Author:Karen Perry
From the bestselling author of The Boy That Never Was and Girl Unknown, Only We Know is a gripping novel that shows just how dangerous our childhood secrets can be.
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 . . .
Praise for Only We Know:
'Only We Know builds handsomely on the promise of The Boy That Never Was, plausibly and hauntingly exploring the extent to which guilt, shame and secrecy can shape, define and eventually destroy lives' Declan Burke, The Irish Times
'This is an intense and subtle story with some wonderfully poetic passages and a character driven plot which becomes more compelling as the sense of momentum gathers and the true version of events is slowly revealed. Gripping stuff' Sunday Mirror
'The power of Only We Know lies in the slow illumination of how, under their flimsy cloaks of adulthood, Katie and Nick and Luke are still the traumatised children of a long-ago day by a river, frozen in time by one event. It raises fascinating questions about who we are at heart, about the degree to which damage and guilt can shape our natures, and about whether - and how - we can be redeemed' Tana French
'Don't be surprised if you devour Only We Know in one sitting' Crime Fiction Lovers
The book is beautifully written, with just the right balance of teasing the reader with clues and hitting them with revelations
—— Best Crime Fiction of 2015 , TelegraphThe power of Only We Know lies in the slow illumination of how, under their flimsy cloaks of adulthood, Katie and Nick and Luke are still the traumatised children of a long-ago day by a river, frozen in time by one event. It raises fascinating questions about who we are at heart, about the degree to which damage and guilt can shape our natures, and about whether - and how - we can be redeemed
—— Tana FrenchOnly We Know builds handsomely on the promise of The Boy That Never Was, plausibly and hauntingly exploring the extent to which guilt, shame and secrecy can shape, define and eventually destroy lives
—— Declan Burke , Irish TimesThis is an intense and subtle story with some wonderfully poetic passages and a character driven plot which becomes more compelling as the sense of momentum gathers and the true version of events is slowly revealed. Gripping stuff
—— Sunday MirrorDon't be surprised if you devour Only We Know in one sitting
—— Crime Fiction LoversPraise for The Boy That Never Was
—— -I shot through this in one sitting. Like Gone Girl . . . It's the most gripping thing I've read for ages
—— Evening StandardStunning
—— Simon Mayo Radio 2 Book ClubA truly remarkable novel. The Boy That Never Was is a pitch-perfect balance of driving plot and honest, complex human emotion. Written in a captivating, lyrical style and brilliantly structured, the story grips your heart from the first pages and simply never lets go
—— Jeffrey DeaverBeautifully written, tense and twisty tale
—— Sunday MirrorGripping from its dramatic opening chapter, this tense, unpredictable novel blends a thriller with an intimate family story to produce a most compelling read
—— John BoyneThe delight for the reader is many, not least spotting the cross-over between the two stories, and the changes in those characters that feature in both. The language is lyrical and yet accessible, the plot intricate but satisfying. There is romance, period detail, and dark secrets. This book has TV adaptation written all over it! A great book-club read with loads to discuss
—— The CheltonianI would recommend it to anyone who wants an intriguing mystery that will keep them reading all night!
—— YA Under My SkinA wonderful novel. I loved the atmospheric setting and the way the mystery is built up, switching back and forth through time
—— The Owl on the BookshelfI loved The Girl in the Photograph but I adore The Shadow Hour more, it has the perfect balance of tragedy and intrigue and all the story lines are woven together expertly. You don't want to miss this
—— Belle About TownA detailed, textured mystery
—— Books Life and EverythingThere is no doubt that Kate Riordan is a marvellous storyteller with a fantastically plotted book
—— Cleopatra Loves BooksAnother beautifully told story form Kate Riordan *****
—— David Reviews , GoodreadsYou are drawn in and held there, as the story unfolds, a beautiful literary touch within a novel that is quite the page turner
—— Liz Loves BooksAn absorbing and atmospheric read. I enjoyed his one so much that I have already started reading her previous novel
—— Little Miss Vix ReadsThe author has such a wonderful way with words...beautifully written and very atmospheric
—— The Welsh LibrarianAn atmospheric and tense tale of two families bound by the secrets held within Fenix House, a stately home where the past seems to collide with the present
—— CandisThe language is lyrical and yet accessible, the plot intricate but satisfying. There is romance, period detail, and dark secrets. This book has TV adaptation written all over it! A great book-club read with loads to discuss
—— The CheltonianWhat a beautiful and evocative writer she is! I adored the richness of her descriptions, the faint sense of menace just below the surface, and the huge skill with which she wove in clues, questions and little fragments of information. It was a thoroughly absorbing
—— Iona GreyThis subtle, off-kilter foray into John le Carré territory—a chilling, thoughtful, deeply romantic drama about the collateral damage suffered by those on the periphery of world events—displays Dunmore's gifts as one of today’s most elegant and versatile storytellers.
—— KirkusExposure is a beautifully written novel that really showcases this author’s talents.
—— The Welsh Librarian blogExposure is a great spy thriller with an emotional side to it ... it gives you great character's and a beautiful setting. Lily Carrington is one of the best character's I have read about in a book in a long while.
—— Rachel Bustin blogA wonderfully descriptive tale of three rich characters and serves as a great way of bringing the private fears and realities of the Cold War period to life and this novel is a story of that time, as much as anything else.
—— Culture FlyExposure is about the drive to protect one’s family and the devastating consequences of abruptly finding oneself on the wrong side.
—— Anne Goodwin blogExposure is a brilliantly plotted novel, it’s enormously compelling and I gulped it down. Dunmore builds the tension slowly, the atmosphere of fear and creeping shadows is chillingly well done.
—— Heavenali blogJust as thrilling and just as unputdownable as any Le Carré
—— The TabletA compelling read
—— Irish TimesA surprising and fulfilling read
—— The OldieExciting, with a touch of Graham Greene
—— Evening StandardFew novelists can rival Dunmore
—— Sunday Times IrelandWith a poet’s intensity for minutia and symbolism and an always hungry precision for the right word, she creates a real and thoroughly vivid world, a living place, grim and claustrophobic, full in small ways of menace.
—— Irish ExaminerReading Helen Dunmore is like uncovering an old, intimate secret. Her historical detail is flawless. Her narrative focus is never so much on the big public bluster as it is on the private fragility of the human heart - and her latest novel might be her finest yet.
—— Irish IndependentClever and moving
—— The Scotsman, Books of the Year