This is a book that I would have never heard of on my own so I am very thankful for my Bookstagram friend moreazlibros for sharing her thoughts of this book on her Instagram stories. This is a book that I will be thinking about for a long time to come and there was a very high chance that I would have never even known it existed. That would have been a major missed opportunity.
“You should’ve known better than to trust a guy like me. Did you really not think I might try to hurt you?”
Mary Kubica, It’s Not Her
About The Book
Author: Mary Kubica
Publisher: Park Row
Published Date: February 3rd, 2026
Page Count: 342 Pages
Main Genre: Thriller
GoodReads Rating: 3.97
Format: Audio Book
“Ignorance,” she says, never taking her eyes off me, “is the hardest thing. Even if the answers you get aren’t the ones you want, they’re still answers.”
Mary Kubica, It’s Not Her
Synopsis
A scream shatters the silence…
Courtney Gray’s peaceful vacation turns into a nightmare when she discovers her brother and sister-in-law dead in their lakeside cottage. Her niece Reese is missing. Her nephew Wyatt is asleep upstairs—unharmed.
A town full of secrets…
As police swarm the quiet resort, dark truths about Courtney’s family—and the town itself—begin to surface. Is Reese a victim… or the killer?
A truth no one saw coming…
With everyone hiding something, Courtney races to uncover the terrible mystery. But the closer she gets, the harder it is to know who—or what—to trust.
Synopsis From GoodReads
“How are you feeling?” At first she’s silent. “The longer they’re gone, the easier it gets,” she finally says. “But that’s when the guilt and shame kick in, because it should never get any easier.”
Mary Kubica, It’s Not Her
Rating
Review
Thrillers used to be my go to genre when I first got into reading, but over the years it has taken a back seat in my reading. Somehow this year it has been my most read genre. This is completely without trying, Thriller audio books just keep landing in my lap and I am not complaining. Sometimes you just need to go back to the basics in order to find your love for the hobby again.
Audio books have also been my most read format this year which blows my mind but it is a welcome change for me. It gives me something to listen to while I clean our Air BnB or even just doing yard work in our new home.
This book had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved where it started in the story and then continued to flop back and forth from timelines. The two different POV’s that we had made this book all that more interesting.
The best part of this book was that I did not find it predictable in the slightest. It had me second guessing every character, I had no clue who you could trust. This made our main POV’s motives all that more believable because I could feel her worry, skepticism and anger in every choice she made. I didn’t blame her for a single finger she pointed as I would have done the same in her shoes.
The ending of this book had me in shock. I heard that some people did not find the ending to be believable but in my mind it all made perfect sense. It did give me a bit of whiplash but I believe this is why I had so much fun listening to the story unfold.
Reese’s POV was probably my favorite in the book. This is because she really focused on some deeper topics like how your parents relationships can affect your childhood or how teen friendships falling apart can cause some deep wounds. There was mild talk about depression and suicidal thoughts coming from her that felt really relatable due to the things she was going through in her life. But the most important topic in her POV, in my opinion, was being preyed upon by an older man. At that age, especially, any attention you got was exciting, you don’t think too much about the consequences of your actions. You just feel special, that is until the next new shiny toy comes into view and you get cast aside. These things are super scary but beyond common. I think her POV was a great portrayal of a teenagers life and experiences and I was really impressed by this.
This was an audio book that came into my life at the perfect time. I have been deep into a reading slump all of April so starting May off this strong feels like a breath of fresh air. I know I will be looking for more books from this author in the future.
“I wish I could tell someone that I’m lonely and scared. That I feel like no one likes me. That I worry no one ever will. That I’ll be alone forever.”
Mary Kubica, It’s Not Her
QOTD: What thriller do you keep coming back to?
World of Bai 