Book Review: No One Saw A Thing by Andrea Mara

If you're a fan of psychological thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat, No One Saw a Thing by Andrea Mara is an absolute must-read.

Set in London, this gripping novel opens with a heart-stopping premise: Sive, a mother of three, is in a rush to catch the Tube with her young daughters, Faye and Bea, and her baby boy, Toby. They’ve traveled from Dublin to London for a reunion with her husband Aaron’s old friends, but in the chaos of the busy Monday morning commute, disaster strikes. Sive urges her children to rush ahead and get on the train, but just as she tries to board, the doors shut, leaving her stranded on the platform. When the train reaches the next station, two-year-old Bea is returned safely, but six-year-old Faye is nowhere to be found. And so begins every parent’s worst nightmare.

The story is both chilling and heart-breaking, as the search for Faye begins. The police are called, and a widespread search of all the stations and surrounding areas is launched, but no one can find her. The most unsettling part of it all? No one saw a thing. The train was crowded, and the station was bustling, yet no one can provide any information about what happened to Faye. The mystery deepens as the investigation unfolds, and Sive’s desperate attempts to find her daughter drive the narrative forward.

Mara masterfully builds tension throughout the novel, particularly through the shifting perspectives of multiple characters. The dialogue is sharp, layered with unspoken tension, as characters grapple with guilt, suspicion, and fear. Each conversation feels loaded with meaning, and Mara keeps you on your toes by revealing just enough to make you second-guess what you think you know. The characters, from Sive and Aaron to the police officers and witnesses, are all carefully crafted, and you can’t help but feel the weight of their emotions as they struggle to piece together what happened.

The real brilliance of No One Saw a Thing lies in how Mara builds suspense around the idea of anonymity in a busy city like London. The Tube, with its crowded trains and rushed commuters, becomes a central character in the story itself. It’s easy to imagine how something like Faye’s disappearance could happen in a place where so many people are just passing through, too caught up in their own lives to notice anything out of the ordinary. This sense of isolation and fear permeates the novel, making you question how well we truly know the people around us—and how little we often see, even when we’re surrounded by others.

And then there’s the twist. Just when you think you have a grip on the story, Mara delivers a shocking revelation that completely turns everything upside down. The twist is unexpected but perfectly executed, re-contextualizing the entire story and forcing you to reconsider the motives and actions of the characters. It’s a moment of pure brilliance that will leave you reeling, and it adds a whole new layer of complexity to the already intense narrative.

What makes this book so compelling is how Mara mixes emotional depth with a tightly wound mystery. You feel for Sive and Aaron as they navigate the horror of losing a child, and the tension between them as their relationship is tested under the strain of the situation is palpable. The book explores the psychological toll of such an event, showing how it affects not just the parents but everyone involved.

Overall, No One Saw a Thing is a gripping, emotionally charged thriller that will keep you hooked from start to finish. The tension, the complex characters, and the shocking twists make this an unforgettable read. If you love a psychological thriller that keeps you guessing and leaves you thinking long after you’ve finished, this book should definitely be on your reading list.