Book Title: It Could Have Been Her
Author: Lisa Jewell
Publisher: Atria Books
Number of Pages: 384
ISBN: 1668033909
Date Published: Jun. 23, 2025
Book Review
Lisa Jewell’s “It Could Have Been Her” is a dark, unsettling thriller built around memory, danger and the fear of returning to a place that once caused harm. The novel follows Jane Trevally, who finds a stray dog and is drawn back to Thornwood, a disturbing house connected to a frightening experience from her past. Her attempt to help a missing teenage girl soon becomes a personal search for truth, closure and survival
The book’s greatest strength is the atmosphere. Thornwood feels more than just a setting; it seems to watch the characters, holding old secrets behind its doors. The story creates a steady sense that something is wrong even in ordinary moments. Jane is also an appealing central character. She is not a flawless detective or fearless heroine. Instead, she is anxious, curious and sometimes impulsive, which makes her investigation feel believable. Her past gives the mystery an emotional weight beyond the usual missing-person plot.
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The book is especially effective when it explores trauma and the way it can remain hidden for years. Jane’s return to Thornwood suggests that the past is never fully finished simply because someone has escaped it. Jewell shows how fear can shape a person’s choices, relationships and sense of safety.
Still, the novel is not without flaws. Its many characters, shifting timelines and connected mysteries can make the middle feel crowded. Even so, “It Could Have Been Her” is a gripping and emotionally serious mystery. It rewards patient readers with an eerie setting, a sympathetic heroine and a plot that gradually reveals how closely the past can shadow the present.
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