Mary Kubica's "She's Not Sorry", published in 2024, is a thriller set in Chicago, and revolves around an ICU nurse, a serial rapist, and a girl pushed from a pedestrian overpass. It had all the makings of a good suspense novel but failed to deliver. I only finished the novel because I was fairly certain that I knew who the rapist was, and I wanted to see if I were right. (I was!)

The novel's protagonist is Meghan, a divorced mother of a teenage daughter, who works in an ICU nurse. She's good at her job and at balancing twelve-hour shifts and spending time with her daughter. She's also paranoid, gets involved in things that are none of her business, and because Kubica chose to have a first-person narrator, we know every detail about her life and her thoughts. It's really annoying, both the narration and the character herself. I also found it unlikely that Meghan would be involved in so many aspects of the story. Many of her actions are frankly unbelievable. The fact that everyone confides in Meghan is another sore point for me, and the way she just drops characters out of her narrative was unsatisfying.

I admit that there was one plot twist that I didn't see coming. However, Meghan's actions and thoughts before and after the big reveal don't add up. If the main character lets you know all of her thoughts, why were we unaware of the big secret?

To wrap up: a mediocre plot, an annoying main character, and very much a disappointing ending. ( )

This is the first book I have read from this author, but it didn't take long for me to see how well she can write. The suspense is done so well it makes you feel like you are in the story, feeling everything along with the character. The type of paranoia that was built felt real. I was drawn into the story immediately.

Now, there were quite a few twists and turns throughout the story, some of which were a little easy to guess. I had some things figured out from the very beginning of the book. I do think there were some little red herrings that didn't work as well as they should have to throw off you suspicions. They only served as a distraction for a short time, but you knew they wouldn't amount to much.

I'm not sure how I feel about the ending. I don't think it quite lives up to the rest of the book, but at the same time, I'm not angry about it. I think I'm just slightly disappointed and I don't know why.

I might check out some of the author's other work, because I liked the writing style so much. But, I don't think this will become a new favorite of mine. ( )

Deftly plotted psychological thriller left me completely entertained.

Critical care nurse Meghan Michaels is a single, divorced mom living in a Chicago apartment, working hard, and trying to keep her teen daughter, Sienna, safe and happy. Meghan is assigned to a patient named Caitlin who has barely survived a fall from a pedestrian bridge. Was it suicide? Caitlin has horrific injuries and Meghan ends up growing personally involved by caring for her and interacting with Caitlin's parents.

Meanwhile, Meghan has concerns about getting to and from work when she hears that a stalker rapist is attacking women who live nearby. In the cold darkness of winter, while attending a divorced persons support group, Meghan meets an old acquaintance form high school and they become close confidants and friends.

But suddenly, things take a very strange turn. Someone says that Caitlin's fall might have been a push rather than a jump. Meghan's new friend disappears, and it seems was not telling her the truth. Sienna is hostile. And a secret is close to being exposed.

This had a lot of fun twists and revelations that kept me engaged throughout. Some I anticipated, but others took me by surprise, and I really liked the turn of events. Meghan was an interesting main character, flaws and all, but quite easy to relate to and understand her motives and actions. The details about her work as a nurse were accurate and, as a nurse myself, I appreciate that. Of course, some things were a bit unrealistic and conveniently coincidental, but I just went along with the ride.

I listened to the audiobook while reading along in the ARC e-book provided by the publisher and I totally enjoyed the experience. Definitely recommend to anyone who likes intricately plotted and perfectly paced suspense thrillers with an interesting and uncommon premise. ( )

"She’s Not Sorry" delivers a gripping narrative of secrets and consequences, weaving together the lives of single mom and ICU nurse Meghan Michaels with the enigmatic Caitlin, whose traumatic brain injury hides a deeper mystery. As Meghan delves deeper, the line between ally and adversary blurs, culminating in a suspenseful climax that keeps readers guessing until the very end. With its well-drawn characters and intricate plot twists, "She’s Not Sorry" is a compelling read that will leave you questioning everything and everyone.

*Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy. ( )

Didn’t see all this coming.

She’s Not Sorry is multiple plot lines individually woven into one story. It’s the story of Meghan and Nat, long lost acquaintances from high school, of Meghan and Luke, co-workers in the ICU, of Meghan and Sienna, her sassy 16-year old, of Meghan and Caitlyn, the comatose patient Meghan has been charged with caring for, and Meghan and Ben, her ex-husband. Along with all of these subplots, there is a crazy man running around Chicago raping and now murdering women. The plot gets thicker half way through the book when the reader learns nothing is as it seems.

Mary Kubica has done a wonderful job keeping multiple balls in the air while spinning plates of deception at the same time. She leaves the doors open to all the characters so that the reader has no idea who to trust, including the protagonist. There are twists and unforeseen turns that will keep you guessing throughout and even the ending is left with a door slightly ajar - could there be a follow-up coming?

My first pass at Mary Kubica and I’m glad it was She’s Not Sorry. This psychological thriller will keep you turning the page. I must admit, I sort of sped read through the last few chapters to find out what was going to happen.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced reader copy. My review is my own opinion and was not compensated monetarily. ( )