From the Inside Flap Twenty years ago, eleven-year-olds Charlie Paige and Scott Ashby were murdered in the city of Bristol, their bodies dumped near a dog racing track. A man was convicted of the brutal crime, but decades later questions still linger. For as long as he can remember, filmmaker Cody Swift has been haunted by the deaths of his childhood best friends. The loose ends of the police investigation consume him so much that he decides to return to Bristol in search of answers. Hoping to uncover new evidence, and to encourage those who may be keeping long-buried secrets to speak up, Cody starts a podcast to record his findings. But there are many people who don't want the case--along with old wounds--reopened so many years after the tragedy, especially Charlie's mother, Jess, who decides to take matters into her own hands. When a long-dead body is found in the same location the boys were left decades before, the disturbing discovery launches another murder investigation. Now, Detective John Fletcher, the investigator on the original case, must reopen his dusty files and decide if the two crimes are linked. But the clock is ticking and lives are in jeopardy . . . --Sullivan County Democrat --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. From New York Times bestselling author Gilly Macmillan comes this original, chilling, and twisty mystery about two shocking murder cases twenty years apart and the threads that bind them Twenty years ago, eleven-year-olds Charlie Paige and Scott Ashby were murdered in the city of Bristol, their bodies dumped near a dog racing track. A man was convicted of the brutal crime, but decades later questions still linger. For as long as he can remember, filmmaker Cody Swift has been haunted by the deaths of his childhood best friends. The loose ends of the police investigation consume him so much that he decides to return to Bristol in search of answers. Hoping to uncover new evidence, and to encourage those who may be keeping long-buried secrets to speak up, Cody starts a podcast to record his findings. But there are many people who don’t want the case—along with old wounds—reopened so many years after the tragedy, especially Charlie’s mother, Jess, who decides to take matters into her own hands. When a long-dead body is found in the same location where the boys were left decades before, the disturbing discovery launches another murder investigation. Now, Detective John Fletcher, the investigator on the original case, must reopen his dusty files and decide if the two crimes are linked. But the clock is ticking and lives are at riskxa0.xa0.xa0. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Gilly Macmillan grew up in Swindon, Wiltshire, and studied history of art at Bristol University and then at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She worked at the Burlington Magazine and the Hayward Gallery before starting a family. Gilly lives in Bristol, England with her husband and three children and now writes full time. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. “A brilliantly clever ending caps this riveting thriller. Macmillan remains a writer to watch.” ( Publishers Weekly (starred review)) Praise for Odd Child Out : “With characters who are sympathetic and believable, Macmillan’s latest will keep readers in suspense to the very end. Highly recommended.” ( Library Journal ( starred review))“The story is emotionally compelling and Macmillan nails the complexity of adolescent friendship.” ( Kirkus )“”In this engrossing novel... the action builds to a shattering conclusion.” ( Publishers Weekly )“[A] taut psychological thriller” (Birmingham magazine)“intricately worked out and impossible to put down” (Sullivan County Democrat)“hard to put down the book... The storyline is intriguing, full of twists and turns, and readers will become fully invested in these characters, all of whom are interesting in their own right.” (Bookreporter.com)“Subtle, nuanced writing and a compelling, timely story taut with tension— Odd Child Out is a hugely satisfying and thrilling read. Highly recommended!” (Shari Lapena, New York Times bestselling author of The Couple Next Door )“This is a fascinating book focusing on the aftermath of the Somalian concentration camps and the effect it held on those who were involved… Macmillan changes the course of direction of the story several times, which makes for interesting reading. The characterizations are vivid and come alive on the page.” (RT BOOKReviews)“…a clever, dark, compulsive read… If you liked All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda, you’ll also enjoy this one.” (Birmingham magazine on What She Knew ) --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition. Read more
Features & Highlights
From
New York Times
bestselling author Gilly Macmillan comes this original, chilling and twisty mystery about two shocking murder cases twenty years apart, and the threads that bind them.
Twenty years ago, eleven-year-olds Charlie Paige and Scott Ashby were murdered in the city of Bristol, their bodies dumped near a dog racing track. A man was convicted of the brutal crime, but decades later, questions still linger.
For his whole life, filmmaker Cody Swift has been haunted by the deaths of his childhood best friends. The loose ends of the police investigation consume him so much that he decides to return to Bristol in search of answers. Hoping to uncover new evidence, and to encourage those who may be keeping long-buried secrets to speak up, Cody starts a podcast to record his findings. But there are many people who don’t want the case—along with old wounds—reopened so many years after the tragedy, especially Charlie’s mother, Jess, who decides to take matters into her own hands.
