He Had It Coming
Eight years ago, Jerek Hayes's carefully constructed world imploded. A devastating incident, a flurry of accusations, and the deafening whispers that his powerful family bought his freedom. He escaped the scandal, built a new life across the country, and now moves through the world as if the past never happened. He thinks he got away with it.
He couldn't be more wrong. Sabrina has waited. Patiently. Precisely. For Jerek to feel safe, to rebuild everything he lost, to believe he's finally free. But her meticulously planned vengeance is finally ready to strike, and she's not just looking to settle a score. She's here to dismantle Jerek's carefully constructed life, piece by agonizing piece, and ensure he pays the price he truly deserves.
- Jerek - Maeve’s half brother
- Maeve - Jerek’s half sister, Jerek’s boss
- Willa - Maeve’s assistant, Sabrina and Ruby’s cousin
- Sabrina - Ruby’s sister, 33
- Ruby - Sabrina’s sister
- Conrad - Jerek and Maeve’s father
- Someone calling themselves Anonymous posts on a website called ‘The Truth About Jerek Hayes’ that Jerek killed a girl eight years ago.
- Jerek assumes Anonymous is Sabrina, Ruby’s sister.
- Conrad handed over control of his company Hayes’ Properties to Maeve when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s but Jerek wants to oust Maeve and run the company himself.
- Anonymous: When Ruby was nineteen and Jerek was twenty-one, they went to college together.
- Anonymous: Jerek and Ruby were seen arguing shortly before her body was found with her own scarf wrapped around her neck.
- Jerek goes to see a yacht he wishes to purchase and someone knocks him out and ties him up.
- Jerek wakes up and finds Sabrina standing over him and realizes they are no longer in the marina but in the middle of the water.
- Sabrina tells Jerek if he gives her a convincing reason he deserves to live she’ll let him go.
- Jerek tells Sabrina that Ruby’s death was an accident but Sabrina knows it was Conrad’s power and money that kept Jerek from being held responsible for Ruby’s murder.
- Sabrina stabs Jerek in the leg.
- Maeve appears and admits she’s been in on this whole thing with Sabrina.
- Anonymous: Jerek pled guilty to criminally negligent homicide in Ruby’s death, spent three days in jail and was given community service.
- Maeve tells Jerek that Conrad told her the truth before he started losing his mental capacity: Jerek lost control and strangled Ruby after she laughed while rejecting him.
- Maeve admits to being behind the Anonymous posts because she knew Jerek was trying to take Hayes’ Properties from her.
- Jerek breaks free from his bindings and Sabrina stabs him in the chest killing him.
- Willa arrives in another boat and reveals to Maeve that she is Sabrina and Ruby’s cousin and she’s been part of the plan the whole time.
- Willa and Sabrina dispose of Jerek’s body and clean the boat.
- Police don’t suspect foul play in Jerek’s disappearance.
- Sabrina is shocked that Jerek’s death does not bring her any relief or comfort.
Darby Kane is great at setting up messy drama right out of the gate, and the start of this story pulled me in quickly. The setup wastes no time dropping you into the chaos, telling the story through dual perspectives by starting with Jerek's point of view before switching to Sabrina's. It kicks off with enough energy that I expected to breeze straight through it.
Things slowed down around the halfway mark, though. The characters kept talking in circles instead of actually moving the plot forward. On top of that, a few of the events started feeling a little too far-fetched to take seriously. Then, the end turned into a huge info-dump trying to spell out how every tiny piece fit together. It’s still an easy, entertaining option if you just want a quick, dark suspense, but the second half definitely fizzled out compared to how strong it started.
If you like morally gray characters, bite-sized revenge plots, and domestic suspense, then you may enjoy this book.
- Kidnapping
- Torture
- Murder
ISBN: 9780063488298
Publication Date: October 6, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
