One of Us Knows: A Thriller

3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars | 371 ratings

Price: 22.04

Last update: 12-17-2024


About this item

From the critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author of When No One Is Watching comesa riveting thriller about the new caretaker of a historic estate who finds herself trapped on an island with a murderer—and the ghosts of her past.

Years after a breakdown and a diagnosis of dissociative identity disorder derailed her historical preservationist career, Kenetria Nash and her alters have been given a second chance they can’t refuse: a position as resident caretaker of a historic home. Having been dormant for years, Ken has no idea what led them to this isolated Hudson River island, but she’s determined not to ruin their opportunity.

Then a surprise visit from the home’s conservation trust just as a Nor’easter bears down on the island disrupts her newfound life, leaving Ken trapped with a group of possibly dangerous strangers—including the man who brought her life tumbling down years earlier. When he turns up dead, Ken is the prime suspect.

Caught in a web of secrets and in a race against time, Ken and her alters must band together to prove their innocence and discover the truth of Kavanaugh Island—and their own past—or they risk losing not only their future, but their life.


Top reviews from the United States

GAL
5.0 out of 5 stars Love this author!
Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2024
Fun fact: I don't buy that many books on pre-order. I have to either believe in the author because I've read something else of theirs that is fantastic or because I want to support a friend/fellow author. Alyssa Cole falls in that first category because I absolutely loved When No One is Watching. Unsurprisingly, One of Us Knows was incredible. Striding the line between psychological horror and thriller in all the ways that I love. The DID was incredibly respectfully drawn, and riveting to explore alongside the various alters. One of the most interesting romantic pairings I've ever read. I love how this story twisted, running down a path that seemed familiar until it wasn't. Mirroring what we're seeing in our own country without overly dwelling on that, which should give this book a timeless appeal and it definitely deserves that. There are some things that come to light at the resolution that make me want to reread the book to see how much I missed. That's a trick not everyone can pull off. I can't wait to see what this author does next.
J
4.0 out of 5 stars Unique thriller. Love Alyssa Cole!
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2024
Of course I read When No One Is Watching first and when I saw this was available for pre-order I did not hesitate. One of Us Knows did not disappoint! The main storyline is familiar in the sense that you could maybe predict some of the components in the outer world, but it was the twists in the smaller components that really made this such a fun and unique read. I liked the switching POVs and appreciated that I couldn’t stand some singlets. I think that made it more understandable? Like I can only imagine what it would be like to have DID and dislike one of your headmates?! Anyways, I highly recommend this book. I usually can’t stand character building but I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the headmates (even the ones I couldn’t stand). Things pick up fairly quickly towards the end but other than the “familiar storyline,” I could not figure out or predict how everything would play out. Definitely thrilling. I can’t wait for more thrillers by Cole!
Danielle Baker
3.0 out of 5 stars One of Us Knows
Reviewed in the United States on September 25, 2024
"One of Us Knows" took me a bit of time to get into. In fact, I set it aside for a few months before picking it up again, but once I did, I was glad I returned to it. The main character’s struggle with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) was interesting, as each of her personalities, with their unique traits and names, controlled her behavior differently. This added a complex and layered element to the narrative that kept me intrigued.

It was also interesting to see how Cole wove the impact of the COVID pandemic into the story, especially how Ken’s DID made navigating such a high-stress environment even more challenging. The mystery itself unfolds slowly but builds momentum toward the end, where everything ties together in a satisfying way. That said, I was hoping for a bit more toward the ending to fully round out some of the narrative threads.

Though it took a while for the plot to fully hook me, Cole did a solid job of exploring both the psychological and mysterious aspects of the story
K. Bird Lincoln
5.0 out of 5 stars going to a haunted mansion on an island in the mind of complicated young woman
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2024
Wow this was a challenging book to read---just wow. Somehow, though, Cole managed to pull off ye olde young woman goes to an island as a caretaker for a mansion built by a rich white dude that probably is haunted in an unique, thrilling way.

And that's all I'm going to say. I encourage you *not* to find out more, it will ruin the feeling of being plunged head-first into a cold river of characters, feelings, emotions, troubled reactions and being forced to dog paddle until you figure out what's going on.

All I'm going to say is that Kenetria Nash, Ken, is the most glorious of unreliable narrators. Unreliable narrators are my catnip, but it can't just be the author refusing to give us info about a character that we normally would have. Ken is unreliable for valid reasons and it makes the slow realization that this isn't just a normal caretaking job, the uncovering of hidden truths, and the tension that much painfully sweeter.

There is sordid history, haunted towers, and above else, the strengthening of emotional ties and growth.

This was fabulous-- and challenging as I said-- and definitely worth your while if you're a thriller or gothic horror lover. So. Very. Cool.
Denise
2.0 out of 5 stars Gave me a headache
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2024
Really enjoyed her previous novel. Interesting story and characters. Kept me engaged. However even though her latest has an initial, interesting, gothic-like plot, it took too much effort to keep up w/all of the characters and to stay engaged. I did not finish it. Very disappointed as I was so looking forward to reading this book.
Brenda Roach
4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2024
Well written. It reminded me of watching Split, except this was now in book format. ????????????????
Odile Boyet
3.0 out of 5 stars It takes 100 pages to care about the main character(s), but it's probably worth your read
Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2024
I bought this book at a bookstore just before vacation because the premise sounded like something I had never heard before and that quick flip: open a book to a random page (hopefully not a spoiler) and read two paragraphs. You'll know whether the writer is good, bad, in between. Ms. Cole is an astounding writer. The lexicon she chooses, the placement of a shock word or a deft juxtaposition is nearly unmatched in many writers I've read. And the premise of the book is one of a kind -- it doesn't follow the tried and true monomyth (the "Hero's Journey") that is so successful in many respectable books and movies. The one flaw that I wish Ms. Cole would shed is her penchant for something akin to a soap opera: I used to watch them as a teen, and remember how a whole half hour would go by (and filled with commercial at that) where only one thing that takes 10 seconds changed? The rest of it was mulling, feelings, and blather about that ONE thing, and then NOTHING happened until the next show when the pattern would repeat. Ms. Cole absolutely gets stuck in that in this book. It's annoying frankly. And it took 100 page before her humor (which is unbeatable) finally began to find its rhythm. Absolutely worth the read, but you'll feel frustrated before it really picks up to finally make you actually care. These five-star reviews on here, don't believe them.

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