Everything We Didn't Say: A Novel

Written by Nicole Baart

Narrated by Emily Tremaine

From the author of Little Broken Things, a “race-to-the-finish family drama” (People) following a mother who must confront the dark summer that changed her life forever in order to reclaim the daughter she left behind.

Juniper Baker had just graduated from high school and was deep in the throes of a summer romance when Cal and Beth Murphy, a childless couple who lived on a neighboring farm, were brutally murdered. When her younger brother became the prime suspect, June’s world collapsed and everything she loved that summer fell away. She left, promising never to return to tiny Jericho, Iowa.

Until now. Officially, she’s back in town to help an ill friend manage the local library. But really, she’s returned to repair her relationship with her teenage daughter, who’s been raised by Juniper’s mother and stepfather since birth—and to solve the infamous Murphy murders once and for all. She knows the key to both lies in the darkest secret of that long-ago summer night, one that’s haunted her for nearly fifteen years.

As history begins to repeat itself and a dogged local true crime podcaster starts delving into the murders, the race to the truth puts past and present on a dangerous collision course. Juniper lands back in an all-too-familiar place with the answers to everything finally in her sights, but this time it’s her daughter’s life that hangs in the balance. Will revealing what really happened mean a fresh start? Or will the truth destroy everything Juniper loves for a second time? Baart once again brilliantly weaves mystery into family drama in this expertly-crafted novel for fans of Lisa Jewell and Megan Miranda.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Nov 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781797133027

Nicole Baart

Nicole Baart is the author of eleven novels, including Everything We Didn’t Say and The Long Way Back. The cofounder of a nonprofit and mother of five, she lives in Iowa with her family. Learn more at NicoleBaart.com.

Reviews for Everything We Didn't Say

[McKenzie Goff · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Category: hometown thriller. The plotline in the beginning follows standards as a girl comes to her hometown with nothing but a murder that happened 14 1/2 years prior on her mind. Many comments of secrets of course, were made. Overall, this book had amazing character development for the main character and (almost) tied everything neatly at the end. The resolution to the book or the “who done it” if you will was a shock but as an avid thriller reader, I had called it halfway through. Even though I had it figured out, it was still enough of a plot twist to keep me reading!

Overall, if you like great character development, thrillers that aren’t too gory, and the hometown trope, this is perfect.

[Deborah Forde · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love the book but they were a lot of meal parts something was wrong that I didn’t get the full story need to be fixed

[Tina Brown · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is my first time listening to this author and I’m going to look for more of her books. When I find a story that keeps my attention like this one did, I can’t stop listening.

[SarahJayneK · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

1.5/ 5 - small town thriller

A town with an unsolved murder. A woman returning home after being pushed out by her family, trying to rebuild a relationship with her daughter and a podcast announced to finally reveal the killer.

I enjoy books with flashbacks and this had us taken from present day to the summer of the murders 14i years ago. Changing between 1st/3rd always bothers me tho. The book has so much subplot that was never really honed in on. Juniper returned to help Cora but never explained the friendship, why this was needed.
I think adding podcast episodes would have been a good move, telling more of what happened that night earlier and removing some of the subplots to focus on the main mystery would have made it so much stronger.

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[Imogen · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, it just doesn't make sense. The protagonist regularly leaps to conclusions that don't follow at all, and no character has any substance. The flashback structure could have been interesting, but it's not well executed. Apparently 15 years have passed since this mystery crime, but our protagonist reads exactly the same in both time points. She doesn't seem to have matured, gained any personality traits, or had any lived experiences in the meantime. Lots of plot holes left at the end, but honestly by then, I didn't even care enough to be bothered.

[Brittany Brooks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This books keeps you guessing and wanting more. Good read!

[Shawna · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The characters in this story are rich and relatable. The timeline goes back and forth from past to present day. The events of a murder in small town Iowa are told as the main character Juniper relives them duting her first visit home in ten years. The family and the town have deep buried secrets and her brother has lived his whole life being known as a possible murderer . It's long on some details that felt unnecessary but it does have surprises which play well in its final chapter.

[Rudolf Dankwort · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Who does the author tink she is, expecting us to read untold hours of drivel without any point to it?
Oh for another Christie who never wasted a word in her terse novels.
Just drivel. Never made kit past the 1/3 point in this sleepwalker.