Lisa Jewell’s 24th novel, It Could Have Been Her (2026), is a psychological thriller that untangles a web of dark family secrets spanning decades. The story follows 55-year-old Jane Trevally, a divorcée living in a decaying Dorset estate who feels her life has lost its purpose. She embarks on an investigation into a young girl’s disappearance with a surprising link to a traumatic incident Jane suffered 26 years earlier. As her investigation progresses, she unearths the horrific history of a family at secluded London house. Told through multiple timelines and perspectives, the novel explores themes including The Inherited Nature of Trauma, The Illusion of Middle-Class Respectability, and The Dangers of Isolation.

Lisa Jewell is a #1 New York Times bestselling author celebrated for her suspenseful domestic noir novels that often delve into complex family dynamics and long-buried secrets. Her work, including popular titles such as Then She Was Gone and The Family Upstairs, has sold more than 15 million copies internationally and has been translated into over 30 languages, establishing her as a prominent voice in the genre. It Could Have Been Her continues Jewell’s signature exploration of the darkness that can fester beneath the surface of ordinary lives, weaving a tense narrative that questions how well we truly know the people and places around us.

This guide refers to the 2026 Atria Books e-book edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide feature depictions of child abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, addiction, graphic violence, rape, sexual violence, mental illness, death by suicide, sexual content, animal death, and cursing.

Plot Summary

In May 2026, 55-year-old divorcée Jane Trevally is contemplating selling Rosebery Hall, her crumbling family estate in Dorset, when she finds a lost West Highland terrier named Hugo in her woods. Her local veterinarian, Hester, traces Hugo’s microchip to a man named Stuart Tucker at an address in Hampstead. Jane recognizes the address as the house where, 26 years prior, a man named Allen Black tried to drug and abduct her after picking her up in a bar. Accompanied by her stepson Dexter, Jane returns Hugo to the scruffy, defensive man now living in the house. 

Jane soon learns that Hugo had been staying at a local Airbnb with a young woman named Rose White, who has now vanished, leaving all her belongings behind. Convinced the events are connected to her own traumatic experience at Thornwood, Jane begins to investigate. She discovers a school sweatshirt from North London’s Waterside Academy in the woods near her home, marked with the initials “DB,” leading her to suspect “Rose White” is a false name.

Jane and Dexter return to the Vale of Health, where they learn from neighbors that the missing girl is likely Daisy Black, Stuart’s stepdaughter. Neighbors describe the Black family as strange and recall a major police visit during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Jane also learns about Daisy’s mysterious uncle, Jasper, a clown who “had run away with the circus” (127). To learn more about Daisy’s mother, Jessamine, Jane tracks down Natasha de Large, a costume designer from a low-budget film Jessamine starred in as a teenager. Natasha describes Jessamine as intense and dramatic. 

Jane then contacts Tobias Wilson, a former security consultant for her ex-husband, who uncovers the truth about the 2020 police visit: It was part of a cold-case investigation into the 2005 disappearance of a young woman named Claire Connolly, who was last seen near Thornwood. The detective on the case, DI Yasmin Brooks, had noted Daisy Black’s uncanny resemblance to the missing Claire. Emboldened, Jane sneaks onto the Thornwood property and discovers a small outhouse with metal rings screwed into the walls, clearly designed for restraining someone. 

Jane finds a poster for Martello’s Circus, which came through her village the weekend Daisy disappeared. Suspecting a connection to Jessamine’s brother, Jasper, who performs as a clown, she visits the circus at its new location. Performers tell her that Jasper, known as “Patch the Clown,” also vanished the same weekend. In his abandoned trailer, Jane finds a horrifying clown mask and a scrap of a letter addressed to Jasper, care of a Stella Madden. 

Stella, Jasper’s former landlady, tells Jane that Jasper was a disturbed young man whom she suspected had assaulted a young woman in the park. The letter fragment leads Jane to Jasper’s former therapist, Dr. Anthony Twist, who confirms Jasper is a dangerous individual still processing severe childhood trauma. Meanwhile, Jane and Dexter stake out Thornwood and follow Stuart to a pub. After they confront him with all they’ve learned about the Black family, a desperate Stuart admits the house has a dark history but begs Jane not to involve the authorities, fearing it would put Daisy in more danger. The next day, Stuart texts Jane, inviting her to Thornwood to hear the full story before she goes to the police.

Armed with a kitchen knife, Jane goes to Thornwood. There, Stuart reveals that Daisy is alive and has been hiding in the house for weeks. Daisy recounts her story: During the police’s visit to the house during lockdown, the detective showed her a picture of Claire Connolly, whom Daisy immediately believed was her real mother. Daisy ran away from Thornwood and tracked down Jasper at the circus to learn the truth. They met in the woods, but Jasper became agitated and attacked her. Daisy fought him off and fled, leaving Hugo behind, and called Stuart for help. 

Stuart and Daisy lead Jane to the outhouse, revealing the dead body of Annie, Jessamine’s mother, who died after Daisy pushed her down the stairs during a heated argument. Jane insists they call the police. When the officers arrive, Jessamine confesses to killing her mother herself to protect Daisy and reveals the full, horrific history of Thornwood to the police. Her father, Allen, aided by her mother, Annie, had been a serial predator who lured young sex workers to the house, calling them “au pair girls” (166). He imprisoned, tortured, and murdered them in a secret basement beneath his study. In 2005, their final victim, Claire Connolly, gave birth to a baby girl, Daisy. Claire managed to kill Allen with a small knife that Jasper had smuggled to her. However, before Claire could escape, Jessamine discovered the scene and, in a rage, murdered Claire. Annie then orchestrated the cover-up, disposing of the bodies in the basement and forcing Jessamine to raise Daisy as her own daughter. Traumatized by witnessing the murders, Jasper ran away. The police excavate the basement and find the remains of Allen and seven young women.

In the aftermath, Stuart and Daisy, who now uses her mother’s surname, Connolly, are freed from the house and begin to heal. Jessamine is sent to a rehabilitation facility to await trial for the manslaughter of her mother. Six months later, Jasper’s body is found in the woods where he attacked Daisy; his death is ruled a death by suicide. 

Having confronted the trauma that echoed her own past, Jane feels a sense of release. She sells Rosebery Hall and makes plans to move to London, start a private investigation agency with Dexter called “Trevally and Son,” and finally build a new life for herself. An epilogue reveals a transcript from Jasper’s first therapy session, confirming he witnessed Jessamine murder Claire, revealing Jessamine’s confession as another performance.