About the Book
"An annual backpacking trip has deadly consequences in a chilling new novel from the bestselling author of The Lost Night and The Herd. Emily is having the time of her life--she's in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of their trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she'd been flirting with attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense. Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year's trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can't believe it's happened again--can lightning really strike twice? Back home in Wisconsin, Emily struggles to bury her trauma, diving head-first into a new relationship and throwing herself into work. But when Kristen shows up for a surprise visit, Emily is forced to to confront their violent past. The more Kristen tries to keep Emily close, the more Emily questions her friend's motives. As Emily feels the walls closing in on their coverups, she must reckon with the truth about her closest friend. Can she outrun the secrets she shares with Kristen, or will they destroy her relationship, her freedom--even her life?"--
Book Synopsis
A backpacking trip has deadly consequences in this "sharp, unsettling thriller about power, obsession, and the inescapable grip of the past" (Megan Miranda) from the bestselling author of The Lost Night and The Herd.
"A nail-biting, immersive whirl of a read brimming with mysterious twists, turns, and a frenemyship of the most chilling proportions."--Zakiya Dalila Harris, author of The Other Black Girl Emily is having the time of her life--she's in the mountains of Chile with her best friend, Kristen, on their annual reunion trip, and the women are feeling closer than ever. But on the last night of the trip, Emily enters their hotel suite to find blood and broken glass on the floor. Kristen says the cute backpacker she brought back to their room attacked her, and she had no choice but to kill him in self-defense. Even more shocking: The scene is horrifyingly similar to last year's trip, when another backpacker wound up dead. Emily can't believe it's happened again--can lightning really strike twice?
Back home in Wisconsin, Emily struggles to bury her trauma, diving headfirst into a new relationship and throwing herself into work. But when Kristen shows up for a surprise visit, Emily is forced to confront their violent past. The more Kristen tries to keep Emily close, the more Emily questions her motives. As Emily feels the walls closing in on their cover-ups, she must reckon with the truth about her closest friend. Can Emily outrun the secrets she shares with Kristen, or will they destroy her relationship, her freedom--even her life?
Review Quotes
"Bartz's evocative descriptions of destinations as varied as Chile and Cambodia pulled me in immediately, but it was the way she ratcheted up the tension by dropping clues about the duo's murky past that kept me rapt until the end."
--Travel + Leisure "Incredibly tense and atmospheric,
We Were Never Here explores the nuances of memory, the secrets that bind a friendship--and those that threaten to tear them apart. Andrea Bartz delivers a sharp, unsettling thriller about power, obsession, and the inescapable grip of the past."
--Megan Miranda, New York Times bestselling author of All the Missing Girls and The Last House Guest "A nail-biting, immersive whirl of a read . . . Brimming with mysterious twists, turns, and a frenemyship of the most chilling proportions,
We Were Never Here is every woman's worst nightmare--and every thriller-lover's dream."
--Zakiya Dalila Harris, author of The Other Black Girl "Andrea Bartz takes a friendship with boundary issues and adds an extra-special ingredient--the permanent, secret alliance of two people who have gotten away with murder. . . . An observant, suspenseful, and deeply scary novel."
--Steph Cha, author of Your House Will Pay "Pulse-pounding with secrets, lies, and friends who trust too much."
--CrimeReads
"This smartly written psychological thriller will leave you all tingly."
--Reader's Digest "Bartz does a good job dramatizing the increasingly creepy relationship between the two women as the twisty plot builds. . . . Suspense fans will look forward to seeing more from this talented author."
--Publishers Weekly "A slow-burn thriller that gradually suffocates both the protagonist and the reader--in a good way . . . Bartz's writing will keep readers on their toes."
--Kirkus Reviews "A terrific novel, blending the Hitchcockian elements with a touch of Patricia Highsmith."
--Booklist
(starred review) About the Author
Andrea Bartz is a Brooklyn-based journalist and author of
The Lost Night and
The Herd. Her work has appeared in
The Wall Street Journal, Marie Claire, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Martha Stewart Living, Redbook, Elle, and many other outlets, and she's held editorial positions at
Glamour, Psychology Today, and
Self, among other publications.