Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing an excellent thriller by Mary Kubica called It’s Not Her. Although there were several parts of this book that were very hard to read, it was completely unputdownable and I finished it in three sittings. I am definitely interested in reading more by Kubica and plan on starting with Local Woman Missing as It’s Not Her was one of the best thrillers I have read all year. Before we begin, I will be placing a big fat trigger warning on this book for graphic violence, sexual violence, mental health disorders, and highly disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

It’s family vacation time! Courtney and her husband Elliott and daughter Cass will be having a joint vacation with Courtney’s brother Nolan, his wife Emily, and three children named Reese, Wyatt, and Mae. Their getaway takes place in the remote woods of Wisconsin in a resort along the lake. Resort might be a far stretch for their destination as it’s pretty ramshackle but it will be home for the next few weeks. Mae and Cass are close in age and spend their days joined at the hip. The adults drink and have grown up conversations while Wyatt does whatever fourteen year old boys do. Meanwhile, Reese can be found wallowing in the misery of all of this family time until a young man named Daniel makes her do a double take.

The vacation is, indeed, in full swing. Until it gets cut short. After Cass and Mae enjoy a slumber party in Courtney and Elliott’s cabin, Mae makes her way back to her family with a belly full of pancakes and a smile on her face. A few minutes later, she runs screaming back to Courtney and Elliott’s place. Mae has discovered the deceased bodies of her mom and dad. Reese is nowhere to be found and Wyatt managed to sleep through the entire ordeal. Courtney returns to the grisly scene and it is so much worse than she could ever imagine. Her brother and sister-in-law have been slain brutally and Reese could be anywhere dead or alive.

A police investigation immediately follows and there is not much to go off of. There are no leads to point to the murderer and no traces of Reese after extensive searches. All the while, Courtney, Elliott, Wyatt, Mae, and Cass are holed up in a tiny cabin and are not allowed to leave. Courtney can not handle the stagnation and decides to do her own investigating in her determination to bring Reese home. However, the clues that she finds only incriminates those closest to her. How could Wyatt sleep through the murder of his parents? And why is there blood on her husband’s shoes? As the days drag on, Reese is nowhere closer to being found until Courtney discovers a major break in the case. Who is responsible for this terrible crime? And will Reese be alive to tell the tale? Read It’s Not Her to find out!

It’s Not Her was a wild ride from start to finish. It was harrowing, heartbreaking, and So. Freaking. Twisty! Just when I thought I had a feel for what might have happened, Mary Kubica’s expert writing pulled the rug out from under me. And it kept happening again, and again, and again. I always love when I can figure out a grand reveal. I love it even more when I can’t, though, and the final twist left me absolutely shook. It has been a few days since I finished It’s Not Her and I still can’t stop thinking about it.

I very much enjoyed Kubica’s writing style because it was so raw. She kept the punches coming rapidly and interspersed them with such tender moments that the next blow would feel even more heart wrenching. Every dead end was a kick to the gut. The agony of every passing day with Reese missing was palpable and every single Red Herring felt infuriating. It’s Not Her will leave you questioning your own ideas as to what happened with each turn of the page until you have no idea what to think. And, when you learn the truth, you will be just as shocked as me.

I am going to award It’s Not Her with the coveted ten out of ten stars. This was a dynamite introduction into Mary Kubica’s work and if her other books are anything like this, then I know I am in for a treat. Highly recommend!

What are you currently reading? Have you read any of Mary Kubica’s books? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah