The Crofton Middle School community located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan entails the kind of parents you might expect in that zip code. Entitled, wealthy, and connected. Social standing is key if you want your kids admitted to the coveted Anderson private high school. But some of the parents have secrets that, if uncovered, would ruin their reputations and ensure the rejection of their child’s application. So when a hacktivist group reveals users’ identities of an anonymous online forum, all hell breaks loose. No One Needs to Know by Lindsay Cameron is a suspense-filled story that follows three moms struggling to keep their secrets intact. And when a parent goes missing, they will do anything to keep their lives unscathed. But with such high stakes, everything and everyone is fair game. 

Heather is an overbearing helicopter mom who has done everything in her power to ensure her daughter Violet’s success. She volunteered for parent committees, squeezed her way into social circles, and donated thousands of dollars to give Violet a promising future. But then a photo of Violet partaking in a prohibited activity at a school dance is posted online. Suddenly, all of Heather’s hard work might not matter if the administration at Anderson catches wind of it. Consequently, Heather goes on a manhunt to find proof that the photo was posted with malicious intent by someone who wants Violet’s spot. But when she stumbles upon another parent’s secret, she wonders if there is another route she can take to ensure her daughter’s acceptance. 

Poppy is the Queen Bee of the Crofton community. Even though her son doesn’t have the grades to forge his own path to educational and career success, she and her husband have the funds and connections to ensure that he gets there. She’s also highly respected in her social circle with other Crofton moms. But under the surface, she is lonely and unfulfilled in her marriage. When a handsome and charming man enters her life, she can’t help but find herself under his spell. But then this man shows his true colors, and she must comply with his wishes or risk losing everything. 

The third and final POV we get in No One Needs to Know is Norah. She is a career-focused, successful working mom who couldn’t care less about being accepted by the other Crofton parents. As a result, she’s not privy to the community gossip – let alone her daughter’s actions throughout the novel. Her naivety comes to light when another parent accuses her daughter of conspiring against a fellow student. When the confrontation happens at a cocktail party for Crofton parents, it’s only a matter of time before she realizes how much she doesn’t know. 

No One Needs to Know imagines how a wealthy and entitled community of privileged parents would be affected by their deepest and darkest secrets blasted for everyone to see. No amount of money can make their personal posts disappear from the world wide web. With topics like shoplifting, cheating spouses, killing spouses, blackmail, and more, users shared their thoughts knowing all was anonymous. Until it wasn’t. And Lindsay Cameron delivers these scenarios expertly. She weaves in clues and foreshadows events that make readers eager to find out what happens next – and who will get their comeuppance. 

The three main characters are entirely realistic and entertaining. Even though I very much disliked Heather, at the end of the day I understand her desperation for Violet to get ahead in life. Poppy is easy to dislike as well, but you can’t help but feel sorry for her after the mess she gets in. Norah kind of has her head in the sand and isn’t morally compromised per say, but her connection to the other characters is integral to the plot. Either way, Cameron delivers a great suspense novel that openly criticizes the lives of the upper-class elite and the injustice of the power of money. 

No One Needs to Know is available May 9.