What She Knew: A Novel

loved it.

“In the eyes of others, we're often not who we imagine ourselves to be."
What a well written mystery/thriller about a missing child. Loved the quotes at the beginning of each day. I enjoyed both Rachel’s perspective as well as the main detective’s perspective. The social media portions of the book really worked well into the overall story. There were several plot twists that I didn’t see coming and the ending was very satisfying. I highly recommend this debut novel.

When eight-year-old Ben goes missing, his mother, Rachel Jenner, is not just desperate to find her child. She is also the object of scorn, judgment, and suspicion -- after all, they were parking in the park when Ben ran ahead and then simply disappeared. Gilly Macmillan points a convincing and often heartbreaking portrait of a woman trying to withstand unimaginable stress and slowly beginning to unravel under the weight of it coupled with public scrutiny and clearly skeptical police detectives. The other adults in Ben's life are also considered by the policy, but it is Rachel who knows that Ben must be found in order to save both of them. The tension is palpable -- nearly unbearably so -- as Macmillan takes readers with Rachel on her fraught journey. The story is a biting commentary not just on society's double standards vis a vis parenting (mothers vs. fathers), but the media frenzies that accompany criminal cases that become high profile. Macmillan includes a colorful cast of supporting characters, each flawed in her/her own way, including Jim Clemo, the detective with a past who is tasked with leading the investigation. The pace accelerates as the investigation intensifies, leading to a satisfying conclusion. What She Knew is an impressive debut work.
Thanks to the publisher for an Advanced Reader's Copy of the book via Edelweiss.

Enjoyable. But could be triggering for people with young children. I was surprised by the plot twist.

2.7