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 Lisa Jewell’s newest thriller called It Could Have Been Her. I am an avid fan of Lisa Jewell and thoroughly enjoyed the talk she did through the library systems last year. It was so cool to see one of my favorite authors on the computer screen answering questions from readers and talking about her writing process and upcoming projects. I was super excited to read her latest book and it did not disappoint. It Could Have Been Her was a wild ride! Before we begin our chat, I will be placing a big fat trigger warning for child abuse, domestic abuse, sexual violence, and highly disturbing content. You ready? Let’s get to it!

Twice divorced Jane is in her mid fifties and lives a solitary life in her family’s crumbling estate located in the middle of nowhere. She doesn’t have much in the way of human company but she loves her four dogs more than life itself. As her and her pups take their daily walk, they come across a small white dog that Jane has never seen before. She takes him to the vet and learns from his microchip that the dog’s name is Hugo and lives in London. How did this little dog get all the way to her property? Although she would like to keep Hugo, she makes the trip to return him to his owner and is shocked by where he lives. In a home that will forever be seared into her memory as what could have been her final resting place when she was twenty-nine years old.

The man who answers the door is named Stuart Tucker and he is dodgy but appreciative that his dog is back. Shortly after Jane drops Hugo off, she receives a call from the vet who heard something strange from Jane’s closest neighbor. Hugo was with a girl who was renting a spare room in her house. She has left all of her belongings and is nowhere to be found. This piques Jane’s interest as she fancies herself an amateur sleuth and wants to crack the case. What happened to the girl who rented the room under the name Rose White?

Stuart Tucker is a keeper of secrets. He lives with his partner, Jessamine as well as her daughter Daisy and mother named Annie. Jessamine spent her childhood in a house of horrors and her life revolves around when she can have her next drink. Stuart dotes on Daisy because no one else will and waits on Annie as if he were a butler. All the while, he takes the verbal and physical abuse of Jessamine as she is prone to fits of rage. He knows something terrible happened in this house but does his best to avoid thinking about it. If he does, he might just run away for good even if that means leaving Daisy all alone.

Tucker knows that Jane is poking around with her detective work and his family’s downfall might be coming sooner than he thinks. And Jane doesn’t think, she knows that she is getting close to finding answers. Rose is somehow connected to the house that lives in her nightmares. If Jane finds her, she can come to terms with her own trauma and move on with her life. But will Jane really want to learn the answers to the questions that have lived rent free in her mind for over two decades? Read It Could Have Been Her to find out!

Let me just get this part out of the way: There were some parts of It Could Have Been Her that were really difficult to read. In fact, this is one of the most disturbing thrillers I have read in recent memory and I do not say that lightly. Having said that, this book was really REALLY good and might just be Lisa Jewell’s darkest novel yet. The plot of this book twisted and turned at a rapid pace and the beauty of it was that every twist made perfect sense. This was a delight after reading My Husband’s Wife where every reveal was meant to shock as opposed to moving the story forward. Lisa Jewell weaved a tale of inter generational trauma that infected everyone it touched and it was up to the characters in the story to pick up the broken pieces the best way they knew how.

For all of the macabre in It Could Have Been Her, it was balanced out by our lovely heroine Jane. This woman was an absolute joy with her quick wit, her loves for dogs, and the blinding pride she feels for all of her stepchildren. She was truly the bright light that this book needed as Jewell guided us through the depths of human depravity. Throughout the book, I could see her confidence grow and her world expand and it was exciting to read about her whole new lease on life. Because for her to move forward, she needs to confront her past. This is no easy feat for anyone and it will be impossible for you to not root for her every step of the way if you read this book!

Overall, I am going to rate It Could Have Been Her with an eight out of ten stars. This was exactly what I needed after reading the massive dud of My Husband’s Wife and further solidifies Lisa Jewell as one of my go to authors. Just read at your own discretion!

Who is your favorite author? Have you read any good thrillers recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah