At its heart, this psychological thriller explores the complex dynamics of friendship, motherhood, and the lengths people will go to protect their families. The story centers on two women, Jane Whitaker and Ivy Chapman, who have maintained a twenty-year friendship since their sons, Cal and Brad, attended preschool together. What begins as a tale of enduring friendship takes a dark turn when their sons go skiing in Wyoming, but only Brad returns home.

Alterman masterfully builds tension by asking the central question: How far will each mother go to protect her family? The answer proves both disturbing and compelling. What sets this thriller apart is its focus on the psychological aftermath of loss rather than just the mystery itself.

The narrative unfolds through multiple viewpoints, creating a rich tapestry of perspectives that adds layers of complexity to the central mystery. While some readers note that the multiple viewpoints mean "there's a lot going on," Alterman skillfully weaves these threads together into a cohesive and compelling whole.

"You Shouldn't Have Done That" is a masterfully crafted psychological thriller that combines intricate plotting with deep emotional resonance. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Liane Moriarty, and Sally Hepworth, this book proves that sometimes the deadliest enemies are the ones we once called friends.

PUB DATE: 03/25/25🦋

You Shouldn’t Have Done That - Liz Alterman ✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Now this is what I call a psych thriller. Two families that have been life long friends really show the toxic relationships in this story. It really shows how deep family loyalty will run when put to the test. Twist after twist, I could never guess what would happen next. Great read!

It’s a twisted tale of toxic friendships. But also has some twists and turns that has you wondering what actually happens until close to the end of the book. I didn’t want to put it down. I was constantly wondering what was going on and thought I knew who did it until the end. Also not a fan of Em as she seems to only care about the views. But still it’s a good book.
Highly recommend to anyone who likes thrillers/ mystery/ suspense books.
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to get this as an ARC and able to review and read this book early.

You Shouldn’t Have Done That had me hooked from the start. I devoured this thriller in one sitting. Brad and Cal had been friends since early childhood and were living out in Wyoming together in adulthood. They went skiing and Brad left injured and Cal seemingly disappeared. There were many twists and turns throughout this book. It was quite a roller coaster of a ride to read. It was a story of family ties and explored the dynamics of struggling family relationships, strained family-friend rivalries/ friendships. I was able to figure a few of the twists out but some of them I did not quite see coming. I recommend this thriller if you are interested in a quick page turner with multiple twists and turns. I loved this Liz Alterman’s book and I’d love to read more of her writing!

3.5 star rating! ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator Books for allowing me to read this e-arc early.This story shows you how far a family might go to protect their children. Secrets come out and the the twists keep coming.You will not want t0 stop reading it.

You shouldn't have done that.

It was okay, the first few chapters dragged a little in my opinion, but once the story got to rolling it was good. A nice thriller with some messed up toxic mothers at the height of it.

Thank you to Netgalley and publishers for the e-ARC

This is a story of two families who are long time friends. Tragedy strikes which leaves only one son from one family returning from their ski trip. It is told in multiple POVs, which rather was confusing to me. I also found a lot of the characters not likeable. If you are a fan of thrillers, then you may enjoy this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkubator Books, and Liz Alterman for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I never have read any book from this author but it sure wouldn't be my last!

The story is about two family’s, it looks like they get along real good but when the son of one of the family’s goes missing, it unfolds a lot of ugliness and releases a chain of events which can't be stopped. The secrets they all seem to hide...
The story is told from multiple points of view. This is a great thing because you will know, how everybody fits in, in what part of the story. Throughout the story you will find out what everyone's motivation is to do what they do. Everything falls together in the end.

I raced trough the story as fast as I could. Wanted to find out what happened and who did what. Boy I found out.
You must read this one if you like fast-paced stories with a lot of twist and turns, it left me gasping for air!

Liz Alterman delivers a seriously addictive thriller with You Shouldn’t Have Done That. It’s the kind of book that pulls you in from the first page and refuses to let go.

Jane and Ivy have been best friends for decades, bonded by their sons. But when a ski trip ends in disaster and only one of their boys comes home, that friendship shatters fast. One mother is desperate for answers, the other is protecting her own. As suspicions mount and social media fuels the fire, the tension spirals out of control—leading to a shocking, unforgivable choice.

This book is juicy, twisty, and full of that “just one more chapter” energy. If you love stories about family, betrayal, and just how far people will go for the ones they love, this one’s for you!

First of all, let me start by saying I LOVED this book! We are introduce to Cal and Brad two ‘best’ friends who have know each other since school, they go skiing together and only Brad arrives home. We are then introduced to their respective families and the real truth behind their families 20 year friendship which isn’t as strong as we are lead to believe.
What follows next is a thrilling and engaging novel that looks at how thought / theories based on little to no evidence but taken for fact can have a butterfly effect on all those involved.
These characters are not good people in any sense, all of them in one way or another are flawed and selfish. It’s a wonderful look at how people can justify extreme and selfish actions when it serves themselves.
I found the ending frustrating as I wanted someone to get there just desserts in a more obvious way, but the more I reflect on it the more i realise they probably did.
Fabulous thriller and an engaging read!

This was a fast paced psychological thriller that definitely kept me engaged until the end. Two families that celebrate birthdays and go on vacation together seem to all be best of friends. But when their two sons go skiing together and only one comes back, it sets off a chain of reactions that exposes just how toxic some of the relationships are. As the story unfolds through multiple POVs each character's flaws become evident, and most are pretty unlikable.. You Shouldn't Have Done That is a recurring theme as everyone seems to do things they shouldn't have.. A quick and entertaining read. I'll be looking for more by this author.

