I really wanted to like this book- it has great atmosphere and a great premise. Unfortunately, it just didn't follow through for me. I was hoping for a propulsive story that kept me reading and that just didn't happen.

How Quickly She Disappears focuses on obsession and isolation. Elizabeth’s twin sister disappeared without a trace when she was a child. It is now 1941 and she is living in an isolated area of Alaska. She is drawn into the web of a murderer when he promises to lead her to her sister, whom Elizabeth has always believed is still alive. This was the author’s debut novel and it was a pretty decent read. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed in the ending and felt it was left hanging.

I found this book to be annoying. I didn't care for any of the characters and I found the frequent switch to second person perspective off-putting. The writing is often beautiful, especially in the descriptive passages, but I found the storyline and the behavior of Elizabeth (the main character) so irritating that I found myself reading quickly just to finish.

The story is twofold -- the mystery of the disappearance of Elizabeth's twin sister 20 years ago and the appearance of a stranger who supposedly knows Jacqueline's whereabouts. His convoluted machinations to get Elizabeth to do his bidding in order to learn about her twin's location make up the bulk of the story. Elizabeth becomes increasingly irrational in the pursuit of the "truth" and creates a rift in her relationships with her husband and daughter. I found Elizabeth's actions to be irrational to the point of implausibility. When she risks her own life even though everyone tells her Alfred (the stranger) is lying, I was annoyed, but (SPOILER!!!) when she risks her daughter, I gave up!!

Yes, this is a book that kept me turning pages and there are moments of great prose. I also found the descriptions of life in rural Alaska in the early 1940s to be compelling, but these moments were overshadowed by the ridiculous behavior of the protagonist.

A fair mystery set in Alaska, was a bit like Jeffery Deaver to me, but worth the read. A wife and mother searches for her sister who disappeared years ago.

I loved the descriptions of the Alaska winter wilderness setting. I enjoyed learning about the characters’ stories and the alternate time periods. What I didn’t care for was the fact that a good portion of the mystery was left unresolved. Maybe the author is intending on a sequel but that hasn’t yet happened. I’m never a fan of an unresolved ending. I feel like this author could’ve done better.

Suspenseful and fast paced, with a few twists and turns thrown in. Losing a sibling creates a void that can never be filled, and many people go on searching their entire lives. One sister's desire to find her twin sister many years after her disappearance becomes an obsession, and her own beloved daughter is put at peril. Similar to Silence of the Lambs, the mental terror and games played by Alfred are indeed frightening.

Elisabeth is obsessed with her twin sister's disappearance/death and a dangerous stranger shows up and claims to have the answers. The setting in Alaska is moody and adds to the suspense of the novel. Elisabeth unravels and makes questionable choices that put her and her family in jeopardy. It was engrossing but the ending was not quite as satisfying as I would have liked.

*Received via NetGalley for review*

Elizabeth's twin sister disappeared when they were 11, and Elizabeth has moved on as best she can, with a husband, a daughter, and a career. But now, living in remote Alaska with her husband always gone and forced to homeschool her daughter, Elizabeth meets a German pilot who insists he knows things about her sister. But he only tells her this after he brutally murders her only friend in the remote town, and sends her down a twisted path for the truth.

An incredibly interesting premise that's a little let down by the execution. Alfred clearly has some kind of hold on Elizabeth that's destructive, but amplified by her unhappiness with her life. She makes bad decision after bad decision, and it's so frustrating because I wasn't really able to understand. Yes, I felt her frustration, but not her compulsion. I mean, she goes back to Alfred after he tries to kill her! She takes her daughter to him!!

And while the ultimate conclusion is satisfying (if predictable), there are still some frustrating unanswered questions that are introduced at the very end.

The description for this had me excited, The Dry meets Silence of the Lambs, but it did not live up to that comparison.

A solid addition to the thriller genre. A recommended purchase for collections where crime fiction is popular.

HOW QUICKLY SHE DISAPPEARS by by Raymond Fleischmann was just published, have you read it yet?⁣
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The story takes place in the unforgiving landscape of wild Alaska and reading it makes the reader feel alternately cold and nervous.⁣
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This book is described as, "an intoxicating tale of literary suspense set in the relentless Alaskan landscape about madness and obsession, loneliness and grief, and the ferocious bonds of family …"⁣
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It was a good, solid mystery!⁣
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What kind of setting do you enjoy most when reading? Do you want to be swept t to a place that is warm and sunny, are you looking to experience somewhere you've never been?⁣

Elisabeth Pfautz is living in the Alaskan wilderness, unhappy in her marriage. Her twin sister disappeared 20 years ago and Elisabeth clings to the hope her sister is alive. This book was not what I expected. It was a bit slow and a lot of the characters weren’t very likeable. Thank you to net galley for a copy.

3-4 stars! This atmospheric thriller starts off with a bang, but unfortunately it really sort of fizzled out by the end. I think it had a great premise, loved the Alaskan atmosphere, but after a few chapters it seemed that the premise was not hit in a way that excited, chilled, or thrilled me. Overall, I think it’s a decent read, especially if you enjoy atmospheric, slow burn reads. You will get a few thrills, chills, and shocks.
Will make sure to buzz it up and use my low amazon reviewer number to review on release date!

There were elements of this novel that I greatly enjoyed, like the characters and the setting, which were well written, but the plot at times made little sense.

This was such an atmospheric story that made me feel lonely, cold, and tense. The author did a remarkable job of bringing to life the feeling of isolation in a small Alaskan village. The story was so layered, so nuanced, I was completely captivated and yet I was always a little uncomfortable. This book will chill you to the bones.

Frankly, I had difficulty with this story. You need to be able to move from 1940s back and forth to 1920s. Elizabeth's twin disappears when she is young. A stranger shows up in Elizabeth's life 20 years later in Alaska. He is obsessed with her. He kills Mack, ends up in jail, will only speak with Elizabeth telling her he knows where her sister is. Well, does he or not? Elizabeth becomes so involved that she ignores her 12 yr old daughter and her husband. The ending was unexpected.

I had thought I’d enjoy this as it was set in Alaska and in 1941. It started off great and then I found I could not really relate to the characters. It also seemed to be too many pages to get to a resolution to the mystery.

This book started out amazing for a debut author. The setting was amazing, the set up was great, however, somewhere the book began to fall apart for me. The book was creative, and had an unsettling vibe, but for some reason this book is not for me. I would get it for the library though because I know it will appeal to a larger group of people. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the honor of reading this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Vast, expansive, beautiful Alaska became a U.S. territory in 1912 and Fleishmann sets the story 30 years later. Elisabeth has come to Tanacross so that her husband can be a teacher, even though she herself is also a trained educator. She is relegated to remaining at home tutoring their bright daughter. Although they have friends in the small town, the living conditions are brutal and the isolation an ongoing challenge. Elisabeth has been troubled since her twin sister disappeared when they were a mere 11 years old. Even though 20 years have elapsed, Elisabeth has never stopped believing Jacqueline is still alive and frequently dreams about her. Her dreams are all she has left of her sister. Trapped in an unsuccessful marriage, Elisabeth's loneliness is tangible, her frustration at not being able to fully use her skills ongoing. She needs to be more than just a wife and mother.

Jacqueline's disappearance remains a mystery, but Fleischmann gradually reveals the events that led up to it: the girls' relationship, the mysterious stranger who arrived in town, Jacqueline's fascination with him, and the secrets she kept. Did he abduct her?

Alfred, the substitute pilot who brings tragedy with him to Tanacross, is, at first, seemingly eccentric. But soon it is clear that there is much more to his bizarre behavior. When he insists that he has information about Jacqueline, claiming that he was involved in her disappearance, Elisabeth is faced with a choice. If she accedes to his demands, she might extract valuable information from him that will lead her to Jacqueline. But at what cost? Elisabeth struggles to maintain her dignity and self-respect, and protect her daughter, as she navigates Alfred's demands and calculates the risks and potential rewards associated with engaging in his cat-and-mouse game.

How Quickly She Disappears is darkly atmospheric and Fleischmann's evocative prose smartly leads readers into Alaska, as well as Elisabeth's psyche as Alfred taunts her. He skillfully manipulates her, targeting her vulnerability and emotional fragility. He tells her that he also dreams about Jacqueline and is also alone. He zeroes in on the guilt Elisabeth carries about Jacqueline's disappearance, stemming from her failure to speak up about Jacqueline's activities before it was too late. As Elisabeth becomes convinced that Alfred really was involved, she determines not to fail her sister again and vows to make amends.

The pace of How Quickly She Disappears accelerates along with the tension as Elisabeth uncovers evidence that Alfred might be telling the truth and her negotiations with him proceed. The action builds to a frenzied, harrowing climax and a conclusion that happily suggests Fleischmann might be contemplating a sequel.

At its core, however, How Quickly She Disappears is an intriguing character study of a woman whose life was forever changed when she was just a young girl, and the impact that momentous event has had on her ever since. Fleischmann convincingly explores how destructive unanswered questions can be, as well as the strength of the enduring and unbreakable bond between sisters, and how devastating the loss of Jacqueline has been to Elisabeth. He heartbreakingly reveals how the hope that Alfred dangles n front of Elisabeth affects her.

How Quickly She Disappears is a gripping mystery, a noir thriller featuring a compellingly complex central character, that is crafted with the precision and eloquence of literary fiction. Hopefully, there will be that hinted-at sequel.

I love books set in Alaska. Seriously, they always have a dark and dangerous vibe to them that I adore. Alaska becomes a completely separate character more than any other setting. Perhaps it is my unfamiliarity with the state or its apparent lack of civility, but I enjoy any story that occurs in Alaska simply because it occurs in Alaska.

Having said that, you would think I enjoyed How Quickly She Disappears. After all, the action occurs in Alaska. Unfortunately, no setting can help you enjoy or even sympathize with the characters. Even worse, Raymond Fleischmann's thriller hinges on his characters. If you don't feel for Elisabeth, then you are not going to enjoy the story.

Frankly, I did not like any of the characters. Alfred is creepy AF, which should be a good thing except is nothing but a distraction. Elisabeth's husband is an asshole. Their daughter is a burgeoning teenager with all of the self-absorption and attitude. As for Elisabeth, she should be a tragic figure. After all, she lost her identical twin sister. Plus, she left behind a career and some semblance of independence to move to a remote fishing town in Alaska. Except I could not connect to her at all. I did not understand her motivation and lost patience with her eagerness to ignore her own common sense. The entire story does not hold up under rational thought, and I did not have the patience with any of the characters to set aside my rational side.

Also, even though the novel occurs at the beginning of World War II, there is an odd timeless quality to the story that disconcerted me. For someone who acts and thinks like a "proper" 40s housewife, there are times when her thoughts and actions do not fit into that pattern. At those moments, she acts more modern than she is. Those moments always jarred me and prevented me from finding her a sympathetic character. In fact, I started to fear that this was going to be another unreliable narrator story. I doubt this was Mr. Fleischmann's intention.

I opened How Quickly She Disappears with low expectations, hoping for an intriguing lost person mystery that would entertain me at the very least. It did not entertain me so much as somewhat disgust me as I did not like any of the characters, an utter failure in a character-driven mystery. Even Alaska could not redeem this one for me.