| Title | : | Only We Know |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 400 |
| Publication | : | First published June 4, 2015 |
Now, thirty years later, Nick, Luke and Katie remain bound together by the truth of what happened that day.
But some secrets won’t stay buried.
And when Luke vanishes and the threatening messages begin, it becomes clear someone else knows the truth – and is intent on justice, no matter what the cost…
Only We Know Reviews
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It's 1982 in Kenya, where three children, brothers Luke and Nick and their friend Katie play a game that ends in tragedy, such a shocker that both families leave Kenya within days. Thirty years later in 2013, there are fears that the past is being dredged up, but how is that possible, as the only people who know are the three of them - only they know!
The story is narrated first person in chapters either by Katie or Nick. It's a pretty well written very readable read but I failed to bond or care about the characters, maybe because the entire past is spent in Kenya with hardly a mention of the country or it's people, it might as well happened on the River Wye! Saying that, this will make a delicious adaptation with its twist and turns. A Three Star, 7 out of 12 read for me.
2023 read -
PHEW this book took my breath away. At the start it was very easy to get into, read well, flowed well.
Its like watching something on the TV, you just know that something is about to happen, you feel it, you can see it happening.....
then it does. GASP
Well this was what this book was like for me.
Kids+water = Danger We all know this and so does Luke's Mom. But his Dad lets him play there, so why can't he? So off he goes with his two other peers Nick and Katie.
Tragedy.
That's when you start holding your breath because we jump to years later when they are now grown.
The apt title ONLY WE KNOW is something that follows through this book as a theme.
What do they know?
I tell you this, for me it was a read that appealed to me. It intrigued me to see which way the author would go with this. I have to give this my full 5 stars because of how this book brought out so much in me, how it made me feel, how it made me react and if a book can move you like this, there are no other stars but TOP MARKS
May I thank not only the author for a superb book but also to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph via Net Galley for my read to review copy -
The story is set in Kenya and Dublin. We start off in Kenya with childhood best friends Nick, Luke and Katie playing at a river near their home. Luke's mother does not want the children to play there as she feels it may not be safe, Luke's father overrides this and says it is fine. So we have children, a hot day, a river and boredom, looking for games to play, what could possibly go wrong?
We are moved between the past and the present as Luke, Nick and Katie grow up but are bound together for life after a terrible tragedy did occur at that river. Suddenly Luke disappears, disturbing messages begin to arrive, some one out there knows what happened and they are vying for justice and redemption.
Really strong story, great characterisation, fast paced and highly addictive, lots of plots and twists. Karen Perry has done a very good job of creating such a moving and gripping novel. A few OMG moments, loved it! -
The story starts in Kenya back in the 1980s with a group of children playing. But then tragedy overtakes the game. Thirty years later brothers Luke, Nick and their friend Katie are haunted by their shared past and the secret that connects them. When Luke suddenly vanished and threatening messages begin to arrive, it is obvious someone else knows their secret and is intent on making sure they pay for what happened that day.
Told mostly from Nick’s and Katie’s point of view , the story also contains a couple of chapters from Luke’s and Nick’s mother, Sally. I liked the way the events are uncovered. The secret that ties Luke, Nick and Katie together is not the only secret that has been covered up. There is a certain amount of blasphemy and use of the f word, but that aside I found this an interesting read without being thoroughly engrossing. I did think certain aspects of the ending didn’t quite work. But maybe that is just me.
It’s a book about choices, consequences, guilt, and family and, of course, secrets. I admit this was a book I picked up because liked the cover and the title. Not sure I would call it a psychological thriller but it was a good story. I guess a lot depends on what you are expecting. I’d call it an interesting read. -
**4.5 stars**
Another excellent and addictive novel from the Karen Perry team. Full review to follow on publication date (4t June) -
This book started well, but then it dragged on and on and on, it wasn't a great psychological thriller and it didn't keep me gripped. Only finished reading it as I felt I had to. Disappointing!
