Review: 'You'll be Sorry' by Lisa Gardner

Hitting the bookshelves today from Grand Central Publishing is the thriller You'll Be Sorry, written by the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner. Fun fact: Gardner kicked off her career in the food service industry, but after singeing her hair a few too many times, she wisely pivoted to writing. Now a self-proclaimed research junkie, she has channeled her fascination with police procedures and the criminal psyche into a string of internationally acclaimed novels that have captivated readers in over 30 countries. Her novel The Neighbor even won the Best Hardcover Novel award from the International Thriller Writers.

You'll Be Sorry is set in the eerie charms of Shereford, New Hampshire, and follows Raquel and Theo Collins. Here we have Raquel, a renowned interior designer, and Theo, a brash financial hotshot, whose romance took a tragic turn. To escape their grief, they retreat to a remote town, hoping for a fresh start among the ghosts of the past.

Their new home? The Dixons’ family lodge, once the crown jewel of the mountains, now a shadow of its former self. Three decades ago, on a fateful August night, the entire Dixon family—two parents and their four kids—vanished, leaving only a trail of bloody footprints and a mystery shrouded in whispers and speculation. As the Collinses settle into their new digs, the long-forgotten echoes of the past resurface, mingling with the new inhabitants of the creaking old lodge.

For Amanda Grady, Shereford’s newly minted police chief and daughter of the officer who helmed the Dixon case, it's a bittersweet experience. Reviving the long-abandoned lodge might signal hope for the town, but not everyone is thrilled about the Collinses moving in. As she grapples with her father’s legacy, it becomes clear that some secrets refuse to stay buried.

Trouble brews when a stray dog, likely as troubled as our protagonists, leads to the chilling discovery of a skeleton on the property. Suddenly, Raquel and Theo face a harrowing dilemma: what to trust, who to believe, and how to survive in a town where the past lurks just beyond the curtain of civility. As the community unites to unravel the threads of a terrifying night from thirty years ago, it becomes a race against time, and perhaps against something far darker.

Now, what's that adage? "Never judge a book by its cover." Judging by the title, you'd think You'll Be Sorry is just another story of an old kidnapping or murder coming back to haunt the present, an all-too-familiar trope in today’s crime-thriller landscape. And I’ll admit, I wasn’t completely off the mark; this tale does involve an entire family going missing in 1998, with only a blood-splattered canine as the witness. The storyline unfolds in the contemporary, spotlighting Police Chief Amanda Grady, who steps into her father’s shoes; a weary cliché that modern thriller authors seem to recycle more than a college student’s ramen noodle dinner.

Yet, what sets this story apart is how Gardner weaves in unsettling witchcraft and cultish elements. The community of Shereford, New Hampshire holds grim secrets that bubble to the surface as the mystery of the Dixon family unfolds.

Gardner’s writing is engaging; her prose is rich and evocative, with descriptions and dialogue that draw you in like an old friend sharing a haunting tale by a crackling fire. I've got to say, while I’m not always a fan of multiple points of view (a pet peeve of mine), here it adds intriguing layers to the story, even if it does tamper with the pacing. There are genuinely creepy moments and enough twists to keep you flipping pages late into the night, often with the feeling that you’re not alone in your reading corner.

Overall, I unexpectedly found myself enjoying You'll Be Sorry more than I anticipated. It’s chilling, creepy, and thrilling; a potent concoction that keeps you guessing and perhaps looking over your shoulder just a tad more often. ╌★★★★✰

Please consider supporting future reviews on this blog by purchasing You'll Be Sorry in hardcover ^[*] or a Kindle eBook ^[*].

〜B.J. Burgess

Disclosure: I received a free review copy from the publisher. This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. [*]