This was an interesting book. Definitely the kind I would reread. Thrillers always do it for me, I don't know why.
The writing was perfect and I'm so happy that this book lived up to the blurb!

When Simon, the happy half of a wonderful British family , a man in his early 30s with a promising architect career suddenly disappeared his devoted wife, Catherine, cannot believe that only death set them apart. But the truth is cruel and will stay hidden for the next 25 years.
Written as an alternating diary of Simon and Catherine, a step-by-step mention of going out of grief, the weight of the past or the family responsibilities, When You Disappeared by John Marrs is a page turned, although predictable at a certain extent. Although some revelations are not surprising - for instance, who killed the younger son, Billy - the psychological weight of the stories is dramatic and displays a great storytelling craftmanship for this genre.
From a scene installment to the other, the perfectly evil nature of the ambitious architect is revealed, a display of how delusional are the appearances. Simon himself became a serial criminal from a delusion, an apparent affair of his wife with his best friend who had actually a crush on him many years ago. A quarter of century later, he is confessing to the brave Catherine, a fantastic character with strength and an outstanding desire to live her life, whatever the circumstances. The dedicated wife from the first months after the mysterious disappearing - 'The strength and support he'd shown me during the worst thing that could ever happen to a parent, had proved he was a fantastic husband and dad, and I desperately needed to believe that he was alive' - is turned into a hard working bread winner and the strong woman who won against a terrible malady and was powerful enough to start a new life and even face the truth of the lies and crimes of her ex-husband.
It is a dark novel, going deep into the murkiest corners of the human mind, telling as often as possible in different wordings that the humans can be sometimes slaves of their strong self-destroying criminal emotions, especially if there is a genetical predisposition to it. I am not sure about this, but meeting the literary character of Simon might be just enough for a while.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an ARC in enchange for an honest review.

I love seeing those 5 stars light up! I go through lots of mediocre books to finally find a great one! This book kept me guessing at every turn. Although I had a suspicion of how the book would end up, I still had a few jaw-dropping moments.

This book is about a once-married couple named Simon and Catherine. They had what looked like the perfect family until one day Simon disappears without a trace for no apparent reason. The story is told in 3 ways. The present day, and the past from the alternating eyes of Catherine and Simon. If it seems like this strange point of view would get a little confusing, don't worry - it doesn't. The author does a wonderful job of mastering this point of view.

Shortly into the story (in the present day part of the story) Catherine is visited by a nice-looking, older gentleman who looks a little familiar. After she finally realizes that it is her long lost husband, he begins to tell her the whole story and explains why he felt like he needed to come back one last time.

At the end, they both realize that a majority of their marriage was not what it seemed. And Simon realizes that he spent his whole life blaming others for his own faults.

When you disappeared is the second John Marrs book I have read and loved. The first being The One back in March this year. John writes in a very specific way in which I find easy to follow yet still has twists and turns that surprise me every time. One of the things I love about the way he writes is how he structures his books in terms of chapters. In The One, he bases each chapter on each individual person/relationship, which you can read about here. Whereas in this book he flicks between the past and the present, as well as the perspectives of the two main protagonists Catherine and Simon. It is very cleverly written in a way that explains both the plot to us readers, at the same time as developing the story between the characters. I can not say too much more on this without giving too much away.

Someone I can say without a doubt is that John is a master at character building. He really knows how to create and develop characters of all ages and sexes. For example a part of the book I was really touched by was when I reached about half of the way through (and after we have already been introduced to Catherine and Simon’s children), to the point where Simon had been missing for exactly 1 year. John creates a scene where Catherine dresses all 3 children in their best clothes and takes them to the bridge over the stream. When they arrive, the children take turns in saying a few things to their daddy. The eldest James tells his dad he misses him and then thanks him for his guitar. The middle boy Robbie is going through a troubled time where he doesn’t like to speak, and simply throws a picture he drew into the water, and the youngest child Emily in her innocence starts singing Happy Birthday to her daddy, as she had not quite understood the significance of the day.

I loved certain characters and hated others just as much, but overall I just adored the way they were written.

I had no idea where the plot was heading and I was surprised with every twist and turn of the story. Some of my favorite being those that unravel right near the end of the book. However, even though I loved the ending, I also didn’t like how the story actually ended. It was quite a long book, but I still felt I needed more. This is more of a personal opinion as I can see why certain things didn’t happen, but in my head I wanted the children more involved at the end.

All in all I can not deny this was a 5 star read for me
(and Winston) and would recommend it if you like mystery, thrillers or even physiological thrillers.

I found myself liking this one more than I thought I would from just the synopsis alone. I can't really say I liked the characters, but I found the plot to be engaging and entertaining. I found some aspects of Simon's actions to be a little hard to believe and Catherine sometimes verged on annoying, but overall the story was entertaining and easy to follow.

After a couple of dud books I was reluctant to start another book that I might not like, however, When you Disappeared by John Marrs hooked me immediately.

When I finished this book, my first thought was just, wow. I really enjoyed this book, which was great since the last two books I had read were not my favourites.

I also found the way it was written well done. The story took place in "the now" with past memories of Catherine and Simon being told to each other. It was a very effective piece of storytelling that I throughly enjoyed.

To the outside world Simon & Catherine were a happy family with three children and no noticeable problems- so why did Simon disappear without trace one morning, leaving Catherine to pick up the pieces. Twenty five years later she finally finds out why. The story covers the twenty five years from both Simon & Catherine's perspectives.

I read this in its earlier incarnation as The Wronged Sons. I gave it five stars then but have gone down to four this time.

Have I got a bit harder to please? Maybe. I remember that I thought that Simon was one of the most selfish characters I'd come across. I did find it difficult to believe some of his actions over the twenty five years and that stopped it from being a five star read- I did find it difficult to put down on both occasions though!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher.

I don't believe I've ever enjoyed a book where I haven't warmed to any characters- until now!
John Marrs teases the reader from the off by unraveling just what really happened between Kitty and Simon. A legitimate page turner that keeps you hooked right to the end.
The switch between characters, timelines and truths is portrayed brilliantly. I didn't once lose track of where they were at and like a tricky court case I believed each characters perspective when they spoke.
One to read as quickly as you can!

Simon has disappeared from his family’s life and they have no idea why. Catherine has to make a new life without him, never understanding why he left. Then

I was in two minds about this book, I can tell you I absolutely loathed Simon and his disregard for his family and others....and yet I couldn’t stop reading because I really wanted to know why.
I feel I didn’t connect with any of the characters. This may have been because the chapters where told in alternative POV’s and flashbacks, so I felt I was being told the story not really immersed in it. But that said, it was interesting and it kept me reading to the end. At the end I still didn’t have any sympathy for Simon and I had some choice words in my head to say about him that I won’t repeat here.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read and review.

I am fast becoming a big fan of John Marrs. I read, highly recommended and persuaded others to buy 'The One' which they were all grateful to me for so I had high expectations of this book.
Oh Boy, it does not disappoint.
So cleverly written, each chapter draws you in, with a short sharp twist at the close of every one, making you constantly revise your opinion of the two main characters, unsure who you side with and questioning how on earth this will finish.
Its the type of novel that leaves you begging 'please don't let me down at the end' and over the moon that it does quite the opposite when you finally put it down well into the early hours.
I would go as far as to say this book lands in my top twenty ever read and it has nothing to do with it being set in Northampton (my home town - C'mon the Cobblers!) though that was a sweet revelation for me. I can only congratulate Mr Marrs on a job well done. Many thanks.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF.

Too slow, or maybe too uninteresting for me. I don't mind the writing style, but the story isn't grabbing my attention. I have a long list of books to read, I'll set this aside for now.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. character driven family drama psychological thriller that drew me in from the very first pages! I have to be careful not to give away any spoilers here. The pace and flow kept me reading and the writing intrigued me. I was turning pages quickly

I can’t believe it. I have just read this book again but with a different title The Wronged Sons. The thing is I didn’t recognise that I had already read it until the last moment when something happened that triggered me in to thinking the author had written the same plot twice!

Did I enjoy it yes, I did though there were moments I had to put my scepticism aside. Fairly fast moving but obviously not memorable!

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC.

