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Jo Boden #0
It Should Have Been Me
A Prequel to The Detective Jo Boden Case Files – an updated new edition for 2023.
A murdered sister, a killer released from jail, a cop in a deadly battle to uncover the truth .
DC Jo Boden was eleven years old when her older sister, Sarah, was brutally murdered during her first year at university. Sarah’s boyfriend, Nathan Wade, was convicted of the killing.
Now, sixteen years later, Wade is being released on licence and documentary filmmaker, Briony Rowe, insists she can prove his innocence.
Broken by the tragedy, the Boden family has remained convinced that Wade is guilty. But Jo, who grew up believing her big sister was perfect, is persuaded to examine the evidence that put him behind bars.
Digging into the past, she discovers Sarah harboured some dark secrets of her own. But for her killer, it’s never been over. And he has Jo firmly in his sights.
It Should Have Been Me is a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller, set in the contrasting worlds of television and a high-stakes police operation, but with a family tragedy at its heart.
'A first-rate thriller, tense and twisty . . . Susan Wilkins is a writer at the very top of her game' - Elly Griffiths
'Dark and gripping from first page to last, this is Susan Wilkins at her nail-biting best' - Jessie Keane
A murdered sister, a killer released from jail, a cop in a deadly battle to uncover the truth .
DC Jo Boden was eleven years old when her older sister, Sarah, was brutally murdered during her first year at university. Sarah’s boyfriend, Nathan Wade, was convicted of the killing.
Now, sixteen years later, Wade is being released on licence and documentary filmmaker, Briony Rowe, insists she can prove his innocence.
Broken by the tragedy, the Boden family has remained convinced that Wade is guilty. But Jo, who grew up believing her big sister was perfect, is persuaded to examine the evidence that put him behind bars.
Digging into the past, she discovers Sarah harboured some dark secrets of her own. But for her killer, it’s never been over. And he has Jo firmly in his sights.
It Should Have Been Me is a gripping, fast-paced psychological thriller, set in the contrasting worlds of television and a high-stakes police operation, but with a family tragedy at its heart.
'A first-rate thriller, tense and twisty . . . Susan Wilkins is a writer at the very top of her game' - Elly Griffiths
'Dark and gripping from first page to last, this is Susan Wilkins at her nail-biting best' - Jessie Keane
436 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2018
1406 people are currently reading
3126 people want to read
About the author
Susan Wilkins
16 books137 followersI’m Susan Wilkins, a television writer turned novelist, and I write crime thrillers that dig deep into human psychology.
How do ordinary people end up on the wrong side of the law? That’s what I’m always asking. The characters are central to all my stories. The protagonists tend to be female, but not always, and I specialise in female detectives.
I grew up in Essex, studied Law, but spent twenty-five years writing television drama. I have over 130 broadcast credits to my name, including Casualty and Holby City, Heartbeat, Coronation Street and Eastenders, Footballers’ Wives, Dangerfield and Down to Earth, and I created the pioneering BBC detective drama South of the Border. This was the best education anyone could have in how to craft a gripping, page turning story.
I’ve moved around a lot in my life, within the UK and abroad. But now I’m settled in Devon. I walk by the sea every day and drink too much coffee.
If you’d like to find out more about my writing and keep in touch with my latest news, exclusive content and giveaways, visit susanwilkins.co.uk
How do ordinary people end up on the wrong side of the law? That’s what I’m always asking. The characters are central to all my stories. The protagonists tend to be female, but not always, and I specialise in female detectives.
I grew up in Essex, studied Law, but spent twenty-five years writing television drama. I have over 130 broadcast credits to my name, including Casualty and Holby City, Heartbeat, Coronation Street and Eastenders, Footballers’ Wives, Dangerfield and Down to Earth, and I created the pioneering BBC detective drama South of the Border. This was the best education anyone could have in how to craft a gripping, page turning story.
I’ve moved around a lot in my life, within the UK and abroad. But now I’m settled in Devon. I walk by the sea every day and drink too much coffee.
If you’d like to find out more about my writing and keep in touch with my latest news, exclusive content and giveaways, visit susanwilkins.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
March 10, 2022
I was missing something from this, was not fully invested and will rate this 2.5 stars rounded up, by no means was this edge of your seat stuff.
