Fantastic thriller. If you love a good book with psychopaths then this is definitely the book for you.
So well researched on a brilliantly intriguing subject of how psychopaths live their daily. This is not just about the serial killers or the sadistic psychopaths, it’s about the ones who live among us, the ones who learn to blend in.
Great characters have come from the book and I hope to see more from Bloom.

Gone Is a rerelease of the Book Mind Games.
It's a psychological crime thriller and has quite an interesting premise.
Its told from multiple POV and was quite the suspenseful mystery with plenty of twists and turns to keep your attention.
Marcus Jameson and Augusta Bloom, Ex-spy and criminal psychologist but also partners in there own PI business.
Their latest case involves the disappearance of a family friend's mother who has vanished after receiving a mysterious birthday card with the message "Your Gift is the game, dare to play".
Upon further investigation it is revealed there are others that have disappeared in similar circumstances.
As the mystery deepens and the numbers climb its not long until the police themselves get involves.
I did like the dynamic between Bloom and Jameson it worked well and I found this to be an intriguing read, its clear the author knows her psychology.
I did guess quite early on what the twist was but this was still an enjoyable experience.
Overall this was a solid read.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Gone.

I loved this book, it was an exciting read. Gave me goosebumps in places! Great twists and turns, I hope the story continues

Mind games at its best I would describe this captivating psychological thriller that I couldn't put it down for a second.
These are so many twists and turns that my head felt spinning around because there are so many small different details that you need to keep track of it and also many layers unveiling of this story.
It's a game but a game that takes and changes the life of a few people that, somehow are connected.
A very good writing style with great characters that draw more attention to our real life and the people around us and a very original and interesting plot overall.

Great story. Quickly drew me in and kept me engrossed throughout. Would love a sequel! Highly recommended.

Are they all aware that this is a game? This is very different but a great idea and it kept me engrossed in it, I was never sure what was going to happen. Very well written with good ideas.

This was a fascinating book with a very original story line and captivating main characters. I've not read anything by this author before but will certainly read more now. The whole premise about psychopaths was really educational with insights into real people's behaviour to back it up. What a frightening character we found in Seraphine, although according to the author and Dr. Bloom, the psychologist, she was merely one of very many carrying on their lives all around us. I could really feel Marcus falling in love with Sarah and Augusta visiting her childhood house, now lying empty. This is a very well written book that keeps you captivated to the very end with a final twist I just didn't see coming, which is quite rare. I could imagine Jameson and Bloom brought to the small screen in a series, it would be brilliant. I'm assuming that all the technical blurb about the characteristics of psychopaths is correct which makes you start taking more notice of people around you and their behavioural traits just in case they fall into this category. A fabulous book which I highly recommend..

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from NetGalley. I had mixed feelings about this book. The story got straight into the action and it was an interesting plot, but I found it hard to follow in places (not helped by picking it up and putting it down a lot).

This is such a good novel and can hold its own in the much loved market of psychological thrillers. No spoilers are except to say I loved the relationship between the psychologist and her child patient and how it was deftly woven through the current investigation she was working on with her partner. Psychopaths are a well used character trait in novels but Deakin assuredly brings a fresh set of eyes to their behaviour in our everyday world. I finished this over a heart stopping couple of evenings and it will be one to buy for my girlfriends for the upcoming winter evenings. Very clever, Hugely recommend.

This is an action packed and all too believable thriller. The novel is focused on a game to which participants receive an invitation (challenge) in a birthday card. The race against time then begins to save the victims of the participants and the participants from their own competitive nature.

This was superb!

Yes, it's an unbelievable plot, but suspend disbelief and you'll enjoy a thrilling, fast paced race against the clock to uncover the culprit behind a game which causes players to abandon their live in search of... something.

With more twists and turns than a twisty turny thing, Gone is an excellent thriller which has you questioning who can you trust when psychopaths walk among us?

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC without obligation.

I thought this was a great premise for a thriller. It's gripping and makes for compulsive reading. Augusta Bloom feels like a character with a lot going on beneath the surface. I found the book interesting and informative about the psychology of what makes us human. The storyline hooked me from the beginning. I really enjoyed it and would recommend. "Gone" could generate some great book club discussion.

