No One Needs to Know: A Novel

by Lindsay Cameron

When an anonymous neighborhood forum gets hacked, the darkest secrets of New York’s wealthiest residents come to light—including some worth killing for—in this gripping suspense novel from the author of Just One Look.

“Big Little Lies meets Gossip Girl in this unputdownable read as smart and witty as it is delectable . . . I raced through it!”—Liv Constantine, author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

A HARPER’S BAZAAR BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

It was all confidential. Right up to the moment when it wasn’t.

UrbanMyth: It was lauded as an alternative to the performative, show-your-best-self platforms—an anonymous discussion board grouped by zip code. The residents of Manhattan’s exclusive Upper East Side disclosed it all, things they would never share with their friends or their spouses: secret bank accounts, steamy affairs, tidbits of juicy gossip. The same people who, as parents, go to astonishing lengths to ensure that their children gain admission to the most prestigious boarding schools and universities. So when a “hacktivist” group breaks into the forum and exposes the real identity of each poster, the repercussions echo down Park Avenue with a force that none could have anticipated.

And someone ends up dead.

Is the murderer Heather, the outsider who would do anything to get her daughter into the elite’s good graces and into their even better schools? Norah, the high-powered executive failing to balance work with the emotional responsibilities of motherhood? Or Poppy, whose perfect-on-the-outside façade conceals more than her share of secrets?

Each of them has something to hide. 

Each of them will do anything to keep secrets hidden.
 
And each of them just might kill to protect their own.

• ISBN10: 0593159101
• ISBN13: 9780593159101
• Publish Date: 9 May 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Random House Inc
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 320
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780593159101

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

No One Needs to Know is a standalone crime thriller by Lindsay Cameron. Released 9th May 2023 by Random House on their Bantamimprint, it's 320 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a moody, atmospheric, and tense thriller with a moderately over-the-top premise, and a collection of scary, mostly awful, rich NYC moms. Users of an anonymous app which is *location based* bare their darkest innermost secrets to others in their vicinity (drugs, infidelity, etc). Of course the app gets hacked and murder and skullduggery ensue as a direct result. The action driven plot is full of acid gossip, cringy behavior, and backstabbing.

The writing is the high point of the read. The author is quite adept at setting and dialogue and a deftness with description which, in less talented hands, would have readers running for the exits. It's mean girls on steroids with some Real Housewives thrown in the mix. 

Four stars. Enjoyable, despite the utterly bonkers premise. The release version of the book will have some reader's guide/discussion info, and as such would make a good book club selection. It would also make a good buddy read. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. 

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

These days, there are dozens of different online forums to let neighborhoods and community communication. UrbanMyth isn't like the others. It's a confident and anonymous forum. Well, it was both of those things – until it got hacked.

Now all the dirty secrets of one neighborhood in New York are out in the open. It's not pretty, and somebody will die because of it.

My Review:

No One Needs to Know is a fast-paced thriller with familiar vibes. By that, I mean it fits in nicely with the thriller genre – but doesn't have a lot to make it stand out. I don't mean that in a terribly negative way. No One Needs to Know is a great beach/stormy night binge.

This book is very much a slow-burn murder saga, and boy, it has a satisfying ending. That said, it took me a bit to get invested in the story. I will blame the prologue on this, as it didn't feel as connected/necessary as the rest of the story.

The one thing I loved about No One Needs to Know is that actions had consequences. That made it so satisfying for me, and I hope other readers feel the same way. Regardless, this is the perfect binge read if you're looking for something quick and satisfying.

Highlights:
Same Vibes as Gossip Girl
Slow Burn Murder Mystery

Thanks to Bantam and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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[chymerra]

When a hacktivist group hacks into the anonymous forum, UrbanMyth, it releases a firestorm of secrets for many people. But, in one affluent Upper East Side private school, it affects everyone. Some people will kill to keep those secrets under wraps, but who will it be? Is it Heather, the mother, who wants her daughter to become one of the elite? Or will it be Norah, the breadwinner in her family but failing to balance work and home life? Or will it be Poppy, the one everyone looks up to but who has the most to hide? Out of those three, who will kill to keep their secrets safe?

It is well known on this site that I have three children, two in high school and one in elementary school. I am well aware of the school’s social structure. I also find it silly that people compete for the title of PTA president. It is a huge popularity contest; honestly, I want nothing to do with it. I prefer to help the teachers out one-on-one (like volunteering in class) than to listen to a bunch of people argue over who will get what position. Anyway, when I saw that this book would be centered around three moms and their exposed secrets, I knew I wanted to read it. And I am glad that I did because this book was good.

No One Needs to Know initially captivated me, and I couldn’t put it down. The main storyline centers around Heather, Norah, and Poppy, with appearances by their husbands and children woven into the storyline. This storyline had so many twists and turns that I wondered when UrbanMyth would implode.

There is a secondary storyline that is intertwined with the main storyline. There are two parts to it. The first part is that Heather’s daughter has her picture taken with a vape at a school dance where no cameras are allowed. She is then painted as a drug dealer, and a few parents are on UrbanMyth spreading the lie. The second part is that Norah’s husband is sleeping with Poppy and blackmailing her. Those two parts are closely intertwined and linked to the main storyline.

As I stated in the previous paragraph, this book is twisty. If you aren’t paying attention, it can be easy to miss something. It didn’t bother me because I took notes (that you Kindle Scribe for that built-in feature), but it might be bothersome for some people.

I loved the characters in No One Needs to Know. I connected with the main ones (and the secondary ones) in a way that surprised even me. Those connections made the book so much better to read.

Heather reminded me of some moms I have encountered during my kids’ years at school. She wanted so badly to be accepted and would do anything to get into the inner circles. In the book, I wanted to shake her and say, “Lady, your kid is miserable.” By the end of the book, though, I was starting not to like her. She had lied to everyone, including her husband, about something significant. I understood why her husband freaked out. But Heather did surprise me. She threatened someone actively trying to get her daughter expelled (oh boy, that was a great scene) and secured her daughter’s future with another person.

Norah was an enigma to me. She wasn’t a huge presence in the book until about halfway through. I felt terrible for her and her poor daughter once I realized what was happening. She was a wreck when she told Norah what she captured on camera and how it tied into Poppy’s storyline. No child should have been put into that situation. I was glad that Norah took immediate action and got a little laugh (which then turned into a no way) when Norah’s mother offered to “help.” When Norah called to report her husband missing, she wasn’t expecting everything to blow up the way it did.

I didn’t like Poppy. She lived in her high tower, doing whatever she wanted without caring about who she hurt. She curried favors with people and treated them like they were dispensable. It didn’t surprise me with what she did to Norah. What did surprise me was that she almost felt guilty about it. I loved seeing her character decline mentally because of what she did. It was a perfect punishment!!

I loved that the author chose brief excerpts from UrbanMyth (before and after) and interactions with the police/faculty members (emails mainly) at the beginning of each chapter. It was like an adult burn book (remember those from high school!!) I almost want something like UrbanMyth to exist, but at the same time, I don’t.

The end of No One Needs to Know shook me up. I did not see anything coming, and it took me by surprise. Because of spoilers, I will not say anything else except that everyone got what they deserved.

I recommend No One Needs to Know to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and nongraphic sexual situations.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam, NetGalley, and Lindsay Cameron for allowing me to read and review No One Needs to Know. All opinions stated in this review are mine.