What She Knew

4.5 stars.

With a truly unique approach to storytelling, What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan is a cleverly written psychological thriller. The investigation into the disappearance of eight year old Benedict "Ben" Finch is revealed through the dual perspectives of his mother, Rachel Jenner and the detective leading the search, James "Jim" Clemo, blog posts and comments, e-mails, transcripts from counseling sessions and newspaper articles.

During their typical Sunday walk in the park with the family dog, Rachel is a bit distracted when she allows Ben to run ahead of her to play on the park's swing. Arriving just minutes behind him, she is shocked to discover Ben has vanished. Frantically searching the darkening woods around her, Rachel finds show more no trace of her son and the police are quickly summoned to the scene. In the nerve wracking investigation that follows, Rachel is vilified by the press and on social media as the police try to discover the truth about what happened to Ben.

Rachel is still reeling from her unexpected divorce when Ben disappears. She is hurt and angry over her ex-husband's new marriage but Ben seems to have finally bounced back from the unexpected changes in their life. In the aftermath of Ben's apparent kidnapping, Rachel second guesses many of her decisions and she, of course, blames herself for his disappearance. Sympathy for Rachel soon turns to suspicion after she goes off script during a news conference. When information from the investigation is leaked to an inflammatory blog, she is soon tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. While speculation runs rampant that she knows more than she is telling, the police uncover a shocking secret that causes Rachel to mistrust someone close to her.

Under intense pressure to locate the missing boy, DI Jim Clemo slowly begins to unravel during the course of the investigation. While at first thrilled to be selected for such a high profile case, as the days pass with no new leads or information, he begins to identify a little too closely with the family and his objectivity becomes compromised. A stunning revelation from someone Jim cares deeply has lasting repercussions on his emotional well-being and a year after the case is over, his lingering anxiety leads to mandatory counseling. Although Jim initially resists co-operating during his sessions, many of the events that occurred during the investigation are eventually revealed through the probing questions of the psychologist assigned to his case.

A well-written work of fiction that reads like true crime, What She Knew is an incredibly riveting mystery that is quite different from the usual police procedural. Beginning with a prologue a year following the kidnapping, much of the investigation is revealed with the benefit of the key player's hindsight. This adds depth to the storyline and builds suspense as the novel races to its stunning conclusion. With plenty of twists, turns and brilliant red herrings, it is an authentic and realistic mystery that I highly recommend to fans of the genre. show less

Rachel Jenner and her son Ben are enjoying a frequent tradition: spending time in the park with their dog, Skittle, when things take a turn. Ben asks to run ahead to the rope swing, and Rachel agrees. That's the last she sees of her son. It's as if Ben has vanished into thin air, and Rachel feels her world cleave into two. The police are called, and the investigation is handed over to DI James Clemo. This is Jim's first major investigation as lead, and he's determined to do it right. Meanwhile Rachel is reeling from her decision to allow Ben to run ahead--one that's quickly questioned by her ex-husband and soon, the media. As days pass by without a break in the case, the media quickly turns its harsh glare directly onto Rachel. Rachel, show more meanwhile, starts questioning herself--and those around her.

I absolutely adored [a:Gilly Macmillan|8183303|Gilly Macmillan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1490347732p2/8183303.jpg]'s mystery [b:The Perfect Girl|28925266|The Perfect Girl|Gilly Macmillan|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1463388945s/28925266.jpg|48003255], so when I saw she had a new book coming out, I knew I had to read it. I didn't realize it was part of a series (apparently featuring Jim Clemo), so I decided to read this one first. It's Macmillan's first book, but, of course, you can barely tell, because she's an amazing writer. She's going to be one of my favorite mystery writers going forward.

The format of the novel is unique -- we get Jim and Rachel's point of view, broken down by Day 1, 2, 3, etc. of Ben's disappearance. But we also get transcript pieces of Clemo's meetings with a psychologist, whom he is meeting with a good year after Ben's disappearance. The gist is that Ben's case has so clearly affected Clemo and his job performance that meeting with this woman--in hopes of getting a good report--is the only way he may be able to remain on the job.

It's an effective format and certainly ratchets up the suspense and tension as we wonder exactly what happened to Ben: who took him? Will he return home safely to his mother and father? Is anyone in this novel telling the truth? It's a slow-burning book, with no major sudden twists and turns, but deftly written, with each character superbly fleshed out. Our cast is small, but well-done: Ben's mother and father, his teachers and schoolmates, his troubled aunt, and those investigating his case.

The standouts, of course, though are Rachel and Jim--our storytellers. Rachel is reeling from her divorce, telling us her story directly, and delving into her own flaws. It allows Macmillan to illustrate the power (not always positive) of modern day society's relentless media focus and what those anonymous people in social forums can do to real, actual people. Rachel isn't always a sympathetic character, though my heart often went out to her, but she's real--a flawed, authentic mother.

And, speaking of flaws, Jim is a fascinating character. We get bits and pieces of how he's formed by his past. He's not a one-dimensional, stereotypical policeman, but a very intricate character. He's driven, but honestly, he's really quite a mess. As a result, he's intriguing but also frustrating in many ways. I'll be quite interested to see where he is in Macmillan's second novel in the series.

So, while this novel is filled with complicated characters, it is also a mystery at its core. Our intricate cast slows things down a bit, but luckily the plot keeps you guessing and wanting to turn the pages. I had various suspicions, throughout, but the ending completely surprised me (something that's hard to do). The novel takes a lot of unexpected turns. At the halfway point, I was completely befuddled, but invested.

