It Could Have Been Her – Lisa Jewell

When a found dog puts her on the trail of a missing young woman, Jane Trevally, finding herself with nothing else really to do, starts to investigate, digging into the girl’s identity and the people who live in the mysterious house where she once had a traumatic encounter.  Through her network of old friends and some actual private investigative work, Jane is able to put much of the story together.  But, to get to the bottom of the mystery, she will have to go back to Thornwood and face the demons of her past.

Lisa Jewell’s latest, It Could Have Been Her, recovers some from the last work of hers I read.  She plays well with the creepy family in the scary house at the end of the road trope, mixing in enough doubt as to who the bad actors are along the way that you are never quite sure who to feel for or whether something bad has happened to the missing girl.  I’m sure I will be revisiting her work in the not-too-distant future.