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Nominee for the 2026 Goodreads Choice Awards
It Could Have Been Her
Lisa Jewell brings the suspense to this shocking new thriller about a lost dog, a missing woman, and a house of long buried secrets.
Jane Trevally is walking her dogs on her country estate when a small white terrier appears, alone and with no sign of the teenaged girl he’d been staying with nearby. When the teenager is reported missing, Jane offers to return the dog to his registered owner, hours away in London. Arriving at a run-down house called Thornwood in the deepest backwaters of Hampstead, she is immediately on alert—because Jane has a dark history with this house.
The man who answers the door is not the man that Jane remembers from her past. He is cagey, and claims to know nothing about the missing teenage girl. Then, through the window of the house, Jane catches a glimpse of a haunted-looking woman.
Conjuring her memories from twenty-five years ago, Jane knows this unsettling house holds the key—to the missing teenager, to her own traumatic story, and to the dark secrets of the past.
Jane Trevally is walking her dogs on her country estate when a small white terrier appears, alone and with no sign of the teenaged girl he’d been staying with nearby. When the teenager is reported missing, Jane offers to return the dog to his registered owner, hours away in London. Arriving at a run-down house called Thornwood in the deepest backwaters of Hampstead, she is immediately on alert—because Jane has a dark history with this house.
The man who answers the door is not the man that Jane remembers from her past. He is cagey, and claims to know nothing about the missing teenage girl. Then, through the window of the house, Jane catches a glimpse of a haunted-looking woman.
Conjuring her memories from twenty-five years ago, Jane knows this unsettling house holds the key—to the missing teenager, to her own traumatic story, and to the dark secrets of the past.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 23, 2026
About the author
Lisa Jewell
94 books98.7k followersLISA JEWELL was born in London in 1968.
Her first novel, Ralph's Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared.
Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters and the best dog in the world.
Lisa's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff...
Her first novel, Ralph's Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs and The Night She Disappeared.
Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over twenty-five languages. She lives in north London with her husband, two teenage daughters and the best dog in the world.
Lisa's Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/LisaJewelloff...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 9,790 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
— 3/5 stars
If you know me, you know how much I love thrillers and Lisa Jewell’s books especially. I genuinely adore her writing, and the premise of this book immediately caught my attention. It felt fresh and different, something I hadn’t really read before, so my curiosity was already at its peak. When I received the ARC, I was honestly over the moon. I was so excited, so grateful, and fully ready to dive in.
That being said, this book didn’t completely work for me in the way I expected it to. The pacing threw me off a little. I’m someone who loves fast-paced thrillers, the kind that pull you in within a chapter or two and don’t let go. This one took its time and I mean a lot of time. It took me nearly 50%-60% of the book, roughly around 150 pages, to fully settle into the story. I found myself constantly trying to figure out who was who and what role each character played, which slowed down my reading experience.
However, once everything started falling into place, I kinda enjoyed it. The writing was solid, the characters were well written, and the tension slowly but surely built up.
➳ ABOUT THE BOOK
Okay, so this story follows Jane Trevally, a woman living a quiet, slightly isolated life in a huge house she inherited from her parents, along with her four dogs. Everything feels calm and familiar until one day she finds a strange dog named Hugo wandering around her backyard. Naturally, her first thought is to figure out who he belongs to, and that simple curiosity ends up opening a door she was never meant to walk through.
While searching for Hugo’s owner, Jane comes across Stuart Tucker, a man who immediately gives off unsettling vibes. Things take an even darker turn when Jane realizes that Stuart lives in the very place where she was supposedly kidnapped twenty years ago. That discovery leaves her shaken and full of questions why this place, why him, and why does everything about the area feel so… wrong? The deeper she looks, the more she senses that something dangerous is hiding beneath the surface.
As Jane continues digging, she learns that Hugo belonged to a girl named Daisy, who mysteriously disappeared. From that moment on, Jane becomes determined to uncover who Daisy was and how her disappearance connects to both Hugo and the house tied to Jane’s own past. The story fully revolves around Jane piecing together these haunting connections, trying to understand Stuart’s strange behavior, and unraveling the dark truth that has been quietly lurking in the background all along.
➳ FINAL THOUGHTS
Okay, let me be very honest here while I genuinely love Lisa Jewell’s books, this one just didn’t fully work for me. I went into it with pretty high expectations, maybe a little too high, because I kept waiting for something more… and it never quite arrived. The story felt like it was moving in circles at times, and that made the reading experience a bit frustrating.
Most of the twists were sadly predictable for me. Out of all of them, there was only one that truly caught me off guard the kind that makes you stop, stare at the wall, and rethink everything. But aside from that moment, I could see most things coming from a mile away. The writing itself was decent and very readable, but it took me forever to actually get into the story. I usually finish thrillers in three to four days, but this one took me around fifteen days, which honestly says a lot.
Don’t get me wrong, I was absolutely thrilled to receive the ARC and so grateful for it. I was genuinely on cloud nine when it got approved. But somewhere along the way, the book started feeling like it lacked depth, pace, or that signature Lisa Jewell spark I usually love. Her books often revolve around disappearance themes, which she does brilliantly, and while that element was present here, it just didn’t hit the same way this time.
Maybe it was my reading slump talking, and there’s a chance I might enjoy this book more if I revisit it later with a fresh mindset. But for now, it just didn’t give me the fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thrill I crave. I wanted a twist that would completely throw me off balance and while I did get one, it wasn’t enough to fully satisfy me. The character development also felt a bit lacking, and some chapters came across as fillers rather than adding real weight to the story.
⚘ "Overall, this wasn’t a bad book by any means, it just wasn’t the book for me right now. I wanted more intensity, more depth, and more of that jaw-dropping shock factor. Maybe next time, it’ll hit differently." 💌
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
౨ৎ pre-read:
⤿ started - 29 december , 2025
Got the ARC of my most anticipated read for 2026, ahhh I’m so excited 🤭🤌🏻
If you know me, you know how much I love thrillers and Lisa Jewell’s books especially. I genuinely adore her writing, and the premise of this book immediately caught my attention. It felt fresh and different, something I hadn’t really read before, so my curiosity was already at its peak. When I received the ARC, I was honestly over the moon. I was so excited, so grateful, and fully ready to dive in.
That being said, this book didn’t completely work for me in the way I expected it to. The pacing threw me off a little. I’m someone who loves fast-paced thrillers, the kind that pull you in within a chapter or two and don’t let go. This one took its time and I mean a lot of time. It took me nearly 50%-60% of the book, roughly around 150 pages, to fully settle into the story. I found myself constantly trying to figure out who was who and what role each character played, which slowed down my reading experience.
However, once everything started falling into place, I kinda enjoyed it. The writing was solid, the characters were well written, and the tension slowly but surely built up.
➳ ABOUT THE BOOK
Okay, so this story follows Jane Trevally, a woman living a quiet, slightly isolated life in a huge house she inherited from her parents, along with her four dogs. Everything feels calm and familiar until one day she finds a strange dog named Hugo wandering around her backyard. Naturally, her first thought is to figure out who he belongs to, and that simple curiosity ends up opening a door she was never meant to walk through.
While searching for Hugo’s owner, Jane comes across Stuart Tucker, a man who immediately gives off unsettling vibes. Things take an even darker turn when Jane realizes that Stuart lives in the very place where she was supposedly kidnapped twenty years ago. That discovery leaves her shaken and full of questions why this place, why him, and why does everything about the area feel so… wrong? The deeper she looks, the more she senses that something dangerous is hiding beneath the surface.
As Jane continues digging, she learns that Hugo belonged to a girl named Daisy, who mysteriously disappeared. From that moment on, Jane becomes determined to uncover who Daisy was and how her disappearance connects to both Hugo and the house tied to Jane’s own past. The story fully revolves around Jane piecing together these haunting connections, trying to understand Stuart’s strange behavior, and unraveling the dark truth that has been quietly lurking in the background all along.
➳ FINAL THOUGHTS
Okay, let me be very honest here while I genuinely love Lisa Jewell’s books, this one just didn’t fully work for me. I went into it with pretty high expectations, maybe a little too high, because I kept waiting for something more… and it never quite arrived. The story felt like it was moving in circles at times, and that made the reading experience a bit frustrating.
Most of the twists were sadly predictable for me. Out of all of them, there was only one that truly caught me off guard the kind that makes you stop, stare at the wall, and rethink everything. But aside from that moment, I could see most things coming from a mile away. The writing itself was decent and very readable, but it took me forever to actually get into the story. I usually finish thrillers in three to four days, but this one took me around fifteen days, which honestly says a lot.
Don’t get me wrong, I was absolutely thrilled to receive the ARC and so grateful for it. I was genuinely on cloud nine when it got approved. But somewhere along the way, the book started feeling like it lacked depth, pace, or that signature Lisa Jewell spark I usually love. Her books often revolve around disappearance themes, which she does brilliantly, and while that element was present here, it just didn’t hit the same way this time.
Maybe it was my reading slump talking, and there’s a chance I might enjoy this book more if I revisit it later with a fresh mindset. But for now, it just didn’t give me the fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat thrill I crave. I wanted a twist that would completely throw me off balance and while I did get one, it wasn’t enough to fully satisfy me. The character development also felt a bit lacking, and some chapters came across as fillers rather than adding real weight to the story.
