No One Knows

No One Knows
By J.T. Ellison
2016
Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1847-0

Ebook Galley from NetGalley.com
Release Date: March 22, 2016

I like a good thriller. For example, I really love Gillian Flynn. I was totally engrossed in all three of her novels, reading each in as close to a single sitting as possible. To me, a good suspense novel is like literature candy, you don't want it to be all you eat, that would make you feel sick, but when you have a craving, having some can feel so good.

So when I got the email from NetGalley that said that I could have this book, which was billed as a "masterful thrilled for fans of Gillian Flynn," I figured I'd take the free book plunge.

This is a fast-paced and entertaining novel, one that I read in two days. The plot pulled me in and I honestly did want to know what happened to the characters. So, you know, as candy goes, it was fine.

But really just fine. To extend this metaphor to the breaking point, Gillian Flynn is really. good. candy. Gourmet chocolates, or those really high quality fruit slice things that I love, hand pulled saltwater taffy. This book is more like skittles. Sweet, tasty, fun, but also generic and unremarkable.

Couple basic problems, which given that this is a thriller and I am very anti-spoiler, are impossible to explain in detail: (1) the connection between two of the characters was completely implausible. Like, breaking the story because WHY implausible. (2) The ending was annoying, its supposed to be a twist, but it's too much. (3) The epilogue pissed me off.

Most of all, I think that this book just really really wants to be Gone Girl. The parallels are had to ignore: story narrated by the spouse of a missing person who is being accused of murder with no body. Relationship that gradually becomes more complicated as the story progresses. Challenging family interactions. I would have trouble believing that Gone Girl had not been in the forefront of the author's mind when this plot was designed.

But Gone Girl it is not, because Gone Girl is gourmet chocolates.

There is a time and a place for Skittles. As Skittles go, this fits the bill, entertaining, engrossing, easy reading for the beach or study breaks, but it won't stick with you afterwards.

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley.com, which requests an honest review in return for the books that it sends you. The freeness did not influence the content of this review in any way other than ensuring that I wrote it (because review percentage matters).