The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

A big thank you to @netgalley and @harperperennial for the eARC! This one comes out January 10.

First read of 2023 was this spooky number. The atmosphere the author created with the setting was creepy. Small town vibes with strange happenings with a suggestion of the paranormal. It worked for this story.

Told from multiple POVs, this kept the story moving. The Thailand side-story was a bit confusing at first, but it was easy to guess where it was going to fit in. I liked the confusing aspect because it kept me wondering what the heck. I never really connected with any of the characters. All of them were suspicious and could’ve “done” it. I really struggled with Olivia’s character as she was supposed to be in her 30s but she felt much, much younger.

The ending was mostly predictable but I am questioning one of the revelations. I enjoyed reading this one and figuring out what happened.

If you’re looking for a twisty read in a spooky setting, check this one out!

If you’re looking for a creepy thriller, I recommend The Girls Who Disappeared. Journalist Jenna is investigating a gloomy stretch of road called the Devil’s Corridor where many strange things have happened, the most puzzling being the disappearance of three teenagers 20 years earlier. Four girls were driving home from a night out at a club when their car crashed, and only one girl was discovered at the wreck. What happened to the other girls?
There is a second storyline that occasionally alternates a chapter about a holiday at a villa in Thailand. At first this seemed disjointed, but as I read I predicted how the two would relate.
I devoured this pretty quickly while visiting my parents for the holidays. Even though I’m a scaredy cat, just like my own cat Fat Tire, I enjoyed this one and didn’t have too many creepy dreams while reading it. This is my first read by the author, and I’m excited to read more of her backlist - I’ve heard good things about The Couple at Number 9.

This turned out to be a fast read/page turner for me, because I wanted to know what the HECK was happening. There were multiple POVs and two totally separate story lines that made no sense together, until about 75% of the way through. Overall it was a unique read, but felt really disconnected for the first half. Lots of twists and turns, which I like! A decent new option for my thriller lovers! 3.5 stars

I alternated between print, ebook and audio for this title, and it was an amazing reading experience.

After I closed the last page of this book, I knew Claire Douglas would be the latest addition to my autobuy authors list.

Utterly compelling and so very clever, The Girls Who Disappeared is a must read, my friends.

Brand new in paperback January 10.

My thanks to @netgalley and Harper Perennial for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

This one had such potential, it really started with a bang but it fizzled and I ended up not being able to finish this one, It was fine just nothing spectacular

📚 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰- The Girls Who Dissapeared ⁣
𝘉𝘺 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘋𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘴 ⁣
⭐⭐⭐⭐️ (4.5/5) ⁣
(𝐏𝐔𝐁 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝐉𝐀𝐍𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝟏𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑)⁣
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𝐓𝐡𝐞 "𝐆𝐢𝐬𝐭": One rainy night in 1998 Olivia and her three best friends got into a terrible car accident. But only Olivia was recovered from the crash. The other three girls mysteriously vanished, never to be seen again. Now, twenty years later, Jenna, a journalist, arrives to record a podcast about that fateful night. But her endless digging isn't exactly welcome among the locals who would prefer the truth to stay buried...🤫⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝗪𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞👍:⁣
- The characters...each untrustworthy for their own reasons. There are PLENTY of suspects in this one. ⁣
- The quick pacing and cliff-hanger chapters...a must for a well-done thriller.⁣
- Especially loved the characters of Dale and Jenna. ❤️⁣
⁣
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐃𝐢𝐝𝐧'𝐭 👎:⁣
- The side-story involving Thailand was strange, until I realized the connection to the main story. Even then, it was my least favorite part of the book.⁣
- The ending felt just a TRIFLE rushed to me, and one of the big reveals seemed a bit out of character for the person/people it involved.⁣
⁣
𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭: I absolutely DEVOURED this! The writing was perfectly pacey and easily digestible, making it a BRILLIANT binge read! ⁣
⁣
Just what I needed to end the year with a bang.⁣
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Highly, HIGHLY recommend!⁣
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Thank you @harperperennial and @Netgalley for the free eARC in exchange for an honest review!⁣
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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 📖: You are looking for a quick, twisty thriller as a pallette cleanser! Or if you like horses 🐴 and/or books with supernatural elements. ⁣
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𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: PG-13 ⁣
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𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐧 𝐌𝐲 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐟 📖: Will definitely buy a physical copy of this book! 👍

I loved how this book took me to a small town in England to solve a 20 year old mysterious disappearance. The characters were very well developed and I couldn’t stop reading and sleep until I found out how three girls could vanish.

