Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Published by: Orion
Publication date: 4th June 2026
Content warnings: emotional abuse, sexual assault, domestic abuse, death of parent, blood, murder, Alzheimers, toxic friendship, gaslighting, manipulation, coercive control.

“The world saw her kill him. If only she’d tell us why…”

When they said this would be “the most unforgettable crime novel you will read in 2026”, boy did they mean it. Jesus. I adored this book! I just can’t get it out of my head. It’s incredibly chilling, an unsettling exploration of a friendship between an unlikely pair, the horror of uncovering the truth behind a murder the whole world becomes obsessed with. I couldn’t look away! One of the best debuts of the year. I’m so very happy to be sharing my review of We Know What You Did by Kirsty Lockwood!

About the book

Nineteen-year-old Odette and eighty-year-old Amos were already famous. Their unlikely, heartwarming friendship captured the hearts of thousands of fans online.

But when Amos is brutally murdered during a livestream and Odette is filmed covered in his blood, there’s no question who’s to blame.

The video of the murder quickly goes viral, and the world is hungry for answers. How did a sweet, lonely girl turn on her only friend? And why won’t she say a word in her defence?

As the media storm worsens, Odette is frightened, alone and refusing to speak. But time is fast running out and if she stays silent, the truth may never be revealed . . .

The beginning

As soon as I read those first few lines, I knew this was going to be something special! This author has such a unique voice, a beautiful way of writing that felt so different from many other thrillers I’ve read. It grabbed me straight away and I could not stop reading! We meet 19-year-old Odette who, after losing her mother, has no one left in her life. She’s alone, no job and living in a bedsit. That’s until she meets 80-year-old Amos at a museum, and a very special and unlikely friendship is born. But it isn’t all as lovely as it seems on the surface… The flawlessly written dual timeline soon teaches us that Odette is charged with Amos’s murder. I KNOW. At this point, I could not fathom how a lonely teenage girl, someone who has just found the friendship and company she has been craving, would go on to actually kill that person. And what’s even juicier is that we learn she did so on a live stream. A LIVE STREAM!! I loved how we know this information at the start, and instead of learning what she did over the course of the book, we start to learn why. What an opening!

“Sometimes, she felt the incredible urge to wrap her arms around his neck. To hug him so hard that she accidentally squeezed the very last breath from his lungs. She wanted to scream in his face, This is everything I’ve ever wanted. Please don’t leave me.“

I found it truly fascinating learning more about the kind of girl Odette was. She was a bit strange, ditzy even at times. Seemed to think and act a little younger than she was, speak before her brain had the chance to catch up. Her friendship with Amos seemed so innocent, and they both craved the company from the other. It worked for them. They helped each other in ways that were heartwarming and pure, and I just loved the little set up they had going on. At this point, I could not see any reason why Odette would want to kill the man. But it was always in the back of my mind. The first thing that felt a little off was the fact Amos seemed to distance himself slightly when Odette mentions Toni, her ‘friend’ at the job centre who she has meetings with. Was this a hint of jealousy? I was so intrigued by Odette’s new social media venture, posting videos of herself and Amos online, gradually gaining more popularity, views and follows. Was this Odette’s calling? Could the social media pressures play a part in what happened? I couldn’t wait to dig into this even more!

The middle

In the present day chapters, we follow Roger who is the detective questioning Odette after her arrest, trying to get something out of her… but she’s staying quiet. She doesn’t say a word in her defence. But why? I loved seeing two very different versions of Odette throughout the past and present, how her actions had the entire world talking. But this is where my views on Amos seemed to change and I got a different kind of vibe from their friendship. We see how he starts up conversations disguised as therapy sessions with Odette in his study, exploring her childhood, her past. The fact Odette hates this and is simply doing it to avoid any rising tensions set my alarm bells ringing. Did he have an ulterior motive, or was he simply trying to help her grow? Be the best version of herself? I loved learning more about Odette’s past, learning about the kind of person her mother was, despite how sad and raw it was for her to revisit. This really builds up her character more and it was so brilliantly done. I could feel things changing for Odette… and not in a good way.

“Odette found to her surprise that she didn’t feel the usual pleasure she got from seeing his face. She was wary now. Something had changed. Or maybe nothing at all had changed. Maybe her mum’s constant distrust of others was making a grab at her from beyond the grave.”

