Review on Goodreads, which also goes to Facebook and Twitter: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2108615975?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1

This novel follows Catherine's life after her husband walks away without a word, and parallels her husband's life during the same time, with flashbacks for both to support the storylines in the present. Marr lays out clues right and left, which sometimes helped me to guess some secrets, and made me feel pretty darn smart. Sometimes Catherine guessed and said so, with ensuing, gut-wrenching emotion. The mystery is not that the husband Simon is alive, but why he left and to what purpose his life now.

I confess I was a bit confused about Simon's story paralleling Catherine's, until I realized the added emotion elicited from the reader at his callousness, expecting a reason for his departure that could never be justified. At one point, Simon's life became a male masturbatory fantasy, so unrealistic that it distracted me from the mystery, but not enough to quit reading. I really wish the transition from Mexico to Italy had been done in a more credible fashion. Also, Catherine's character was just a little bit too noble. All her transgressions according to Simon were explained away too easily. I did empathize with her response to his reason for leaving, and his egregious action.

Readers who like tension building, with bombshell dropping, like an emotional roller coaster, will love this book. I've already warned about Saint Catherine and Simon's fantasy, so enjoy!

I received this as an ebook through NetGalley.

Wow. This book was fantastic! I loved how the author was able to make both of the main characters able to tell their sides of the story in such a seamless fashion. It was so easy to follow the flow of the story and find out just how meaningless and spiteful Simon could be! I was shocked that he just made up his mind without further proof and didn't have a care for the consequences! It was a great read and would definitely recommend it.

John has a talent. A talent for grabbing his reader, captivating them and not letting go. A man disappeared 25 years ago leaving a wife and 3 children. No note, no body, nothing. The story alternates between then and now telling what has happened and why to each party- the wife and the husband. You know that there is something, just a little something more but not quite what. You realise that maybe you are feeling sympathy for the wrong party- but just who is the wronged party- him or her? A cleverly thought out brilliantly told tale that you won’t want to put down. One of my top reads of the year. I voluntarily chose to read this ARC and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased

The book was okay and I have always been a huge fan of the other books this author has wrote.

This book just didn't have me gripped the way that his others did and I just couldn't get into the characters

A fast paced page turner that will keep you guessing. Absolutely riveting and gripping book, fantastic!

When You Disappeared by John Marrs Book Review

When You Disappeared is my first John Marrs book & it certainly won't be my last. I love any book with a George Michael reference.

Do You Ever Think He Just Won't Come Back?

Years ago, my husband was a stay at home dad. He took care of both kids, cleaned, did the laundry, ran errands & much more. He was & is the backbone of our household. One time, we had a particularly difficult morning loading up while traveling with my Aunt. We were all loaded in the car & my husband ran into the hotel to check us out. He was gone for a Really long time & my Aunt asked me in a joking way, "Do you ever think he just won't come back?"

Your Husband is Gone

He did eventually come back to the car & we had an enjoyable trip. Luckily, have a spouse that I love & trust. But, so did Catherine. As a reader, when I put myself in Catherine's place I can't breathe. You've got kids, a house, bills & your husband disappears without a trace. The police arrive, your in-laws are suspicious & your children need their father. He's still missing & you're left to take care of your family- alone.

John Marrs Hooked Me

When You Disappeared is a quick read that is fast-paced & keeps you invested in learning why Simon disappeared. What is he hiding? Did his fatherly roles take a toll on him & he couldn't hang anymore? Is he just an awful person that did his family a favor by leaving them behind? John Marrs hooked me early on & layered this story so well. The ending had my stomach doing flips.

THE VERDICT

I was Really Into This book. It's just what I want when something is billed as a "psychological thriller." I winced, I was on the edge of my seat & I didn't see the ending coming- at all! 

Special thanks to John Marrs, Thomas & Mercer & NetGalley for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

This is simply one of the best books I have read in a long time...... and I love to read. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me start work a little later each day because I wanted to read more. This story is so well written and full of twists and turns. At one point I almost had to stop reading it because one of the themes reflected a situation very close to my heart at the moment, without wishing to spoil the plot.... my best friend (also a member of tbc) is very ill. The way in which the author deals with this is just so true to life and echos exactly what she is going through.
I loved the ending.....I just love this book and can't stop talking about it.
John Marrs, you've done it again. Simply amazing. Thank you

I loved this book, the storytelling draws you in immediately. The main female character is especially well portrayed; you can feel her every emotion. I read this in two sittings and could not wait for the big reveal of the main male character's justification.

This is a tricky book to review, as it is well written with very well developed characters but I can’t really say that I enjoyed it due to the subject of the story. For a husband to walk away from his family, leaving them with no clue as to whether he is dead or alive seems rather callous. As a reader we know that he is alive and well but Catherine and the children can but imagine the worst case scenario when after days, weeks, months and then years pass they have no sign of him.
The years pass and we see Simon living a seemingly carefree life for the majority of the time, anything that happens that threatens his peace causes him to burn his bridges and walk away to start a new chapter of his life in a new place. His methods are definitely questionable as are his morals at some points and I found him to be a very self centred person. Catherine and the children slowly manage to rebuild a new life for themselves but it takes much longer for them to find peace.
Even towards the end of the story when Simon eventually faces his demons – again for selfish reasons I felt – although I understood more about him, I still found him a very unlikeable character. His behaviour changed the lives of many people around him who he purported to love deeply, and even at the end of his story I still felt that he did not accept any responsibility for the pain he had caused. In his eyes, there was always someone else who had made him react the way he did. Because of this, I would say that this is a compelling read which provoked a lot of feeling in me but to say that I enjoyed it would be a step too far.
I can imagine some reviewers marking this book down because of that, but the depth of the personalities of the characters I felt made this a good read. Therefore I would give it a strong 4 stars.

