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I Know Who You Were
EVERYONE HAS A PAST. . . YOURS IS COMING TO KILL YOU
Alex and Morven have a pretty perfect marriage. Still madly in love after 10 years they have no secrets from each other and their life in London with daughter Poppy is... happy.
Until one day it changes. Morven disappears, her car is found abandoned and the police come around to Alex's house to tell him things about his wife he never her real name, her past life, the secrets she kept from him. And Alex realises he's been loving a lie. He needs answers... and on the shore of a dark and remote lake in Wales he learns that the tragic events which shaped the past now threaten to rip the present apart.
Praise for I KNOW WHO YOU WERE
'Not just a ruthlessly compelling novel of suspense but an unflinching examination of the repercussions of a crime. Disturbing, harrowing and moving, it signals the arrival of a new master of crime fiction.' Ramsey Campbell
'Taut, compelling, original. An emotionally charged story that will leave you thinking of the main character long after finishing the book. A true page-turner' Julie-Ann Corrigan
'Curran's debut is an absorbing, dark and suspenseful thriller. He is a writer to watch' David Fennell
Alex and Morven have a pretty perfect marriage. Still madly in love after 10 years they have no secrets from each other and their life in London with daughter Poppy is... happy.
Until one day it changes. Morven disappears, her car is found abandoned and the police come around to Alex's house to tell him things about his wife he never her real name, her past life, the secrets she kept from him. And Alex realises he's been loving a lie. He needs answers... and on the shore of a dark and remote lake in Wales he learns that the tragic events which shaped the past now threaten to rip the present apart.
Praise for I KNOW WHO YOU WERE
'Not just a ruthlessly compelling novel of suspense but an unflinching examination of the repercussions of a crime. Disturbing, harrowing and moving, it signals the arrival of a new master of crime fiction.' Ramsey Campbell
'Taut, compelling, original. An emotionally charged story that will leave you thinking of the main character long after finishing the book. A true page-turner' Julie-Ann Corrigan
'Curran's debut is an absorbing, dark and suspenseful thriller. He is a writer to watch' David Fennell
- GenresThriller
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 6, 2023
9 people are currently reading
229 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
October 11, 2023
Alex and Morven have a happy marriage. Ten years of love and laughter and a perfect daughter, Poppy. Life is good.
But then it suddenly goes wrong. Morven doesn’t arrive at her business trip destination and the police contact Alex to inform him of her abandoned car. And then they also tell him of her real name and her past life and Alex starts to realise that he has no idea who his wife really is.
But he’s going to find out…
Whew! What a thrilling and explosive page turner of a book this was. Told entirely from Alex’s perspective (which I found refreshing as usually I seem to always read books with a female viewpoint) this was such a clever and absorbing story. I warmed to Alex instantly and I was absolutely intrigued by the plot development - it raced along revealing secret after secret and ending in a magnificently thrilling finale.
I’m astonished this has so few reviews. More people need this book in their life!
But then it suddenly goes wrong. Morven doesn’t arrive at her business trip destination and the police contact Alex to inform him of her abandoned car. And then they also tell him of her real name and her past life and Alex starts to realise that he has no idea who his wife really is.
But he’s going to find out…
Whew! What a thrilling and explosive page turner of a book this was. Told entirely from Alex’s perspective (which I found refreshing as usually I seem to always read books with a female viewpoint) this was such a clever and absorbing story. I warmed to Alex instantly and I was absolutely intrigued by the plot development - it raced along revealing secret after secret and ending in a magnificently thrilling finale.
I’m astonished this has so few reviews. More people need this book in their life!
September 20, 2025
Don’t waste your time
April 11, 2023
This was great, a twisty thriller which hooked me quickly and I found difficult to put down. Told in the first person from the perspective of a man who's wife disappeared then is discovered to have a hidden past. Talk about adding insult to injury.
Quick disclaimer, Nick Curran's alter ego is Steven Savile (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...) who is one of the few people who remember me from when I was young. We haven't seen each other in person for 30 years as he moved to Sweden. As he used to write horror and I'm a scaredy cat this is the first book of his I have read.
Quick disclaimer, Nick Curran's alter ego is Steven Savile (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...) who is one of the few people who remember me from when I was young. We haven't seen each other in person for 30 years as he moved to Sweden. As he used to write horror and I'm a scaredy cat this is the first book of his I have read.
April 13, 2023
This book had me hooked from the first few pages. It’s one of those books where after reading the first chapter you NEED to keep reading to find out what on earth has happened!
It’s well written characters are easy to understand and the story flows well around them with some jaw dropping surprises along the way.
There are lots of moments in this book that made me wonder what I would have done in that situation, although it was a quick read for me, it is one that made me stop and think at some points during the day as I read it.
