Review: It Could Have Been Her by Lisa Jewell

It was the night she almost died.

Jane Trevally, newly divorced and feeling a little lost, agrees to accompany a man she doesn't know to his house in the darkest corner of Hampstead Heath. She's offered a drink, goes in, and then - a scream and the sound of something falling upstairs - Jane senses she's in a bad place. She runs.

Twenty five years later, Jane finds herself outside the same house, this time to return a small white dog who's been found near her home in the country; a dog whose owner has just been reported missing.

A fleeting glimpse of a haunted looking woman through the window sends Jane on a mission to uncover the house's secrets - secrets more terrifying than she could have ever imagined, especially when she realises it could have been her. . .

Review: It Could Have Been Her is another gripping thriller from Lisa Jewell, and I raced through it in just one day because I simply couldn't put it down. Although it isn't quite as fast-paced as some of her previous novels, the slower burn only made me more invested. I kept turning the pages, desperate to uncover the truth, and by around the 60% mark I was completely hooked. From then on, I couldn't stop reading until I reached the final page.

The story follows Jane for much of the novel, an amateur sleuth who, alongside her stepson, finds herself drawn into an intriguing mystery. After discovering a lovely Westie named Hugo, her quiet country life with her dogs takes an unexpected turn when she becomes suspicious of a house in Hampstead Village. Jane was such an enjoyable character to follow, and I loved watching her reinvent herself as the investigation unfolded. We also spend plenty of time with Stuart, whose story constantly had me questioning where my sympathies lay. Lisa Jewell does a brilliant job of making you second-guess every character, and I genuinely didn't know who to trust.

Be warned, this book features clowns, family tragedy, and enough twists and turns to keep you suspicious of absolutely everyone. The tension builds beautifully, rewarding patient readers with a satisfying and compelling mystery that refuses to let go. If you're looking for a thriller that will completely consume your weekend, It Could Have Been Her is exactly that kind of book. I couldn't put it down, and I have a feeling you won't be able to either.

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