OH! What a book!
I've heard lots of wonderful things about John Marrs as an author and I have to say he really didn't disappoint. I had no idea what to expect when I started this. I didn't read the cover, I just jumped in with both eyes open and waited to see where the story took me. I love doing this with a book and this was perfect for it. I was hooked from the very first page, which is always a great start and I just couldn't devour it quick enough. I HAD to know what happened and i'm not afraid to admit it, but I never saw the end coming until just before it happened as I sat there with my hand over my mouth feeling incredibly sick, in tears and so ANGRY that I thought I was actually going to puke! I don't think that's ever happened to me reading a book before.
I got so drawn into the characters, so emotionally invested I felt like I was journeying with them. It's very hard to even begin to explain how this book made me feel. I laughed, I cried, I shouted at it (cue strange looks from passers by) and every emotion in between but I didn't know how invested I was in the characters until I was faced with a scenario that just boils your blood.
Incredibly well written the story flows effortlessly despite it jumping between different people and time points. I think I would go so far as to say John Marrs is a literary genius and I'm so glad that he's taken to novel writing. I can't wait to read more of his books!

Simply wow. I could not put this down. Where have you been all my life John Marrs? The story follows the lives of Catherine and Simon over 25 years and what a story it is. Twists and turns on every page, both characters shocking you with how they have loved and lost over the years, both together and apart.
Although the story jumped from past to present which can sometimes leave me as a reader confused with the plot it flowed excellently. I had both sympathy and empathy for both of them despite their failings as a parent and a spouse. Thank you to TBC for pointing me in this books direction, will definitely be in my top ten for a long time to come.

I previously read this book under the name "The Wronged Sons."

One morning, Catherine wakes up and finds that her husband Simon is gone. He's just gone. For 25 years he is missing from her life. Then one day he re-appears. He left thinking one thing about their life together and he was wrong - the entire time. Had he just stayed and had they communicated he would have known it. Yet he walked away, leaving his wife to care for their three children.

I found the writing to be stilted, the storyline to be completely unbelievable and characters to be poorly written.

I loved this book which I discovered was based on a real letter that appeared in a newspaper about a man who just disappeared from his family one day. I really disliked Simon who disappeared (I think I was meant to!), his behaviour was based on assumption, arrogance and lack of understanding. Great book , couldn't put it down

An explosive narrative about a long time married couple that experiences a rupture in their marriage lasting 25 years. Than the agonizing starts when they finally get together again. Catherine and Simon have been married for enough time to have three children and one more that didn't make it past his first few months. They have the appearance of a very happily married couple looking forward to the rest of their lives sharing both good and bad times. Suddenly, out of the blue Simon disappears with no trace. Searches are launched for him, police bulletins are posted and Catherine is positive that something bad has happened.
Time passes: twenty five years go by, and suddenly out of the blue Simon appears at the door of the house that they had occupied together and that Catherine still lives in. The story of where he has been and why did he leave is presented in the most brilliant fashion that I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time. The narrative of the 25 years apart is told in turn by each of them and in a manner that grabs the reader's interest and keeps it. The manner that each has grown apart from the other is well delineated and assures that the actions and thoughts of the two become clear to the reader. An understanding of how each has acted and what has taken place in their lives is very clear in Mr Marrs' hands. To complete our understanding of what has motivated the two the action swings effortlessly back and forth in time at the beginning and than at the twenty five year point.
An extremely well done novel definitely an all nighter in every sense of the word.

An amazing read! I was gripped the whole time! A well written story. I can't wait to read another of John's books

I ran across "When You Disappeared" and the description sounded interesting. Overall, it was a far-fetched tale, but kept me coming back to find out how it would end.

It is a good example of perceptions and the stories we tell ourselves sometimes with little relevance to the actual facts.

I'm glad I read this versus listening to audiobook because it was a little confusing keeping track of the timeline and point of view, both of which jumped around wildly. I found myself often turning back a few pages to remember where/when/who was narrating at that point.

While I did end with a typical "wow" sensation usually left by thrillers, I don't see this one sticking with me for very long because so much of the story was just too unbelievable to consider.

It was a slowish read, but I did enjoy it.

Hard to put down, interesting story-line. Would consider this a thriller based on how it kept me on my toes! Loved it, would definitely recommend.

Catherine and Simon had been married for 10 years and have 3 young children. Their marriage seems fine, although there is a hint of problems and repercussions from broken relationships with both of their parents. One day, Simon vanishes and leaves Catherine searching and wondering why. Twenty-five years later, Simon appears on her doorstep and proceeds to explain to her why he left. The story alternates between present day, when Simon is explaining his reasons for leaving, and the past, from the point of view of both Simon and Catherine. Simon is a very damaged person, partly due to his horrible family life, a mother who kept abandoning him. At one point he does become a bit more sympathetic, but by that time, we have seen him do so many awful things that it is hardly redeeming. Catherine has got on with her life, and prospered, and discovered talents and independence she could not have imagined while in her role as a stay at home mom.
Sometimes the story dragged a bit, and it seemed to take a long time to finally reveal what had happened in the past to justify Simon's actions, but overall, an interesting read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this. Despite it bouncing back and forth a tad too much and a few too many hints being given, so much so that it kind of gave the game away, the story was well devised with interesting characters who responded to what life dealt them with differing approaches, depending on how situations were perceived. Great read.