When She's Gone is an INTENSE stressful emotional novel. Told in dual time periods, we follow Cora as a teenager when she was kidnapped and again when she's an adult and her young daughter is also taken.

Both timelines had me breathless, furiously turning pages to find out what happened.

Rea Frey continues to blow me away, her writing gets better and better. I can't wait to see what's next, and I'll be 1st in line to read it.

A mom’s worst fear….the kidnapping of her precious daughter! In this story, Cora has now experienced this as the child and the mom. What are the odds that both horrific events would happen on Halloween? This is a chaotic whirl of a search for Cora’s daughter, Lulu. The search ends up involving several of Cora’s gymnastics teammates from years ago. The answers they eventually find will leave them in shock and disbelief! This was not my favorite book by this author, but was still a good thriller!

This is my second book by Rea Frey and I really enjoyed the ride this book took me on! The short chapters and dual timelines kept me interested and on edge and I really enjoyed the gymnastics aspect of the story. One doesn’t need to be a fan of gymnastics to enjoy these elements of the story. The ending was surprising and unexpected which is what I love in a thriller!

In When She’s Gone, a young gymnast makes a harrowing escape from kidnapping. Years later, the story takes a gripping turn as Cora faces her worst nightmare: her own daughter has vanished. To reclaim her child, Cora is pushed to do the unthinkable—take another child in hopes of getting her daughter back.

This fast-paced, suspenseful tale kept me on the edge of my seat, exploring the lengths one might go to save your child. Frey masterfully weaves in plenty of twists that will keep you guessing and turning the pages.

The dual timelines add depth to the story, and I loved all of the 90s details.

When She’s Gone is the perfect escape for anyone looking to lose themselves in a gripping story.

♥️𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗦𝗛𝗘'𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗡𝗘
𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟷𝟺, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 (𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎)
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜.𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤!!★★★★✮ ʳᵒᵘⁿᵈⁱⁿᵍ ᵘᵖ ᶠᵒʳ ᴳᴿ

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...”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….”

✿𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...LOVED it!! 🩷Holy hell, I knew gymnastics 🤸was a cutthroat sport, but dayummmm..it really is in this book! 😳 I absolutely adored the authors note on how she used to be in this competitive sport as well so she isn’t in any way slandering said sport..It also made me happy we decided to take a year off of the super demanding competitive cheer my youngest was in. A little breather has been nice for us(she’s in comp dance 🪩 now..way more chill 👏🙌) I know why everyone @thrillerbookloversthepulse is always racing 🏃‍♀️to read @reafreyauthor books because this was my first one & I devoured it! 🎉The pace was delectable! 💨The backstory was just as gripping as the current story! It hardly ever let up. Frey nailed it! Save the date for this edge of your seats(& eye opening) thriller! 🤩

A digital copy of this book was provided to me. The opinions are my own and freely given. Cora, a former Olympic gymnast has rebuilt her life, living in near isolation. One fateful Halloween night, her 4-year-old daughter is taken and so begins the lengths a mom will go too to get her daughter back safely. This book is written in alternating timelines: NOW, telling all the events of the night her daughter was taken, and THEN, the Halloween night when Cora herself was abducted. Cora has very few friends and she begins to doubt the ones she has. Obsession and betrayal. This is a very fast-paced book, and I would recommend.

I think the connection between me and the main character wasn’t established well, perhaps because the story is too fast-paced. She’s already hyperventilating before I’ve had a chance to truly empathize with her. Unfortunately, the side characters feel one-dimensional, which makes me really sad. I didn’t feel attached to anyone in the book, not even Lulu, because her scenes are so limited.

As for the plot, I found it predictable if you’ve read enough thrillers. At least, that’s how it felt to me. There wasn’t much suspense, likely because of that.

What I did like the most was the setting. it’s gloomy, dark, and unhappy, which fits the theme perfectly.

When Cora’s daughter disappears on Halloween night, she is not only distraught, but also frantic. You see, Cora was kidnapped on Halloween years ago. How can something so terrible happen to the little girl she loves?
Told in the then, we learn what happened to Cora in the past. Then we switch to the now and Cora’s desperate search to bring her daughter home. Can both events be connected? I mean, how could they not…….
When everything was revealed, I could not believe it! No, honestly, I can’t say why, but I just kept shaking my head at how far some people, even fictional characters, will go to get what they want. A good story that kept me guessing.

When a child goes missing, you know it will be an edge of your seat read! Cora had a traumatizing Halloween in high school when she was kidnapped right before the gymnastic Olympic trials were to happen. She had been working so hard towards qualifying when it was yanked away by whatever evil felt like taking her. Decades later, a mother herself she fears for her child every day. The trauma she endured haunts her every day of her life. The culprits were never found and she was questioned herself when the girl she was held captive with was never found, or seemed to exist. Some still question what really happened to Cora during the time. So when it is Halloween night and her daughter goes missing, the most terrifying time of her life is now playing out once again. Ransom notes are left with photos and instructions for how to get her daughter back. As Cora starts to follow these notes, she realizes that maybe this is still about her past and what happened to her. They know that taking her daughter, will hit her where it hurts the most and she will do pretty much anything to get her back, even if that includes hurting someone else. This was such a fast paced read. I loved how we had the alternate time lines and the night Cora was taken is untangled as well. Another amazing read by Rea, she is becoming an auto read for me. Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse always looks forward to her thrillers! Thank you to the author for the complementary ebook. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

This book surely will have you on the edge of your chairs as you read!
There is mystery, psychological suspense and a choking fear at times as we see a Halloween kidnapping that is repeated thirty years later!
What?
Why?
I could not imagine how this craziness would end, but Rea Frey weaves an amazingly detailed story that truly had me up late to hurry and find out the conclusion for these victims!