The more time that passed, the more the relationship between Odette and Amos became strained. It seemed that happy friendship bubble, those feel-good gestures, the fun, was slowly drying up, leaving a kind of resentment and bitterness behind. Odette seemed to be more Amos’s patient now than a friend as he was insistent they carry on their talking sessions. The author has perfected this change so well; we go from being Amos’s biggest fan to actually thinking, “Who is the real Amos?” And would we eventually side with Odette when the inevitable happened? There were some really saddening scenes as Odette finally sees what this man is doing to her, the emotional abuse, the manipulation, and I think this book is perfect for learning to spot the signs. I adored Toni even more at this point as she stands up to become the friend Odette needs in that exact moment, gives her the advice she needs to make future decisions. I felt her fear and sadness as she is forced to revisit her past trauma, the very worst times of her life. It felt heavy, but it was incredibly well written.

The end

Those final chapters of the book were some of the most terrifying and intense I’ve ever read. I couldn’t believe what I was reading at times, how different things were now compared with all the joy and hope from before. I loved the introduction of some very important characters, their own individual stories changing so much. I felt so much anger, fear, torment, hatred. There was a powerful chapter solely containing a witness statement that completely took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. This author is exceptional at getting under your skin, making you feel everything so deeply. The lengths these characters go in order to get the truth, justice for the right person, to make sure the real monster was sent down, to protect the people who needed protecting was so intense, so beautifully heartwarming in places. The human decency certain detectives showed really tugged at my heart! The dark, horrifying truths that are uncovered here will linger in my mind long after I finish this book. It’s wild just how much a fictional story can be burned into your brain.

“It’s amazing, the way the prospect of death focuses your mind on all the joys and possibilities of life. A person is never as eager for new experiences as when they feel the chance of them slipping away.”

Everything made sense now. The things that happened prior to Odette arriving at a police station covered in blood so flawlessly written and immensely thought provoking. Odette, social media star, now even more famous for what she did, and would continue to be the talk of the world after such massive secrets are uncovered. Despite some detectives and officers being loveable and understanding, this book also highlights the things that are wrong with the justice system. Male privilege. Power imbalance. The superintendent in particular was so unlikeable and even had the audacity to laugh about Odette keeping quiet. After everything she had been through. But there is also a brilliant twist here, even an emotional one that held such promise, and in turn some hope. I ended this book with tears in my eyes which I did not expect. A mixture of relief and horror. The ending is powerful and unforgettable, one of those which leaves you deep in thought. I loved every second I spent with this book – I can’t wait to read the next book from this author next year, but for a debut, this one is exceptional!

Overall thoughts

We Know What You Did is a chilling, powerful thriller, an eye-opening and harrowing story of what, on the surface, looks like a very simple concept; a nineteen-year-old girl murders an eighty-year-old man on a live stream. But my god, this spirals. It is heartbreaking and intense, and I don’t think I’ve ever read a thriller quite like it. We meet Odette who, after losing her mother, has no one left in her life. She’s alone, no job and living in a bedsit. That’s until she meets Amos at a museum, and a very special and unlikely friendship is born. He even generously offers her space in his large home. The pair find online fame, with Amos being a well-loved grandfather figure for their fans across the world. But it isn’t all as lovely as it seems on the surface…

I was sucked into Odette’s new life as well as her past that is gradually explored. The horrors she’s been through over time, her brutally difficult childhood gripped me and broke my heart. The dual timeline flawlessly explores all of this, as well as the present day, where Odette is hauled into the police station covered in Amos’s blood. There is so much to uncover about these characters; a dark history, the worst secrets imaginable. What events led up to Amos’s murder. And just why Odette is keeping quiet when questioned. The truth is sickening and horrifying, but I couldn’t look away. This book is a stunningly written debut, an unforgettable new voice in the thriller space. A completely addictive, compulsive thriller that I couldn’t recommend enough!

HUGE thanks to Ellie at Orion for my beautiful copy (and for introducing me to a new favourite author!) You can grab your own copy of We Know What You Did right now over on Amazon* or wherever you buy your books. Make sure you’re following Kirsty Lockwood over on Instagram for more updates!

* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks so much for your support!

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