For Raquel and Theo Collins, it appeared to be love at first sight. Raquel, a renowned interior designer, and Theo, a brash financial wizard met and married in a matter of months, only to confront a terrible tragedy. Now, unbearably aware of the distance between them, they’ve come to a remote town in New Hampshire to begin anew.
Perched on a ledge with stunning views, the Dixon’s family lodge was once a crown jewel of the mountains. Until late one August night, when both parents and their four children vanished, leaving behind a trail of bloody footprints, and a mystery that has endured for thirty years. Now, its latest occupants, the Collinses, are arriving, and the former grand lodge is once more stirring to life.
For Amanda Grady, following in her father’s footsteps as the recently appointed Shereford police chief, it’s good to see a fresh start for the derelict Dixon place. However, not everyone is happy about a new family in the old home and its hidden past may have returned with a vengeance.
When a stray dog leads to the discovery of a skeleton on the property, Raquel and Theo face a daunting choice of what to believe, who to trust, and how to survive. Because in the tiny village of Shereford the time has come. The local residents, the new neighbors, and the fledgling police chief must work together to unravel the terrifying events that happened one night thirty years ago, or …
You’ll be sorry
Having read and loved Lisa Gardner’s Frankie Elkin series, I knew I had to pick up her latest standalone, and just a few chapters in I was reminded why she’s one of my favorite thriller authors! This book showcases everything she does so well—intricate storytelling, multiple mysteries, and characters who feel SO real and are easy to invest in. And this story has so many moving pieces that it makes it impossible to predict much until near the end.
This is a dual-timeline, multi-POV story that immediately hooked me with a compelling prologue set in 1998, when the wealthy Dixon family are spending the summer at their mountain lodge. After a violent storm, both parents and their four children vanish without a trace, leaving behind bloody footprints, and the mystery remains unsolved. The story then shifts to the present day, where Police Chief Amanda “Mandy” Grady, daughter of the late Chief Ian Grady, who was on the scene when the Dixons vanished, reopens the Dixon case. The abandoned lodge has sat empty since the Dixons disappeared until Raquel and Theo Collins unexpectedly buy it and begin restoring it, stirring curiosity and suspicion in town.
The POVs shift between Amanda, Raquel, and an anonymous narrator who speaks directly to the reader, often in cryptic riddles, foreshadowing truths that are about to resurface and justice that will finally be served. To be honest, I was initially very confused when this anonymous narrator appeared mid-chapters on the audio, but stay tuned b/c their eventual identity reveal is so clever!
Without giving anything away, Gardner incorporates local witch folklore and the town’s founding families after mysterious bones are discovered. I loved how so many historical elements were woven into the mystery & how intricate Mandy’s investigation became.
Both Amanda and Raquel are really well developed, and although they’re very different, I was invested in both early on. Raquel’s mysterious past and the former identity she’s been hiding, even from her husband Theo, kept me guessing and were slowly revealed. There are also several memorable supporting characters in Shereford, and many seem suspicious. You need to pay attention to the small details in conversations if you want any chance atpredicting the twists.
And the dogs in the story completely stole my heart. A mysterious stray appears in both timelines, looking eerily similar and arriving at very serendipitous moments. Their fierce loyalty, protectiveness, and appearing exactly when needed made them my favorite characters!
The chapters are relatively short & the story has just enough complexity to never feel overwhelming. The climactic scenes bring all the major threads together, and while I guessed the villain at the last minute before the reveal, there were still last-minute surprises that caught me off guard. I finished with not even a minor complaint (which is rare for me), hence my 5-star rating! If you enjoy slow-burn, intricate thrillers, authentic characters, layered mysteries, and multiple twists, I can’t recommend this one enough!
And if you’re an audio listener, you’re in for a major treat. Hillary Huber, who brilliantly narrated all of Lisa Gardner’s Frankie Elkin novels, returns to narrate this standalone and delivers! She gives every character a distinctive voice in a dynamic performance that captures all the atmospheric suspense and witchy lore. Her delivery of the eerie folklore rhymes is still stuck in my head! A truly memorable performance!
Narrator Performance
You’ll Be Sorry is read by award-winning narrator Hillary Huber, who previously narrated the Frankie Elkin series and once again proves why she’s such a perfect match for Gardner’s writing.
Huber immediately pulled me in with her gripping delivery of the prologue set in 1998, capturing the growing unease during the Dixon family’s final days before they vanished. She gives Police Chief (PC) Amanda Grady a steady, confident voice layered with uncertainty, perfectly portraying someone who’s stepped into the role of PC in the same town where her father, Ian Grady, was PC for decades. Huber conveys Amanda’s lingering grief and how much she misses her father, while emphasizing her determination to finally solve the 30-year-old case that haunted them both.