If you enjoy a good drama- this one is for you!
Thank you to @NetGalley and to @Thomas &Mercer for this ARC and allowing me to read and review.
Well done!

This book is suspenseful right from chapter one! Cora was kidnapped on Halloween many years ago and now the same thing has happened to her daughter. As she tries to solve the mystery of who has her daughter and why she finds she doesn’t know who to trust. Everyone seems to be a suspect! Gymnastics plays a big part of the story along with name dropping many famous US Olympians and gymnasts which was an interesting aspect of the plot. Be sure to add this one to your TBR for a fast paced and interesting read!

Rea does it again! She writes such emotionally charged thrillers that are so engrossing. This was a fast-paced thriller that I didn’t want to put down. This had dual timelines and a plot so addictive you won’t want to put this down.

I adore Frey's books and this one hit it out of the park! Cora's four-year-old daughter, Lulu goes missing on Halloween night and Cora is frantic with worry as she too has nightmares about Halloween as she was abducted years ago when she was a young gymnast and had hopes to go to the '96 Olympics. But the kidnapper now wants 1 million dollars and of course Cora would do anything to get Lulu back, but where will she get that kind of cash? Vacillating in time between "now" and "then," the book details her harrowing journey as she attempts to discover if these two events are connected or just random. Fortunately her friend, Joe is an ex-cop and is more than willing to help her solve this mystery in order to get her daughter back. Jealousy, revenge, and greed all play into this magnificent book that had me on the edge of my seat until the final page!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

[Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

This book is a mother’s worst fears come to life. Halloween is always a tough time of year for Cora. She was kidnapped at the same time of year as a young teen and now her little girl, Lu, goes missing while trick or treating. Interweaving past and present timelines, we learn that Cora is a former Olympic gymnastics champion. This page turner features old rivalries, and the world of competitive sports.

What would you do for your child? Would you do almost anything? This book examines just that. A main theme of the book also involves mother/daughter relationships. This was a quick read and I wanted to know what would happen, even if the plot was a stretch for me. There are many suspects, harrowing choices and a crazy twist. If you are a fan of psychological fiction, this may be right up your alley.

Thank you @reafreyauthor & @netgalley for my complimentary digital copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

Prepare for an exhilarating journey into the cutthroat realm of Olympic gymnastics, intertwined with the drama of high school rivalries!

Cora Valentine, a gold medal-winning gymnast, leads a secluded life, haunted by the trauma of her teenage kidnapping. Years later, as a mother to a young daughter, she bravely steps out to take her trick-or-treating. But everything changes when her daughter suddenly vanishes, leaving Cora with a chilling message:

𝘛𝘰 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘉𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘌𝘭𝘴𝘦‘𝘴 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥
𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘍𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴

How far will Cora go to reclaim her daughter?

This gripping tale hooks you from the start, with the spine-chilling ransom note amplifying the tension. Through alternating timelines, we delve into Cora’s harrowing past during her abduction. Racing against the clock, she must not only navigate the desperate quest to save her daughter but also face the cruel “mean girls” who once tormented her. I highly recommend this for lovers of domestic suspense.

When Cora’s daughter, Lulu, is kidnapped, she can’t help but wonder if it is somehow linked to her own unsolved kidnapping many years ago. Told through dual timelines, the story alternates between Cora’s experience being kidnapped as a young teenager and the current nightmare she is living, as she tries to find out what happened to Lulu. Cora thought she could leave her past behind her but it may be back to haunt her and this time, she fears her daughter’s life is at stake. She will stop at nothing to save Lulu, even if it means that she has to take another child…

This book takes you on a wild ride from start to finish! It was everything I love in a thriller and kept me hooked all the way through. I couldn’t put it down… I finished it in two sittings and found both timelines equally suspenseful! I really enjoyed the characters and the setting of the book. The fact that it took place during Halloween also added to the creepy vibe. I love when a book surprises me and although I had a feeling about who was behind at least one of the kidnappings, I definitely didn’t have this one all figured out!

This is a great read for anyone looking for a gripping thriller and definitely perfect for this time of year!

The story starts with an intriguing dark tone, but as it progresses, the twists feel a bit forced and less convincing. The ending, while aiming for something dramatic, didn’t have the impact I expected and felt more like a missed opportunity. Instead of adding depth, the final moments seemed a bit over the top and disconnected from the story's earlier atmosphere. While the narrative had potential, the execution didn't quite deliver the way I had hoped.

Rea is one of my faves so I was excited to get this. The past to present flashbacks are absolutely flawless. I could feel Cora's desperation as she races to find out who from her past is coming for her. The big twist made my eyes legit pop open and my jaw drop. Don't miss this one it's definetly making all the top thriller lists next year!

Every parent’s worst nightmare comes to light in this dual timeline thriller. Full of atmosphere and excitement, two abductions, decades apart, have an eerie connection. The feeling of a mother’s despair in both timelines left me gutted with emotion yet I appreciated the determination in Cora’s character to find the devil in the details!

The narrative alternates between the life of a young gymnast and her present-day role as a mother, delving into the dark side of competitive sports and the extreme lengths some will go to achieve success. Packed with twists, red herrings, and a haunting Halloween backdrop, this book will keep you turning pages late into the night!

When She's Gone by Rea Frey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this fast paced thriller by Rea Frey.

The story is told in multiple timelines. Cora Valentines was kidnapped as a teenager one terrible Halloween night. She survived and tries to make the most of her life along with her 4 year old daughter. When she is kidnapped, Cora must uncover what truly happened to her on the night she was taken before her daughter pays the price.