Cover Image: Then She Was Gone

Then She Was Gone

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Member Reviews

So gripping! Really enjoyed this book and have recommended it to lots of people already. Kept me guessing all the way through and I whizzed through it very quickly. Looking forward to the next book from Lisa...

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This book should come with a tissue warning...... as in you will need a lot of them!

Wow - what a story - this was such a fascinating read! I couldn't put it down but then in parts i had to as I couldn't see the words through my tears! Every parents nightmare and the trauma of it all........ a real rollercoaster! I thought as i was reading it that i kind of knew where the story was going but gosh - i did not expect the ending i got.

Really well written and a definite thought provoker!

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A gripping, tense read that kept me guessing. Many thanks for the ARC.

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Then She Was Gone is a much darker novel by Lisa Jewell than I think she has written before. In parts it is quite harrowing at times which is certainly a move away from the 'chick lit' title that she was once branded with - no one could call this book 'chick lit'.

Our central character is Ellie, a teenage girl with her whole life ahead of her. One day Ellie disappears and no one knows where or why she has gone. Her family live in hope of finding her, but as the years go by, this hope begins to fade. When they find her bag buried in woodland they know that they must accept the truth that Ellie won't be coming back. Ellie's mum is Laurel, a woman who built her whole life around Ellie, her perfect child. Her relationship with her other children is strained and her marriage has ended. One day she meets Floyd in a café and they start talking. They immediately decide to meet again and soon a relationship begins. Floyd has a nine year old daughter, Poppy, a precocious little thing, but who reminds Laurel so much of Ellie.

I don't want to give too much away here but there is another story that runs alongside this one of Laurel and Floyd and as you read on, it soon becomes clear how these two paths are intertwined with each other. There are lots of questions to be answered as you read on, and you wonder if Laurel will ever find out what happened to Ellie. Lisa Jewell will keep you turning the pages long into the night as you attempt to join all the threads together.

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A sneaky story that that starts off normally and gradually gets more twisted in both the story-line and the characters' behaviour.
It takes some elements from news stories and uses them to great advantage by turning them into something different.
Loved it!

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This is the first book I have read by Lisa Jewell and it certainly won't be the last. Why it has took me so long to read anything by this author I will never know. Hooked from the start. The disappearance of Ellie Mack, daughter of Laurel and Paul Mack contributes to the breakup of their marriage. Laurel meets Floyd Dunn, in a chance meeting in a coffee shop. What developed from this chance meeting, I had no idea where this storyline was going and was astounded as to where it went!
Very creepy psychological thriller.

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Very good read. Really enjoyed this book. Good thriller

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I enjoyed this book a lot. Talk about coincidence. This was unbelievably believable!

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I could not get enough of this book and I'm pretty devastated that I've finished it. I'm new to Lisa Jewell books but I definitely will be seeking out more after reading "Then She was Gone".

Laurel is a mum who is grieving over the disappearance of her daughter ten years ago. Her life has been stagnant and full of sadness until the arrival of the mysterious Floyd who sweeps her off her feet but a mystery is about to be unravelled. Upon meeting his daughter, Poppy, she cannot help but see the resemblance between Poppy and her missing daughter Ellie. Poppy is so like Ellie is so many ways and initially Laurel does not see this a problem but as the true facts of Poppy and Floyd's home life come to light a very sinister turn starts to emerge. How is it linked to her daughter's disappearance? Is she just being paranoid? How is Poppy's mother involved with this?

As I previously mentioned I could not get enough of this book. I just wanted to know what had happened to Ellie and if Laurel would get her happy ending. The ending was truly astounding and heartbreaking at the same time.

Would I recommend this to anyone else? Absolutely.

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I really enjoyed this, Jewel has a real flair for writing and storytelling that always pleases. At one point i did feel that she was showing too plainly where the novel was going but realised that there were many layers still to be revealed. I liked the mix of characters and felt that the author really captured their emotions and personalities. There is so much in this book and i would happily recommend it to friends

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Laurel hasn’t come to terms with the sudden disappearance of her daughter, Ellie, ten years ago, but when she meets Floyd and his young daughter, Poppy, she finally feels able to start living again. However, as her relationship with them develops, she increasingly senses that something isn’t quite right... The plot twists, of which there are plenty, are pretty clearly telegraphed and by the end your credulity is slightly stretched, but that really doesn’t matter because are completely drawn in by the believable characters – you feel Laurel’s pain acutely – and the realistic setting. Then She Was Gone is a well-written and gripping thriller.

