Kevin O'Brien (1955–)

4.5 stars.

No One Needs to Know is another suspense-laden and intriguing mystery by Kevin O'Brien. This slow-building novel has multiple story arcs that keep the story moving at a brisk pace while frequent plot twists make it impossible to guess how the seemingly unconnected storylines will converge.

The novel opens with an ominous confrontation between Laurie Trotter, a widow with a young son, and a customer at the diner where she works. At first, she cannot figure out why someone would show more target her, but once the connection becomes clear, Laurie is anxious to keep a secret from her past from being revealed. She suffers in silence as she is mercilessly stalked and after an altercation turns violent, she is desperate for a new beginning. Her new job working as an on set caterer for a movie production is the answer to her prayers, but Laurie's dream job quickly turns into a nightmare when people connected with the movie begin dying under mysterious circumstances.

Unbeknownst to Laurie, her new boss Cheryl Wheeler is keeping a few secrets of her own. Not too long before hiring Laurie, Cheryl's co-worker and friend, Maureen Forester, met an untimely death when their food truck exploded. Although the police ruled out foul play, Cheryl is convinced the explosion was no accident, but she does not let this stop her from hiring Laurie to work with her on the movie set.

The pair immediately hit it off, but Laurie rapidly senses that all is not right with Cheryl. Doubts quickly set in after she learns startling information about Cheryl from her new neighbors in the complex where both women live. Cheryl's behavior on the movie set is also quite suspicious and her unsettling familiarity at one of the film sites raises even more red flags. But it is not until Laurie sees Cheryl arguing with a man in public and the man (along with his wife) are later murdered that she becomes truly fearful for both her and her son's safety. However, before she can get herself and her son out of harm's way, Laurie becomes an unwitting accomplice in Cheryl's quest for justice.

In No One Needs to Know, Kevin O'Brien seamlessly weaves events from the past and present into a fast-paced and riveting mystery that is virtually impossible to solve. The main characters are sympathetic and well-developed with complex histories. The premise is unique and the plot is quite interesting with numerous of twists and turns that effectively keep readers guessing whodunit (and why) until the novel's dramatic conclusion. An absolutely outstanding thriller that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. show less

I must admit that I picked up this book because I thought the dark house on the cover looked intriguing. The tittle wasn't particularly interesting...but what the heck? I was captured from the first chapter. I read more than half the book in one setting and the only reason I stopped was because the words were starting to run together. The characters...at first I felt rather sorry for Joe...I soon became frustrated with his follow the leader attitude and wished he's grow a backbone. Vic...was show more just plain evil from the start and never got any better. I found myself hoping that he would die soon. some wishes are never granted and I soon realized that Vic was part of the reason the book held the appeal for me that it did. Sophie and her children...the real victims here and not so much the murdered family that started this whole mess. The Singleton family that we meet in the beginning...secrets, secrets and more secrets. Overall, a realy good worthwhile read. show less

While a bit long (454 pages!), this was still a good psychological thriller. Dylan is a philandering husband, more than you could imagine. He has a wife, Sheila, and 3 children. When a young girl, Eden, shows up, and claims to be his daughter, he admits to an affair from 17 years earlier.
Once Eden lives in their home, things start happening to Sheila, and Sheila also begins receiving strange texts.
As people start to get hurt, Sheila suspects Eden. Eden denies it, but things continue to show more happen.
The story tries to get you to suspect various people. Some of the story is a bit over the top. The ending is one that tries to get your jaw to drop, but I wasn't really surprised by it - as there were clues throughout the book of the possibility.
#TheBetrayedWife #KevinOBrien show less

rounded to 4.5/5----4 for my enjoyment, 4.5 for writing skills
thank you to the publisher for an e-arc through Netgalley

I've read all the O'Brien books, every single one. He is a master of the craft of creepy story-telling, always set in and around Seattle, his own home base. I even got my eldest daughter hooked on his tales. However, the past few books have amped up the "creepiness-factor" for me, and I think it's a sign of the times that perhaps the violence bothers me more today than say, show more five years ago. Between getting older and what I see in the news I am not as enthralled with this type of story as I used to be. I'm changing, not his writing skills.

However--big "but" here-- for lovers of high-octane suspense mysteries and thrillers, I am hard-pressed to come up with a popular, present-day author list without adding Kevin O'Brien's name to it. He delivers what he promises, and yes, there will be a high body count, but wow, he also delivers some "Hitchcockian" moments of thrills without any violence needed.

This one deals with teen bullying in high school and then expands on that theme. Are all the prank calls during the night, the spamming threats on social media, the keying of cars and leaving dead critters on steps, the work of just a horrible case of teenaged vigilante justice gone wrong... or something more... as it turns into murder and involves the family and friends of the bullies?

Well-done suspense for which you will need to keep that light on late at night-- don't read this one alone! show less