AUGUST 2022 - AudioFile
Ines del Castillo and Yareli Arizmendi make an excellent team for this unique drama about two women whose worlds collide through a complicated murder. Dolores Rivera lives a double life as the wife of two men—until they find out about each other. Cassie Bowman is an author in search of an excellent story, and she finds it when one of Dolores’s husbands murders the other. The powerful duo of narrators maximizes the emotional entanglements throughout this story. Castillo and Arizmendi trade the two story strands between them, from Dolores to Cassie and back. Listeners are treated to a fast-paced, well-told mystery. The narrators become these two very different women—who unite in a most unexpected way. M.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
04/25/2022
In Gutierrez’s engrossing debut, Cassie Bowman, a true crime aficionado living in Austin, comes across a decades-old story about an international banker, Dolores “Lore” Rivera, who was married to two husbands, Fabian Rivera and Andres Russo, the former in Texas and the latter in Mexico. In 1985, Andres was found dead and Fabian was arrested for the murder. Cassie becomes obsessed with the case and shows up on Lore’s doorstep unannounced, wanting to turn her story into a book. After some hesitation, Lore agrees and, in extensive flashbacks, her story emerges. In the present, Cassie’s investigation agitates members of both of Lore’s families, who want the past to stay buried. Cassie, as well, has her own secrets to hide and relives her tragic past as she comes closer to uncovering the truth behind the murder. Gutierrez successfully taps into the current fascination with true crime and considers its potential pitfalls, as Cassie becomes willing to risk everything to get at the truth. While the crime itself isn’t so fascinating in the end, the author has a sure hand in creating atmosphere, such as a passage involving the Mexico City earthquake of 1985, when the love between Lore and Andres comes to fruition. There’s no shortage of books that travel similar terrain, and while this doesn’t stand out from the pack, it’ll do the trick for fans of the genre. (June)
From the Publisher
More Than You’ll Ever Know encompasses more than 30 years and delves into a love affair that destroyed a woman’s life and helped her to reclaim the sense of self she lost to the ‘cruel banality of motherhood.’ . . . Each woman’s desire to be known and understood is undeniably powerful. And, really, isn’t that one of fiction’s most critical functions—not to make us agree, but to strengthen our empathy muscles? . . . Perhaps that’s another tract of fertile ground for this novel’s discussion. Where, exactly, is the line between the forgivable and the unforgivable?” — New York Times Book Review
"As a true crime reporter, Cassie Bowman finds the truth behind the stories that grip people most. She comes across an article about Lore Rivera, a woman who carried out a double life with a family in Mexico and one in the U.S., and thinks she’s found the ultimate career-defining moment. More Than You’ll Ever Know is an intertwining story about ambition, motherhood and more." — Today.com, Best Books of Summer 2022
"Gutierrez’s debut takes place in two timelines and two worlds. The reader is transported between Mexico City and Texas as we follow an up-and-coming true-crime journalist and the woman she’s interviewing, who was married to two men in two countries … until one husband found out and killed the other. Or did he? This is an unapologetic, unflinching examination of love, sacrifice and desire." — Grace D. Li, Washington Post
"In this enthralling and beautifully written debut novel, true-crime journalist Cassie Bowman believes she’s stumbled on a career-making story when she hears about bigamist Lore Rivera, whose first husband is in prison for killing the second one." — Boston Globe, Summer Reading 2022
"It's difficult to believe that this masterful novel is a first book. Katie Gutierrez handles its dangerous turns like a Formula One driver. That elegance, darkness, even fear are deftly intertwined in the story make it a wonderful read. More books, please." — Luis Alberto Urrea, Pulitzer Prize finalist and bestselling author of The House of Broken Angels
"A fantastic debut . . . This is a sweeping novel, unflinching and evocative in its engrossing study of love, motherhood, sex, Mexico, journalism and more." — Washington Post, Best Thriller Books
"I was enthralled with More Than You’ll Ever Know from the very first pages of Gutierrez’s rich and assured writing. A gripping and thoughtful exploration of motherhood and marriage, the complexity of female desire, and the consequence of our obsession with true crime, it’s one of the best suspenseful dramas I’ve read in years. An exceptional, stunning debut—I absolutely loved it." — Ashley Audrain, New York Times bestselling author of The Push
"A tale of two women, two timelines, two sides of a border and two husbands, More Than You’ll Ever Know is both compelling and resonant—a novel which grips you like a thriller as you are reading it, with characters and themes which linger in the mind like the best literary fiction. This is an unforgettable story, told brilliantly—one of those novels where from the first page you know you are in the hands of a writer of verve, confidence and conviction." — Ellery Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author of The Club