⚘ "Overall, this wasn’t a bad book by any means, it just wasn’t the book for me right now. I wanted more intensity, more depth, and more of that jaw-dropping shock factor. Maybe next time, it’ll hit differently." 💌
— Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈
౨ৎ pre-read:
⤿ started - 29 december , 2025
Got the ARC of my most anticipated read for 2026, ahhh I’m so excited 🤭🤌🏻
July 20, 2026
Excellent, I absolutely loved this one! I have nothing negative to say about it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
Jane Trevally, in her fifties, is at a place where she knows she needs to do something but can't really make herself take the next step. With two ex husbands behind her, no kids but five ex step kids who still want her in their lives, Jane may feel lonely but people do care for her. That's a good place to be when her own parents and childhood were too horrible to think about. But think about those things, Jane does. She'll always be trying to work through the past. Still, she has her beloved dogs, people who do really care about her, and her falling down old family home that can bring her a nice sum if she can just allow herself to sell it.
When Jane finds a little white dog, finds his owner, and returns the dog, Jane becomes obsessed with the mystery of that little white dog, Hugo. Why was he with a young woman but ended up running loose? The man who owns the dog wasn't very forthcoming about anything and might have even acted like he was hiding something. The young woman who had been vacationing with the dog, near Jane's home, is no where to be found as far as Jane can tell. Yes, Jane is being nosy and has lassoed her eager ex step son, Dexter, to help her with this mystery. Jane and Dexter are quite the pair and I hope we get to see them again in the future. Dexter is all in on being Jane's side kick if she wants to become a private investigator. Jane, Dexter, and Hugo are my favorite characters in this story.
What I've written sounds somewhat simple, like a cozy even, but this story is far from being a cozy. Instead it's like many of Jewell's stories, filled with a long list of triggers, several POVs, and constantly changing timelines. I was very confused at first but eventually I began to hone in on the personalities of the characters and saw what I thought at first was so different than reality. The story is disturbing but intriguing and I sped through it.
If you've read Jewell's Don't Let Him In, you will have met Jane as a side character in that story. But you are missing nothing by not having read the first story, this one is self contained although I do hope we get to see Jane pop up in more of Jewell's books, staying very healthy and curious, of course. Overall, be prepared to put your thinking cap on for this entertaining read.
Publication June 23, 2026
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
Jane Trevally, in her fifties, is at a place where she knows she needs to do something but can't really make herself take the next step. With two ex husbands behind her, no kids but five ex step kids who still want her in their lives, Jane may feel lonely but people do care for her. That's a good place to be when her own parents and childhood were too horrible to think about. But think about those things, Jane does. She'll always be trying to work through the past. Still, she has her beloved dogs, people who do really care about her, and her falling down old family home that can bring her a nice sum if she can just allow herself to sell it.
When Jane finds a little white dog, finds his owner, and returns the dog, Jane becomes obsessed with the mystery of that little white dog, Hugo. Why was he with a young woman but ended up running loose? The man who owns the dog wasn't very forthcoming about anything and might have even acted like he was hiding something. The young woman who had been vacationing with the dog, near Jane's home, is no where to be found as far as Jane can tell. Yes, Jane is being nosy and has lassoed her eager ex step son, Dexter, to help her with this mystery. Jane and Dexter are quite the pair and I hope we get to see them again in the future. Dexter is all in on being Jane's side kick if she wants to become a private investigator. Jane, Dexter, and Hugo are my favorite characters in this story.
What I've written sounds somewhat simple, like a cozy even, but this story is far from being a cozy. Instead it's like many of Jewell's stories, filled with a long list of triggers, several POVs, and constantly changing timelines. I was very confused at first but eventually I began to hone in on the personalities of the characters and saw what I thought at first was so different than reality. The story is disturbing but intriguing and I sped through it.
If you've read Jewell's Don't Let Him In, you will have met Jane as a side character in that story. But you are missing nothing by not having read the first story, this one is self contained although I do hope we get to see Jane pop up in more of Jewell's books, staying very healthy and curious, of course. Overall, be prepared to put your thinking cap on for this entertaining read.
Publication June 23, 2026
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC.
July 16, 2026
1.0 star —- And my nominee for the worst book I’ve read this year goes to “It Could Have Been Her”. I have been on a string of bad books lately, but this one takes the cake. I’m not really sure how I made it through the first half of this book because it was in a word dull. I mean, absolutely nothing happens. The book begins with this eccentric lady named Jane finding a dog and returning it to its owner found through microchip. When she later discovers that a young woman has gone missing in the same area, she decides to become an investigator and determine if she can link the missing woman to the home where she returned the dog. In a parallel plot, we learn the background of the owner of the dog and how he came to live at the home he currently resides. The story of Stuart’s life is very long and complicated and is as dull as watching paint dry. This is basically what the first 2/3 of the novel consists of. 😵💫. The book then moves on to tell the story of another family member, Jasper, and his story of leaving the home to be a clown in the circus.😳. The author is able to eventually tie all of these loose strings together to make some sense out of these very odd storylines. But, even though the plot ends up ‘making sense’ in the end, the road to getting there can best be described as a trail of tears. Is this the same Lisa Jewell who wrote two of my all time favorite thrillers in “The Night She Disappeared” and “Then She was Gone”? It is truly hard to believe it is the same author. I believe there are parts of the IRS tax code more scintillating than the first half of this book. Is this a beginning of the “Cari Mora” era (for you Thomas Harris lovers out there) for Jewell? I sure hope not. But in my opinion, her last two books have been definite clunkers. I was so excited to read “It Could Have Been Her” , but I wish that I “Could Have Been Anywhere Else” after about two hours into this one. I apologize ahead of time to those of you who enjoyed it, but it definitely wasn’t a book for those of us who love fast paced thrillers (or slow paced ones for that matter… oops there I go again.).
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
INJECT THIS WOMANS WRITING IN MY VEINS
It Could Have Been Her is a suspense thriller following Jane Trevally, who investigates the disappearance of a teenage girl after finding the girl's dog. The search leads Jane back to a creepy London house she escaped 25 years earlier, unravelling dark, long-buried family secrets.
My Thriller Queen is back with another dark unsettling, paranoia induced novel that will have you shook.
You know, the way I like to ingest Lisa’s books is by sitting all cozily in my chair with a glass of Rosé and a LOFI Chill beat playing in the background. This mantra of mine always has me getting overly consumed and lost in the fictional world that I am reading about.
Instantly I was drawn to Jane and remembered her from Lisa’s last book “Don’t Let Him In”. She is the type of woman that is easy to get along with and probably get mixed up into her sleuthing ways.
This is a heavily focused family drama book, and you shouldn’t go into it expecting jaw dropping twists and reveals. It’s one of those novels that makes you feel unsettled and nervy and you can’t help but be engrossed in the utter shambolic and downright depressing lives of the individuals involved.
I wont say too much about the characters, but what I will say is that they read so realistic and raw and if you have triggers around alcoholism, I will definitely advise to check trigger warnings beforehand.
The last 50 pages really take a heed and unresolved questions get answered but there’s also a lot ambiguity left and kudos to Lisa because this book will have me thinking about it for a long time.
I grinned like a Cheshire cat when in her acknowledgements she said she will be back with a new release in 2027….. frankly HURRY TF UP! I C-A-N-N-O-T W-A-I-T!!!!!
4.5 ⭐
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for sending me an early arc of the book
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pre read
*INTERNALLY SCREAMING*
My Thriller Queen is gracing us with a new book
I don't even need to read the blurb
I just know i am ready to dive into it NEOWWW!
🤍💚🤍💚🤍
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for sending me an early arc of the book
It Could Have Been Her is a suspense thriller following Jane Trevally, who investigates the disappearance of a teenage girl after finding the girl's dog. The search leads Jane back to a creepy London house she escaped 25 years earlier, unravelling dark, long-buried family secrets.
My Thriller Queen is back with another dark unsettling, paranoia induced novel that will have you shook.
You know, the way I like to ingest Lisa’s books is by sitting all cozily in my chair with a glass of Rosé and a LOFI Chill beat playing in the background. This mantra of mine always has me getting overly consumed and lost in the fictional world that I am reading about.
Instantly I was drawn to Jane and remembered her from Lisa’s last book “Don’t Let Him In”. She is the type of woman that is easy to get along with and probably get mixed up into her sleuthing ways.
This is a heavily focused family drama book, and you shouldn’t go into it expecting jaw dropping twists and reveals. It’s one of those novels that makes you feel unsettled and nervy and you can’t help but be engrossed in the utter shambolic and downright depressing lives of the individuals involved.
I wont say too much about the characters, but what I will say is that they read so realistic and raw and if you have triggers around alcoholism, I will definitely advise to check trigger warnings beforehand.
The last 50 pages really take a heed and unresolved questions get answered but there’s also a lot ambiguity left and kudos to Lisa because this book will have me thinking about it for a long time.
I grinned like a Cheshire cat when in her acknowledgements she said she will be back with a new release in 2027….. frankly HURRY TF UP! I C-A-N-N-O-T W-A-I-T!!!!!
4.5 ⭐
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for sending me an early arc of the book
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
pre read
*INTERNALLY SCREAMING*
My Thriller Queen is gracing us with a new book
I don't even need to read the blurb
I just know i am ready to dive into it NEOWWW!
🤍💚🤍💚🤍
Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for sending me an early arc of the book
June 24, 2026
My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Book Review Crew Blog
⭐⭐⭐
It Could Have Been Her
Lisa Jewell
Publication Date: June 23rd, 2026
Simon & Schuster Canada | Atria Books
384 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Women's Fiction
This isn't a bad book by any means, and three stars isn't a bad rating; for me, it means the book was good. This is the typical dual-timeline thriller with a bunch of unsavoury characters you love to hate. Most notably, Jane from Don't Let Him In (which was two stars for me).
Twenty-five years in the past, Jane goes back to a secluded house with a strange man. She then hears a scream and something falling, and she flees. Now, middle-aged Jane is walking her dogs and comes across a terrier that is lost. She comes to find out that the girl who was staying nearby with the dog has vanished. Of course, Jane decides to drive the dog to its owner all the way to London. When she arrives there, it's Thornwood—the same house where she heard the scream and the thud twenty-five years ago.