Jo Boden was 11 years old when her older sister was murdered, now she is a 28 year old Detective Constable dealing with the perpetrator being released from prison on parole. All is not as it seems and while investigating another matter under cover things go awry when it is evident the person sent to prison all those years ago was not the guilty one after all.
This was an audio read, the narration was good, but I did find character development lacking, and not a lot of investment, for me, in the story line with the ending also falling flat.
Jo Boden was 11 years old when her older sister was murdered, now she is a 28 year old Detective Constable dealing with the perpetrator being released from prison on parole. All is not as it seems and while investigating another matter under cover things go awry when it is evident the person sent to prison all those years ago was not the guilty one after all.
This was an audio read, the narration was good, but I did find character development lacking, and not a lot of investment, for me, in the story line with the ending also falling flat.
May 19, 2019
Any interesting premise that has tapped into the success of our fascination with true crime documentaries and the search for justice.
It’s been sixteen years since DC Jo Boden’s older sister Sarah was brutally murdered at university.
Now Sarah’s boyfriend Nathan who’d been convicted of the killing is about to be released on licence.
Whilst documentary film maker Briony Rowe reckons she can prove his innocence...
Their was so many good elements to this story, so I was quite surprised that it didn’t really hook me.
I liked both Jo and her mum Alison and how the news of Nathan’s release had opened up old wounds.
I think the other side characters were too uninteresting though and made the story drag at times.
I was enjoying it enough to want to continue and was glad that I did...
It’s been sixteen years since DC Jo Boden’s older sister Sarah was brutally murdered at university.
Now Sarah’s boyfriend Nathan who’d been convicted of the killing is about to be released on licence.
Whilst documentary film maker Briony Rowe reckons she can prove his innocence...
Their was so many good elements to this story, so I was quite surprised that it didn’t really hook me.
I liked both Jo and her mum Alison and how the news of Nathan’s release had opened up old wounds.
I think the other side characters were too uninteresting though and made the story drag at times.
I was enjoying it enough to want to continue and was glad that I did...
January 6, 2025
It Should Have Been Me is a prequel in the Jo Boden series by British author, Susan Wilkins. When she was eleven years old, Detective Constable Jo Boden’s sister Sarah, in her first year at Uni, was murdered. Despite maintaining that he had no memory of any crime, was zonked out on dope, her boyfriend Nathan Wade was convicted and sentenced. Almost seventeen years after Sarah’s death, Nathan has served his non-parole period and is being released on licence.
Already mentally frail after the loss of her daughter, Alison Boden is distraught at the prospect of his imminent release. Jo knows the last thing she needs is an encounter with film-maker Briony Rowe, who claims she was Sarah’s friend, purports to know who really killed her, and is running a campaign to reverse the miscarriage of justice to which Wade was subjected.
In addition to handling all that, Jo is trying to impress in her new undercover position trapping an arms smuggler, when she learns she is the target of Albanian criminals due to a rather reckless act during her last surveillance operation.
At her mother’s insistence, Jo finds herself reluctantly meeting with Briony, as well as the producers and eventually, Wade himself. Jo remains unconvinced, but the seeds of doubt are sown and, when she reads Sarah’s journals, she finds a sister rather different from the perfect daughter her mother described.
The story is told from a number of perspectives, and includes letters from Sarah to Jo, Sarah’s journal entries and an anonymous, ambiguous narrative which is particularly chilling. As the story progresses, there’s a slain cat on a doorstep, an acid attack and an apparent suicide that which has the victim’s friends highly sceptical.
Wilkins throws in red herrings, twists and distractions, so the potential list of perpetrators for various acts grows longer and reader is kept guessing right up to the final chapters. This is a thoroughly gripping British crime thriller.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by the author.
Already mentally frail after the loss of her daughter, Alison Boden is distraught at the prospect of his imminent release. Jo knows the last thing she needs is an encounter with film-maker Briony Rowe, who claims she was Sarah’s friend, purports to know who really killed her, and is running a campaign to reverse the miscarriage of justice to which Wade was subjected.
In addition to handling all that, Jo is trying to impress in her new undercover position trapping an arms smuggler, when she learns she is the target of Albanian criminals due to a rather reckless act during her last surveillance operation.
