Psychological thrillers like to toy with the characters’ and the readers’ perceptions. Where did your sympathies lie as the story unfolded? How did they shift as the story progressed? It was inspired by something I saw on the internet about a kid breaking into someone’s house in the middle of the night to use their wi-fi. I guess he’d had his own wi-fi restricted at home. It got me thinking about what a teenage boy might do, and what the repercussions might be. I knew the boy had to stumble onto something big—I needed a murder. It’s always easy to come up with a dead body—it’s how that dead body got to be there that’s more difficult, and a lot more interesting. That’s where the story comes in. In many ways, Someone We Know is similar to my other thrillers—it’s fast paced, it’s twisty, and you want to get to the bottom of it all. But this one also focuses on whole families, on parents and sons in particular, rather than focusing only on couples. It feels richer and deeper to me in that way.

SOMEONE WE KNOW | Kirkus Reviews SOMEONE WE KNOW | Kirkus Reviews

The book has a claustrophobic feel since Aylesford is small and there are a limited number of people who might be the murderer. Thus the armchair detective has a pretty good chance of closing in on 'who done it.' We know from the very beginning of the book that a horrendous murder has taken place. We know the murder weapon used and the fact that the murderer was male. We also learn the identity of the victim: Amanda Pierce is reported missing by her husband Robert. The murderer is someone who lives in one of these houses. It is in all likelihood someone we know... But to discover who it was and why, we'll have to doubt every single person, no matter how nice and friendly they appear to be. Releasing her first book in 2007 Shari Lapena made her début onto the literary scene with her novel ‘Things Go Flying’. It was a stand-alone title with shades of David Sedaris and Douglas Copeland in it, as it brought their wit and warmth to the forefront of the narrative. With a creative approach to the genre, it manages to take a flight of fantasy that was equally grounded in its sense of character and personality. When the mystery is finally resolved and it all makes sense, you will still be asking yourself questions about how far people are willing to go to cover a crime committed by somebody they love. Paul feels the need to employ an attorney since their son broke the law. Even though Olivia agrees, she takes it upon herself to type out anonymous notes of apology to be left in plain white envelopes at the homes Raleigh entered. Ironically, one of the homes was that of Robert Pierce, while the other was a relatively new person to the neighborhood, a woman named Carmine Torres, who lives alone.

Success!

Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival. Thrillers love to ask the question How well do we ever really know anybody? Do you think people in real life harbor as many secrets as they do in fiction? How far do you think fiction strays from real life? Do you think truth is actually stranger than fiction? Discuss.

Someone We Know by Shari Lapena | Waterstones

Shari Lapena is one of those authors that should be on everyone's reading lists. Her writing is always dripping with suspense, and she always knows how to captivate an audience. Sadly, I've only read her last release, An Unwanted Guest, but that was a fun adventure! When I was given the opportunity to read Lapena's upcoming novel, Someone We Know—I just jumped out of my chair at the chance! Hell to the YES. Born in 1960 she was born and raised in Canada where spent the large majority of her formative years building both her and her ideas. With a strong passion for both reading and writing, she would come to hone and refine her skills as an author throughout the years. Taking in inspiration from her surrounding environment she would come to put a lot into her and her work, as she was always seeking new material. An example of an inner monologue that drove me over the edge is from His & Hers. I'm paraphrasing but she said something to the effect of: "Mondays are my favourite day of the week. Yes, that's an unpopular opinion. But I grew up poor so I have lots of them." Immediately no. Instant cringe. Was this really the only way the author could tell us miss girl made it out the mud? This lil illogical ass correlation? Nah bruv. Lapena has written a great whodunit, with a delicious Christie-like vibe. Fans of the author’s first novel will want this, and anyone who savors a well-crafted murder mystery will gobble it up!”

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All the husbands had watched her, practically drooling, stumbling over one another to hand her things" while the wives looked on trying not to appear annoyed. Well played Ms. Lapena! I was all in from the beginning to the end, completely gripped. Sometimes, forgetting to take a breath. This is how you do it, ladies and gents! Shari Lapena is the Queen of the Suspense Genre!

Someone We Know: A Novel - Shari Lapena - Google Books

This book had me on the edge of my seat, finishing it this morning around 3am. I highly recommend this book, it is my favorite so far from Shari, can wait to see whats next. In addition, many of the characters are two-dimensional, defined by characteristics like sleeping with Amanda; seeing Amanda at work; spotting Amanda with a man; having an affair with Amanda's husband; and so on. The mystery itself plays out like a whodunit, with plenty of suspects among a small pool of characters, and red herrings galore. Each character has secrets they want to keep hidden, and as those are revealed one by one, the twists and turns make for a truly entertaining read.Following on from this with another two stand-alone novels, she carried on in much the same vein as before. Writing ‘Happiness Economics’ in 2011 followed by ‘The Couple Next Door’ in 2016, she would feature many similar themes as to what came before. Featuring characters that were well drawn in realistic settings, she managed to gain a sense of realism in her prose unlike any other. Slyly plotted . . . Lapena skillfully maximizes suspense with her dual story lines that eventually collide, as well as some deft misdirection . . . many fans of domestic suspense will be satisfied.” A Missing woman and Anonymous letters about someone breaking and entering has the whole neighborhood on edge. Olivia is mortified by her son, Raleigh, breaking into neighbors’ houses. Do you think the apology letters were a bad or good idea? To what degree should parents feel accountable, or be held accountable, for the actions of their children? Discuss.