Overall, this one is pretty captivating. I actually found myself keeping my daughters closer to me while reading and feeling nervous when they ran off. The night after I finished it, I had creepy dreams about a child being kidnapped--I rarely, if ever, dream about the books I'm reading! Sweet Ben really touched me and, as I mentioned, while I didn't always like Rachel, I very much empathized with her. Macmillan is a wonderful writer, and I'm very excited to be starting ODD CHILD OUT in the next couple of days.

You can read my review of Macmillan's THE PERFECT GIRL here.

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A fast, well-written story that I found more frustrating than compelling. Rachel, recently-divorced, is trying to be both mother and father to her 8-year-old son, Ben. When she allows him to run ahead to a playground, she never imagines that Ben will disappear. Alternating Rachel's POV with that of the lead investigator, they recount the efforts taken to find Ben and the coverage of the story in the press and social media. Most of the characters are well-defined, the social media element was an interesting addition and the ending was reasonable. Unfortunately, the levels of self-blame were overdone, making this feel like yet another blame-the-mom book.

Note: this review is based on a ARC from the publisher.

“In the eyes of others, we’re often not who we imagine ourselves to be.”

I thought this was a wonderful suspense-filled read. Because, as a mother, it's the ultimate horror. Your child is getting older and wants more independence. You want to give it to them, let them grow and stretch their wings - so you allow them to run just a little ahead on the path. You know the path, it's leads only to one spot and you know they know it - so it feels safe.

But you arrive at the swings, the end spot of the path, only to find they are gone.

It happens in just a second. There and then gone. I can't even imagine the horror. And, of course, as happens, the mother is devastated and crushed and cannot believe this has really happened. The press and show more public are savages and they destroy her even more. Who could ever be the perfect parent in their eyes?

The story is good with lots of twists and turns. I loved the view into the force of what happens when they watch the family along with the view of the mom. And I never guessed the twists and ultimate turns. So well done, I loved it. show less

Un thriller che è stato una vera sorpresa, che mi ha catturato sin dalle prime righe e mi ha fatto vivere emozioni molto forti coinvolgendomi in una vicenda che mi ha dato anche molto da pensare. La storia, raccontata a due voci - quella di Rachel, la mamma di Ben, un bimbo di otto anni che sparirà durante una passeggiata nel bosco, e quella di Jim, il detective incaricato delle relative indagini - si dipana nell’arco di nove giorni e sconvolgerà la vita di tutte le persone coinvolte. Il racconto è incalzante e quello che mi ha colpito particolarmente, oltre alla fine analisi emozionale dei protagonisti, è stata la capacità della scrittrice di rendere tangibile l’impatto che hanno i media su vicende del genere e quali effetti show more devastanti possano arrecare. L’informazione e i social agiscono al di fuori del nostro controllo e per quanto noi possiamo pensare di trasmettere un’immagine di un certo tipo, la percezione esterna non è mai quella che ci aspettiamo. Una storia che vi terrà col fiato sospeso fino alla fine, un’indagine complessa che si svolgerà in mille direzioni, il tutto condito con sensibilità e trattando nel contempo temi di grande impatto e attualità. L’incipit del libro:
“Agli occhi degli altri, non siamo sempre come ci immaginiamo.
Quando incontriamo qualcuno per la prima volta, possiamo sforzarci di fare buona impressione, proporre la migliore immagine possibile di noi stessi, eppure può capitare che tutto vada orribilmente male lo stesso.
E' una delle trappole della vita.” show less

Quick review of the audiobook edition: Not only did they choose a nice voice for the narrator, but the story itself is woven well too. One day, as a mother is out for a normal walk with her young son, the boy disappears seemingly without a trace. As the subsequent investigation unfolds, an unfortunate but not wholly unexpected set of events ensues, leading to a series of questions. Could the mother, Rachel, still reeling from the shock of an unexpected divorce and stewing in jealousy and anger toward her ex and his new wife, really have done something to her son? Will long-buried secrets hold the key to finding the boy?

In a narrative that simultaneously weaves together an ever-changing tapestry of suspicion and twists and turns while show more also respecting the reader enough so as to render the content believable at every turn, with the loose ends essentially being tied off in the end, this is a book that definitely keeps you guessing. It kept me hooked right to the very end, and the systematic counting of time with a child missing was fraught with an undeniable tension. It's definitely a very good book, and one that is certainly well worth the read. show less

Multiple narrator, emotionally taut, multi-layered story of 8 yr old Ben Finch's kidnapping within minutes of leaving his mummy's side (Bristol, England family) - a simple Sunday afternoon outing with the family dog to a popular park with trails throughout woodsy terrain turns into every parent's nightmare. As the police investigation heats up, the emotional tension continues to be raised via the two key narrators: DI Jim Clemo, whose deep desire to "do this right" (his first major leadership investigation, chosen by a "Jane Tennison" type DCI Corrine Fraser) )eventually leads him into depression and insomnia. The other main narrator: Rachel Jenner, newly divorced mother whose grief, guilt, and absolute drive to find her son has her show more alternately drifting into a sleep-deprived stupor and propelling herself into panicked rash actions. The slow "reveal" of several of the main characters' back story was skillfully done; the intermittent police procedural details added to the foreshadowing and pacing, and of course - the kidnapper isn't discovered until the last pages, oh my and what a shock. Enjoyed this thoroughly and read it in two or three big gulps. show less