Quick, easy, enjoyable read. I liked alternating between the past and present timelines. While I wasn’t too shocked by the ending, I thought it wrapped up nicely.

This read had me glued to my couch for an entire afternoon. Three sisters growing up in a very strict religious household have many family secrets, which are slowly revealed. Celia and Genevieve tell the story, with events occurring in both the past and the present.
To be honest I found the characters unlikeable, even though I had so much sympathy for them. Parts of this were very difficult to read. I had many unanswered questions after I finished the ending. Some of the events I had predicted given clues by Minka Kelly, but others were a surprise.
Minka Kelly’s face paced easy to read thriller was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. Many thanks to Minka Kelly, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this just published thriller.

Celia is turning 40 and her husband threw her a big party attended by all of their friends. That night, she can't sleep and decides to open up the gifts her friends showered her with. Among all the beautiful, thoughtful gifts, Celia finds a note that says “You don’t deserve any of this.” This shakes her up as she worries someone knows about her past. She gets in her car and runs! Then all but disappears.

We follow along as her husband and sister, who was once estranged, search for her, engaging help from her friends along the way. It is tense and everyone is suspecting each other.

This was a quick read. I did enjoy the dual timeline. The multiple POV were a bit odd, as once Celia arrives in the city, her present POV is done and much switches to her sister Genevieve working to find her. This part dragged a bit. And I would have liked more details in some situations. When she went to the reform camp, we get a lot of storyline on getting her there, but once she is there, we don't get much about what happens.

I was shocked with the way some things turned out. And I would definitely read this author again.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting read. 3.5 star rating. I wanted to find out what happened to the main character. I enjoyed the dual storyline. I think I was more interested in the past. The family had a very strict, religious upbringing that had a lot of secrets. The author did a good job showing how three sisters could grow up in the same house and have such varied experiences. I thought I had the twist figured out but I was very wrong. I would have liked more closure at the end. Overall good suspense!
Thank you Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this arc.

#MinkaKent draws you in right away with this one! #unputdownable! #addictive! #mustread! Thank you, @minkakent, @Thomas & Mercer & @netgalley for my advance copy! All opinions are my own!

Gone Again was a book that focused on Celia and was set in a manner of flashbacks to her childhood and her siblings. Her sister, Genevieve, narrates the story, trying to uncover secrets buried deep in the past to determine what ultimately happened to her. This book was an interesting read but didn’t quite keep me engaged. There were several questions that were left unanswered, and I wish there had been more answers provided before the book ended.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book kept me up way too late because I simply had to finish it before I fell asleep. It's the first book I've read from Minka Kent, but it definitely won't be my last. The story did jump back and forth between the past and present and between the main characters. I appreciated the way each chapter was clearly identified which helped eliminate confusion. Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advance copy to read and review.

Thank you to Netgalley, Minka Kent, and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC of Gone Again in exchange for an honest review!!

Description:
Celia Guest has the perfect life. A wonderful husband who just threw her a surprise 40th birthday party, a group of close friends, and a carefree existence. Until, her past catches up to her and her seemingly perfect life is turned upside down.
Review:
This is my first Minka Kent read and there were things that I liked about Gone Again and things that I didn't like. First, it was a super quick read with short chapters that kept my attention and made me want to keep reading. It captured my attention from the very beginning and made me feel as though I wasn't even reading.
Although I general liked the book, there were some parts that kept this from being a 4 or 5 star read for me. First, I felt that the disappearance of Celia was a little odd with how the book ended. It left me with more questions than answers. It felt like a good plot to two difference books but didn't really make sense together. The ending was lackluster and not as thrilling/suspenseful as I generally like my thriller/mysteries. I felt that it had great potential but ultimately fell flat for me.
I would definitely read another Minka Kent book though, her writing captured my attention and made me want to keep picking up the book.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I enjoyed the back and forth from past to present and the different view points. I was completely shocked by the ending. Wasn't at all expecting it. I've read others by Minka and will continue to do so.

