What July Knew

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

** This audiobook contains a bonus interview with the author**


A moving family mystery about the secrets we keep to protect those we love. For readers of Joanna Cannon, Janice Hallett and Jo Browning Wroe.

July knows 18 things about her mother. But not the truth.

Summer, 1995. On her tenth birthday, July's teacher sets the class a project to find out about a relation they don't know. It's easy for July to choose her subject. She doesn't remember her mother, who died when she was small, and her father refuses to talk about her. Ever. The only memories she has of her are flashbacks from the accident that claimed her mother's life.

But then she receives the note: 'She didn't die in a car accident.'

Determined to discover what really happened, July begins to investigate, cycling around the street where her family used to live and questioning the neighbours. When she is caught snooping round a crumbling house at the end of the road, she learns that the man living there was the last person to see July's mother alive.

In his version of the story, he is a hero. In everyone else's, he is anything but...

Praise for Emily Koch:

'Really well-written, deeply moving and psychologically affecting... Highly recommended' Alex Michaelides, author of The Silent Patient

'A debut to be reckoned with' Guardian

'Packs a real emotional punch.' Cara Hunter, author of Close to Home

'A magnetic, all-consuming read. A heart-breaking suspense' Gytha Lodge, author of Watching from the Dark

© Emily Koch 2023 (P) Penguin Audio 2023

Critics Review

Touchingly effective in conveying a childhood lived in fear
Sunday Times
If you liked Elizabeth is Missing, you'll love this
Cara Hunter
Big-hearted novel. By turns charming and shocking, it's both a deftly-woven mystery and a redemptive family drama - and I was cheering July on all the way
Emylia Hall
July Hooper is such a brilliant creation - smart, inquisitive and determined - that you'll be rooting for her every step of the way as she unravels the mystery of her own life in this captivating story.
T.M. Logan, author of The Holiday
Tenderly told and utterly compelling, this coming-of-age mystery is as full of twists and surprises as it is of heart. July is an unforgettable lead - I loved following her back to the 90s!
Emma Stonex
Stick What July Knew by Emily Koch on your TBR pile - it's a beautiful coming of age story that will break you then make you as July navigates her quest to find out the truth about her mother. Outstanding. One for Joanna Cannon fans
Laura Kemp
What July Knew is a quirky, original, and immersive read. I was rooting for July on her quest to uncover what happened to her mother. A gloriously nostalgic and affecting read
Lucy Clarke
This book broke my heart. I adored July's voice throughout. Heart-wrenching, deeply moving and so compelling, July and Sylvie's story will stay with me for a long, long time
Sara Nisha Adams, author of The Reading List
Hugely enjoyed this story of a brave 10-year-old girl seeking the truth about her mother's death. Beautifully written and full of warmth, nostalgia and the complex, unsettling emotions of family life.
Sarah Hilary
A moving and heartfelt mystery. Funny, thrilling, nostalgic and deeply affecting. Emily Koch is such a wonderful storyteller.
Chris Whitaker

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