It's Not Her

Author: Mary Kubica
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Park Row Books, 2026
Pages: 352
Rating: Recommend

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. . .When everyone is 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.

Review: I have found Mary Kubica's thrillers to be fast paced and quick reads. I struggled a bit with this one. I'd still recommend it, particularly if you're a fan of Kubica. However, if you're wanting to read her for the first time, this is not the book with which to start. You may be underwhelmed or wonder why some readers love this author.

I find the best thrillers are the ones where, as a reader, I'm trying to figure out whodunnit. In this novel, I felt I was being pushed to believe this person was the killer, and then no, it's this person over here. Let me try to solve it without making me feel that I'm being led to one person or another. 

It's Not Her was not the fun thriller that I've come to expect from Kubica.