Title: One of Us Knows

Author: Alyssa Cole

Genre: Thriller

Publisher: William Morrow / Harper360

Publication Date: 25th April 2024

Rating: 4/5

Cover:

Summary:

From the critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author of When No One Is Watching comes a riveting thriller about the new caretaker of a historic estate who finds herself trapped on an island with a murderer—and the ghosts of her past. 

Years after a breakdown and a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder derailed her historical preservationist career, Kenetria Nash and her alters have been given a second chance they can’t refuse: a position as resident caretaker of a historic home. Having been dormant for years, Ken has no idea what led them to this isolated Hudson River island, but she’s determined not to ruin their opportunity.

Then a surprise visit from the home’s conservation trust just as a Nor’easter bears down on the island disrupts her newfound life, leaving Ken trapped with a group of possibly dangerous strangers—including the man who brought her life tumbling down years earlier. When he turns up dead, Ken is the prime suspect.

Caught in a web of secrets and in a race against time, Ken and her alters must band together to prove their innocence and discover the truth of Kavanaugh Island—and their own past—or they risk losing not only their future, but their life.

Review:

This was my first book from this author and I was incredibly intrigued by the premise – happily I can confirm it totally lives up to its fascinating concept. One of Us Knows has much of what I look for in a great thriller – namely an atmospherically eerie setting, interesting characters and a twisty unpredictable plot. What this novel also has, however, is the addition of a main character with dissociative identity disorder – which puts a whole new spin on the situation. Dissociative identity disorder is something I find utterly fascinating, especially that it is not accepted by everyone in the field to even be real. I do personally believe it to be a real disorder and Cole deals with it in a way that is both sensitive yet compelling for the story. It adds an entirely new layer to the book as not only do we as readers not know who to trust, but Ken, the protagonist, is not entirely sure who she can trust, not just in the outside world, but in the interior of her mind, where multiple different personalities reside, all with distinctive voices and characteristics. It adds a truly different dynamic to the idea of an unreliable narrator and works beautifully in the context of a thriller. The plot also rattles along at a propulsive pace and throws in some twists I genuinely didn’t see coming. You do have to keep your wits about you to keep on top of the different alters that narrate the book but they are distinct enough to make it possible. Overall One of Us Knows is a nuanced, dark, smart and thoroughly engrossing thriller that I tore through in just a few hours. I would absolutely recommend it and look forward to reading more from this talented author!

★★★★

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

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