And Then You Were Gone

There’s something about a heroine who does NOT have her act together, she comes across to readers as believable in a way that the perfect heroines of old were not. Emily suffers from bipolar disorder, but with education and medication, she finally has it under control. Until an idyllic boat cruise with her boyfriend Paolo turns into a nightmare. She wakes up in the morning o discover Paolo is gone. they are too far from shore for him to have swum anywhere, but his prowess as a swimmer convinces Emily that he could not have drowned. As Emily tries to find out what happened to her lover, her illness begins to spiral out of control. As Emily wonders whether Paolo could have been murdered, police are wondering the same thing, and Emily is their prime suspect. I read this is one sitting, chewing my fingernails down to the quick on my right hand. Thanks, RJ Jacobs -you owe me a manicure!

I love books with flawed main characters. I read this book one one sitting because it was so gripping and fast.

Most of the thriller/mystery have the twist that you see coming, but there were enough twists that I couldn’t put this down until the end.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

And Then You Were Gone is a dramatic story about megalomaniac greed in microbiology. Lest that sound dull or impossible, I assure you it is not, as the megalomania, or just plain mania, is about the rush to bring a vaccine for a deadly flu virus to market, not caring what shortcuts you take or who you just might have to kill along the way.

Highly recommended.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

I was lucky enough to be able to read an advanced copy of the book, “and then you were gone“ provided by Net Galley, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Net Galley- and RJ Jacobs for the opportunity.

The main character, Emily, was just OK for me – she wasn’t really likable because of her poor decision making process, but that was usually due to her diagnosis of being bipolar.

The book itself was right up my alley – full of mystery and intrigue. Although I was able to guess almost from the beginning how the story would end, I still enjoyed getting there. The only thing that was a little “cheesy“ was the very obvious love interest.
There were also quite a few parts in the book that just didn’t make any sense. Four instance, at one point it said it was 7:00 PM, and her phone rang, and two sentences into the conversation she looked at her watch and saw that it was a little after 9 PM, so obviously that part was a mistake. There were a few others as well – one of which changed a two week period of time into two months – and then back to two weeks.

Regardless, this was a pretty good read.

And Then You Were Gone by R. J. Jacobs
Emily is on a boat trip with her boyfriend Paolo, after a night drinking she wakes up in the morning to find him gone. The police think that he fell overboard but Emily can't remember anything. Emily has bipolar disorder and is struggling to cope with this and will do anything to find out the truth of what happened to Paolo.
This was a good thriller but a little confusing in parts.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my e-book in exchange for an honest review.

This mystery kept my interest from the beginning and had me on the edge of my seat towards the end of the book. Great read. Thank you #NetGalley for free copy of #AndThenYouWereGone.

Pretty dang good for a debut thriller. My gratitude to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for sending me an ARC of this title which releases on March 13, 2019. Emily and her boyfriend, Paolo, spend a romantic evening on a rented boat. They have some wine, a little bread and cheese and Emily falls into a deep slumber. When she wakes up in the morning, Paolo is nowhere to be found. She has no idea what has happened to him. Eventually she figures out how to start the engine and drive the boat into the dock at the rental marina. The police are called and investigate the matter. Of course, the main suspect turns out to be Emily.

To make things worse, Emily has a bipolar diagnosis and works as a psychologist. When she’s targeted as “killing” her boyfriend, her boss doesn’t want her working anymore.

I didn’t predict the ending at all. I doubt that you will get it entirely right either, but don’t let that stop you from trying.

The story is electrifying, full of anxiety-producing twists and richly drawn characters. Hats off to R.J. Jacobs. On his bio, it says this is part of a series, and I have no idea how that will play out, because this book had everything wrapped up in a nice package with a fancy bow on top.

A masterpiece of suspense. Boyfriend disappears, girlfriend pushes aside all her own many problems to try and find him, whether dead or alive, refusing to .ive with unanswered questions. My only criticism is the author's tendency to repetitiveness (I.e. Heroine not sleeping, forgetting to take her meds, more of not sleeping). Otherwise, a story that will truly leave you begging for more.

"Crazy how transparent your life is sometimes. You think you're the only one who knows what's going on."

This book is anything but transparent! It has such a gripping story that you can help but keep reading to figure out what really happened that night. The author writes in such beautiful detail that it feels like you are apart of the story.

The only criticism I have about this book is some of the conversations the characters have with each other seem unrealistic or unnatural.

I can't thank #NetGalley enough for this great ARC, #AndThenYouWereGone by R. J. Jacobs

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the early review copy.

This book is full of intrigue and twists. A woman wakes up to discover her boyfriend has disappeared, and the police find her explanation of events questionable.

There was a lot going on in this story, it was meaty and mysterious. I found myself really rooting for the protagonist even though she made some questionable decisions! The writing was good, the story flowed nicely even with flashbacks thrown in, and the conclusion was satisfying. I really enjoyed it.

This was the first book I've read from this author (not sure if he has more or not..I will research after I write my review) I am looking forward to reading his others

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

At the start of this book I really didn’t know where it was going to go, how the plot would unfold and there’s no way I could have guessed how it ended. I was on the end of my seat through the last 15% of the book, I couldn’t read fast enough as everything came together for the ending. There was suspense, a little agony, some “why did you do that” thoughts ... all things that make for a good book. This was my first book by R. J. Jacobs and I throughly enjoyed it!

I really enjoyed Emily as a main character especially. With her character flaws and honesty, I found her endearing as we rooted her on to find out what happened to her boyfriend. Great read that kept me turning the pages and interested in all the bits and pieces.

This book began as quite the page turner - they started us off with wondering what had happened to Paolo and progressed into us wondering what would happen next, which is a sign of a good novel, in my opinion. It held my attention and despite having somewhat predicted the ending by the halfway point, it didn't make me want to finish less.

The writing itself was also great, allowing me to picture each scene as if it were familiar to me. But mostly, I genuinely appreciated a mentally ill/unstable female lead portrayed in an accurate and honest, but not victim, sort of way. I looked up the author after reading and learned that he's a psychologist, which explains the accurate portrayal of bipolar disorder. Regardless, it's a great thing, as people typically misunderstand these disorders or see them as purely negative. In the story, while suffering, the main character is able to use her disorder to her advantage.

Overall the book was a page turner and definitely captivated my attention and I"ll certainly look for further works by this author in the future.

This book was different and fun! There were lots of twists and turns. I thought the beginning was slow, but as i read on, all tied together. I love books that keep me up at night! Thanks netgalley for an a copy in exchange for honest review!

This was a very enjoyable read it grabbed me from the second page, being on the lake with Paolo & Emily was thrilling the writer made you believe in her fear! The life of Emily and her quirks that the author made very believable you were on her side from the start through all her bumps ... (not wanting to spill 2 much) her fighting to find justice for Paolo the man she loves and trying to keep herself mentally on even ground was written very well working in pathology I believed her medical issues and the struggles she fought every day. I stayed up almost all nigh reading I could not wait to see what happened to Matt and continue to cheer for Emily through think and thin.The book kept you engaged throughout. I read 3-4 books a week and this was a wonderful first book. I can tell you poured your heart into this book and thank you for it. My only ? Is the flower delivery by 1:30 and then it states the closer Tommy can get to 10:00 on the dot the better lost me there lol
Thank You for writing a great thriller and allowing me the pleasure of reading it before published this is my first review for #netgalley so thanks .
Beverly E

I would give this book 5 stars!!!
This book begged to be read in one setting but life has a way of not allowing that to happen. I think this is best book I’ve read in a long time.
The character of Emily was spot on. Her feelings on being bi-polar are explored during the story. Manic episodes are sometimes an issue when meds are nit taken and she explains her struggle throughout the story. By the end I think my heart was beating faster than normal as I related to her fear. Definitely a book I would recommend to anyone who likes suspense and thrilling books

#And Then You Were Gone# NetGalley #

Thank you to NetGalley for a advance copy of this book for a fair and honest review.

I just finished reading this book by R. J. Jacobs and I absolutely loved it! I’ve always heard that you should write about what you know, and that is exactly what Mr. Jacobs has done and it shows in his writing. The setting is in Nashville, the plot involves psychology and of course, murder. Emily is a very likable character, although she is really pushing the boundaries on most of her interactions with other characters. She is bipolar and somewhat manic in all she does, but that is what makes her so likable. I failed to mention that there is also romance between Rachel and her boyfriend Paulo. He disappears from a yacht, and the police suspect she has murdered him. She spends the rest of the book trying to prove she is not guilty. Her sleuthing takes her through many venues and she is always a step ahead. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out who was guilty of the murders. I must admit that I had two characters in mind and I was wrong on both. It does end well and all the loose strings are tied up. A pleasing ending. I was so into the book that I read it in one sitting. The author’s writing goes very smoothly and it is easy to read and keep up with. I hope there will be other future books from this author. A solid 5 stars.

This book was an absolute page turner for me. As someone who works in academia, I really enjoyed the "academic ambition taken too far" plot line. I also thought the treatment of mental illness was compassionate. I was a bit concerned when I realized that the protagonist's bipolar diagnosis was going to be a major motivator of the story, but I think it was handled really thoughtfully, which isn't a surprise, given the author is a practicing psychologist. Thank you so much to Crooked Lane Books for sending me a copy of And Then You Were Gone. I will definitely recommend it to friends!

After years of learning how to manage her bipolar disorder, Emily Firestone finally has it under control. Even better, her life is coming together: she's got a great job, her own place, and a boyfriend, Paolo, who adores her. So when Paolo suggests a weekend sailing trip, Emily agrees - wine, water, and the man she loves? What could be better? But when Emily wakes the morning after they set sail, the boat is still adrift... and Paolo is gone.

A strong swimmer, there's no way Paolo drowned, but Emily is at a loss for any other explanation. Where else could he have gone? And why? As the hours and days pass by, each moment marking Paolo's disappearance, Emily's hard-won stability begins to slip.

But when Emily uncovers evidence suggesting Paolo was murdered, the investigation throws her mania into overdrive, even as she becomes a person of interest in her own personal tragedy. To clear her name, Emily must find the truth - but can she hold onto her own sanity in the process?

This is a great example of a thriller or mystery that delivers on the promise of keeping you guessing. I would review this book and recommend it completely. It was a book I wanted to read in one sitting, but forced myself to span out my reading.

The characters felt pretty developed, the bits and pieces strung together well. The characters were crafted and I felt like I could relate to these characters in a way some of the other books I’ve read didn’t deliver on.

I felt like the first forty pages or so were fairly slow, but the pace picked up as the book progressed with several twists and turns. The formatting was also a strong and successful component as well.

Psychological and well-written, this book drives the reader through from page to page. It’s a mystery that engages and grips.

I enjoyed the elements of mental health woven in alongside the mystery element of the story. It felt different from the usual books that I read, as it had a science/laboratory element to it but it is good to read something different. I was able to guess some of the 'twists' of the story but sometimes I think that comes from reading so many books. Good practice! However, I would be interested in reading future books by this author.

