We Thought We Knew You
A Terrifying True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Deception, and Murder
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4.5 • 11 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
In this chilling true crime thriller by New York Times bestselling journalist M. William Phelps, a woman’s mysterious death in upstate New York plunges her family into a nightmare of accusations and vengeance.
In July 2015, Mary Yoder fell ill in the chiropractic center she operated with her husband, Bill. Doctors in the ER and ICU were baffled—and unable to save her life. Weeks later, her family received startling news from the medical examiner: Mary had been deliberately poisoned. Another shock followed when the local sheriff received a claim that Adam Yoder had poisoned his mother. But Adam was not the only person of interest . . .
Kaitlyn Conley, Adam’s ex-girlfriend, worked at the Yoders’ clinic and was at Mary’s bedside during her last hours. Still, some spoke of her history of rage-fueled behavior. Had Kaitlyn and Adam conspired to kill Mary? Yet another suspect emerged when accusations were hurled at grieving husband Bill Yoder . . .
M. William Phelps unravels a twisting trail of evidence to reveal the heartless scheme that tore a family apart, divided a community, and culminated in two gripping, high-profile trials.
“Phelps is the Harlan Coben of real-life thrillers.”
—Allison Brennan
“Phelps knows how to work it.”
—Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times Book Review
“Anything by Phelps is an eye-opening experience.”
—Suspense Magazine
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this well-researched if uneven account, Phelps (The Killing Kind) delves into the murder of 60-year-old Mary Yoder. On July 20, 2015, Mary returned home from the chiropractic clinic she shared with her husband in Utica, N.Y., complaining of severe stomach pain. She died two days later of suspected poisoning, though it would take time before the authorities could identify the particular toxin. At first, the police suspected her son, Adam, but evidence emerged that 24-year-old Kaitlyn Conley, Adam's ex-girlfriend and a receptionist at the clinic, was the culprit. Her desire to get back at Adam after their breakup was the apparent motive. Kaitlyn's first trial ended in a mistrial; in her second trial, she was convicted of first-degree manslaughter and sentenced to 23 years in prison. The descriptions of the principal players aren't particularly vivid, and pedestrian, repetitive prose slows the initial background about the Yoder family. The pace picks up in the chapters covering the trials, which are enlivened by quotes from the lawyers, and Phelps does a good job exposing the way reality TV coverage can influence and indeed corrupt perceptions of guilt and innocence. True crime and popular culture fans will be fascinated.
