This was a fantastic audiobook. The plot was interesting and the narration was wonderful. Trying to figure out what happened to Lou and the kids kept me engaged throughout the book.

🎧Louisa is a nanny for a posh family. While on a beach vacation Lou and the two young children she watches go missing. Her estranged mother, Rose, travels to help find out what happened. I felt this story dragged on and I had a really hard time getting into it. I kept waiting for something to happen. There were really no unexpected twists or surprises. This was just not for me. 2.5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing Audiobooks for an advanced listening copy.

Another great read from Sara Foster, set in Western Australia. I listened to this on audio so it was nice to hear the Aussie accent.

Told through three main POV's, it hooks you in quite quickly, as the reader doesn't know if she ran or was taken. The dynamics of the by-the-book police investigation by DSS Blackwood running alongside the mother's (former police officer) less official investigation, gave us lots of suspects but also lots of extra characters which, at times, had me trying to remember who's who.

It all heats up in the second half, as secrets are revealed and people open up. The abuse of power and money is the key factor (and you know that there's more happening in the real world than there is in fiction).

Part police procedural, part thriller and very much a mystery, this was an immersive read with likeable characters who made good decisions (I hate when they make idiotic choices that just puts them in danger). Another great Aussie author.

A dark tale, that deftly weaves together psychological suspense and a high-stakes investigation, told from multiple perspectives.

Lou is working as an au pair for a rich couple, until the day she disappears from a remote beach in Western Australia, along with the two children she was caring for. It is uncertain whether she took them voluntarily?

I enjoyed the perspective of former police officer Rose Campbell, who is the estranged mother of Lou. When she is notified of the disappearance of her daughter, she flies over to assist in the race-against-time investigation.

This was a thrilling story featuring a wealthy family, plenty of nefarious dealings, family estrangement, police procedural elements and some strong female characters.

This audiobook is narrated well by Sophie Loughran, and she managed to distinguish the various characters, and the tense scenarios with skill.

With thanks to Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley, for the listening review copy to listen to and provide an honest review.

Audio time: 10 hours, 30 minutes

Damn! This is my first book by Sara Foster and won’t be my last!!! The pacing of this was excellent. It gripped me up and didn’t let go! I was on the edge of my seat a lot! Also, really enjoyed the narrator.
LOVED the different perspectives a lot too

I loved The Hush by Sara Foster and was eager to jump into a new title. And she did not disappoint.
The compelling narrative and well-drawn characters had me up so late.
The way she creates her characters is seriously the best. They are intriguing and entertaining.
Sara Foster's ability to build and maintain suspense makes this novel a captivating read.

What an utterly absorbing and addictive police procedural. Set against the richly rendered backdrop of Australia, this is a deeply character-driven narrative featuring flawed yet compelling personalities—and one of my all-time favorites: rich people behaving badly.

Both suspenseful and emotionally gripping, the plot grows increasingly dark and intricate with each layer that’s peeled back. Told through multiple perspectives, I particularly enjoyed the dual investigations—one official, led by Blackwood, and the other more covert, pursued by Rose.

Though it begins at a slower pace, the tension steadily builds, escalating into a pulse-pounding game of cat and mouse that grips you right through to the final page.

4.25 Stars ⭐️

Man, this was definitely my week for "new to me" authors. This was an audio ARC, narrated by Sophie Loughran (who was also a first for me) and she did a fabulous job with the story. This book takes place in Australia and I loved hearing the differing accents throughout the entire story.

This book takes off from the very start and doesn't have a slow moment. It isn't one of those thrillers that has a ton of twists, but it is a gripping story with a gradual build that creates tension as we get closer to the resolution.

We meet Lou, a young woman who is a nanny for 2 very young children from an extremely rich and influential family - the Fisher family. They all disappear one morning from an early beach outing, with a small teddy bear and a small bit of blood being the only thing left. We spend the majority of the book going between a couple of POV's:

*Former London police officer Rose Campbell - Lou's estranged mother, who drops everything to immediately head to Australia the moment she hears about her disappearance.

*DSS Mal Blackwood - on the verge of his retirement, this is looking like it is going to be the last case of his career.

Rose decides to embark on her own investigation once it becomes clear that the Fisher's influence seems to be steering the case. DSS Blackwood, on the other hand, is trying to walk a fine line to solve the case and bring home both the children AND Lou, while dealing with the media frenzy as well as the immense ego's of the Fisher family.

Leads are few and things are looking bleak. Ms. Foster does a great job of laying out the story while at the same time letting us get to know and like both Rose and DSS Blackwood. You can FEEL the fear and the growing tension as time goes on.

I really enjoyed this book. It felt like it flew by an I enjoyed the way everything ended up playing out. I would definitely read another book by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing - Audiobooks for the opportunity to listen to and review this audio ARC. The opinions above are mine and mine alone. This book will be out for publication on April 1, 2025.

Overall, When She Was Gone is a compelling story that combines a police procedural with a domestic thriller. I felt that the character development was lacking in some aspects and the subplots were overly complicated for a mystery/thriller. The narrator did an excellent job with the text, and I always love a book about messy rich people, but this book fell a bit flat for me. Thanks to Blackstone for my eALC of this book!

Welp who knew being a nanny would be so dangerous and traumatizing 😅

This story gives you a deep dive into the background of a police investigation for a missing persons case. Who knew there were specialist for these cases and dedicated officers that are experienced and used only for missing persons. You’ll see from the investigative pov on how they put clues and leads together, and what’s important to follow and look into.

The story is fast paced and keeps you reeling and guessing who has done it. Love the different perspectives pov and histories of the characters.

Awesome audiobook. We get to follow Rose to Australia when her daughter goes missing along with two young children she is caring for. A family with lots of secrets hidden away and plenty of scandal. Told in different points of view that are easy to follow and understand. Great narration. Plenty of suspense and surprises.
I really enjoyed this book. I liked the main characters as well.

When She Was Gone, by Sara Foster brought to life the ways in which abuse can threaten the fabric that f any family, no matter where you live e or what your background. Former MET detective Rose’s estranged daughter goes missing, she flies to Australia to help find her, whether the local authorities want her help or not. The audiobook flowed nicely, and the narrator’s Australian accent was a treat! The story had a satisfying ending, but left me hoping it will he the first in a series!

I listened to the audiobook of this one and I liked the narrator a lot. I thought she did a great job bringing not only the narrator but all of the characters to life. I liked that this story was a bit different in that it’s about a mother whose young adult daughter goes missing, but they have been estranged the daughter’s whole life and have no relationship. Lou was working as a nanny in Australia for two young children when the three of them go missing and become international headlines. Rose can’t help but go to try to find her daughter despite not being able to have a relationship with her due to her ex-husband. I liked that this book also highlighted themes of domestic violence and the various forms it can take. This was a fast paced novel and I definitely enjoyed the ride even if it wasn’t full of insane twists and turns.

This book releases tomorrow! Grab it, read it, or listen to it! 3.5⭐️
This book has mystery, it has suspense, there are twists, there are turns. It’s a winner.
When Lou goes missing, along with the two small children she is nannying, everyone assumes the worst.
But what actually did happen? And where on earth did she go? Will the children’s parents ever see their kids again? Y’all. So good!
Thank you Blackstone publishing and netgalley for the advance listen!

<i>Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.</i>

3.5 stars rounded up

I’ve never read anything by this author and I will definitely plan to check out more! It’s a well-paced thriller with solid character depth that is often missing from similar types of thrillers.

Rose Campbell is a former London police officer who travels to Australia after her estranged daughter disappears, along with the two young children who were in her care. The children are part of the wealthy Fisher family, about whom nobody seems to have a kind word. Mal Blackwood is the Australian police investigator who is assigned to the case. This is Blackwood’s final case before his retirement. (That is such a cliche that it immediately turned me off.)

Rose and Mal do not work together on this case. They engage in parallel investigations, which involve questioning a lot of people. There is a great deal of talking and explaining in this book, rather than showing us what happened. Ultimately, neither investigation solved the disappearance. The answer just dropped into the laps of Rose and Mal. The explanation of the crime was too much of a soap opera for me and the ending of the book was sappy. I did manage to finish the book, but it was just OK.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from the publisher. The narrator was adequate, although she did not differentiate voices.

A tense and suspenseful thriller. The characters are well developed and the writing is excellent. I enjoyed this one and the narration by Sophie Loughran is terrific. This is my first book by this author, so I’ll be looking at her backlist.

This is an addictive mystery set in Australia. When a nanny and the children of a very wealthy family go missing, everything shifts into high gear and the clock starts ticking. The investigators aren’t sure if the nanny took the children to protect them from someone at home, or if something else is going on. The story is told from multiple POVs, and each one adds something intriguing to the overall mystery.
This was such a good listen, and Sophie Loughran did a great job narrating the characters. While I felt the tones and inflections weren’t as strong for many of the female characters, it didn’t take away from the story.

After reading some of my GR friends' reviews for this one, I could not wait to dive in. Unfortunately, for some reason I just didn't entirely click with it, and I cannot for the life of me put my finger on exactly what it was that didn't work for me. It's a solid police procedural, but it spent too much time on secondary characters which really slowed down the overall pace for me. It was ok, but I'm afraid it will not be very memorable.

“When She Was Gone" is an entertaining and exciting police procedural. This book was not on my radar, but I am so glad I picked it up. (How can you pass on that cover?!) I was hooked from the first chapter and could not put it down. It was an intense and fast-paced story. With its dual POVs and short chapters, I absolutely flew through it. There weren't any crazy plot twists, but it still held my attention and kept me guessing the entire time. This was my first Sara Foster book, and I will definitely be reading more. I enjoyed her writing style, and she truly had me on the edge of my seat.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Sophie Loughran. She did such an amazing job bringing the story to life. It was an addictive and unpausable audiobook. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.