This was such a gripping read. It was gothically creepy, full of dark and bone chilling imagery. It was well written with good storyline and good charcters that are well developed. I couldnt put it down and I didnt want to. It was mysterious and unpredictable and I just couldnt see the twists. I loved it.

Talk about family drama! I thought this book was pretty good. It dragged a bit in places but the plot twists were good.

In 1963, after her mother attempts to commit suicide, Prue is sent to live with her Aunt Ruth and Uncle Archie. They on a remote island in the Shetlands. Prue hopes to reconnect with her favorite relatives and hopefully figure something it some of the questions that plagued her like who her father is. Prue discovers that her relatives are not fans of the “townies” those who live on the mainland.

It also doesn’t take long for Prue to find out that her Uncle Archie is the prime suspect involving the disappearance of a girl twenty years ago. Prue will hear many different people perspectives on what happened that night. As she starts digging into her family’s past, she is not prepared for the skeletons she finds.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Prue is a sixteen year old girl sent to spend the summer with her aunt and uncle on a remote island after her mother's latest suicide attempt. There's nothing she'd enjoy less, but it gives her the chance to have serious talks with her Aunt Ruth. Prue has always wanted to know about her father - no one in the family will speak of him or provide any information about him. Her aunt promised her that if she stayed with them for the summer rather than remaining in London, she would open up about the past. But soon after arriving, instead of getting answers, she only has more questions.

It seems the identify of her father isn't the only family secret. Prue's Uncle Archie has long been suspected of murdering his girlfriend, who disappeared on the way to meet with him twenty years ago. Although there wasn't enough evidence to charge him, he was found guilty in the eyes of the islanders who have loathed his family ever since. She finds herself spending quite a bit of time with him and doubts that the rumors could be true. She also grows close to a college student, James, who is home for the summer helping his mother run the local pub. As awkward as Prue believes herself to be, James continues to spend time with her, sharing island lore and helping her adjust to the relative quiet and isolation of their summer vacation. She soon becomes obsessed with the past and determining what really caused Archie's girlfriend to disappear. She's determined to find out the truth about her family, but will what she uncovers make her wish she never asked?

This is a well-written mystery that takes some seriously dark turns. Twisted family secrets are uncovered, that's for sure. At first it seemed like more of a coming of age story, but it does eventually delve into a thriller and that's when it's at it's best. There are some uncomfortable parts that I don't think were completely necessary, and once you read this you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. But it didn't deter me from tearing through the story, dying to know how it ends. And oh yes, dying is quite the apt description...just wait and see!

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately I was not able to get into this book, so I couldn't finish it.

What is truth? This coming of age story set in 1993 has protagonist, 16 year old Prue pondering that question. Full of questions about the identity if her father, Prue is sent to spend the summer with her aunt Ruth and uncle Archie after her mother attempts to kill herself. Prue is hoping that Ruth can shed some light on all her questions, but instead, she finds herself facing an even bigger mystery. She learns her uncle was the prime suspect in the disappearance of Evelyn O”Hara twenty years before. Never charged with a crime, a cloud still surrounds Archie and Prue wants to know what happened to Evelyn, is her uncle innocent…or not? More a tale of the complex, interwoven stories families share, or hide, from each other than a mystery, this is as accurate a portrayal of family life as I have read

Wow. I picked this up and could not put it down that I read in a day.
Whitfield's writing is so descriptive that I was transported to a time with all its eerie, spine chilling beauty.
Her brilliant plot and well-developed characters take you on roller coaster of twists and turns that keep you riveted from page one.
Very moving and gripping read. Up far too late becasue i had to finish it. twists that made sense and a great ending, highly recommend.

Head of Zeus|Apollo,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review closer to pub date.

Mystery isn't a genre I tend to consume or swallow easily, and I read Claire Whitfield's first novel - People of Abandoned Character - didn't genuinely appeal to me. But I loved this story, the time it took place and how the mystery and plot developed. As a person who reads more novels, I found it really fun to see various points from The Gone & the Forgotten, read the plot twists, and imagine what this book would be like if it were a YA. possibly a good book, but not as good as this one and what happened in it.

Thankyou to netgalley for providing me with an
eArc.