You Shouldn't Have Done That is a story about best friends and there sons Cal and Brad.
When Cal goes missing in Wyoming during a ski trip with Brad. The story starts to unravel.
Liz Alterman did a great job of giving the reader what they needed in a true psychological thriller.
I thought that the book was well written, but I hated Ivy and Jane and felt like so much was so focused on them that I lost my way during the book. Solid 3 star read.
Can you write a book about Emerson, cause I did like her!

this book is soooo good. in all the best ways. and worst given the topic lol. but its such a toxic mess of brilliance. that mounts your own anger but also angst for all the characters involved.

weve got two families. the mums great friends since their two boys became freinds in school as young boys. when one of them goes missing it begins to unravel. everyone has motive and secrets in this book. and the narc and toxic personalities of these folk is off the scale!
its also makes you reflect on what you'd do to protect your kids. but due to the horrible nature of these lot you were far enough removed from it to just see it as a really great story with a set of unlikable characters and what happens when they are all pitting against eachother.
i was kept gripped to every page. and there was certain crumbs given to you throughout so that it was just pow pow pow. it was a delicious set of little and big moments that kept you on your toes until the end.

its told from multiple Pov so you get to know each persons views and backgrounds on whats happening.
this isnt just a tragedy hitting a set of families. no, this is tragedy hitting a unlikable set of families which means the plot and events that then go on to take place are a tumbling down of darkness and secrets which make for a thriller at its best and a gripping read.

A twisted tale of toxic friendship that kept me on my toes! I enjoyed this psychological thriller by Liz Alterman and want to read more from her.

Thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for the ARC!

This was a solid thriller with the perfect amount of messy drama. I enjoyed reading from all of the perspectives, even if I wasn't rooting for any of them. Would definitely recommend as a suspenseful, wintry read!

This book was SO good!! I was desperate for a popcorn thriller but couldn’t find any on KU or in my library that hit the spot. I found this book on “Read Now” and I cannot wait for more people to catch on to just how good this book was. Multi-POVs without being excessive, and the twist at the end actually had me gasping.

You Shouldn’t Have Done That tells the story of two families, united through the close friendship of their sons. While the families are close, both hold dark secrets that they’ve kept from the other. And when these dark secrets come to a head with the disappearance of golden boy Calloway Whitaker, the power of friendship is put up against the ferocity of the mothers’ love for their sons.
And no one comes out unscathed.
I enjoyed the mystery, it was reminiscent of the twisty-turny true crime cases that keep us so enraptured. As a parent, this is the kind of book that will make you reflect on just how far you would go to protect your child, and at what cost.
This was a fun and compelling read, with twists and turns you won’t expect up until the very end. There are clever blink-and-you’ll-miss-it details throughout the book that lead you like Hansel’s breadcrumbs to the grim conclusion.

📚 E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

You Shouldn't Have Done That
By Liz Alterman
Publication Date: March 23, 2025
Publisher: Inkubator Books

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley, Inkubator Books, and Liz Alterman for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

You Shouldn't Have Done That was a popcorn thriller FULL of things people shouldn't have done! I just sprinkled my popcorn with salt and butter, cozied up with my fuzziest blanket, grabbed my cup of tea, and enjoyed the tale.

The plotlines in this compelling story made for a really fast read, as I had no idea what chaotic mess would come next. Ivy and Jane have been best friends for 20 years and their families are super close, all because their sons became friends in preschool. Their sons are roommates in a Wyoming ski town and both families are looking forward to spending Christmas together in an AirBNB in the same Wyoming town. But when Jane's son Cal goes missing after spending a day skiing with Ivy's son Brad...Well, let the unhinged chaos begin.

Split into four parts, the book was told from multiple POVs over several days in December, which worked so well for letting the reader see into the depths of each character's diabolical self-centeredness. Seriously. What a bunch of self-centered narcissists this lot was! These characters each anointed themselves the center of the universe, and Good God, I didn't like a single one of them.

However, I absolutely LOVED how unhinged each of them became in their own way. It seemed secrets and betrayals dropped at every turn, and I wasn't sure WHO I was supposed to empathize with amongst these wild plotlines. Their unlikeability merely made their unhinged craziness even more entertaining...and I was here for every minute of it. With how unhinged everybody was for the entire book, I kinda hoped for a little more of an unhinged ending for everybody, but that didn't take away from the rest of the story for me.

This is now my second read from Alterman, and I'm learning she is the QUEEN of giving me unhinged and unlikeable characters that I somehow still care about. In a "it's-a-terrible-train-wreck-you-don't-wanna-look-but-you-look-anyway" kind of way. With this read, she's solidified herself as an auto-read author for me. This one is out at the end of March, but you can grab it on NetGalley now!

#YouShouldntHaveDoneThat #LizAlterman #InkubatorBooks #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #ARCs #thrillerreads #thrilleraddict #thrillerlover #twistythrillers #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. You Shouldn’t Have Done That by Liz Alterman is a suspenseful and gripping psychological thriller that explores the consequences of a single mistake. The story follows a woman whose life unravels after a seemingly small but impactful decision. Alterman’s writing is tense and engaging, keeping readers hooked with unexpected twists and a constant sense of dread. The characters are complex, and the plot builds steadily toward a shocking climax. Overall, You Shouldn’t Have Done That is an intense, fast-paced read perfect for fans of psychological thrillers with a touch of dark drama.

An excellent read for any and all readers! Author comes at you with both barrels and knocks you out of your shoes! Great job fleshing out all the characters. I give this book FIVE stars! Definitely recommend!