When the door is answered, a creepy man is there and says he knows nothing about the missing girl. Jane doesn't believe him and notices a woman through the window. Jane doesn't buy this guy's answer; she knows the dog, the girl, and the house are all connected somehow, and she decides she is going to uncover all these secrets.
Jewell is a master at atmospheric, unsettling dread, but the uneven pacing (the middle was so very slow) and a very coincidental ending kept this book from being more than three stars for me. I enjoyed how creepy this book was, and Hampstead House is a character in its own right. There are lots of secrets in this tale, and Jane is like Gladys Kravitz, the nosy neighbour from Bewitched, but I was rooting for her even if she did seem a bit paranoid at times.
If you are looking for exciting twists or big surprises, you'll be disappointed, as I found it a tad slow. It's a solid, three-star, fun-for-the-weekend kind of read, but it's not close to Jewell's best work.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
The Book Review Crew Blog
⭐⭐⭐
It Could Have Been Her
Lisa Jewell
Publication Date: June 23rd, 2026
Simon & Schuster Canada | Atria Books
384 Pages
Amazon | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Women's Fiction
This isn't a bad book by any means, and three stars isn't a bad rating; for me, it means the book was good. This is the typical dual-timeline thriller with a bunch of unsavoury characters you love to hate. Most notably, Jane from Don't Let Him In (which was two stars for me).
Twenty-five years in the past, Jane goes back to a secluded house with a strange man. She then hears a scream and something falling, and she flees. Now, middle-aged Jane is walking her dogs and comes across a terrier that is lost. She comes to find out that the girl who was staying nearby with the dog has vanished. Of course, Jane decides to drive the dog to its owner all the way to London. When she arrives there, it's Thornwood—the same house where she heard the scream and the thud twenty-five years ago.
When the door is answered, a creepy man is there and says he knows nothing about the missing girl. Jane doesn't believe him and notices a woman through the window. Jane doesn't buy this guy's answer; she knows the dog, the girl, and the house are all connected somehow, and she decides she is going to uncover all these secrets.
Jewell is a master at atmospheric, unsettling dread, but the uneven pacing (the middle was so very slow) and a very coincidental ending kept this book from being more than three stars for me. I enjoyed how creepy this book was, and Hampstead House is a character in its own right. There are lots of secrets in this tale, and Jane is like Gladys Kravitz, the nosy neighbour from Bewitched, but I was rooting for her even if she did seem a bit paranoid at times.
If you are looking for exciting twists or big surprises, you'll be disappointed, as I found it a tad slow. It's a solid, three-star, fun-for-the-weekend kind of read, but it's not close to Jewell's best work.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
June 27, 2026
But there are fissures and scars in this house, something misaligned, something horribly, brutally broken, and I am determined to find out what it is.
2.5 stars. I liked this one slightly more than Don't Let Him In, but, to be honest, I think these last two Jewell books have been weakened by their own convolutions.
It took me forever to get into It Could Have Been Her and I think the three separate timelines and countless perspectives were the main reason. I really struggled to settle into the rhythm of the story during the first half, or even figure out what was happening when. I don't know why Jewell is so determined to tie her plots in knots when what she excels at is characterization and suspense (see None of This Is True, The Night She Disappeared, The Family Upstairs). Especially as it doesn't work anyway— anyone who's read a couple of thrillers will know exactly what's going on here.
This book brings back Jane from Don't Let Him In for a bit of amateur sleuthing. While out for a walk, she finds a little Westie terrier running loose with no owner in sight. The vet tracks down his owner who is miles away in London, but there's no sign of the teenage girl who the locals report seeing him with. When Jane returns the dog, she is shocked to find she knows the house. It is the same place something awful happened years ago, something she has never quite understood.
Jane is determined to find the missing girl and get to the bottom of whatever is going on at that house. Between her sleuthing, we get the decade-old perspective of Stuart, and various perspectives from a couple decades before that, too.
I found the first half very slow, and I don't think it was until the perspectives started to come together and make sense to one another, around the middle, that I started to enjoy the story. The second half was noticeably stronger and I did end up liking it. And Jasper worked well as a creepy bogeymen throughout.
Not a terrible book, but I long for another pulse-pounding pageturner like None of This Is True or The Night She Disappeared.
Please note that this contain depictions of abuse, rape and alcoholism.
June 29, 2026
What in the anticlimactic ending was that? I really don’t know how to rate this.
This was going to be 4.5 stars for me until chapter 72. I like following breadcrumb trails, but 72 chapters for that reveal is a bit too much for me.
I have a hard time putting my feelings into words because this isn’t necessarily a bad book, a large portion of it just feels unnecessary by the end.
On the bright side, I’m not a fan of multiple POVs and jumping timelines because they can get really muddled, but surprisingly I didn’t mind it here. It took a bit of effort to keep up, but it didn’t ruin my experience. In fact, quite the opposite.
That said, my biggest issue here is I get the feeling that I was supposed to put myself in Jane’s shoes and follow the investigation from her POV. I can understand why she felt the need to investigate. It’s as much a search for truth as it is a need for closure. However, at some point it felt redundant because I was also playing the part of the omniscient reader who already knew far too much… thanks to everyone else’s POV.
I’m beginning to think I don’t enjoy this type of execution as much as I thought I did.
These were some of the questions I wrote down at the start of the book, and they were also the questions Jane was trying to find answers to :
👉🏽 What happened the night she fled Thornwood 25 years ago.
👉🏽 Who was responsible for the horrific things that happened at Thornwood?
👉🏽 Are the past crimes connected to the missing girl?
👉🏽 Why did Jane survive?
Thornwood’s nature, the Black family dynamics, what happened to Rose in a broad sense, Jane’s night at Thornwood, these are all things (which weren’t even impactful) I find out through the Black family and Stuart’s POV. So we spent 72 chapters 🤌🏾 trekking (oh my lawd) towards a reveal that wasn’t really a reveal, but a confirmation and detailed description of what I already knew. I felt like the kid waiting for the rest of the class to catch up. Another thing I don't think the story did a good job of was creating a sense of intrigue. That could’ve maybe offset the feeling of being underwhelmed by the end. I was only invested because I thought surely, I’m in for treat. No. No I wasn’t.
I’m horrified by what happened in Thornwood. It’s disturbing, I think that goes without saying, BUT that’s where my sympathy ends. I couldn’t empathise with Jessamine or Jasper, and I certainly didn’t feel sorry for them or the choices they made. What I can say though is their tragic end feels both fitting and realistic to me.
This was going to be 4.5 stars for me until chapter 72. I like following breadcrumb trails, but 72 chapters for that reveal is a bit too much for me.
I have a hard time putting my feelings into words because this isn’t necessarily a bad book, a large portion of it just feels unnecessary by the end.
On the bright side, I’m not a fan of multiple POVs and jumping timelines because they can get really muddled, but surprisingly I didn’t mind it here. It took a bit of effort to keep up, but it didn’t ruin my experience. In fact, quite the opposite.
That said, my biggest issue here is I get the feeling that I was supposed to put myself in Jane’s shoes and follow the investigation from her POV. I can understand why she felt the need to investigate. It’s as much a search for truth as it is a need for closure. However, at some point it felt redundant because I was also playing the part of the omniscient reader who already knew far too much… thanks to everyone else’s POV.
I’m beginning to think I don’t enjoy this type of execution as much as I thought I did.
These were some of the questions I wrote down at the start of the book, and they were also the questions Jane was trying to find answers to :
👉🏽 What happened the night she fled Thornwood 25 years ago.
👉🏽 Who was responsible for the horrific things that happened at Thornwood?
👉🏽 Are the past crimes connected to the missing girl?
👉🏽 Why did Jane survive?
Thornwood’s nature, the Black family dynamics, what happened to Rose in a broad sense, Jane’s night at Thornwood, these are all things (which weren’t even impactful) I find out through the Black family and Stuart’s POV. So we spent 72 chapters 🤌🏾 trekking (oh my lawd) towards a reveal that wasn’t really a reveal, but a confirmation and detailed description of what I already knew. I felt like the kid waiting for the rest of the class to catch up. Another thing I don't think the story did a good job of was creating a sense of intrigue. That could’ve maybe offset the feeling of being underwhelmed by the end. I was only invested because I thought surely, I’m in for treat. No. No I wasn’t.
I’m horrified by what happened in Thornwood. It’s disturbing, I think that goes without saying, BUT that’s where my sympathy ends. I couldn’t empathise with Jessamine or Jasper, and I certainly didn’t feel sorry for them or the choices they made. What I can say though is their tragic end feels both fitting and realistic to me.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3 stars
after reading this, i’d say that my first Lisa jewell book was a *partial* success. after the 50% mark, i literally couldn’t put this book down and finished it in less than a day, but the plot definitely was not the most clever or suspenseful that i’ve read. this book’s strongest quality is the addictiveness of it.