At her mother’s insistence, Jo finds herself reluctantly meeting with Briony, as well as the producers and eventually, Wade himself. Jo remains unconvinced, but the seeds of doubt are sown and, when she reads Sarah’s journals, she finds a sister rather different from the perfect daughter her mother described.
The story is told from a number of perspectives, and includes letters from Sarah to Jo, Sarah’s journal entries and an anonymous, ambiguous narrative which is particularly chilling. As the story progresses, there’s a slain cat on a doorstep, an acid attack and an apparent suicide that which has the victim’s friends highly sceptical.
Wilkins throws in red herrings, twists and distractions, so the potential list of perpetrators for various acts grows longer and reader is kept guessing right up to the final chapters. This is a thoroughly gripping British crime thriller.
This unbiased review is from a copy provided by the author.
February 15, 2019
DC Jo Boden was eleven years old when her older sister, Sarah, was brutally murdered during her first year at University. Her boyfriend, Nathan Wade, was convicted of the killing. Now, sixteen years later, Wade is being released on licence and documentary film-maker, Briony Rowe, says she can prove his innocence.
From the description this book sounded like something right up my street, oh I was to be proved wrong. The easiest way to describe this book is beige, everything about it is just beige, the plot, the characters, the supposed excitement, none of it was brought to life, none of it thriller or excited me and this is a book I will easily forget and want to forget even quicker.
For me, the fundamental error lies with the two plot threads, I will not go into detail, but suffice to say one is a lot stronger than the other, one could carry the book all on its own without the unnecessary second plot and I probably would have enjoyed the book a lot more had the stronger thread been the only plot line. In my opinion, the secondary plot thread does not add anything to the book, just detracts what little excitement the book held. This was a real shame but I promise I am not exaggerating when I was not excited by this book at all.
The other problem lies with the characters and my lack of connection with them. I did not feel anything for them, literally did not care what happened to them. I am always going to struggle to enjoy a book when I have zero connection to the characters I am supposed to be invested in. Jo is nearly there but there is something missing from her that means I never fully got her or her story. Everything was just a real shame.
I think this book could have been something but what we are left with is a dull tangle of plot threads. Wilkins definitely tried to do too much unnecessarily and this could have been vastly improved by focusing on the main, most interesting plot thread that actually holds a lot of potential.
From the description this book sounded like something right up my street, oh I was to be proved wrong. The easiest way to describe this book is beige, everything about it is just beige, the plot, the characters, the supposed excitement, none of it was brought to life, none of it thriller or excited me and this is a book I will easily forget and want to forget even quicker.
For me, the fundamental error lies with the two plot threads, I will not go into detail, but suffice to say one is a lot stronger than the other, one could carry the book all on its own without the unnecessary second plot and I probably would have enjoyed the book a lot more had the stronger thread been the only plot line. In my opinion, the secondary plot thread does not add anything to the book, just detracts what little excitement the book held. This was a real shame but I promise I am not exaggerating when I was not excited by this book at all.
The other problem lies with the characters and my lack of connection with them. I did not feel anything for them, literally did not care what happened to them. I am always going to struggle to enjoy a book when I have zero connection to the characters I am supposed to be invested in. Jo is nearly there but there is something missing from her that means I never fully got her or her story. Everything was just a real shame.
I think this book could have been something but what we are left with is a dull tangle of plot threads. Wilkins definitely tried to do too much unnecessarily and this could have been vastly improved by focusing on the main, most interesting plot thread that actually holds a lot of potential.
April 30, 2021
Took a very long time to get interesting, but after the halfway point the plot picks up and it becomes quite gripping. Its just a shame the lead character isn't that likeable. I don't know if it's intentional and a bad choice, or if the author's prejudices are leaking through, but the excessive and unnecessary use of the word Dyke, and the way the book frames a character as annoying and unlikeable simply by virtue of being fat and shy, is very off-putting. It makes it hard to root for the character when she's got such a nasty streak.
April 22, 2019
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
I really enjoyed this well-written novel, featuring a likable main character DC Jo Boden whose sister Sarah was murdered 16 years ago. Her family is approached to make a documentary about the impending release of Nathan Wade, who has been in prison for her murder, as a filmmaker believes he was wrongly convicted.