'Gone' is a brilliant investigative thriller. I've read many psychological thrillers over the past few years, but this one stands head and shoulders above them. The characters are complicated and twisty and are fascinating to read about. The psychology elements are well described. The plot has a great mystery hook and runs along at a fast pace, making for a gripping story. The ending is beautifully set up ready for book two, and I am just as ready for it.

In recent years there have been a plethora of psychological thrillers, so to come up with something original and fresh is quite a feat. In Gone, Leona Deakin has risen to this challenge. Gone is complex and full of twists that are not predictable which I love.

Dr Bloom, a psychologist, and her partner Marcus Jameson are called in to help investigate a missing person, Lana. It soon becomes apparent that there is something very dark going on. As they delve deeper they learn that at least 109 people have been contacted by an anonymous source who sends them all a birthday card with a link to a game of dare. At first glance, these people do not appear to have anything in common. However, as they learn more about some of the missing, they soon realise they all have one commonality - they all display psychopathic traits. Who is behind this sick game, and why, are the questions they are trying to find the answers to, before it's too late.

Running alongside this storyline, we watch Dr Bloom at work with a young person, Seraphine, who has savagely attacked a member of staff at her school. Only 14, Dr Bloom identifies Seraphine as someone who doesn't feel emotions in the same way others do. She believes that even those who display psychopathic symptoms, have a choice and she wants Seraphine to believe this, before it's too late. The clever part of this story is that it is only later that we learn that her work with Seraphine was conducted fifteen years previously, and this is crucial to the plot. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I did not see the twist coming, and towards the end there are plenty more to come.

The author is an occupational psychologist and this made the voice of Dr Bloom authentic and gives a fascinating insight into the nature of psychopathy. A smart and intricate cat and mouse tale that will keep the reader guessing right up to the last word, I highly recommend this title to anyone who has an interest in psychology.

A really odd book. Really difficult to work out whats going on and trying to out think the ending - not going to happen. Well written - worth a read.

Well I have to say this book took me by surprise and I was hooked right from the start.

Dr Augusta Bloom is a psychologist that works along side Marcus Jameson, who used to work for MI6. A young girl that Marcus knows gets in contact as her Mum, Lana, has disappeared and the police aren’t taking it seriously. The day Lana disappeared was her birthday and she left behind a card wishing her a Happy 1st Birthday and asked if she Dare to Play ? When Bloom and Jameson investigate they discover others have received the same card on their birthday and have not been seen since. Who could be behind the cards ? And are the missing still alive ?

This is a great book that is different to anything I have read before but also being a great addictive thriller. It will also keep you guessing even if you have a few theories along the way. A great first novel and looking forward to seeing what the next one will be.

Thank you to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

One of my favourite books this year!

With a stabbing within the first page you know you have been thrown right in, I like!

Dr Augusta Bloom and Marcus Jameson (a detective duo) begin to investigate 4 missing person cases which are linked by one element. They all recieved a card on their birthday asking them to play a game.... So where have they gone? Why and how?

The story centres around the 4 missing people storyline and then flits to that of Seraphine a teenager who stabbed her school caretaker and we hear of her sessions with her psychologist Dr Bloom. However this child is not sweet and innocent, she is calculated in her actions. Every moment, her tone, what she says she has thought about in advance....

If you think that's a good hook already then wait till you delve further. A great read full of suspense. I only just worked out who was behind 'the birthday card game' but only just before it was revealed but even then the tension was increased and carried it through right to the end.

If you liked the TV series 'Killing Eve' then I feel you will love this book as it has strains of psychopathic elements and fast paced events.

It took me a little while to get into this one, but once I did I was hooked! A very cleverly plotted thriller/mystery, quite different to any of the others I have read.

Many thanks to Random House UK and Natgalley for an electronic copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This thriller was immensely enjoyable to read. The plot line was cleverly thought out and it was clear that a great deal of research had gone into it. This was portrayed to the reader in a way that did not patronise or alienate but made you feel drawn in, and invested in solving the mystery. I confess that I did guess the twist very early on but this didn’t make the reveal any less dramatic. I liked the characters and would love to see more of them if there is ever a chance of this being revisited by the author I guarantee you would have at least one regular reader!

This book looked really good and sounded really good. I found I got through the first part of the book really quickly but didn't feel I was connecting with any of the characters and wasn't really getting the story. However I got to just over 50% and then it hit and it was gripping. I enjoyed this book and would read more from this author.