Someone We Know: A Novel

Written by Shari Lapena

Narrated by Kirsten Potter

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

“Poised and chilling.” —Wall Street Journal

“No-one does suburban paranoia like Shari Lapena—this slowly unfurling nightmare will have you biting your nails until the end.” —Ruth Ware

Another thrilling domestic suspense novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door and Not a Happy Family

Maybe you don't know your neighbors as well as you thought you did . . .


"This is a very difficult letter to write. I hope you will not hate us too much. . . My son broke into your home recently while you were out."

In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses--and into the owners' computers as well--learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too.

Who is he, and what might he have uncovered? After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? Who knows more than they're telling? And how far will all these very nice people go to protect their own secrets?

In this neighborhood, it's not just the husbands and wives who play games. Here, everyone in the family has something to hide . . .

You never really know what people are capable of.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Audio
• Release date: Jul 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9780525532286

Shari Lapena

Shari Lapena was a lawyer and English teacher before turning to writing fiction. Her work has been shortlisted for the CBC Literary Awards and in 2004 she won the Great Toronto Literary Project. Things Go Flying was shortlisted for the 2009 Sunburst Award. She has been featured in The Dalhousie Review, The Globe and Mail and is an alumnus of the Humber School for Writers. She makes her home in Toronto. Please visit sharilapena.com, or follow Shari on Twitter at @sharilapena.

Reviews for Someone We Know

[Cooper Cooper · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another great story. I almost read the last chapter part way through the suspense was killing me!!! I would have never thought the killer was who it was geez….after chapter 20 I was like OMG these people lie so much how can they keep their stories straight. This was like the house of cards all tumbling down.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Digital audiobook read by Kirsten Potter


From the book jacket: Maybe you don’t know your neighbors as well as you thought you did. In a quiet, leafy suburb in upstate New York, a teenager has been sneaking into houses – and into the owners’ computers as well – learning their secrets, and maybe sharing some of them, too. After two anonymous letters are received, whispers start to circulate, and suspicion mounts. And when a woman down the street is found murdered, the tension reaches the breaking point. Who killed her? And how far will all these nice people go to protect their own secrets?

My reactions:
This was a taut mystery / thriller. Several characters revealed themselves to be unreliable. They were lying to their families, friends, neighbors, and the police. The mother of the teen computer hacker confides in her best friend, but doesn’t tell all she knows (and she doesn’t know everything, because her son lies to her). There are multiple personal intrigues, including several affairs between neighbors. “A” is sleeping with “B”, whose spouse is sleeping with “D.” The dead woman was apparently sleeping with multiple partners, but at least HER husband has an airtight alibi. But then why is HE acting so suspiciously and lying to police?

I was sure I had it figured out but was completely surprised by the actual reveal. And the ending gives the reader another mystery to ponder and wonder about.

Kirsten Potter does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. There are a lot of characters and she was up to the task.

[olegalca · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I enjoyed it - lots of red herrings. You certainly wouldn't want to live in this neighbourhood.

[enid007 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I couldn't put this book down and everytime I thought I knew who done it I'd yell at my husband "I knew it" and would go on to tell him why I was sure only to find out I was so wrong. It's been a while since I was so enthralled into a book. I'm like why did I take so long to read this lol.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena is a 2019 Pamela Dorman Books publication.

A woman is viciously murdered….

Was it her husband, a lover, a stranger... or someone they knew??

A neighborhood is rocked by the murder- but that’s not the only thing going on their community. A teenager’s new hobby is breaking into homes and snooping through people’s computers. Then two anonymous letters of apology are delivered to the victims...

These seemingly unconnected events set everyone on edge- all worried about protecting their secrets… Who has the most to hide, who has the most to lose?

This book has been languishing on my library ‘wish-list’ for a couple of years, but I was in the mood for a psychological thriller, despite a run of back luck with mystery/thrillers this summer.

I have read a few books by this author and liked them- so I checked this book out on impulse.

This turned out to be a really quick read. The story has a nice smooth flow and all the drama held me captive and engaged enough to keep turning pages.