What follows is a twisting tale that covers multiple narratives alongside the investigation into Sarah's death all those years ago, and I really liked the various elements - Jo is seconded into a different department at work where she goes undercover, and that was a really interesting part of the plot to read about, as is her relationship with her team at work and with her mum and dad. I also loved reading about the process leading up to getting the documentary filmed - I am a huge fan of TV series such as Making A Murderer and The Staircase, and these topics for TV shows/ documentaries are so topical at the moment.
The plot moved at just the right pace, without feeling rushed or too slow, and the characters - although certainly not all likeable - were quite convincing in that they didn't all end up fitting too neatly into 'good' or 'bad' categories.
There were some elements of the plot towards the end which I wished had been different, but I felt that the writing in this novel is brilliant and, as someone who hasn't read anything by Susan Wilkins before, it certainly left me wanting to read more (I was also hoping that this might be the start of a new series, as I really liked DC Jo, but I don't think this is the case...)
I really enjoyed this well-written novel, featuring a likable main character DC Jo Boden whose sister Sarah was murdered 16 years ago. Her family is approached to make a documentary about the impending release of Nathan Wade, who has been in prison for her murder, as a filmmaker believes he was wrongly convicted.
What follows is a twisting tale that covers multiple narratives alongside the investigation into Sarah's death all those years ago, and I really liked the various elements - Jo is seconded into a different department at work where she goes undercover, and that was a really interesting part of the plot to read about, as is her relationship with her team at work and with her mum and dad. I also loved reading about the process leading up to getting the documentary filmed - I am a huge fan of TV series such as Making A Murderer and The Staircase, and these topics for TV shows/ documentaries are so topical at the moment.
The plot moved at just the right pace, without feeling rushed or too slow, and the characters - although certainly not all likeable - were quite convincing in that they didn't all end up fitting too neatly into 'good' or 'bad' categories.
There were some elements of the plot towards the end which I wished had been different, but I felt that the writing in this novel is brilliant and, as someone who hasn't read anything by Susan Wilkins before, it certainly left me wanting to read more (I was also hoping that this might be the start of a new series, as I really liked DC Jo, but I don't think this is the case...)
February 18, 2019
I seem to be in the minority with this one. (Not unusual) The book was good. Not awful, but certainly not groundbreaking or exceptional. No mind blowing plot twists, no standout characters. Well-written enough, but in my opinion- the potential for greatness was usurped by an overall blandness.
April 9, 2021
This was hard to get into in the first instance, the flow was a little slow until it found its feet, then went full throttle, but the ending didn't really deliver what it promised. However, I still enjoyed it, just didn't love it. DC Jo Boden is presented with a documentary maker who is hell-bent on proving that the man convicted and being released from prison for the murder of her sister is actually innocent. Jo finds herself being drawn in, despite her initial hesitation and denial, and as she looks at the evidence and it doesn't stack up, she finds herself on her sister's ex's side.
January 9, 2020
Fast paced and thrilling
June 1, 2020
DC Jo Boden's older sister, Sarah, was killed during her first year at University. Sarah's boyfriend, Nathan Wade, was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to sixteen years in prison. Now, sixteen years later, Wade is due to be released on licence and a fellow student from those days, Briony Rowe, says she believes Wade is innocent and that another man killed Sarah.
The blurb made it sound an interesting book, but it was rather bleurgh. Not of the characters were particularly nice, the guilty party was obvious before halfway through, and I didn't really care about Jo at all. She made some completely stupid decisions and failed to see what was right in front of her. Very disappointing.
The blurb made it sound an interesting book, but it was rather bleurgh. Not of the characters were particularly nice, the guilty party was obvious before halfway through, and I didn't really care about Jo at all. She made some completely stupid decisions and failed to see what was right in front of her. Very disappointing.
May 22, 2021
Oh what a cliff hanger that was! I really enjoyed all the character interactions and trying to solve the crime, which I thought I had done by around page 220 then a dozen or so pages on a comment changed my mind but it really kept me hanging till not far from the end. The ending was both dramatic and exciting.
March 6, 2019
Such an underwhelming conclusion.
None of the characters were likeable and the plot was not plausible. The secondary plot with the Albanians was completely unnecessary.
None of the characters were likeable and the plot was not plausible. The secondary plot with the Albanians was completely unnecessary.