Great mystery with wonderfully like able characters.
Quite a few twists and turns. The author has a great style of writing
and I was guessing quite a lot throughout this book .

This book read more like a cozy mystery, to me, than it did a psychological thriller. I happen to be a fan of cozies in addition to thrillers, so it did not bother this reader.
The amateur sleuth, Emily, struggles with bipolar disease and this is front and center to the narration. While I have little personal experience with this condition, I thoroughly appreciated the unreliability of the narrator due to her own questioning of her sanity and interpretation of events. During a romantic overnight trip on a boat, Emily's boyfriend mysteriously disappears. She becomes suspect number one, and sets off on a self-destructive quest to clear her name. Due to some poor personal choices, she loses her job and ends up living at her mom's house, so she has plenty of time to conduct her own investigation. She finds a willing sidekick in a friend of her missing boyfriend.
The majority of the violence happens off-screen. A boyfriend disappears, a body is discovered, and Emily hears secondhand about a potential serial killer in her area complete with some of the violence that has transpired.
For a plot-driven novel, there was a lot of inner monologue presented. These thoughts provide a lot of the background to the story. I did not find these to be very distracting, but neither did I find them showing growth in Emily.
I liked the solution to this mystery. I felt like it was a little rushed at the end, the final solution being sprung on the reader with fewer hints/clues than I would have liked. There was a lovely red herring though!
Overall, I thought this was a well-done debut novel. I read somewhere that this may be the beginning of a series, I hope that means we will get to see more of Emily in future installments. I will absolutely read the next book this author publishes.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book.

Best thriller full of twists and turns! I love the portrayal of mental illness, very spot on, and realistic. Exciting and not so crazy you were lost. Couldn't believe this was a first novel, look forward to more.

Emily and her boyfriend plan a romantic sailing trip (this is the best setting, so I was immediately excited), but then things go terribly wrong (as they so often do in these books) and her boyfriend Paolo goes missing. It felt a bit like books I had already read, but it painted a really enjoyable scene in my imagination so I kept reading. It was slow and there could have been more character development, but I couldn't put it down at the same time so obviously it accomplished its goal!

This is a story whose main character struggles with bipolar disorder and is the "unreliable narrator" of the book, which can sometimes frustrate me. If you're not a fan of these narratives, steer clear of this one. She is a flawed character, and although I don't have bipolar disorder, I did find her shortcomings relatable.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a very well written twisty psychological thriller that kept my interest from page 1.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Wow! What a book! This is no doubt one of the best books that I have ever read! A gripping psychological thriller that takes you on a roller-coaster ride!

There's Emily dealing with her bipolar issues. She's also a suspect in her boyfriend Paolo's mysterious disappearance. Although Paolo's family is convinced that he's no more, Emily does not lose hope; she knows that he's somewhere out there.

The police suspect Emily. And when she finds Sandy's dead body, the police are now sure that she is somehow involved in the murder. Cal, Paolo's softball teammate and friend, initially blames Emily for Paolo's issues in life. But he decides to help her when he realizes that Emily is telling the truth about her non-involvement in the tragedy.

And in the middle of all this drama involving Sandy and Paolo, a mysterious murder in a remote town in Tennessee comes into the picture. This is followed by another incident, where the victim was allegedly set on fire by the perp but the victim survived. The victim names Matt, Paolo's colleague at the lab, as the perp. Sandy was also killed because she mentioned Matt's involvement in Paolo's disappearance. So what is Matt's involvement in these murders and Paolo's disappearance?

After a couple of twists and shocking incidents, Emily's life is like a roller-coaster ride! I absolutely loved R.J.Jacob's writing style. The author definitely knows how to keep his readers hooked on to the book till the end. The language is clear and concise. The story development is absolutely fantastic. The ending is superb and thrilling! There was a short twist in the end which made the story even more exciting.

And Then You Were Gone is a gripping and engaging page-turner and I highly recommend it to all those who love to read thrillers.

And Then You Were Gone was excellent reading. I love it when an author weaves reality into a novel. Having a condition like bipolar does not stop the main character from having a normal, happy life. It has an effect on her life and how she lives it, but it is not the main focus.

Emily's wonderful, handsome, successful medical-researcher boyfriend disappears while on a sailing trip with her. She can't believe she has become a suspect. Knowing she did nothing to Paolo, Emily must find the truth herself (without getting killed)!

And Then You Were Gone
by R.J. Jacobs
due March 13, 2019
Crooked Lane Books

Emily Firestone, a child psychologist in the Nashville area is feeling much better these days. Her struggles with bipolar and mania are under control, she enjoys her work and has a supportive boyfriend, Paolo. Things are looking up.
Paolo is a successful scientist from Argentina working on developing a vaccine for the deadly H1-N24 virus. He suggests they spend a day together on his boat when they both have the same day free.
A little wine. A little cuddling. A little fun. A little while later Emily awakes to find the boat adrift and Paolo gone.
They immediately suspect Emily is responsible for the murder.....but Emily insists its someone else.
Then another body is found, under suspicious circumstances that point to Emily as well.
But is Emily responsible??
Is her mind playing tricks on her??
Could Paolo's murder be related to his scientific studies??
Emily has to figure this out. Her freedom depends on it.

R.J. Jacobs successfully weaves a psychological thriller that takes the reader inside the emotions and feelings, the obsessions and mania of a bipolar mind. The frustration and struggle are true and accurate and done with a warm, touching and respectful understanding.

