It Should Have Been You

It all starts with a post on social media. Susan copies the post with her comments and sends the message to her sisters. Except she inadvertently posts the message to the local community WhatsApp group. Then the comments begin!  It Should Have Been You by Irish author, Andrea Mara, is a fast moving account of events that occur in a small community as people react to the content - or part of the content - of Susan's message. 

Susan has a new baby and is slowly adapting to motherhood. The avalanche of events, including death threats, that occur after posting the message cause her to doubt her relationships with family and friends. Her world appears to be collapsing around her especially when a woman with the same street address as her home, but in another town with the same name, is murdered. The story is revealed in two time frames by a variety of characters. It is a story of misunderstandings, betrayal, teenage angst, insecurity of new mothers in their ability to be a good mother as well as family dynamics.

The novel contains a large number of characters involved with the events in the plot or with opinions as to what is happening and who is at fault. It is not long before it is discovered that in this quiet town there are many undercurrents just waiting to erupt.