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www.snazzybooks.com
I really loved this book; it was atmopsheric, intriguing and emotional all at the same time. It feels like I've read so many books centering around people that have a dark past, particularly those who have done 'bad things' as kids, and this is yet another- but it joins the ranks as one of the most enjoyable and gripping!
The writing by Karen Perry (a pseudonym for writing duo Paul Perry and Karen Gillece) is fantastic; they manage to ensure that the plot flows really well and this kept me reading on. I read it in two sittings and at no point lost interest in the story being told. I really wanted to find out exactly what happened all those years ago, and the writing slowly reveals this bit by bit.
Only We Know not only focuses on the past but the present too, and how those children (now adults, of course) are dealing with what happened. This is really interesting and the characters are all convincing, even though you can't always feel sure about who knows the 'whole truth' and who doesn't. It makes you think about how a tragedy like this would affect yourself and your own family, as well as family loyalty and betrayal.
I won't give too much away about this novel but I'd highly recommend it. It's really enjoyable to read and I love a bit of mystery- and this has plenty!
**Many thanks to the publisher for providing a copy of this book in return for an honest review** -
I was sent an ARC copy of Only We Know by Karen Perry from lovereading.co.uk in return for an honest review.
Only We Know is easily one of the best books I have read this year. I previously read and loved Karen Perry's debut novel The Boy That Never Was, and this book is even better. A slow burner to begin with it quickly picks up the pace so you don't want to put it down even to eat or sleep! Just when I thought I knew what the secret is that Luke, Nick and Katie shared, something is revealed to throw a spanner in the works. I will definitely be reading more by Karen Perry.
Only We Know by Karen Perry is due to be published in June 2015. -
Review to Follow.
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Really enjoyed the storyline of this and wasn't sure where it would lead but the ending let it down. The bad guys didn't feel too sinister - why didn't Mack shoot him??? And Murphy was a bit cliche for me. Also I didn't believe Lauren would fall in love with Nick knowing what she did about him
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Reviewed for Lovereading.co.uk
Only We Know is a book I am glad I only have 250 words to review in because it is one that I really cannot say all that much about. You know when you finish a book and it's a little like stepping off a rollercoaster? But the disorientating feel as you get your bearings back rather than the breathless pace. That's Only We Know. It has a truly atmospheric opening, one which immerses you within the Kenyan setting, witnessing a family holiday that by the end of the first chapter has ended in tragedy.
Fast forward 30 years and Nick, Luke and Katie, now adults, are estranged, but still bound together by the dark truth of what happened on that fateful day. Luke suddenly vanishes, and threatening messages start to arrive. Somebody clearly knows what happened on that day, and is intent on seeking justice, at any cost...
Chapters follow each of the characters, giving us a real sense of how much they have changed since that day, but how they still remain affected by it. Interwoven seamlessly into the plot, and adding real tension and intrigue to the mystery are the chapters set in 1982, again giving us further insight into exactly what happened that day, and without going into too much detail, really showing us how the decisions we make, sometimes to protect those we love, often have far reaching consequences. It is a mystery, in every sense of the word, and I did fail to see some of the plot twists coming.
Only We Know is a story that isn't all that hard to believe, meaning it is as enjoyable as it is frighteningly compelling. It is a gripping story with a thought-provoking, satisfactory ending and has left me more than eager to read more from the writing duo known as Karen Perry. -
I greatly enjoyed Karen Perry's debut novel the boy who never was and was pleased to be offered the chance to read an advance copy of her new book. This chilling thriller about family and secrets and revenge begins in the 1980s in Kenya with a group of children playing by the river when something tragic occurs which is bound to have repercussions which follow them over the years.
It jumps back and forth over a span of 30 years and sees 3 adults with lives bound by tragedy being torn apart you get wrapped up in the storyline although I didn't really find a character I could relate to they are all believable and realistic.
This is a tension filled family mystery and to say too much would be to give the plot away there are plenty of twists to keep you guessing but no massive shocks. If you like people centred family dramas this is a great summer read.
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A disappointing thriller about three friends who were involved in something horrible when they are children in Kenya and remain haunted thirty years later.
