This is a story about a family and the impact that the murder of one of the daughters has on them.  The story is told by Ellie, younger sister to Lila.  At the start of the book Lila, who is a maths prodigy, is murdered.  During the emotional aftermath Ellie befriends her English professor (Thorpe), and confides in him, all sorts of feelings and family affairs.  Thorpe then goes on to use the information that Ellie has provided him with to write a best selling novel (non fictional) about the murder, the family, etc.  Of course the family are devastated all over again at this betrayal and the way that the murder of their daughter has been used to provide entertainment.  In the book Thorpe speculates about who the murderer is and actually names one of Lila’s professors (McConnell) – who Lila was having an affair with.  McConnell is never convicted of the murder but his career and marriage are ultimately ruined.

Years later Ellie meets McConnell again and following their chance encounter no longer believes that he is Lila’s murderer and starts on a path of discovery of her own.

To be honest, this book was not what I was expecting.  I imagined this book to be ‘darker’ and also maybe to be a bit more of a thriller but it is more an emotional type of book.  Exploring Ellie’s feelings, particularly of guilt, and the impact that the death of her sister had on her in terms of her inability to relate well or trust other people.  That being said I like the author’s style of writing and it is an easy read and a decent story – I just personally feel that it missed an opportunity somehow to be an excellent story.

Rating C.

No One You Know