Reviews

No One Knows by J.T. Ellison

briannaw's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

brittanyisbooked's review

3.0

I'd put this book at a 3.5/5 stars. I enjoyed the first half far more than the second half, which is not my style with books. I was shocked by the ending for more than one reason, and on top of that I wasn't too happy by it. There was also one part of the story that I did not feel got resolved entirely which was disappointing. Overall it was a good book.

I noticed early into the book that other novels were commonly recommended (The Girl on the Train and The Husband's Secret), both of which I have considered reading and ended up deciding I probably wouldn't enjoy them that much. So, I cannot be too surprised that I didn't enjoy this book as much as I initially thought I would. However, if this genre/style is your thing, I definitely think this book is worth a read.

jamiedhutch's review

4.0

Riveting. I don't read these kinds of thrillers often, but I enjoyed this one a lot.

sarahshoo's review

3.0

Pretty good. I don't know if I would've enjoyed it as much had I not listened to it.

mftaylor's review

medium-paced

3.5

 I did enjoy this book but was left a little unfulfilled by the end.
Aubrey Hamilton has been missing her husband Josh for the last 5 years and then the letter arrives. Josh has been declared legally dead. That means the insurance policy can now pay out, but Aubrey's mother-in-law has already informed her that she will be contesting that money and it should go to dear old Mom, not his undeserving wife.
The story flips between different characters points of view as well as flipping between different time lines. It's not too hard to follow though.
I felt the story was good but the ending was a bit of a flop; leaving too many things unanswered and other elements just sounding too unbelievable.
A minor pet peeve I had with this book was the language. The writing was mostly fine but every now and again the author would throw in an uncommon word that really didn't seem to fit with the rest of the writing. It felt forced.
Overall an entertaining read. 

ondbookshelf's review

4.0

4.5 stars

http://www.ondbookshelf.com/?p=1125

georgiaonyrmnd's review

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this thriller...not something I might normally pick up, but it was highly recommended by some folks on one of the Book Riot podcasts, and I found it a hard one to stop reading.

There were all kinds of good twists and turns, though I'll admit a few were too convenient. The main character was troubled and conflicted enough but not too much to be unbelievable. The flashbacks about the characters revealed all kinds of hold-your-breath details, and while the story wasn't terribly deep, it had decent character development, plus a pretty significant twist and a satisfying ending (though I imagine some will disagree with me on that.)

Definitely a plus for me that it was set in Nashville.

fictionophile's review

3.0

Aubrey Hamilton is a damaged and grieving woman. Scarred by the death of her parents at a tender age, then again by her unsavory experiences at the hands of a foster parent, she thought her husband Josh had saved her. That is until he vanished five years ago - the same night as his best friend's bachelor party. A hard-working young doctor, Josh's disappearance seemed so out of character for him. Though his body was never discovered, due to the copious amounts of his blood found in their home, Aubrey was arrested and charged for his murder. Due to insufficient evidence, the charges were dropped and Aubrey was released. Released to a life without Josh, where she has only her dog, Winston, and her job as a Montessori teacher to sustain her. Her only outlet is running, and she runs through Nashville's streets for emotional release.

Then, five years after his disappearance, around the time that Josh is declared dead, Aubrey meets a man who has eerily similar characteristics as Josh. His name is Chase Boden. She wonders if she could love again...

I wondered (as I was meant to) if Chase was Josh - or was it just one of the red-herrings the author utilized to help ratchet up the suspense?

We learn that Aubrey is no stranger to the regional psych ward...

Then there is Daisy, Josh's mother. Initially a very unlikable character, I came to pity her as I got more into the book. After trying to overlook her extreme shallowness, I realized that she too is mourning Josh. Inexplicably, Daisy always hated Aubrey, since she was a young girl. We learn that Daisy is contesting that Aubrey will receive Josh's $5 million life insurance payout.

We meet Tyler, Aubrey's ex-con, criminal, foster brother. He knows more than he is saying about Josh's past and his disappearance.

A book of lies, betrayal, desperation, deception, and broken hearts. This novel will have a strong appeal for fans of romantic suspense. Though it is touted as a 'thriller' (and it DID contain numerous plot twists toward the end), I personally consider it to be more romantic suspense than thriller. For this reason I am probably rating it lower that I would if I was a bigger fan of romantic suspense. It WAS enjoyable, but I found the plot to be a tad gimmicky and predictable...

Thanks to Gallery Books via NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of the novel in exchange for my honest review.

robinhigdon's review

2.0

ok read. far fetched. found the whole thing a little unbelievable

brandylovestoread's review

4.0

I liked this, she sprinkled clues throughout the story that upon reflection, it made you face palm yourself for not catching on sooner. Although, I think the ending was a little suspect.