When a senator’s aide is literally hit by a bus, Lena is suspicious. Years ago, she was smitten with the same politician, back when they were both young activists fighting the repressive regime of an unnamed island country—but a sudden act of violence brought their budding romance to an unceremonious end. Is he responsible for the aide’s death as well? And is Lena complicit after staying silent about what he did to her? Idra Novey’s Those Who Knew has a ripped-from-the-headlines quality, and despite the fact that you’ll likely be able to guess the ending as easily as a Law & Order episode, she does a deft job of mining the payoffs, and pitfalls, of speaking truth to power. A timely, insightful, and satisfying read. —Erin Kodicek, Amazon Book Review