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If you’re curious about the inner workings 0f depths of hell — I mean, Hollywood! — then you’ll love this modern-day thriller set in the shadows of the entertainment industry.

Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper is an underrated new thriller that flew under the radar after its release. As someone who hailed from the land of glittery promises and fake tans, this book rang so true when it dissected the many contradictions that the film industry encapsulates:

“He looks the age the woman is not allowed to be.”

—Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper

The book is a two-hander, following a crisis PR expert who helps celebrities hide their dirty laundry and a hitman-for-hire who works for shadowy figures in the city of sunshine.

Here’s my breakdown:

What I Loved About Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper*

I don’t know much about the author, but I can tell you for certain he’s lived in Los Angeles for some part of his life due to the hyper-specific details of the city:

“LA traffic is like quicksand—struggling just makes you sink faster.”

—Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper

The sense of place in this novel paints a picture of not just Los Angeles, but what’s lurking under the surface. It’s got a ripped-from-headlines feel, and if you’ve been following all of the drama in the industry that’s been dredged up the past few years, you’ll delight in the grim fun of this thriller as it attempts to peel back the surface of the collective secrets and shame of the city.

But even if you’re not into the inside baseball of Hollywood, the texture of this book is great. It burns like an LA noir story and features two anti-heroes that work in shady professions. And now, our two protagonists have to decide whether to follow their moral compass — or just watch the world burn.

The prose in this book goes hard, and I love how certain passages read like a lit match hitting gasoline:

“And maybe she would have carried this thing with her the rest of her life, this secret pain, this secret worry, but who doesn't? Who doesn't know their lives are built on top of bones? Who doesn't carry inside them that it's only brutal violence keeping this world afloat? Child slaves making our clothes, factory farms turning animals to slurry, nations of plastic floating in the ocean.”

—Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper

The plot flew by and I thought the characters were well drawn — if a little bit one-note. But overall, I found that everyone’s motivations were clear and I enjoyed following their journey. Something I can’t say about some other books I’ve read in the past few years!

What I Didn’t Love About Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper*

There are a few elements that keep this book from getting a coveted 5-star rating from me.

First, some of the stereotypes (the ditzy celebrity, brooding hitman, morally gray PR person) felt a little too cartoonish at times. At some points in the book, I felt like we were getting caricatures of humans rather than more well-shaded people.

Second, I found that the ending was a bit anticlimactic. The book struggles to bring it home in the last 100 pages, and I understand why. How do you tell a story of man vs. machine when the machine of Hollywood is still delighting in grinding dreams to ash? With money and fame comes darkness, and the book tries to tell a redemption story in a world where there isn’t any.

That’s the struggle with conspiracy stories: I’ve written a few of these myself, and when you keep expanding the scope of the story (everyone is involved! this goes all the way to the top!) then it becomes nearly impossible to keep on topping your twists. Your characters and their wants feel eclipsed by the grandness of what’s happened. When that happens, it’s hard to bring it back to your characters at the end, which is why stories of this type often end with a sigh and —

“Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.”

Final Thoughts on Everybody Knows by Jordan Harper*

My final score: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Despite the anticlimactic ending, the book is a fun read set in the dark side of Los Angles. It’s the best thriller I’ve read so far this year, and worth a read.

Do I recommend this book? 👍 Yes!

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