When a long-dead body is found in the same location the boys were left decades before, the disturbing discovery launches another murder investigation. Now Detective John Fletcher, the investigator on the original case, must reopen his dusty files and decide if the two murders are linked. With his career at risk, the clock is ticking and lives are in jeopardy…
Customer Reviews
Rating Breakdown
★★★★★
30%
(288)
★★★★
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★★★
15%
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★★
7%
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★
23%
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Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
2.0
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Skip this one, but read her three other books
I've read all four of Gilly's books. The first three are terrific, and I recommend them. Read them first, because if you start here, you might not read her other books, and that would be a loss because they're pretty good. This one fell short for me. It was overly complex with so many characters it was hard to keep track. The story of the two boys and whether Sidney Noyce killed them would have been compelling on its own, but the narrative was bogged down by too many points of view, back and forth in time, a Podcast, too many characters and poorly developed threads. The parts about the present day murder of Paul Dale were boring. I couldn't care less what happened to him, and I couldn't keep track of the characters surrounding him. At 50% through, I started skipping pages to find out what happened. Finally, but not least, I REALLY could've done without the two page description of the broken legged puppy being strangled. Seriously. Animal cruelty in a book is a deal breaker for me. I hope her next book is better.
23 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Had me guessing until the end!
What really happened to eleven-year-old Scott Ashby and ten-year-old Charlie Page whose bloodied, beaten bodies were found behind a dog racing track in 1996? A young man, Sidney Noyce, had been convicted of the double murder and 20 years later committed suicide.
Cody Swift, best friend with Scott and Charlie and now a filmmaker, has always had doubts about Sidney Noyce’s guilt. In his podcast, IT’S TIME TO TELL, we learn of the short lives of Scott and Charlie and the investigation of their murder. Suffice it to say, things are not always as they seem. Gilly Macmillan tells the story in an interesting way. The podcasts themselves are interspersed among chapters that often contain flashbacks. Despite going back and forth chronologically, the story flows smoothly and is easy to follow.
Every character is fully developed, and the description of life in the Bristol council estate is meticulous. The setting of the crime scene behind the dog track in lower-class Bristol makes the story particularly poignant.
I love a mystery I cannot solve! I KNOW YOU KNOW continually stumped me. The ending is a doozy. This is a terrific book for everyone who likes a well-written, character-driven, old-fashioned mystery story with a modern day twist. Gilly Macmillan has done it again!
10 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Who really killed those boys?
When Detective John Fletcher is called to a scene where some bones are found in a pit, he remembers back to the time when he and his partner, Danny, found two boys in a pit: one dead and one alive. Fletcher held the injured boy as they waiting for an ambulance encouraging him to live but he died a short while later.
A young man named Sidney Noyce, who was mentally challenged, was convicted of the deaths of Scott Ashby, age 11, and Charlie Paige, age 10. Noyce always said he was innocent until the day he killed himself in prison. If he truly was innocent, then who killed these boys?
Now, 20 years later, a podcast is being filmed by Cody Swift who had been best friends with the two boys. They had all grown up in a rundown neighborhood.
Jess is the single mother of Charlie, one of the boys killed. She is not happy that Cody has decided to do this podcast. After her son was murdered, she was charged with negligence. Now, she is married to Nick and mother to Erica and has refused to be interviewed by Cody for his podcast. Many people had disapproved of Jess when she was a single mother because she left Charle with people and went out drinking and partying.
As the podcast is filmed in segments, Cody interviews different people who had been involved. Some of the people include various members of the police, neighbors, and Scott’s parents.
The story switches back and forth in time as bits and pieces come to light including the fight for power in the police department.
I was so looking forward to reading this book because this author is known for her terrific writing. However, I was disappointed. The switching back and forth became almost dizzying and difficult to keep up with. For me, this was a huge distraction to keeping up with the plot. However, I’m sure this is just a one-off for me and I definitely look forward to reading more from this author.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
6 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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A thoroughly enthralling mystery with a compelling storyline (4.5 stars)
I Know You Know by Gilly Macmillan is a thoroughly enthralling mystery with a compelling storyline.
Twenty years earlier, Cody Swift’s friends, ten year old Charlie Paige and eleven year old Scott Ashby, were brutally beaten to death. The case was quickly solved and mentally challenged Sidney Noyce was convicted for their murders. After Sidney commits suicide in prison, a newspaper article by Owen Weston raises questions about Sidney’s guilt and Cody decides to revisit the crime. Through a series of podcasts, he interviews Owen, disgraced ex-Detective Superintendent Howard Smail and Detective Superintendent John Fletcher. Cody also interviews his own mother along with Scott’s mum, but Charlie’s mum, Jessy absolutely refuses to meet with him. Despite threats against him and his girlfriend/producer Maya Summers, Cody continues publishing his podcasts as he tries to learn the truth about who murdered his friends.
Jess is now happily married with a teenage daughter. She has completely reinvented herself and while her husband knows about Charlie, her daughter does not. Desperate to keep her past from colliding with her present, Jess goes against her husband’s wishes and contacts the one man she can count on to help silence Cody. Is Jess just trying to protect the life she has made for herself? Or is there a far more sinister reason behind her refusal to co-operate with Cody’s requests for an interview?
