More Than You'll Ever Know: A Novel

Written by Katie Gutierrez

Narrated by Inés del Castillo and Yareli Arizmendi

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

""Fantastic . . . A sweeping novel, unflinching and evocative in its engrossing study of love, motherhood, sex, Mexico, journalism and more."" — WASHINGTON POST

""Masterful . . . Elegance, darkness, even fear are deftly intertwined . . . A wonderful read."" — LUIS ALBERTO URREA, Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of The House of Broken Angels

Recommended by New York Times Book Review • Los Angeles Times • Washington Post • Parade • Good Housekeeping • NBC News • Today.com • Goodreads • Audible • The Millions • Popsugar • Tribeza • CrimeReads • Library Reads • She Reads • and more!

An evocative drama about a woman caught leading a double life after one husband murders the other, and the true-crime writer who becomes obsessed with telling her story—this masterful work of literary suspense marks the debut of an extraordinary new writer

The dance becomes an affair, which becomes a marriage, which becomes a murder...

In 1985, Lore Rivera marries Andres Russo in Mexico City, even though she is already married to Fabian Rivera in Laredo, Texas, and they share twin sons. Through her career as an international banker, Lore splits her time between two countries and two families—until the truth is revealed and one husband is arrested for murdering the other.

In 2017, while trawling the internet for the latest, most sensational news reports, struggling true-crime writer Cassie Bowman encounters an article detailing that tragic final act. Cassie is immediately enticed by what is not explored: Why would a woman—a mother—risk everything for a secret double marriage? Cassie sees an opportunity—she’ll track Lore down and capture the full picture, the choices, the deceptions that led to disaster. But the more time she spends with Lore, the more Cassie questions the facts surrounding the murder itself. Soon, her determination to uncover the truth could threaten to derail Lore’s now quiet life—and expose the many secrets both women are hiding.

Told through alternating timelines, More Than You’ll Ever Know is both a gripping mystery and a wrenching family drama. Presenting a window into the hearts of two very different women, it explores the many conflicting demands of marriage and motherhood, and the impossibility of ever truly knowing someone—especially those we love.

""A seductive, urgent tale about desire, family, the pursuit of truth, and the art of storytelling, More Than You’ll Ever Know will astonish readers with its vastness, romance, tragedy, and abundant heart. I didn’t want this book to ever end."" — JESSAMINE CHAN, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers

""A gripping and thoughtful exploration of motherhood and marriage, the complexity of female desire, and the consequence of our obsession with true crime . . . One of the best suspenseful dramas I’ve read in years. An exceptional, stunning debut—I absolutely loved it."" — ASHLEY AUDRAIN, New York Times bestselling author of The Push

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jun 7, 2022
• ISBN: 9780063118492

Katie Gutierrez

Katie Gutierrez has an MFA from Texas State University, and her writing has appeared in Harper's Bazaar, The Washington Post, Longreads, Texas Monthly, and more. She was born and raised in Laredo, Texas, and now lives in San Antonio, with her husband and their two children. More Than You'll Ever Know is her first novel.

Reviews for More Than You'll Ever Know

[Alphas Ever After · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The imagery, metaphors, characters, and brave exploration of human emotions. A dual journey exploring memory and potency of love.

[Shannon Smith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very well written! The story was weaved together perfectly and in a way that I couldn’t stop listening. I loved the ending too…it didn’t feel rushed or lacking.

[Ann G Miller-Sobel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Good story. A little repetitive at times. Some loose ends unresolved but great story telling. Wish the ending wasn’t rushed. There was so many points drawn out made the ending not match the tale.

[Marty Humphreys · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

One woman's POV also her paradox. A treatise on truth, maybe

[Aramitess Pelichet · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Amazing, Gripping, A Mother's Love

You will be unable to stop until the end.

[Wendi Hayes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So good! A murder mystery mixed with a romance novel with pro-woman undertones. A fictional story of the battle for a woman to keep her own identity after becoming a mother and a young writer struggling to get a break.

[Shandel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There are a lot of twists and turns in the story. It keeps you on your feet. A part of me want to hate Laurie and the other part admires her for being a business woman and the ability to have to lovers, and how she loves hard. The end was surprising.

[Disha jetly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 stars.It was too much of a slow burn for me.Not particularly a thriller but it is kind of a family drama.

[Janet Wallace · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

excellent! A fascinating look at the issues of truth, trust and love

[Sharon Richman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Suspenseful and not be ending I thought it would be

[Gabriela Loza · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well then! That was a very well written novel within the mystery thick throughout which keeps you guessing and theorizing. Love detailed oriented books like these!

[Megan Koomen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book was great. The voice acting was good. Good read that’s not too dark.

[Angela Griner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Romance. Murder. Drama. Suspense. Plot twist. Everything you could want. This book is a real page turner. And the narrators really bring it to life. Highly recommend.

[Danielle Avila · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Interesting right to the very end. The characters were well defined and relatable.

[StefanieRogers · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well written and narrated. Good intrigue and enough twists to keep you surprised but characters a bit flat and a bit long winded in the beginning

[Stephanie Miller Hofman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

More than you’ll ever know
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4.75/5 ?

It’s really hard for me to believe that this is Katie Gutierrez’s debut novel - that’s how beautifully layered, structured and written I found this one.

This is the story of two women whose lives become intertwine when one decides to investigate true decades old murder of the other’s husband - by her second husband.

Told in dual timelines, this true-crime fiction focuses on Cassie, a blogger in 2017 who becomes intrigued in the story of Lore, who in 1985 is married, living in Texas with her twin sons and husband when she meets a man in Mexico, and their whirlwind romance becomes a doomed marriage. Cassie can’t help her fascination with what would lead one woman to lead a double life and tracks down Lore, opening up old wounds and secrets.

Gutierrez covers a lot of ground and delves deep into the psyches of two very different women. She asks questions of memory, forgiveness, how we fail yet also protect our children, how much can a woman demand out of life without crossing boundaries, and how destructive of a force love can be.

Propulsive, satisfying and raw, this story presents one of the strongest and most unforgettable characters in Lore - and overachieving woman in international banking, she wanted more and yearned to taste all that life had to offer, but at what cost? I kept asking myself-is she a sociopath, deluded, or incredibly selfish? In attempting to understand Lore’s motives, Cassie undergoes an profound change within her own troubled relationship with her father.

Narrated brilliantly by two different actors who perfectly capture the essences of Cassie and Lore, this audiobook was one I didn’t want to stop listening to, to see what secret would be uncovered next.

Is this on your TBR list yet?