We meet Jenna, a reporter who plans to write her first podcast. She tackles the story with determination. The town is quite unwelcoming to outsiders and Jenna is no exception. No one really thinks this podcast should be made except Jenna.
That is a good reason to research and interview everyone involved. At least those who will talk to her.

I liked the set up of four young women in the car with some bad weather. A car accident happens but when the driver awakens, trapped in her car, all the passengers have vanished! She is rescued and slowly makes a recovery albeit with a permanently damaged leg. Now that Jenna is investigating will Olivia learn what happened to her friends that night?

A five star book for me ! Great pacing and original story. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

What a start to this book! I was immediately hooked from page one. This story begins with Olivia driving her friends home from a night out when they are involved in a terrible car accident. When Olivia wakes up, she’s in the car alone. What happened to her friends? This remains a mystery for 20 years until a podcaster named Jenna decides to investigate the case.

This story is told between Olivia and Jenna’s points of view. There is also one more story line that takes place in Thailand. Have I confused you? It’s meant to be confusing to the reader, but the Thai storyline was my favorite part, and I was so tempted to skim ahead!

Overall I liked the book and felt satisfied by the ending. It starts off very strong, but lost me a little in the middle. Luckily the end picks up again, so keep reading! I didn’t see it coming, or expect what happened at all! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Twenty years ago, Olivia Rutherford was heading home to her town of Stafferbury, down a road called The Devil’s Corridor (which many local folks believe is haunted). She had her three best friends in the car with her. There was a terrible storm, and she ends ups swearing, losing control of the car and crashing after seeing a man in the middle of the road. She wakes up badly injured, to a stranger trying to help her. She looks around and does not see any of her friends. She soon learns that her friends mysteriously disappeared that night with no trace. It haunts her to this day and many of the local townspeople have their own opinions on what might have happened; some saying Olivia knows more than she is letting on.

Fast forward to present day. Jenna, who is a BBC podcaster, wants to cover the 20th anniversary of the disappearance and comes in town to interview the locals. She is hopeful the people closest to the case, like Olivia, will agree to interviews as well. When she arrives, she is not given a warm welcome to say the least. On top of that, she is staying in a cabin in the middle of the woods and creepy things keep happening. Each day that passes, Jenna quickly comes to realize that not only is she not welcome, but she may also be in danger.

This story is told in dual timelines and from multiple POV’s. IMO, the overall mystery and storyline were well thought out. There are creepy vibes throughout the book, along with many twists. However, the story did drag out in certain parts. Also, I was not a huge fan of most of the characters. On the plausibility spectrum, I had an incredibly hard time believing that Jenna would stay in a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods all alone (especially considering she was there to cover a story of three woman that mysteriously disappeared twenty years ago). Also, while I thought the supernatural aspect would be a clever inclusion, I felt let down by the way it was portrayed and by the lack of it.

Overall, 3.5 stars.

Thank you to Net Galley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a great read and quick! I finished this one quickly and really enjoyed this book. I loved how the author wrote the characters. Well done.

20 years ago there was a car accident and 3 girls went missing. 20 years later and the case has still not been solved.

Jenna heads into town to work on a podcast discussing the girls' disappearance. She is in town for 5 days and each day things start to get crazier for Jenna. She has talked to many people in town and each person is suspicious. She then starts receiving death threats and other incidents begin happening to try and get her to leave town.

This story is a roller coaster ride. It will make you think everyone is a suspect and have you thinking about who is hiding something and why. This is a perfect suspense thriller that ties up all loose ends by the end of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Pub date: 1/10/23
Genre: thriller/mystery
One sentence summary: 20 years ago, Olivia and her friends were in a car crash - but her friends went missing and the case was unsolved - until journalist Jenna arrives to take another look at it.

The journalist/podcast element is one of my favorite mystery tropes because it's a great way to explore a crime in two timelines. I enjoyed both timelines here, and the central mystery of Olivia's friends was intriguing. I also liked the setting of the small English town - so many secrets, so little time!

I just wish more had happened in the story - the buildup got a little slow by the 50% mark, and the ending was a bit underwhelming. I love Claire Douglas' books and will continue to read them - this just wasn't a personal favorite. I think readers who like slow-burn, atmospheric stories might like this one more than I did.

Thank you to Harper Paperbacks for my e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! Great book! So much happening in this one! This book had suspense, intrigue, action, murder, mystery, s great who done it and so many crazy twists and turns! The storyline was so very interesting and kept me glued to my Kindle! the twists and turns had me guessing till the very end! I highly recommend reading this book! Its so worth reading! Don't miss out on this one! Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

Very good small town village mystery with some suspense, many red herrings and a tiny attempt at a possible supernatural component. I do think they tied the historic story with the mid past and modern day story together a little quick but it all hung together and I would recommend.

