In 'What She Knew' by Gilly Macmillan, the story revolves around Rachel Jenner and her eight-year-old son, Ben, who goes missing while they are in a Bristol park. The book alternates between Rachel's point of view and that of DI Jim Clemo, the investigator handling the case. As the plot unfolds, the emotional turmoil of having a missing child is vividly portrayed, along with the impact on both the family and the investigators involved. The narrative delves into the complexities of the investigation, the media frenzy surrounding the case, and the societal judgment faced by the mother, creating a gripping portrayal of a parent's worst nightmare.
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Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
There are several triggers, especially regarding child abduction, parental guilt, media backlash, and psychological trauma, so a medium content warning is warranted.
From The Publisher:
New York Times Bestseller
"The Changeling meets an episode of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit but set in the UK." -The Skimm
In her enthralling debut, Gilly Macmillan explores a mother's search for her missing son, weaving a taut psychological thriller as gripping and skillful as The Girl on the Train and The Guilty One.
In a heartbeat, everything changes…
Rachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It's an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry-until Ben vanishes.
Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel's newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister. Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public's attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion.
As she desperately pieces together the threadbare clues, Rachel realizes that nothing is quite as she imagined it to be, not even her own judgment. And the greatest dangers may lie not in the anonymous strangers of every parent's nightmares, but behind the familiar smiles of those she trusts the most.
Where is Ben? The clock is ticking...
Ratings (13)
Loved It (9) | |
Liked It (2) | |
Did Not Like (1) | |
Hated It (1) |
Reader Stats (45):
Read It (12) | |
Currently Reading (1) | |
Want To Read (26) | |
Did Not Finish (1) | |
Not Interested (5) |
1 comment(s)
This book was brilliant. A mother walking in the woods with her son who goes missing when she makes him run along ahead... The whole book keeps you wondering and guessing about what is happening and with many twists and turns it's very believable, scary, thrilling and touching. Fast paced psychological thriller.
What can you read after
What She Knew?
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