While there is a lot of tension in the air, the suspense never builds to an edge of your seat intensity, and naturally, I had an inkling who the killer was, well before the author started dropping clues. That said, I had the motive all wrong, and there were some nice surprise revelations and good Spine-Tinglig conclusion- so, overall, this is a solid Psych thriller and that makes this three for three from this author, in my book.

3.5 stars

[candyh_64 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another great read from Shari Lapena. So many twists and turns to keep the reader devouring each page. I was a bit disappointed in the ending. But all in all this is a book to devour if you like thrillers.

[jynell-71874 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Who murdered Amanda?

As the police begin their investigation, multiple players come into suspicion. This neighborhood has so many secrets to tell and everyone has their own! Little by little, neighbors are interviewed and bits and pieces of evidence emerge. Of course, there's the husband and the lover... Or was it the husband's lover? You'll have to read to find out!

I adored the writing of Shari Lapena and felt the constant action. Never a dull moment. I was kept guessing until the very end. Fabulous thriller.

[pegmcdaniel · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is the fourth novel by Shari Lapena that I've read. I didn't enjoy this one as much as the others because there were too many characters and, as a result, none were well-developed. I had a hard time keeping the various families straight.

This is a murder mystery with lots of twists and turns. There was too much repetition re-hashing the plot so that slowed down the pacing for me. The plot involves the teen-age son of a couple living in the neighborhood. He sneaks out at night, breaks into neighbors' homes, snoops around, and hacks into their computers. He never steals anything.

A woman, Amanda, in the neighborhood is reported missing by her husband a couple of days before her battered body is found in the trunk of her car in a lake. So an investigation begins into the murder and the detectives find out that everyone in the neighborhood has secrets and lies. It seems Amanda has been involved with several of the men. It was hard to keep track of who was sleeping with who, how many trips various people made to the police station for interviews, etc.

This story was told from several points-of-view. While it was nice to get different views, there were too many for me. I didn't like the unrealistic ending. I have another novel by Lapena on my TBR shelf which I plan to read. I just hope it's better than this one.

[jrlibrary · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I felt like the book dragged on a bit as certain information was revealed. I also didn’t like the ending... specifically the epilogue. It was an entertaining read but I’ve definitely had murder mysteries that I enjoyed a lot more. This was good but not fabulous.

[vanessa_menez-453497 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is my favorite by Shari Lapena! I was hooked on right from the start. It was fast paced and so addictive that I couldn’t put it down until I finished.

Such a shady neighborhood filled with secrets and lies, with everyone being a possible suspect. I thought I guessed the killer but the twist at the end was so unexpected.

Amazing thriller filled with suspense and twists!

[purple_pisces22 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I do love Shari Lapena! Her topic may be mainstream, but she manages to make her stories unique and keep you guessing. This book was no different. A well to do neighborhood full of secrets and surprises, guilty consciences andand rebellious teenagers. A woman is murdered and almost every man in the neighborhood is deemed a possible suspect. Then there are the jealous spouses and the nosy kids. Fast paced and hard to put down...everything is tied up nicely considering the havoc that takes place!

[bookappeal · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This is domestic suspense at its worst. The characters are unlikable and uninteresting, the detectives are made of cardboard (one of my fellow book club members shrewdly characterized the female detective as "an appendage" to the male one but neither is given much of a personality, nor detecting skill), every single character has a big secret, most lie to the police (without legal representation), and then try to tell the truth and are shocked the police don't believe them. There's one potentially interesting villain but the author barely scratches the surface with his characterization. The writing is repetitive in content and style. Readers are provided no solid evidence - literally every person in the neighborhood of the murder could have committed the crime. Long before the reveal, I no longer cared who did the killing and the ending is a nonsensical dangling thread.

[jfe16 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Although no one knows it, a teenager has been sneaking into the neighbors’ houses and hacking into their computers. A couple of anonymous apology letters, promising that this breach will not happen again, has everyone in the neighborhood whispering, gossiping, wondering who might be the culprit.

Then a woman is bludgeoned to death.

