What Never Happened - by Rachel Howzell Hall (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

It's murder in paradise as a woman uncovers a host of secrets off the rocky California coast in a gripping novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall.

Colette "Coco" Weber has relocated to her Catalina Island home, where, twenty years before, she was the sole survivor of a deadly home invasion. All Coco wants is to see her aunt Gwen, get as far away from her ex as possible, and get back to her craft--writing obituaries. Thankfully, her college best friend, Maddy, owns the local paper and has a job sure to keep Coco busy, considering the number of elderly folks who are dying on the island.

But as Coco learns more about these deaths, she quickly realizes that the circumstances surrounding them are remarkably similar...and not natural. Then Coco receives a sinister threat in the mail: her own obituary.

As Coco begins to draw connections between a serial killer's crimes and her own family tragedy, she fears that the secrets on Catalina Island might be too deep to survive. Because whoever is watching her is hell-bent on finally putting her past to rest.

Review Quotes

"Original, compelling, memorable, What Never Happened by novelist Rachel Howzell Hall will have a very special interest for fans of crime fiction in general, and deftly crafted murder mysteries in particular." --Midwest Book Review

"Howzell Hall specializes in complex, realistic characters...What Never Happened gives a unique look at the domestic thriller." --Florida Sun Sentinel

"Rachel Howzell Hall does it again. What Never Happened blends blade-sharp writing and indelible characters with a suspenseful story that pulls you in and won't let go, as a seeming paradise grows dark with storms, suspicion, and murder. I couldn't put it down." --Meg Gardiner, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"What Never Happened opens with a gut punch and doesn't let up from there. Rachel Howzell Hall's twist on the you-can't-go-home-again story is smart, dizzying, and thrilling. She not only handles the mystery elements expertly, but she honors the grief and rage of our past and present." --Paul Tremblay, bestselling author of The Cabin at the End of the World and The Pallbearers Club

"Rachel Howzell Hall has crafted her own genre of slow-boiling, powerfully emotional thrillers. Her realistic characters are ordinary people, haunted by past horrors that won't stay buried, forcing them to face pure evil to find their own redemption." --Lee Goldberg, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"In What Never Happened, Rachel Howzell Hall seamlessly weaves together the past and the present, decorating her breakneck plot with dark secrets and unexpected reveals that glitter like jewels. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough." --Jess Lourey, Amazon Charts bestselling author of The Quarry Girls

"What Never Happened is superb. Beautifully and smartly written, it is an engrossing thriller with an ending that will leave your head spinning. It is deliciously creepy and perfectly crafted. In a word, stunning! Don't miss this one!" --Lisa Regan, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

"Rachel Howzell Hall's What Never Happened is a spine-tingling twist of a roller coaster that keeps you on the edge of your seat to the very last page and will have you saying 'Thanks a lot, Rachel, for my lack of sleep.'" --Yasmin Angoe, award-winning author of the critically acclaimed Nena Knight series, Her Name Is Knight and They Come at Knight