April 24, 2019
2.5*
I started listening to this just because it was available at the time and it stopped me from getting bored on a long bus journey. It was okay. I quite liked the main plot line but then there was also 2 other story lines randomly thrown in to fill out the book and it just kept distracting me from the main story.
I might read more from this author if the books are available but I don't think I'll go out of my way to find them.
I started listening to this just because it was available at the time and it stopped me from getting bored on a long bus journey. It was okay. I quite liked the main plot line but then there was also 2 other story lines randomly thrown in to fill out the book and it just kept distracting me from the main story.
I might read more from this author if the books are available but I don't think I'll go out of my way to find them.
April 26, 2019
Audio version of this book 📚- bit of a slow starter and a little disjointed in places but came good in the end . Narration was ok though for some reason the narrator kept whispering for some reason making it hard to hear.
April 5, 2021
Thoroughly enjoyed this book and did NOT want to put it down! Would have given 5 stars, but I guessed what would happen about half way in. Being careful here not to give anything away!
Book was not exactly what I expected from the blurb on the back - it was far far better than that!
Book was not exactly what I expected from the blurb on the back - it was far far better than that!
July 8, 2024
An audiobook which I thoroughly enjoyed- I had worked out who the murderer was but not his full reasoning for committing such an awful crime.
As this is a prequel I will look for other books by this author be it audio or proper book.
As this is a prequel I will look for other books by this author be it audio or proper book.
April 2, 2019
Don’t really know what to say about this one.
Tried reading the actual book but couldn’t get into it so thought I would try the audio book. This was better.
But I just found this book all over the place and didn’t have a clear focus which meant that I lost focus!
Disappointing as it has such a cool premise!
Tried reading the actual book but couldn’t get into it so thought I would try the audio book. This was better.
But I just found this book all over the place and didn’t have a clear focus which meant that I lost focus!
Disappointing as it has such a cool premise!
January 5, 2019
4.5 Stars
Jo Boden is a budding young detective with The Met Police and her life appears to be thriving when she finds out the man convicted of her sister's murder is about to be released from prison. Jo was a child when Sarah was killed and it clearly had a big impact on Jo who has since built a career and good reputation in the police.
Nathan Wade is released from prison and Jo's mother is taken in by the story that Briony Rowe, a fledgling film maker in the vein of Serial et al, weaves to get her story. Jo isn't convinced and is torn between wanting to move on and the guilt of wondering if Sarah's killer is really still out there. Jo then gradually gets taken in by Briony's investigation which makes her question the solidity of Wade's conviction, which is when she starts to delve into the story herself. That's where Jo becomes unsure of everything she has ever believed about the murder and about who she can really trust.
The characterisation of Jo is really well crafted and you see her transform from a confident and capable detective to someone with vulnerabilities and being unsure of her whole history, who is on her side and who has ulterior motives. Briony Rowe is also an intriguing character and her own insecurities keep you guessing as to her allegiances and intentions. Nathan Wade is an odd loner and we are torn between believing he is innocent and has spent sixteen years in prison for a crime he didn't commit him being the cold blooded killer. The plot is really well structured and is intertwined with a subplot whereby Jo goes undercover in a human trafficking investigation and where she and those around her are put in serious jeopardy.
The book begins and ends with enthralling action scenes and the tightly woven plot lines provide conflict and tension throughout. If you like your books to be fast paced thrillers packed with action and engaging characters this is one for you.
See the full review and others at thebookspine.com Follow me on Twitter @the_book_spine
Jo Boden is a budding young detective with The Met Police and her life appears to be thriving when she finds out the man convicted of her sister's murder is about to be released from prison. Jo was a child when Sarah was killed and it clearly had a big impact on Jo who has since built a career and good reputation in the police.
Nathan Wade is released from prison and Jo's mother is taken in by the story that Briony Rowe, a fledgling film maker in the vein of Serial et al, weaves to get her story. Jo isn't convinced and is torn between wanting to move on and the guilt of wondering if Sarah's killer is really still out there. Jo then gradually gets taken in by Briony's investigation which makes her question the solidity of Wade's conviction, which is when she starts to delve into the story herself. That's where Jo becomes unsure of everything she has ever believed about the murder and about who she can really trust.
