What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan

Be prepared to be totally engrossed and unable to focus on your everyday life when you pick up this book.  What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan is a real page turner, I literally could not put this book down.

Rachel Jenner has to face every mother’s worst fear.  While out on a walk with her eight year old son, Ben, she lets Ben run ahead through the woods to a swing that he plays on often.   When she arrives Ben is not there . . . or anywhere.   A search party is soon out and Rachel discovers that there are many secrets in her life and in the lives of the ones she loves.  

Rachel has recently gone through a bitter divorce with her Doctor ex-husband who left her for another woman.  With Rachel in the spotlight and not acting as expected, she becomes the focus of the public’s rage and suspicion.  With her life becoming a nightmare, Rachel wants just one thing, for Ben to come home.

Detective Jim Clemo is assigned to the case and it becomes personal.  Over a year later, he still wonders if he did the right thing and if his mistakes caused problems for all involved.

The novel progresses through each day of Ben’s disappearance.  The narrative switches between Rachel, Jim, and Jim’s session with a doctor one year later.  It kept the pace moving and kept me guessing until the end.

I don’t want to say more about the plot to ruin it for others.  The characters in What She Knew were interesting and complex.  The mystery and storyline kept me intrigued until the very end. I was puzzling out in real time with the book and didn’t figure it out until the author wanted me too.   I loved it as for too many books I guess the ending early.  I thought the book had a good realistic conclusion.  I also think this would make a great book club book.

Overall, What She Knew is a great thriller and mystery for 2016.  This will be on my top ten list for the year!

Book Source:  Review Copy from William Morrow.  Thank-you!