Cover Image: The Day I Disappeared

The Day I Disappeared

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This was my first by this author. I would definitely classify this more as a suspenseful women's fiction, although it had elements of your traditional mystery/suspense it leaned more on the women's fiction side. It was a bit predictable but still an entertaining read nonetheless. The writing was well done and characters well-developed. I enjoyed the small twists and turns along the way. it was a slower burn than my usual but I think the story suited this pace well.

I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with in the future.

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#TheDayIDisappeared #NetGalley
4 years old Holly got abducted 20 years ago to be returned 3 months later to the same spot she was taken from. Intact except for a missing baby tooth and an arrow shaped scar on her arm. But was she really intact? She remembers nothing of her missing days and the incident made a ripple effect on her and all surrounding her from that day on. A man was convicted and jailed, yet 20 years later a detective called Holly demanding her help and implying that they got the wrong man back then as there are more cases similar to her ending up with another 5 years old they are racing time to rescue alive.
The story itself is engaging and will keep throwing you around guessing and second guessing. Kitten's character and the fact that she was referred to by the entire people in her life by Kitten got really on my nerves.
I am not the reader who frowns upon some psychic involvement and visions though I felt lots was revealed based on those two factors. And I don't mean the visions Holly recalls of the time she was taken, this is understandable as suppressed memories could surface like this; what was weird a little for me was the little girl calling identically for the victims as reported by both girls.
I enjoyed though reading the book. Thanks NetGalley, the Publisher and the Author for providing a free copy to review.

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I am not leaving a review due to the fact that this book did not interest me enough to finish the story.

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Four-year-old Holly was kidnapped, but was unexpectedly returned to the exact same spot where she disappeared from 94 days later. She appears unharmed except for a scar on her arm, and is too young to remember, or explain, what happened – not helped by the fact that there were high levels of Rohypnol found in her system, a drug known for causing amnesia.
Holly’s mother, Cecily, was drunk when she was kidnapped & there has always been some suspicion that she may have had involvement in it, and there is a distance between Holly & Cecily, though she is very close to her father who she now works for.
Her best friend was also there when it happened, and young Katherine (nickname Kitten) helped detectives to convict a man who was known to have taken photographs of young girls. With this man in prison, the case is closed … until another little girl goes missing twenty years later. Whilst there have been a number of missing children over the years, there is something about this case that parallels Holly’s kidnapping & detective Guidry wonders if she can remember anything at all about her kidnapping that might help to bring a young girl home safely.
“I don’t know what happened to that girl” “Why are you acting like I might?”
“Holly, if the real culprit is still out there, he’s probably keeping an eye on you. Maybe even trying to frame you. You survived what he put you through. That could be motivation for revenge.”
“As I said to you yesterday: you’re in a unique position to help us profile this guy”
“I don’t remember what happened”
“That doesn’t mean you never will”
“If you can’t help me to figure things out … I don’t know if anyone can. And we’re running out of time”
When Holly’s mother is involved in an accident, whilst driving Holly’s car, things step up a notch – did somebody think Holly was driving that day? Did somebody want her dead? Cecily might have some answers, but she's in a coma after the accident. Her best friend, and the only witness to the abduction twenty years ago, is probably the only other person who can help, but she is in the middle of planning her wedding and fails to see that her long-time-friend needs her.
There are a number of people who could have had something to do with it, and the author introduces these subtley: the on-off boyfriend, the slightly creepy foreman at work, the childhood neighbour & brother of her best friend Kitten, a strange lady Holly meets at the convenience store who claims to be a Psychic …
The story starts slowly & takes some time to get into with chapters that are written mostly from Holly’s point of view but with a few from her mother (which is a bit weird as Cecily is in a coma, but they strangely work!). The story builds up and around the middle the pace quickens. There are plenty of twists in the story & many times when you will change your mind about what actually happened & who was involved … Whilst the final conclusion is not entirely unexpected, it doesn’t spoil the enjoyment of the book at all.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book free from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

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Oh gosh this gave me some anxiety! The story involves Holly Gebhart who was kidnapped & returned at the age of 4 with no memory of what happened. A handyman was convicted, but suspicion also fell on his friend, Holly's mother, Cecily. This caused a rift in the family and between Holly & Cecily.
Twenty years later, another girl goes missing under similar circumstances. Detective Jason Guidry thinks Holly can be useful with this new kidnapping though Holly just wants to move on. This is a twisty mystery that is set at a good pace and with enough characters to keep your interest. Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and the author for an ebook ARC. This is my honest review.

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The story starts with a young girl's kidnapping, with her return to her mother 3 months later. She's too young to remember much less explain where she has been. Her return has always cast suspicion on her mother...why would the child suddenly be returned? We jump forward.....
As a young woman, Holly does not have a good relationship with her mother. Suspicion has always been a wall between them. When the police request Holly's assistance with several kidnappings that seem similar to hers, she is unable to remember enough to help. These children are being killed, not returned, which brings up Holly's Mother again.
The story takes it's time to build. The effort is well rewarded when the story takes off and you have to watch for clues to keep up. The characters and their interactions will have you changing your mind every few chapters on who and what happened. A good read well worth your reading time.

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Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honeSt review.

Holly was abducted when she was a child, but she has no memory of what happened. Her abductor is in jail, and all is well...or is it? As an adult, Holly is contacted by a detective who believes someone else may have been behind her kidnapping, someone who is still kidnapping girls and murdering them. Meeting with the detective brings back pieces of memories, but Holly still can’t bring herself to remember everything. A decent mystery novel with good writing and an unexpected (at least for me) ending. Also want to say that I thought Kitten was such a shitty friend to Holly, and I hated her so much. That’s all :) 3.5 stars!

