What They Don't Know - by Susan Furlong (Paperback)

About the Book

"Mona Ellison's life is as perfect as the porcelain dolls lined up on her shelves. She has a successful husband, a loving son, a beautiful home, and a supportive group of girlfriends ever ready for their weekly wine night. But when Mona's son gets entangled with the wrong crowd and runs away from home, her blissful suburban world begins to unravel. She tells her friends that boys will be boys, that he'll be back as soon as his money runs dry . . . but deep down she knows there's something else going on. Then the police show up at Mona's door. A young girl has turned up dead in their quiet town, and her missing son is the prime suspect. Determined to reunite with her son and prove his innocence, Mona follows an increasingly cryptic trail of clues on social media, uncovering a sinister side of suburbia and unveiling lies and betrayal from those she trusted most. And as Mona spirals further from her once cozy reality, a devastating revelation shatters everything she thought she knew. Now the only thing she's sure of is that she can't trust anyone... not even herself."--Back cover.

Book Synopsis

A picture-perfect suburban life fractures . . . and a darker reality bubbles beneath the surface.

Mona Ellison's life is as perfect as the porcelain dolls lined up on her shelves. She has a successful husband, a loving son, a beautiful home, and a supportive group of girlfriends ever ready for their weekly wine night.

But when Mona's son gets entangled with the wrong crowd and runs away from home, her blissful suburban world begins to unravel. She tells her friends that boys will be boys, that he'll be back as soon as his money runs dry . . . but deep down she knows there's something else going on.

Then the police show up at Mona's door. A young girl has turned up dead in their quiet town, and her missing son is the prime suspect.

Determined to reunite with her son and prove his innocence, Mona follows an increasingly cryptic trail of clues on social media, uncovering a sinister side of suburbia and unveiling lies and betrayal from those she trusted most. And as Mona spirals further from her once cozy reality, a devastating revelation shatters everything she thought she knew. Now the only thing she's sure of is that she can't trust anyone . . . not even herself.

With unrelenting psychological suspense and a wicked twist, What They Don't Know marries small-town thriller and domestic mystery--suburban paranoia at its best.

Review Quotes

Be prepared for a twisty ride. And pay attention because the reality seems to change from chapter to chapter. Don't miss this highly entertaining read.

--BookReporter

When a young girl turns up dead in the suburbs, Mona Ellison's teenage son is the prime suspect... and now he's missing. Susan Furlong's What They Don't Know is a twisty and compelling domestic suspense starring a mother who'll stop at nothing to find her son and clear his name. Compulsively readable and immensely entertaining, Furlong's new book is not to be missed. If you think you're safe in the suburbs, think again.--Jennifer Hillier, award-winning author of Jar of Hearts and the national bestseller Little Secrets

"Part domestic thriller, part small-town mystery, WHAT THEY DON'T KNOW is everything suspense fans want: characters who'll make you think twice, a subversive plot, and pages that seemingly turn themselves the deeper you get into the story. In this portrait of suburban life tinged with malice and intrigue, paranoia lurks just around the corner. Read it at night. Don't plan on sleep."--Tosca Lee, NYT bestselling author of The Line Between

Furlong's domestic thriller will keep readers off balance, mirroring Mona's psychological state. An engrossing and delightfully creepy read.--Library Journal

About the Author

Susan Furlong is the author of several mysteries including the acclaimed Bone Gap Travellers series, and SHATTERED JUSTICE, a New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year. She also contributes, under a penname, to the New York Times bestselling Novel Idea series. Her eleventh novel, What They Don't Know, was released in May 2022. She resides in Illinois with her husband and children.