Book Review: I Know She Was There
I Know She Was There, Jennifer Sadera, CamCat Publishing, LLC, 2024, paperback, 303 pages
Reviewed by Catherine Marcroft.
Jennifer Sadera’s thriller I Know She Was There is exactly that—a thriller. We meet our heroine Caroline Case at a low point in her life. She’s caring for her colicky infant and separated from her husband, Tim. Caroline finds solace in brisk late-night walks that calm both herself and her fretful Emmy. These stroller walks turns compulsive—and stir up envy as she walks through a nearby affluent Upstate New York neighborhood.
The houses are filled with people who seem to have achieved all that life has to offer, a life beyond the cares that weigh Caroline down. How do these people make this magic happen? Security, beauty, love, family, energy, comfort… can Caroline get some of that to rub off on her just by close observation? It makes sense in Caroline’s depressed state, and it doesn’t harm anyone—until Caroline witnesses something that draws her into troubles far beyond her own. She sees something, she knows she does. Something terrible.
The first part of the novel builds our empathy for Caroline even as our understanding of her as a reliable narrator gets chipped away. The police are no help. Her elderly neighbor, Mary, is not exactly someone who can be counted on or maybe even trusted. Mary has her own troubles and ways of coping with them. Caroline can’t turn to any of her few friends or her doctors, with the risk being too great. She needs to preserve the good impression she tries to present if she’s to have any hope of rebuilding the life she fears she’s losing altogether. It’s lonely when no one believes you, when you can’t trust anyone. It’s easy to doubt yourself.
Caroline’s witnessing and subsequent investigation shows her the underside of the idyllic neighborhood next door, and it also brings her a new alliance, Jeffery Trembly, a newspaper journalist. He’s grateful for her help, but he doesn’t share his whole story as he works on mysteries of his own. Are those mysteries tied to the same riddle Caroline is trying to solve? Can she trust him?
Before that question can be answered, it seems Jeffery decides he can’t trust Caroline. What does he know about her past? He does have resources—he’s a journalist. Old ghosts, grief, and betrayal all start to do a number on her. Ultimately, though, Caroline’s core sense of justice and her small belief in herself provide the spark that eventually flames to prove that the truth can set you free, and that there can be strength and freedom in having nothing left to lose.
The pacing of this book is wonderful. The dates at each chapter heading keep us aware of how fast things are moving. Part One takes place in the space of a single month, and Part Two in even less time. As I was hurtled toward the complex, extended climax of the story, I found it so full of twists that I gave it a second reading for clarity. I don’t think you’ll see all those turns coming, so just buckle up and enjoy the ride to the surprising, gratifying ending. The arc of fate is longer than we can imagine, and retribution comes for all. Embrace it.
