é que esta e até os próprios confinamentos impostos pelo mundo fora mexeram efetivamente com a cabeça de alguns de nós. Isso tornou o livro não só muito atual, como também bastante pertinente pelas questões que levantou a esse nível.
O final é aquilo que chamamos de surpreendemente. Quando achei que já tinha chegado ao final e que este era demasiado fraco, eis que sou surpreendida com plot twist bem interessante que até me deixou com a ideia de que poderia haver uma continuação. Dificilmente acontecerá uma vez que o crime em si foi resolvido, na prática, mas ainda assim creio que teria potencial.
Só não dou a classificação máximo ao livro porque mesmo sendo um bom livro porque nos deixa agarrados e sempre a querer saber mais, penso que andou sempre em torno das mesmas questões e que tinha personagens que poderiam ter sido mais bem exploradas e dar mais alguns acrescento à história.
May 23, 2022
Nunca tinha lido Dorothy, e sei que dificilmente voltarei a pegar na autora.
Não é que tenha custado a ler, mas não gostei das personagens, são sem graça, não consegui friar empatia com nenhuma delas. A história tinha tudo para ser boa, mas...
Li até ao fim, mas nem do final gostei, confesso...
Não é que tenha custado a ler, mas não gostei das personagens, são sem graça, não consegui friar empatia com nenhuma delas. A história tinha tudo para ser boa, mas...
Li até ao fim, mas nem do final gostei, confesso...
June 10, 2021
If a stricken neighbour collapsed in the street after turning up on your doorstep with a diary which they claim contains details of what everybody on the street has been up to, with a request to find out who tried to murder them and a warning to "trust no one", you'd immediately give the book to the police. Wouldn't you? Could you really resist just having a look first?
Rae knows she should hand it over but she also acknowledges she is nosy and as she tells herself, Priscilla handed the diary to her so she obviously wanted her to look at it. She vacillates between reluctance and curiosity until making the inevitable decision to open the pages. If Rae is holding a book of secrets then the same could be said for I Know What You've Done. With chapters alternating between different residents of Acacia Villas, including extracts from Priscilla's diary, this is a slow-burning, almost voyeuristic peek behind the closed doors of an affluent, ordinary street in Brighton.
As Rae begins to discover what it was that Priscilla saw, the story extends to other characters revealing more about the lives they try to keep hidden from others. Bryony lives with her egotistical, domineering husband, Grayson and their two children, Lilly lives alone and isn't over her first love and even Priscilla herself has her secrets. Meanwhile, as Rae realises that idiom about eavesdroppers never hearing anything good about themselves may also extend to reading about themselves, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew regarding her own life.
The secrets and lies that led to Priscilla's appearance at Rae's front door and the mystery behind who tried to kill her underpins I Know What You've Done but this compulsive, multilayered novel is much more than an intriguing whodunnit. The emotional responses to what happens here are absolutely fascinating and Rae's increasingly confused reactions to the inflammatory diary are particularly interesting. As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that something dramatic occurred in the past which still affects her to this day. Her anxiety is plain to see and I thought the way in which she manages her condition so that it becomes a part of the family's life rather than controlling it was described with perceptive empathy.
Meanwhile, the chapters which follow other characters reveal how many of them are attempting to provoke change in their lives, even at the expense of others. There are different reasons for the choices they make; without giving anything away, there is one particular neighbour who I hoped would find a way out while I kept my fingers crossed that others would get what they deserved too. Although much of the novel is concerned with what has already happened, there are some shocking scenes which take place in the present. It's worth mentioning that while the sex is explicit, the violence isn't - however, there is no ambiguity as to what occurs here.
I Know What You've Done is a compelling domestic noir thriller; packed with simmering tension, dark twists and with an insightful, involving plot that meant I raced through the pages in a day, I thoroughly recommend it.
Rae knows she should hand it over but she also acknowledges she is nosy and as she tells herself, Priscilla handed the diary to her so she obviously wanted her to look at it. She vacillates between reluctance and curiosity until making the inevitable decision to open the pages. If Rae is holding a book of secrets then the same could be said for I Know What You've Done. With chapters alternating between different residents of Acacia Villas, including extracts from Priscilla's diary, this is a slow-burning, almost voyeuristic peek behind the closed doors of an affluent, ordinary street in Brighton.
