From New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison comes a suspenseful domestic thriller about identity, revenge, and the dangerous secrets kept hidden from the ones we love most.
“Part Hitchcock, part travel thriller, part domestic suspense, and altogether irresistible—a novel smart enough to yank the rug out from beneath you over and over, and so addictive that you keep getting back up. But don’t trust that title, or anything else: you don’t know why, you won’t guess who, and you can’t imagine what’s really going on. Man, this is a good one.” — A.J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“Twisty, gripping, and impossible to put down, YOU KNOW WHY is a masterfully crafted thriller about buried secrets, revenge, and the lies that can destroy a family.” —Jeneva Rose, #1 New York Times bestselling author
“There’s no getting bored here. This is part caper, part domestic thriller, and one hundred percent worth the read.” – Crimespree Magazine
Your husband has vanished. A stranger knows why. And the truth about your marriage is deadly. WHICH ONE OF THEM IS LYING?
On August 25, 2026, bestselling author J.T. Ellison is set to release her highly anticipated and most haunting domestic thriller yet, YOU KNOW WHY (Thomas & Mercer). Building on the success of Last Seen and A Very Bad Thing, Ellison returns with a meticulously crafted domestic thriller that is impossible to put down. It’s a masterclass in suspense that explores the chilling question: Is the protagonist’s husband, the man she adores, a protector or a killer?
Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and B.A. Paris, this page-turner delivers Ellison’s signature themes of marital betrayal, complicated sisters, and unreliable narrators. YOU KNOW WHY is the sharp, sophisticated psychological thriller you will need in late August to transition from suspenseful summer beach reads into fall’s best thrillers.
It’s the holidays, and photographer Brooklyn Locke is bound for Italy with her husband, Trey, and their two children. But when Trey vanishes from the airport, missing their connecting flight, their impromptu vacation―and life as she knows it―begins to unravel.
Desperate to find her husband, Brooklyn accepts help from a stranger on the same flight, Eden Barrow. But Eden soon makes a shocking claim. She is the sister of Trey’s first wife, and ten years ago he was the main suspect in her murder.
Struggling to comprehend these accusations, fate delivers one more blow: a violent accident that leaves Brooklyn fighting for her life. With nowhere else to turn, Brooklyn leans on Eden for support. But each kindness feels too rehearsed, feeding her doubts about Eden’s motives and Trey’s true past.
Brooklyn has her own dark history she’d rather forget and confronts an unsettling possibility. Her life is not what it seems, and the truth is a trap―laid by someone waiting for the perfect time to strike.
We’re hosting an extensive virtual tour to celebrate the launch of Ellison’s new thriller, and we hope you’ll follow along as these amazing influencers (over 100 of them!) share reviews, features, and giveaways beginning August 23rd and lasting throughout the month of September:
Sunday, August 23
@alymaverinoreads
@redreviews4you
@awitchandherbook
@bookobsessionslinda
@bethanyburiedinbooks
Monday, August 24
@stacy40pages
@booksandcoffeemx
@bringme_books
@the_silly_readers
@lovemybooks2020
Tuesday, August 25
@shadows.in.my.pages
@hollyreadit
@addictedtobooks86
@shereadswith_coffee
@readyourworriesaway
@bookprincessofcali
Wednesday, August 26
@brianas_best_reads
@amberiasbookstagram
@diveintoagoodbook
@legallybookedup
@readwithjamie
Thursday, August 27
@thrillerswineandchill
@reading2escape
@abookishcookie
@carol_doscher_reader
@wutheringvines
Friday, August 28
@katieneedsabiggerbookshelf
@nikkileethrillseeker
@bitofeverythingbooks
@rebekahdolmat
@plotspawspinot
Saturday, August 29
@the_dusti_bookshelf
@jens_toweringtbr
Sunday, August 30
@growingwithcassie_
Monday, August 31
@littleairplane6
@bookish.kir
@mandys_book_nook3
Tuesday, September 1
@books_and_biewers
@enjoyingbooksagain
Wednesday, September 2
@literaryescape_w.er
@wbtbbookreviews
@subakka.bookstuff
Thursday, September 3
@thebookclubmom
@webreakforbooks
@secretreadinglife
Friday, September 4
@novelgossip
@welovebigbooksandwecannotlie
@aurorobookreading
Saturday, September 5
@purrfectpages
Sunday, September 6
@karens_library
Monday, September 7
@2manybooks2littletime
@pages_and_pups
@bookphile_belle
Tuesday, September 8
@nissa_the.bookworm
@indecent.reader
@sarahs.bookish.reviews
Wednesday, September 9
@reading_is_my_remedy
@cathyscozybooknook
@nurse_bookie
Thursday, September 10
@justyourbasicbookstagram
@aimeedarsreads
@anovelaccount
Friday, September 11
@fishgirllovesbooks
@suzysbookshelf
@books_and_biceps9155
Sunday, September 13
@reading.withreese
Monday, September 14
@rozierreadsandwine
@itsallaboutthethrill
@libraryofbookish
Tuesday, September 15
@fullof_lit
@lexijava
@inspired.j.reads
Wednesday, September 16
@speedreadstagram
@readingdiaries
@tammysnead62
Thursday, September 17
@bookgirlbrown_reviews
@madismysteries
@holdme.thrillme
Friday, September 18
@elle.g.reads
@bbecca_marie
@deasbookshelf
Sunday, September 20
@danish_mustardreads
Monday, September 21
@books.cats.travel.food
@athenanooneaskedyou
@nikstagrambooks
Tuesday, September 22
@journalofjaida
@megsbookclub
@alice.thereader
Wednesday, September 23
@latestbookcrush
@books.with.courtney
@bookswritingandmore
Thursday, September 24
@candice_reads
@thrillbythepage_
@bibliophile_nikki
Friday, September 25
@sarahandherbookshelves
@gofetchabook
@amysbooketlist
Monday, September 28
@bookdragon217
@ablueboxfullofbooks
@books.abound.with.a.hound
Tuesday, September 29
@hooked.by.books
@abookwormwithwine
@xbookwormcafe
Wednesday, September 30
@bookrecs_by_celeste
@rebeccareviewedit
@bookedinperpetuity
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