It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara review

About The Book

Book: It Should Have Been You
Author: Andrea Mara
Standalone or Series: Standalone
Publisher: Bantam
Publication Date (UK): 8th May 2025

My Review

“I have to kill my sister.” The prologue kicks off with a brilliant hook. We quickly learn that four people are dead, one is in hospital and one is in custody. All because of a text. What a premise.

New mum Susan is on maternity leave and  sleep-deprived when she reads a passive aggressive message in the neighbourhood WhatsApp group. Believing it to be aimed at her, she takes a screenshot and writes a fiery response, tearing into not just the sender but her whole family. Susan intends to send it to a separate chat, composed solely of her sisters.

Only Susan completely messes up. She hasn’t switched groups and sends it to the entire neighbourhood. The text not only slates the family but also uncovers some secrets. This sets off a chain of escalating disasters, from broken windows to murder.

I really enjoyed the set-up in this one. There are loads of different threads and so many secrets waiting to be uncovered!