This is a twisty and complex thriller. You did have to suspend your disbelief during this book. The ending was satisfying

An interesting and slowly unfolding story with sympathetic characters and surprising twists. A good read.

I really enjoyed this book. I love the way the author sets the scene and paints a picture for us to immerse ourselves in and then takes us on an adventure with twists and turns.
Looking forward to the next one.

After the death of her grandmother and the hospitalization of her mother, Prue is invited to stay with her Aunt Ruth, Ruth’s husband Archie, and Archie’s grandmother, Frankie. Through the course of her 16th summer, she hopes to find a few answers from her aunt, but instead she discovers the island is full of secrets. Specifically the disappearance of Archie’s first girlfriend, who went missing, leaving Archie the main and only suspect to her presumed murder.

The synopsis had me, but this book was not it. The plot twists were a bit lame, and there were parts that seemed important but were never mentioned again.

Thanks, Netgalley, for giving me the chance to read this book.

This is a strangely meandering story. Part coming-of-age novel, part murder mystery and with a hint of the supernatural thrown in.
But that’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy it.
Clare Whitfield really knows how to give you a huge plate of goodies to work through. A Scottish island setting (which is always a huge plus for me); great characters (I particularly enjoyed the character of Ronnie, even though she’s as mad as a box of frogs); well-paced and never dull. I think that I couldn’t quite put my finger on the genre button was another bonus. It made the book ‘less obvious’.
Fabulous stuff! I look forward to more from Clare Whitfield.

I've heard amazing things about Clare Whitfield's work and was one of the reasons I requested this one.

However, I've been really struggling with my mental health and based on some reviews I don't think I'm in the right frame of mind to be picking this one up right now.

I may pick this one up in the future.

I'm so sorry and sorry that I'm so late with this one!

I love slow-burning, creepy tales packed full of secrets and The Gone and the Forgotten was so good! I was a huge fan of Clare Whitfield's previous book and this one - although quite different - lived up to that bar.

Prue is sent to live with her Aunt Ruth after a traumatic incident. The isolated setting and the way the secrets come to the surface were so well done, I couldn't stop reading!

Clare Whitfield books are wonderful. That's a fact. Clare has written another corker with The Gone and the Forgotten. Well paced, engaging plot that keeps you turning the pages and a book that will stay with you for a long time after you have turned the final page and put it down.

This is a thriller, with the story set on Prue, a teenager sent to live with her aunt and uncle in a remote Scottish community, leaving behind her mother who's receiving mental health support.

I found the first half of this quite slow going, and was on the way to giving it up when the pace picked up a bit. The themes in this read are quite disturbing at times, it's certainly not a feel-good or satisfying read. Not really my cup of tea.

I loved this authors previous books so much I was very keen to read this one. It was very different from her previous book. I was drawn to the setting of the Sheltlands. There was a lot going on in the book and it kept me hooked. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for anything else this writer publishes

Finally caught Covid and this book was the Ideal book to get me thru it. Had my hooked from the start to finish. I will be looking for more books by Clare Whotfield

"Part psychological thriller, part coming-of-age novel from the author of People of Abandoned Character.

Summer, 1993. In the aftermath of her mother's suicide attempt, 16-year-old Prue must spend the summer holidays on a remote island in the Shetlands with her favorite Aunt Ruth and Uncle Archie, a man she's barely met since her aunt married him. Prue hopes to re-establish the relationship, and that her aunt might help her understand some of the parts of the past she has been forbidden to discuss by her mother - including the identity of her father.

Prue soon finds out that her uncle was the only suspect in the disappearance of a local girl some twenty years ago. As she grows closer to him, she learns there are differing views on how the beguiling Evelyn O'Hara disappeared, but is her uncle innocent?

Truth is something Prue has always had a fractured relationship with. A single version of the truth seems impossible for her to lock down..."

Banished beyond the Outer Hebrides Prue has some questions she needs answering.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Great plot twists - keeps you guessing! It did drag in a few place, but otherwise a great read!

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

My thanks to Head of Zeus Apollo for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Gone and the Forgotten’ by Clare Whitfield. I complemented my reading with its unabridged audiobook edition.

Recently I had read Whitfield’s debut, ‘People of Abandoned Character’, a historical novel set in Victorian London. So I was looking forward to her second novel, a coming of age tale set in the summer of 1993.

Sixteen-year-old Prue has grown up in a household full of secrets. Following her mother’s latest ‘episode’ Prue has decided that she is old enough to know the truth about why her mother is unable to cope as well as the identity of her father.

As her mother will be in rehab for a time, Prue is persuaded to spend the summer with her aunt, Ruth, and her new husband, Archie on the Shetland Isle of Noost. Added to the household is Veronique (Ronnie) Anderson, Archie’s grandmother. Prue remains determined to find answers, yet she is soon caught up in a web of family secrets and betrayals.