I received an advance copy of this from Netgalley and the publisher to review.

Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this e-ARC of The Girls Who Disappeared.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🎧 enjoy podcasts
👥 like multiple POVs
👀 love unsolved mysteries
🐘 have ever visited Thailand

• 𝐐𝐔𝐈𝐂𝐊 𝐓𝐀𝐊𝐄

20 years ago, in 1998, Olivia and her friends were driving home from a bar but ended up in an accident. After Olivia woke up, she discovered all of her friends simply disappeared.

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

It’s 2018 and officially the 20th anniversary of the disappearance of 3 local girls. Jenna has been assigned to cover the story in a podcast, so she heads to Stafferbury to interview Olivia and other townspeople. Maybe she’ll discover some new information. Olivia has been wracked with guilt for the past 20 years. What happened to her friends? And why wasn’t she taken? Olivia is hiding something too, something she doesn’t want anyone to discover. Will the truth finally be revealed?

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

I really loved Just Like the Other Girls, so I was looking forward to this new story. I enjoyed the different POVs between Olivia and Jenna along with a mystery woman named Stace. I wasn’t sure where Stace’s story fit in, but we eventually discover the connection near the middle/end of the novel. I loved the build up but unfortunately, the ending fell very flat for me. Perhaps it just felt unfinished because the reasoning behind everything didn’t make much sense to me and wasn’t explained further, most likely because it was impossible. I think I was just hoping for a different outcome/explanation. Overall, it was a decent mystery, and I enjoyed the feeling of being unable to trust any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the digital ARC of ”The Girls Who Disappeared” in exchange for my honest opinion. This is the second book I have read by Claire Douglas and I really enjoyed it. The multiple viewpoints between Jenna and Olivia worked well. Character development was strong and an atmosphere of suspense was established in the first few pages. The chapters that seemed to be telling an entirely different story left me trying to connect the dots and helped drive the plot. Overall it was an enjoyable novel with unexpected twists.

I received an ARC via NetGalley*

What a delightfully complex story - and one I couldn’t put down!

The Girls Who Disappeared tells the story of the fallout from an accident that will change one girls’ life forever.

Olivia crashes her car on a rainy night, and her 3 friends mysteriously vanish by the time Olivia regains consciousness. It’s been 20 years with no leads, when journalist Jenna arrives in town to create a true-crime podcast. Never did Jenna anticipate she’d be in the middle of the whole thing when the truth came out!

There were so many red herrings and mini twists in The Girls Who Disappeared! I also loved the Thailand subplot - and loved figuring out how that fit into the present-day storyline!

In the 1990s, four girls are driving home from a night out. Three girls go missing after the car crashes. The fourth girl, Olivia, spends the following 20 years wondering what happened to her friends.

20 years after the car crash that resulted in three missing girls and a devastated community, a journalist, Jenna, is working on a podcast to bring light to the crash and hopefully uncover what happened to the three girls.

Stace and her friend group are persuaded to visit her boyfriend's friend at his lavish home in Thailand, but their host turns out to have ulterior motives with his invitation.

I enjoyed that each perspective was told in a different form- Jenna tells the story in the first person, Olivia's story is told in the third person and present tense, and Stace's story is third person and past tense. It made them feel unlikely to fit together, so when they finally do coverage, they payoff is awesome. I really liked Olivia's character and how her connection to Jenna evolved. I only wish we got more of the podcast element.

This book wasn’t for me. It didn’t hold my interest like it should have. I wanted to like it but I just couldn’t get into it. I kept zoning out a lot because I got bored with it

The Girls Who Disappeared

In 1998, Olivia & her 3 friends, Sally, Katie & Tamzin were involved in a serious accident where Sally, Katie & Tamzin mysteriously disappeared. Twenty years later, Jenna, a writer, is tasked with making a podcast on the friends disappearance. While conducting her interviews, Jenna digs up some facts about the night that changed everything. But who can she really trust? And who’s keeping secrets of their own? This fast-paced thriller is sure to keep you on your toes and will really make you wonder who done it?

This book sucks you right in from the first page. The twists & turns in this book were never ending & once it all started to make sense, my jaw DROPPED (especially at the epilogue). The Girls Who Disappeared reminds me so much of my favorite book, Beneath Devil’s Bridge. If you’re looking for a fast-paced thriller, add this to your list because you certainly won’t be disappointed.