When You Disappeared was a great book I loved it.
It flicks between present day and 25 years ago (which gradually moves towards present day) and focuses between the two main characters.
I enjoyed the storyline, Simon who walks out on his family and just disappears and Catherine (or Kittie) who is left to pick up the pieces.
A great few twists along the way that helped to keep me hooked.

What a great read, I loved the plot unfolding and the characters interactions. It's full of mystery and the longing to belong but the fact that Simon, the main character, is both hated and liked throughout the book makes it a great read. The way the story unfolding grabbed me and made me hang on for a true book ride.

Enthralling psychological thriller that draws you in right from the beginning. Keeps you guessing until the very end. Well worth the read. 4/5 stars

This is the first book I have read from this author and if all books are similar I would read all of them.
I enjoyed the way the story bounced between before and after Simon left his family. The way Catherine was determined to find out what happened and why he left was amazing. I like how she put the kids first but trying not to upset them into thinking their dad was dead.
Reading through he book I was trying to come to my own conclusion as to why he would have left, having read briefly in the book about them loosing a baby, I thought maybe he was depressed regarding that and this was his way of dealing with it.
When I got to the last few pages I cried! Buckets full of tears at the revelations he made. I felt for them both in separate ways. I feel if Catherine had told him what happened with dougie in that room that night, I don't think he would have left.
Amazing book and I have recommended it to all my reader friends.

This book is something else. I mean, within the first couple chapters, I was ready to kill one of the main characters. So it starts off with a real bang.

The story is set in England, but also goes worldwide as Simon hops around the globe. I point this out because sometimes, books set with different slang and jargon can be hard to grasp. This book did not have that issue at all. A few stores or names are different but I was able to easily follow what the characters meant. 

This book alternates between the past and present. The author presents this in an easy to understand way. You're never confused as to what point in time you're at or anything of that nature. We see Catherine and Simon's lives, after he disappeared, and then subsequently, reappears. You don't realize it at first, but parts of the past that you read, are actually Catherine and Simon telling each other what happened after he disappeared.

This book will take you on a rollercoaster ride of thoughts and emotions. Very early in the story, Simon alludes to hating Catherine, and how she did something to him. So while I found myself empathizing with Catherine and admiring her for all she did to keep the family going, I was always cautious.

Simon, on the other hand, I really only grew to hate him more and more. I kept wanting to understand him but my loathing of him stayed steady. He is just so selfish, and really conniving. You don't realize it at first. I thought he was just under a lot of stress and sort of snapped. But as the story continues, Simon is much more than you think. 

This book is definitely one you'll enjoy if you like a lot of suspense while watching the characters unravel their past, and current, messes. This book is unique in that we get to see our characters together, apart, and everything in between. It's a unique perspective that I don't often see, and it was a nice change of pace.

As soon as I started reading, I could tell it was going to be a good book.

So the story, Catherine wakes up one morning to find her husband isn't beside her. Thinking he went for a run Catherine carries on her daily routine, only to discover that Simon didn't go for a run or turn up to an important work meeting because Simon is missing and he must be in trouble he wouldn't just leave.

Only Simon knows why he has left his family home and what he has done. Its only when he returns home 25 years later does the real story begin and we uncover what made Simon leave 25 years ago.

As you can probably tell, this is a gripping read. I love the way in which John took us through the story and how we were guided between the past and the present with such ease. You felt for both characters (Simon and Catherine) and it was nice to see the tale from both angles. 

I also really enjoyed how the past was brought into the present. It was as though we were in the living room with Catherine and Simon on the day he returned and we were trying to work out why he went missing along with Catherine. 

Also, I did not see it coming. I had an inkling that it had to do with certain people and I was right about that but the way in which it came out was brilliant. 

So as you can see, I enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this book.

2.5 stars.
I started this thinking it was 4 stars, then it went to 3 and then for the rest of the book, it jumped between being 2 stars to 3.5 stars.

I liked how the story of the past and the present twisted around each other. Catherine's story was interesting and kept my attention, while Simon's story I grew bored with at times. It started off reading as a crime and mystery story, but then slowly turned into more of a drama. The story was interesting enough to keep reading but I did feel like I was pushing my way through it in parts. This was probably due to the fact that I had not wanted to read a 'drama' but a crime story, so its likely not the authors fault I didnt really enjoy this, still, id be interested in reading his other novels.