No One Knows

At the start of this riveting Nashville-set standalone from bestseller Ellison (What Lies Behind), Aubrey Hamilton’s husband, Josh, is declared legally dead. The past five years have been hell for Aubrey; not only did she lose the love of her life, but she was tried in connection with his disappearance, and despite being acquitted, everyone assumes she’s guilty. Aubrey finally resigns herself to moving on, but then meets a man who’s strongly reminiscent of Josh—and, shortly thereafter, she receives evidence suggesting her husband wasn’t the man she thought he was. What follows is a skillfully plotted story that’s equal parts mystery, psychological thriller, and cautionary tale. Comparisons to Gone Girl are inevitable; the setup and early beats are similar, and readers will spend much of the book questioning Aubrey’s reliability as a narrator. Ellison’s twists are fresh, though, and the novel’s action-packed conclusion will shock, even if it doesn’t fully satisfy. Artful and evocative prose complements the fully fleshed and realistically flawed characters. Agent: Scott Miller, Trident Media Group. (Mar.)