Publisher: 7th April 2021 by HarperCollins Australia
Pages: 416 pages
How I Read It: ARC book
Genre: contemporary, family drama, mystery, suspense
My Rating: 4.5 cups
Synopsis:
From the bestselling author of The Ex and Those Other Women comes a thrilling family drama about the secrets we keep, the lies we tell and the truths that won't stay hidden. Everybody's hiding something ...
Jill, her three sons, their wives and children are driving in convoy on Christmas Eve. But something sinister is simmering behind their happy smiles.
Mimi is struggling with her new twins, but at least a glass of wine smooths out life's jagged edges. Andrea's starting to wonder if her marriage is as happy as she'd thought. Darren is reeling from a surprise request and teenager Callie has become increasingly withdrawn.
On the way to their holiday house, a terrifying car accident devastates them all. But someone unexpected was in one of the cars. No one is searching for them. And their time is running out.
You Need to Know is a dark domestic drama about family secrets and lies, fractured relationships, tragic mistakes and the ultimate betrayal.
My Thoughts
‘You Need to Know’ is a thrilling family drama set in suburbia and is filled with a cast of engaging characters. It centres around the one family, each member with their own drama and secret problems. I usually struggle when there is an array of characters but such is Nicola’s writing that it was easy to keep tabs on them due to the unique story Nicola attributed to each.
The tale is told from multiple perspectives and Nicola slowly sets the scene as each personal story begins to unravel moving towards a final convergence that will prove catastrophic for many of them. The story takes place through the month of December and the lead up to Christmas. It is interspersed with flashbacks from previous years and also cryptic snippets of the tragedy that will befall them all. This would have to be one of the most cleverly crafted stories I have read. With interweaving characters, tension brewing and the various plots all converging into one critical occurrence, it really demonstrates how cleverly Nicola has considered plotted and penned this tale.
This story is gripping in parts and with some twists you simply will not see coming. As kept secrets play out in this family drama, it resonates as many of the character profiles make it real and a frightening possibility. Each character voice is distinctive and there is never confusion thus allowing the reader to empathise with the various storylines.
All up You Need to Know is well worth reading. With its multi layers it is such a cleverly crafted tale that will have you racing to discover what the climactic finale will prove to be. Take a bow Nicola for cementing yourself in Australia’s domestic drama genre - it was a thrilling ride.
"I still haven't opened the bloody email ... there's something so commanding about it. ‘You need to know ’ I don't see why it's up to her to tell me what I need to know. Maybe I should delete it.”
This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.
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