Could the unseen intruder be the murderer? If not, then who? And why? What could the hacker have found in those computers, anyway? Who has the most to hide? Who is the guiltiest?

This little New York neighborhood could give Peyton Place a run for its money. EVERYONE is hiding something. EVERYONE is guilty of something and tries to obscure their misdeeds by lying to the police. And EVERYONE is terrified to think that those secrets might become public knowledge.

However, with one or two exceptions, all of the characters are quite shallow and flat, defined merely by their actions and their secrets. And, to make matters worse, the gossipy, insipid women disparage the victim [“A woman like that . . . such a flirt . . .”] while continually making excuses for their own husbands/sons/lovers. Somehow, they've unilaterally decided that the male contingent deserves a pass, no matter what.

Despite several loose ends, this quick-read narrative does wrap up the major plot points. However, as the story ends, the smarmiest, most reprehensible character in the lot remains, busily plotting against one of the women in an annoyingly abrupt cliffhanger ending that is sure to leave readers feeling frustrated and disappointed.

[thewanderingjew_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Someone We Know, Shari Lapena, author; Kirsten Potter, narrator
The book opens with a horribly gruesome murder, and from that point on, the reader is a captive. It goes off in many directions, which seem plausible, until it gets to a real surprise ending that, dear reader, you had better be prepared to stay up all night to figure out; I did.
The story centers around the Sharpe family. Olivia, Paul, and Raleigh seem to be a normal, happy family. They live in Aylesford, a charming community that seems perfect from the outside, with residents experiencing the normal growing pains families everywhere experience. However, cracks soon develop in that façade. The unraveling of lives begins when Olivia accidentally discovers that her teenaged son has been leading a secret life of which she and her husband were unaware. Raleigh is a techie, and he is engaging in illegal activity.
In the midst of this family trauma, a neighbor, Amanda Pierce, known to be an outrageous flirt, is reported missing by her husband Robert. She never returned from a planned weekend trip with her friend Caroline. Tongues begin to wag. Had she just decided to up and leave him? Rumors spread about possible troubles between Amanda and her husband. Then, when her body is discovered, other suspicions are aroused. Who murdered her? The husband is cool as a cucumber. Did she have a hidden life? Did he kill her when he discovered it?
When the two detectives from the Aylesford police force descend upon them, picking them up for questioning, frightening them with their insinuations, panic ensues. Soon, the Sharp family becomes inextricably involved in this investigation because of Raleigh’s foray into what he viewed as harmless criminal activity. Fingerprints are taken and more rumors surface; the neighbors’ memories of events and their testimonies point fingers in several directions. When all of the neighbors are questioned, it is discovered that a whole lot of them seem to have been living alternate lives, engaging in secret trysts and lies. Many of them could have had a motive. Many of them could not produce an airtight alibi.
How far will a parent go to protect a child or a spouse? Whose spouse is guilty? How should each of the accused respond? Should they protect their family or their friends? Can they? Will each choose a route that leads to disaster?
This book seems to be just the right number of pages. It didn’t ramble and there were few wasted words. It was read very well by Kirsten Potter. She did voices well and created tension in all the right places. At the end, this book seemed to be set up for a sequel, one I eagerly will await.

[simplykelina · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am a huge fan of Shari Lapena. I have read everything she has released (besides one) so far and she is an auto buy author for me. I was so excited for this one!

There were several couples involved with this one. They were not very distinguishable though, and I had to write them all down to make sure I had them all separated out. Once I did this, the story was a little easier to follow.

I really enjoy the authors writing and the way she can pull you into her stories. I usually read all of her books in one sitting. This was no exception. I was interested in the story and how everything was going to unfold.

I called who the killer was a little early on the story. I was not a huge fan of how everything unfolded. However; the story kept my attention the whole time and I still enjoyed it.

[kbranfield-837433 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

4.5 stars.

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena is an ingeniously plotted, suspenseful mystery.

When a murder rocks a quiet neighborhood, the residents are quick to place the blame on the husband of the victim. Because, after all, they are newcomers to town and the beautiful wife is quite the flirt. But as the murder investigation progresses, the secrets of the friends and neighbors are slowly, but surely, revealed. But, do any of these revelations point to the murderer's identity?