I loved this book! The mystery and intrigue are spellbinding and it's hard not to relate to Emily. The depiction of a positive role model for bipolar and mania and the murder mystery make this a book I will not forget. Look for this in May 2019!
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and #netgalley for this ARC.
#AndThenYouWereGone

Emily Firestone is a successful child psychologist who has finally learned how to control her bipolar disorder. She is engaged, her career is flourishing and everything is going well until a weekend trip with her fiance, Paolo, changes the direction of her entire life. Now, Paolo is missing, two more people have been murdered and Emily is a suspect. Things are spiraling out of control quickly, and Emily does not have much time to figure out what happened to Paolo and the others before she is arrested, or murdered herself.

Jacobs does a great job portraying Emily's mania throughout the book. There is a major difference between controlled Emily in the beginning and unmedicated Emily towards the middle and end. It was a very suspenseful book, especially at the end which ultimately made me give this book four stars instead of three. Emily and Cal's characters were really well-developed, however some of the other characters like Paolo and Dr. Silver could have used some more detail. It was a little predictable, but overall a really good read.

Emily Firestone is a child psychologist dating Paolo, a microbiologist. He is searching for a vaccine to cure HI-N24.
One beautiful day Paolo and Emily are going sailing and fishing overnight. Emily wakes up the next day and Paolo is gone. Her boyfriend is an excellent swimmer. Emily is not. Trapped in a boat, feeling frightened and sick she finally makes it to shore. After the police arrive she discovers she may be the main suspect.
There is something dark and sinister happening and Emily is determined to figure out what it is. She suspects it has something to do with the vaccine being tested in Paolo's lab. The lab that is run by Dr. Silver. She just is not sure what or where to look. Unfortunately because she suffers from Bipolar issues, no one believes her. Not even her best friend who works at the police station.
Titillating adventure! Psychological thriller! A real rollercoaster of a read! Excellent!

If you came with a warning label attached to you, what would it read?

This is a good storyline of a couple: Emily is a psychologist and Paulo is a medical researcher. They go on a romantic overnight sailing trip and I’m going to stop there at the risk of spoilers. Their livelihoods are a significant part of the story, which is a medical mystery but so much more. As the mystery unfolds, we are also in the personal world of Emily’s bipolar disorder. Written in first person by Emily, this is a very articulate and compassionate description of living daily with the nuances of bipolar disorder. This was a good, fast read. I enjoyed the movie references, and the Nashville setting, as the author lovingly described the area. I look forward to reading more from R.J. Jacobs! Recommended!!

I was immediately sucked into this book from page one and was torn between wanting to digest it in one sitting or spread it out to savor. I haven't been shy about how disappointed I've been with mystery/thrillers lately, but this one kept my interest the entire time. I was positively delighted to be surprised by the ending and was even more pleased to be satisfied by it. It's one thing to shock your readers, but it takes real talent to make it jive with the whole story and not make it an over-the-top gimick.

I  really enjoyed the unique cast of characters. The protagonist, Emily, has bipolar disorder, and she is constantly tested by horrendous events that could easily make her spiral out of control. The bipolar aspect was almost like another character in itself without being constantly shoved down your throat. It was presented in a thoughtful, subtle manner that is even more credible given the skillful writer's background in psychology.

There was also plenty of clever layering to this plot. Emily's boyfriend, Paolo, disappears out of the blue after a romantic night on a boat, but there is so much more going on than your basic missing person situation. I loved following along and learning how everything developed and connected.

Bottom line - Buy and read this book! It comes out in March, and/or you can check it out now on Netgalley. 5/5 stars

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I'd seen it described as moving to slow but I found that the way the author describes how Emily's life derails and how her balance and stability slips with every new setback she encounters very interesting.
The book starts with Emily, a child psychiatrist suffering from bipolar disorder, and her boyfriend going on a short trip, sailing on a like. Right from the beginning Emily's discomfort starts because it turns out that she can't swim, but as her boyfriend is a very good swimmer there really shouldn't be a problem, right.
Wrong as it turns out, when next morning she finds herself alone on the boat and her lover is gone.

From that moment on, her world starts to crumble and her stability slips further and further, accelerated by the fact that she doesn't take her medicines and doesn't sleep for a couple of days.

I think that the description of the symptoms of the bipolar disorder really added to the suspense and I found the book an interesting psychological thriller, with a surprising, though not entirely unexpected end.

I thank Netgalley for the early reviewers copy, I enjoyed the book very much

Exactly like a thrilling action movie !!

This is rad !! It was really like an action movie where it tells the story of this lady, Emily, who has bipolar disorder being suspected of the murder/disappearance of her boyfriend and she tries to take matters into her own hands to investigate what happened. Throughout the journey she is faced with challenges and dangers that could end her own life.

I appreciate how this book brings awareness about bipolar disorder. I actually checked it out to understand what it was. It must be frightening to not be in control of your thoughts and emotions. I now understand how they function and the difficulties they face, the recklessness and depression that takes over.

This book is packed with constant excitement and thrilling mysteries that leaves you trying to solve the case. Though the story was quite predictable, I enjoyed the writing style and detail to the plot. I actually kinda like the characters too. Their development was on point and the transition between the past and present were smooth.

I would recommend this book to anyone who would like to spice up their reading journey.

Thank you Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to have a copy of this book to review through NetGalley.

I enjoy reading books where I can really get to know the characters. I also enjoy becoming a fan and falling in love with a somewhat flawed character. People aren’t perfect, so as I read and got to know Emily, I came to appreciate her and her struggles with bipolar disorder. I felt pulled into her mania and desperation at times.

As the plot unfolds, the writing style gives enough clues to develop a theory about what may have happened, but the end is still a thrilling surprise. This makes for an excellent thriller novel. I didn’t want to put it down!