The way the story resolved wasn’t what I was expecting and I’m not telling you why but the ending of the book was beautiful and gave a wonderful reason for that resolution.
I obviously really enjoyed this book since I gobbled it down in around 12 hours and still did everything that I had to do during the day. It was impossible to put it down for long and I really hope the author writes many more of these engrossing thrillers in the future.
It’s well written characters are easy to understand and the story flows well around them with some jaw dropping surprises along the way.
There are lots of moments in this book that made me wonder what I would have done in that situation, although it was a quick read for me, it is one that made me stop and think at some points during the day as I read it.
The way the story resolved wasn’t what I was expecting and I’m not telling you why but the ending of the book was beautiful and gave a wonderful reason for that resolution.
I obviously really enjoyed this book since I gobbled it down in around 12 hours and still did everything that I had to do during the day. It was impossible to put it down for long and I really hope the author writes many more of these engrossing thrillers in the future.
April 5, 2023
I got through this one in a few hours because I just couldn’t put it down. The synopsis drew me in and the twists and turns throughout the book kept me hooked. You’re keenly aware that everyone is hiding secrets of their own and with every page that turns the need to find Morven grows larger. There’s something special about a thriller that makes you emotional, and this one absolutely nailed that for me. I was thinking about this story long after I’d finished reading the book.
Thank you to Little Brown for sending me an early copy of this awesome book.
Thank you to Little Brown for sending me an early copy of this awesome book.
May 11, 2023
Alex and Morven have the perfect life. They’re a happy couple who love each other dearly and have a beautiful daughter called Poppy. One day though, everything is turned upside down when Morven suddenly goes missing and Alex begins to learn that his wife wasn’t who he thought she was at all, and she had a whole other life before he knew her. I really enjoyed delving into Morven’s old life and her secrets and this kept my interest the whole way through. I was hooked from the first page because I HAD to know what was going to happen.
I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of Alex, our main character. He was really witty and had a good sense of humour which was actually a good thing in a dark thriller to have little bits of lightness even when his life was in tatters. This is a thriller that definitely pulls on your heart strings though and the ending made me really emotional but I feel like it was the right way to end it and it was really moving. I think I’ll remember this book for a long time.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed reading from the perspective of Alex, our main character. He was really witty and had a good sense of humour which was actually a good thing in a dark thriller to have little bits of lightness even when his life was in tatters. This is a thriller that definitely pulls on your heart strings though and the ending made me really emotional but I feel like it was the right way to end it and it was really moving. I think I’ll remember this book for a long time.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 10, 2023
A really compelling page-turner. Perfectly paced with a couple of genuinely shocking reveals. I couldn’t put it down and feel certain this one will linger in my mind for some time to come.
March 28, 2023
I know who you were by Nick Curran.
Alex is happily married to Morven with a daughter Poppy. But one day Morven dissappears. We're us she?
This was a good read. Slow but readable. 3*.
Alex is happily married to Morven with a daughter Poppy. But one day Morven dissappears. We're us she?
This was a good read. Slow but readable. 3*.
March 18, 2023
Alex and Morven have a pretty perfect marriage. Still madly in love after ten years, they have no secrets from each other and their life in London with daughter Poppy is . . . happy.
Until one day it changes. Morven disappears, her car found abandoned. The police come around to Alex's house to tell him things about his wife he never knew: her real name, her past life, the secrets she kept from him. And Alex realises he's been loving a lie. He needs answers . . . and on the shore of a dark and remote lake in Wales he learns that the tragic events which shaped the past now threaten to rip apart the present.
I really enjoyed this book. The premise sucked me in immediately and I instantly picked up the book dying to know Morven's secret and once you find it out you will be bowled over.
There is something I really enjoyed about this book too but don't want to have to hide my review as it would be a spoiler but what I will say is the writer really takes on a difficult topic and really sees it through.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Constable for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Until one day it changes. Morven disappears, her car found abandoned. The police come around to Alex's house to tell him things about his wife he never knew: her real name, her past life, the secrets she kept from him. And Alex realises he's been loving a lie. He needs answers . . . and on the shore of a dark and remote lake in Wales he learns that the tragic events which shaped the past now threaten to rip apart the present.
I really enjoyed this book. The premise sucked me in immediately and I instantly picked up the book dying to know Morven's secret and once you find it out you will be bowled over.
There is something I really enjoyed about this book too but don't want to have to hide my review as it would be a spoiler but what I will say is the writer really takes on a difficult topic and really sees it through.
Thanks to Netgalley and Little, Brown Book Group UK, Constable for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 26, 2025
4.5⭐
This book did indeed have me gripped from the first page. I love a book that shows the current time then flashes back to before said event.
