This was an amazing read!!! Omg ok my deat the whole time and finished in little over 3 days!!!! Love love love!!! Must read!!!

''Utterly gripping twisty psychological thriller'' indeed. I don't even have words for this book. Twisted? Wicked? Creepy? All the above? One thing is certain: This is the second book by Shane Spyre, and boy, he does know how to write about twisted pre-teen girls with wicked families and creepy scenes. Every chapter is a whirlwind, that even when you think you know what's going on, well not, and the whole plot is so mind blowing that it leaves you dizzy. I can't wait to read the next book by this author. And to say that I highly recommend his books is an understatement.

The book was a blend of intrigue and confusion, a potpourri of emotions that left me both fascinated and frustrated. The concept of the book was undeniably intriguing, and as a seasoned reader who has navigated numerous narratives with multiple points-of-view, this aspect of the book did not phase me. However, the constant lying that each character engaged in, it was difficult to discern the truth. Every character seemed to be shrouded in a cloak of dishonesty, each one hiding more than they revealed.

One of the glaring plot holes that stood out was the lack of a DNA test on the child. This simple procedure could have easily resolved the mystery surrounding her identity. The absence of this logical step was baffling and somewhat detracted from the credibility of the narrative.

Despite these shortcomings, the author's writing style was commendable. The narrative was gripping, the prose was eloquent, and the story was told in a manner that was compelling enough to keep me turning the pages. While the book was a captivating read with a fascinating concept and well-crafted prose, the convoluted narrative and the lack of logical progression were significant drawbacks. The constant deception and the confusing timeline made it difficult to fully immerse myself in the story. While I appreciated the author's writing style and the gripping nature of the story, the overall experience was somewhat marred by the book's complexity and confusion.

After a short outing with her mother, ten year old Iris finds herself picked up by the police, not knowing that her life is about to change drastically. The police explain that she is really Charlotte Gallagher, and has been missing from her family the past two years. The woman who she believes is her mother is truly her abductor. As she struggles to recall her abduction and piece together the mysteries surrounding it, Charlotte wonders--is she really Iris, or is she Charlotte?

After reading the description for this book, I was really excited because it seemed to have everything I want in a thriller--plot twists, deception, weird children, etc. But after reading, the execution was a little disappointing. I found the plot poorly structured, and almost thought there were too many crazy plot twists. The jumps back in forth in time were not executed in a way that was understandable to me, as well as the many shifts in POV towards the end. I also didn't feel connected to the characters.

Gone But Not by Shane Spyre was my first read from this author, and I was immediately intrigued by the premise of a missing child being returned to the fold of her biological family.

Ten year old Iris has been missing for two years when she is reunited with her family, the Gallaghers, to whom she is known as youngest daughter Charlotte. But far from being a perfect family unit, the Gallaghers clearly have secrets, and Charlotte is left to try to piece together just who she really is, and where she truly belongs.

This is a fast-paced tale that very quickly sucked me into its vortex, though I'll admit to being quite confused by the multiple POVs and timelines as the narrative progressed. Overall, however, this was an enjoyable read and I will certainly keep an eye out for this author in the future.

Many thanks to NetGalley and The Book Folks for an ARC.

This was a good read! It was hard to know who to trust and who not to trust which really kept me guessing. I enjoyed this book!

Shane Spyre wields his pen like a sword, challenging his readers to solve the great conundrum in his plot. The writing is captivating and from the very beginning one has an irresistible urge to find out what happens next but the author is determined to keep secrets right to the very end. Each tantalising glimpse of the truth is revealed like the...drip...drip...dripping of an old tap into a zinc bathtub. As the puzzle becomes ever more perplexing it is a real effort not to start biting one's nails.
With deft sleight of hand, like a modern day Houdini, the author conjures up surprise after surprise, shock after shock, until the final dark disturbing revelations.
Pitch perfect psychological plotting.

Such an awesome thriller! There were so many twists and turns, and it kept my attention the whole time. Definitely pick this one up!

3⭐️
Publisher: The Book Folks
Publication Date: 5/6/2024

When Charlotte was 8 years old, she disappeared from her family's farm. Two years later, she turned up again, only she didn't know herself as Charlotte. She knows herself as Iris. She knows a different woman as mom. She can't remember this new past. Both "mothers" claim her as theirs. But who is telling the truth?

My Thoughts

I've read this type of storyline before. It's not new. Normally, it's told from the mothers point of view. This author took a different approach and told it from the child's Charlotte/Iris. The writing comes off as a bit immature until you understand it's told through the eyes of a traumatized 10 year old. It's actually brilliant in its simplicity.

The part that irked me the most was the lack of any kind of testing or confirmation that Iris WAS Charlotte. They seemed to all just take it for a fact even when the child couldn't remember any of her "real" family.

The whole book has multiple timeline jumps between Charlotte and Iris, who are essentially the same person but with separate pasts. It's confusing. It's disjointed. Something entirely wrong is going on, and it is hard to keep up. No wonder the poor mite is so scared and confused. She doesn't even know who she truly is.

The first two parts of the book were intense and had me throughly engrossed and engaged. The third part.......? Well, that's when the whole thing went off the rails. The timelines become screwed. The author messes up what happened in the first few parts. Nothing quite adds up or makes sense. You can see where she is trying to go and how she is trying to get there ( it concept is amazing FYI) she just seems lost on the way. It needs a better edit. Someone needs to take noats on the first few sections and correct the mistakes. There are no clear indications as to who is talking, whose life we are seeing, and whose story we are hearing. It all becomes an incoherent mess.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The first 80% of this book was brilliant - the language is a little more basic than I'm used to but the premise is good and it was easy to read. The thought of figuring out who the FMC was really kept me guessing! The last bit of the book I found a bit disappointing just because it was a little confusing and I think it could have been written a bit better. I did still enjoy the book though and it definitely has promise!

