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  • Published: 12 July 2022
  • ISBN: 9780786046690
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: $17.99

We Thought We Knew You




From one of America’s most celebrated true crime authorities, New York Times bestselling journalist M. William Phelps, the chilling investigation into the mysterious 2015 poisoning of a woman in upstate New York and a family plunged into a nightmare of backstabbing and vengeance…

New York Times bestselling author, television personality, and host of the #1 podcast "Paper Ghosts," M. William Phelps is one of America's most celebrated true crime authorities. In WE THOUGHT WE KNEW YOU, he takes readers deep into the murder of Mary Yoder, a popular wife, mother, and healer in Upstate New York -- telling a gripping tale of a family drama, a determined investigation, and a killer with the face of an angel.

In July 2015, Mary Yoder returned home from the chiropractic center that she operated with her husband, Bill, complaining that she felt unwell. Mary, health-conscious and vibrant, was suddenly vomiting, sweating, and weak. Doctors in the ER and ICU were baffled as to the cause of her rapidly progressing illness. Her loved ones--including Bill and their children, Adam, Tamryn, and Liana--gathered in shock to say goodbye.

In the weeks that followed Mary's death, the grief-stricken family received startling news from the medical examiner: Mary had been deliberately poisoned. The lethal substance was colchicine, a chemical used to treat gout but extremely toxic if not taken as prescribed. Mary did not have gout. Another bombshell followed when the local sheriff's office received a claim that Adam Yoder had poisoned his mother. But Adam was not the only person of interest in the case.

Pretty and popular Kaitlyn Conley, Adam's ex-girlfriend, worked at the Yoders' clinic. She'd even been at Mary's bedside during those last terrible hours. Still, some spoke of her talent for manipulation and a history of bizarre, rage-fueled behavior against anyone who dared to reject her.

Had Kaitlyn and Adam conspired to kill Mary Yoder, or was the killer someone else entirely?

In another twist, accusations were hurled at Bill Yoder himself, ricocheting blame in still another direction...

Renowned investigative journalist M. William Phelps details this incredible story piece by piece, revealing a heartless plan of revenge--a scheme that would tear a family apart, divide a community, and result in two gripping, high-profile trials.

  • Published: 12 July 2022
  • ISBN: 9780786046690
  • Imprint: Kensington
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 416
  • RRP: $17.99

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Praise for We Thought We Knew You

Praise for M. William Phelps
 
“Phelps knows how to work it, mainly by fleshing out…character with prurient details…and examples of…maddening game-playing.” The New York Times Book Review on Where Monsters Hide
 
“Phelps depicts Conley as a narcissist who feared losing control of Adam, and the book stridently calls out social media efforts to overturn her conviction of manslaughter. The author’s anger at Conley’s glamorization within the true crime community is palpable.” Library Journal on We Thought We Knew You
 
“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.” Publishers Weekly on We Thought We Knew You
 
“Sometimes truth really is stranger, and scarier, than fiction, as demonstrated by investigative reporter M. William Phelps’ Where Monsters HideThis is narrative nonfiction of the highest order, a sumptuously scintillating tale that greets us with the character types we’re used to seeing in the fiction of Lisa Gardner, Harlan Coben or Lisa Scottoline. Superb in all respects.” The Providence Journal on Where Monsters Hide
 
“Phelps is an expert in the world of true crime and the mind of a serial killer.” Library Journal
 
“Phelps is a true-crime veteran.” New York Post
 
“Phelps is one of America’s finest true-crime authors.” —Vincent Bugliosi
 
“M. William Phelps [is a] master of true crime.” Real Crime Magazine
 
“M. William Phelps dares to tread where few others will: into the mind of a killer.” TV Rage
 
“Phelps is the king of true crime." —Lynda Hirsch, Creators Syndicate columnist
 
“Phelps treads dangerous ground like an Amazon jungle guide—fearless, compassionate, insightful.” —Geoff Fitzpatrick,
Executive Producer of Dark Minds