Loved this quick read! I didn't expect to be so engaged in the story, but listening to the audiobook, I couldn't wait to go for a walk so I could find out what would happen next!
We all think we're a good judge of character, right? But how often have you realized over time that someone you thought was good and kind was not? (Or visa versa.) I love how this story unfolds and we feel the world tilt for Kacey and her husband.
She's been wronged already by her former best friend, hesitant to trust again. I thought the author did a good job of putting the reader in the moment, unfolding the scenes as we guess at what will happen next. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this audiobook! ( )

Rating: 5 Stars!!
Review:
Thank you to Revell and Librarything for picking me to win this FREE ARC COPY in a giveaway on their website last year!!

This was my first time reading a book by Sarah so i wasnt sure what to expect but i have to say this was such a great Thriller to read about a Couple who bought a house with hidden camera inside the walls.

The Characters were so interesting to read about. Kacy was my favorite. I loved how diverse the characters were even tho some of them had hateful attitudes toward Kacy and Michael.

The Setting was good tho wish it was better described since it was very vage at where this was set in.

Overall a Good Thriller Novel!! Can't wait to read more by Sarah in the future!! ( )

Suburban thriller from Sugar Land, TX, with a bit in NYC.

Casey and her husband Michael have moved to Sugar Land after her friend/co-worker framed her for theft at the museum they worked at. He has a job, she is unemployable in her old career. Overcoming her depression, she finds a new therapist and goes to womens' meetings to make friends. It works.

But it turns out her new friends may be worse than her old friends. Casey has no gut feelings. Or really really bad luck.
———
I found the first half of this to be fine. I enjoyed the podcast discussions that wait quite awhile before disclosing who "the couple" is. And yes, the clues are there, it should not be a surprise.

The second half of this book--especially after Casey returns to NYC--to be slow and dull. Nothing happens, calls aren't returned. Just YAWN. ( )

This was a great book. It was so well written that even though I had a strong idea about who the serial killer was, I didn’t care; I just wanted to keep reading to find out more about the story. The action was peeled back in layers giving the reader just enough time to really care about Kacy, the main character before “the other shoe dropped”. I thought that nothing worse could happen to her, but I was wrong. There is so much more that I would like to say about this book but I really don’t want to ruin it for others.

Here are a just a few thoughts that I gathered in reading this story:

1) You can find a true friendship in the most unlikely of candidates so never judge a book by its cover, ie: Elizabeth the “stepford wife” poster child.
2) It is a possibility that no matter how long you’ve been friends with someone, you can truly never know who they really are.
3) Even if you can truly never know someone and believe that a friendship may end in heartbreak, seek them out anyway, because;
4) You will never realize how strong and resilient you are as a person until you allow yourself to become vulnerable to others and experience the heartache and/or tragedy that openness and vulnerability might bring.
5) Love conquers all!

Read this book yourself and make your own conclusions. It’s a wild ride and you won’t regret it! ( )

You Can Never Tell by Sarah Warburton is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

Michael and Kacy Tremain move from New Jersey to a planned suburban community in Sugar Land, Texas. Kacy is still trying to recover from a scandal and betrayal involving her best friend that resulted in her losing her job as a museum curator and ruining her reputation. Although she is struggling to trust people again, Kacy manages to make some friends in Sugar Land, Elizabeth, Rahmia, and her neighbor Lena. We know from the opening that something terrible is going to happen to the couple and that Kacy's friend is a serial killer. This is confirmed by alternating excerpts from a true crime podcast involving Kacy and Michael. What we need to learn from the plot is the backstory and the events leading up to some terrible discovery. The anticipation of what is to be revealed is what creates the tension.

The big opening disclosure in the narrative grabs your attention immediately and then the plot moves back in time to follow the backstory. Excerpts from the true crime podcast keep the high expectations set by the opening fresh in your mind. You're going to spend a little less time trying to guess who is the killer and much more time anticipating what is going to happen next. It is an interesting choice for a plot device and was largely successful. After the shocking opening, the plot slows down and makes you wait for more information to be disclosed along the way.

Because she is damaged and trying to recover her confidence, Kacy will be a sympathetic character for most readers. You will wish her well and applaud her trying to make friends and fit in - but then you'll worry about exactly who these friends are. Your concern for the well being of her and Michael is going to help increase the tension and suspense because you know something awful is coming. This is a novel that will keep you reading to the end because you need to have some questions answered and need to see when Kacy realizes something is seriously wrong. This is a how well do you really know your neighbors novel. There were some scenes that seemed so true to life, as in pretty darn close to some recent experiences, that it made the tension just that much more intense.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Crooked Lane Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/08/you-can-never-tell.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4150602412 ( )