“Memory is an interesting thing. It’s woefully inaccurate. People think they capture moments perfectly, but they don’t. Images fade and change over time. When a person remembers something, they remember the last time they remembered it, a copy of a copy. Then the next time is a copy of that. Each time, a little less of the original.”

After years of learning how to manage her bipolar disorder, Emily Firestone finally has it under control. Even better, her life is coming together: she's got a great job, her own place, and a boyfriend, Paolo, who adores her. So when Paolo suggests a weekend sailing trip, Emily agrees - wine, water, and the man she loves? What could be better? But when Emily wakes the morning after they set sail, the boat is still adrift... and Paolo is gone.

I love a book with an unreliable narrator. Many of my favorite thrillers explore that idea in different ways. This book will be released on March 13th, 2019.

Thank you to @netgalley for the advanced release copy in exchange for an honest review. #netgalley #bookreview

This was a really good read!! A woman finds herself a top suspect in the sudden disappearance of her boyfriend. On a weekend outing on a boat she wakes in the morning to find that her boyfriend is not on board, no where to be found and she can’t remember a thing! She quickly takes the boat to shore and calls the police! In a quest to find the answers and evidence to clear her name it turns into more drama and more murders than she had imagined. A definite page turner and must read!

This book grabbed me right away, loved the characters, cared about them, wish I had created them. From page one you want to know... what is going to happen! Then... what happened? Love, love, loved everything about this story.

Really enjoyed this book, this author has shown his knowledge and expertise for psychology. The main character Emily who is Bipolar is written superbly. its hard to keep up with her and the train of thought but thats what makes it believable.
i found myself wanting the story to move a bit quicker, think that i am used to reading fast moving plots and this one needed more attention to detail and understanding Emilys mind and situatuions. i think that it came together well at the end i would not have guessed the outcome.

thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this book and i will be keeping an eye out for this author in future

✨Book Review✨ "You know, my worst fear is losing my mind. When I think about him, it all gets so twisted. If some of it was fake, was all of it? I don't know." 🌊

And Then You Were Gone is a debut novel by RJ Jacobs. Goodreads calls this one a "propulsive twisting psychological thriller for fans of B.A. Paris and Alice Feeney."

Emily is a psychologist who has bipolar disorder. She manages her bipolar disorder well, and she has a great job and loving boyfriend. Her boyfriend, Paolo, decides to take her sailing one day for a romantic getaway. They spend an amazing day together, but when Emily wakes up the next day, Paolo is gone.

This was a great debut novel by Jacobs. A couple of aspects of this novel that made it different than your stereotypical thriller were the depiction of mental illness and the incorporation of a scientific element. I thought the author depicted bipolar disorder realistically, which I appreciated. Emily's character was complex, and so was her journey throughout the story as she navigated through her bipolar disorder. I also liked that Paolo was a scientist who was working on a new vaccine, and I liked how that played into his disappearance/murder. In addition to these elements, the plot was fast-paced with many twists and turns. Make sure you add this one to your 2019 TBR's. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5.

Thank you @netgalley and @rjjacobs75 for the ARC!

A thrill ride, this time with a bipolar psychologist in a fight for her life to unravel clues before she's the next to disappear.

Set in Nashville, things seem to be great for Emily -- a loving boyfriend and a good job, her bipolar mania managed. Somehow, a magical date with her boyfriend goes all wrong and Emily wakes up with Paolo missing. She becomes a suspect in his case and other mysterious things start happening with the virus research at the lab where Paolo works. Emily teams up with an old friend of Paolo’s, Cal, to try to get to the bottom of the situation, but her mania starts to creep in again. I enjoyed her interactions with Cal, he seemed to be a steady influence for her.

I found this an interesting glimpse into the life of mental illness and a fun guessing game for the ultimate bad guys in the book. It was also fascinating to read more about the life of a psychologist. I was not at all close in my hunches with this one. I look forward to future books from R.J. Jacobs.

*I will update my Goodreads review closer to publication date

And Then You Were Gone by R L Jacobs is a psychological thriller that takes the reader on a rollercoaster journey to the truth. Through the eyes (and bipolar mind) of Emily Firestone, we follow her as she trys to solve the mystery of her boyfriends disappearance.

Loved this book and especially loved the view into what it is like to be Bipolar. The internal monologue was fascinating!

What a gripping ride, a psychological thriller with a difference, I could not put this book down.

Emily wakes up on the boat she spent the night on with her boyfriend Paulo, feeling sick, she goes to find Paulo who was not in the bed beside her…. He is nowhere to be found on the boat, she manages to get the boat back to the marina and raises the alarm that Paulo is missing.

Missing and presumed dead, Emily feels herself falling into a black hole that is her condition, bipolar disorder, she is under immense stress, she can’t and won’t accept that Paulo is dead and sets out to discover the truth. Her life seems to be spiralling away from her. With plenty of twists and turns, you better clear your schedule!!

This book will have you from page one, it draws you in, you are right there with Emily, like you’re seeing everything through her eyes which is down to the author’s writing style which I loved. This book is out 13 March 2019 and I highly recommend you buy it!!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh this was fantastic! Really tense. Kept you guessing. Made me read well into the night and I’d be stunned if you didn’t enjoy it. This is well written and a good thriller. 5/5 on good reads.

