Louisa never thought she'd find herself attending somewhere like Temple House School. It is a boarding school for the daughters of rich and famous families and her family is neither rich nor famous. What her family can be defined as is broken; her mother leaving to live with a new man and her father left behind unbelieving and depressed. Louisa is a brilliant girl and she receives a scholarship to attend the school.
The Catholic school is foreign to Louisa. She doesn't fit in with the other girls who look down on her. She doesn't understand the nun's love of God and their dedication to a life of service. But like calls to like and soon Louisa is best friends with Victoria, a longtime student who is a rebel. Then there is Mr. Lavelle, the art teacher.

All the girls have a crush on Mr. Lavelle. Young and good-looking, he thrives on the girls' attention and devotion. He challenges the teachings of the school, asking the girls to think unconventionally and follow their dreams. Victoria has a crush on him as does Helen, the head girl. Both believe that he returns their love. Louisa doubts that and her love is reserved for Victoria. But it is Louisa and Mr. Lavelle that disappear the same night and are never found.

The years pass and it is now twenty-five years since Louisa and Mr. Lavelle disappeared. What happened that night? Did the two run away together, the result of a secret affair? Did Mr. Lavelle kill Louisa and hide her body? The nation was obsessed with the case when it happened and now a young journalist is called on to review the case on the twenty-fifth anniversary. Will she finally find out the secrets of Temple House?

Rachel Donohue is an Irish writer who is at the beginning of her career. This novel is her first and it gained much attention, being nominated for awards such as the Best Newcomer Award in the Post Book Awards and she won the "New Irish Writer Of The Year" award. The novel is gothic in feel. It switches between the viewpoints of Louisa and the journalist, the old and the new versions of the story and leaves the reader to decide which story is the real one. This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. The opinions expressed herein are mine alone and may not reflect the views of the author, publisher, or distributor.

I think this is one of my saddest reviews this year. I wanted so much to get into it and blow through it in a couple days. But I slogged and had to force myself to finish this.

THE TEMPLE HOUSE VANISHING should have captivated me. After all, it’s about a dubious teacher at a boarding school who seduces his students with his charisma and charm. The ramifications of the disasters that follow haunt all those involved for years on end, and I absolutely adore stories that take years to germinate and explode.

But the writing here was more of a detriment than a help. Yes, it’s pretty. Yes, it’s descriptive. However, it slows down the sharpness and, in some places, detracts from the taut nature of the plot.

I’m always down for boarding school drama. This one just fell flat for me.

3.5 - I'm really torn here, because there are some really awesome elements as well as things that could have been handled better.

There is one decision in how Louisa's POV unfolds that drives me a little wild, that I think was meant to feel like a red herring but, to me, seemed to have undermined a lot of the ambiguity and mystery of her story.

Where Donohue really shines is in the descriptions, the brief nods to traditional Gothic style with the slightly dilapidated house and grounds that only Louisa seems to notice (until, of course, we revisit the school 25 years later and it's impossible to ignore) and I would have loved more of that. But also the one-on-one dialogue between Louisa and Victoria, showing us the different ways in which these two girls view the world, even though we're only seeing Louisa's perspective.

CW: Suicide

I don't like that we start the story with this particular scene. It sensationalizes a very real issue and something we later find out is so much more complicated than this initial image of a woman jumping off a building to her death. And the most interesting facet of this is its complexity rather than the "beautiful tragedy" or whatever; plus using it as a hook trivializes the real issue that is suicide.

This classic gothic mystery had me a bit freaked out, since I usually read at night. There are many gothic tropes involved: an old creepy house, a possible supernatural element, a dark and eerie atmosphere, isolation, madness, and eroticism. And that much more modern approach, involving a modern day perspective combined with a historical one (1990s in this novel). Louisa is a scholarship student at a girl's boarding school in an old mansion behind gates during that time, when she and the only male teacher go missing. Louisa has been very attached to a more bohemian student, Victoria, before she disappeared. In modern times, a journalist who (as a child) lived across the street from Louisa before she left to attend the school investigates the mystery of Louisa's and her teacher's disappearance.

The overwhelming atmosphere of the book is menacing, without being clear about from whence the menace arises. The book alternates between Louisa's voice and that of the journalist, with both stories swirling around Victoria. I found both story lines compelling, but particularly Louisa's. The resolution made sense, but also saddened me. Donohue does a terrific job of portraying the mean girls aspects of cloistered halls filled with young women and, at the same time, she allows Louisa her voice as a nonconforming individual.

The sense of an isolated environment, with the raging sea below dangerous cliffs, is well developed. The characters of Louisa, Victoria, Helen (the prototype for a mean girl), and the male art teacher are all fully rendered. This was a compelling book, which was all the better for my having taken my time, savoring the oppressive atmosphere.

Thank you to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for this ARC and for including me on this Blog Tour!