Sienna Geneva and Celeste grew up in the very religious strict household. Their dad in still the fear of God and more importantly the fear of him into his three daughters. It seems he was hardest on his oldest though it’s something simple as a girls curiosity for nail polish could get her a beating and locked in the old barn for 24 hours. When sienna leaves it doesn’t look back she feels guilty for leaving teenage Geneva and her four-year-old sister so less but for her own sanity she leads still and know. So many things from her childhood were traumatic and unsettling but there’s one memory she cannot shake. On the night of her 40th birthday party when she finally makes it home and cannot sleep she opens her gifts and find a menacing note with her birthday underline twice. she momentarily thinks it may be from her sister Geneva who she recently moved her family to the area but quickly dismisses that thought. She feels attacked by the menacing water in must get out the house at least for a little while she leaves her husband Rob note and essentially it’s gone without a trace. Geneva and Rob are very worried about where sienna could be but when they finally locate her it will change the family dynamics forever. This book was so so good I love Minka Kent books did this one goes above and beyond the greatness she has previously displayed. I love this book and read it in one sitting and it kept me up late into the night turning the pages. If you’re looking for a great thriller/mystery then you need to read gone again by Meinka Kent you will not be disappointed. I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

While this was a quick and easy read, I did not find it satisfying. So many questions, so many threads, so many gaping plot holes. The story is told from multiple POVs, and in two different timelines, which made keeping up a bit confusing. I would not classify this as a thriller, but more as a mystery and family drama. Perfectly fine, but not at all memorable.

The Past Collides With The Present In This Page-Turning Thriller! Sisters Celia & Genevieve Were Raised By Strict Parents Under The Banner Of An Extreme Religion. While Their Impressions Of Childhood Differ, They Were Both Broken By The Experience. Celia Disappeared Two Decades Ago & Made A Seemingly Happy Life For Herself; Genevieve Finds Her Again When Her Own Family Is Falling Apart. When Celia Gets A Threatening Note & Disappears Again, The Culprit Could Be Anyone.


This is a standalone thriller.

Celia Joy Guest, much beloved in the Schoefield, Connecticut community that she has called home for twenty years, celebrates her fortieth birthday with a bang. Surrounded by good friends and her adoring husband Rob, she couldn’t have asked for more. Despite the high of her evening, however, she cannot shake the feeling that she is being watched. The feeling has come and gone over the course of the last few years, increasing her anxiety and insomnia. When she later finds a foreboding note amongst her birthday cards, her fears are validated. Someone is harboring real anger against Celia – and it appears that the cruel author of the note had been in attendance at her birthday party.

Genevieve Jacobs, thirty-eight, has struggled with her relationship with her sister Celia for almost her entire life. She reached out three years ago with little hope of progress, but a year later, Celia and her husband Rob helped move Gen’s family from their home in Florida up to Schoefield. It was a difficult time for Gen. After her husband Brad lost his job, they faced foreclosure. Celia and Rob generously offered their rental to Brad, Gen, and their teenage daughter Charlie, giving them a fresh start all around. Charlie began a new school and Gen found a job. There was hope that she and Celia might finally bridge the divide, but instead, Celia did the bare minimum. Things have gone downhill at home as well. Charlie has grown into a spoiled brat, and Brad hasn’t had a job in the two years they’ve lived there. He spends his days drinking beer on the recliner instead. Gen is spinning her wheels, but she is getting nowhere. Her marriage is loveless, her daughter hates her, and she still harbors a myriad of feelings against her sister for leaving all those years ago.

When Celia goes missing, Gen works with Rob to get answers. The police are very little help, so Celia embarks on an investigation of her own. She begins to go through the list of birthday party attendees, interviewing them and following leads. What she learns only leads to more questions, and it appears that someone is lying.

Neal and Deanna Kenworth appear to have their hands full with Deanna’s cancer treatments.

Deirdre, Celia’s hairstylist, has become a close friend over the years.

The Huntingtons live next door; Celia and Mrs. Huntington often talk about gardening together.

Natalie and Celia are close friends and have a girls’ trip together scheduled for next month.

Monique Denman is a sought-after local designer and a thoughtful long-time friend.

Margaux Mansfield, Adam and Clint Bradbury, Angelica Steiner, and Serena Briese round out the attendees.

