Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! We will go back to all of the date night vibes tomorrow because I just have to talk about the book I finished. Today, we will be discussing a fantastic thriller by Meagan Jennett called You Know Her – without giving any spoilers away, of course. Before we begin, I am placing a MASSIVE TRIGGER WARNING on this book for extremely disturbing content, assault in all forms, murder, and gruesome violence. If this isn’t for you, please skip this post! Now, let’s get to it:

Sophie works as a bartender in a small town where everyone knows everyone. Despite this, she has no positive relationships in her life – especially with men. After years and years of working in the restaurant industry and tending bar, Sophie is fed up. “You would be prettier if you smiled”. “You’re cutting me off? You’re a bitch.” and so on and so forth. Normally, Sophie can grin and bear it. Everything changes on New Year’s Eve, however.

After a shift that has dragged with no end in sight, the only thing that Sophie is looking forward to is a glass of wine. A nice glass of wine from a two hundred dollar bottle that she sold to a newly engaged couple. As she closes down the bar, a “friend of the owner” named Mark comes stumbling in drunk as can be. He has been hassling Sophie all night, went to another bar, and wants one more drink.

Against her better judgement, Sophie pours a drink and agrees to give him a ride home. She leaves Mark to polishing glasses while she has a cigarette and returns to find him with her bottle of wine in hand and the remnants dribbling down his chin. Sophie has had enough. And, when Mark gets way too friendly in the car with her, she snaps. Mark is every man who has ever cat called her, groped her, and told her to smile – and she kills him.

Nora is soon to be detective and is shadowing Detective Murph until the switch happens. When Mark’s body is found, there is no usable evidence, no good leads, and the case grows cold. As the police force grasps at straws, Sophie is hard at work. After taking Mark’s life, she realizes that she quite enjoys murder and is good at it. Now, it’s time to make men pay. It could be anyone, it could be everyone. All Sophie knows is that she knows her perfect victim when she sees him.

As Sophie’s body count rises, she develops a friendship with Nora. Not out of the goodness of her heart, though. Rather, to get close to the case and keep the police blindsided to the idea that it could be a woman killing all of these men. Nora senses something off about Sophie, but tells herself that she’s just an intense person. She’s also new in this town and not in a position to say no to a friend.

Bodies are turning up constantly at this point and the police are none the wiser to Sophie’s killing spree. All the while, Nora’s instincts that the killer could be a woman is laughed off in the boy’s club of the police. It is up to her to go with her gut and solve the case herself. Can she crack it before it’s too late? Or will Sophie simply vanish into the wind? Read You Know Her to find out!

You Know Her was one of my favorite books that I have read in a long while and was such an interesting take on serial killers. This is the first time that I have ever read anything from the perspective of a woman killer. I completely disagree with everything Sophie stands for. Having said that, a resounding theme in the book is that “you know her”. Not a killer, but a woman who has been assaulted at the hands of a man. This is the driving force underneath the story itself and it’s one hundred percent true.

This book flip flopped between Sophie and Nora, which is something that I always like. I also really enjoyed Meagan Jennett’s writing style. She had a remarkable way with words and a picture was painted with every sentence. At some points, it almost felt like reading poetry and was such a juxtaposition to the horror of the plot. So many parts of this book stood out to me and I have never read anything like it before.

You Know Her featured a unique plot as well as a great supporting cast. Nora’s sensitivity and thoughtfulness paired with Murph’s old man hilarity were like a salve to Sophie’s darkness. Despite all of Sophie’s flaws, Jennett still managed to invoke a feeling of sympathy for her. Moments where she spoke of her grandma were tender and full of love. This begs the question of the person she could have been rather than the killer who will forever be infamous in her small town.

I am going to award You Know Her with the coveted ten out of ten stars. This was Meagan Jennett’s first novel and she knocked it out of the park. I am very much looking forward to reading whatever she writes next!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah