As the story opens, Laurel Mack has not seen her daughter in 10 years. The youngest of Laurel's 3 children, Ellie simply disappeared when she was 15 years old. In the aftermath, her 2 older children have suffered in their own ways, Laurel's marriage disintegrated, and Laurel has struggled to carry on. A chance meeting -- or was it really? -- with a charming and handsome man in a coffee shop brings new light and hope into Laurel's life. Floyd is caring, intelligent, clearly falling in love with Laurel, and has 2 daughters who had different mothers. The oldest has faced challenges but is doing better. The youngest, Poppy, lives with her father full-time. Floyd is homeschooling her and, while she extremely intelligent, she lacks social skills. Her mother disappeared long ago. Laurel cannot help but notice Poppy's resemblance to Ellie, but initially chalks it up to her grief at losing her youngest child. But as Laurel's relationship with Floyd deepens, the answers to Laurel's questions bring no peace -- only more questions and a growing sense that the story Floyd has told her about his relationship with Poppy's mother may not be the whole truth. Jewell crafts a tense, emotional tale founded upon every parent's worst nightmare -- the disappearance of a child without a trace and years of suffering without any answers about what happened to him/her. Indeed, Jewell breaks readers hearts in a story that is both psychological thriller and a look into the life of a family torn apart by one horrendous act that changes each of them. Despite what may seem as a fantastic premise, Jewell's attention to detail and focus upon Laurel's internal suffering and never-wrong mother's intuition makes the story entirely believable. Then She Was Gone deserves to be a best-seller savored by fans of psychological thrillers and family dramas alike.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell is a very highly recommended addictive novel of psychological suspense.

Ellie Mack was fifteen, the youngest of three, and her mother's favorite when she disappeared in 2005. There were never any clues and her case soon went cold. Laurel Mack's whole life seemed to crumble after her daughter Ellie disappeared. Her marriage with Paul ended and she became distant to her surviving children, Hanna and Jake. When a final piece of evidence was discovered ten years after her disappearance, Ellie is finally closed and Laurel is trying to put her life back together, even though she still feels she has no real answers as to what happened to Ellie.

When Laurel meets a charming man at a café, author Floyd Dunn, she is surprised to find herself actually accepting a dinner invitation. As their relationship becomes more serious, Laurel meets Floyd's daughters and his youngest daughter, Poppy, takes her breath away because she so resembles Ellie. When Laurel learns that Floyd’s former partner vanished five years earlier after dumping Poppy with him, it brings back unanswered questions and memories of Ellie's disappearance. But when Laurel learns that Poppy's mother, Noelle Donnelly, was also Ellie's math tutor, it seems to be too coincidental.

Then She Was Gone is a wonderful example of how excellent writing and superb planning can elevate a psychological thriller to a perfect rating. Will most readers figure out what likely happened to Ellie very early on? Yes. Is the insight into the characters and the journey of discovery more important than this one big puzzle piece? Oh, yes! Many readers (and reviewers) of suspense novels can predict how a plot is going to go, sometimes very early on in the novel. Personally, I believe in this case Jewell acknowledges that truism and doesn't give a whit about it. In fact she uses this detail and guessing/knowing is only going to increase the suspense and deepen the mystery.

Part of the clever, skillful writing is found in the structure Jewell chose to present Then She Was Gone. The novel is told by several narrators and is split into three parts. The first part has chapters that alternate between the present day events and ten years ago at the time of Ellie's disappearance. The second section begins as Laurel and Floyd meet. The first two sections are primarily narrated by Laurel. The third section has several narrators and those voices are in different time periods, past and present. The structure keeps the pace quick. This, in turn, increases the tension and the psychological suspense, while simultaneously building an uneasy anxiety in the reader.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Atria Books via Netgalley
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4 high stars

I find that Lisa Jewell’s books are always a cut above the spate of books with “Gone”, “Girl” and “Lies” in their titles. For one, she can really write. And also her main characters are not breathless naive young woman, but usually middle aged women or men with recognizable emotions. I’ve now read four of her books, and Then She Was Gone is one of my favourites.