Isabel Delvy is very close with Celia – they are seen everywhere together. Notably, she and her husband Grant were not in attendance at the party. As Gen learns, they had a falling out a few months ago, and according to Rob, Grant and Isabel hadn’t even responded to the RSVP he sent.

There is tension between Genevieve and Rob as time passes and Celia fails to return home. Celia has a history of running away when she gets scared, hiding out for a while before returning. Gen had hoped that would be the case here. The note Rob finds gives her hope that her theory might prove true. Gen and Rob had never gotten along, though, and the more she questions Celia’s friends, the more questions she has for him.

But there is one more invitation to the party that hadn’t panned out. Genevieve and Celia had gotten into yet another argument a few weeks prior to the party, and Gen boycotted the event. They still couldn’t seem to get past their twisted history – a past that harbors secrets and pain.

The Fielding family is the pillar of the community in Cross Beach, Florida. Growing up, Celia, Genevieve, and their youngest sister Celeste were raised in the Church of True Believers, an extreme offshoot of the Pentecostal church. The entire community revolves around the church. The sisters’ devout parents enforced strict rules. While Genevieve hadn’t had much difficulty staying out of trouble, that hadn’t been the case for Celia. Celia finally disappeared when little Celeste was just four, so they never really bonded before she left. For Gen, though, the loss was devastating. She still hasn’t gotten over it to this day. The anger, the jealousy, and the deep sense of abandonment simmer below the surface. For years, Gen hadn’t even known whether Celia was still alive. Celia had always been the selfish child, stubborn through and through, and Gen sees those qualities in her still. She is worthless, a sinner, and seeing Celia’s picture-perfect life gives Genevieve a lot to envy.

There is a long list of suspects as the story unfolds. Things are not as they seem, and the truth is devastating for some. As Gen’s investigation moves forward, new questions lead to seeds of doubt. The suspense is real as the truth is chased. The story will keep you guessing until the end.

There are a few issues that merit mention. *Spoilers* First, one particular party’s guilt is never fully addressed. There is only conjecture. I had difficulty buying into some of the supposed actions without further development of the character. If that character had been appropriately developed, though, the ending would likely not have worked. A sense of closure is thus missing. Without having the wrongdoing outlined and addressed, whether via the law or otherwise, there is no justice. It resolves itself much too conveniently. Second, there is another character that figures fairly prominently in the story but who fails to appear or be mentioned after the secrets are revealed and the story is resolved. The absence says something, but I would have imagined that one of the main characters would have made mention of the situation for the sake of clarity.

The past collides with the present in this page-turning thriller. Sisters Celia and Genevieve were raised by strict parents under the banner of an extreme religion. While their impressions of childhood differ, they were both broken by the experience. Celia disappeared two decades ago and made a seemingly happy life for herself; Genevieve finds her again when her own family is falling apart. When Celia gets a threatening note and disappears again, the culprit could be anyone. Gen butts heads with her brother-in-law Rob, whose actions cause some suspicion as well. The story is nicely written. The plot is complex and layered, switching between the past and present tense as the story unravels. There is a large cast of characters and plenty of suspicion. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Celia and Genevieve. I rate this book four stars.

I received an advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

Celia’s 40th birthday is marred by someone leaving a note saying “she doesn’t deserve any of this”—but who would do this to her? And why?

It takes a long journey between past and present to find the answers. For the most part, I enjoyed the unraveling, which added to the suspense. I liked the dual points of view of Celia and her sister Genevieve. I think some of their perspectives, and some events in the story, could have been tied together better. There were some turns I wasn’t expecting! I’ve always been a fan of the author’s writing style and read this within a couple of sittings.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my review copy.

Gone Again is a domestic thriller told from alternating points of view and timelines in both the past and present. It tells the story of a woman who seems to have everything, but is reminded of her traumatic past when she receives a note on her 40th birthday that says, "You don't deserve any of this." Celia wonders if the note's author is resentful of everything she has now or if the person knows about her past.

This book is tense and there are some some parts that are hard to read because of descriptions of child abuse in the book's flashbacks. Because of events in their childhood, Celia has a complicated relationship with her two younger sisters. I was so glad to see that Genevieve, one of the book's narrators, puts their differences aside to be there for Celia when she needs her. This is when I really started enjoying the book and couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. I especially liked the ending of this suspenseful book. This is the fifth book I've read by this author and once again, I was thoroughly entertained.