The Temple House Vanishing by Rachel Donohue is a spooky dark academia thriller in the vein of The Maidens or The Divines. The story takes place in the both the past and the present. In the past, Louisa, a new student and outcast at the rich Catholic school, befriends Victoria, a rich girl with a crush on her young art teacher, Mr. Lavelle. In the present, an investigative journalist tries to put together the pieces of the puzzle and find out what happened 25 years ago. Why did Louisa and Mr. Lavelle vanish? Are their disappearances connected? Was it murder or something else altogether?

Even though the story alternates between the past and the present, but I found both points of view to be equally compelling. Usually, when books are told from alternating perspectives, I lose interest in one of them. The author did a really good job in maintaining my interest in both perspectives! Louisa's chapters were chilling as she navigates prep school politics as an outsider. I found myself legitimately getting angry at her treatment by classmates and teachers at the school. The chapters from the journalist's point of view were gripping as she delves head-first into the mystery and interviews potential witnesses who lived at the school at the time of the incident.

Here is an excerpt from Chapter 1, which is from Louisa's point of view:

"Finally, the black sing for Temple House hanging off a crumbling granite pillar. My father turning slowly throught the rusting, wrought-iron gates and up the winding, gravel driveway. The light more green than gold now, soft and low under the talle trees. The sense of hush as we finally emerge from shade to the edge of the cliffs, the sky stretching in front of us. The drive is narrow and sandy here, a sense of journey's end. I press my head to the cool glass, my curiosity like a fever. My suitcase and all that it signifies beside me on the seat. I open the window, strain my neck but can't see below to the waves, only sky and white birds. The air cool on my face.
Am I happy? I can't remember now."

As you can see from this excerpt, the author's prose and descriptions are gorgeous. There's a lot more where that came from. I adore books that take place in a setting with Gothic, haunting atmospheres, and this book definitely delivered on that front. I found myself transported to a mansion-like school in Ireland in the late 20th century, and I did not want to leave. I also enjoyed the central mystery of figuring out what happened to Louisa and Mr. Lavelle. The book was compelling in that I was given both the investigator's perspective, as well as the perspective of one of the people who disappeared. This book was unputdownable. I could not stop reading and ended up finishing the book in one day.

Overall, The Template House Vanishing will appeal to similar dark academia thrillers like this year's releases, The Maidens or The Divines. These books had similar plots regarding charismatic older teachers, hidden secrets in the past affecting the present, and, of course, dark mysteries involving a boarding school or college. In addition, just like those books, this story is more a slow haunt rather than a fast-paced thriller., but there were definitely spooky moments that sent chills down my spine. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of dark academia thrillers, then I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out on July 6th!

This is the perfect Gothic boarding school book.

At a Catholic boarding school, a male art teacher, Mr. Lavelle, and his teenage student, Louisa, disappear together, leaving no trace. A journalist with a childhood connection to Louisa begins digging into it on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the disappearances. The reader alternates between the perspectives of the journalist in the present and Louisa in the past.

Louisa's a scholarship student from a family in chaos who gets drawn into the world of Mr. Lavelle and his favorite student, Victoria. Louisa and Victoria quickly become inseparable as each others' only friends. The girls' affection for Mr. Lavelle both draws them together and pits them against each other.

Louisa's voice is powerfully evocative of the intensity of emotion that colors everything in a teenage girl's world. The writing brings the world of Temple Manor to life and made me feel like I could almost taste the salt air and hear the ocean myself. Louisa looks back at everything that went wrong - and right - with her semester at Temple Manor with all the perspective of hindsight.

"I thought words were my ally and could be sculpted into stories, shaped into things that people could understand. Because even if a story is not true, it can serve a purpose."

This was a quick - but very beautiful! - read. Perfect for anyone who's a fan of a spooky, intense Gothic atmosphere.

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin for the advance review copy of this book.

I usually enjoy boarding school mysteries. There's just something about big, old creepy buildings and the secrets they ultimately hold. Give me a synopsis for an Irish boarding school set on a remote cliff and a cold case, and I am sold. I couldn't wait to dive into this one.

When Louisa receives a scholarship to attend Temple House boarding school, she isn't prepared for the rancor and exclusion that comes with her enrollment. She soon finds an unlikely friend in Victoria, the smart but perpetually bored girl who delights in her rebellious persona. But then Louisa disappears with Mr. Lavelle, a young teacher at the school, and everything changes. Now, twenty-five years after their disappearance, a journalist is determined to unearth the truth of what happened.

I loved this book.

From the first chapter, Donohue's talent is evident. The prose is lyrical, captivating, and insightful. Several times I highlighted sections that struck me as beautiful, not just for the writing, but because of the emotion that it captured. The ennui and restlessness Victoria and Louisa feel jumps off the page and really encapsulates what it was like to be a young girl trying to find herself.