The book is one first-person POV, a man named Alex who goes downstairs thinking his morning is normal, but is anything but after coming back from the school fun to find that his wife Morven has gone missing.
This book has many different stages of emotion that Alex goes through, anger, despair, defeat, strength. It shows a determination of a husband wanting to save his family - all the while coming to terms with finding out about his wife's previous history 👀
I certainly enjoyed the twists and the backstory !
It kept me hooked, the chapters were short meaning I felt like I was reading more, at less than 300 pages it was a fun easy read.
My first time reading Nick Curran but it certainly won't be my last ! 👌🏻
The reason for 4.5⭐ and not 5⭐ is because of the lack of thought for his daughter, a lot of this book could have been avoided if he just trusted the FLO. But I do understand the desperation of wanting to find Morven and not trusting the people around him.
This book did indeed have me gripped from the first page. I love a book that shows the current time then flashes back to before said event.
The book is one first-person POV, a man named Alex who goes downstairs thinking his morning is normal, but is anything but after coming back from the school fun to find that his wife Morven has gone missing.
This book has many different stages of emotion that Alex goes through, anger, despair, defeat, strength. It shows a determination of a husband wanting to save his family - all the while coming to terms with finding out about his wife's previous history 👀
I certainly enjoyed the twists and the backstory !
It kept me hooked, the chapters were short meaning I felt like I was reading more, at less than 300 pages it was a fun easy read.
My first time reading Nick Curran but it certainly won't be my last ! 👌🏻
The reason for 4.5⭐ and not 5⭐ is because of the lack of thought for his daughter, a lot of this book could have been avoided if he just trusted the FLO. But I do understand the desperation of wanting to find Morven and not trusting the people around him.
December 4, 2024
What a ride! I Know Who You Are by Nick Curran is one of those books that grabs you from the first page and keeps you glued to it until the very end. Alex and Morven seem to have it all—a happy marriage, a sweet daughter, and a picture-perfect life. But when Morven disappears, the cracks begin to show, and everything Alex thought he knew gets turned on its head.
Curran masterfully weaves suspense and emotion, that kept me guessing at every turn. The pacing was spot on, with just the right mix of heart-pounding action and quieter moments that made me reflect on the characters’ lives. And the setting? Deliciously atmospheric, adding an extra layer of tension to an already gripping story.
This is a book that had me turning pages well past bedtime, and honestly, I didn’t want it to end. If you love thrillers that keep you on edge, with twists and turns you’ll never see coming, I Know Who You Are deserves a spot on your shelf. A brilliantly crafted, five-star must-read that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page!
Curran masterfully weaves suspense and emotion, that kept me guessing at every turn. The pacing was spot on, with just the right mix of heart-pounding action and quieter moments that made me reflect on the characters’ lives. And the setting? Deliciously atmospheric, adding an extra layer of tension to an already gripping story.
This is a book that had me turning pages well past bedtime, and honestly, I didn’t want it to end. If you love thrillers that keep you on edge, with twists and turns you’ll never see coming, I Know Who You Are deserves a spot on your shelf. A brilliantly crafted, five-star must-read that will stay with you long after you’ve turned the final page!
March 25, 2023
I would like to start by saying hankyou to netgalley for letting me read this book before release.
This book was a little slow to start off with, but once the actual storyline kicked in it was great. A twist at the beginning of the story shows us that not everyone is who they say they are, and anyone can he hiding stuff from their past!
Once the storyline kicked in it had me hooked and made me want to keep reading. It really drew me in. I could feel the panic of needing to find morven and the truth about the person she is.
Full of twists and action, a book that kept on giving. Would definitely recommend!
This book was a little slow to start off with, but once the actual storyline kicked in it was great. A twist at the beginning of the story shows us that not everyone is who they say they are, and anyone can he hiding stuff from their past!
Once the storyline kicked in it had me hooked and made me want to keep reading. It really drew me in. I could feel the panic of needing to find morven and the truth about the person she is.
Full of twists and action, a book that kept on giving. Would definitely recommend!
February 22, 2024
a gripping masterpiece that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. With its intricate plot twists and compelling characters, Curran skillfully weaves a tale of suspense and intrigue that left me guessing until the very end. The protagonist's journey of self-discovery amidst a web of lies and deception is both captivating and thought-provoking. Curran's writing is sharp, evocative, and utterly engrossing, making this a must-read for fans of the crime genre. From its riveting opening pages to its satisfying conclusion, "I Know Who You Were" is a true page-turner that will linger in my mind long after I turned the final page.
