What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena Summary

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena is a psychological thriller about the murder of 17-year-old Diana Brewer in the quiet town of Fairhill, Vermont. When Diana's body is discovered in a hayfield, the small community transforms into a place of fear and suspicion as everyone becomes a potential suspect. The novel features multiple perspectives, including Diana's unique paranormal narration from beyond the grave, reminiscent of The Lovely Bones.

Shari Lapena is a #1 internationally bestselling Canadian author and former lawyer and English teacher. She gained worldwide recognition with her 2016 thriller The Couple Next Door, which sold 4 million copies globally and became WHSmith's "Book of the Year". Her nine suspense novels have all been New York Times and UK Sunday Times bestsellers, selling into forty territories worldwide with four Richard & Judy Book Club selections.

What Have You Done? is perfect for fans of small-town mysteries, psychological thrillers, and readers who enjoy Shari Lapena's previous works like Everyone Here Is Lying and Not a Happy Family. This book appeals to those who appreciate multiple perspectives, complex family dynamics, and the devastating impact of tragedy on tight-knit communities. Readers who enjoyed The Lovely Bones will appreciate the unique paranormal narrative element where the victim narrates from beyond the grave.

What Have You Done? is considered one of Shari Lapena's darkest and most compelling thrillers with a unique paranormal element. Reviewers praise Lapena's ability to immerse readers into the minds and suspicions of community members, family, and friends while exploring the devastation caused by losing a beloved only child. The multiple suspects, small-town intrigue, and shocking twist ending make it a gripping page-turner that delivers on Lapena's reputation for unputdownable suspense.

The killer in What Have You Done? is revealed to be Evan, Diana's quiet, unassuming friend who harbored secret romantic feelings for her. When Diana laughed at Evan's confession of love, he snapped and killed her with a hardcover book. The revelation is shocking because the investigation focuses on more obvious suspects like Cameron (possessive boyfriend), Brad Turner (inappropriate gym teacher), and Joe Prior (creepy construction worker), making Evan's betrayal unexpected yet inevitable in hindsight.

What Have You Done? stands apart from Shari Lapena's other thrillers through its paranormal narrative element where victim Diana Brewer narrates from beyond the grave. This device, similar to The Lovely Bones, adds an eerie atmosphere as Diana's fragmented memories help piece together her own murder. The book also focuses more intensely on small-town dynamics and the devastation of a single parent losing their only beloved child, making it perhaps Lapena's darkest work to date.

While both are psychological thrillers by Shari Lapena, What Have You Done? explores small-town community suspicion rather than The Couple Next Door's domestic neighborhood secrets. What Have You Done? features a teenage murder victim with supernatural narration and multiple community suspects, creating broader scope than The Couple Next Door's intimate family focus. Both novels showcase Lapena's signature ability to create unputdownable suspense with shocking twists, though What Have You Done? is considered darker with its exploration of violence against a beloved teenager.

What Have You Done? is set in Fairhill, Vermont, a sleepy small town where nothing bad ever happens and residents leave their doors unlocked. This idyllic setting amplifies the horror when Diana Brewer's body is discovered, as the tight-knit community where "everyone knows everyone" suddenly becomes a place of fear, paranoia, and suspicion. The small-town atmosphere creates claustrophobic tension as neighbors realize the killer must be one of their own rather than an outsider.

The main suspects in What Have You Done? include Cameron Farrell (Diana's possessive boyfriend who was the last to see her alive), Brad Turner (gym teacher who acted inappropriately toward Diana), Joe Prior (construction worker making unwanted advances), and ultimately Evan (Diana's quiet friend). Each suspect has compelling motives and suspicious behavior that keeps readers guessing throughout the investigation led by Detectives Stone and Godfrey. The multiple suspects and red herrings create intricate mystery layers characteristic of Shari Lapena's plotting style.

Diana's paranormal narration from beyond the grave adds a unique supernatural dimension to What Have You Done?, reminiscent of The Lovely Bones. Her fragmented memories and perspective provide an eerie atmosphere as she tries to piece together what happened to her while readers experience her confusion and emerging awareness. Shari Lapena uses this device strategically without overusing it, creating additional tension and emotional depth that distinguishes this thriller from traditional crime fiction.

No, What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena is a standalone thriller, not part of a series. However, it shares thematic similarities with Lapena's other standalone novels, particularly its exploration of domestic secrets, small-town intrigue, and the hidden tensions within seemingly perfect communities. Fans of her previous works like A Stranger in the House, Not a Happy Family, and Everyone Here Is Lying will recognize her signature style of creating suspenseful, tightly woven mysteries with shocking revelations.

What Have You Done? examines how quickly a safe, friendly community transforms into a place of suspicion and fear after tragedy strikes. Shari Lapena explores the claustrophobic reality of small-town life where "curtains rarely twitch" and everyone trusts their neighbors, until that trust is shattered by Diana Brewer's murder. The novel captures the devastation when residents realize the killer walks among them, showing how familiar faces become suspects and the collective innocence of Fairhill, Vermont, is lost forever.