A new Shari Lapena book is always cause for celebration. Even though this is only my 4th of hers, she has become a go-to author for thrillers. And she is an author I only discovered through my book blog and I am thrilled that I did.

She might not have seen it coming; I definitely didn't see it coming.

This is a slow burn thriller. A bit more psychological, than sitting on the edge of your seat looking over your shoulder. You get time to know the characters and the situation; it almost lulls you into a false sense of security and you become part of the story.

I always find Shari's characters are well written. They're very real and familiar. They're not all nice characters, and they're not all "goodies", but you love them all individually, even the "baddies" to a certain extent. They're neither black nor white, everything is a bit grey morally, which I think is important in a thriller.

It is multi-layered but doesn't feel overwhelming. And like any good thriller, it's full of twists and turns and shocks.

I had my suspicions, people I thought could be guilty, but every time I thought I'd got it, something else happened that blew that out of the water.

I read it in less than a day, even sacrificing sleep, because it was just so easy to read and I couldn't put it down.

My one negative comes with the ending. It's just a bit too abrupt. We've got this investigation going on for about 95% of the book and then suddenly it's all over. It's a perfectly good ending, the ending itself is not the problem. I just wish it had come in earlier, been drawn out slightly more so we could really get absorbed into the reveal. Because at the moment it's story, story, story, reveal, finished. And it just felt a bit too quick for such a detailed story.

What an amazing story! It's one of those that you just fly through because you neeeeeeed to know what happens next. Its well written and the characters are vividly brought to life. The plot always moves forward and I didnt feel the pace slowed down throughout or that any of it felt like it was dragging. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout and I just loved every second of it

Never read a book where I want at least one bad guy to win, but I did. So many twists and turns and I got it all wrong. Read in 24hrs and that's a record...Great great read

When Bryden fails to collect her child from daycare, a missing persons hunt begins. During the course of the investigation secrets and lies are slowly revealed. Suspicion falls on many of the characters in this twisty thriller. Even members of a Facebook group take sides. The short chapters make this an easy and enjoyable read but the ending felt rushed.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

A young mother fails to collect her child from nursery and seemingly vanishes into thin air. Did she disappear of her own accord or was someone else involved? This is the premise of this gripping novel in which the well kept secrets of most of the cast of characters are slowly revealed and what secrets they are! The story is exceptionally well characterised and the action is fast paced and gripping, with an ending that becomes predictable, but not until very close to the end of the book. There is much to admire here in the writing style, pacing, characterisation and storyline and the book would be an excellent holiday read.

I always read the authors books quickly, they're fast paced and addictive, which was the case for this one too, but it felt a little stagnant and repetitive, there weren't really any twists or surprises to push the story along and the ending felt very sudden and a little unsatisfactory.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance copy of She Didn't See It Coming in exchange of my opinion.

WOOOOW!! What a wild book! It had been a while since I read a book in just 48hours!

I couldn't stop reading it. It hooked me up from the very first page and the twists kept coming!

I loved everything about the book, I have nothing bad to say about it, only that I didn't want it to end!

I think this is the best book by Shari Lapena and I cannot wait to read more!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

WHAT A THRILLER!!!!… This one caused me sleepless nights because I couldn't put it down!!
I love this book!!!

2.5 stars - not as thrilling as I’d hoped for.

I’ve read many Shari Lapena books and usually she’s very good at hiding a secret. With this book, however I felt that there weren’t really many secrets to reveal and we had a very neat pool of potential suspects to choose from.

What started out as quite pacy, intriguing and full of potential quickly became a bit monotonous and repetitive. Flipping between each characters perspective throughout each chapter you were given an insight into their observations and feelings surrounding the mystery of Bryden’s disappearance. However, if you were to stop yourself and truly consider each suspect and their motive, it was very clear from the beginning who the killer was.

Shari did her best to keep us guessing right to the end. But it resulted in a quick reveal and an ending that felt extremely rushed. There were lots of reasons and motive given in a drawn out epilogue and a suggestion of a potential twist for a further story.

All that aside it was a fun and interesting read and I skipped through it quite quickly. I wouldn’t say it was her best book nor would I say it was one of the best books I’ve read this year but if you’re looking for a entertaining, easy crime fiction read then this is the book for you.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

5 star for She Didn't See It Coming, my first Shari Lapena book. It is a clever and suspenseful domestic thriller that I got through in less than a day. I was immediately hooked by the story and couldn't stop turning the pages to find out what happened next.

The characters in the book are well thought out and interesting to get to know through the story. It was good to read the story for the point of view of each character, but I did feel it flips between them a bit to quickly / to much at times. I found it easy to guess who the murderer was but it didn't make going through the list on suspects any less thrilling. There was lot's of misdirection and red herrings without which I loved. The ending did feel a little rushed and not as exciting as it could be but overall I really enjoyed the book. I'll definitely be reading more from Sheri Lapena.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publishers and Shari Lapena for the ARC of this book.

