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What She Knew: A Novel
What She Knew: A Novel
What She Knew: A Novel
Audiobook12 hours

What She Knew: A Novel

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

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About this audiobook

"The Changeling meets an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit but set in the UK.” -The Skimm

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

In her enthralling debut, Gilly Macmillan explores a mother’s search for her missing son, weaving a taut psychological thriller as gripping and skillful as The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One.

In a heartbeat, everything changes…

Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It’s an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry—until Ben vanishes.  

Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel’s newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister. Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public’s attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion.

As she desperately pieces together the threadbare clues, Rachel realizes that nothing is quite as she imagined it to be, not even her own judgment. And the greatest dangers may lie not in the anonymous strangers of every parent’s nightmares, but behind the familiar smiles of those she trusts the most.

Where is Ben? The clock is ticking...

LanguageEnglish
PublisherHarperAudio
Release dateDec 1, 2015
ISBN9780062444622
Author

Gilly Macmillan

Gilly Macmillan is the internationally bestselling author of seven other novels including What She Knew, The Nanny, and The Long Weekend. She lives in Bristol, England.

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Reviews for What She Knew

Rating: 3.969753087407407 out of 5 stars
4/5

810 ratings77 reviews

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  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This one kept me guessing. Everyone is suspect... so when the kidnapper is revealed, I wasn't totally surprised.... but surprised enough. Great read.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    very slow in the beginning got going after a while
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This is not a typical mystery but rather a brutal and unflinching look into a family tragedy and humanity. The focus regularly shifts back and forth between the distraught mother in the present and the shattered detective in the aftermath of the child’s disappearance.
    While fictional, the author writes in a way that engulfs the reader in the tragedy at hand and how those involved are affected - the mothers grief, the father’s loss, the flawed detectives and their approaches to the investigation - both right and wrong. This book will leave you feeling bogged down and drained with its rawness - in a way that feels real, not contrived.
    If you enjoy books that delve into the depths of humanity and have a strong basis in reality, you’ll enjoy this book; if you’re looking for a light hearted faced paced mystery… this is not for you.
    Will definitely look for more by this author and by both narrators.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    Boring, long and uneventful. The storyline was predictable however the narrator’s were good
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    So hard to put this book down once started. Very well constructed story!
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    Well written but overly written. Stretching the emotions of the characters.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    You are on the edge of your seat the whole book!
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It was just ok, not gripping, flatlined my way to the end which was also nothing unexpected
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Interesting book about abduction. Clarifying the fear worries,anxiety and horror and self doubt that goes with losing a child
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Second time I did this book. It’s very well written.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    A thriller, although it did get chatty in spots, so I wound up skipping paragraphs at a time here and there. But not enough to ruin the story. Who the "SHE" is, in the title, is still not clear to me; perhaps the author meant it as something for the reader to wonder about (not a bad thing). I almost didn't continue after the first couple of chapters, as it is about the disappearance of an 8-yr-old boy. But I kept on, and nothing detailed or cruel was included, just a lot of investigations and possible suspects. A couple surprises along the way startled me in a good way, and the resolution was not all cleared up until the very end. Just the way it should be for me.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Book was amazing, if you are a paranoid single mother be warned. Had me over analyzing my my and my sons life. DEFINITELY kept me on my toes.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Very slow burn (arguable too slow) but the pace picks up towards the middle/end. Interesting storyline and satisfying conclusion.
  • Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
    2/5
    It was just ok. I would say it was a waste of 12 hours. I kept listening hoping it would gain some suspense. It didn’t .
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Griping, heart wrenching story. This book should be made into a movie.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    This book kept me on the edge during the last few chapters, I was holding my breath with anxiety. I liked a lot of things about this book, but the end was rather disappointing in some ways. I really did not like the DI character at all and really thought he was a wanker as the Brit's would say. I did not think his story was really integral to the book, I am not really sure what the author was trying to accomplish with telling his story at all. I also thought the police were totally incompetent and I normally side with them but in this fictional story they were like a bunch of bungling keystone cops. A lot of bad things could have been prevented if anyone had listened to the mum and not automatically assumed she was a suspect. Overall a story which kept me engaged and the narration was very good.
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    This book does NOT translate well to audio. I was on chapter 27...and only on day 4 in the storyline. I couldnt do it. I had already spent a couple hours in and wasn't willing to invest anymore time. Maybe I will try to read the written version because I do like this writer. Just found this one to be way too slow paced and not very engaging but again..not all book translate well to audio and I am hoping that is the case here.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Very good read. always thinking your now who did it and once again your wrong. Could not put it down
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    I was so sure I knew who did it! I was wrong...
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    What She Knew by Gilly MacMillanThis is Gilly MacMillan’s first novel and I am hoping it won’t be her last. When I complete a novel I try to sum it up on one or two words. What She Knew was Very Good!How would you feel if your small child went missing and you were blamed for it? Would your marriage survive? Would you survive? How would you pick up the pieces to go on living? How would you handle the blame? Join Rachel as she lives the loss and attempts to find her son while shouldering all the ‘What If’s?’.This debut novel by Ms. MacMillan is definitely a psychological thriller. Rachel’s young son runs ahead of her as they are walking a trail in the woods. No worries on her part until she turns the bend, expecting to find him, and realizes he is gone. She turns to those she trusts in hopes of finding Ben before it is too late. She soon realizes this is where the dangers lie; can she trust those she should be able to trust. Is her ex-husband and his new wife involved? Why won’t the police believe everything she tells them?Will Ben be found before it is too late? To answer this question get yourself a copy of What She Knew by Gilly MacMillan. You won’t be disappointed.01.24.16
