Shari Lapena does it again with her latest release, What Have You Done? a suspenseful, roller coaster ride of a story where the innocent veneer of a small town hides countless secrets that multiply after a violent crime. Residents of the small town of Fairhill, Vermont love the rural feel of their community, where everyone knows each other and you can count on your neighbor if you need anything. One fall morning, word spreads quickly that a young girl has been found murdered in a farmer’s field on the outskirts of town. When her identity is confirmed to be that of high schooler Diana Brewer, a popular student and star athlete, no one can believe that someone would want her dead. Authorities quickly come to the conclusion that she was murdered and the evidence at the scene point to someone she knew well.
Someone evidently did want Diana Brewer dead. There are a handful of Fairhill residents who are hiding secrets of their own that involve the murdered student. As the authorities begin their investigation, secrets start to trickle out with a number of suspects having a clear motive. It soon becomes apparent that the residents of Fairhill have not only their own secrets to hide but are complicit in covering up for the guilty parties as well. Could the culprit be her boyfriend who was pressuring her to attend the same college, was it an older teacher who was suspected to have crossed the line with his students, was a schoolmate upset with Diana unbeknownst to anyone else or was it someone that no one expected? When the pressure mounts, trusted family members, friends and colleagues begin to turn on one another and expose secrets and lies. With the circle of suspects getting smaller and smaller the pressure on the community gets heavier and heavier. What Have You Done? also has a slight paranormal element strung throughout that adds depth to the story.
Told in alternating narrators (who have questionable motives and reliability), Shari Lapena has an uncanny knack to cast doubt on nearly every narrator’s version of events and that leaves the reader questioning every account. As someone who reads primarily mysteries and psychological thrillers, Shari Lapena is one of my go to authors that I can count on to tell a intricate story with an ending that catches the reader off guard. What Have You Done? kept me guessing right until the end with its twists and turns. A highly recommended read if you are a fan of this genre.
