Riveting. Character-driven. A literary thriller you will want to devour in one sitting. Not What She Seems (Thomas & Mercer 2024) is all this and more. None of the many-layered characters are what they seem at first glance. Yasmin Angoe’s latest novel is a worthy successor to her series featuring Nena Knight, which SLR reviewed here.
In Not What She Seems, Jacinda “Jac” Brodie is quite different from Nena Knight, the Black female assassin of Angoe’s earlier books. Jac is a writer; a pariah in her hometown of Brook Haven, South Carolina; a self-described f***-up who has likely blown up her career and may even end up in jail. Yet she’s likeable, and readers will quickly suspect she probably is misreading herself and events in her past. Sure, she has made some mistakes, but she’s not as bad as she thinks.
One problem Jac faces is an overly demanding mother, one who expects perfection from her daughters. Jac’s younger sister Pen is working toward becoming an M.D. and has an acceptable fiancé. She meets her mother’s expectations; Jac does not. Writing is no career for a Black “lady.” And Jac has no plans to marry. In fact, another serious problem she faces is that she has been sleeping with her professor—and he has turned her private confessions into a true crime manuscript he has sold for a huge advance. No way she is going to let him get by with this—no matter she has to do to stop him.
Soon Jac faces another crisis. Both her father and grandfather were prominent law enforcement officers. When her grandfather becomes ill, Jac must return to her hometown for the first time since her police-chief father died. She is forced to face down the gossip about her involvement in her father’s death. Yet despite the rumors, she still has allies—her sister, a girlfriend from her school days, and a man who adores her.
In addition to feeling shame as townspeople whisper about her, Jac collides with a newer resident, Faye Arden. Faye is renovating the old “Murder Manor.” The town loves her for it. The mayor is even engaged to this attractive woman. Faye appears to be the epitome of southern womanhood, but the highly observant Jac sees through the facade. She notices how quickly Faye’s expressions change from tense and angry to simpering and honey-sweet. These two strong women are destined to clash.
As Jac digs through her grandfather’s old unsolved case files, she uncovers secrets that surely prove Faye is not who she seems to be—but who is going to believe Jac—the woman the whole town thinks is a criminal herself? Faye’s secrets are not the only ones lurking in her grandfather’s files. Who will pay the price if those are uncovered?
All in all, Not What She Seems is an excellent read with well-drawn characters and a fast-moving plot. Fans of mysteries and thrillers won’t want to miss this one.
Yasmin Angoe
Yasmin Angoe is a first-generation Ghanaian American and the recipient of the 2020 Eleanor Taylor Bland Award for Emerging Writers of Color. Her Name Is Knight was an Amazon bestseller and Editor’s Pick for Best Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense. Yasmin is a nominee for the Anthony Awards for Best First Book and the AAMBC Awards for Debut Author of the Year.
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