Advance reviews! Booklist, PW, Kirkus, Romantic Times
Booklist says YOU’LL NEVER KNOW, DEAR, “…with its strong characters and vivid sense of place, the novel should draw from both camps… women’s fiction and mainstream mystery.”
Publisher’s Weekly: “Engaging portrait of three generations of bickering, bull-headed, but loving women challenged to become their bravest and best selves.”
Kirkus: “Diverting. …Would have been a great vehicle for Bette Davis and Joan Crawford, including all the slightly creepy dolls.”
RT Romantic Times Book Review: “A uniquely intriguing mystery” “The suspenseful portions are fast paced, and the reader will race to find out how things will play out. The parts dealing with doll making and restoration are fascinating.”
John Valeri in The Criminal Element: “Ephron excels at depicting the dynamics between ordinary women thrust into extraordinary situations. While she’s often told tales of mothers and daughters, this is her first three-generation saga, and the result is a poignant portrayal of how tragedies often have a trickle-down effect, blighting everyone they touch despite the degrees of separation. “You’ll Never Know, Dear” is a worthy and irresistibly readable addition to the author’s impressive arsenal. While discerning readers may harbor strong suspicions as to who the guilty party is, it’s the why that drives the narrative—a consideration that proves compelling until the bitter/sweet end. Though Ephron’s work is often classified as women’s fiction, it should appeal to anybody who enjoys intelligent, stylistic suspense. After all, questions of family, fidelity, and forgiveness are universal.
RT Romantic Times Book Review: “A uniquely intriguing mystery” “The suspenseful portions are fast paced, and the reader will race to find out how things will play out. The parts dealing with doll making and restoration are fascinating.”