Stealing the show is Louisa and Victoria's friendship. Their relationship has all the elements I love best about toxic friendships. Jealousy. Obsession. Competition. On the one hand, they love each other. They're supportive and fierce in their loyalty. On the other, however, is this dark, unresolved competition: for attention, for independence, for desire to be special. Since this is told in alternating past and present, I kept trying to figure out how the breakdown would happen through the eyes of our journalist narrator.

Speaking of which, the journalist's ties to the case grounded the narrative. Where digging up cold cases can be seen as gimmicky, I related to her character voice and understood her desire to know the truth. She, too, embodies the atmosphere of nostalgia that works so well to drive the mystery.

At its core, The Temple House Vanishing is a novel about love and death, forming identities and the toll of secrets. I think many readers are going to find themselves engrossed by Louisa and Victoria and this insightful quest for answers.

Big thanks to Algonquin and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

Title: The Temple House Vanishing
Author: Rachel Donohue
Genre: Mystery/thriller
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Twenty-five years ago, a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl and her charismatic teacher disappeared without trace...

In an elite Catholic girls' boarding-school the pupils live under the repressive, watchful gaze of the nuns. Seeking to break from the cloistered atmosphere two of the students - Louisa and Victoria - quickly become infatuated with their young, bohemian art teacher, and act out passionately as a result. That is, until he and Louisa suddenly disappear.

Years later, a journalist uncovers the troubled past of the school and determines to resolve the mystery of the missing pair. The search for the truth will uncover a tragic, mercurial tale of suppressed desire and long-buried secrets. It will shatter lives and lay a lost soul to rest.

This was just a “meh” read for me. Gothic overtones and a lot of angst, but come on, it was the 90s. Also…I know mental health wasn’t the buzzword it is now, but shouldn’t someone have figured out some of these girls needed some help? And you’re trying to tell me that nuns at a Catholic boarding school were oblivious to the sneaking out and the evil prefects? Sorry, but the whole scenario was a bit far-fetched for me.

Rachel Donohue lives in Dublin. The Temple House Vanishing is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of Algonquin Books in exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 7/3.)

The Temple House Vanishing is a spooky thriller with a great setting that really brings an atmospheric feel to the story. Told through alternating POVs, we get to see into two different perspectives, both at the time of the mystery, and in the current time. I really liked that the views alternated, it was great insight into the story during both portions.

This book starts off with a bang, you are immediately gripped by the story. If you like a fast, quick-paced mystery, this is a good one for you! The plot was good, and while I was able to guess what was happening, I still enjoyed the ride as the story progressed!

I was provided a gifted copy of this book for free. I am leaving my review voluntarily.

I struggled with this book. I think it had great promise but it got jumbled up to me. It's about two people who go missing from a private school 25 years ago. Sounds like all the other books being written now, which means it has to truly be jaw dropping for me to give it 5 ⭐. This one was just meh to me.

A reporter, whose name is never given, is assigned to write a story about the missing on the 25th anniversary. He/she starts off tracking down past classmates to find out what happened. Louisa, a student, and the art teacher, sorry can't remember his name, go missing on the same night. No bodies are ever found, so the logical conclusion is the ran away together.

This story is told by the reporter and Louisa. Which, again, has became the norm in books. So be prepared for that format.

Sorry, there's not much else I can say about this book. Just was not that good to me, but remember everyone reads a different book and gets different things from it. This is only my opinion and others have liked it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Kindle Version of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Temple House is a Roman Catholic boarding school run by nuns.

In 1990, Victoria and Louisa are two students there and they become friends. Edward Lavelle is their art teacher. He's 25 and has the good looks of a movie star.

When Edward and Louisa disappear, the investigation starts.

I was hooked by the title of this as well as the synopsis and was also really wanting to review it since I went to an all-girls' school too although not one as sinister as Temple House. The school prides itself on its status, but does it really live up to its claims?

I was immersed in this debut novel, and what a wonderful debut it is. We have everything that goes along with the goings on at a girls' school (fights, jealousy rivalry making friends).

I was scared, surprised wanting to know what was going to happen and concerned for Louisa.

What really happened? Who is guilty? Can she trust Victoria like she thought she could? Is she, and anyone, safe at the school?

A must-read if you like twisty thrillers.

Thanks to Rachel Donohue and Algonquin Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

4 stars.

It's so weird that a book with so many things I like (gothic school mystery!) fell so flat for me. Creepy school scenes were great, but I never connected with the journalist character, never understood why Victoria decided to tell all her closely-guarded secrets, and was ultimately disappointed by the reveal. At the explanation of the mystery, I just felt like "Oh, that was it? But... surely... we all knew that was what had happened? Isn't this going somewhere?" and it was very disappointing.

