As Far as She Knew

I’ve read and enjoyed two historical romances by Diana Quincy. Now she is publishing suspenseful women’s fiction as Diana Awad. Her first novel in this genre is As Far as She Knew, which came out at the beginning of April.

Amira Abadi has been in a happy marriage with Ali for over twenty years, and they have two kids in college now. But when Ali dies in a car crash, Amira’s world is turned upside down. Not only is she now a widow, she also finds out that her husband kept some major secrets from her… like the house he’s been paying for that she never knew about. Was he cheating on her? What else was he hiding? And why has someone been breaking into Amira’s house and looking through her husband’s things?

What I Liked:

• Strange twists and turns. As Far as She Knew moves at a measured pace, but it also keeps dropping in new surprises along the way. There are small scares, major secrets, and worries of betrayal. New names keep emerging, and different puzzle pieces don’t seem to fit together. It certainly kept me guessing until the end.
• Family importance and connections. This book fits into the category of domestic suspense, and at its core are two loving spouses and their kids. Amira cares deeply for her family and will do anything to protect them. She and Ali had an enviable relationship… but was it all Amira thought it was? How will Ali’s secrets ultimately impact those he left behind?
• Arab and Muslim customs. Amira’s identity comes up frequently throughout the book. She and Ali are Palestinian American and Muslim, and as such have certain beliefs and cultural practices. In fact, their relationship was initially built exactly on those values. I’m neither Arab nor Muslim, but I enjoyed getting this insight into the culture and changing viewpoints.
• Do you really know the person you’re married to? At its core, this is the question Amira must answer. Did she really know her husband like she thought she did? Was their marriage as real as she believed, or was it built on lies? How do past memories appear differently with this new knowledge she’s gaining? Can we ever know all of someone?

What Didn’t Work for Me:

• Slow pace. As Far as She Knew isn’t a fast, heart-pounding thriller. Instead, it feels more like women’s fiction—with all its introspection and emotion—with elements of surprise and suspense. Sometimes it felt a tad repetitive or unnecessarily restrained. This pacing may not work for readers looking for something more gripping.
• There were too many disjointed pieces. For much of the last third of the book, it felt like the many different clues and characters would never fit together neatly. Although it actually came together quite well by the very end, I found myself frustrated by the odd overlaps and disconnected threads along the way.

Audiobook:

Lameece Issaq does a great job of narrating As Far as She Knew. She captures Amira’s personality well, and I appreciated the pronunciation she gave to Arab names and words. The audiobook was well done and held my interest until the end.

Final Thoughts

As Far as She Knew is a slow-burn but shocking work of suspenseful women’s fiction. I don’t read much domestic suspense myself, but overall I enjoyed this story of marital secrets infused with Palestinian American culture. I’m curious to see what more suspense Diana Awad will craft, and I look forward to her next novel, He’ll Never Tell, due out in 2027.

Special thanks to Mindy’s Book Studio, Brilliance Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy As Far as She Knew here – it’s available as a hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook.

As Far as She Knew by Diana Awad
Audiobook Narrator	Lameece Issaq
Audience	Adult
Genre	Mystery; Suspense; Women’s Fiction
Setting	Virginia
Number of Pages	333
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	April 1, 2026
Publisher	Mindy’s Book Studio

Official Summary

“A masterful exploration of marriage, secrets, and identity that will leave you questioning how well you really know those closest to you. Diana Awad crafts a thriller that is both heart-stopping and heartbreaking.” ―Mindy Kaling

A devoted wife and mother unravels her late husband’s secret life in an emotional and suspenseful novel about betrayal, lies, love, and loss.

For twenty-three years, Amira Abadi believed she had a strong, loving marriage. But when her husband, Ali, dies suddenly, that certainty shatters with the discovery of a house she never knew existed. As whispers of betrayal spread through their tight-knit Arab American community, Amira refuses to let others define her husband’s legacy―or her path forward.

Diving into an investigation of Ali’s final days, Amira uncovers decades-old secrets that challenge everything she thought she knew. With her children struggling to process their father’s death, Amira must balance protecting her family with pursuing the truth, even as each revelation brings her closer to danger.

As Amira peels back layers of lies, she discovers that the greatest mystery isn’t what her husband was hiding―it’s how far she’ll go to uncover the truth.