'it could have been her' follows jane, a middle-aged woman who wants something exciting to do with her life. a girl goes missing one day, and once Jane finds out that she has a connection to her, she goes down a rabbit hole to find her.
rating thrillers is always hard for me because i don’t read a lot of them. i think my i’ve decided that how i’ll rate them is how addicting/twisty they are, and this one definitely succeeded in the first category. the first half was honestly a drag to get through, but after that it was extremely easy to read.
a few complaints that i have is that there were many confusing things that weren’t solved at the end 😭. the ending was VERY unsatisfying (read: not shocking) and felt a bit rushed. idk, it felt like everything quickly found a solution at the end of the book and came together due to chance and not clever plotting including giving hints throughout the entirety of the book. i was also confused to why Jane was trying SO hard to solve this case? i guess when you’re a rich old person you don’t have anything to do but solve murder mysteries? ✋🏻
the beginning was also pretty confusing, but once i got past the 50% mark, everything started to make sense and i could enjoy the book.
overall, read if you want a grippy & fun time, (this one is very weird 🫣, specifically with one character that starts with a j)
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
ᝰ ⋆ ── preread ✶
first lisa jewell book! looking for an amazing plot twist 💆🏻♀️
❍ thank you so much to netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
after reading this, i’d say that my first Lisa jewell book was a *partial* success. after the 50% mark, i literally couldn’t put this book down and finished it in less than a day, but the plot definitely was not the most clever or suspenseful that i’ve read. this book’s strongest quality is the addictiveness of it.
'it could have been her' follows jane, a middle-aged woman who wants something exciting to do with her life. a girl goes missing one day, and once Jane finds out that she has a connection to her, she goes down a rabbit hole to find her.
rating thrillers is always hard for me because i don’t read a lot of them. i think my i’ve decided that how i’ll rate them is how addicting/twisty they are, and this one definitely succeeded in the first category. the first half was honestly a drag to get through, but after that it was extremely easy to read.
a few complaints that i have is that there were many confusing things that weren’t solved at the end 😭. the ending was VERY unsatisfying (read: not shocking) and felt a bit rushed. idk, it felt like everything quickly found a solution at the end of the book and came together due to chance and not clever plotting including giving hints throughout the entirety of the book. i was also confused to why Jane was trying SO hard to solve this case? i guess when you’re a rich old person you don’t have anything to do but solve murder mysteries? ✋🏻
the beginning was also pretty confusing, but once i got past the 50% mark, everything started to make sense and i could enjoy the book.
overall, read if you want a grippy & fun time, (this one is very weird 🫣, specifically with one character that starts with a j)
⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹
ᝰ ⋆ ── preread ✶
first lisa jewell book! looking for an amazing plot twist 💆🏻♀️
❍ thank you so much to netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2026
“The secrets of that strange house have been thrown like pages of a book into the sun and fallen all around as dark ashes of human depravity.”
Give me a creepy house, a missing woman, a seriously dysfunctional family, a whole heap of secrets and just enough suspicion to make me trust absolutely NO ONE, and I’m in.
It Could Have Been Her, follows Jane Trevally, who finds herself drawn back to a house she has a terrifying history with after a missing young woman and a lost dog somehow bring the past crashing into the present. From there, things get increasingly dark, unsettling and twisted.
I really enjoyed the slow burn, atmospheric feel of this one. The house itself felt like a character, and I loved the way the story gradually peeled back the layers of what happened there. The multiple perspectives worked well for me too, although there were definitely moments when I was mentally arranging characters on an imaginary murder board trying to keep track of who knew what.
Lisa Jewell is great at creating deeply flawed, complicated people who you can simultaneously feel sorry for, distrust completely and occasionally want to yell at through the pages. There are some genuinely disturbing moments, and the darkness underneath the story creeps up on you rather than simply smacking you over the head with it.
This was my first time taking part in a really big buddy read. I genuinely didn’t know what to expect. It ended up being so much fun.
There’s something really special about reading a book alongside a group of people and being able to share all those little moments along the way, the theories, the suspicions, the wild guesses and, of course, collectively deciding that practically everyone was suspicious.
It made the whole reading experience feel so much more connected and enjoyable, and I’m honestly so grateful I got to be part of it. Reading is usually such an individual thing for me, so having this lovely group to share the experience with made it feel extra special. Hopefully we can find another book that gives us just as much to talk about!
As for the book itself, I wouldn’t say it has knocked my favourite Lisa Jewell books off their perch, but I was thoroughly entertained and completely invested in uncovering what the hell was going on.
A deliciously dark, atmospheric and twisty read and an even better reading experience because I got to share it with such a wonderful bunch of people
I Highly Recommend.
Give me a creepy house, a missing woman, a seriously dysfunctional family, a whole heap of secrets and just enough suspicion to make me trust absolutely NO ONE, and I’m in.
It Could Have Been Her, follows Jane Trevally, who finds herself drawn back to a house she has a terrifying history with after a missing young woman and a lost dog somehow bring the past crashing into the present. From there, things get increasingly dark, unsettling and twisted.
I really enjoyed the slow burn, atmospheric feel of this one. The house itself felt like a character, and I loved the way the story gradually peeled back the layers of what happened there. The multiple perspectives worked well for me too, although there were definitely moments when I was mentally arranging characters on an imaginary murder board trying to keep track of who knew what.
Lisa Jewell is great at creating deeply flawed, complicated people who you can simultaneously feel sorry for, distrust completely and occasionally want to yell at through the pages. There are some genuinely disturbing moments, and the darkness underneath the story creeps up on you rather than simply smacking you over the head with it.
This was my first time taking part in a really big buddy read. I genuinely didn’t know what to expect. It ended up being so much fun.
There’s something really special about reading a book alongside a group of people and being able to share all those little moments along the way, the theories, the suspicions, the wild guesses and, of course, collectively deciding that practically everyone was suspicious.
It made the whole reading experience feel so much more connected and enjoyable, and I’m honestly so grateful I got to be part of it. Reading is usually such an individual thing for me, so having this lovely group to share the experience with made it feel extra special. Hopefully we can find another book that gives us just as much to talk about!
As for the book itself, I wouldn’t say it has knocked my favourite Lisa Jewell books off their perch, but I was thoroughly entertained and completely invested in uncovering what the hell was going on.
A deliciously dark, atmospheric and twisty read and an even better reading experience because I got to share it with such a wonderful bunch of people
I Highly Recommend.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
⭐️ 4.25 ⭐️There is something fundamentally sick at core of the Black household. With destabilizing trauma experienced in the quietest, darkest corners of a childhood home, Lisa Jewell yet again delivers a very unsettling, bizarre thriller that will keep you glued to the book!
Having recently read “Don’t Let Him In”, she’s easily becoming one of my favorite thriller authors. I love how she creates dysfunctional families that are not only dark and creepy but also feel disturbingly vulnerable, lonely and helpless.
Lisa Jewell brings back Janet Trevally (from Don’t Let Him In), a 50+ year old PI/sleuthster who quickly becomes embroiled in a mysterious family that lives in a creepy house, a house that Jane has a connection to. Unable to escape the past, she’s driven to find the answers to the disappearance of a girl that Is somehow connected to the Black household. As the story unravels, Jane begins to understand that the house holds the key to all the answers, dark secrets, and hidden truths.
What makes this book standout from all her others is her signature feeling of dread hiding in plain sight. Possibly her most darkest work yet, Jewel’s writing shines through her morally complex characters. Each one possesses a complexity that’s deeply rooted in trauma. The trauma is what gives each character a perfect amount of brokenness, vulnerability, loneliness that is perfectly weaved into their darkest secrets. That, along with the eeriness of the novel, will keep you intrigued and invested! I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the slow burn mystery. I honestly can’t put into words how much I’ve enjoyed this novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author, Lisa Jewell for sending me this eARC!!
Publication date: June 23, 2026
Having recently read “Don’t Let Him In”, she’s easily becoming one of my favorite thriller authors. I love how she creates dysfunctional families that are not only dark and creepy but also feel disturbingly vulnerable, lonely and helpless.
Lisa Jewell brings back Janet Trevally (from Don’t Let Him In), a 50+ year old PI/sleuthster who quickly becomes embroiled in a mysterious family that lives in a creepy house, a house that Jane has a connection to. Unable to escape the past, she’s driven to find the answers to the disappearance of a girl that Is somehow connected to the Black household. As the story unravels, Jane begins to understand that the house holds the key to all the answers, dark secrets, and hidden truths.
What makes this book standout from all her others is her signature feeling of dread hiding in plain sight. Possibly her most darkest work yet, Jewel’s writing shines through her morally complex characters. Each one possesses a complexity that’s deeply rooted in trauma. The trauma is what gives each character a perfect amount of brokenness, vulnerability, loneliness that is perfectly weaved into their darkest secrets. That, along with the eeriness of the novel, will keep you intrigued and invested! I was on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the slow burn mystery. I honestly can’t put into words how much I’ve enjoyed this novel.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books and the author, Lisa Jewell for sending me this eARC!!
Publication date: June 23, 2026
June 26, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
Oh this is so reminiscent of Lisa Jewell's old style and I loved that! This book involves a character named, Jane Trevally who was first introduced in a previous book, "Don't Let Him In."
Jane stumbles upon a lost dog on her property. It seems as the dog belongs to a teenaged girl who has been staying in the area but is now missing. She tracks down the owner's address in London and realizes she's been in that house before. Many years ago and it was not a good experience at all. Jane becomes a sleuth of sorts trying to track down the missing girl and it will lead her down a very dark path.
This one is disturbing. It's filled with Jewell's trademark characters - quirky and dysfunctional. There's a lot of them at first to keep track of but the slower pace makes it easier. It's not very twisty but it's very suspenseful and creepy. Oh that ending!
Published June 23, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the Advance Reader's Copy.
Oh this is so reminiscent of Lisa Jewell's old style and I loved that! This book involves a character named, Jane Trevally who was first introduced in a previous book, "Don't Let Him In."
Jane stumbles upon a lost dog on her property. It seems as the dog belongs to a teenaged girl who has been staying in the area but is now missing. She tracks down the owner's address in London and realizes she's been in that house before. Many years ago and it was not a good experience at all. Jane becomes a sleuth of sorts trying to track down the missing girl and it will lead her down a very dark path.
