I knew this book wouldn't disappoint as I'm a big fan of Lisa Jewells novels. This is one of her best. From the first page I got into the story and it had me guessing at every corner. A bizarre storyline but fantastic , I could not have foreseen the twists and turns it had in store.
As a mother myself it made difficult reading at times but was also equally touching.
I will be recommending this book to friends and family. An excellent read.

I read I Found you by Lisa Jewell a while back and absolutely loved it. Needless to say, I was excited to find out that the author has a new book. Then She Was Gone tells the story of Laurel who lost her daughter 10 years ago. Laurel’s life has since changed then. She is no longer married and is now distant with her two other kids. However, one thing that hasn’t changed is her longing to find her missing girl or at least get answers on what happened to Ellie.

Unlike the previous book, this wasn’t fast paced with lots of action. I thought it was much slower though the pace worked out well for the story. There was something unsettling about the story that had me turning pages to find answers. I kept trying to solve the mystery of Ellie’s disappearance. Throughout the book, there were hints but I couldn’t connect the dots until the final chapters.

The book is told through multiple POVs. Laurel’s is the prominent voice though as a character, she is the one that I didn’t like very much. She was sympathetic but there were instances when she got on my nerve. There are other chapters told by Ellie that give details of what happened to her. There are also a few chapters narrated by a really twisted villain. Other characters also help in putting the pieces together though the chapters. I think my favorite character was little Poppy. She was sweet, awkward and quite endearing at the same time. Her words fascinated me and I wish we could have seen her more in the book.

As I have already mentioned, the pace was slower although that doesn’t mean that it dragged. There were twists along the way that kept the story moving. In addition, this ended up being quite an emotive read. I found myself going through different emotions. I didn’t expect it to be that poignant but it was, especially towards the end. If you like domestic noirs, suspenseful reads then I think that you will enjoy Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell.

Gripping read that kept me entralled for the most part. A really moving ending, but one that I felt I could see coming. The variety of narrators were convincing and varied, and the plot contained enough twists to keep me reading on. An enjoyable, immersive read.

Loved this book. Grabbed me from the off. Could not stop reading this page turner.

This was a heart breaking but also uplifting psychological thriller. I was gripped from beginning to end and was desperate to know the conclusion. Great characters and descriptive writing which brought the story to life. The conclusion was all I had hoped for and tidied up all the loose ends. Excellent read.

It's been a few years since I last read a Lisa Jewell book, and the previous ones were very different to this. However, 'Then she was gone' was a totally thrilling read which kept me reading into the early hours (not wise with a small child!) I would highly recommend.

This is my 3rd Lisa Jewell novel and the one I have enjoyed the most.
Going into the plot is something I really don't want to do since the whole book is about the suspense. It's about a missing daughter, a mother, a family and all that can be left 10 years after the daughter has been gone. And more.

I've been reading quite a few crime/thriller/suspense novels this year and many are too predicable or just poorly written, books I read but almost forgot the second I finished them.
Jewell's novel isn't like that though. It kept me guessing.
If you're looking for a good and very unexpected suspense novel, this is a great one to pick up.

Then She Was Gone is a fairly different novel to the one I was expecting. Having read The Girls and hugely enjoying it, and also seeing many reviews for the much-loved I Found You, I was expecting a thriller/ mystery-style novel which focussed more on the investigation. This was not at all that type of novel - but I really enjoyed it!

The novel focuses much more on the characters and family dynamics between Laurel and her son and daughter in the years since the disappearance of her other daughter, Ellie. There are parts which are quite sad and emotional and there's definitely still the element of mystery - it just didn't feel like the main narrative in this book. I did, however, really enjoy finding out what had happened to Ellie.

The characters in this novel cover a wide range of personality types, from the weird and annoying through to those lovely, helpful people - and everything in between. Some people I wanted to scream at Laurel not to trust. There are various parts of this novel which seem, as Lisa Jewell says in her introduction, pretty crazy. You have to suspend your disbelief slightly for some elements, and I saw some parts coming a mile off, but I didn't feel it impaired my enjoyment of the book and I found myself racing through this novel, finishing it in a few hours. I have to say I absolutely love a good police procedural/ thriller, but in Then She Was Gone I enjoyed reading more about Laurel and her family, and their experiences, instead of just focussing on the investigation - it felt like something a little different, too.

