It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica Book Review

Title: It’s Not Her
Author: Mary Kubica
Publisher: Park Row Books
Genre: Thriller / Psychological Suspense
Year of Publication: 2026
Date of Publication: February 3, 2026
Pages: 352
ISBN-10: 0778387992
ISBN-13: 978-0778387992
Audiobook Narrator: Jennifer Jill Araya, Brittany Pressley, and Gary Tiedemann

Our Rating of This Book

Summary of It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

When Courtney Gray and her brother’s family travel from Chicago to Wisconsin, they expect to have a bonding experience and create unforgettable memories. But shortly after their arrival, their quiet family vacation at a secluded lake resort turns into a nightmare. Courtney hears a scream from the cottage next door, where her brother and his family are staying. She rushes to investigate and inside, she finds her brother and sister-in-law dead and her niece named Reese, missing. Meanwhile, her nephew Wyatt slept through it all and was unharmed, completely unaware of the crime that occurred downstairs.

As police begin their investigation, disturbing secrets about members of Courtney’s family begin to surface. With everyone hiding something, Courtney starts to look for more information, even as suspicion falls on those closest to her.

Main Plot & Characters

Courtney Gray: She is the main character in the story. Courtney and her family travel from Illinois to Wisconsin for a family vacation, which leaves her with grief, fear, and doubt while trying to find her missing niece.
Reese: She is Courtney’s teenage niece who disappears after the murders and becomes central to the mystery.
Wyatt: He is Courtney’s nephew. Wyatt is found unharmed after the murders and it raises more questions about what happened.
Emily: She is Courtney’s sister-in-law and a mother to Reese, Mae, and Wyatt. Emily is married to Nolan.
Cass: She is Courtney’s daughter. Cass is a cousin to Mae, Reese and Wyatt and is ten years old.
Mae: She is Courtney’s niece. She is also ten years old.
Elliot: He is Courtney’s husband and a father to Cass.
Nolan: He is Emily’s husband and Courtney’s older brother. He works in the tech industry and has been out of work for sometime.
Detective Josh Evans: He is the detective in charge of the investigation into the murders.
Daniel Clark: He works at the resort.
Sam and Joanna: They are parents of a girl named Kylie, who went missing a couple of years earlier.
Kylie Matthews: She is the daughter of Sam and Joanna. Kylie went missing years ago when she was only 11 years old.
Abby: She was Kylie Matthews’s best friend at the time she went missing.
Greta Dahl (Ms. Dahl): She is a woman who works at the resort.
Skylar: She is Reese’s best friend in Illinois.
Gracie: She is a friend of Skylar.

Writing Style

The story is told from Courtney and Reese’s perspectives. Kubica tells the story using a lot of suspense and flashbacks. This is one of those stories where everyone is a suspect, a true whodunit story but with a twist at the end. The book definitely had us suspecting pretty much everyone and it has to be said that the author did a great job with keeping the suspicion going. Was it Reese, Wyatt, Elliot, Daniel or someone else at the resort or in the area?

With that said, one thing we did notice is that many of the characters were not particularly likeable. Take Reese, Nolan, and Wyatt, as an example, they all added significantly to the story but we found that we were not really invested in their well-being. Other than Courtney’s safety, we were never truly afraid that anyone else would be in danger, although we appreciated that the thrill of the story came from figuring out past actions instead of focusing on potential future danger.

It's Not Her by Mary Kubica Book Cover_Reviews

Memorable Quotes

“I’m one of the good guys.”

Final Thoughts on It’s Not Her

It’s Not Her is Mary Kubica’s latest standalone thriller, continuing her reputation in suspense fiction. It is a fast-paced, suspense-driven read that kept us guessing until the very end. We read that this story has been optioned for television and we definitely think it would make for a good TV series or a movie.

If you enjoy books where you have to piece together a crime like Dead of Winter, The Missing Half, Death on the Island, or any of the Freida McFadden type of stories, then this one is for you.

Book Rating

Characters ★★★⯪☆ (3.5/5)
Plot ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Writing ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Book Cover ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Audiobook (Narration only) ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)
Overall ★★★★☆ (4/5)

What are your thoughts on It’s Not Her? Where you able to guess who the killer was? What did you think about the final twist at the end? Share your thoughts and until next time, keep turning those pages.

Authors

Ufuoma Akpotaire
Ufuoma Akpotaire is a passionate book, movie and music reviewer with a love for travel and culture. She combines her enthusiasm for storytelling with her experience exploring new places and stories. Through her reviews, she celebrates creativity and inspires readers to appreciate the connections between books, movies, music, travel, and global cultures.
Nathaniel Adebayo
Nathaniel is a Media Content Specialist at Verayea, where he specializes in curating content and gathering data for the company’s extensive book library. He is also dedicated to writing insightful reviews, offering thoughtful perspectives on a range of media. His work ensures that Verayea’s library is comprehensive, well-organized, and informative, providing valuable resources for its audience.