This was a really interesting book and what a beautiful cover (which was what drew me to the book in the first place)!
And Then You Were Gone by R. J. Jacobs is a twisting thriller centering around Emily Firestone, who has Bipolar Disorder and has managed to get in under control after years of living with the manic-depressive illness. While on a sailing trip with her boyfriend Paolo, Emily wakes up one morning with Paolo gone. Her quest to solve Paolo's disappearance leads to shocking discoveries leaving Emily to discover if she really knew her boyfriend after all.
I really enjoyed the start and end of this one, though the middle wasn't quite what I was hoping for. Having a central character suffer from a mental health condition, is what gives this book so much juice. I really loved the twists that kept coming. I could not predict what the end would be like for this one, so that's a major win! All-in-all, I'd recommend this one if you love psychological thrillers. 4.5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reading copy.

When you were gone is a hell of a rollercoaster and a fantastic depiction of bipolar disorder. Not in a sad way but an accurate representation of how the body works against you but also how it can work for you.

When our protagonist goes for a romantic weekend with her partner out boating she doesn't expect her boyfriend to mysteriously disappear. Nor does she expect the bone chilling chain of events that occur after his dissapearance.

When you were gone is a psychological thriller in every sense of the word and will keep you on the edge of your seat desperately flipping pages to read what happens next.

The deep webs of mental health issues, mourning, hope, conspiracies and even rebirth are woven together beautifully.

This is a must read book and an incredibly well thought out book! To say I loved it is an understatement.

WOW - what a story! What a plot! What amazing writing! To say I loved this book is understatement! When I read the premise - something about micro-technology and greed run amuck, my interest was peaked. What I got was a book full of surprises, full of emotional roller coasters and suspense and twists and turns and a very flawed protagonist that I adored!

Emily Firestone has worked for years to get her life on track and keep her life on track as she lives with bi-polar disorder. She is medicated, a child psychologist and has met a wonderful man who is a medical researcher actually working on a vaccine for the disease that killed her father. Everything appears to finally be flowing in the right direction for Emily. When her boyfriend asks her to go sailing with him, although terrified of water and unable to swim, Emily decides to conquer her fears and give it a go. The day goes beautifully and they cap off the evening with wine - beautiful, right? The next morning Paulo is gone without a trace and no explanation for his disappearance. All suspicions point to Emily and, of course, being bi-polar does not help her case at all, nor does it help her subsequent actions. Her life begins to spiral out of control as she searches for answers and the police search for her.

Full dis-closure: I am a medicated bi-polar person. It took years to get a diagnosis and even longer to find the proper meds to make me stable enough to function in society - some would question whether or not I do that now. ;) It is rare that I ever see someone with bi-polar disorder characterized correctly or even remotely accurately in the media - news or fiction - so as I was reading And Then You Were Gone, I was doing so with a very critical eye. I was amazingly surprised! Reading Emily's story, her thought processes, her actions, her rationalizations, her play with her medications, her paranoia - ALL of it - was so familiar that it was spooky! This alone was enough to pull me into the book and I encourage you to read it simply to understand what it it is like to be a person with bi-polar 2. More importantly, however, is the story line which is fantastic! As we, a society, need more and more vaccines to counter act an increasingly mounting number of diseases due to climate change, there are going to be those who skirt the laws and the regulations to make that happen. This book deals with some of those consequences. It also has a minor story line that addresses PTSD that is handled very well. ALL of this is wrapped up in a well written, edge of your seat suspenseful thriller! You just cannot beat that. Obviously I highly recommend And Then You Were Gone to any and everyone!

Thank you #Netgalley, #CrookedLaneBooks and especially to #RJJacobs for allowing me to read this fantastic book in advance of publication.

This book was received as an ARC from Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I am a huge fan of mysteries especially ones that focuses on disappearing characters such as this one and the fact it had a Jaws, under the sea vibe to the plot made it all the more interesting. throughout the book I could not help but to vision what will come next and always asking the question of whether or not Emily will ever find out what will happen to Paolo. The ending was so unexpected that it completely took a whole new turn which left me shocked with disbelief and I could not help but to feel on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

We will definitely consider adding this title to our Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

And Then You Were Gone by R. J. Jacobs.
▫️#notsureicancope #morethanathriller #noromanticgetawaysformeplease
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Emily’s boyfriend Paolo plans a romantic weekend getaway on a sailboat. Their romantic plans are quickly ruined after Emily wakes up alone on a sailboat.
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Emily is the perfect unreliable narrator. In the midst of this thriller, Emily’s bipolar disorder is no longer regulated and her mania results in her unraveling into paranoia and a desperate need to prove herself innocent.
Because thrillers are incredibly popular these days, the thrills behind them have become repetitive. And Then You Were Gone is much deeper than a thriller as the story is so much more than Paolo’s disappearance, but I highly suggest not searching for more information on the plot and instead dive in to a thriller that is certain to keep you guessing.
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Thank you so much Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this amazing thriller!
R. J. Jacobs’ And Then You Were Gone will be out March 13th!

Yes! Yes! And more yes! My absolute must read thrillers are those who star a completely unreliable narrator! Are they crazy? Am I crazy? Who knows?!

Our main character has bipolar but it’s under control. On a romantic getaway with her boyfriend he disappears and it looks as if he’s been murdered... she wouldn’t kill him? Would she?

These are my favorite type of books and I always cross my fingers in hopes that they are done beautifully and brilliantly. This book was phenomenal. Can we trust our sweet narrator? Or has she done something terrible that she will regret for the rest of her life? Read this! I don’t want to spoil the surprises!

RJ Jacobs has hit my must read list!

Wow... this was a tough book to put down! I just wanted to keep reading to see what was going to happen next. I could not see how it was going to end at all... and I love that in a book. The main character was far from perfect and the story had me hooked from the very start.

