Review: What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan

What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan 
(AKA Burnt Paper Sky) 

Publishing Date: January 3, 2017
Publisher: Harpercollins
Pages: 496
Thriller

The Premise from the Publisher: "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. . . ." (HC).

My overall thoughts and review: I've been on such a thrilling reads kick for a while now. I don't know what it is... but I love seeing how the mystery unravels for the reader. This is my first time picking up something by Macmillan and I was not disappointed. I listened to this book via audible and there were two voice actors who did the voices of Rachel and the DI. I thought they did a pretty good job narrating the story. The premise is incredibly chilling where a child goes missing one afternoon because his mom lets him run ahead on their walk with their dog Skittle. I had a few ideas of who it could have been and what had happened and I will say, I was genuinely surprised right up until the very end. There was quite a few twists and turns that I did not expect and I really enjoyed those aspects. I think what I enjoyed most is seeing how conflicted Rachel was feeling and seeing how she kept replaying various moments and scenarios. You got to see her grieve as a mother during this period in her life and as the reader, you really empathized with her. I found myself liking the DI a lot too and seeing how this one case kind of "rocked" his world a bit. It affected every aspect of his life and it is a good example of "taking the job home." He is truly a conflicted character with a lot of flaws and I liked seeing his vulnerability in some scenes. You can't say too much in these reviews for thriller books without giving too much away. I'll say that fans of I Let You Go, Girl on the Train, and The Widow, will surely enjoy this one. It is a clever and heart-wrenching thriller about a parent/child relationship. I really enjoyed it and I've already pushed it on a few friends to read! It reminds me of a good British crime TV show!

My rating of the book: ✮✮✮✮ (4/5 stars)

Available for purchase at:
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