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Thirty years ago, Tommy, Malcolm, Henry, and Kevin were best friends graduating high school, brothers almost, until the night they did something terrible. The decision to keep hidden what they did in that parking lot shattered their friendship and warped their lives. But when Kevin, struggling with a heroin addiction, drives his motorcycle into the side of a truck, the other three find themselves together again—at Kevin’s funeral.
When they meet Kevin’s wife Naomi at the wake, they can tell that she knows everything, and when they learn that she’s a reporter, they’re terrified. When she sends them to visit one of their victims from that night—at the nursing home where he’s been suffering for decades—they do as they’re told, even though they know it won’t stop there.
After watching her husband pay a steep price for keeping the friends’ secret, Naomi has crafted a plan to make Tommy, Malcolm, and Henry pay their fair share. When the three men decide to fight back, they’re forced to decide just how far they’ll go this time.
Kind Words About Like it Never Happened
"A compelling and deftly crafted novel that will hold special appeal for readers with an interest in psychological suspense thrillers, 'Like It Never Happened' reveals author Jeff Hoffmann's extraordinary flair for originality, the vivid creation of characters, the construction of unexpected plots twists and turns, and the kind of narrative driven storytelling style that makes for a great read from start to finish...highly recommended."
—Midwest Book Review
“Like It Never Happened is a thoroughly gripping, deeply disturbing, yet incredibly insightful novel about innocence lost and the consequences of violence. Brilliant, fast-paced, and very powerful!”
—Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of Cave 13 and The Sleepers War
“Like It Never Happened is an engrossing and insightful tale that delves deep into the endless ripples of trauma, lies, and ruined hearts left in the wake of even one moment of violence.”
—Victoria Helen Stone, Wall Street Journal bestselling author of Jane Doe
“Jeff Hoffmann’s novel Like It Never Happened teems with interesting characters who quickly pull you into their troubled lives. Steadily building tension keeps the pages turning, and I found myself rooting for these characters and hoping for a positive resolution to their heart-breaking situations. Hoffmann’s novel is well-written and absorbing and will keep you riveted to the end.”
—Terri Parlato, author of What Waits in the Woods
“Hoffmann is a master at replicating the minutia of domestic life and how small betrayals can build and cause destruction over time . . . A wonderfully compelling read!”
—Garnet Kilberg-Cohen, author of Cravings
“Like it Never Happened is a gripping tale of trauma, betrayal, and the price a group of friends must pay for one long-ago night of unspeakable violence. Engrossing and suspenseful in equal parts, this slow-burn mystery will hook you from the first page!”
—Aggie Blum Thompson, author of I Don’t Forgive You
“Like it Never Happened winds compelling suspense through and around ordinary people and their ordinary lives. Jeff Hoffman knows the inhabitants of middle-class, middle-aged, middle-America, and he knows the power and potential destruction of secrets and unchecked violence. Hoffman's Like it Never Happened combines these things to create a page-turning narrative of class, grief, trauma, family, and marriage. This story would make a great streaming mini-series. It makes a heartbreaking—yet hopeful—addictive read.
—Patricia Ann McNair, author of Responsible Adults and The Temple of Air
As soon as Gail and John Durbin bring home their adopted baby Maya, she becomes the glue that mends their fractured marriage.
But the Durbin’s social worker, Paige, can’t find the teenage birth mother to sign the consent forms. By law, Carli has seventy-two hours to change her mind. Without her signature, the adoption will unravel.
Carli is desperate to pursue her dreams, so giving her baby a life with the Durbins’ seems like the right choice—until her own mother throws down an ultimatum. Soon Carli realizes how few choices she has.
As the hours tick by, Paige knows that the Durbins’ marriage won’t survive the loss of Maya, but everyone’s life is shattered when they—and baby Maya—disappear without a trace.
Filled with heartrending turns, Other People’s Children is a “heartbreakingly dark, suspenseful exploration of the boundaries two women push to have a child” (Cara Wall, bestselling author of The Dearly Beloved) that you’ll find impossible to put down.
Kind Words About Other People’s Children
“Other People’s Children is an engrossing debut about the different ways we find our way to parenthood and the people we are meant to be. I loved these characters and was on the edge of my seat until the last page, hoping they’d find their happy endings.”
— Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Last Thing He Told Me
“Hoffmann’s riveting debut is a high-stakes exploration of how far people will go to protect their family...Hoffmann's engrossing look at fraught issues piques. This sharp tale of heartache, loss, and redemption resonates.”
— Publishers Weekly
“A can’t-put-it-down novel that will live in readers' thoughts long after they finish reading.”
— Kirkus Reviews
“Hoffman's debut… is an impressively well written, inherently entertaining, and thought provoking exploration of love and family.”
— Midwest Book Review
“Hoffmann’s debut is powerful with strong, well-developed characters. The decisions they must make are gut-wrenching… The story takes turn after hairpin turn, moving into domestic suspense, that will have readers waiting with bated breath until the conclusion; even then, they’ll be left to wonder if there is more.”
— Library Journal
“The story is a page turner, but the deeper insights about family will keep you thinking about this book for a long while.”
— Cara Wall, author of The Dearly Beloved