Robert Pierce grows concerned about his wife Amanda when she fails to return home from a girls' weekend.  He reports her disappearance to the police who do not put much effort into searching for the missing woman. Has Amanda gone missing by her own choice or is there a more nefarious reason for her disappearance?

Olivia Sharpe is happily married with a teenage age son.  But her life is about to become extremely complicated after she inadvertently reads a text on her son Raleigh's phone. His explanation is shocking but she and her husband Paul quickly contact a lawyer for advice.  However, unbeknownst to Paul or Raleigh, Olivia has made a fateful decision that leads their neighbor to begin some amateur sleuthing of her own.

After a shocking discovery, Detectives Moen and Webb's begin their murder investigation by questioning the victim's husband and their neighbors. Secrets are slowly unearthed and people's lives are turned upside down as these hidden truths come to light. With each new lead, Moen and Webb question potential suspects in hopes of finding the killer. But will any of the people they question prove to be guilty of anything except poor judgment and questionable morals?

Someone We Know is a brilliantly plotted mystery with imaginative twists and sly turns. Just as Webb and Moen think they have solved the crime, new information casts doubt on their theories. With the suspect pool growing then shrinking as each new lead is investigated,  Shari Lapena cleverly keeps the perpetrator's identity and motive for the crime under wraps until the novel's shocking dénouement.  I absolutely loved and highly recommend this clever domestic mystery to fans of the genre.

[khal_khaleesi · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I normally don't listen to audiobooks, but I decided to give it a try with Someone We Know by Shari Lapena. While the audiobook wasn't bad, it was just okay.

I felt that the story kind of dragged to begin with. It seemed a bit slow to get going until the last 25 percent. I spent most of the story confused with which character was who since the book switches characters quite a bit.

I will say that this book left me guessing throughout about who was the guilty party, and the guilty party was definitely one I didn't see coming!

I loved the character of Olivia. She seemed so genuine. I admired how she always wanted to do the moral thing even when advised against it.

The narrator did a good job with this story, but Someone We Know just was too slow of a read for me due to the plot. I do think it's still enjoyable especially with the ending, but I know I'll forget reading (listening to) it in a few months.

[carol420 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This story began with a great deal of promise for a 5 star story. A missing woman… dead body...a computer hacker…seems to have had all the makings. Then it slowly lost steam. I began to loose track of whom the police were interviewing and who was sleeping with whom. I couldn’t even keep straight who was married to whom. The characters were unlikable and all were lying about something. The ending was a little unrealistic and almost like the story wasn’t quiet finished. We were left not really knowing if the killings were really over for this neighborhood and if not who might be next.

[gail616 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Okay. Nothing that really held my attention.

[rmarcin-630843 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Shari Lapena's writing has greatly improved since her first novel. In her latest book, a suburban community is upturned by the recent disappearance of a young, beautiful woman, reported missing by her husband. Not only is Amanda Pierce beautiful, but she is a flirt and has come on to many of the neighborhood men.
Olivia and Paul Sharpe are best friends with Gloria and Keith Newell. The Sharpes discover that their teenage son, Raleigh, has been breaking into houses in the neighborhood. The Newell's son, Adam, has lately struggled with alcohol, becoming drunk on many occasions. The two women confide in each other.
When Amanda Pierce's body is found, her husband becomes the main suspect. When it is found that he has been having an affair with a neighbor, the suspicion ratchets higher. Then, it is determined that other neighbors have also been having affairs, and there are many secrets in this quiet neighborhood, where everyone thought their lives were idyllic, but truthfully, they are a mess. Everyone becomes a suspect, no one knows who they can believe, and it all comes crashing down in the finale.
I do think the ending was a bit rushed - and the crime, while understandable, is also a bit extreme. I think most people will be surprised at the ending, as everyone could easily have been the murderer. Ms. Lapena does a good job of throwing a lot of suspicion on all the characters.
This was a very quick read, I read it in just a few hours one afternoon.
#SomeoneWeKnow #ShariLapena

[clamato_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As per usual, loved it!! Thought I was so clever that i had figured it out only to be very, very wrong! Love this writer and have read all her books and can't wait to read more! And she's Canadian!

