Review: Someone We Know
Someone We Know by Shari Lapena
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I'm generally drawn to thrillers with an intricate plot and an interesting cast of characters. Shari Lapena's Someone We Know piqued my interest with its premise, and I was excited to jump in.
The narrative begins with a murder that shakes up a peaceful community. As the police starts looking into it, we meet several key people. As word spreads that the killer could be any of them, everyone becomes nervous. This kicks off a tense look at trust and lies in their perfect lives. It’s the kind of setup that should make your pulse quicken, right? But while Lapena serves up some interesting twists, I found myself only mildly entertained rather than on the edge of my seat.
One of the protagonists is Olivia, a worried mother who discovers her teenage son, Raleigh, has been breaking into neighbours' homes and snooping on their computers. His innocent-appearing "hobby" sets off a chain of events that spirals into a labyrinth of deception and suspicion.
Lapena depicts this town as seemingly ideal, with everyone knowing each other just a bit too well. This setup drew me in right away. Lapena excels at creating a sense of unease in which the folks you smile at while taking out the rubbish could be planning behind closed doors. It reminded me of works like Everyone Here Is Lying, which have the same aura of suspicion boiling beneath the surface. However, unlike some other thrillers I've read, this book doesn't delve as deeply into the individuals' motivations.
One aspect that struck out to me was character development—or lack thereof. There is a wide cast of individuals and a lot of shifting suspicion, but I wasn't very invested in any of them. As the main character, Olivia should have been the most relatable, yet I failed to connect with her. Her annoyingly naive actions made it impossible for me to empathize with her. She felt more like a vehicle for the plot than a fully realized person.
The neighbours, too, were a disappointment. They all have secrets, but they aren't explored well enough for me to care profoundly about their fates. For example, Robert, Amanda's husband, appears to be a strong suspect from the start, but his persona is a little too shallow to create any tension. Amanda herself, while intended to be the mystery's anchor, remains an enigma throughout the book, and not in a good way. We get glimpses into her life, but I never really grasped who she was or why I should be interested in discovering the truth about her death.
However, the tale moves quickly, and Lapena has an ability for keeping the chapters short and sharp, so this was a quick read. She obviously intended to maintain a high level of suspense, and I believe she was successful to a certain degree. I was frequently intrigued enough to turn the page, especially near the middle of the book, when dark secrets began to emerge. Still, the sense of tension wasn't as strong as I would like.
Lapena delivers a few twists. Without giving anything away, there were some unexpected revelations. However, I have to agree that many of the surprises felt more like detours than game changers.
Coming into this, I expected a compelling domestic thriller with sharp character insights and a stunning ending. This work fell short of the expectations set by the author's other thrillers, such as The Couple Next Door. It lacks the intensity and character depth required to raise the mystery to something remarkable.
In the end, Someone We Know didn't make a lasting impression on me. If you're looking for a light, quick thriller, this could be a good weekend read, but it won't stay with you long after you've completed.
Content Warnings
Graphic - Murder, Infidelity, Death
Moderate - Alcoholism, Alcohol, Toxic relationship
Minor - Pregnancy, Abortion, Vomit
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