The characterisation of Jo is really well crafted and you see her transform from a confident and capable detective to someone with vulnerabilities and being unsure of her whole history, who is on her side and who has ulterior motives. Briony Rowe is also an intriguing character and her own insecurities keep you guessing as to her allegiances and intentions. Nathan Wade is an odd loner and we are torn between believing he is innocent and has spent sixteen years in prison for a crime he didn't commit him being the cold blooded killer. The plot is really well structured and is intertwined with a subplot whereby Jo goes undercover in a human trafficking investigation and where she and those around her are put in serious jeopardy.
The book begins and ends with enthralling action scenes and the tightly woven plot lines provide conflict and tension throughout. If you like your books to be fast paced thrillers packed with action and engaging characters this is one for you.
See the full review and others at thebookspine.com Follow me on Twitter @the_book_spine
January 6, 2025
It Should Have Been Me is a full-length prequel in the Jo Boden series by British author, Susan Wilkins. The audio version is narrated by Lucy Brownhill and Colin Mace. When she was eleven years old, Detective Constable Jo Boden’s sister Sarah, in her first year at Uni, was murdered. Despite maintaining that he had no memory of any crime, was zonked out on dope, her boyfriend Nathan Wade was convicted and sentenced. Almost seventeen years after Sarah’s death, Nathan has served his non-parole period and is being released on licence.
Already mentally frail after the loss of her daughter, Alison Boden is distraught at the prospect of his imminent release. Jo knows the last thing she needs is an encounter with film-maker Briony Rowe, who claims she was Sarah’s friend, purports to know who really killed her, and is running a campaign to reverse the miscarriage of justice to which Wade was subjected.
In addition to handling all that, Jo is trying to impress in her new undercover position trapping an arms smuggler, when she learns she is the target of Albanian criminals due to a rather reckless act during her last surveillance operation.
At her mother’s insistence, Jo finds herself reluctantly meeting with Briony, as well as the producers and eventually, Wade himself. Jo remains unconvinced, but the seeds of doubt are sown and, when she reads Sarah’s journals, she finds a sister rather different from the perfect daughter her mother described.
The story is told from a number of perspectives, and includes letters from Sarah to Jo, Sarah’s journal entries and an anonymous, ambiguous narrative which is particularly chilling. As the story progresses, there’s a slain cat on a doorstep, an acid attack and an apparent suicide that which has the victim’s friends highly sceptical.
Wilkins throws in red herrings, twists and distractions, so the potential list of perpetrators for various acts grows longer and reader is kept guessing right up to the final chapters. This is a thoroughly gripping British crime thriller.
Already mentally frail after the loss of her daughter, Alison Boden is distraught at the prospect of his imminent release. Jo knows the last thing she needs is an encounter with film-maker Briony Rowe, who claims she was Sarah’s friend, purports to know who really killed her, and is running a campaign to reverse the miscarriage of justice to which Wade was subjected.
In addition to handling all that, Jo is trying to impress in her new undercover position trapping an arms smuggler, when she learns she is the target of Albanian criminals due to a rather reckless act during her last surveillance operation.
At her mother’s insistence, Jo finds herself reluctantly meeting with Briony, as well as the producers and eventually, Wade himself. Jo remains unconvinced, but the seeds of doubt are sown and, when she reads Sarah’s journals, she finds a sister rather different from the perfect daughter her mother described.
The story is told from a number of perspectives, and includes letters from Sarah to Jo, Sarah’s journal entries and an anonymous, ambiguous narrative which is particularly chilling. As the story progresses, there’s a slain cat on a doorstep, an acid attack and an apparent suicide that which has the victim’s friends highly sceptical.
Wilkins throws in red herrings, twists and distractions, so the potential list of perpetrators for various acts grows longer and reader is kept guessing right up to the final chapters. This is a thoroughly gripping British crime thriller.
December 10, 2023
I found the Jo's preoccupation with her sisters death a bit over the top -Sarah had not been the person she believed her to be -and that became part of her quest-to determine what was real and what was twisted by her friends as well as her parents in their retelling of Sarah's story. Having her supposed killer released after serving his sentence introduced new possibilities. A film maker wanting to pursue other avenues creates a situation that unearths more questions than answers. Also on a personal level Jo has to sort through her own bias and find her own identity -as per her relationships with both her Mother and Father. I enjoyed the red herrings along the way -though the end was not surprising to this reader. It was entertaining for sure-
December 14, 2023
The story is compelling. The premise is interesting, and the novel starts out strong. There are some moments that left me questioning if some of the chapters were filler, simply trying to meet a page limit, as the information did not appear to be important to the overall story and development of the main character. However, sitting with the book for a little longer, it became clearer. The novel is not simply a whodunit but rather places a lot of emphasis on the different ways we grieve. Even if the loss was decades ago, it always stays and has an impact on you, whether you acknowledge it or not.