The story focuses on the effects of the disappearance of Laurel’s daughter, Ellie. The story is told in two timelines and from a few points of view. Mostly the story focuses on Laurel approximately 10 years after Ellie’s disappearance, but parts of the narrative are from Ellie’s perspective at the time she disappeared. Ten years on, Laurel still struggles with Ellie’s disappearance but she is feeling emotionally buoyant enough to start a new relationship with Floyd, who has a lovely daughter Poppie. Somehow — I’m not telling how to avoid spoilers — this leads Laurel down the road to figuring out what happened to Ellie.

I must admit that I guessed much of the mystery early on. That’s not because the plot is predictable, but because Jewell does a lot of foreshadowing. But I thought that Jewell did a fantastic job with the characters, especially Laurel. She is smart, devastated but functional, equally self aware and self deluded, at times funny, and doggedly determined to find out what happened to Ellie.

For those who worry about gruesomeness, there are no gruesome details but, on an existential level, given what we find out about what happens to Ellie, this one is not for the faint of heart.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Laurel’s daughter Ellie goes missing one day, never to be seen again. Her disappearance changes Laurel’s life forever and she’s determined to not give up, even after ten years. When Laurel has a chance meeting with Floyd, she decides to attempt a normal life and pursue things with him. Things escalate quickly and it’s not long before she’s being introduced to his nine-year-old daughter, Poppy, who has a striking resemblance to Ellie when she was that age. Laurel can’t help herself and she begins digging into Ellie’s disappearance and connecting the pieces as they come to her. Y’all I absolutely devoured this book! I think I read it in less than 24 hours. The storyline totally drew me in from the start and kept me wondering what happened to Ellie. Although I had an idea of what may have happened to her, I wasn’t prepared for how the story unfolded.

Then She Was Gone is a fantastic psychological thriller. While there were parts that were fairly predictable, this didn't take away from the novel at all. It was realistically sickening and a story that will stick with me for time to come.
This is my first book by Lisa Jewel, and I am very excited to read some of her previous work as her writing style is wonderful!

There is something about the manner in which Lisa Jewell weaves a tale, the style of her writing has a mesmerizing quality that makes her books true page turners. Just to be completely honest and upfront I do want to say that I did see several of the big twists coming from a mile away. For whatever reason I wasn’t bothered in the slightest though, there was something compelling about Then She Was Gone regardless of my being able to accurately predict several things.

Missing children stories always get to me on a personal level and when the case is years old, it’s even more heartbreaking. Laurel lost more than just her daughter Ellie, her marriage crumbled and her relationship with her two other children suffered as well. Devastation after devastation for this poor woman and I couldn’t help but hope that she would find some small bit of peace in her life, I felt awful for her and can’t imagine not knowing what happened to your child.

This was an emotional thriller, Jewell writes fascinating characters with complex histories that you can’t help but be interested in. If you’re a fan of the author already, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, it’s a fast paced engaging read with a really strong plot and the kind of book you’ll want to read in one or two sittings.

Then She Was Gone in three words: Intriguing, Spellbinding and Addictive.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie is her mother, Laurel Mack’s golden girl. Beautiful and smart, fifteen year old Ellie couldn’t make her parents more proud. But one afternoon, Ellie never returns home, and ten years later no one has a clue as to what happened to her. She simply vanished into thin air.

Ten years later, Laurel, who still has hopes of finding her daughter, is stuck in a funk. A cloud of despair hangs over her since losing her most precious child all those years ago. But things begin to turn around when a man named Floyd sits next to her in a cafe and introduces himself. Here begins a whirlwind romance between the two, and Laurel is finally finding herself smiling again. But then Laurel meets Floyd’s nine year old daughter Poppy, who looks strikingly like Ellie and even has many of the same mannerisms. Laurel can’t help but feel a bit unsettled. Is the clue to what happened to her daughter hidden within this family?

Lisa Jewell’s Then She Was Gone is a fast-paced, suspenseful “gone girl” story with a fresh twist. Newell does a fantastic job of building tension throughout the first half of her story, with the second half being a quick reveal. Readers will easily be sucked in to the comfortable world Laurel builds for herself with Floyd and will not want to see this lovely family for what it really is. Jewell exposes human frailty and the tendency of people to look the other way when a potential revelation could ruin one’s happiness. While the first half of this novel is a slow burn, full of show but not tell, the second half is all tell. Readers who don’t like it when the perpetrator explains away their crime and all the details, may find themselves annoyed with how this novel ends. On the other hand, this reveal, while disturbing, has not been overdone, so readers may not even notice its method of deliverance while they rapidly turn the pages.

A truly chilling tale that Lisa Jewell takes you on as she weaves through heartbreak, love, fear, and so many more emotions in between.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell jumps between a few different perspectives, but overall follows the story of Ellie Mack who disappeared one day without a trace and very little evidence of what happen to her. Ten years after her mother and father and siblings finally get closure and her mother, Laurel, starts to move on... finally. In comes Floyd, father of two girls. One a sharp tongued young woman, SJ, and a beautiful, intelligent nine-year-old girl, Poppy, who looks eerily like her daughter Ellie. As Laurel gets to know Floyd and his family, she cannot help shake an odd gut instinct feeling that something just isn't sitting right and strange coincidences from her past keep appearing.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite writers for women's fiction, only because she writes it in a way I have never seen someone write before. Women's fiction can instantly sound like another lovey story, or family focused book about whatever, but Jewell writes it in a way that is so intriguing and keeps you on your toes. Then She Was Gone is women's fiction, with all that great family flair and drama, yet an epic mystery/suspense twist. As a fan of mystery thrillers, this book was completely up my alley.

This story continuously threw one dark and disturbing twist after another and always when you thought you had figure it all out. I felt like I was Laurel at times when she would question herself on what she was feeling. Did I really trust Floyd? Was there something sketchy? And then come up with a completely plausible explanation and think I'm just making myself crazy. Then it would start again. I was completely enthralled from the first chapter to the very end. I even teared up a few times!

This book is for everyone. It has a little of everything and a huge emotional punch to the gut and heart right at the end to wrap it all up. Pick it up. You will not regret it.

Every once in a while a book comes along that just sucks you in. I am not a fan of the term unputdownable, but there really is no other way to describe a book like Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, now available in the US.

When 15-year-old Ellie Mack goes missing, the police conclude she’s run away. But her mother, Laurel, can’t believe her daughter, who had a boyfriend and was looking forward to her exams, would leave her family behind. The only sign of Ellie is a break-in 4 years after she disappeared, and the items that were taken lead Laurel to believe it was Ellie, though the police don’t agree.

10 years later, Laurel’s marriage has broken up, her other daughter Hanna barely acknowledges her presence, and new clues to Ellie’s disappearance have suddenly turned up. Then Laurel meets Floyd. He’s charming and funny, and Laurel is ready to put her past behind her. When Laurel meets Floyd’s daughter, Poppy, she’s shocked at how much she resembles Ellie, and she realizes her past isn’t as behind her as she thought.

Then She Was Gone is mostly told from Laurel’s point of view, but we do eventually learn what happened to Ellie in her own words, as well as first person perspective from another character whose involvement isn’t clear until well into the book. It’s a bit confusing in the beginning as details are revealed but it doesn’t take long to figure out where the story is going, though there are a few pieces of the puzzle that are withheld until the very end.

Any book that causes me to miss out on sleep and sneak in a few pages here and there when I’m supposed to be doing other things is one I highly recommend.

Read all my reviews at: https://brainfartsandbooks.wordpress.com

This book was so wonderfully put together and yet I still didn't put all the pieces together until the very end. Wow. I was in shock to say the least. What a story! Ellie is the youngest of three children. One day, she disappears and is never seen again. This is the story of what happened to Ellie, how it affected her family, and how the characters manipulate things to their own benefit. There were parts of the book that I questioned the mother, Laurel. And there were times when I felt like that something that was just not right about Floyd (Laurel's boyfriend) was on the tip of my tongue but I just couldn't figure it out. This book is both sad and happy at the same time. I love books that give the reader closure and this book does this so well.

A big thank you to Lisa Jewell, Atria Books, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Norma and I were lost in the dark and light earthy lush coulee with five of our Traveling Sisters reading Then She Was Gone. We all really enjoyed it and it lead to a great discussion amongst us.

We all were immediately drawn into this intriguing story right from start to the rewarding and very satisfying ending that we all loved.