"Gone But Not" is a nice, quick, suspenseful read. I enjoyed the multiple POV's, the deceit, and the twists and turns the story took. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I will be interested to read what Shane Spyre pens in the future. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
#GoneButNot

I struggled with this. Its layered whoch I normally love but this goes to extremes! I found myself rereading parts to try and get everything straight. There are so many twists and turns, absolutely everyone is lying, nothing seems logical and it's all just chaos lol. It's well written if a bit all over the place but if you focus then it is actually a pretty entertaining book. Its just one fo those books you need to absolutely concentrate on or you'll be lost within a page

Ten years old called Iris and she was kidnapped a couple of years ago
She is picked up from the law and apparantly she is called Charlotte
But she doesn’t think that she is called Charlotte
But who is she
I had an ARC

I was immediately sucked in when I started this book. It is full of twists and turns. Everyone is lying at some point, and you really have to figure out who you can trust. I loved the concept of this book, but I was extremely confused towards the ends because of the different POVs and timelines. I would probably have to re-read the last third of the book to fully make sense of it all, but I enjoyed the read!

I was really excited at the prospect of reading this book. It sounded terrific, and I was really happy to be given the ARC.

Overall, it was a mixed bag for me. On the plus side, it was way more complex and sinister than I had initially thought, and there were a lot more twists and turns than I'd expected.

"One Child.

Two Mothers.

Someone is lying"

Or so the blurb says.

But in fact, *everyone* is lying. And that's where the problem actually lies (pun intended).

With the number of POVs, the fact that almost everyone is discovered to be lying multiple times, the degree of suspension of disbelief required to accept the "actual" version of events - which involved psychiatric facilities, kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, and everything else in between - I was totally confused by the end.

Moving between timelines and repeatedly inconsistent behaviour on the part of the characters also didn't help. Everyone seemed to be a psycho.

So, there you have it. A clever, complex and potentially excellent attempt at storytelling that was something of a letdown for me in terms of execution. I'm still giving it 3 stars, but I wish the author had clarified things properly at the end instead of adding what looked like YET ANOTHER TWIST.

After reading the authors first book I was looking forward to what he had in store for us next and his not dissapointed infact this one was even better. Complex,and intriguing who can you trust and who is really telling the truth with plenty of twists and turns and told from different points of views this has a really good storyline making it a great psychological thriller.Im so pleased I came across this author roll on book 3.
Thanks to Netgalley and The Book Folks for the ARC.

Wow! Where do I even begin with a book that left me completely speechless? This book is, for sure, one of those books you will not be able to put down!

Iris, the main character thinks she is going on an adventure with her mother. Little does she know the adventure she is really about to take. She had been missing for two years and is now in the custody of the police, on her way to her really family. Iris, or is her name really Charlotte? Iris does not remember anything about her disappearance nor does she remember anything about her family. Her parents, her sisters, are all strangers to her. Slowly she starts remembering bits and pieces and is starting to put together just who they are and all the secrets they keep. But does she really want to know all that she has forgotten?

This book will have you suffering from whiplash as there are so many twists and turns. Once you think you have the book figured out and feeling confident you know who everyone is in the book, here come more twists and turns.

There were a few parts in the book where I was confused as to what was going on, but I think that's just because I would pick up from where I was the night before and was probably only half conscious while reading.

This is the the first book I have read by Shane Spire, and I guarantee it will not be my last! The writing style and the way this book is set up is amazing and just leaves you wanting to know what happens next.

If you are looking for an amazing thriller/mystery, this is definitely a book to add to your TBR.

A big thank you goes out to The Book Folks and to Shane Spire for allowing me to read this before publication.

The book is twisted, mysterious and suspenseful. The writing is gripping. The characters were deceptive and mysterious. A lot of unexpected things happens in the plot and truths unveils with a layer of secret. The revelations at the end were shocking. The book is unputdownable.

Ten year old Irish has no idea who she is or if she is being deceived and she can’t trust anyone around her. Her mother tells her to keep going, she trust her but the path leads her to the police and then she end up in someone’s else house and finds out about her strange family. She can feel that something is wrong because she doesn’t remember anything. She is being told that She is Charlotte, Michelle’s daughter who went missing two years ago. She try to find the missing link between her present and past and soon she gets tangled in lies and secrets. It all feels so deceptive. While so many terrible and unthinkable things happens in the plot. The truth is revealed at the end. The twists and turns kept me on the edge.

Many Thanks to the Publisher, Author and Netgalley.

Thank you NetGalley for the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was unbelievably confusing. Timelines were all over the place. None of the characters were likeable. Sometimes the children were behaving as adults, even though the whole book sounded so juvenile and childish. Some parts just did not make any sense and it just kept getting worse until the very end.

Oh my gosh!! I don’t even know where to start… this book was incredible!!! The story starts with so many characters and it’s so fast paced, the storyline un folds so beautifully!! For the majority of the story, I thought I had it all figured out. I thought I knew who Charlotte and who Iris were and what the story was but WOW was I so completely wrong?? I loved the character development, I love the way it jumped from the different POVs to fill in the gasps. I love that the story wrapped up and there were not many questions left at the end. It’s a fantastic thriller and had me hook the whole read!!