The Temple House Vanishing was an atmospheric story that took place in the gothic setting of a crumbling all girls' school. You'll immediately feel bad for Louise, a student who gets her place there on merit and not because she can afford it and is described by her friend as a "social experiment".

Louise is content with the snubs of the elite girls who are the prefects, supposedly there to guide new students, but really to tattle and enforce the rules. But after she spies Victoria, an obvious rule breaker and nonconformist, she is bound to her for life. Throw into the mix Mr. Lavelle, the young, bohemian art teacher who is close enough to the line to occasionally step over it, and you have the makings of a tragic threesome.

Louise's idea of love is confounded with her feeling of loyalty and muddied by the lack of a solid parental background. So, when she tries to protect Victoria, things begin to backfire, and when we get to that part of the story you begin to see the author's plot device at work.

I would have liked to have had more of a character build for Mr. Lavelle, because even though we know the "type", we don't really know Mr. Lavelle. I would have also liked more focus on the reporter covering the story on its 25th anniversary, and on the current life of Victoria, although maybe it was purposeful that she was kind of a hollow shell. I think it would be more appropriate to label this as a YA book, since the topics (teenage girls, bullying, infatuation) fit that genre much better, but I still enjoyed it as a departure from my typical reads.

Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for an advance reader's copy for review.

Thank you Netgalley and Algonquin Books for the eARC.
Sixteen old Louisa is dropped off by her parents at The Temple House Catholic Boarding School. For the first time she meets Victoria, who will become her best and closest friend. Most of the other girls totally ignore her, as she's not rich and she obtained a place because of her grades. The head prefect, Helen, is particularly nasty and makes life difficult for Louisa. But she basically doesn't care, because she has Victoria and Edward Lavelle, the charismatic art teacher. The three of them form a close relationship that eventually will change the course of their lives.
When Louisa and Edward Lavelle go missing together, it marks the end for the school and 25 years later is still a newsworthy story. A young journalist is writing a series about the case - she once babysat Louisa and feels compelled to find the truth.
I really loved this book, it's beautifully written, with a gothic feel that is compelling, The claustrophobic atmosphere of the school reminded me of my time at a Catholic school run by nuns...not the best time of my life, lol. But seriously, this is an
wonderful and ominous read with a shocking ending that one can't put down.
I felt so sorry for Louisa, a well-drawn character with so much love in her you can't but root for her.
Highly recommended.

Temple House is a old almost decrepit girls boarding school. The nuns that teach and the parents that pay for tuition believe it to be first rate and there is a cut throat culture.. In 1990 Louisa, is offered a scholarship. Lousia is very bright but has a hard time making friends. Via her art class she meets another student named Victoria and her art teacher Mr Lavelle.

Much of the book flashed back to the story of the Louisa - both she and Mr. Lavelle mysteriously disappeared. Louisa's neighbor, 25 years later, is an intrepid journalist and attempts to track down students and faculty and try to solve the mystery.

I enjoyed this novel and did wonder what happened to Louisa. There are plenty of suspects and suspicious events that assist with guesswork prior to the finale. The gothic features of the book create an emotional atmosphere and transform you back to your high school years.

I recommend this book and look forward to hearing more from Rachel Donoghue.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for the ARC. Publication date 20/2/20

This book is positively eerie. I don’t wanna give too much away about the plot but it’s probably one of the best books I’ve read all year. Captivating story that will absolutely bring in any reader.

Rachel Donohue’s debut is a taut, well-written tale of young love, friendship, obsession, and betrayal. The relationship between Victoria and Louisa is the flame around the white-hot core of Mr. LaValle, whose narcissism is the tinder waiting to be ignited. Take adolescent girls trapped in a religious school located in an old manor house, add a handsome and mysterious art teacher, add jealousy, infatuation, and mental illness and you have all the ingredients for a modern gothic tale.

Donohue’s work reminds me a lot of Eve Chase - outstanding writing, great characterizations, and a well-constructed plot results in a very successful debut. Donohue is an author to watch.

An exclusive private school in a remote area of England is always a good setting for a mystery. Make it an all-girl's school and add in a charismatic male teacher... and stir. Flash forward to 25 years earlier and of course there's interest in solving the What Happened, here it's a journalist with a very tangential link to the missing girl (Louisa was a former babysitter). No real surprises by solid writing.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

I found this novel to be implausible.
The relationship between Louisa and Victoria was somewhat intriguing, but then became almost silly. The character of Mr. LaVelle was not fully developed so I never was quite sure what he was about. The idea that they could not find Louis's body when it was on Temple grounds was one of the reasons I found this story to be implausible.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A journalist revisits the story of a missing student and teacher from an exclusive girls' school. Twenty-five years earlier, a scholarship student and handsome young art teacher left on the same evening. As the journalist delves into their stories, she discovers the shocking truth.

Beautifully written with strong, believable characters.