In this week's edition of Endnotes, we take a look at Mary Kubica's It’s Not Her, a psychological thriller about a family vacation that becomes the center of a chilling crime and mysterious disappearance.
Here's how the book came together:
Mary Kubica
“I found inspiration for It’s Not Her in the 1981 Keddie cabin murders, a true crime case that is still unsolved today. Though the novel and the real-life murders are different, they share some similarities: a cottage in a remote place where family members are murdered overnight, only for police to find a surviving son in one of the bedrooms, who seemingly slept through the brutal murders, and a daughter missing from the home.”
Michelle Brower
“I could tell right away that It’s Not Her was extra special. It’s such a cliché, but I stayed up well past my bedtime reading it, and when I finished I just couldn’t stop thinking about the twists and turns. I’m a seasoned suspense reader, so I’m always especially excited when I can’t guess what’s coming.”
Erika Imranyi
“Working with Mary is a true creative collaboration. With It’s Not Her, we talked about the setting in the early stages of the manuscript, changing
it from a suburban neighborhood to a wooded lake resort, which added to the creepy atmosphere of the book. We spent a lot of time working on red herrings,
making sure they were airtight and believable.”
Sean Kapitain
“The thriller genre is full of striking covers, so we needed Mary’s new book to truly stand out. To break from the more common nighttime imagery, we opted for a bold daytime setting. Crafting a remote lake scene that felt fresh was a challenge, but using the water’s reflection allowed us to create something both distinctive and memorable.”
