She Didn't See It Coming

She Didn’t See It Coming is a domestic psychological mystery thriller. It is “domestic” because it focuses on the experiences of a single household and their close circle. As a psychological thriller, its pacing revolves around the suspicions and shifting relationships between the characters rather than non-stop action or violence. The novel is effectively structured as a “whodunit”: a mystery in which the plot is driven by the dynamics of the murder investigation. As Jayne systematically closes in on the guilty parties, the author also introduces multiple plot twists and red herrings (false trails) to inject an element of uncertainty and tension into the narrative.

Shari Lapena has a reputation for penning convoluted narratives, and in addition to writing She Didn’t See It Coming, she has also completed other mystery titles such as The Couple Next Door and A Stranger in the House, both of which rely on similar tropes and plot patterns. Lapena’s works often feature upper-middle class suburban families whose lives are shattered by a tragic event (typically a murder), which places the characters under immense pressure. The murder always serves as the inciting incident and creates a pressure-cooker of paranoia in the small, tight-knit community as the characters begin to suspect one another of playing a role in the crime.