This one is disturbing. It's filled with Jewell's trademark characters - quirky and dysfunctional. There's a lot of them at first to keep track of but the slower pace makes it easier. It's not very twisty but it's very suspenseful and creepy. Oh that ending!
Published June 23, 2026
Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the Advance Reader's Copy.
July 19, 2026
Seasoned fans of Lisa Jewell's dark psychological thrillers will recognize the familiar terrain of It Could Have Been Her: damaged families, slow-burn dread, suburban homes with terrible secrets hidden behind closed doors.
Jewell's latest asks a little patience of you up front, but the payoff is rich.
The Hook: 55-year-old Jane Trevally finds a West Highland terrier in the woods of Dorset. The pup's microchip leads her to the exact London house where, 25 years earlier, she narrowly escaped being drugged and abducted.
The Warning: don't start a "quick chapter" before bed or you'll find yourself still turning pages at 3:00 am like I did.
Jewell crafts a world steeped in eerie silence and decay, where the past isn’t dead — it’s waiting beneath the floorboards.
Timeline Juggling: three stars
Creep Factor: five stars
Overall: four stars
Jewell's latest asks a little patience of you up front, but the payoff is rich.
The Hook: 55-year-old Jane Trevally finds a West Highland terrier in the woods of Dorset. The pup's microchip leads her to the exact London house where, 25 years earlier, she narrowly escaped being drugged and abducted.
The Warning: don't start a "quick chapter" before bed or you'll find yourself still turning pages at 3:00 am like I did.
Jewell crafts a world steeped in eerie silence and decay, where the past isn’t dead — it’s waiting beneath the floorboards.
Timeline Juggling: three stars
Creep Factor: five stars
Overall: four stars
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I don’t care what anyone says, but Lisa Jewell is the Queen Bee 🐝 No other author can top Lisa Jewell when it comes to writing thrillers, specifically about dysfunctional families/characters. Just when you think you have read all you can about dark, sinister, dysfunctional families- Lisa Jewell says, “hold my beer”…
This story starts off with Jane Trevally finding a lost little white dog, out in the fields near her deserted cottage home. Jane takes the dog to the local vet to see if it is chipped, and it is! They find out the dog’s name is Hugo, and he is quite far from home. The dog’s owner lives in London- NW3, and since Jane’s stepson lives near Hampstead, she agrees to deliver the dog herself (not reading the address until she arrives).
Once Jane arrives at the house to deliver the dog, she recognizes the house as Thornwood. Thornwood is a house that Jane had a bad experience at when she was recently divorced from her first husband 25 years ago.
Upon arriving back home, Jane realizes that a young woman named Rose White, went missing from the village behind her home. Rose also had a small white dog. Could Rose be connected to Thornwood as well?
From there, Jane becomes her own private detective, with help from her stepson. Jane is on a mission to find the missing young woman, Rose White, along with any other information about the Black family that lived at Thornwood. In Jane’s investigation we get several POV’s, and we do go back ten years on that of Stuart’s timeline.
I read this book super fast because I kept wanting just “one more chapter”. I had to know how this book ended! The twists are crazy in this one! I was going to go with four stars, but the more I kept thinking about it- I’m bumping it up to five!! This is another must read by Jewell! 🌟
Many thanks to NetGalley, Atria Books, and the author for a DRC of this book in which I had the pleasure of reading, in exchange for an honest opinion.
Publication date: June 23, 2026
July 1, 2026
➡️ TRUE CONFESSION
This Jayne adores books with female protagonists named Jane/Jayne.♥️♥️♥️
Lisa Jewell's "Jane" protagonist is a 55-year-old, twice-divorced woman who used to rely on wealthy men for rescue.
She is now focused on rescuing others and herself.
Her newest mission? Playing amateur sleuth to determine the rightful owner of a dog found on her countryside property. And discovering the identity/whereabouts of the missing teen girl last seen walking that dog.
➡️ THREE REASONS FOR THIS 3-STAR REVIEW:
🔷 Very, Very Dark, Heavy Themes
I am not a fan of "House of Horror" or explicit child abuse storylines, which made this book a tough sell for me.
🔷 No, No, No!
A random dog from London somehow shows up in the countryside, only to conveniently lead Jane back to the exact London house she escaped from decades ago? That was a massive eye-rolling stretch.
🔷 Character Overload
I prefer a smaller cast of well-developed characters. At times, this book had so many players (over 9!) that I felt like I needed an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of everyone. Pacing was uneven, and at times the dual timeline was dizzying.
➡️ WHAT DID WORK:
🔷 The Amateur Sleuth Angle
I admired Jane's investigative skills and tenacity. Jane is my new favorite amateur sleuth.
🔷 The "It Could Have Been Her" Premise
Authors frequently write about positive missed opportunities, not the dark, twisted situations that were narrowly avoided.
🔷 The Clown Symbolism
The male character, obsessed with clowns, left home at a young age to become a circus clown. The clown persona was a clever, unsettling symbol of a mask hiding dark and abusive secrets behind a happy facade.
🔷 The 10-Star Audiobook Narration
I listened to the audiobook, expertly narrated by James Norton, Lesley Sharp, Joanna David, Emilia Fox, Freddie Fox, Tim McInnerny, Harriet Fisher, Ella Rae Smith, and Elsa Lepecki Bean. Full-cast narrations are always a treat and much appreciated.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
It all starts with a missing girl…and a found dog. Let me explain.
While out on a walk, Jane comes across a lost dog in the countryside. A girl was seen with the dog earlier but has since vanished.
With the help of her local vet, Jane tracks down the pup’s owner.
But once arriving to his home Jane realizes she knows this house. And something doesn’t feel right.
We now have a found dog, but the girl is still missing. And oddly, no one seems too concerned…except for Jane.
Driven to find the answers, Jane enlists her stepson Dexter to help. It’s time to channel their inner Sherlock Holmes and solve this confounding mystery!
Told in multiple timelines, I was a bit confused with all the characters and how they fit together. I initially felt like I needed to create a genealogy chart to understand the family tree.😂 But eventually, it just ‘clicked’ and from that point I was easily able to follow right along.
Jane’s character really touched me. She was a woman of a certain age😉 trying to figure out her next life chapter. Everyone (including all her former stepchildren) seemed to love her, yet she had an essence of loneliness.
Dexter was the perfect side kick for Jane. Always there when she needed him and equally quirky in his own right.
I’d love to see more of the two of them in the future!
✍️ Lisa Jewell
📄 384 pages
🗓️ Anticipated release date: June 23, 2026
📈 4.5/5🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
👉 Mystery, Thriller
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books
While out on a walk, Jane comes across a lost dog in the countryside. A girl was seen with the dog earlier but has since vanished.
With the help of her local vet, Jane tracks down the pup’s owner.
But once arriving to his home Jane realizes she knows this house. And something doesn’t feel right.
We now have a found dog, but the girl is still missing. And oddly, no one seems too concerned…except for Jane.
Driven to find the answers, Jane enlists her stepson Dexter to help. It’s time to channel their inner Sherlock Holmes and solve this confounding mystery!
Told in multiple timelines, I was a bit confused with all the characters and how they fit together. I initially felt like I needed to create a genealogy chart to understand the family tree.😂 But eventually, it just ‘clicked’ and from that point I was easily able to follow right along.
Jane’s character really touched me. She was a woman of a certain age😉 trying to figure out her next life chapter. Everyone (including all her former stepchildren) seemed to love her, yet she had an essence of loneliness.
Dexter was the perfect side kick for Jane. Always there when she needed him and equally quirky in his own right.
I’d love to see more of the two of them in the future!
✍️ Lisa Jewell
📄 384 pages
🗓️ Anticipated release date: June 23, 2026
📈 4.5/5🌟🌟🌟🌟💫
👉 Mystery, Thriller
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books
December 11, 2025
Jane Trevally is walking her dogs in the heathlands of her country estate when a West Highland Terrier suddenly appears. It's clear the dog has been lost for a bit, and she's sure someone must be missing him terribly.
She's able to leash him up and walk him back to her house along with the rest of her pack. She quickly takes him to her local vet, and the dog is recognized. His name is Hugo. It seems he may have been staying with a teenage girl, who had recently rented a nearby cottage.
When the young lady is reported as missing by her landlord, Jane offers to return Hugo to his registered owner, found via microchip, hours away in London.
Arriving at the address, Jane can hardly believe it. She knows this house. She has a dark connection with it. One terrifying night from years ago that she's never, ever forgotten.
But the man who opens the door isn't the man she remembers. Nevertheless, the home's current occupant seems sketch AF. He claims to know nothing about the missing girl, but Jane's instincts are on high alert.
There's definitely more to this story, and like the proverbial dog with a bone, Jane is not letting it go.
Jane knows that this unsettling house has secrets to spill, and she's gonna get to the bottom of all of them. Perhaps it will help her get some closure for herself as well. Thus, an amateur sleuth is born.
Y'all, I had such a great time reading this. It Could Have Been Her is a bit slower to start than some of Jewell's previous works, but with her signature style, she's able to amp up the intensity with time and pull out all the stops bringing this dark Domestic Drama to its necessary conclusion.
This is the type of story where you need to be comfortable not fully understanding everything in the beginning. There's multiple perspectives and timelines and it's not necessarily clear straight away how they all fit together.
However, this is purposeful and for the Readers with the patience, Jewell expertly drops the reveals that will eventually piece it all together for you. I just went with the flow, and though I was uncomfortable in my uncertainty at times, once it clicked, I was hooked.
With all this being said, IMO, this will play better for the 40+ crowd, like myself, but nevertheless it's a dark and intriguing tale.
I loved the MC, Jane, and am really hoping we might get another book with her. She was such an interesting character, and I'd love to follow her more on this new chapter of her life.
