My June book club meet up will discuss J.T. Ellison’s novel “No One Knows.” I’d like to share my thoughts on the work. It’s been described as the next “Gone Girl.” While listening to the audio version of the novel, I found I enjoyed the narrator, telling Aubrey’s story to all that would hear. This gave me the perspective I have for “No One Knows.” Read the book or listen to the audio version before reading my comments.
If spoilers bother you, beware: SPOILERS ***WILL***FOLLOW***
For me, as I listened to the novel, I kept waiting for the gotcha! Gone Girl moment. The closest minute came across for me when Aubrey Hamilton revealed she knew her husband Josh was in over his head and helped him plan his disappearance. Things vamp up when Aubrey’s wrath was bestowed on her husband when he promised to return if she was accused of the crime, but did not. Yeah…Hell’s got nothing on the wrath of a woman.
I found the narrator, whom I put all my trust in, lied to me about the five years Aubrey put her faith that her husband was still among the living. What was the point in writing so many letters to her missing man and then destroying them? Did anyone else know she wrote those very real heartfelt communications, and then burned them?
As for Josh, I felt I was pulled in the story, when he failed to tell his wife about the blackmail and threats that hung over his head like a dark cloud. This would have been the first thing I did…if I were in his shoes. However, this character seemed to keep the problem to himself and forgot about a drunken night with a pretty medical student. Did it really happen that way? I think not.
True to life, sometimes you just don’t like someone. That statement fits the relationship of Josh’s mother Daisy and Aubrey. For years Daisy had been cruel to the “Girl Next Door.” The character assassination was paid in full when Aubrey turned in her missing husband, and Daisy’s son, getting him some serious time in jail. Aubrey’s part in this came out too, but only a mentally ill person could mastermind such a plot, right?
Gook book. I may go back and read it this time.
Fictionista 