Rea Frey’s “When She’s Gone “ is an emotional thriller that explores the darkest corners of maternal instinct, gaslighting, and the fragile boundary between reality and paranoia. This novel gripped me from the opening chapter and didn’t let go until the final page.

Told from the perspective of a mother who wakes up to find her infant daughter missing—and no one believing the child ever existed—this story feels like Sharp Objects meets Before I Go to Sleep. Rea Frey masterfully blurs the line between psychological suspense and domestic noir, making the reader question what’s real, what’s imagined, and who can be trusted. The pacing is relentless, and the emotional tension is as sharp as it is raw.

Frey’s strength lies in capturing the vulnerability of motherhood, especially in a world that often doubts women’s voices and instincts. The grief, guilt, and confusion her protagonist experiences are so visceral that I found myself breathless at times. It’s a deeply intimate thriller, not just about a missing child, but about identity, trauma, and the fear of not being believed.

This is the kind of novel you finish in a single sitting and then immediately recommend to a friend. A chilling, cleverly plotted ride with an emotional gut-punch at its core.

I would recommend this book for fans of psychological suspense with real emotional depth.
Thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

There were a few caveats, but this novel held me completely captivated. So much so, in fact, that I devoured it in a single, uninterrupted evening—utterly entranced. Propelled by brisk, tightly written chapters and an unrelenting pace, the story unfolds with a sense of mounting dread that taps directly into a parent’s deepest fears. While the plot leans into dramatized fiction, the depiction of the cutthroat world of competitive gymnastics rings with striking authenticity. Its binge-worthy, tightly constructed, and undeniably gripping. A thoroughly absorbing read. I’m happy to give it a solid 4 stars.

I really just don't care about being a mom. And sometimes I can care about a story anyway. But often I'm just annoyed by the mom stuff.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. The story was intense and had good character development.

I had a hard time with this one. I debated between the 2 and 3 stars for a bit, but decided ultimately that this one missed the mark for me. To start, I had a really hard time getting into it and it took me much longer to read than I normally like.
<i>When She's Gone</i> has a very strong start when we find out that Cora Valentine, an olympic hopeful gymnast, gets kidnapped while walking through a haunted house with her team on Halloween. We are first introduced to her though as an adult, while she is trick-or-treating with her daughter on Halloween. And then HER daughter goes missing. Super hook from the start.
But then Cora just gets unhinged. She receives polaroids with instructions. They have intercepted her phone and she can't involve the police. She trusts no one and still does everything they tell her to do. It just feels really contrived and like the book is trying too hard to be a thriller. It lost me once the polaroids started mysteriously showing up and he asked to do some unthinkable things.

Interesting story about Cora Valentine, a gymnast who was kidnapped when she was young and working towards the Olympic team. Years later, her own little girl is snatched and the nightmare that ensues to try to secure her safe release is a wild ride.

The author is a former gymnast and knowledge of the cutthroat world of the sport is evident. I guessed the kidnapper shortly before the reveal, but the entire intricate plot just kept unraveling with multiple surprises.

I enjoyed the book! Four stars!

I received a copy of the digital ARC via NetGalley. My review is voluntary.

When She's Gone delivers a fast-paced, intriguing psychological thriller with a compelling dual timeline narrative. Cora Valentine, a former Olympic gymnast and kidnapping survivor, faces her worst nightmare when her daughter is abducted. The story seamlessly shifts between Cora's childhood trauma and her desperate search for her daughter, creating a constant sense of anxious energy. The suspense escalates as the connection between her past and her daughter's disappearance is revealed. This MUST-READ book is a whirlwind of twists, secrets, and drama that’ll leave you speechless!

Rea sure knows how to tell a story. This book gripped me from the first page. Cora's daughter was kidnapped and she has to do anything to get her back and keep her save. What would you do? This story was suspenseful, gripping and heartbreaking all at once

A easy fast paced read.
Perfect pace and length and didn’t leave me missing info
Ending and twist was somewhat predictable but that didn’t ruin it

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

4/5 stars
In this haunting story that spans three decades, a young gymnast escapes a kidnapping. Years later, she’s forced to face the past when her own daughter disappears.

Cora Valentine has her whole life—and a shot at the Olympics—ahead of her. But when she’s kidnapped on Halloween, her name is splashed across headlines not as an athlete but as a victim. Not even her safe return changes that, especially since no one is caught for the crime.
Hounded by the public, Cora’s time as a missing girl and member of the Magnificent Eight has its consequences. Years later, when Cora has her own daughter, she’s determined to leave the past behind for a better life. Her daughter will never face those fears. And Cora will never face them again.
But four years later, on Halloween, the past comes knocking.
Now, Cora’s daughter is gone, and to get her back, Cora must take someone else’s child.
Clearly, whoever took her all those years ago isn’t done with her yet…but as long as they have her daughter, Cora’s not done with them either.

I really enjoyed this story! I liked the gymnastics aspects in the story and the plot line. the only thing that wasnt for me were some of the decisions of the main characters. but overall a really good thriller like I've never read before.

This is one such easy thrilling fast paced read which will keep you on your toes! I like how the writing never made me feel like the book could have been written with lesser words. The length is perfect for the story. The twist towards the end will make you believe there’s no one you can actually trust anymore. God, it hurts reading the ending. I would say for the primary thriller readers, unlike me, would guess the twist. But they will enjoy how short and interesting the writing is. I love mostly all of her books and definitely recommend this one as well. Thank you for allowing me to get it early Netgalley!

WHEN SHE’S GONE – by Rea Frey

‘Cora Valentine has her whole life―and a shot at the Olympics―ahead of her. But when she’s kidnapped on Halloween, her name is splashed across headlines not as an athlete but as a victim. Not even her safe return changes that, especially since no one is caught for the crime.’

‘[F]our years later, on Halloween, the past comes knocking.’

‘Now, Cora’s daughter is gone, and to get her back, Cora must take someone else’s child.’

WHEN SHE’S GONE is a pretty intense ride, as you can imagine based on the synopsis alone!

Frey weaves Chapters via an alternating timeline titled ‘Then’ and ‘Now’, which makes this book a fast-paced, unputdownable read. Unfortunately, I did not have that luxury, as I eagerly waited for the moment I could dive back in.

Will Cora kidnap someone else’s child to save her own?!?

Nope, no spoilers. ;)

Thank you, NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer Publishing, for providing me with an eBook of WHEN SHE’S GONE at the request of an honest review.

Nice book. I did think, even in fiction, that some of the events escape the realm of reality. I liked it though.

“All gymnasts, when you come down to it, are the same. Endless hard workers. Tough. Sometimes superstitious. And usually there’s a world of physical and mental hurt lurking beneath those bright leotards and tight ponytails.”

There is just something about Rea Frey’s writing that keeps me coming back for more. I have read her most recent three books as they came out and plan to go back and read her backlist, but I will also continue to pick up whatever she writes as soon as it’s available.

I have always been a fan of gymnastics so that plot line was going to be an automatic winner for me. I was concerned about the abuse towards gymnasts, but it was written differently than the actual abuse at the hands of Larry Nassar, thankfully.

I really enjoyed this book, although I would have labeled this as suspense rather than thriller because the pacing didn’t have my heart racing.

Rating:
I really enjoyed it

What you’ll find:
Short chapters
Dual timelines
Missing daughter
1996 Summer Olympics gymnastics
Halloween

Thank you Thomas & Mercer for the digital ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This is my first read from Frey but not my last. This is thriller done right! The plot is as important as the twists and the characters have depth to them. It's not predictable at all and I spent almost half an hour thinkning bakc to where I went wrong in my search for clues. Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Did you ever dream of being a gymnast? I was over thinking I could be one but fondly remember watching the 1996 Olympics and the excitement from the women’s team.

Cora was in the Olympics after a harrowing kidnapping. Fast forward to today when she’s pulled back into the gymnastics world to save her daughter.

I’ve read a few of the authors books and they have been more family drama than thriller, but she’s done a good job of adding a little adrenaline and suspense to the drama this time. Cora is in a race against time to find out who kidnapped her daughter and rescue her before the unthinkable can happen.

Told in dual timelines, the past unravels what happened when Cora was kidnapped and the present is her trying to save her daughter. I was equally invested in both timelines and found Cora to be a compelling character.

What I suspected did end up being true, but the journey of getting to know Cora’s story and unraveling what really happened kept me reading.

I also enjoyed the scattered pieces of gymnastics culture and icons in the past timeline.

A good read if you like character driven domestic thrillers or have a secret love of gymnastics.

An absolute delight! I loved not only the pacing of the story, but the telling of it as well. From start to end, I was given an adventure!

Rea Frey is a new-to-me author, I am glad that I saw someone showing that this book was on @netgalley to review as an ARC.

I’m trying to jump back into my mystery/thriller era. This was a great way to start it!

I really enjoyed this one! This one is dual timeline between NOW and the PAST. I didn’t pick up on who was the who until pretty much the reveal WHICH for a thriller reader is close to perfect.
I will say I did get kind of bored with the past timeline a little after halfway through and found myself skimming those chapters. BUT other than that, really liked it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Rea Frey and publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

This is fast paced and entertaining. I was drawn in from beginning to end. I liked how many twists there were and the ending was unexpected. This is one of my favorite thrillers I've read this year! Special Thank You to Rea Frey, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by this author, and I really enjoyed it! It was twisty and kept me intrigued! Looking forward to reading other books by her.