I would recommend this to any Domestic Suspense Reader, or Readers who like layered mysteries. There's a lot going on here, but as mentioned above, as it all comes together, the payoff is worth it.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
Lisa Jewell is one of the best in the business and I look forward to all of her new releases. This did not disappoint!
She's able to leash him up and walk him back to her house along with the rest of her pack. She quickly takes him to her local vet, and the dog is recognized. His name is Hugo. It seems he may have been staying with a teenage girl, who had recently rented a nearby cottage.
When the young lady is reported as missing by her landlord, Jane offers to return Hugo to his registered owner, found via microchip, hours away in London.
Arriving at the address, Jane can hardly believe it. She knows this house. She has a dark connection with it. One terrifying night from years ago that she's never, ever forgotten.
But the man who opens the door isn't the man she remembers. Nevertheless, the home's current occupant seems sketch AF. He claims to know nothing about the missing girl, but Jane's instincts are on high alert.
There's definitely more to this story, and like the proverbial dog with a bone, Jane is not letting it go.
Jane knows that this unsettling house has secrets to spill, and she's gonna get to the bottom of all of them. Perhaps it will help her get some closure for herself as well. Thus, an amateur sleuth is born.
Y'all, I had such a great time reading this. It Could Have Been Her is a bit slower to start than some of Jewell's previous works, but with her signature style, she's able to amp up the intensity with time and pull out all the stops bringing this dark Domestic Drama to its necessary conclusion.
This is the type of story where you need to be comfortable not fully understanding everything in the beginning. There's multiple perspectives and timelines and it's not necessarily clear straight away how they all fit together.
However, this is purposeful and for the Readers with the patience, Jewell expertly drops the reveals that will eventually piece it all together for you. I just went with the flow, and though I was uncomfortable in my uncertainty at times, once it clicked, I was hooked.
With all this being said, IMO, this will play better for the 40+ crowd, like myself, but nevertheless it's a dark and intriguing tale.
I loved the MC, Jane, and am really hoping we might get another book with her. She was such an interesting character, and I'd love to follow her more on this new chapter of her life.
I would recommend this to any Domestic Suspense Reader, or Readers who like layered mysteries. There's a lot going on here, but as mentioned above, as it all comes together, the payoff is worth it.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Atria Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review.
Lisa Jewell is one of the best in the business and I look forward to all of her new releases. This did not disappoint!
July 16, 2026
A bit convoluted but I liked it better than other Jewell books I’ve read recently.
Jane Trevally is out walking her dogs in the countryside when she finds a small white terrier with no owner around. When she has the dog scanned, the chip indicates the dog is owned by someone in London. Jane also discovers that a young woman had been seen walking the dog, and when she checks out the place the woman was staying, she has mysteriously vanished. When Jane returns the dog, the owner acts quite suspiciously, and Jane has a feeling she has been to the house in the past, under some strange circumstances.
This is a great story with some surprising twists along with some very disturbing things. I really liked Jane as a character and I also really liked her stepson Dexter who helps her investigate. I wasn't thrilled when I heard that this book featured someone from Jewell's last book, Don't Let Him In (which I didn't like) but Jane was only a side character, so it ended up being fine.
It's a bit of a slow burn mystery, and there are a lot of characters and moving parts to keep straight, but if you stick with it, it's totally worth it in the end to see how it all resolves. I'm never a huge fan of amateur detecting, but in this case it's done in a decent way because no one believes anything bad happened except Jane.
Overall I am happy that Jewell has written another page turner after a few that didn't connect with me.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Jane Trevally is out walking her dogs in the countryside when she finds a small white terrier with no owner around. When she has the dog scanned, the chip indicates the dog is owned by someone in London. Jane also discovers that a young woman had been seen walking the dog, and when she checks out the place the woman was staying, she has mysteriously vanished. When Jane returns the dog, the owner acts quite suspiciously, and Jane has a feeling she has been to the house in the past, under some strange circumstances.
This is a great story with some surprising twists along with some very disturbing things. I really liked Jane as a character and I also really liked her stepson Dexter who helps her investigate. I wasn't thrilled when I heard that this book featured someone from Jewell's last book, Don't Let Him In (which I didn't like) but Jane was only a side character, so it ended up being fine.
It's a bit of a slow burn mystery, and there are a lot of characters and moving parts to keep straight, but if you stick with it, it's totally worth it in the end to see how it all resolves. I'm never a huge fan of amateur detecting, but in this case it's done in a decent way because no one believes anything bad happened except Jane.
Overall I am happy that Jewell has written another page turner after a few that didn't connect with me.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Did Not Finish
May 25, 2026i've been struggling getting into this book for a while now, i'm only 80 pages in but i'm not enjoying any of the characters and it just feels so boring :(
I might try again once the audiobook becomes available.
I might try again once the audiobook becomes available.
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
This is a DNF at 50%
This was a buddy read and I wanted so badly to like it, but this book is not for me!
I didn't like "Don't Let Him In" or "The Family Upstairs" and this book also has horrible characters doing terrible things :(
I liked her earlier books but she has gotten too dark for me. The plot for me is moving at a snail's pace and I just don't care what happens to any of the characters.
I don't like the constant switching back and forth between POV and different timelines.
I guess this author is just not for me any more. Many others like this one so read a variety of reviews!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss, all opinions are my own
This was a buddy read and I wanted so badly to like it, but this book is not for me!
I didn't like "Don't Let Him In" or "The Family Upstairs" and this book also has horrible characters doing terrible things :(
I liked her earlier books but she has gotten too dark for me. The plot for me is moving at a snail's pace and I just don't care what happens to any of the characters.
I don't like the constant switching back and forth between POV and different timelines.
I guess this author is just not for me any more. Many others like this one so read a variety of reviews!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss, all opinions are my own
August 2, 2026
Jane comes across a little white dog as she’s out for a walk. Through the dog’s microchip, she discovers the dogs name is Hugo, and Jane sets out to return him to his owner. The teenager who was vacationing nearby with her dog, is nowhere to be found, but Jane finds her address in London.
When Jane arrives she’s stunned to discover it’s Thornwood, the same house she was taken to 25 years ago, when she was offered a job as an au pair. When things began to feel off, Jane followed her instincts and escaped.
The house is now a rundown estate, and once again, Jane senses something is not right. The teenage girl is missing and the current occupants and the house itself gives off creepy vibes.
Jane has good instincts. She has a traumatic past but has survived despite the odds. She’s at a crossroads, and although she has her dogs and her stepsons, she’s contemplating her next steps. Maybe as a PI?
Jane teams up with her stepson, Dexter, as they dig deeper into the missing teenager and Thornton. From here the story is told between three timelines and multiple characters.
I was left a bit confused and used ChatGPT to give me a character list, which helped immensely. Once the characters and the pieces clicked into place, I was completely invested.
This is not a pulse-pounding page/turning thriller but there’s an atmospheric sense of dread running throughout and the second half of the book flew by. I’m not a fan of the multiple characters and timelines in the first half, but the payoff was worth it.
I especially loved Jane and Dexter and hope we see them in a future book.
* the audiobook was excellent, narrated by a cast of characters,
When Jane arrives she’s stunned to discover it’s Thornwood, the same house she was taken to 25 years ago, when she was offered a job as an au pair. When things began to feel off, Jane followed her instincts and escaped.
The house is now a rundown estate, and once again, Jane senses something is not right. The teenage girl is missing and the current occupants and the house itself gives off creepy vibes.
Jane has good instincts. She has a traumatic past but has survived despite the odds. She’s at a crossroads, and although she has her dogs and her stepsons, she’s contemplating her next steps. Maybe as a PI?
Jane teams up with her stepson, Dexter, as they dig deeper into the missing teenager and Thornton. From here the story is told between three timelines and multiple characters.
I was left a bit confused and used ChatGPT to give me a character list, which helped immensely. Once the characters and the pieces clicked into place, I was completely invested.
This is not a pulse-pounding page/turning thriller but there’s an atmospheric sense of dread running throughout and the second half of the book flew by. I’m not a fan of the multiple characters and timelines in the first half, but the payoff was worth it.
I especially loved Jane and Dexter and hope we see them in a future book.
* the audiobook was excellent, narrated by a cast of characters,
February 16, 2026
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
There’s something off about Lisa Jewell’s books… but not in the bad way. In the slightly off-kilter, steadily mounting, experiential dread that exists at the center of them.
This, like the other books I’ve read of hers, is not your average thriller. It’s some concoction of haunted house, murder mystery, police procedural, and popcorn suspense, that makes it feel so unique.
It didn’t grab me from page one like some thrillers. I had to work a bit to get going, actually I had to work a lot, but once I did, my momentum thrust me rapidly to its satisfying, if not somewhat conventional, ending. I don’t feel like this broke any new ground. It won’t be one I look back on as a standout in her catalogue, but it got the job done.
Lisa Jewell can clearly write her ass off. This one just just didn’t meet me where I’m currently at.
There’s something off about Lisa Jewell’s books… but not in the bad way. In the slightly off-kilter, steadily mounting, experiential dread that exists at the center of them.
This, like the other books I’ve read of hers, is not your average thriller. It’s some concoction of haunted house, murder mystery, police procedural, and popcorn suspense, that makes it feel so unique.
It didn’t grab me from page one like some thrillers. I had to work a bit to get going, actually I had to work a lot, but once I did, my momentum thrust me rapidly to its satisfying, if not somewhat conventional, ending. I don’t feel like this broke any new ground. It won’t be one I look back on as a standout in her catalogue, but it got the job done.
Lisa Jewell can clearly write her ass off. This one just just didn’t meet me where I’m currently at.