"What happens when a mother wants more? A seductive, urgent tale about desire, family, the pursuit of truth, and the art of storytelling, More Than You’ll Ever Know will astonish readers with its vastness, romance, tragedy, and abundant heart. I became obsessed with Katie Gutierrez’s restless, secret-keeping heroines and didn’t want this book to ever end." — Jessamine Chan, New York Times bestselling author of The School for Good Mothers
"A tale of two families, a double life and an ultimate act of passion that will have you on the edge of your seat. There are thrillers that tease, but More Than You'll Ever Know will haunt your dreams." — Adriana Trigiani, New York Times bestselling author of The Good Left Undone
“With beautifully written prose and razor-sharp insight, Katie Gutierrez draws us into More Than You'll Ever Know's gripping and complex world. Even as the dual storylines left me breathless, I found myself more captivated by Gutierrez's intimate and compassionate portrayal of these women, their men, and the many secrets they kept. Passionate, supremely intelligent, and thrilling.” — Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee
"A sprawling, stunning, twisting triumph. By turns heart-pounding and heart-wrenching, this is a story of marriage and murder, of the secrets we endure and the lies we tell ourselves to keep them. So achingly clever and stylish, More Than You’ll Ever Know is a special novel from a very special writer." — Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End
“With thrilling, atmospheric prose set against an intricate plot, Katie Gutierrez’s debut More Than You'll Ever Know is both a suspenseful mystery, a family drama, and an astute examination of motherhood, love, and secrets. I read this morally complex novel ravenously, desperate to discover the fates of the two women at its center. You won’t be able to put this book down.” — Lara Prescott, New York Times bestselling author of The Secrets We Kept
"A stunning portrait of female reckoning—Katie Gutierrez creates layered and vivid characters, forced to confront the complexities of their own desires. An immaculate novel that explores marriage and choice, partnership and autonomy, More Than You'll Ever Know is a wonder to behold." — Danya Kukafka, bestselling author of Notes on an Execution
"As addictive as a real-life who-dunnit, with thoughtful attention to the ethical implications of the true crime genre, More Than You'll Ever Know explores how we entangle ourselves one choice at a time, and what it costs to unravel the damage. Crystalline and multi-faceted, this is a page-turner brimming with empathy, a window into 1980's Mexico City and Laredo, and the ways community both buoys and pulls us under. Katie Gutierrez is a force, and she writes fabulously complicated, fully-realized characters who will linger with you long after the final page." — Julia Fine, author of The Upstairs House and What Should Be Wild
"Enthralling, breathtaking, and propulsive, More Than You'll Ever Know is the kind of book that only comes around once every decade. With hypnotic, shimmering prose set against a masterful plot, Katie Gutierrez has crafted an explosive modern classic—a groundbreaking, razor-sharp exploration of what it means to be a woman in all its complexity, as well as a deep dive into the morally gray areas of the double lives we all lead. Equal parts literary tour de force and domestic suspense, with a sweeping, sprawling narrative, More Than You'll Ever Know is poised to become the buzziest book of the year." — May Cobb, author of The Hunting Wives
"This dual-POV slow burn thriller is a must-read for true crime lovers. In this layered mystery, Cassie Bowman — a true crime blogger — stumbles upon an article about a woman named Lore who was secretly married to two men. When one husband finds out, they're arrested for the murder of the other. But something doesn't add up. Cassie cannot fathom why a mother would risk everything to live two different lives, so she finds Lore in order to get to the center of the story. We're then given the story from Lore's perspective in 1985, and when Cassie begins asking the hard questions, it unearths flaws surrounding the murder — flaws that point to the real story." — Buzzfeed, Best Books of June 2022
"Gutierrez handles her debut novel’s multiple timelines, Texas and Mexico settings, and alternating viewpoints with aplomb, and crafts an enthralling story that not only explores the human fascination with true crime but also deftly plumbs the depths of marriage and motherhood. Mystery fans beguiled by Donna Tartt’s The Goldfinch and women’s fiction readers who adored Taylor Jenkins Reid’s The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will equally fall under the spell of this totally transporting tale." — Library Journal (starred review)
"Satisfying . . . [Gutierrez] provides us with two fully rounded, vulnerable, and fascinating characters in Cassie and Lore. By telling Lore’s story through flashbacks beautifully situated in Mexico and Texas, she provides us, and Cassie, with a deep understanding of just how one woman can get trapped into living a double life full of lies. Love, she argues, is messy, fleeting, and out of our control—but it’s all the more beautiful for that. Gutierrez imagines true crime’s often one-dimensional female characters with sophistication and grace." — Kirkus (starred review)
"Katie Gutierrez’s debut novel burrows straight to the heart of our cultural true crime fixation through an intense emotional dance between two seemingly different women. . . . More Than You’ll Ever Know has all the ingredients necessary for a good thriller. But beyond the novel’s well-executed, suspenseful structure, Gutierrez also clearly understands her characters, where they’ve come from and what they want and need. . . . Gutierrez has crafted detailed, vulnerable portraits of women searching for clues to their own survival. In the process, she unearths some truly compelling insights about our cultural obsession with true crime." — Bookpage
"A masterful work of suspense." — Popsugar
"In her first book, Gutierrez has written a compelling, character-driven crime story that holds the reader’s interest to its very end, which, yes, is slightly ambiguous, but then, as Lore believes, truth is a malleable thing." — Booklist
“I love this book more than Dolores “Lore” Rivera loves both her families and now you have to read this book to understand what I mean.” — CrimeReads
"Gutierrez’s debut taps into society’s preoccupation with true crime. . . . More Than You’ll Ever Know is atmospheric and tantalizing, made even more impactful by rich character development." — Scribd, June’s Best New Books
"A gripping family drama, this book will make you question the role of marriage, family, and love." — Zibby Owens, GMA.com
"In this exquisitely written, seductive novel, true crime journalist Cass Bowman is obsessed with the weird, the obsessive, the “chiaroscuro of the macabre and the mundane” of the genre. While researching a story, Cass discovers Delores “Lore” Rivera, from Laredo, Texas, a “rare female bigamist,” whose two lives collided 20 years before when one husband shot the other in a motel room, the bullet “like a golden teardrop.” Cass needs to know more. You will too." — Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Lara Prescott
With thrilling, atmospheric prose set against an intricate plot, Katie Gutierrez’s debut More Than You'll Ever Know is both a suspenseful mystery, a family drama, and an astute examination of motherhood, love, and secrets. I read this morally complex novel ravenously, desperate to discover the fates of the two women at its center. You won’t be able to put this book down.
Jean Kwok
With beautifully written prose and razor-sharp insight, Katie Gutierrez draws us into More Than You'll Ever Know's gripping and complex world. Even as the dual storylines left me breathless, I found myself more captivated by Gutierrez's intimate and compassionate portrayal of these women, their men, and the many secrets they kept. Passionate, supremely intelligent, and thrilling.”
Ellery Lloyd
"A tale of two women, two timelines, two sides of a border and two husbands, More Than You’ll Ever Know is both compelling and resonant—a novel which grips you like a thriller as you are reading it, with characters and themes which linger in the mind like the best literary fiction. This is an unforgettable story, told brilliantly—one of those novels where from the first page you know you are in the hands of a writer of verve, confidence and conviction."
May Cobb
"Enthralling, breathtaking, and propulsive, More Than You'll Ever Know is the kind of book that only comes around once every decade. With hypnotic, shimmering prose set against a masterful plot, Katie Gutierrez has crafted an explosive modern classic—a groundbreaking, razor-sharp exploration of what it means to be a woman in all its complexity, as well as a deep dive into the morally gray areas of the double lives we all lead. Equal parts literary tour de force and domestic suspense, with a sweeping, sprawling narrative, More Than You'll Ever Know is poised to become the buzziest book of the year."
Ashley Audrain
"I was enthralled with More Than You’ll Ever Know from the very first pages of Gutierrez’s rich and assured writing. A gripping and thoughtful exploration of motherhood and marriage, the complexity of female desire, and the consequence of our obsession with true crime, it’s one of the best suspenseful dramas I’ve read in years. An exceptional, stunning debut—I absolutely loved it."
Julia Fine
"As addictive as a real-life who-dunnit, with thoughtful attention to the ethical implications of the true crime genre, More Than You'll Ever Know explores how we entangle ourselves one choice at a time, and what it costs to unravel the damage. Crystalline and multi-faceted, this is a page-turner brimming with empathy, a window into 1980's Mexico City and Laredo, and the ways community both buoys and pulls us under. Katie Gutierrez is a force, and she writes fabulously complicated, fully-realized characters who will linger with you long after the final page."
Jessamine Chan
"What happens when a mother wants more? A seductive, urgent tale about desire, family, the pursuit of truth, and the art of storytelling, More Than You’ll Ever Know will astonish readers with its vastness, romance, tragedy, and abundant heart. I became obsessed with Katie Gutierrez’s restless, secret-keeping heroines and didn’t want this book to ever end."
Chris Whitaker
"A sprawling, stunning, twisting triumph. By turns heart-pounding and heart-wrenching, this is a story of marriage and murder, of the secrets we endure and the lies we tell ourselves to keep them. So achingly clever and stylish, More Than You’ll Ever Know is a special novel from a very special writer."
Luis Alberto Urrea
"It's difficult to believe that this masterful novel is a first book. Katie Gutierrez handles its dangerous turns like a Formula One driver. That elegance, darkness, even fear are deftly intertwined in the story make it a wonderful read. More books, please."
Popsugar
"A masterful work of suspense."
CrimeReads
I love this book more than Dolores “Lore” Rivera loves both her families and now you have to read this book to understand what I mean.
Booklist
"In her first book, Gutierrez has written a compelling, character-driven crime story that holds the reader’s interest to its very end, which, yes, is slightly ambiguous, but then, as Lore believes, truth is a malleable thing."
Booklist
"In her first book, Gutierrez has written a compelling, character-driven crime story that holds the reader’s interest to its very end, which, yes, is slightly ambiguous, but then, as Lore believes, truth is a malleable thing."
Library Journal
★ 06/01/2022
DEBUT Cassie Bowman's long-held dream (to publish a true-crime book) is suddenly within her grasp. All she has to do is coax the narrative out of Lore Rivera, who was married to two men at the same time until her first husband murdered her second husband more than 30 years ago. As Cassie and Lore begin meeting and talking, Cassie starts to realize that the book she thinks she's writing may not have the ending she expects. Gutierrez handles her debut novel's multiple timelines, Texas and Mexico settings, and alternating viewpoints with aplomb, and crafts an enthralling story that not only explores the human fascination with true crime but also deftly plumbs the depths of marriage and motherhood. VERDICT Mystery fans beguiled by Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch and women's fiction readers who adored Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo will equally fall under the spell of this totally transporting tale.—John Charles
AUGUST 2022 - AudioFile
Ines del Castillo and Yareli Arizmendi make an excellent team for this unique drama about two women whose worlds collide through a complicated murder. Dolores Rivera lives a double life as the wife of two men—until they find out about each other. Cassie Bowman is an author in search of an excellent story, and she finds it when one of Dolores’s husbands murders the other. The powerful duo of narrators maximizes the emotional entanglements throughout this story. Castillo and Arizmendi trade the two story strands between them, from Dolores to Cassie and back. Listeners are treated to a fast-paced, well-told mystery. The narrators become these two very different women—who unite in a most unexpected way. M.R. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2022-03-16
True-crime blogger Cassie convinces a woman whose lies led to the death of a man she loved to share her story for publication.
Growing up in Enid, Oklahoma, Cassie’s childhood is colored by an act of violence and her resulting fear of her alcoholic father. She carries such a sense of shame about her past that she has never revealed the truth to her fiance. He doesn’t even know that she has a younger brother, raised by her father after her mother died 12 years ago. He also doesn’t fully approve of her part-time job writing a true-crime blog that “round[s] up the most interesting murders on the internet,” the more salacious the better, most of which feature women as victims. But Cassie is obsessed with the opportunities her blog may open up for her in journalism. So when she reads about Lore Rivera, a woman who “married” two different men in the 1980s and whose legal husband is still in jail for killing the other man, Cassie knows that getting Lore to open up might lead her to publishing gold. As Lore shares her story over the course of many months of interviews, the two women grow closer, though the truth becomes more and more opaque. What really happened on the day of the murder? Who pulled the trigger? Gutierrez offers a satisfying, convoluted path to answering both of these questions, but even more, she provides us with two fully rounded, vulnerable, and fascinating characters in Cassie and Lore. By telling Lore’s story through flashbacks beautifully situated in Mexico and Texas, she provides us, and Cassie, with a deep understanding of just how one woman can get trapped into living a double life full of lies. Love, she argues, is messy, fleeting, and out of our control—but it’s all the more beautiful for that.
Gutierrez imagines true crime’s often one-dimensional female characters with sophistication and grace.