I expect more from a thriller. I expect lots of drama and plot twists. This is more of a character driven novel. Unfortunately, none of the characters are particularly exciting and I couldn't care about them or their lives. They're not unlikable in any way, just flat.
There's a lot of repetition and not much happens. Actually, cross that. Quite a few things do happen but it's wrapped in whole chapters of characters mulling over the exact same events, again and again. The Kenyan setting is also grossly underutilized. It could have been set in Ireland for all the novel features Kenya. For a start, there is one Kenyan in the whole novel. -
Although I enjoyed "The Innocent Sleep", (also released with the title, The Boy Who Never Was")-I found myself skimming ahead in this novel as the pace was too slow to really keep me engaged.
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4,5 Sterne. Ein absolut tolles Buch mit einer Geschichte die einen von Seite zu Seite mehr unter Spannung setzt.
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Die Geschichte war teilweise unstimmig, unlogisch. Warum war das Ende so... positiv? Ich fand nach allem, was da so ans Licht gekommen ist (und zum Beispiel Luke passiert ist) das sehr unpassend. Hat mich fast schon aufgeregt. Unglaubwürdig auch, dass Lauren sich in Nick verliebt, obwohl da schon klar wurde, was das große Geheimnis ist. Von der angedeuteten Versöhnung der beiden möchte ich jetzt gar nicht anfangen.
Positiv ist mir aufgefallen - es war ja nicht alles schlecht - das es durchaus spannend gewesen ist und ich mochte Katie als Protagonistin ganz gerne. Wie alle recht kaputt, aber, wie ich fand, war sie die einzige die sich glaubwürdig weiter entwickelt.
Ferner war zwar schon relativ früh klar, was das große Geheimnis ist, allerdings gab es auch eine kleine Überraschung, die ich so nicht auf dem Schirm hatte. -
I was lucky to get a pre publication copy from
http://www.lovereading.co.uk/ for an honest review.
I have read Karen Penny's previous book (The boy that never was) and loved it so was looking forward to reading this one.
It started in Kenya 1982 with an account of 2 brothers playing in the river with their friend and a local girl. When the boys mother hears a scream she goes running praying her boys are ok and then it cuts to Dublin 2013. The brothers are all grown up Nick and Luke have drifted apart and don't really have much contact. It all seems to stem from the day in the river but what happened and who sent the dead starling to Luke? The plot goes from present day to the past but keeps you hooked quite cleverly by giving you hints but no surety. We are introduced to the friend that was with them and it seems she too is haunted by the day by the river, The plot keeps you turning pages just to see what really happened and where this is going next, I just thought I had worked it out when yet another account throws a spanner in the works. I really enjoyed this book and know now that Karen Perry is a name to look out for. -
I read the book The Boy That Never Was, I was so impressed by this novel that I wanted to read Only We Know. This new novel Only We Know is another great thrilling novel to add for Karen Perry.
The story starts of in Kenya 1982 Luke was told by his mother that the playing near the river is dangerous but his dad seem to let the boys play down by the river. Their mother watches her two beautiful boys Luke and Nick with Katie head to the river until they reach the trees and disappear into the shadows. When a game is played that ends in tragedy. Thirty years later, Nick, Luke and Katie remain bound together by the truth of what happened that day. -
Tense and thrilling with plenty of twists and turns. Loved it.
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I started reading this book and I wasn’t sure how I felt about the characters. Luke was annoying in that ‘Rich Guy’ kind of way and I didn’t feel any connection to Katie, who felt needy and damaged. The only person I felt any type of feelings towards was Nick…at first.
You see this book takes all the judgements you had from the start and turns them on there head. What we have here is a wonderful suspenseful thriller that twists and turns from viewpoint to viewpoint. We see from Nick’s point of view as he struggles with his demons and then we see from Katie’s point of view as she drinks away hers. The story is taunting from the start, never giving too much away, always leaving you hanging on until the last few chapters. I love the fact that the story jumps back and forth 30 years so that we can read first hand what happened in the past. But with each step back into the past, we are still left wanting to know more…never quite knowing what happened on that fateful day until we get to the end….and then everything you thought you knew is changed.
