Book review : You Don't Know Me - Sara Foster

You Don't Know Me is the new release from Sara Foster, published on 18th May. She is the bestselling author of five psychological suspense novels in Australia and the USA, but this is the first time this British author has been published in her home country. The publication will be followed by another of her books, The Hidden Hours, in November 2020, described as ‘enthralling’ by Jane Harper. I'll definitely be looking out for that one.

You Don't Know Me follows the tale of two young, free and single Australian travellers, enjoying a holiday in Thailand. Alice and Noah are taking in the sights on a river cruise when they bump into each other, quite literally. Sparks fly and they embark on an intense relationship, with Noah extending his break for a couple of days before flying back home to pick up his job running his family's restaurant. But below the surface, things are much darker and they both have a past that they are trying desperately to flee. As young love bursts forth, they are both wary of giving up their secret stories and imagining a happy future together.

Alice is working as an English teacher in a language school. Encouraged by her father, she is trying to find a new safe space to call her own, but she can't completely break the ties with him. As she slowly starts to reveal her backstory, we learn that he is in prison, but the truth of her situation will not be revealed until close to the end.

Noah's story is equally complex and emotional. Some twelve years ago, the girlfriend of his elder brother Tom mysteriously disappeared after an argument. The case is finally coming up in court, with a huge amount of public interest and pressure for all involved. Tom and Noah have always had a very rocky relationship, with a large amount of repressed rage, violent spats and bullying. More to the point, having seen and overheard a few things on the fateful night, Noah has secret doubts about his brother's innocence. Should he come clean and reveal all in court or keep quiet for the sake of the family?

It's a tough and stressful time for both of the characters, but they try to support and help each other through the worst of it. As their lives explode, leaving them with no idea of what their pasts and futures entail, can they possibly manage to forge some new love affair or is this budding relationship another victim of their volatile lives?

It's a fast-paced read that sucked me in, desperate to learn more about the characters and their complex histories. I had a few ideas about what went on in the past, but it turned out, I was way off the mark and in for a big surprise. 

star rating : 4.5/5

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Legend Press (30 Jun. 2020)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1789559774
• ISBN-13: 978-1789559774
• Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 19.8 cm

Disclosure : I received a review copy of the book.