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

Happy 40th birthday Celia! While going through her birthday cards, Celia finds one with a disturbing note. Shortly after, Celia goes missing and her sister Gen takes it upon herself to try and find her since no one else is.

What happened to Celia? What secrets will be uncovered as Gen searches for her sister?

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for my ARC!

An unsettling childhood in a severely religious household causes one child to rebel, one to tow the line, and one to be doted on. Celia escapes after a failed attempt to run away. Then, after years of a happy marriage, she finds a note among her 40th birthday presents that unsettles her. She deals with it by doing what she knows best. Running away. It was only meant to be a day trip. Until something happened, and Celia went missing.

This is a story about how shared experience seen from different perspectives can tear people apart. And how a tragedy can bring them together and heal their bonds. Wrapped up in a wonderful domestic thriller from Minka Kent.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for an advance reader's copy.

3.5 stars. I had to take a few days after finishing this book to really analyze my opinion. I will say, I normally enjoy Minka Kent's writing. She has a knack for making you question everything and still has a surprise left for you in the end. That was not the necessarily the case with Gone Again but I cannot say it was a total miss.

The beginning certainly draws you in and offers a unique character background. The middle explores possible scenarios and gives you insight into the lives of characters who were supposedly close to Celia. I think maybe the point of this part was to show that people never truly know someone or what's going on in their lives. The last part of the book was intriguing but a bit of a let down.

Overall, it was a fairly quick read. Your mind will wander to a conclusion or two and you will find that you are either spot on or not far off. Maybe I missed it but a key thing I think I missed or should have been spelled out was whether what happened to Celia was by a complete random or by the person we discovered in the end. Again, it could have been me but I feel like that was a loose thread.

Gone Again is a standalone psychological thriller by author, Minka Kent. This is my second read by this author the first being Unmissing which I really enjoyed and made me want to read more by this author.
The book is told in multiple POV and timelines following two sisters, Celia and Genevieve. In the present, Celia vanishes without a trace leaving her sister Genevieve to look into her disappearance and uncover truths that go far back into their troubled childhood.
The story gradually builds in momentum as the story unfolds heading to an exciting conclusion. I enjoyed the characters the author has created and found myself invested in their story and outcome. This heart wrenching mystery mixed with family drama is sure to appeal to a wide audience.
Perfect for fans of psychological suspense or family drama. I will be reading more by this author. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is my 3rd Mika Kent novel and overall, I like her character development and the twisty storylines. Celia, the oldest of three sisters, had a reputation of running away as a child. She grew up in a very strict, religious household and found herself the recipient of many punishments for her behavior - that type of punishments that may be viewed as child abuse.

Fast forward to the present and Celia just celebrated her 40th birthday at a party with her husband and friends. Her life is much different now with a loving husband and lots of caring friends. But after the celebration, Celia finds a strange note among her cards and gifts, and it causes her to take off like she did when she was younger.

Celia's husband and her next oldest sister, Genevieve begin the quest to find Celia. As the story unfolds, we learn more about the 3 sisters, Celia's husband and her childhood. We also learn about the dark secrets of Celia's family.

I found this book to be a true page turner for me and I found myself hooked on the family dynamics and the environment the girls grew up in. The story did have a few loose ends that weren't wrapped up by the end of the story, but I don't think they had a significant impact on the overall story, and I used my imagination to speculate on what happened.

Celia, Genevieve, and Celeste are sisters. Celia, the oldest, always got into trouble growing up with their devoutly religious parents. Celia was always running away as a child to escape punishment. On her 40th birthday, Celia once again disappears. As Celia’s husband and sister start digging, family secrets are revealed, secrets Celia has harbored for years.

Minka Kent delivers another fast-paced, entertaining thriller. I loved the flashbacks to the past to learn about how the sisters grew up. I also enjoyed the present told from Celia and Genevieve’s POVs. However, there were a few things that I felt were important that were left unresolved in the end. Overall, I really enjoyed the story and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys thrillers. I give it 3.5 (rounded up to 4) stars.