Someone We Know by Shari Lapena Summary: A Quiet Street, A Brutal Murder
Someone We Know Summary: Suburbia Bleeds Dark Secrets
In a neighborhood like Aylesford, the houses are set far back from the road, and the trees offer both privacy and cover.
It looks like the kind of place where nothing bad could happen. But privacy works both ways.
When Olivia Sharpe finds out her teenage son has been slipping into neighbors’ homes just to hack their computers, she thinks she can quietly fix it.
Then a woman is found dead, and the question stops being about who broke into the houses. It becomes about who broke the trust.
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TL;DR: The Cracks Beneath the Welcome Mats
A teenager breaks into neighbors’ homes for digital thrills. His mother sends anonymous apology letters to cover it up.
Then a local woman is murdered, and the investigation unearths multiple affairs, hidden phones, and a crime scene cleaned by someone desperate to protect her own child.
The killer isn’t who the police arrest.
The final confession comes from the last person anyone suspected.
Someone We Know Summary: The Deep Dive
SPOILER WARNING: This section recounts the full plot, including the ending.
The story begins with Olivia Sharpe finding evidence that her sixteen-year-old son, Raleigh, has been breaking into homes on Sparrow and Finch Streets.
He does not steal valuables. He hacks into computers, reads private files, and sometimes sends prank emails from the owners’ accounts.
Olivia is horrified and wants to protect him from legal consequences. She writes anonymous letters of apology and delivers them to the homes she believes he entered.
While Olivia is dealing with Raleigh’s secret, the neighborhood learns that Amanda Pierce is missing. Her husband, Robert, reported she left for a weekend trip with a friend and never returned.
Detectives Webb and Moen soon find Amanda’s car in a lake. Her body is in the trunk. She was killed by a blow to the head with a hammer.
The investigation first focuses on Robert, who seems nervous and emotionally detached. But the case widens when fingerprints in the house do not match him.
It comes out that Becky Harris, a neighbor, had a brief affair with Robert. Amanda was also having an affair with Becky’s husband, Larry. The web of infidelity spreads further.
Keith Newell, a friend of Paul Sharpe, was also involved with Amanda. So was a fitness instructor. Amanda collected secrets and relationships the way other people collect contacts.
Forensic evidence leads the police to the Sharpe family cabin. Amanda’s blood is found inside. Paul Sharpe is arrested for the murder.
Paul admits he confronted Amanda before she died. He says he warned her to stay away from Larry Harris to protect Larry’s career. He claims he left her alive. But he has no alibi for the night of the killing.
While Paul is in jail, a neighbor named Carmine Torres starts piecing things together. She received one of Olivia’s apology letters and realizes Raleigh was the intruder.
Carmine attempts to confront Raleigh. Shortly after, she is strangled in her own home.
The second murder accelerates everything. Glenda Newell, Olivia’s closest friend, confesses to killing Carmine. She says she believed Carmine had figured out who really killed Amanda.
Then the final truth emerges. Glenda did not kill Amanda. Her son, Adam Newell, did.
Adam hacked into his father Keith’s email and discovered Keith’s affair with Amanda. Furious and protective of his family, Adam went to the Sharpe cabin, where Amanda was staying.
He knew where the spare key was hidden. He confronted Amanda. In a sudden rush of rage, he killed her with a hammer.
Glenda found out what Adam had done. She spent the night cleaning the crime scene. She moved the body, disposed of it in the lake, and returned the cabin key to its hiding spot.
That action—returning the key—told police the killer was someone who knew the Sharpe family’s habits. Paul is released. Adam and Glenda are taken into custody.
The book ends with a quiet, unsettling detail. Robert Pierce knew about Amanda’s affair. He had hidden her burner phone, which contained evidence of his own dark nature.
When he goes to retrieve the phone from where he buried it in the garden, it is gone. He realizes Becky Harris likely dug it up. His secret is no longer his to control.
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Summary by Chapter
SPOILER WARNING: The following groups cover the full narrative arc.
The Break-Ins and the Missing Woman (Chapters 1–6)
Olivia discovers Raleigh’s secret hobby of breaking into homes to hack computers. She writes and delivers anonymous apology letters to cover his tracks.
At the same time, Amanda Pierce is reported missing by her husband Robert. Police find her car submerged in a lake with her body in the trunk. The dual mysteries are now in motion.
Lies Unravel and Affairs Surface (Chapters 7–15)
Detectives Webb and Moen question neighbors and uncover a tangle of infidelities. Becky Harris admits to an affair with Robert Pierce.
It is also revealed that Amanda was sleeping with Larry Harris, Becky’s husband. The list of potential suspects grows as private lives become public.
Multiple Betrayals and a New Suspect (Chapters 16–24)
The investigation links more men to Amanda, including Keith Newell. Paul Sharpe is seen arguing with Amanda before her death.
