You Don't Want to Know

Even the title sounds creepy....

I was lucky enough to get this book as an ARC from NetGalley and when I saw a Lisa Jackson book, I jumped at the chance to read it. She comes up with the greatest ideas wrapped in the most interesting cast of characters. In this book, Ava is a woman going through a terrible time. Her son is missing and she has lost almost two years of her life grieving, searching and mourning. Anti-depression drugs, hospitals and misery are all she knows. She can't remember the events of yesterday let alone things that happened months, or weeks ago. All she can think about in her haze is finding Noah.

Here is my review of

You Don't Want to Know

You Don't Want To Know by Lisa Jackson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this ARC from NetGalley

You Don’t Want to Know is a suspenseful novel filled with an intriguing cast of characters who will keep you guessing until the bitter end. Just when you think you have it figured out, Lisa Jackson throws another twist into the mix that turns everything you thought you knew upside down.
Ava Garrison is a woman tormented by the disappearance of her son, Noah two years ago. She’s been in and out of mental hospitals as she tries to deal with her loss, heavily medicated and for the most part has lost contact with reality. She can’t remember things happen in her daily life, she loses time and has little connection with people anymore. Sequestered in the family/s home on Church Island, Ava is constantly plague by visions of her missing son and questions about what could have happened to him.

Church Island has also had its share of tragedy and infamy. There was a mental hospital for violent criminals which was housed on the island. Lester Reece was a serial killer with money and an excellent attorney who got him placed as a patient at Sea Cliff. He escaped and was never found. His escape ruined Ava’s uncle, who ran the facility and he had to retire in shame. Locals for years have reported sightings of the serial killer, but he has never been caught. When the sightings start again, everyone is on edge.

On the island Ava is surrounded by people, all with an opinion on what is best for her. Her husband Wyatt, her cousin, the doll-carrying Elvis loving Jewel-Anne who is confined to a wheelchair because of a boating accident but never misses an opportunity to make a dig at Ava and her lose grasp on reality. Add to the mix a bitter friend, a sketchy psychiatrist Ava is convinced is having an affair with her husband, servants, therapists and various relatives and spouses and you have all the makings of a nervous breakdown for an already fragile woman.
Convinced she’s again seen her son standing on the edge of the dock, Ava races out into the night and throws herself into the sea, only to be rescued by a mysterious man her husband recently hired by the name of Dern. Ava’s family is convinced she’s again on a downward spiral but Ava fights through the fog of her drugs and makes the decision to find out what happened to Noah. She secretly stops taking her medication and her head begins to clear. She is still missing large block of her time and events from her past but slowly, she beings to put the pieces together and finds out the people closest to her aren’t as trustworthy as she thought.

As she becomes more of her old self, she discovers someone is trying to drive her crazy. She begins hearing Noah crying and a calling for her in the middle of the night, but no one else admitted to hearing it. While outside she saw movement at the window in what had been Noah’s room. As she raced inside she found a soaking wet pair of Noah’s shoes on the floor. As she tries to put the pieces of the puddle together, she hits wall after wall. On the mainland her friend Tanya helps her get some recording equipment so she can find out who is messing with her head and why.

Dern continues to watch over Ava, popping up whenever she’s in trouble. Her marriage to Wyatt is in name only with them bickering more than getting along so she begins to develop feelings for Dern and his protective nature, but Dern has secrets of his own that will rock Ava when exposed.
You Don’t Want to Know is an action packed novel. Lisa Jackson created an intriguing cast in this book, many of whom you will love to hate. Ava doesn’t know who to trust or where to turn and you can feel that as you read. Everyone is suspect, everyone is less than kind to Ava in one way or another, but the real question is who hates her enough to torture her with her loss. And what actually happened to Noah? Will she ever have closure on that horrible day two years ago?

I highly recommend You Don’t Want to Know, especially if you’re looking for some heart pounding action that will have you cautiously looking around dark corners for days.

Thanks for Reading My Mind

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