As Rae begins to discover what it was that Priscilla saw, the story extends to other characters revealing more about the lives they try to keep hidden from others. Bryony lives with her egotistical, domineering husband, Grayson and their two children, Lilly lives alone and isn't over her first love and even Priscilla herself has her secrets. Meanwhile, as Rae realises that idiom about eavesdroppers never hearing anything good about themselves may also extend to reading about themselves, she is forced to question everything she thought she knew regarding her own life.
The secrets and lies that led to Priscilla's appearance at Rae's front door and the mystery behind who tried to kill her underpins I Know What You've Done but this compulsive, multilayered novel is much more than an intriguing whodunnit. The emotional responses to what happens here are absolutely fascinating and Rae's increasingly confused reactions to the inflammatory diary are particularly interesting. As the story progresses, it becomes obvious that something dramatic occurred in the past which still affects her to this day. Her anxiety is plain to see and I thought the way in which she manages her condition so that it becomes a part of the family's life rather than controlling it was described with perceptive empathy.
Meanwhile, the chapters which follow other characters reveal how many of them are attempting to provoke change in their lives, even at the expense of others. There are different reasons for the choices they make; without giving anything away, there is one particular neighbour who I hoped would find a way out while I kept my fingers crossed that others would get what they deserved too. Although much of the novel is concerned with what has already happened, there are some shocking scenes which take place in the present. It's worth mentioning that while the sex is explicit, the violence isn't - however, there is no ambiguity as to what occurs here.
I Know What You've Done is a compelling domestic noir thriller; packed with simmering tension, dark twists and with an insightful, involving plot that meant I raced through the pages in a day, I thoroughly recommend it.
September 18, 2021
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
I am a big fan of Dorothy Koomson's books and always look forward to a new release. I Know What You've Done is another great, addictive read that combines character development with a strong element of mystery.
The residents of Acacia Villa all have their own secrets. In this novel, we mainly focus on the perspective of Rae, who lives there with her family, but we also hear the story from other perspectives including Lilly, the ex-girlfriend of Rae's husband Clark, and - through diary entries - Priscilla, a nosy older resident who has collected a diary filled with the business of her neighbours. We also get inside the heads of some other residents too which gives us more background to the type of people Priscilla was keeping tabs on...
At the start of the novel we see Priscilla collapse and give her book of secrets to Rae, who then learns that her beloved husband Clark has a secret - as do others on their street. She has her own reasons for keeping their family's business to themselves, and soon it becomes clear that someone has attacked Priscilla. But who was it?
I loved the element of mystery in this novel, with the reader slowly learning more details through the narratives of different characters and plenty of revealing diary entries written by Priscilla. We start to learn more about Rae and her family, and what drove them to move to Brighton from London. At times we also know more than Rae, because we've found out details from other characters, so at times I wanted to shout at her to not do what she was doing!
I found this novel really entertaining and raced through it. As always with Dorothy Koomson's novels, it was well-plotted, entertaining and had characters I actually wanted to read about! Definitely recommended.
I am a big fan of Dorothy Koomson's books and always look forward to a new release. I Know What You've Done is another great, addictive read that combines character development with a strong element of mystery.
The residents of Acacia Villa all have their own secrets. In this novel, we mainly focus on the perspective of Rae, who lives there with her family, but we also hear the story from other perspectives including Lilly, the ex-girlfriend of Rae's husband Clark, and - through diary entries - Priscilla, a nosy older resident who has collected a diary filled with the business of her neighbours. We also get inside the heads of some other residents too which gives us more background to the type of people Priscilla was keeping tabs on...
At the start of the novel we see Priscilla collapse and give her book of secrets to Rae, who then learns that her beloved husband Clark has a secret - as do others on their street. She has her own reasons for keeping their family's business to themselves, and soon it becomes clear that someone has attacked Priscilla. But who was it?
I loved the element of mystery in this novel, with the reader slowly learning more details through the narratives of different characters and plenty of revealing diary entries written by Priscilla. We start to learn more about Rae and her family, and what drove them to move to Brighton from London. At times we also know more than Rae, because we've found out details from other characters, so at times I wanted to shout at her to not do what she was doing!
I found this novel really entertaining and raced through it. As always with Dorothy Koomson's novels, it was well-plotted, entertaining and had characters I actually wanted to read about! Definitely recommended.
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