We all agreed Lisa Jewell brilliantly creates a well-written and perfectly paced story to create a good, intriguing suspenseful story. Just at the right time, she reveals enough of the story to create suspense and then gives us understanding and insight into her characters rather than creating a shocky twisty story. She balances the darkest well by adding just the right amount of disturbing and creepy along with the insight into the well-developed characters’ emotions, creating emotional layers to the characters along with layers to the plot.

Some of us have read a few of Lisa Jewell's books and loved them all and the rest of us will be looking into reading more of her books. For me I have read a few and have a couple to review. We all highly recommend Then She Was Gone.

Publishing Date: April 17, 2018

Thank you, NetGalley, Atria Books, and Lisa Jewell for a copy to read and review.

Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Another intriguing fast paced novel by this author. Creepy and tension filled.

Back in the early-2000’s I read everything Lisa Jewell wrote. At that time she was all about romance and women’s fiction and I inhaled each and every one. Then she made a shift to mystery novels and, since that’s not usually my genre of choice, it’s now been several years since I’ve read anything from Jewell. But the synopsis of Then She Was Gone captured my attention and I was instantly wondering what happened to this girl named Ellie, who is this man her mother meets a decade later, and why does his young daughter look so much like Ellie.

Told by several narrators, we get pieces of the story doled out at the perfect pace. While a few aspects were easy to figure out, most kept me guessing until the very end. Jewell did an amazing job of gradually unraveling the threads of Ellie’s history and weaving other strands together to create Laurel’s present-day.

Then She Was Gone feels as much like a character study as a mystery. I found it interesting that despite few of the characters being particularly likable, I was still fascinated by their actions and their motivations. From Laurel, who was never warm and fuzzy to start with and became only more distant after Ellie’s disappearance, to the charming Floyd and his precocious daughter, to Laurel’s beleaguered ex-husband Paul, and her somewhat estranged other children. Jewell brought these characters to life and humanized them to an extent that I found myself genuinely invested in their lives.

We know fairly early what happened to Ellie, but it’s the how and the why and all the repercussions that provide the intrigue. As one who isn’t accustomed to the content of mystery/thrillers, there were several scenes when I was truly horrified and utterly heartsick by events that took place. Jewell used the multiple points of view and the dual time frame to craft a story that kept me completely enthralled until the very end. I highly recommend this twisty domestic drama/mystery.

4.5*

Brilliant! I completely lost myself in this book from beginning to end!

Laurel is doing her best to move on with her life. Her teenage daughter went missing years ago, triggering an avalanche of misfortune. The family splintered. Laurel and Paul divorcing. And now, their two remaining children are leaving home at the first chance they get - anxious to live their own lives, away from the oppressive tension within their home.

When laurel meets Floyd she’s quickly swept off her feet. She’s finally ready to live and love again. But too many things just aren’t adding up. What do they say about coincidences? Could Floyd be too good to be true? Why do the doors to the past keep opening?

What a breath of fresh air this book was for me. I‘ve had trouble loosing myself in a good book lately. And isn’t that what we all hope for?
Well, this was the refreshing change I’d been looking for! Though some give-away clues are revealed early on, you’re still taken on a journey that will most definitely pull your heart in many directions.

A wonderful Traveling Sister read 🌸

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Lisa Jewell for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

For this review and our full Traveling Sister review please visit Brenda and Norma’s fabulous blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/

Ellie was Laurel’s golden girl, her youngest, the 15-year-old with the stunning smile and beautiful hair, a new boyfriend who was just as golden as she, a bright future ahead. And then one day she simply disappeared. The police looked at all the angles but finally had to conclude the likely scenario was that she ran away, but Laurel knew that couldn’t be the case.

Ten years later, Laurel is divorced from her husband, distant from her older daughter and son. She just goes day to day. And then she meets a charming man who seems very interested in her, and her life suddenly actually has some life to it again. But when she meets Floyd’s two daughters, she is struck by the uncanny resemblance his 9-year-old has to Ellie. As much as she tries to shake off that something strange is happening, that people look like other people all the time, little things pop up as their relationship progresses that make her start wondering more about Ellie and what really happened to her.

Then She Was Gone is interesting and kind of a mystery/thriller, but I figured out fairly early on what had happened. As I read, the details then filled in and there was resolution. It kept my attention but didn’t surprise me. A good read for the beach or cozying up inside while it rains.

This was my first book by Lisa Jewell and why I am late to the party, I will never know. This will definitely not be my last!

When Ellie Mack goes missing, the police think she ran away. Her mother Laurel knows she could not have. She was the family golden child. She had everything going for her. She was a bit nervous for her Math exams but she had a tutor, Noelle, who had helped her. She was very creepy but she helped her.

Years have gone by and with more news, the family finally goes on with their lives. Laurel and her husband have gone their separate ways. Laurel meets Floyd at a coffee shop and immediately, there is something between them. But it is when she meets his brilliant daughter Poppy, that things go from zero to one hundred in this story. Poppy looks exactly like Ellie. But how could that be? A trick of the mind or something a lot more sinister?

I was so wrapped up in this book. I read with a deep feeling of dread. I read with tears in my eyes. I read with my mind working a mile a minute putting two and two (or three) together. Whatever the emotion, I read and I read and I read. The writing is superb. The storyline, with the four different voices, played out so perfectly. It gave us a look into everyone’s view of what happened and why. It was creepy at times. Okay, a lot of the time but how I loved the creepy factor. Just a perfect read. I will be picking up more Lisa Jewell books immediately.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this fantastic read.

Ten years after a 15 year old girl (Ellie) disappeared, new leads surface. Did Ellie really run away from home like the police suspected? Or was she the victim of something sinister?

Then She Was Gone follows Laurel, as she continues to recover from the disappearance of her 15 year old daughter, Ellie, ten years ago. Divorced for years from Ellie's father, Paul, and finally feeling some closure, Laurel met Floyd, a promising new love interest, and was immediately intrigued by both him and his 9 year old daughter, Poppy, because she bore an uncanny resemblance to Ellie.

I loved the unique format of this book which placed the reader one step ahead of the characters, so that the reader knew more about Ellie's disappearance than Laurel did. Until. All of a sudden, the format changed, and the revelations were a surprise to both the reader and Laurel. Even though I felt like I had it all figured out throughout the first half of the book, I remained desperate to continue reading to know if I was right.

Lisa Jewell has mastered the unreliable narrator, and I would highly recommend this one for fans of suspense!

Thank you to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Location: London, England

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell was such a great read. I totally enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

What I Loved About "Then She Was Gone"

Lisa Jewell popped onto my radar last summer when I read "I Found You", a pick from Modern Mrs. Darcy's Summer Reading Guide. I loved her story—the premise, style, and suspense all perfectly fit within my wheelhouse as a reader. When the opportunity to preview her latest book, "Then She Was Gone", came up I immediately jumped on it. And I wasn't disappointed.

Jewell effortlessly blends suspense and intrigue while also giving readers what they need to know a little at a time. As I was reading "Then She Was Gone", there was never a moment of confusion regarding the characters, their relationships, or their past histories. I was able to devour the book without pausing to refresh my memory.

Another reason I love Jewell's novels is her perfectly flawed characters. In each book I've read, the characters have plenty of strengths to go along with their weaknesses. Even the protagonist and the villains are equally weighed—until they aren't anymore.

Jewell does a fantastic job humanizing each character and illuminating their true selves just a little at a time. As the main characters, Laurel, Ellie, Floyd, Poppy, and Noelle are all given their own chance to shine, along with their motivations, heartbreaks, and joys. I thoroughly enjoy novels that give a range of perspectives and allow the reader into the minds of their characters.

What I Didn't Love About "Then She Was Gone"
While I enjoyed the premise and the suspense of the novel it didn't keep me in the dark for long. I quickly put the pieces of this great mystery together. However, I must say that it didn't keep me from enjoying the book. Even though I could sense the direction the plot was going, Jewell's air of mystery pervaded the atmosphere and kept me intrigued until the end.

There was also an essential element of the plot that seemed quite unplausible to me. In order to avoid spoiling it, I won't give a lot of details; but, suffice it to say, the scientific probability of a certain occurrence is just too unbelievable.

Recommended For...
Overall, "Then She Was Gone", is a great story of suspense. I highly recommend it for readers that enjoy crime mysteries centered on families and authors like Clare Mackintosh, Fiona Barton, and Kate Morton.