THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERIn her enthralling debut, Gilly Macmillan explores a mother’s search for her missing son, weaving a taut psychological thriller as gripping and skillful as The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One.In a heartbeat, everything changes… son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It’s an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry—until Ben vanishes.
Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel’s newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister. Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public’s attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion.
As she desperately pieces together the threadbare clues, Rachel realizes that nothing is quite as she imagined it to be, not even her own judgment. And the greatest dangers may lie not in the anonymous strangers of every parent’s nightmares, but behind the familiar smiles of those she trusts the most.
Where is Ben? The clock is ticking…
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I wasn’t sure I would actually read this when I started, since it is about a child abduction and I just don’t want to read stories about violence toward children, BUT I was drawn in within the first 25 pages or so. The hopping between different POVs actually helped keep the pace and made it compelling, needing to read further with each chapter. The characters are well drawn, and the story is detailed and complex. I have seen remarks that this is a trendy genre right now, but when has suspense ever not been trendy? Beautifully written, and an absolute amazement for a first novel! Highly recommended.
What She Knew is definitely on-trend, as you might guess from the plot and the Paula Hawkins/Gillian Flynn comparisons, but I thought it was a solid read. I soared through it and found it more emotionally compelling than many other psychological thrillers I’ve read recently.
It’s $1.99 right now, so if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining thriller, I would recommend snatching it up!
Oh my gosh! I loved this book. There’s so much I want to say but it all seems to offer up spoilers. So, how about this? If you like mysteries, read this book!
It seems a bit of a stretch to compare “What She Knew” to titles like “The Girl on the Train” (as Goodreads does) but I understand the common trope of the unreliable narrator. Throughout the book you like and cheer for the main character, Rachel, but the more you learn about her the more it makes you think. I never stopped liking her as we learned her flaws, but the depth of the character I admired. The mystery had a somewhat obvious ending that the author didn’t choose to take, which is why I’m giving this 4 stars instead of 3 or 3.5. A minor mystery is left unsolved, which rubbed me the wrong way for some reason, but overall this was a good beach read for thriller fans.
Just finished What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan. Very good story, kept me guessing till the end. Reading on a Kindle is kind of weird because as I was reading the book I couldn’t remember the name of it as you never see the cover!
I really enjoyed this book and couldn’t wait to see who kidnapped the child. The ending didn’t disappoint! The characters were defined enough that I felt like I got to know them. I couldn’t imagine having to go through something like this myself!
Great suspenseful novel. Although it’s always a challenge to read stories that can have that real-life feel, especially when it deals will children, but this one kept me trying to figure out who kidnapped Ben. Love all the research the author put into the novel to keep if on the “real” side. The vivid imagery within allow the reader to feel like they are in the story. Family relationships were a big part of this book and helped it to keep the reader from finding the “guilty” too early.
Rachel Jenner and her son Ben are enjoying a frequent tradition: spending time in the park with their dog, Skittle, when things take a turn. Ben asks to run ahead to the rope swing, and Rachel agrees. That’s the last she sees of her son. It’s as if Ben has vanished into thin air, and Rachel feels her world cleave into two. The police are called, and the investigation is handed over to DI James Clemo. This is Jim’s first major investigation as lead, and he’s determined to do it right. Meanwhile Rachel is reeling from her decision to allow Ben to run ahead–one that’s quickly questioned by her ex-husband and soon, the media. As days pass by without a break in the case, the media quickly turns its harsh glare directly onto Rachel. Rachel, meanwhile, starts questioning herself–and those around her.
I absolutely adored Gilly Macmillan’s mystery The Perfect Girl, so when I saw she had a new book coming out, I knew I had to read it. I didn’t realize it was part of a series (apparently featuring Jim Clemo), so I decided to read this one first. It’s Macmillan’s first book, but, of course, you can barely tell, because she’s an amazing writer. She’s going to be one of my favorite mystery writers going forward.
The format of the novel is unique — we get Jim and Rachel’s point of view, broken down by Day 1, 2, 3, etc. of Ben’s disappearance. But we also get transcript pieces of Clemo’s meetings with a psychologist, whom he is meeting with a good year after Ben’s disappearance. The gist is that Ben’s case has so clearly affected Clemo and his job performance that meeting with this woman–in hopes of getting a good report–is the only way he may be able to remain on the job.