If you're looking for a holiday read that grabs your attention from the opening pages this would be a great choice.

Arriving home with his young daughter Sam finds his wife Brydens car in its normal parking spot but theres no sign of her in their condo. Working from home that day her laptop, phone and keys are all in place but she seems to have vanished without trace.

A well written, intriguing thriller that casts it net over a small cast of characters, each of them with secrets and each of them with a reason for wanting Bryden out of the way. A well paced, gripping read.

Many thanks to netgalley, the author and the publisher for approving my request to read this book.

She Didn't See It Coming is a good solid domestic thriller in which most of the characters have motive for the disappearance of Bryden.

I liked the characters and storyline as a whole but did feel the plot was a bit slow paced for my personal liking and I was a bit disappointed with the ending as I felt there was more that could have been done with it.

Overall I did enjoy this read and would recommend if you like domestic thrillers.

Shari Lapena. Queen of the quick paced thrillers. This outing is explosively good. When Bryden vanishes one day her family, friends and neighbours are forced to reveal and discover who they really are. Loved the quick pacing, narrative jumps and twists of this one!

I’ve read a lot of Shari Lapena’s novels and this would have to be one of the least liked for me. I found it quite tedious and characters I didn’t care about. The back and forth with the suspects the true crime blog, the final reveal all were anti climaxes. I hope her next book is better.

Shari Lapena never disappoints and this time was better than ever. Bryden and Sam seem to have the perfect life, but things aren’t always as they seem. and when Bryden goes missing, almost every character in the book could have been involved. The story kept me intrigued right from the start as it twisted and turned, almost to the very last page. Thoroughly recommended.

Thank you for my copy of this book to read and review.

This book had my attention from the start.

A gripping storyline. I enjoyed how every character had secrets and came across as suspicious.

Easy to pick up and put down due to the short paragraphs and chapters.

I’ve read a few books by this author now and highly recommend.

Bryden and Sam are the perfect couple and have it all, including a cherished daughter. But appearances are deceptive and everyone is about to question whether this is true.

Sam receives a call at his office saying that Bryden has failed to collect their young daughter from childcare. When they both arrive home, her car is in the carpark but she is not home. All of her belongings are in place, as though she has simply walked out.

This was written in the author's signature style, with lots of secrets and hidden agendas and so many surprises! I did guess part of the reveal but some parts left me shocked. The characters were all so suspicious and you just knew they were hiding things. I love a missing woman story for some reason and this one had me hooked immediately. Another fabulous novel by the author.

A brilliant read that I just. couldn’t put down. There was always something happening, a lot of tension and intrigue and I just had to know what was going to happen next. What looks like a wife and mother with a perfect life goes missing so maybe it wasn’t so perfect after all. This book was so gripping I couldn’t read it fast enough. Read this book as you are in for a treat. I would give more than 5 stars if I could.

Shari Lapena delivers again with She Didn’t See It Coming—a tightly wound, fast-paced thriller that had me hooked from the very first chapter. If you enjoy domestic thrillers with a strong emotional punch and a plot full of twists, this one should absolutely be on your radar.
The setup is every family's worst nightmare: Bryden, a successful woman and devoted mother, suddenly vanishes without a trace. No signs of struggle, no obvious motive, just… gone. Lapena paints the scene with chilling clarity—her phone, laptop, and keys are all exactly where they should be. Everything is in its place, except for Bryden.
What I love about Lapena’s writing is her ability to create this creeping sense of dread while keeping the narrative grounded and believable. The luxury condo setting only adds to the eerie atmosphere—polished, secure, and seemingly impenetrable, yet something sinister lurks behind closed doors.
As detectives unravel the case, secrets begin to surface, and the perfectly curated lives of Bryden and Sam start to crack. Every character is suspicious, every detail seems significant. I found myself second-guessing everyone, flipping back through pages to reread clues. Lapena masterfully keeps you in suspense, drip-feeding information just when you think you’ve got it figured out.
What sets She Didn’t See It Coming apart is that it’s not just about the mystery—it’s also about the emotional fallout. The tension between appearances and truth, the fragility of trust, and how well we really know those closest to us are all explored here. It's both a page-turner and a character study.
The ending? Absolutely satisfying. It left me stunned, unsettled, and, in true Lapena fashion, thinking about it long after I’d finished.
If you love a psychological thriller that balances plot twists with smart emotional insight, this one’s a must-read.

Shari has done it again! This book…wow! A dark and disturbing thriller that had me desperate to read just one more chapter. A cast of shady characters, a gripping story, everything I want from a book! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️