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Summer vacation in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Courtney Gray’s peaceful family getaway at secluded lake resort turns into nightmare when...
Summer vacation in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
Courtney Gray’s peaceful family getaway at secluded lake resort turns into nightmare when she hears a blood-curdling scream coming from the lakeside cottage next door—the cabin where her brother Nolan and sister-in-law Emily are staying with their teenage kids Reese (17) and Wyatt (12). Courtney rushes over to discover a horrific scene: her brother Nolan and sister-in-law Emily brutally murdered, blood everywhere. Her teenage niece Reese is nowhere to be found—missing, vanished. Her nephew Wyatt lies asleep upstairs in his bed, completely unharmed, seemingly having slept through the brutal murders. A scream shatters the silence. A town full of secrets emerges.
As police descend on the quiet resort town, disturbing secrets about Courtney’s family start to emerge. Nolan lost his job six months ago; the marriage was crumbling under financial strain; they’d been fighting constantly. The “vacation” was Emily’s idea to save the family, but Nolan and the kids resented the forced togetherness. When Courtney learns that the town itself has dark secrets of its own—whispers of other incidents, cover-ups, people who disappeared—it makes her wonder: Is Reese another victim in a brutal crime or is she the killer?
The novel alternates between Courtney’s perspective in the present (investigating, working with police, caring for traumatized Wyatt) and Reese’s voice in the past (the months leading up to that night—her uncontrollable rages, feeling unloved by her mother, desperate need to be liked, vulnerable decisions with devastating consequences). As Courtney begins to unravel the terrible mystery, she realizes everyone around her has something to hide. Her own husband Elliott has flecks of blood on his shoes. Wyatt’s “sleepwalking” story doesn’t add up. The town locals are evasive. And the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to see who—or what—to trust.
The Plot/Key Appeal: Mary Kubica master class in misdirection and suspense. Dual timeline/dual POV structure (Courtney present, Reese past) builds tension brilliantly. Kubica’s skill at writing teenagers is extraordinary—Reese is complex character who suffers from uncontrollable rages, straddling line between childhood and adulthood, resenting her mother while desperately craving attention. The mystery keeps you guessing until final pages—is Reese victim or killer? Red herrings everywhere. Inspired by real 1981 Keddie cabin murders (still unsolved). Kubica called it exploring “how far one woman is willing to go” to protect family. Fast-paced, unputdownable, shocking twists. Cabin-in-woods setting creates claustrophobic tension. For fans who loved Local Woman Missing, The Good Girl—but this might be her best yet.
Why It’s Trending:
- Released February 3, 2026 (yesterday!). Mary Kubica NYT bestselling author (5M+ copies sold worldwide).
- Shari Lapena: “tantalizing, terrifying and all too real. I couldn’t put it down.”
- Chris Whitaker: “Cancel your plans, you won’t be able to put this one down.”
- Ashley Elston (First Lie Wins): “Wickedly smart and incredibly twisted.”
- Megan Miranda: “terrifying…master of suspense!”
- Kirkus: “Kubica’s skill at writing teenagers is even more impressive than her twisty plot.”
Perfect for fans of: Freida McFadden, Shari Lapena, cabin thrillers, family secrets, is-she-or-isn’t-she mysteries.
Book clubs will debate: Reese’s culpability, family dynamics, small-town secrets, unreliable narrators. Content warning: murder, violence, teenage mental health issues, family dysfunction.