Emily Firestone... her life is finally starting to come good. After years of living with bipolar she has finally learned how to live with it. She has a great job and a fantastic new boyfriend Paolo, who adores her. When Paolo suggests a Sailing weekend away she jumps at the chance. They spend the evening drinking far too much and when Emily wakes in the morning Paolo is missing without a trace. The police believe that he has drowned, but she knows that he is a strong swimmer and refuses to believe it. Before long she becomes a person of interest in the case no she needs to stay well enough to prove her innocence.

A fantastic read and an author to keep an eye out for in the future. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased

And Then You Were Gone.... where do I start? This book was excellent. I loved the main character Emily right from the very first page of the book. She’s the kind of character you want in a book, strong, smart, well spoken, bipolar, interesting, and extremely likable. Her reactions to her boyfriend disappearing and her subsequent spiral downward (before she got back up) were so well written and honest. She was the flawed hero, and every step she took was believable. This entire book was well researched (from the plot, to Emily’s mental condition). By the time it unfolded and ended, all I wanted was for it to keep going because I liked the characters so much.

Where to start? Emily (the heroine) goes on a romantic boat trip with her boyfriend, Paolo. She's scared of being on the water - Paolo takes to the water like a fish. Their schedules: her a psychologist - him a microbiologist - make it difficult to just go on this short vacation and just relax. They have earned it.

Now, in my mind, Emily's biggest problem (which was "kinda" addressed) is being an alcoholic. Yes, she is bipolar - but only on Ativan? Is she self-medicating? Anyway, Paolo drowns (we suspect!) during this trip and Emily becomes the most likely suspect. After all, she mentions to the reader, "...I felt his heart was not entirely mine".

The story then becomes chaotic - Emily must think that she is the Chief of Police!!! Yes, she had performed psych evaluations for a year for the police, but this does not qualify for a detective badge. Emily angered me. I relied on other characters to help me through.

Yet, overall a fast read

Many thanks to Crooked Lane books and NetGalley for the chance to read this and evaluate!!!

This is a psychological thriller with a little bit of mystery and adventure thrown in to the mix. I thought this one was very well written and kept my attention all the way through. Just when I thought I had everything figured out, there was an unexpected twist that I did not see coming. I love when books keep me guessing.

Emily and her boyfriend Paolo are going to have a nice romantic weekend away. Emily can't swim, but she has put aside her fears to be able to enjoy some quality time with Paolo. They are renting a sail boat and Paolo is showing Emily around and showing her how to fish as well. Emily falls into a deep sleep the first night. When she wakes up the next morning she can't find Paolo anywhere on the boat. She knows that he is a good swimmer so the likelihood of him drowning is pretty much nonexistent. Emily figures out how to start the boat and works her way back to the marina where she is hoping to find Paolo. To Emily's horror, Paolo is no where to be found and the police are called in. What in the world could have happened to Paolo?

Emily is forced to go back to her normal life without Paolo. This is just something Emily can't get over though. When she is accused of doing something to Paolo and is let go of her job, that is pretty much the end of Emily. Emily suffers from bi-polar disorder anyway and for her to be able to balance it all with Paolo missing and loosing her job, it is just not working out too well for her. She is determined to find out what happened to Paolo though!

As time goes on and Emily has to learn to live with her new normal, she is given some clues to follow to find out what is going on with everything, including Paolo. You won't be able to put this one down and will feel like you are on the same chase right there with Emily.

I will definitely be looking for more from R.J. Jacobs. The characters were all well developed and the story flowed well.

I read and reviewed this book voluntarily and all opinions are my own. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for an advanced copy.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC.

Emily and boyfriend Paolo are off on a short boating trip on a lake near Nashville. They have a few drinks and when Emily wakes up the next morning she finds Paolo gone. I had expected her to be stuck on the boat, but no, she sails it back to safety and the search for Paolo starts, police involved. Not much happens for a while apart from Emily's life throwing her one setback after another.
It's a pleasant read so far, but nothing too exciting.
Until finally some clues into Paolo's vanishing appear. Suddenly the story picks up speed, accompanied by Emily's manic episode. More characters enter the trail, all well developed and likable and we are on a fast track to discovery. The reader is kept in suspense until the very end.
Kudos to the writer for letting us in on Emily's darker introspective moods. The descriptions are tragic, yet almost poetic in writing. The final scene is just beautiful.
"And then you were gone" definitely surprised me and I would recommend it to anyone in for a good mystery.

When I read crime novels or thrillers I almost always pick ones in which cops investigate. But when I read the blurb of this book there was one thing that caught my attention instantly. It was the main characters bipolar disorder. Never before have I read a book in which the main character had a disorder like that. So I was really curious what will happen to her. How could someone like her find out what happened to her boyfriend?

The story offers nothing new but Emily’s character and her decisions and her mental state makes the book quite exciting and gives something new. It’s always interesting to read about people like her, about people who don’t act the way you expect them to.

Highly recommended.

A very big thank you to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books the R. J. Jacobs for providing me with this ARC.

Emily is starting to feel better, her bipolar and anxiety is under control. When her boyfriend Paolo invites her to go on a sailing trip, she jumps at the opportunity to escape. When she wakes up after their first night on the water she can only find his shoes. She remembers drinking some wine and wonders if Paolo fell and bumped his head. After she gets to shore, she contacts the police but they try to frame her for his murder. Emily starts investigating Paolo's life and discovers that there are some strange coincidences at his work. People seem to be disappearing at a cliff. Can she find how is responsible? This is a quick read that is filled with suspense.

Fantastic!! A 5 ⭐️ read for me! This was a superb thriller - I didn’t guess the killer and definitely not the conclusion!