[susan.macura · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of several families who live together in a small suburb in upstate New York. They are typical families filled with all sorts of family drama and secrets. It seems everyone has a secret that they try to protect, too often unable to do so. It is also a tale of mistakes, and how some of these mistakes lead to other people acting in ways they might not except for those mistakes by others. I simply loved this story of secrets, murder and mayhem!

[lauranthalas-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I don’t want to give too much away so this will be short. In a small, suburb community, a mother writes anonymous letters about her son breaking into people’s homes. The son just happened to hack into the neighbors’ computers when he broke into their homes and stumbled upon some secrets. Then someone is found murdered…

Another fun read by Shari Lapena! There are so many different pieces to this puzzle and it had me guessing for a while.

[amyghilton · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even the quietest neighborhood can have a sinister underbelly, dripping with secrets, lies, and murder.

Amanda Pierce, the neighborhood flirt, has been brutally murdered. The police soon discover that finding a killer won't be easy, as the list of suspects gets longer every day.

Shari Lapena has that rare ability to grab me from the first page, and she doesn't let go until the very last. The ending wasn't a surprise to me, but it was still an exciting ride.

[miss.mesmerized · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Aylesford is a small community not far from New York. People know each other, are friends, have barbecues together and share their everyday problems. New to the neighbourhood are Amanda and Robert Pierce, both stunningly attractive and younger than the rest with their teenage kids. When Amanda goes missing, everybody soon blames the husband, the obvious suspect, but then, slowly, the facades of the good people start to crumble. They are not the loving husbands who go to work every day to support their beloved family, they are not the good housewives who only care for their dears and they are not the good kids of the suburbs. They all have their secrets they thought well hidden, but now it’s time for revelation.

I hardly could put down Shari Lapena’s thriller since I was hooked from the first page. She has created the perfect environment for readers who enjoy a bit of schadenfreude. Those nice people who appear to be caring and concerned about the others and who are suddenly confronted with their dark sides that threaten the picture they have drawn of themselves. A great read that was not only fun to read because all of them sooner or later have to admit their misconduct, but first and foremost, because the plot was masterly woven and thus kept suspense high until the very end.

It’s hard to say more about the plot without giving away too much. I liked how Lapena slowly unravels the revelations and shifts the focus from one character to the next. They all act suspiciously and at a certain point, I gave up believing any of them since it was too obvious that none of them is innocent in one way or the other. The author skilfully plays with the reader along these lines and this keeps you addicted since you eagerly want to find out what actually happened. It’s a brilliant, enthralling novel that you cannot stop reading once you’ve started.

[girlwellread · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A special thank you to Edelweiss and Penguin Publishing Group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What would you do if you found out that your teenage son has been breaking into homes in your quiet, upscale neighbourhood? Olivia Sharpe has just learned that her son Raleigh has a new hobby. He swears he isn't stealing, just hacking into people's computers.

Thinking she's doing the right thing, Olivia sends anonymous letters to the neighbours who were victim to Raleigh's snooping. At the same time, a woman down the street that the neighbours assumed left her husband—when in fact he had filed a missing persons report—was found in the trunk of her car at the bottom of a lake. Olivia is shocked to learn that the woman is Amanda Pierce whose home Raleigh broke into.

Will the letters incriminate her family? Is her son as harmless as he lets on? Who actually killed Amanda and just how far are they willing to go to protect themselves?

What I liked about Someone We Know, that I found lacking with An Unwanted Guest, is that this thriller was more of a character study. Lapena fully developed this particular cast of characters, but there was still something missing...

Every time I read one of Lapena's books, I come away feeling that the execution was not strong enough to support what's expected of this genre. There seems to be a lot of repetition in that it's more of the same thing. The plot isn't very liner and you end up being led in circles.

Yes, this time the characters were more fleshed out. They all had distinctive voices and it turns out, something to hide. But there was far too much repetition.