Anyone But Her - by Cynthia Swanson (Paperback)

About the Book

Anyone But Her is a dual timeline psychological suspense novel that focuses reckoning with the ghosts-and repercussions-of the past.

Book Synopsis

2025 Colorado Book Awards Finalist (Thriller) 2025 Best of Denver, Best Nationally Published Novel - Westword 2024 Best Mystery/Thriller - Indie Author Project Colorado Public Radio 2024 Books We Love

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Bookseller and The Glass Forest comes a new novel of psychological suspense!

KNOWLEDGE HAS A PRICE...

It's 1979, and 14-year-old Suzanne, who should be enjoying her first year at Denver East High, is instead reckoning with the aftermath of her mother Alex's shooting death during a robbery at Alex's store, Zoe's Records. A clairvoyant since childhood, Suzanne is unsurprised when Alex's ghost appears. But when Alex raises alarm bells about Suzanne's father's new girlfriend, what Suzanne can't foresee is the lifelong repercussions as she heeds Alex's warning.

In 2004, Suzanne returns to Denver with her husband and their children, a defiant teenage daughter and a 9-year-old son with unspecified cognitive disabilities. When the opportunity arises to turn the old Zoe's Records space into a gallery, Suzanne jumps at the chance. While ecstatic to honor Alex's legacy, Suzanne nonetheless can't shake the sensation that she's being watched-while at the same time tackling a clandestine investigation of her own, searching for genetic clues into her family's hidden past that might lead to a diagnosis for her son.

What if she knows too little? What if she discovers too much?

Review Quotes

"An immensely satisfying mystery spanning two timelines. Suzanne, as both a teen in the late 1970s and a mother in 2004, won't stop until she uncovers the many hidden truths about her family. This is an excellent choice for book clubs, and for anyone who has ever been haunted by family secrets." - Tiffany Quay Tyson, award-winning author of The Past is Never and Three Rivers

"This page-turning novel doles out just enough clues and red herrings to keep you guessing." - Bess Maher, The Bookies bookstore, for The Colorado Sun

"Suzanne's story, both past and present, is an unflinching portrayal of a family gone haywire, when, in the face of tragedy, communication lacks and secrecy builds." - BookLife

"Masterfully crafted, distinctly Denver, and a must-read for anyone who loves a gripping, edge-of-your-seat mystery." - Denver Life

"This richly detailed story comes together with the skillful weaving of many threads...the reader is in safe hands with Swanson, who answers every question raised and defies expectations while doing so." - Rocky Mountain Reader

"Cynthia Swanson excels in creating evocative, compelling scenarios...highly recommended for novel readers seeking disparate characters and twists and turns that are not easily predictable." - Midwest Book Review

"Drop the needle on Anyone But Her and you won't want to stop until the last fade-out. Like any great album - and I'm talking vinyl - there are two great sides to this smoothly-written story, and they come together, past and present, to tell a gripping tale. Cynthia Swanson's latest is top of the charts." - Mark Stevens, author of The Fireballer and The Allison Coil Mystery Series

"Anyone But Her crackles with suspense and shines a light on how far we will go to protect the people we love. This is a brilliant, beautifully crafted novel that will give readers complex characters to root for and book clubs plenty to discuss." - Nancy Johnson, author of The Kindest Lie

"Swanson's latest is a moving and brilliantly crafted mother-daughter mystery about love, loyalty, and making peace with the past. A beautiful, unforgettable novel." - Amy Mason Doan, bestselling author of Lady Sunshine

"Skilled storytelling coupled with vibrant characters enchant and entertain in this dual-time narrative that follows a determined daughter and a loving mother as they seek truth and understanding in the aftermath of tragedy." - Eldonna Edwards, bestselling author of This I Know and Clover Blue