Our main character had bipolar disorder and her personality was described so well. I find it extremely difficult for most writers to convey the full extent of thoughts that aren’t “normal”. Even better, she was able to recognize when her thoughts were leading her down the wrong path and to use her symptoms as strengths. I found this extremely empowering to read! And I wasn’t at all surprised that the author is a psychologist.

I highly recommend the book to all contemporary thriller readers! You will not be disappointed!

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this psychological thriller! All the twists and turns made it unable to put down! I also loved the reference to mental illness in this novel. The cover work of this book is lovely! This book is the quintessential thrilling beach read!!

This book had me wrapped up in all kinds of stress, doubt, and surprise. The main character, Emily, is an intelligent psychologist who gets tangled in a couple of murders. Yes, more than one. It’s like nothing can go right for poor Emily! To add to her troubles, she was delicately balanced on the edge of sanity. Suffering from bipolar disorder meant that she was on a precarious mix of medicine and timing; one wrong move and she was in trouble. The author of the book is a psychologist as well, and he clearly used his expertise to define Emily's experience in his book. Emily’s ability to articulate what she was feeling and thinking added so much to the story. I was spellbound.

I really liked And Then You Were Gone. With its witty banter and likable character, it was the perfect blend of entertaining and suspenseful. It was easy to figure out “who did it” but the path to the truth was worth the read.

This psychological thriller started out as a slow burner and I didn't really know what to think of it.

But then the pace picks up and had me gripped with all the twists and secrets being revealed. Lots of the twists were really unpredictable and what an ending that was. I would recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys a good suspenseful thriller, and would definetly read more more this author.

I voluntarily reviewed this book via #Netgalley, and thanks to the author and the publisher for this chance.

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book. I love a good suspense story. This is it! I couldn't put this book down!

Emily and Paolo are in love. They go to the lake, just for a quick, overnight trip on a boat, even though Emily is afraid of the water and can't swim. Time together, some wine, spend the night, no problem. Except, when Emily wakes in the morning, the boat is adrift and Paolo is nowhere to be found!

After getting the boat back to the marina, Emily's world spins out of control. Trying to keep her bipolar disorder in check, her world seems to be spinning out of control as Emily tries to figure out what happened to Paolo.

I couldn't read fast enough, and loved every minute of it!

When I saw that And Then You Were Gone was described as for fans of B. A. Paris and Mary Kubica, I knew I had to read it and it did not disappoint! This novel is intense and compelling and a well-written blend of fascinating characters with a deeply layered story, which unwinds with intensity. It will grip your imagination and have you guessing until the very last astonishing twist.

This book was hard to put down! I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen next and I was constantly changing my mind about who I thought was behind everything. I think I suspected every character at some point in the story, and to me, that's what makes an amazing thriller.

The characters were believable and the setting was well described so the reader could easily follow what was happening. With a Bachelor in Psychology, I absolutely loved the incorporation of bipolar disorder and the fact that the main character is a therapist and her ability to recognize when her thoughts were misleading her as well as turning her symptoms as strength.

Buckle up because you won't be able to put this one down! I look forward to reading future work from the author

And Then You Were Gone is a gripping psychological thriller filled with suspenseful twists and turns. Worth the read!

This book took a little while to warm up, but was most intriguing once it did. I think the most gripping thing was the fact the main character and narrator of the story is bipolar and doubts her own take on reality and the way her mind is processing information.
Emily is a psychologist battling her own demons who is asked on a boating holiday by her boyfriend Paolo, she reluctantly agrees even though unable to swim and being petrified of water. A sequence of events then takes place that has everyone including Emily doubting her sanity. As her fear grows so does her mania as she forgets her medication and sets about trying to find out what happened on the boat.
Who can she trust if she can't even trust herself?
A great read, thank you Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

And Then You Were Gone by RJ Jacobs was the perfect page turning thriller! I couldn't put this one down and never figured it out until it was revealed. Every twist had me surprised, and the climax was heart thumping and thrilling. I was enlightened by the author's detailed and seemingly educated (see RJ Jacobs' bio/career field) description of a person struggling with and working through her life with bipolar disorder. The little hint of a romantic storyline in this one didn't hurt either.

I really enjoyed this book. A main character who isn’t perfect, with so many twists that I could hardly keep up and there was no chance I was going to guess the ending. Actual character development, with all the side characters fleshed out enough that you care about them as well. This is a thoroughly good book that I’ll be recommending to some of my regular customers.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review,

This book was incredibly difficult to put down. I just had to know what happened! I read the entire book in two sittings. If you are thinking of reading this (and you should) stop reading reviews right now! This book is best gone into with no preconceived notions about what you are going to read and spoilers would ruin half the fun! I think you will be surprised at the direction the mystery takes.

The main character Emily is presented as a classic unreliable narrator with her bipolar disorder that may or may not be under control with medication. Her condition seemed to throw doubt on her competence with the police but I rarely found her unbalanced. She’s a fairly likable and understandable character. It must be awful always having people doubting your opinions and memories solely due to a mental illness.

The story took a turn in direction I was not expecting and I quite liked where it went. It surprised me and I was intrigued when it turned out to be about something much bigger and scarier than I was expecting. I do have to say that despite all the red herrings, I did suspect the “bad guy” so that wasn’t a shocker but the complete picture of what was going on was a bombshell. We got little teases of it as the story progressed but at some point things turned dark real quick!

I really enjoyed this thriller and it literally rarely left my hands until I was done. It’s one of those books you need to start on a weekend when you have a clear schedule because once you get into the story it doesn’t let you go!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.