Then She Was Gone is my first Lisa Jewell read. I know, I know, how have I not read any of her works before? But I’m telling you this, it will not be my last for sure. The missing person trope never fails to catch my interest, especially those that involved mysterious disappearances. It fascinated me how authors spin the story of how a person goes missing and add a surprising twist and turn to keep the readers engrossed. Such is the case for Then She Was Gone, at least for me. I am hooked from start to finish. The mystery surrounding Ellie’s disappearance is enough to keep me awake for a few nights and turn page after page to answer all the questions I have in mind.

Early on, it is easy to work out the plot twist as there’s a lot of clues thrown in the way. It is just the question as to what happened that leads to such twist that remains a mystery. Which I am okay with, as revelation time, things still come as a surprise and just…sad. The pacing is just right though told in the point of view of different characters, but mostly Laurel. The story switches from the past to present, and paired with changes of narrator, it can be confusing at times. But it is what makes everything work in this book.

Then She Was Gone is one well-written and enthralling read about obsession, lies and deceit, betrayal, and mother’s hope of finding her lost kid. Heartbreaking, at the same time disturbing. Something that will stay with you for a while after finishing it. A brilliant work from Lisa Jewell that I recommend for those who are looking for a good mystery novel.

The characters really came alive in this unusual cold case thriller. Dark and dangerous protagonists moved the story swiftly on, surprising and shocking the reader at every turn. Trying to outwit the author by guessing the next turn became a cat and mouse game. Thankfully, all the loose ends were tied up unlike a lot books so it was a satisfactory end to a carefully crafted plot. Lisa Jewell is added to my favourite authors

An intriguing novel with a story almost plausible. Floyd who was suspected as having a bad aura turned out to be a decent chap despite killing his lover (manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility would be the worst he'd get). Not exactly a happy ever after ending but the sun set, the dog barked and at least one child laughed.

I have read Lisa's books in the past and always loved her style of writing so I was delighted to be given a chance to read and review her last book .. and wow I'm so glad I was ! Read in two sittings with little sleep and full of jetlag I could not put this down . A gripping storyline of laurel and her missing daughter Ellie , Then She Was Gone had me hooked from the first chapter . An easy 5 stars and a book I will remember for a. Long time to come . Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read

This was a cracking good read. It was the ultimate page turner: I loved every stolen moment reading it and I was sad when I finished.

The mystery is intriguing: What happened to Laurel's daughter Ellie? The secondary mystery is also compelling: Do you ever get over such a tragedy? (The short answer appears to be no, but you figure out a way to carry on.) Answers to the first question are slowly revealed in a very deft manner.

This is a thriller of the highest order and well deserving of its best selling status. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Century Publishers for giving me a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

If I were to sum this book up in one word, it would be… predictable. I knew from very early on what was going to happen and that really sucked the suspense out of the story for me. And I can’t attribute me predicting the way the plot would go to reading so many books in this genre, this plot was just super predictable, plain and simple. As soon as certain characters were introduced, you just knew how they’d factor in the story.

As I continued reading, I hoped something would surprise me but no curve ball came. Towards the end of this novel, I started skim reading certain paragraphs as I wanted to get to new revelations – there was one mini reveal that I didn’t predict but I felt it was so underwhelming because even though I didn’t predict it, it was still predictable [in the sense that it added nothing to the plot because it was an obvious action a certain character would have done after the main reveal].

I did really enjoy the beginning of this book, I was hooked and really interested, especially because of the narration style – I really liked hearing some of the narration from Ellie herself. In the beginning, I liked Laurel the most because Jewell portrayed her pain in a raw and real way. You do get to see how Ellie’s disappearance affected the family but again nothing jumped out at me and pulled me into the plot once my interest began to wane. Unfortunately, I have nothing else to offer on this one. Bar Ellie and Laurel, all the other characters came across as quite bland. There was no urgency, no tension or suspense – there was a certain part in the story where I felt the psychological thrills could have been capitalised on but it just didn’t manifest to the level I’d hoped.

It may seem I’m being harsh in this review, but I loved I Found You so much, as a reader, I just can’t believe how much I loved I Found You in comparison to this one, if you told me the books were written by a different author – I’d believe you. However, Jewell has a wealth of writing experience and I’m sure this book will be enjoyed by many and I will still read some of the novels on her backlist because I’m so interest to see if I enjoy them.

So, I end this review stating, this was not a case of, if you liked one, you’ll like the other – if you’re going to read one of Jewell’s book this year, make it I Found You.

This book was impossible to put down. It had suspense from the first page and with plenty of emotional moments plus a scattering of romance I'm giving this book a well deserved 5 star review. I would highly recommend this easy read book.