I read through this book and loved the character interactions between the characters. I felt the brotherly love between Nick and Luke and understood the protectiveness Luke had for his younger brother. I felt the anger that they both had towards each other at the same time and I read with sadness when there family dynamic is ripped apart. Katie and Nick were bonded through childhood memories, both good and bad and I enjoyed reading more into their relationship.
The entire story was very well written and I felt myself easily drawn into it, not wanting to put it down until I had turned the very last page. -
Not a bad read yet at the same time one in which very little seems to happen. From the outset the reader knows that youngsters, Luke, Nick & Katie have been involved, to some degree, in the death of another young girl but as to what part...if any... they have played in this accident.... or murder.... is unknown.
The story divides itself between the events surrounding the girl's death in Kenya 1984 & Dublin 2013, with these present day events being recounted by Nick & Katie. While there is an undercurrent of tension between the adults in Kenya it doesn't seem to build satisfactorily throughout the story. The parts that the children played in the 1984 tragedy along with the 2013 adult characters roles, were pretty obvious from the outset so there were no surprise revelations along the way. The conclusion seemed a bit of a cop out in a way - personally I'd've liked something a bit more dramatic!
A good enough read but not as twisty or as gripping as it might have been & I have a feeling it won't remain all that memorable.... -
Die Figuren können nicht so recht überzeugen. Des Weiteren ist die Handlung eher verwirrend!
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Only We Know opens in 1982, and in the searing heat of a Kenyan summer three children play happily in a local river. They are drenched with sunshine and filled with promise of eternal happiness, but before the day is out, something happens, which will have devastating consequences.
What then follows is cleverly put together suspense story which takes the concept of chance, and the uncontrollable nature of the passage of time, and weaves together a story which looks at the festering nature of silence and secrets. Thirty years on from that fateful summer in Kenya, and Nick, Luke and Katie are now sadly estranged from each other but that critical part of their lives is indelibly etched within each of them and when something happens, fate intervenes and inevitably, the mystery of that long ago summer starts to unravel.
I really enjoyed this story and read it almost in one sitting, as it’s one of those stories which tempts you to read on, to discover just a little bit more. It’s not an all action read , its appeal is much more subtle than that, but there is a nice sense of the intermingling of past and present, so that , as the story is exposed in greater detail, you can’t help but be enticed into a world of secrets and lies.
I first came across this talented writing duo with the publication of their first collaboration in The Boy Who Never Was, in 2014 and I am equally as impressed with this, their second book together. -
There are still several unexplained mystery to the book. One of which is Maybe i missed something in the book indicated why he did it but upon the end even Nick asked himself why.
By the way, back to the story. The storyline and the mystery thriller theme and the pace of the story have been mixed together very well. The anticipation started from the prologue of a glance of how the tragedy started and the two pov of Nick and Katie depicted their own views slowly but nicely up until the peak of the story where the events/tragedy of that day in Kenya happened. However, the author really got me fooled and trusted on that account because in these two characters, Nick and Katie, one of them is not telling the truth in their pov. Only until the end of the book that the secret is finally revealed in the right place with the right people.
The ending itself, in my opinion, is a great closure to the story overall. It was not too dramatic nor too unrealistic (happy ending) but the right amount of both of these mix together.
Highly recommend to people who enjoy mystery/thriller theme book. -
Thirty years ago Luke, Nick and Katie were children in Africa. They're now adults but something that happened one carefree day is coming back to haunt them. This is more of a 2.5 rating as it was slightly more than okay but nothing special.
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Found this Book this morning randomly walking through a trainstation's bookstore.
First Book for a Long Time that i couldnt stop Reading. Best feeling ever to dive in the Story and end it the Same day.
So grateful for that. -
A great novel by Karen Perry, set in Kenya where a child is killed, three children and their families hold a dark secret about what happened that day. Eventually the secret unfolds and lives start to unravel, the truth comes forth, in an unexpected twist and things are never the same again.