July 19, 2026
Lisa Jewell has become one of my go-to authors in the thriller genre, and while some of her books have stood out more than others, this one definitely takes the cake for being her darkest yet.
It Could Have Been Her follows Jane Trevally, who discovers a lost dog linked to the disappearance of a teenage girl. When she offers to return the dog, she's unexpectedly drawn back to Thornwood, a house with a disturbing past that she's more closely connected to than she ever realised. What follows is a layered psychological mystery that gradually reveals just how much trauma and devastation has unfolded behind the doors of one family home.
One thing I really enjoyed was the way Jewell structured the story. Moving between 2001, 2005 and the present day, she gradually reveals more of the family's history while keeping just enough hidden that I was constantly questioning how everyone connected and which timeline they belonged in. It took me a little while to get my head around it all, but once everything clicked into place, I found myself completely immersed in the mystery and enjoyed piecing everything together alongside the investigation.
Thornwood is creepy, to say the least. It's the sort of place that leaves you thinking, "if these walls could talk." While Hampstead feels like a perfectly ordinary, at times affluent, place to live, there's also the sense that it could all be a façade for something much darker. As more of the family's history comes to light, what's hidden behind Thornwood's doors proves far more disturbing than I ever expected, and the psychological impact of everything that happened there is far more unsettling.
There are quite a few characters throughout the different timelines, but Jane remains the central focus of the story. She's easy to follow and, despite times when I questioned her decisions, understanding her connection to Thornwood meant I could appreciate why she kept pushing for answers.
I also really enjoyed the audiobook, and although it's marketed as a full-cast production featuring several well-known names, James Norton and Lesley Sharp carry much of the narration. Their performances gave the story a cinematic quality that often felt more like listening to a prestige crime drama than a traditional audiobook.
My biggest gripes came down to the pacing and predictability. It wasn't that the twists were disappointing, but I found several of them easier to spot than I'd hoped, which occasionally left me waiting for the present-day storyline to catch up. There were also sections where the pacing slowed more than I would have liked. Even so, I continued to appreciate Jewell's writing and the way she layered the mystery with the psychological elements.
Overall, this may not rank among my favourite Lisa Jewell novels, but it's certainly one of her darkest and most unsettling. I'm still keen to see whether Jane returns in a future book after her brief introduction in Don't Let Him In, and I'll definitely be continuing through Jewell's backlist while looking forward to whatever she writes next.
By the end... let's just say all I could hear was creepy clown music.
3.5⭐
It Could Have Been Her follows Jane Trevally, who discovers a lost dog linked to the disappearance of a teenage girl. When she offers to return the dog, she's unexpectedly drawn back to Thornwood, a house with a disturbing past that she's more closely connected to than she ever realised. What follows is a layered psychological mystery that gradually reveals just how much trauma and devastation has unfolded behind the doors of one family home.
One thing I really enjoyed was the way Jewell structured the story. Moving between 2001, 2005 and the present day, she gradually reveals more of the family's history while keeping just enough hidden that I was constantly questioning how everyone connected and which timeline they belonged in. It took me a little while to get my head around it all, but once everything clicked into place, I found myself completely immersed in the mystery and enjoyed piecing everything together alongside the investigation.
Thornwood is creepy, to say the least. It's the sort of place that leaves you thinking, "if these walls could talk." While Hampstead feels like a perfectly ordinary, at times affluent, place to live, there's also the sense that it could all be a façade for something much darker. As more of the family's history comes to light, what's hidden behind Thornwood's doors proves far more disturbing than I ever expected, and the psychological impact of everything that happened there is far more unsettling.
There are quite a few characters throughout the different timelines, but Jane remains the central focus of the story. She's easy to follow and, despite times when I questioned her decisions, understanding her connection to Thornwood meant I could appreciate why she kept pushing for answers.
I also really enjoyed the audiobook, and although it's marketed as a full-cast production featuring several well-known names, James Norton and Lesley Sharp carry much of the narration. Their performances gave the story a cinematic quality that often felt more like listening to a prestige crime drama than a traditional audiobook.
My biggest gripes came down to the pacing and predictability. It wasn't that the twists were disappointing, but I found several of them easier to spot than I'd hoped, which occasionally left me waiting for the present-day storyline to catch up. There were also sections where the pacing slowed more than I would have liked. Even so, I continued to appreciate Jewell's writing and the way she layered the mystery with the psychological elements.
Overall, this may not rank among my favourite Lisa Jewell novels, but it's certainly one of her darkest and most unsettling. I'm still keen to see whether Jane returns in a future book after her brief introduction in Don't Let Him In, and I'll definitely be continuing through Jewell's backlist while looking forward to whatever she writes next.
By the end... let's just say all I could hear was creepy clown music.
3.5⭐
November 9, 2026
It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell
I borrowed the audiobook of It Could Have Been Her from my library, and I continue to appreciate Simon & Schuster Audio's commitment to producing high-quality audiobooks with ensemble casts. This production runs nearly eleven hours and features nine narrators, an impressive undertaking for a psychological thriller with so many moving parts.
Lisa Jewell brings back Jane Trevally, a character introduced in Don't Let Him In. Now a middle-aged woman looking for something meaningful to occupy her time, Jane finds herself drawn into a mystery after discovering a stray dog during one of her walks. Her efforts to reunite the dog with its owner lead her to a house near Hampstead Heath, a house that stirs unsettling memories from her own past. Something about the place isn't right, and Jane cannot resist investigating.
One of my favorite aspects of the novel is the partnership between Jane and her stepson, Dexter. Their relationship adds a welcome dimension to the story as they work together to uncover the history of the house and the people connected to it. I particularly enjoyed their investigative chemistry, which provides some relief from an otherwise disturbing narrative.
In typical Jewell fashion, beneath the surface lies a profoundly dysfunctional family, its history shaped by secrets, manipulation, and generational trauma. Through multiple perspectives and timelines, Jewell gradually reveals what transpired behind those closed doors. Stuart, in particular, is a complicated and deeply unsettling character whose backstory adds another layer of darkness to the mystery.
And then there's Patch, the clown. Because apparently this creepy house and its inhabitants weren't disturbing enough without adding a clown to the mix! 🤡
Where the novel lost me, at least temporarily, was in its structure. With numerous characters, shifting perspectives, and multiple timelines, keeping track of who was who and when events occurred became a challenge. Even with nine distinct narrators, I occasionally struggled to connect the pieces. That's not a criticism of the performances, which are excellent, but rather a reflection of how demanding this particular story is in audio format.
I admit there were stretches when I felt thoroughly lost. Fortunately, Jewell knows how to construct a psychological thriller, and she eventually brings the tangled threads together in a satisfying conclusion.
It Could Have Been Her is dark, disturbing, and populated by the sort of family you sincerely hope never moves into your neighborhood. Jewell once again demonstrates her fascination with the sinister secrets lurking beneath seemingly ordinary lives.
My recommendation? Read this one rather than listen to it. The audiobook is beautifully produced, but the complicated narrative practically begs for the ability to flip back a few pages and remind yourself who's who. Sometimes the written word simply serves a story better than even the most accomplished narrators can.
September 12, 2026
Chyba nie umiem ubrać w słowa, jak dobrze ta książka została stworzona. Zaczyna się sztampowo - Jane Trevally udaje normalną osobę, która chce sprzedać zaniedbany dom. Jednak najtrudniej jej się rozstać z przeszłością związaną z tym miejscem. Któregoś dnia znajduje psa. Okazuje się, że należał do dziewczyny, która zniknęła z dnia na dzień.
Równolegle ukazane są losy Stuarta sprzed dekady i moment, w którym poznał Jessamine.
W powieści występuje kilku narratorów. Jedni opowiadają historię pierwszoosobowo, inne perspektywy są w trzeciej osobie. Początkowo miałam wrażenie, że panuje narracyjny chaos. Kolejni bohaterowie pojawiali się i znikali. Wszystkie te flashbacki miały jednak sens.
Intryga została przemyślana i precyzyjnie utkana. Banalna historia dostaje barw, z którymi nie miałam jeszcze do czynienia w literaturze. Nie spodziewałam się takiego zakończenia, choć wydawał się oczywisty.
Powieść ukazuje różne oblicza traumy. Tak różne, a tak podobne do siebie. Czytam dużo thrillerów i w większości bohaterowie są dotknięci różnymi traumami. Wydawało mi się, że już nic mnie w tym temacie nie zaskoczy, ale ta książka nadaje zupełnie inne znaczenie. Jak w krzywym zwierciadle zmienia znane odbicie. Chyba dopiero po przeczytaniu tej powieści zrozumiałam prawdziwe podłoże traum i oddziaływanie na osoby nią dotknięte, a także na ich bliskich. Życie z osobą głęboko straumatyzowaną to jak współuzależnienie.
"Dzieliłem nocą łóżko z kobietą, której cała egzystencja została ukształtowana przez traumę i mękę tego, czego była świadkiem, a ja każdego dnia pozwalałem jej staczać się coraz głębiej w otchłań nałogu i beznadziei."
"Trauma potrafi cię spętać, unieruchomić w jednej pozycji. Wydaje ci się, że ruszyłeś naprzód, wydaje ci się, że jesteś już gdzie indziej, ale to nieprawda; wciąż tam tkwisz, przyszpilona do każdej pojedynczej sekundy tamtych wydarzeń. I w jakiś sposób łatwiej jest trzymać się blisko miejsc, w których to się stało, nie szarpać się zbyt mocno z tymi szpilkami, po prostu się poddać, zamiast walczyć… [...]