Oh my goodness, I totally loved this book. Floyd creeped me out, Poppy creeped me out lol and the story had me from the start, I was totally gripped with the secrets and storyline and I could relate to all the characters. The ending made me cry! Can't give too much away but honestly this book will have you on the edge of your seat and up half the night with that infamous "just one more chapter" love Lisa Jewell and this book didn't disappoint a must read for all

A very good book, well written. Ellen, a clever 15 years old disappears. Her parents and sister struggle to come to terms with it. Will there be closure when some of her bones are found 10 years later? The book mainly centre's around Ellen's mother, but also tells the story through the eyes of the kidnapper. Although the author gradually reveals what has happened to Ellen, there are a few twists on the way. Have a tissue ready for the ending.

I held my breath almost the whole way through. Read it in two settings and absolutely loved it!

Back of the book :

She was fifteen, her mother’s golden girl.

She had her whole life in front of her.

And then, in the blink of an eye she was gone …

Ten years on, Laurel has never given up hope of finding Ellie. And then she meets a charming and charismatic stranger who sweeps her off her feet.

But what really takes her breath away is when she meets his nine-year-old daughter.

Because his daughter is the image of Ellie.

Now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back …

What really happened to Ellie ?

And who still has secrets to hide ?



What I think :

When Laurel’s daughter Ellie went missing, she wasn’t sure whether she ran away or something more sinister has happened to her. But, almost 10 years later Laurel still holds on to the hope that, one day Ellie might just come back …. I mean, she only left to go to the library, she hadn’t packed any clothes or taken any of her other belongings so she obviously was meaning to come home again …

Then Laurel meets Floyd, she’s just sat in a coffee shop eating cake and there he is. They start to chat. Finally Laurel feels strong enough to move on and maybe have a life.

Floyd has 2 Daughters, one from his ex-wife, who’s all but grown now, and he also has a nine-year-old called Poppy from a relationship that went rather bad. Poppy’s mother isn’t around anymore so Floyd is a single parent.

When Lauren meets Poppy she has a bit of a shock, for Poppy looks just like her lost daughter Ellie …

Is it all just a huge coincidence ?

Or does Floyd know more than he’s telling ?

I absolutely loved this brilliant novel !

The characters are fabulous, Laurel has two other children, that are older than Ellie. Her relationships with both of her remaining children are pretty strained. I think this is because of what happened when Ellie went missing, also her marriage to Ellie’s father Paul has broken down, which nine times out of ten happens when something like this happens to a family. Both of theses things are perfectly described in this book.

This book is broken down into four parts, before, the beginning, the middle and the after. Also some of the chapters are narrated by the main characters, so you always know what is going on.

But, what I liked the most was the way that Lisa has effortlessly crossed over from women’s fiction to thriller/crime writing. This book had me hooked from the very first page to the last. I absolutely loved the way it had me on the edge of my seat with all its twists and turns.

Although I pretty much guessed the twist, it was Lisa’s brilliant writing that had me hooked until its brilliant conclusion.

I really loved this book and I’m looking forward to more from Lisa in this genre.

I give this book a very well-earned 10/10.

Ellie Mack is a much-loved 15-year-old approaching her GCSEs with confidence and enjoying her romance with a special boyfriend. She gets on with her family and is popular at school, so it is a major shock when she leaves home one morning to visit the library and fails to return.

Her parents, Laurel and Paul are devastated, not least because despite a full investigation there are no clues to her disappearance. In time, in the absence of any leads and without a body, the police are forced to put the case on hold.

The family are torn apart by accusations and guilt; Laurel cannot forgive Paul for his inability to understand her despair and loss, and Ellie's siblings, Jake and Hanna suffer emotional neglect as Laurel finds it impossible to move on with life and becomes more and more obsessive and distant. She and Paul divorce.

Ten years after Ellie's disappearance Laurel stops at a local cafe one day where she meets Theo and with a mutual attraction, they start a relationship. She is introduced to Theo's nine-year-old daughter Poppy and feels she seems to bear a close resemblance to Ellie.

Laurel finally re-enters the world of the living but there are unanswered questions around Theo and Poppy, not least the disappearance of Poppy's mother five years before, and Laurel is forced to confront the nature of her relationship with Theo.

This is an interesting novel with aspects of the story being told by different voices as the reader unravels the twists and turns of a complex and original plot. The lead characters are well drawn and evoke strong emotions in the reader, some of sympathy and others of distrust and disgust.

Lisa Jewell has created a truly original story which is difficult to put down, and whilst as a reader, you may feel you have worked out what has happened, it isn't until the final few pages that you get the full shocking truth.


Pashtpaws


Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.