In the present, DS Michael Fletcher is still on the job and he remains partnered with longtime friend Detective Sergeant Danny Freyer. Their current investigation involves the recently recovered body of a man who turns out to have been reported missing twenty years earlier. Fletcher is quick to notice the burial site is eerily close to where Scott and Charlie’s bodies were found. This discovery along with the recent death of the boys’ killer leaves Michael with the very uneasy feeling the cases might be connected.
A series of flashbacks from Michael’s perspective offers startling insight into the investigation into the Charlie and Scott’s murders. Fletcher is a rising star who is quite ambitious. He is not a fan of DS Smail and throughout the investigation, he is on the losing side of his power struggle with his superior. He is determined to not only catch the killer but also make sure he is credited with cracking the case. How far will DS Fletcher go to attain this goal? And what does this mean for the investigation in the present once he realizes the two cases might be connected?
Seamlessly weaving between the past, the present and Cody’s podcasts, I Know You Know is a suspenseful mystery. Cody is a sympathetic character who is determined to uncover the truth about his friends’ killer. Jess is an interesting character who has come a long way from her wild child days but what is her motivation in keeping silent about the past? DS Fletcher’s career stalled after Sidney’s conviction which raises intriguing questions about what happened to derail his meteoric rise through the ranks. Gilly Macmillan brings this clever novel to an absolutely brilliant twist-filled and stunning conclusion. Fans of the genre do not want to miss this outstanding mystery.
I received a complimentary copy for review.
4 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Took me a while to get hooked
But once I did was a great read. I didn't see the ending coming but like that the bad guys got the justice they so deserved and there was redemption for others
3 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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MURDER, SECRETS, & OVERCOMING THE PAST...
Twenty years ago, eleven-year-olds Charlie Paige and Scott Ashby were murdered in the city of Bristol, their bodies dumped near a dog racing track. A man was convicted of the brutal crime, but decades later, questions still linger.
For his whole life, filmmaker Cody Swift has been haunted by the deaths of his childhood best friends. The loose ends of the police investigation consume him so much that he decides to return to Bristol in search of answers. Hoping to uncover new evidence, and to encourage those who may be keeping long-buried secrets to speak up, Cody starts a podcast to record his findings. But there are many people who don’t want the case—along with old wounds—reopened so many years after the tragedy, especially Charlie’s mother, Jess, who decides to take matters into her own hands.
When a long-dead body is found in the same location the boys were left decades before, the disturbing discovery launches another murder investigation. Now Detective John Fletcher, the investigator on the original case, must reopen his dusty files and decide if the two murders are linked. With his career at risk, the clock is ticking and lives are in jeopardy…
My Thoughts: I Know You Know takes the reader back and forth in time, from 1996 to the present. A few characters show up repeatedly in both time periods, namely John Fletcher, the primary detective back then; Jessica Paige, Charlie’s mother; and Cody Swift, a friend to the murdered boys.
Past secrets link several of the characters, and how they have hidden from the past kept me turning the pages as I tried to sort out who did what to whom.
When Cody Swift starts a podcast to record his investigation into the murders, with the hope of overturning the conviction of Sidney Noyce, now deceased, his actions seem to be a good thing. Of course, he relentlessly pursues Jessica, trying to get her comments, and her refusal is reported on his show, too, driving her further into hiding.
We know John Fletcher has made some questionable choices in the original case. Is his effort to find answers now a way to make up for them, or his own brand of a cover-up?
In some ways, I had trouble sorting out the time periods and what happened in each situation, but in the end, I felt a sense of closure. Each of the characters was flawed, but someone would finally come out on top in terms of overcoming the past. 4.5 stars.
3 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Read it if you already like detective procedural fiction
Beneath the plot, the novel is a long journey into one apparent good guy’s deeper character. But in doing this, the author makes use of too many tired tropes of the genre, from the sex worker with a heart of gold to the ugly faces of bad women. The author didn’t do enough to make the conservative genre her own. I am not a fan of detective novels, and I picked this one up only because I liked “The Long Weekend” by the same author.
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Great book to take you away.
Great writer. Wonderful story that keeps you hanging. Who did do it? Love the different characters and their own personal problems.
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Podcast mystery
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and in return I would offer a honest review.
I love the concept of this novel, since it follows several important characters, but also has a fictional crime podcast going on. This made the story feel real and you realize that podcast audiences gain a lot of trust from their listeners.
The plot was interesting, but not that unique and I hated how the author would transition the flashbacks. They always felt very sudden and/or did not flow properly in the novel.
Overall, this was a fun read and I love how a podcast was included throughout the novel. Plus having the murders occur on my birthday, along with a main character that shares my name really had me hooked.
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Two boys are found murdered
This story picks up twenty years later to try to uncover what really happened. Who could have been involved, the one surviving friend, one of the kids mother's who was a child when she had him, a mentally challenged man or a corrupt police investigation? Only time will tell if the truth will come out.