I don’t wish to stray into spoiler territory though will note that Archie should have a ‘danger’ sign flashing over his head as he is an artist who pushes boundaries with edgy depictions of teenage girls. In addition, twenty years ago a young woman went missing on the way to meet her boyfriend - Archie Anderson!

The novel does deal with a number of disturbing themes set against the backdrop of the isolated island community and the atmospheric Anderson family home. The tone of the novel quickly shifts into psychological horror.

Overall, ‘The Gone and the Forgotten’ proved a compelling, creepy read. I will be looking forward to Clare Whitfield’s future projects.

This was an intriguing, atmospheric thriller and coming of age story that had me gripped from start to finish.

The setting really came alive throughout the book, placing me right at the core of the story and allowed me to climb inside the pages and experience every moment with the characters. The old house gave off a gothic vibe, and I loved the secret passages.

The writing drew me in, creating a sense of unease and mystery. I’m excited to see what the author writes next. I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for a chance to read and review this book.

This was an uncomfortable read. Clare Whitfield packs this story with lots of secrets, a creepy old house, a dead younger sister for main character Prudence “Prue”, a flamboyant grandmother, a super creepy uncle, sex, drug use, murders and drug smuggling.

Prue is convinced to come up from London and stay with her artist aunt Ruth in the Shetlands after Prue’s mother Caroline attempts suicide. Prue goes in the hope of learning more about her long absent father, and anything else she can about her family.

She meets Archie, Ruth’s artist husband who has a disturbingly weird relationship with his teenaged female models, and Archie’s grandmother Veronique “Ronnie”. Prue almost immediately experiences nightmares each night, gets no answers from Ruth about her family, and discovers Archie was a suspect in the disappearance of his girlfriend twenty years earlier. And there’s tension and bad blood between Archie’s family and the locals, who are convinced he murdered the girl.

Add in both neglect and weird manipulative behaviour from all her family here, and her escalating drug use, as well as recurring illness and nightmares, and it’s all a recipe for Prue making successive poor decisions. And when the family revelations do come, they’re pretty awful, with Prue spiralling, understandably.

To reiterate, an uncomfortable read, but compelling. I didn’t care for any of the characters, but also could not stop reading, even though I figured some stuff out before the author revealed it. Definitely gothic, with the noises and randomly opening doors, plants festooning and overtaking all the house interiors, the pervasive feelings of darkness and tension, and the difficulty Prue had in discerning between what was real and what wasn’t.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Head of Zeus for this ARC in exchange for my review.

I really enjoyed The Gone and the Forgotten by Clare Whitfield. It was my first book by the author and I will definitely read her first novel and anything she writes in the future.
The main character Prue goes to stay with her aunt on a Scottish Island after her Mum needs to spend time in hospital following a suicide attempt. I really liked 16 year old Prue. I also appreciated the fact that the book was set in the 1990s. Relatively simple times for a teenager without the internet and so on. I don’t think the story would work if it were set today, which I liked.
It wasn’t an easy read, and I felt tense and often worried about Prue. But I am very glad that I read it and it gave me a lot to think about.

The Gone and the Forgotten is a completely different story to Clare's first one - People of Abandoned Character, which is fascinating to see that the author can excel in a coming-of-age story as well as the historical fiction!

Prue has family issues. A lot. Her mum has tried to kill herself, her grandma passed away and she doesn't know her father. It's a secret. One summer her aunt Ruth invites her to a small island where she lives with her husband Archie and his grandmother. Prue, hopeful that she'll finally learn the truth goes on a trip... and finds herself in a place with even a bigger mystery... A mystery of a missing girl, being supposedly killed by Archie 20 years prior is hanging in the air.

Is she living under the roof with a murderer?

Prue's trying a lot of things that teenagers do, making friendship she shouldn't have, and ones that are valuable. She makes mistakes, trying to find out who she is and what she wants in life. Most of all she wants to learn the truth, which she might come to regret after all...

The writing was great, the story flows and you can't put the book down. It's darker than I expected and building up to the reveal is perfect. A creepy in parts, hopeful and easy in others, made me think about all the carefree things I've done in my life.

I'll definitely buy anything that Clare Whitfield writes, I can't wait to discover what she's going to bring us next!

Talk about family drama, sheeesh.

After Prue's mother attempts to commit suicide, she is forced to live with her aunt on a remote island. After years of wondering who her father is, Prue has a plan, she is going to convince her aunt to disclose who the mystery man is. It seems as though Prue's aunt has other intentions and wants to keep the past the past.

This book has A LOT going on. At times I was a bit confused as to where the storyline was going but it did wrap up nicely and tied up all lose ends. This was an enjoyable read and I do believe it has a wide range of audience that would really love this book.

The Gone and the Forgotten, is surely a book you will NOT forget.