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This book was unlike any story that I’ve read before. It was not predictable at all which is rare. Definitely recommend!

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Thank You Netgalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first book from this author that I have read and looking forward to reading more from her. This book is about a kidnapping, it has twists and turns, and that’s pretty much all I can say without spoiling it. It keeps you interested enough that you want to keep going to figure all of it out with the main character.

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Thank You NetGalley & Publisher for this ARC!
This book is written mostly from the perspective of an adult Holly who was kidnapped as a child.
She is now 25 and struggling with her past.

She hears about girls that have gone missing. She wants to help but she doesn't remember most of what happened. Who kidnapped her?

This is a very well written book! It was a fast read for me which I like.
The characters you can really connect with. I really enjoyed the plot. The ending was amazing!
I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good thriller!

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An excellent beach read or travel companion, this book held my attention page after page. Our protagonist, Holly, was kidnapped as a very young girl from a local park and missing for 94 agonizing days. Though she doesn't remember anything of the ordeal, it has affected her mentally and creates a strained relationship with her mother. A detective contacts Holly about a recent, similar abduction and asks for her help. So begins a twisted, intriguing journey into possible suspects, psychological episodes and intense, frightening dreams. I thoroughly enjoyed this well-written, entertaining book.

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Superbly written, cleverly crafted, and engrossing. This was a page turner for me.
Many thanks to Lake Union Publishing and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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My first book by the author and a very good read.
I love when I find new to me authors that manage to keep my interest throughout the whole story like this one. It’s a story full of suspense and moments when the main characters are very reliable but also unpredictable at times.
Many secrets are unveiled with each step closer to find out more about those months when Holly was missing and as usual, the key to those truths is held by that single person that nobody wants to blame.
It’s a great suspenseful story that many people will enjoy it.


Many thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

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In all brutal honesty I found this book Ok, it just didnt do it for me. Yes I'll be in the minority but honesty is asked so that's what I'm giving.

I'm definitely not saying it's a rubbish read, far from it BUT for some reason I didn't connect with it from the start.

The beginning is very slow going but it does pick up the pace and get going the more into it you get.

There are SO many red herrings (unnecessarily so)that left too many loose ends for my liking (I like a nicely tied up neat package with a bow)

One of the characters grated on me through the whole book which didn't help!

Basically to cut a long negative story short and add some positives... it's an enjoyable enough read that once picks up the pace is easy to get through... it just doesn't jump out with anything special to me.

Thanks to netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

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While this one was a bit predictable, it was still a fun read. I'd also like to applaud the publisher for shelving this on NetGalley under the Women's Fiction genre, because while this definitely has elements of mystery and suspense, I think those looking for a traditional psychological thriller might be disappointed in those expectations. My first read from Brandi Reeds, and I look forward to seeing what she pens in the future.

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The start of the book was a little slow. Once you get a little further in you better have your seat belt on. There is tons of twist and turns. Soon enough you start questioning your own thoughts of who took Holly. I would have like this one to be a little longer! Great read and can't wait to read another one by Brandi Reeds. Thank you to NetGalley & Lake Union Publishing for the advanced copy.

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The Day I Disappeared tells the story of Holly, who was kidnapped and then returned unharmed 20 years ago. A recent series of kidnappings brings her close to Detective Jason Guidry who believes reopening her case may save children's lives...

I will start by saying that I read this book twice and am considering reading it a third time. Some books just get to you in that way. I wasn't expecting to like The Day I Disappeared at all, as it deals with a serial killer fixated with children, a topic I am particularly sensitive to. Without giving away too much detail, the author saved the unpleasant details and didn't dwell into the specifics of the crimes.

The story does have a lot of twist and turns, and you can never trust your gut. There are more than a few moments of tension and it's all done in a very visual way. When I was reading the book it felt like I was watching a movie, and I personally really like that about books.

Disclosure: I'd like to thank the publisher for my advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

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I was a bit lost in the first few chapters as there were many characters introduced and the point of view changed between two characters. However, once I got into the story I was INVESTED! The author did a great job of telling Holly's story of disappearing for 90 days and suddenly reappearing unharmed when she was five. Other young girls were disappearing in the same way as her. The police ended up enlisting her help to try and job her memory. People claimed her mother, Cecily had a part in her daughters disappearance.

Overall I really loved this book and read it in one sitting!

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Holly was kidnapped for three months when she was four years old but remembers nothing of the time she was gone. Twenty years later another girl is missing and it has similarities to Holly's case. You embark on a journey with Holly to try to piece together what happened to her and what connection it has to today's missing girl. Had me guessing right to the end. A brilliant read.

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I figured out who did it very early on, but for once it didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story, and it kept me hooked from start to finish.

Holly was kidnapped when she was 4-years-old and was unexpectedly returned -- physically unharmed but for a scar on her arm -- three months later. The person who kidnapped her was never caught, but now, more than two decades later, another girl is taken. Holly's mother Cecily might have the answers, but she's in a coma after driving her car off the road.

A few different characters are presented who could have had something to do with it, and I liked how the author slowly teased out who had the true motive, using chapters mostly from Holly's point of view, but also from her comatose mother's, which sounds stranger than it actually was in the book. Based on the development of the characters throughout the book, I wonder if the author could better relate to Cecily as the mother because her chapters we're almost more relatable than Holly's.

One element that I felt might have been missing was survivor's guilt from Holly, either from what happened to her as a child, especially after finding out about the other missing girl, or about anyone else that was affected in the present time. She was obviously trying to piece the puzzle of her past and her lack of memories together, and it was mentioned that she's seeing a therapist, but it still felt flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with the arc of this book. It has not influenced my opinion.

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