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Well, this is page-turner for sure. I was absolutely hooked for the first two thirds of the book, enjoying the story, intrigued as to where it was going. Then it became a bit daft. However I carried on and still enjoyed the ride and whilst I could point to gaping holes in the plot line and unrealistic characters, it all comes together as a very entertaining read. I would read another one, its well written, gripping and total escapism.

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I have to confess to never having read a Lisa Jewell book before, not sure why.
This was a very pleasant surprise. Laurel's daughter goes missing just before her GCSE's. No trace of her has been found in 10 years and the police believe that she was a runaway but Laurel has never accepted this. The effect on her family is devastating, a broken marriage, troubled relationships with her two remaining children and a fear of ever getting close to someone again.
The events that follow the 10 year anniversary make for a taut, well written thriller as Laurel tries to find out what really happened to her daughter.
You have to suspend belief at times but I thought this had a well thought out plot with believable characters. Without giving away the story, I found myself at times thinking this couldn't happen in real life but actually it has.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and Lisa for this copy.

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I loved this book it dragged me in and I couldn't put it down, plenty of twists and turns

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I started reading Lisa Jewell's novel thinking that I was going to be reading a thriller, but was happily surprised with a book that turned out to be much more.
The story essentially, but not quite completely, is told from the perspective of 3 different women, all closely involved with the gone girl of the title. Ms. Jewell leads you through the unfolding riddle of the disappearance with a satisfying hint of dread that sits on the top of your stomach, that evaporates with still a quarter of the book left in your right hand.
At this juncture the author effectively changes gear and direction to wind up the loose ends tidily, while creating an emotional maelstrom. I laughed and cried with with joy and sadness as our protagonists all accepted their new circumstances. Very satisfying all round.

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A story of loss, angst and obsession. A happy family, mum, dad and three children, living the good life, until the day 15 year old Ellie doesn't come home. Ten years later and Laurel meets the handsome Floyd and his daughter Poppy who looks familiar. Told from the points of view of the main characters the reader discovers exactly what happened and why. Another fantastic book from this author, which kept me engrossed the whole way through - without any skimming! Descriptions of loss intermingled with happier moments as we go through Laurel's ups and downs as she tries to find out what happened to her beautiful daughter. Loved this story and didn't want it to end!

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Loved this fast moving thriller couldn't put it down!
Laurel and Paul's marriage disintegrated following the disappearance of their youngest daughter ten years previously. The investigation has come to a grinding halt and there seems to be no hope of discovering what happened. Ellie has simply gone and there are no leads to follow.
Laurel has barely been coping, her relationship with her other daughter Hanna and her son Jake and his partner is not good. She then has a chance meeting with Floyd, he's good looking, excellent company and has a delightful daughter called Poppy who looks remarkably like the missing Ellie. As their relationship develops events begin spiralling and there seem to be to many coincidences that can't be explained.
I found this compelling reading, a few unanswered questions perhaps but highly recommend it

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DNF at 34%

I don't even know how to rate this one so I'm leaving it blank for now (on goodreads- I've gone with 2 here because ultimately I think there may be a decent story in here, I'm just unwilling to suffer through the romance for it). I was expecting this to an exciting mystery about a woman who's child went missing 10 years ago, how she's coped and the wider effect on her family. For the first part it was just this and I was enjoying it. From part 2 (13% if my memory serves me correctly) this turned into a cheesy romance complete with an incredibly precocious 9 year old stepchild.

It's a no from me unfortunately.

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Fabulous! I couldn't put this book down. Well described characters and a good plot. Thoroughly recommend.

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"Then She Was Gone," is a big departure from Lisa Jewell's earlier chick lit books and sits more comfortably in the psychological thriller genre.

Ellie disappeared as a school girl and 10 years after her disappearance her mother Laurel hasn't given up hope of finding out just what happened. The mystery surrounding Ellie's sudden departure is rapidly revealed in this page turner through past and present narratives to see the perspectives of both Ellie and her mother. Although there is no big twist due to how the story unfolds, it is still an enjoyable read.

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