Review: 'What She Knew' by Miranda Rijks

I was drawn in by the cover of What She Knew, with the beautifully wrapped present covered in blood. I am always intrigued by the lies and turmoil behind a beautiful façade, it is what intrigues me so much about thrillers and mysteries. Add to that friendship, marriage and true crime researchers, and you have yourself the recipe for a thrilling read. Thanks to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Pub. Date: 7/18/2021
Publisher: Inkubator Books

Nine years ago, Stephanie’s best friend vanished. Now she’s back to haunt her.

Life has been good to Stephanie. Married to college professor, Oliver, with two adorable children, she lives in a lovely house, surrounded by beautiful things.

It hasn’t always been like this.

Nine years ago, Stephanie’s flatmate Alison vanished, presumed murdered. It was a horrible time, and Stephanie tries hard not to think about it.

But when a TV researcher working on a true crime series wants to interview her about the case, Stephanie is forced to confront the past and recognise that she has a deep need to answer one burning question – what happened to Alison?

It soon becomes clear that someone doesn’t want her digging for the truth and is willing to do anything to conceal a shocking web of lies. As her perfect life unravels, Stephanie realises that by opening a door into the past she has woken a sleeping monster. And now it’s her own life that is on the line…

For me, being a student was a crucial time of my life. There is so much going on in those few years of protected freedom, where you're away from family but not entirely our on your own yet. If you're lucky, you always have home to fall back on or to get advice from when suddenly you get gas bills for the first time or have to send formal emails. Major events during these years are formative, they stick with you, and therefore it is no surprise that thrillers love revisiting their characters' younger years. Now that I'm an older student surrounding by young'uns in their very early twenties I also realise just how vulnerable young adults are in those years. Professors are everything, so powerful and influential in your choices. The smallest knock feels like the end of everything. Add a murder to that and no wonder Rijks' main character spiralled.

Stephanie thought she had moved on from the loss of her university flatmate Alison, but when a true crime researcher comes knocking it stirs up new memories and questions. Is the right person really in jail? And what has happened to Stephanie's life since? Where have her dreams and hopes gone? Who is sending her weird packages and letters? And why is her husband so against finding out the truth? We spend all of What She Knew with Stephanie, but we do move back and forth in time. We get to see young Stephanie fall apart when Alison disappears, while adult Stephanie does her best to stay strong in the face of new information. I enjoyed the back and forth as her earlier experiences make it easier for the reader to understand why she is struggling now. While some of the elements of What She Knew are a little cliché and not entirely developed, it is overall a very enjoyable and fun read.

This is my first book by Miranda Rijks, but I really enjoyed her quick and gripping writing style. She doesn't linger too long but makes sure readers have an idea of their surroundings and the characters they encounter. At roughly 250 pages, What She Knew isn't a long read and provides plenty of entertainment and twists along the way. Some of the twists are a little predictable, which is part of the fun of reading thrillers, but it means it can drag a little to wait for characters to catch up with you. While not every plot development of What She Knew is equally believable or grounded, the novel does remain a lot of fun. I have seen quite a bit of praise for her previous book The Influencer which I have added to my TBR for this summer!

I give this novel...

3 Universes!

What She Knew is a very enjoyable, fast thriller that moves between domestic and psychological in its best moments.