April 1, 2020
First crime thriller that I've touched and after watching The Stranger (Harlan Coben) on Netflix (2020), I noticed so many connections. I was quite satisfied with the book, though the plot did slow down in some sections of the book and I felt some parts dragged but to be honest, it was a very nice read for a beginner into the crime genre. When I came on goodreads after reading the book, I saw that many people didn't like the book - it may be because they are more familiar with this genre. But it's a recommende for anyone willing to give crime fiction a go.
April 9, 2021
I did enjoy this book, pretty standard crime thriller, it kept my attention and I had no problems finishing it but would really of liked to hear more from the past the diary entries seemed to suddenly stop and I think it would have been more gripping if we got to know Sarah more through these, I felt the ending was a little rushed and could of done with an extra chapter or two to really wrap things up
May 6, 2021
It’s been sixteen years since DC Jo Bowden’s sister was murdered whilst at university. The man convicted of her murder is about to be released, but did he actually do it and will Jo accept her sister might not have been as perfect as she thought.
It should have been me is a clever and gripping psychological thriller and definitely one of my favourite reads in a long time! Really enjoyed Wilkins writing and depth in the characters. Highly recommend!
It should have been me is a clever and gripping psychological thriller and definitely one of my favourite reads in a long time! Really enjoyed Wilkins writing and depth in the characters. Highly recommend!
July 10, 2021
I did enjoy this book, a pretty standard crime thriller, it kept my attention and I had no problems finishing it.
Took a very long time to get interesting, around the half away point the plot picks up and becomes very gripping. There was a lot of twists and turns in the second part but enjoyed it.
Would of like to hear more from the past and diary entries, so we could get to know Sarah more through these. But overall the book was alright.
Took a very long time to get interesting, around the half away point the plot picks up and becomes very gripping. There was a lot of twists and turns in the second part but enjoyed it.
Would of like to hear more from the past and diary entries, so we could get to know Sarah more through these. But overall the book was alright.
December 7, 2023
I almost DNF this book. I kept thinking it was going to pick up speed. I wasn’t attached to the characters at all. I didn’t like the second plot. To me it just made it drag on and it really didn’t fit in with the original plot. I finished it because I was scared I would miss something by not finishing it, but sadly I didn’t. It wasn’t for me, but reader preference is individual and I wouldn’t discourage anyone from reading it.
February 9, 2024
I read this on Kindle, but it wouldn't let me change the edition. I really enjoyed this one, a good thriller/detective mystery with a lead female detective. I liked the characters a lot for the most part, although Jo made some choices that I thought were dumb for a strong female, but who am I to judge, hahahaha. I know this is the prequel to a 5 book series and I've already downloaded book 1. I am looking forward to more thrills with Jo!
June 11, 2025
🎧 The blurb sounded interesting but I just felt it was missing something throughout and it felt like it was a little all over the place. It was an extreme slow burn and never really got going. Jo didn’t really live up to a strong female detective as characters go. I didn’t really care for any of the characters and felt they needed more development. I found the outcome a little underwhelming and unbelievable. This one was just meh…
2.5/5 🌟🌟/🌟
2.5/5 🌟🌟/🌟
February 3, 2019
DC Jo Boden's sister was murdered when she was eleven years old. Its now sixteen years later and she learns that her sisters killer is to be released from prison.
This story moves along at a fast pace and holds the reader's attention. The story is well structured and the story running alongside is believable.
This novel will keep you guessing until the end.
This story moves along at a fast pace and holds the reader's attention. The story is well structured and the story running alongside is believable.
This novel will keep you guessing until the end.
May 24, 2021
Wilkins has crafted a perfectly wrapped up mystery! This novel had twisty plots and well written characters. 'It Should Have Been Me' had moments typical of a thriller whilst having elements of a true crime documentary - something I have not come across before! Would definitely recommend this one to fans of a crime thriller.
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