The police bring him in for questioning. Trust between the families on Sparrow and Finch Streets erodes completely.
The Cabin Evidence and an Arrest (Chapters 25–30)
Police search the Sharpe family cabin and find Amanda’s blood. Paul is arrested for murder. Olivia cannot reconcile the evidence with the man she knows.
The neighborhood believes the case is closed, but the real killer is still hidden.
A Second Death and the Real Confession (Chapters 31–Epilogue)
Carmine Torres figures out Raleigh was the intruder. She is murdered before she can share what she knows. Glenda Newell confesses to killing Carmine, then reveals her son Adam killed Amanda. Glenda cleaned the scene and hid the body.
Paul is freed. The epilogue shows Robert Pierce discovering Amanda’s buried phone is gone, leaving him permanently exposed.
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Characters In This Book
| Character | Role |
|---|---|
| Raleigh Sharpe | A sixteen-year-old who breaks into neighbors’ homes to hack their computers. |
| Olivia Sharpe | Raleigh’s mother who sends anonymous apology letters to protect her son. |
| Paul Sharpe | Raleigh’s father who is arrested after Amanda’s blood is found in the family cabin. |
| Amanda Pierce | The murder victim who had affairs with multiple men in the neighborhood. |
| Robert Pierce | Amanda’s husband who hides her burner phone containing his own dark secrets. |
| Detective Webb | The lead investigator on the Amanda Pierce murder case. |
| Detective Moen | Webb’s partner, observant and sharp. |
| Becky Harris | A neighbor who had an affair with Robert Pierce and suspects her husband’s infidelity. |
| Larry Harris | Becky’s husband who was having an affair with Amanda Pierce. |
| Glenda Newell | Olivia’s best friend who covers up Amanda’s murder and kills Carmine Torres. |
| Keith Newell | Glenda’s husband who also had a secret relationship with Amanda. |
| Adam Newell | Glenda and Keith’s son who kills Amanda in a rage after learning of his father’s affair. |
| Carmine Torres | A widow and neighbor murdered for getting too close to the truth about Raleigh and Amanda. |
What Drives the Story
| Theme | How It Appears in the Story |
|---|---|
| The Deception of Suburban Normalcy | A street of friendly neighbors hides multiple affairs, a teenage hacker, and two murderers. |
| Parental Protection and Moral Compromise | Olivia covers up Raleigh’s break-ins; Glenda cleans a crime scene and commits murder to shield her son. |
| The Fragility of Privacy | Raleigh accesses private files easily, and Amanda’s hidden phone holds evidence that could destroy lives. |
| Secrets and Hidden Lives | Nearly every character keeps a secret that the murder investigation threatens to expose. |
| Betrayal Within Trust | Spouses cheat with neighbors’ spouses, and best friends hide lethal truths from each other. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does Someone We Know have a twist ending?
The novel reveals that sixteen-year-old Adam Newell killed Amanda Pierce, and his mother Glenda cleaned the crime scene and later murdered Carmine Torres to conceal the truth.
Who is the killer in Someone We Know by Shari Lapena?
Adam Newell is Amanda’s killer, acting after discovering his father’s affair with her. Glenda Newell kills Carmine Torres to stop her from exposing Adam.
What happens to Raleigh Sharpe at the end of Someone We Know?
Raleigh’s break-ins are exposed, but he faces no murder charges. His hacking indirectly triggered the chain of events that unraveled the real crimes.
Is Someone We Know part of a series?
No, Someone We Know is a standalone domestic suspense novel by Shari Lapena, not connected to any series.
What is the setting of Someone We Know?
The story takes place in Aylesford, an affluent city in New York’s Hudson Valley, centered on the residential streets of Sparrow and Finch.
Does Paul Sharpe get released from jail?
Yes, Paul Sharpe is released after Glenda and Adam Newell confess to the murders of Amanda Pierce and Carmine Torres.
What role does the cabin play in Someone We Know?
The Sharpe family cabin is where Adam Newell killed Amanda Pierce. The blood evidence found there initially leads to Paul Sharpe’s wrongful arrest.
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Similar Books to Someone We Know
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena — A kidnapping case peels back the secrets of a seemingly normal couple, told with the same tight suburban suspense.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty — A group of parents in a wealthy community navigate secrets, domestic abuse, and a death at a school event.
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides — A psychological thriller where a woman’s silence after a violent act hides a carefully constructed truth.
Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris — A perfect marriage conceals a nightmare, building dread through the contrast of public image and private reality.
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng — The weight of secrets and the complexity of motherhood collide in a planned suburban community.
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn — An agoraphobic woman believes she witnessed a crime next door, blurring the line between truth and perception.
