Thoughts on : Someone We Know by Shari Lapena

Posted by Kay on December 4, 2019 2:07 am in 4 stars reads | 3 comments

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
Genre : Mystery
Stand alone

About the Book  :

“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 . . .

I read Someone We Know in a day. It’s fair to say I enjoyed it!

Shari Lapena has quickly become one of my auto-buy authors. Even though I can always spot some flaws that would annoy me in other books, there’s something about her writing that works for me, every time.

In fact, the things I liked and disliked seem to always be the same in every one of her books – I could basically copy my review for An Unwanted Guest here! Let’s see :

• I was immediately engrossed in the story
• The book kept me guessing
• The clues keep you on your toes
• The final reveal isn’t surprising, but it’s satisfying
• There’s an additional twist/mystery revealed after the conclusion (which I found unnecessary)
• I enjoyed reading from multiple point of views

Yup, I feel pretty much the same about both books!

As I said, there were a few flaws. I’m not a fan of the extra chapter/twist at the end of the book, although I thought this one worked better with the story and what we knew of the characters. And while I enjoy seeing the story from different points of view, I do feel there are a few too many here.

But I didn’t mind these flaws too much. The plot intrigued me and I enjoyed the guessing game. Shari Lapena’s writing is effective, and her chapters are short and almost always end on a revelation or a cliffhanger, making it almost impossible to put the book down once your start.

All in all, I really enjoyed this one. It’s not the most surprising or thrilling suspense, but despite its flaws I had a good time. At this point, her books are almost like comfort reads for me, and I’ll certainly be reading her next novel.