Review: Only We Know by Karen Perry

Title: Only We Know
Author: Karen Perry
Publisher: Michael Joseph
Publication Date: 4th June 2015
Pages: 352
ISBN: 9780718179601
Source: Lovereading.co.uk
Rating: 4/5
Purchase: Amazon

In 1982, on a once-in-a-lifetime holiday beneath the stifling heat of the midday sun, three children start a game that ends in tragedy.

Now, thirty years later, Nick, Luke and Katie are estranged, yet still bound together by the dark truth of what happened at the river that day.

Except some secrets won't stay buried.

And when Luke suddenly vanishes and the threatening messages begin, it seems that the strings of the past are tightening around them all. Because someone else knows what they did and is intent on seeking justice, at any cost...

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.

4/5