It’s an effective format and certainly ratchets up the suspense and tension as we wonder exactly what happened to Ben: who took him? Will he return home safely to his mother and father? Is anyone in this novel telling the truth? It’s a slow-burning book, with no major sudden twists and turns, but deftly written, with each character superbly fleshed out. Our cast is small, but well-done: Ben’s mother and father, his teachers and schoolmates, his troubled aunt, and those investigating his case.
The standouts, of course, though are Rachel and Jim–our storytellers. Rachel is reeling from her divorce, telling us her story directly, and delving into her own flaws. It allows Macmillan to illustrate the power (not always positive) of modern day society’s relentless media focus and what those anonymous people in social forums can do to real, actual people. Rachel isn’t always a sympathetic character, though my heart often went out to her, but she’s real–a flawed, authentic mother.
And, speaking of flaws, Jim is a fascinating character. We get bits and pieces of how he’s formed by his past. He’s not a one-dimensional, stereotypical policeman, but a very intricate character. He’s driven, but honestly, he’s really quite a mess. As a result, he’s intriguing but also frustrating in many ways. I’ll be quite interested to see where he is in Macmillan’s second novel in the series.
So, while this novel is filled with complicated characters, it is also a mystery at its core. Our intricate cast slows things down a bit, but luckily the plot keeps you guessing and wanting to turn the pages. I had various suspicions, throughout, but the ending completely surprised me (something that’s hard to do). The novel takes a lot of unexpected turns. At the halfway point, I was completely befuddled, but invested.
Overall, this one is pretty captivating. I actually found myself keeping my daughters closer to me while reading and feeling nervous when they ran off. The night after I finished it, I had creepy dreams about a child being kidnapped–I rarely, if ever, dream about the books I’m reading! Sweet Ben really touched me and, as I mentioned, while I didn’t always like Rachel, I very much empathized with her. Macmillan is a wonderful writer, and I’m very excited to be starting ODD CHILD OUT in the next couple of days.
A look behind the scenes of police work and the trials facing everyone of a missing child case. Couldn’t put it down!
Rachael and her son, Ben, are on their weekly walk in the woods with their dog. Ben begs his mom to let him run ahead and play on the swing. She relents but instead of finding Ben at the swing a few minutes later, he is gone. Frantic, Rachael starts searching for Ben and enlists the help of others who are out walking. The police are called and a full blown search begins. The dog is found with a broken leg and Ben’s clothes are found.
What follows is a story of secrets and lies. Judgments based on speculation without any facts.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
Wow this is suspenseful & fast paced! MC Rachel goes walking with her eight year old son, Ben, runs up ahead and disappears. Omg this feeling of panic is very relatable for any mother so my heart sank. There’s so many parties involved, details that come up, it’s gripping and makes you suspect Rachel. Thanks to Book Club Girls, William Morrow and NetGalley. This is my honest review.
Oh yikes! As a mom of a wily 5 year old boy, this book is absolutely terrifying! Ben and his mom are walking their dog in the woods and Ben asks if he can run ahead. Rachel debates but finally gives in and says ok. Ben disappears as if into thin air. It’s every moms worst nightmare!! The police begin their investigation and drag up everything in the families past. Society blames Rachel for letting him run ahead. That’s just heartbreaking because every mom has done it. It’s so real and raw and just rips your heart right out of your chest.
I loved this story. While reading it is leftvavfew questions unanswered, but otherwise it was an unpredictable plot.
Absolutely loved this book. Two words come to mind regarding this book and they are brilliant and excellent.
Once I started I kept reading until the last page.
The book is hard to read only because of how awful the premise is. A little boy is taken and it tears his family apart. I think Gilly Macmillan did a fantastic job of showing the bias of media and the public when it comes to tragedies such as a missing child. Definitely didn’t expect the ending, but thought it was surprisingly fitting.
Enjoyed the story unfolding from the points of view of 2 main characters.
I was completely gripped by this suspenseful novel, not only because the characters were well drawn, the setting vivid and the plot full of twists and turns, but because as a mother I can completely identify and see myself in this situation. The what-if that every mother experiences in this story was like a punch to the gut. An absolutely brilliant read.
A completely addicting psychological thriller about a mother who lets her eight-year old son run ahead of her in a park, only to have him go missing. As the clock ticks down, she’s determined to find her son alive.
I would not to be in her position.
I was 100% invested in this book and had trouble putting it down. My first by the author, but not my last.