August 12, 2024
I know who you were - ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
"It's funny how a single day can make a liar out the best of us"
This book didn't hit the spot for me unfortunately. It wasn't by any means bad, but i did feel it was slow and lacked any of the shock factor i usually love so much in my thrillers. I thought i'd finish this in a day but really struggled to get through it and kept finding myself counting how many pages were left.
Alex has led a quiet life with his wife Morven and their daughter poppy. Until one morning Morven dissapears without a trace. Alex begins to uncover some disturbing truths. Did he actually know his wife at all ? Who can he trust ? And more importantly who is Morven ?
"It's funny how a single day can make a liar out the best of us"
This book didn't hit the spot for me unfortunately. It wasn't by any means bad, but i did feel it was slow and lacked any of the shock factor i usually love so much in my thrillers. I thought i'd finish this in a day but really struggled to get through it and kept finding myself counting how many pages were left.
Alex has led a quiet life with his wife Morven and their daughter poppy. Until one morning Morven dissapears without a trace. Alex begins to uncover some disturbing truths. Did he actually know his wife at all ? Who can he trust ? And more importantly who is Morven ?
April 14, 2023
A real page turner. This is a book that is not only a thriller, but also a psychological one, keeping the reader on the edge of their seat as they delve to know more. I loved this book, really couldn’t put it down until the mystery was unveiled and I reached its outstanding end. It’s the sort of book that would make an excellent televised short series. I’m really sorry to have finished reading I Know Who You Were but all good things have to come to an end sometime. I highly recommend this book, it will appeal to all tastes.
March 21, 2024
I Know Who You Were by Nick Curran is the story of Alex and Morven, who have been happily married for 10 years and have a daughter called Poppy. They live a very normal life until Morven doesn’t arrive at a corporate retreat organised for herself and her work colleagues.
Life changes from the moment Alex realises Morven is missing and it is never the same again. An engrossing look at lives being lived, based on lies and when the truth becomes known, will family life ever be the same again?
Highly recommended
Life changes from the moment Alex realises Morven is missing and it is never the same again. An engrossing look at lives being lived, based on lies and when the truth becomes known, will family life ever be the same again?
Highly recommended
April 1, 2023
This was a story which started with a bang and very quickly set the stage for twists and turns galore. It’s starts with what we are led to believe is a simple case of someone gone missing, but that doesn’t last long before we discover there is so much more to this than meets the eye.
Loved the story and the characters.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.
Loved the story and the characters.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing a copy.
June 17, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
This is my first title by this author and will read more in the future.
I requested this book as i was drawn in by the cover and thought it looked interesting.
Will recommend this to anyone looking for a thriller.
Thanks again for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars
This is my first title by this author and will read more in the future.
I requested this book as i was drawn in by the cover and thought it looked interesting.
Will recommend this to anyone looking for a thriller.
Thanks again for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
5/5 stars
April 7, 2023
Excellent, well written, suspense thriller. Combines mystery, heartache and danger with some unexpected turn of events. Couldn't put it down. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 5, 2024
Glorious!
Twists that are character led, Characters so full you think you know them. Turns that keep you reading. This is a great read that keeps its final reveals to the bitter end, so jarring I had to put it down and breathe before finishing it.
Bring on the next one Mr Curran! I cant wait.
Twists that are character led, Characters so full you think you know them. Turns that keep you reading. This is a great read that keeps its final reveals to the bitter end, so jarring I had to put it down and breathe before finishing it.
Bring on the next one Mr Curran! I cant wait.
July 14, 2024
Not a badly written book, just not my cup of tea. Scary and suspense. Not sure I’ll be sleeping tonight 🙈 good to try something different every now and then but definitely on to something a bit happier 😅
March 28, 2023
I know who you were by Nick Curran.
Alex is happily married to Morven with a daughter Poppy. But one day Morven dissappears. We're us she?
This was a good read. Slow but readable. 3*.
Alex is happily married to Morven with a daughter Poppy. But one day Morven dissappears. We're us she?
This was a good read. Slow but readable. 3*.
April 8, 2023
I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It was very different but had a good story and I enjoyed it.
May 4, 2023
Slow-paced and predictable, did not hold my interest.
June 16, 2024
Enjoyed this on the whole but did get a little lost and bored part way through and then struggled to pick it up again. Loved the ending! ⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 19, 2024
Boring...too much detail that didn't add to the story
June 26, 2024
Didn’t enjoy the writing style unfortunately. Felt very slow and packed with unnecessary details…
July 2, 2024
Gripped from the first page
Incredibly devastating
Incredibly devastating
July 19, 2024
Was so good loved the plot…thriller/crime vibes £2.50 well spent
July 21, 2024
Had a lot of potential but missed the mark so many times.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews