Publishers Weekly
★ 02/06/2023
On New Year’s Eve, bartender Sophie Braam, the protagonist of Jennett’s stellar debut, is closing up the Blue Bell bar in Bellair, Va., when in strolls Mark Dixon, who thinks being a friend of the owner gives him carte blanche to mooch drinks. The final straw is when he finishes a $200 bottle of wine, then pins her down in her car when she’s driving him home. A few days later, Murph, a police detective, and his new partner, officer Nora Martin, find Mark’s mutilated body, the first of many murdered men. During the investigation, Sophie and Nora become friends, each recognizing a kindred spirit as women tired of being harassed by men. While Murph grooms Nora to become a detective, Nora resents the other male officers’ sexism and their remarks that she’s a diversity hire. The author skillfully explores Sophie’s descent into insanity as her frustration with men—their unwelcome touches, snidely sexual comments, entitled movements—grows into rage then into an overwhelming violent hatred. Initial snippets of humor add levity as the story shifts increasingly into hard-boiled mode. Jennett is a writer to watch. Agent: Mark Falkin, Falkin Literary. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
A Paste Magazine Most Anticipated Mystery and Thriller Book of 2023
A CrimeReads Most Anticipated Crime Fiction of 2023
“You Know Her is a crackerjack debut thriller.”
—Bruce Tierney, BookPage
"A gem of a debut . . . it is smart and unique – and rather unsettling. This is the sort of story that you can’t put down . . . This is a novel about feminine rage, at its centre, about being a woman in an industry where women are often considered commodities . . . a thriller about what it would be like to follow those darkest urges and thoughts when we just need a break from society. And it’s a damn good one, well written, impeccably paced and dripping with Southern Gothic atmosphere."
—Fabienne Schwizer, Grimdark Magazine
"You Know Her delivers an exceptional cat-and-mouse storyline centered on two dynamic women . . . a glorious read. Meagan Jennett has created a world that’s easy to fall into, despite its dark shadows. With believable characters and almost magical language, the pages will turn almost by themselves."
—Jenny Maloney, Criminal Element
"Highly recommended, especially for anyone following the growing thriller trend of female serial killers."
—Booklist (starred review)
“There’s a killer mystery at the center of this novel that will keep you up turning pages deep into the night. Jennett mastered the pace and secrets of this thriller that you won’t ever be able to forget.”
—Debutiful
"This debut author gives a twist to the crime novel."
—Konstantin Rega, Virginia Living
"Meagan Jennett doesn't mind bucking stereotypes — in fact, her sensational debut novel You Know Her thrives because of it."
—Dawn Ius, The Big Thrill
"Stellar debut... Jennett is a writer to watch."
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"A subversive serial-killer tale that dives headfirst into a furious mind."
—Kirkus
“Suspenseful and surprising, equal parts lyrical and chilling, You Know Her draws us relentlessly—and eagerly—into the cat-and-mouse duel between a young cop and a budding serial killer. A crackling debut.”
—Meg Gardiner, Edgar Award–winning author of the UNSUB series
"With a naturalist's soul and a killer's heart, Meagan Jennett has delivered a debut that seethes with graceful rage. Angry, smart, propulsive—You Know Her is an unforgettable crime novel."
—Ivy Pochoda, author of These Women
“You Know Her shines a light on the many ways women shoulder the emotional burdens of the world, but in this clever and sharp novel, it’s the men who pay the consequences. Incredibly dark, and with writing that drips pure emotion, You Know Her will haunt your dreams at night and have you checking over your shoulder during the day.”
—Julie Clark, New York Times bestselling author of The Lies I Tell
"A fierce, funny, incredibly timely, cathartic, gonzo feminist thriller. This book will be the talk of the genre. If you read one thriller this year, read this one.”
—Chelsea Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Heartsick
Kirkus Reviews
2023-01-12
A subversive serial-killer tale that dives headfirst into a furious mind.
Sophie Braam bartends in small-town Virginia, bearing witness to awful behavior from her male patrons and co-workers, whom she likens to insects: “A thousand licking tongues laid their voices like eggs in the soft places of me, hatching with every slippery compliment drifting down my thigh…an entire universe of mites writhing, making a home, under my skin.” One night, Mark Dixon—a wealthy friend of the restaurant owner—arrives while Sophie is closing, needles her with his drunken entitlement, and sexually assaults her. Sophie snaps and strangles Mark in self-defense. These opening chapters build tension masterfully. Jennett plays with our sympathies by rooting us in Sophie’s point of view, demonstrating how her murderous impulses are rooted in relatable and well-articulated rage against misogynistic violence. Sophie explains: “A witch in the woods is not born overnight; we are grown.” Meanwhile, Nora Martin, a biracial police officer investigating Mark’s murder, is haunted by the “haints” of female murder victims. This teases an intriguing premise that never fully actualizes, wherein the detective on the killer’s trail understands and even sympathizes with the killer, à la Will Graham from Thomas Harris’ Hannibal series. (Sophie possesses shades of Hannibal Lecter’s artful hubris and anatomical knowledge, combined with the sociopathy of Lou Ford from Jim Thompson’s The Killer Inside Me.) Sophie’s lacerating insights about patriarchy are woven into tangled screeds whose ultimate point is that “all men are the same,” a position that goes relatively unchallenged. The deliriously vengeful narration compels the reader to continue but is bloated with so much grotesquely beautiful imagery and metaphor that the language often impedes narrative momentum.
A fascinating debut crime novel that is more despairing than satisfying.