  • Rating: 1 out of 5 stars
    1/5
    Terrible long, boring, and utter nonsense. Should have stopping listening to it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Fabulous! What a twist. If you're a parent, be prepared.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    It was hard to get into at first but picked up speed half way through and gave just enough detail to keep me guessing. The last couple of chapters seem drawn out but overall, an enjoyable read.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    In Bristol England, Rachel Jenner's momentary inattentiveness leads to the disappearance of her eight year old son, Benedict Finch. The story, which takes place in a little over a week, is told from the alternating points of view of Rachel, a divorced photographer, and DI James Clemo, who is put in charge of the police investigation. Clemo's girlfriend, DC Emma Zhang, is also assisting in the investigation. The author did an excellent job of showing Rachel's terror when she first notices that Ben is missing. You could really feel "the various textures of [her] fear". As the investigation dragged on from one disappointing lead to another, we also got to see the anguish of Rachel's ex-husband and other family members and friends and how their lives were changed forever. This book was really amazingly polished for a first novel. My only quibble was that it was a little too long. I thought that the digressions with Ben's grandmother and the whole James/Emma story broke the tension and were unnecessary distractions that could have been trimmed. Other than that, I liked the book very much and will keep an eye out for the author's next book. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    Rachel Jenner is out in the woods with her eight year old son Ben. Ben wants to run in front and Rachel agrees reluctantly. Next thing she she knows is that Ben has gone and she doesn't know where. DI Jim Clemo is on the case of the missing child. This is there events of what happened. Good mother or bad mother, good cop or bad cop, thats for the reader to decide. Decided I was too at the end of the story.This is the harrowing tale of a little boy who is taken while out with his mom. The story is told from the points of view of Rachel and Jim. Also there is a lot of blogs, transcripts and everything else that brings the book right up to date. I really enjoyed this debut thriller and I was on the edge of my seat as the search was drawing a close. I was drawn straight in and really wanted to see what happened. It does ask the question good mother or bad, and would I have done anything different myself. It did remind me of when my lads were children and how I found it difficult to say it wsd ok to play a little way from home.My only niggle in the book was the big family secret reveal. I really felt it was unnecessary to the story and it didn't add anything extra to the story.However the book was a cracking read and I really enjoyed it.
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    I really enjoyed this book, I also felt real emotion, cried with it too. We as a society are very quick to pass judgement. I love the way it was written.
  • Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    4/5
    4.5 starsThe blurb for WHAT SHE KNEW drew me in, but it focuses on a missing child. Books with children in peril can often be a slippery slope. So, being a bit torn I started with some trepidation.WHAT SHE KNEW was completely unexpected. We have a mother, Rachel, who never saw her divorce coming. She’s still dealing and, truth be told, a tad bitter about Katrina, the “other woman” now ‘new wife”, of her ex-husband, John. Ben is torn between his parents and tries his eight-year-old best to make it easier on his mom.Rachel’s sister, Nicky, is one of those women who appear to have the perfect life. Husband, children, her own successful blog…even if Rachel does feel she’s a little too controlling and over schedules her family.Jim Clemo is the detective in charge of the investigation into Ben’s abduction. We get his story through interviews with a psychologist after the investigation concludes.WHAT SHE KNEW is every parent’s nightmare. The loss of a child, and not just through the finality of death, but through abduction. That’s a whole new level of nightmare.While we are shown the investigative steps there’s a more personal, more human feel that I haven’t experienced before in this type of book. The characters are viewed through what this traumatic time does to them. Because of this there’s a bluntness, a raw honesty that isn’t the norm, at least not in my experience.One aspect that stood out, and so speaks to human nature, is the rush to judgment against the mother, Rachel. The media is slyly insinuating, blogs have already tried and convicted her. Everyone rushes to judge, even those who should know better. Don’t door say this or that in case you’re perceived this or that way. Awful…truly awful. Normal parental fear and anger are frowned upon, used to vilify and condemn. I don’t think this is a new phenomenon, but perhaps the internet has helped it become more vicious and widespread. So while I was tense and anxious for Ben, it was the cause and effect that fascinated me the most. What his abduction did to those closest to him, those investigating his disappearance, and the community as a whole. WHAT SHE KNEW, for me, wasn’t just about the search for Ben, it was a testament to who we are as a society. It holds up a mirror and, with few exceptions, the reflection wasn’t particularly flattering.4.5 stars Reviewed for Novels Alive TV
  • Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    5/5
    Really enjoyed this book -- with the story unfolding from three voices... the single mom whose son was kidnapped, the lead police detective, and from a psychologist working to help the detective with his mental trauma.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    A twisty police procedural/thriller about an abducted young boy. Alternating between one of the police higher ups, Jim Clemo, and the boys mother, Rachel - What She Knew is about lies, betrayal, fear, and second guesses. When Rachel lets her little boy run ahead on the trail she thinks she is giving him some independence. She'll regret that moment her the rest of her life. From then on her boy is missing. The case quickly becomes a media sensation and everyone is quick to lay the blame on the mother. But did she do it? A fast paced thriller that does a good job covering all aspects of the story with the alternating points of view. The ending was shocking to a degree, but not mind blowing.
  • Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
    3/5
    This is a reasonable portrayal of turmoil a mother suffers when her child is abducted. As a single mom myself I could not help relate to the struggle that Rachel went through.
    The mystery of the aspect was lacking however for me as the perpetrator angle and the resolution felt cobbled together somehow. There is also an unresolved angle in DI Clemo's life that I kept thinking will play a part in the story, but of course this will be a hook for the next title in the series.

    In all good but not great and took quite a while to get going. Also, too many red herrings.