It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell Book Review: Nosy Neighbors & Dark Secrets
Author: Lisa Jewell
Publisher: Atria Books (Simon & Schuster)
Genres: Thriller, Psychological Suspense, Murder, Crime
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
My Rating: ☕︎ ☕︎ ☕︎ ☕︎ (4/5 Lattes)
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Everyone has secrets, but how far do you think someone would go to keep theirs buried? Lisa Jewell’s It Could Have Been Her will make you think twice about what’s really happening behind closed doors.
I’ve been a huge fan of hers ever since reading None of This Is True, which I LOVED, so I was thrilled to dive into her latest psychological thriller. It kept me on the edge of my seat and wondering where it was all headed.
What It’s About
The story follows Jane Trevally, who is out walking her dogs on her U.K. country estate when a small white terrier shows up alone, with no sign of the teenage girl who had been staying nearby with him. Jane attempts to return him to his owner, but is immediately unsettled when she arrives because she has a dark history with that same house. As she tries to find out what happened to the missing girl, secrets that someone works to keep buried start to surface.
What I Loved
The point of view shifts with each chapter, which kept me guessing and intrigued. Every time I thought I had a handle on what was going on, the next chapter made me rethink it. I’m a huge dog lover (and a dog mom myself), so Jane’s many dogs gave me all the warm and fuzzy feelings. She talks about them as if they’re her human children, which I 100% identified with (it made me giggle). In a book this dark, those moments were a welcome comfort.
The family at the center of the story is twisted, dark, messed up, scary…I could go on. This family is chilling and what they’re capable of was disturbing. The story is a good reminder that you never really know what’s going on and that people aren’t always what they appear to be. I’m so glad nosy people like Jane exist, because they’re often the ones who notice what everyone else overlooks and help bring dark secrets to light.
What Didn’t Work for Me
It got off to a bit of a slow start, and some of the early writing felt like a string of run-on sentences. This may have been intentional, since the style eventually settled into a more natural flow. Still, I felt the story could have been laid out a bit better overall. That’s the main reason it didn’t earn a perfect score from me.
Despite its slower start, I enjoyed this thriller and was glued to the pages once it got going. If you like domestic suspense with a creepy house at the center and a main character who can’t mind her own business (in the best way), this one’s for you. It’s also a good pick if you’re a Lisa Jewell fan like me. And, it’s a great read for Spooky Season!
Have you read It Could Have Been Her yet? Tell me your thoughts in the comments, and let me know which Lisa Jewell book I should read next!
Perfect for: Readers who love domestic suspense, creepy houses, and dark family secrets
Overall Vibes: Dark, twisty, and chilling, and a great pick for Spooky Season