One of my favorite parts of the performance is Amanda’s partnership and interactions with out-of-town investigator Samuel Adams. Huber makes their banter so enjoyable and emphasizes their mutual respect and chemistry so well that I was rooting for a romance!
Huber gives a very contrasting performance for the other protagonist, Raquel Collins. She gives her an almost haunted, guarded voice that conveys her unresolved pain and secretive nature. At the same time, she beautifully captures the warmth between Raquel and her husband, Theo. You can feel the affection and trust in their exchanges, and I found their relationship very believable. Another highlight of the portrayal of the mysterious “anonymous narrator,” whose identity is slowly revealed. Huber narrates this character’s riddles, prophecies, and direct addresses to the listener with an intensity that kept me fully engaged and constantly questioning who this person could be!
Huber’s performance really shines during the climactic scenes as all the threads crash together and Theo and Raquel find themselves in grave danger. She quickens her pacing, and there’s an urgency that makes the race-against-time scenes impossible to stop listening to! By the time I reached the end, I felt completely satisfied and found myself reflecting on the characters and everything they went through afterward. For me, that’s the mark of a truly memorable audiobook performance, and Hillary Huber deserves recognition for this one!
Narrator Performance
You’ll Be Sorry is read by award-winning narrator Hillary Huber, who previously narrated the Frankie Elkin series and once again proves why she’s such a perfect match for Gardner’s writing.
Huber immediately pulled me in with her gripping delivery of the prologue set in 1998, capturing the growing unease during the Dixon family’s final days before they vanished. She gives Police Chief (PC) Amanda Grady a steady, confident voice layered with uncertainty, perfectly portraying someone who’s stepped into the role of PC in the same town where her father, Ian Grady, was PC for decades. Huber conveys Amanda’s lingering grief and how much she misses her father, while emphasizing her determination to finally solve the 30-year-old case that haunted them both.
One of my favorite parts of the performance is Amanda’s partnership and interactions with out-of-town investigator Samuel Adams. Huber makes their banter so enjoyable and emphasizes their mutual respect and chemistry so well that I was rooting for a romance!
Huber gives a very contrasting performance for the other protagonist, Raquel Collins. She gives her an almost haunted, guarded voice that conveys her unresolved pain and secretive nature. At the same time, she beautifully captures the warmth between Raquel and her husband, Theo. You can feel the affection and trust in their exchanges, and I found their relationship very believable. Another highlight of the portrayal of the mysterious “anonymous narrator,” whose identity is slowly revealed. Huber narrates this character’s riddles, prophecies, and direct addresses to the listener with an intensity that kept me fully engaged and constantly questioning who this person could be!
Huber’s performance really shines during the climactic scenes as all the threads crash together and Theo and Raquel find themselves in grave danger. She quickens her pacing, and there’s an urgency that makes the race-against-time scenes impossible to stop listening to! By the time I reached the end, I felt completely satisfied and found myself reflecting on the characters and everything they went through afterward. For me, that’s the mark of a truly memorable audiobook performance, and Hillary Huber deserves recognition for this one!
You’ll Be Sorry is read by award-winning narrator Hillary Huber, who previously narrated the Frankie Elkin series and once again proves why she’s such a perfect match for Gardner’s writing.
Huber immediately pulled me in with her gripping delivery of the prologue set in 1998, capturing the growing unease during the Dixon family’s final days before they vanished. She gives Police Chief (PC) Amanda Grady a steady, confident voice layered with uncertainty, perfectly portraying someone who’s stepped into the role of PC in the same town where her father, Ian Grady, was PC for decades. Huber conveys Amanda’s lingering grief and how much she misses her father, while emphasizing her determination to finally solve the 30-year-old case that haunted them both.
One of my favorite parts of the performance is Amanda’s partnership and interactions with out-of-town investigator Samuel Adams. Huber makes their banter so enjoyable and emphasizes their mutual respect and chemistry so well that I was rooting for a romance!
Huber gives a very contrasting performance for the other protagonist, Raquel Collins. She gives her an almost haunted, guarded voice that conveys her unresolved pain and secretive nature. At the same time, she beautifully captures the warmth between Raquel and her husband, Theo. You can feel the affection and trust in their exchanges, and I found their relationship very believable. Another highlight of the portrayal of the mysterious “anonymous narrator,” whose identity is slowly revealed. Huber narrates this character’s riddles, prophecies, and direct addresses to the listener with an intensity that kept me fully engaged and constantly questioning who this person could be!
Huber’s performance really shines during the climactic scenes as all the threads crash together and Theo and Raquel find themselves in grave danger. She quickens her pacing, and there’s an urgency that makes the race-against-time scenes impossible to stop listening to! By the time I reached the end, I felt completely satisfied and found myself reflecting on the characters and everything they went through afterward. For me, that’s the mark of a truly memorable audiobook performance, and Hillary Huber deserves recognition for this one!
