What Have You Done?: A Novel

4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars | 3,953 ratings

Price: 17.72

Last update: 10-15-2024


About this item

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!

Dark · Addictive · Twisty · Chilling · Domestic Suspense

“Lapena is a master of manipulation.”—USA Today

The new binge-worthy novel from the “queen of the one-sit read,” and New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door

Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done?

The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked.

But Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer.

How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia.

Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers.


Top reviews from the United States

elaine griffith
5.0 out of 5 stars Good read!
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2024
This is a well plotted, well written book. Another winner from Shari Lapena! Two thumbs up!
Darlene Ashworth
4.0 out of 5 stars Good story
Reviewed in the United States on August 25, 2024
This was a really good read.

The naked body of a young girl was found in a field in the small town of Fairfield. It’s a small town where everyone knows everyone.

I loved how the chapters were written, short and different povs. It kept me wanting to read more. I figured out who the killer was but no spoilers as to how I figured it out.

There were several suspects and each one of their stories kept you wondering who the killer was.

I enjoyed the book and the 2nd by Shari Lapena. I will continue to read her books.
RaeG
5.0 out of 5 stars Shari Lapena hits another home run!
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2024
This was such an enjoyable, entertaining read. The flow was perfect with each character’s point of view taking you deeper down the twisted road of murder and deception. I don’t normally buy hard copies, but this will go in my collection!
JT Atlanta
3.0 out of 5 stars Huge lapena fan - this is not her best
Reviewed in the United States on September 18, 2024
Like always, Ms Lapena’s latest novel is a page turner with lots of twists and turns. While it was a quick read, this one just “didn’t do it for me” for a few reasons. First, the ghost part was beneath her (amd me). If I want great sci fi, I’ll turn to Mr King. It really took away for me. Secondly there was simply no character development. Without giving it away, the main boy in the book- you really didn’t get to understand him or the decisions
He made and same goes for his parents. This one just fell flat for me. It was certainly not the worst book of 2024 - it’s more of I put this author in my top 3 and she didn’t deliver (after not releasing a book in 2023, I assumed her next one, which is this novel, would be one of her best. I do look forward to
Her next novel. Finally, if you have not read her previous novels, be sure to as they are of much higher caliber.
BeckyW01
4.0 out of 5 stars 4.5 star read, so many amazing subtexts, but ending felt out of nowhere
Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2024
I've read almost all of Shari Lapena's book and I agree that this is her best. It pretended to be a twisty whodunnit, but it was really a platform to illustrate so many things:
- lying liars who lie
- using users who use people
- those who enable liars and users, and their motivations for doing so
- things we want to believe and how we get ourselves to believe them
- repentance and responsibility
- "good people" who toe the line and become enablers

The only reason this is 4.5 stars instead of 5 is that the ending felt out of nowhere to me. She shored it up a little bit but it felt like one character's development took a random left turn into, "What?" I can't say more without spoilers.

The social commentary alone makes this well worth the read, and I don't love the ending but I can accept it. Fair warning, I do have a young daughter and the mom's grief was, gosh, so incredibly well-written that I wondered if Ms. Lapena was pulling from recent experience. I'll be here to pre-order her next book!
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Nice read
Reviewed in the United States on August 19, 2024
Have read all her books. Surprised by the volume of negative reviews. Found that I was turning pages constantly, until my wife gave me the "lights out" signal. Thought that the plot was reasonable, host of believable suspects, with varying motives, and a few nice twists. Not going to win a Pulitzer, but overall, a nice engaging read.
michelle
4.0 out of 5 stars I like this author very much
Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2024
Great book. Did seen to last at times that's why I didn't give it a 4 star. I did enjoy the book, small town and the characters and the mystery of a young girl that was killed and how it had you guessing!
Laurel-Rain Snow
5.0 out of 5 stars PAGE TURNER
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2024
Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done?

The teenagers get their kicks telling ghost stories in the old graveyard. The parents trust their kids will arrive home safe from school. Everyone knows everyone. Curtains rarely twitch. Front doors are left unlocked.

But Diana Brewer isn’t lying safely in her bed where she belongs. Instead she lies in a hayfield, circled by vultures, discovered by a local farmer.

How quickly a girl becomes a ghost. How quickly a town of friendly, familiar faces becomes a town of suspects, a place of fear and paranoia.

Someone in Fairhill did this. Everyone wants answers.

My Thoughts:

As we follow the events of small town life in What Have You Done?, we are soon caught up in numerous possibilities. Who killed teenage Diana Brewer? Was it her controlling boyfriend, her gym teacher, or someone else entirely?

Just when we think we have it figured out, an unexpected killer is thrust upon us at the last moment.

Meanwhile, the story is told through alternating narrators, a couple of whom were anonymous…until we discover the person behind the voice. A compelling story that earned 5 stars.

***

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