[...] wybrał odwrotną drogę, wyrwał wszystkie te szpilki, zmierzył się z palącym bólem, a potem ruszył w świat, zataczając się, krwawiąc i cierpiąc katusze... [...] Ale istnieje złoty środek. Odchodzenie powoli. I tak naprawdę ja sama odchodzę powoli od trzydziestu pięciu lat. Wyciągałam te szpilki, jedna po drugiej. A teraz jestem już gotowa."
Nie planowałam dawać tak wysokiej oceny. Finał zmienił wszystko.
Równolegle ukazane są losy Stuarta sprzed dekady i moment, w którym poznał Jessamine.
W powieści występuje kilku narratorów. Jedni opowiadają historię pierwszoosobowo, inne perspektywy są w trzeciej osobie. Początkowo miałam wrażenie, że panuje narracyjny chaos. Kolejni bohaterowie pojawiali się i znikali. Wszystkie te flashbacki miały jednak sens.
Intryga została przemyślana i precyzyjnie utkana. Banalna historia dostaje barw, z którymi nie miałam jeszcze do czynienia w literaturze. Nie spodziewałam się takiego zakończenia, choć wydawał się oczywisty.
Powieść ukazuje różne oblicza traumy. Tak różne, a tak podobne do siebie. Czytam dużo thrillerów i w większości bohaterowie są dotknięci różnymi traumami. Wydawało mi się, że już nic mnie w tym temacie nie zaskoczy, ale ta książka nadaje zupełnie inne znaczenie. Jak w krzywym zwierciadle zmienia znane odbicie. Chyba dopiero po przeczytaniu tej powieści zrozumiałam prawdziwe podłoże traum i oddziaływanie na osoby nią dotknięte, a także na ich bliskich. Życie z osobą głęboko straumatyzowaną to jak współuzależnienie.
"Dzieliłem nocą łóżko z kobietą, której cała egzystencja została ukształtowana przez traumę i mękę tego, czego była świadkiem, a ja każdego dnia pozwalałem jej staczać się coraz głębiej w otchłań nałogu i beznadziei."
"Trauma potrafi cię spętać, unieruchomić w jednej pozycji. Wydaje ci się, że ruszyłeś naprzód, wydaje ci się, że jesteś już gdzie indziej, ale to nieprawda; wciąż tam tkwisz, przyszpilona do każdej pojedynczej sekundy tamtych wydarzeń. I w jakiś sposób łatwiej jest trzymać się blisko miejsc, w których to się stało, nie szarpać się zbyt mocno z tymi szpilkami, po prostu się poddać, zamiast walczyć… [...]
[...] wybrał odwrotną drogę, wyrwał wszystkie te szpilki, zmierzył się z palącym bólem, a potem ruszył w świat, zataczając się, krwawiąc i cierpiąc katusze... [...] Ale istnieje złoty środek. Odchodzenie powoli. I tak naprawdę ja sama odchodzę powoli od trzydziestu pięciu lat. Wyciągałam te szpilki, jedna po drugiej. A teraz jestem już gotowa."
Nie planowałam dawać tak wysokiej oceny. Finał zmienił wszystko.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.5 stars - really, really enjoyed Jewell's latest. Starts off a bit disjointed & a tad slow but about 30% - BAM! could barely put it down - flipping pages like mad! This one is very dark - a really "Family Upstairs" kinda vibe (IYKYK) but what put it over for me was the MC- Jane - a mid-life amateur sleuth who I just really liked a lot - and her step-son Dexter too, hope we see them again! And I loved good-boy Hugo 🐶 This might just be my new favorite by Jewell - one I will think about & remember for a while!
July 13, 2026
4.5⭐️ I have been wildly intrigued with Lisa Jewell’s writing since reading Then She Was Gone, a book that still lives in my head rent-free many years later. There is a common thread that runs throughout her thrillers that makes them uniquely jarring— she takes ordinary, relatable characters doing typical things, and shifts them ever so slightly to where their reality then becomes horror. It’s shocking because it feels incredibly real and a situation so many of us could find ourselves in. The ordinary and mundane becomes twisted and perverted. And that thread continues here.
Best described as Then She Was Gone meets The Family Upstairs, this book feels quite a bit darker than her previous novels and brilliantly combines the elements that made these two former books the bestsellers they are. And yet Jane, our main character (and one readers have met before), is a fun take on the cozy mystery heroine, creating an interesting vibe merge.
I felt as enthralled by Jane’s modern-day detective work, as I did the flashbacks to the past in which we are slowly but surely painted a very dark tale. I found myself engrossed in the story beginning to end, and I was happily surprised by a few of the twists and turns along the way. Given that Jane is now in two books, could this be a new series? I guess only time will tell…
Read if you like:
▪️atmospheric settings
▪️dual timelines
▪️family secrets
▪️ensemble casts
▪️cold cases
Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥
Thank you Atria Books for the advanced copies.
Best described as Then She Was Gone meets The Family Upstairs, this book feels quite a bit darker than her previous novels and brilliantly combines the elements that made these two former books the bestsellers they are. And yet Jane, our main character (and one readers have met before), is a fun take on the cozy mystery heroine, creating an interesting vibe merge.
I felt as enthralled by Jane’s modern-day detective work, as I did the flashbacks to the past in which we are slowly but surely painted a very dark tale. I found myself engrossed in the story beginning to end, and I was happily surprised by a few of the twists and turns along the way. Given that Jane is now in two books, could this be a new series? I guess only time will tell…
Read if you like:
▪️atmospheric settings
▪️dual timelines
▪️family secrets
▪️ensemble casts
▪️cold cases
Check out my Bookstagram post here ♥
Thank you Atria Books for the advanced copies.
January 12, 2026
This novel was chilling and full of mystery! One thing is for sure: Lisa Jewell is an amazing author who knows how to write a good book! It started really strong, then slowed down throughout much of the book, and ended strong! The details in this book are remarkable. From the characters to the atmosphere, the details blew me away! It is very dark, tense, sad, and gripping.
It is a medium-paced read, with the characters' flaws as the main focus. While reading this, it kept switching timelines and characters, which I found somewhat challenging. In my opinion, it wasn’t a smooth read. It was jumping from one thing to another continuously. I really did like how it started all coming together towards the end. It definitely left me with a satisfying conclusion. The story had a strong villain. To me, the only likable character in the book was Jane. Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Lisa Jewell, and Atria Books for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is set to be published on July 2, 2026!
It is a medium-paced read, with the characters' flaws as the main focus. While reading this, it kept switching timelines and characters, which I found somewhat challenging. In my opinion, it wasn’t a smooth read. It was jumping from one thing to another continuously. I really did like how it started all coming together towards the end. It definitely left me with a satisfying conclusion. The story had a strong villain. To me, the only likable character in the book was Jane. Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Lisa Jewell, and Atria Books for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is set to be published on July 2, 2026!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a weird story. Jane finds a loose dog near her countryside property. Neighbors say it was with a young woman; a woman who's now gone missing. According to the microchip, the dog belongs to folks who live down in London. And in an odd twist, in a house where she once had a weird encounter decades earlier. And this sets in motion Jane’s search for the girl in London.
The plot beggars belief. Way too many coincidences and folks opening up to share information. It started off mildly entertaining, but then it took on such a dark tone I just found it depressing. All the characters are such screwed up people. The story is told from multiple perspectives, mostly Jane in the present day and Stuart from 10 years earlier and moving forward. I struggled to understand Stuart and I can’t say I ever did. Well, to be honest, I didn’t really understand Jane either. There’s an underlying sense of horror throughout the book. The story moves at a slow pace and relies on a seeping suspense to keep the reader engaged.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria for an advance copy of this book.
The plot beggars belief. Way too many coincidences and folks opening up to share information. It started off mildly entertaining, but then it took on such a dark tone I just found it depressing. All the characters are such screwed up people. The story is told from multiple perspectives, mostly Jane in the present day and Stuart from 10 years earlier and moving forward. I struggled to understand Stuart and I can’t say I ever did. Well, to be honest, I didn’t really understand Jane either. There’s an underlying sense of horror throughout the book. The story moves at a slow pace and relies on a seeping suspense to keep the reader engaged.
My thanks to Netgalley and Atria for an advance copy of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
It Could Have Been Her is a very apt title for this book. It is a thought that comes up various times throughout the book. I found It Could Have Been Her to be gripping, atmospheric, twisted, and dark. Lisa Jewell pulls out all the stops in this book about a woman, a missing dog, a house full of dark secrets, and a missing teenager.
Jane Trevally was walking her dogs when she saw a lone dog on her country estate/manor home grounds. The dog was with a teen who was staying nearby, but the teen is now missing. Jane tracks the dog's owner down to a home in Hamstead. She is shocked and has shivers running up and down her spine when she pulls up to the home of the dog's owner. She knows this house, she can't forget this house, she fears this house. Jane can't let the feeling that something isn't right go, and she goes on a journey to find the truth.
In true Lisa Jewell fashion, this book showed the worst in some of the characters, the damage in others, and the good in some. This book contained layers of secrets and oodles of dread. I enjoyed the tension, the danger, and mounting suspense.
I never quite knew where this book was going, but I enjoyed the dark and twisted ride!
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
Jane Trevally was walking her dogs when she saw a lone dog on her country estate/manor home grounds. The dog was with a teen who was staying nearby, but the teen is now missing. Jane tracks the dog's owner down to a home in Hamstead. She is shocked and has shivers running up and down her spine when she pulls up to the home of the dog's owner. She knows this house, she can't forget this house, she fears this house. Jane can't let the feeling that something isn't right go, and she goes on a journey to find the truth.
In true Lisa Jewell fashion, this book showed the worst in some of the characters, the damage in others, and the good in some. This book contained layers of secrets and oodles of dread. I enjoyed the tension, the danger, and mounting suspense.
I never quite knew where this book was going, but I enjoyed the dark and twisted ride!
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com 📖
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