Read this book over 2 days, (in-between having to go to work) it was compelling from the start and held my interest to the very end. Loved the characters and the unique storyline and would recommend this book to everyone. A joy from beginning to end.

I loved this book ,the characters were engaging I especially felt for Laurel who had lost her daughter and was struggling to come to terms with it and in the process lost her husband and remaining children a little as they didn't understand her pain .The story twisted and turned into ways I didn't expect .It was compelling read very gripping and hard to put down .The ending was excellent and had me in tears .

I am not entirely sure what to make of this book as basis of the plot seemed to be given away only about 20% in. I'm not a reader who spends time wondering what's going to happen and comes up with theories. But quite near the start of this book it seemed very clear about the way the plot was going.

The book is mostly told through the eyes of Laurel, mother of Jake, Hanna and Ellie. Ten years ago her youngest child, Ellie aged 14, suddenly disappeared with no trace. The police suggest that maybe Ellie ran away but no evidence to corroborate that and she didn’t take her phone, money or other things you would expect if that was the case. Her mother is convinced she did not run away. Four years later there is a burglary at the house but strange things are taken such as a newly baked cake and an ancient laptop. Laurel is given hope as she senses that the 'burglar' was Ellie. There's no sign of forced entry and Ellie had her house keys on her when she disappeared. Laurel and her husband Paul struggle on for a few years after Ellie's disappearance but their conflicting ways of dealing with the trauma play a toll on their relationship and their marriage disintegrates. Paul finds a new partner, Bonny, but Laurel is not ready for another relationship until Floyd comes across her path. She falls for him and shortly after meets his nine year old daughter who looks like Ellie. And so the story unfolds.

It was a good read and did keep me gripped but there were no great surprises as I'd figured a lot of it out by the early clues. I'd have preferred them to come as more of a twist but there were a few twists I hadn't figured out so it was still an enjoyable read.

Laurel Mack's youngest daughter, 15 year old Ellie disappeared ten years ago. Laurel knows her daughter was happy at home and school and would not have run away but can't give up hope of finding her alive. Laurel's marriage since has fallen apart and she is not close to her other two adult children. When police call to say that Ellie's remains and backpack have been found after all this time, Laurel feels that now she can move on. When she meets a nice man called Floyd in a cafe she agrees to start dating again and having fun. Floyd has a young daughter called Poppy who reminds Laurel so much of what Ellie was like at that age and they soon form a bond. But there are some disquieting coincidences in Floyd's background that disturb Laurel and make her wonder whether she can trust him.

Narrated mainly by Laurel, but sometimes by Ellie and others, the story of Ellie's disappearance and fate is gradually told. It is very chilling and creepy in places as the horrific events unfold and kept me hooked to the end, even as a picture of what happened to Ellie started to emerge. With an original plot and a mix of interesting characters (most of them not all that nice), this is not just another thriller about a missing girl.

Darkly disturbing, this is a slow burning psychological thriller that twists and turns through a wonderful series of plot reveals. Narrative changes throughout give a really well rounded feel to the characters, and there is just the right amount of gruesome detail. The whole thing jumped off of the page.
Compelling reading and definitely one of Lisa Jewell's best novels to date. I shall definitely be recommending this.

Laurel Mack's daughter, Ellie was only 15 when she went missing. Ten years later, her family has evaporated – Ellie’s disappearance and the subsequent stress caused the breakdown Laurel’s marriage and her relationship with her other two children is remote and difficult.
Laurel has never been able to get over Ellie’s disappearance and as the rest of her family have moved on, Laurel has drifted through the last ten years.
Then one day, seemingly by chance, she meets a man called Floyd, with whom she gets on very well and for the first time in a very long time she feels an attraction to another man. Floyd has a daughter called Poppy and Poppy stirs memories in Laurel that remind her of Ellie.
Told primarily from Laurel’s viewpoint, there are also other perspectives – that of Noelle the somewhat unattractive maths tutor who was helping Ellie with her maths exams – and we also get some of Ellie’s viewpoint.
Lisa Jewell does characterisation well. She creates vivid, well-drawn characters with emotional resonance and realistic relationships. I think the family relationships are really what make this book work for me; I was less convinced by the psychological thriller element of the book. That’s partly because it was pretty easy to see what was coming, but also the plot seemed to me at least, a little far- fetched.
Yet it is undoubtedly a good and easy read with well written prose and a dark centre. All in all, I’d say a perfect summer read.

I have read previous books by Lisa Jewell and have thoroughly enjoyed them, so I was very pleased to get an ARC of her new book.
Basically the book is about the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Laurel's daughter
Ellie who has been missing for ten years, and it explores the affect the disappearance has had
On the family, including the relationships between Laurel and her other two children, especially her Other daughter Hanna.
Then she meets Floyd, and his precocious daughter Poppy who reminds her of Ellie. This book also explores how Laurel's new relationship with Floyd, and Poppy's presence, are introduced into, and affect the existing family dynamic.
Ellie's traumatic disappearance is explored from the point of view of the present day and flashbacks from ten years previously, I particularly liked the epilogue and thought it was a very gripping, but touching way to end the story.
Overall this is a much darker plot than I have read previously from Lisa Jewell, but it draws you in and it certainly made me keep reading to find out what had happened.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for allowing me to read a pre publication copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Then She Was Gone is the first book I've read by Lisa Jewell and I'm so annoyed I've only just found this author.

I'd seen a lot of recommendations for this book on social media and wondered if it would live up to the hype, and my goodness it did!

Laurel Mack's daughter went missing at the age of fifteen. She's never been found but Laurel has refused to give up hope. Ten years later Laurel meets Floyd who sweeps her off her feet and introduces her to his nine year old daughter Poppy. The only problem is, Poppy is the spitting image of her missing daughter.

From the very first page I was hooked into the story. It's so well written and the chapters flowed together seamlessly. This was, by far, one of my favourite books of this year.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK Cornerstone Century and the author for the chance to review.

I was given a free ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity.

I hadn't read any Lisa Jewel books before so I approached this book with an open mind. I quickly found the main character, Laurel Mack, to be engaging. Her continued sadness for her lost daughter and the way this family had disintegrated since the disappearance caught me and held my rapt Laurel’s daughter, Ellie, disappeared ten years ago, and now Mum, Laurel, has met a man with a nine year old who looks just like her. I liked that the story was told from different perspectives at different times, including the missing girl, Ellie, so that I got a full picture by the end. The existence of Poppy means there is little mystery in the ending. The story is in the journey. It begins with a mother’s anguish, and how it has destroyed the family unit. I loved how this woman, Laurel, slowly came back to life and how when she finally found the answers she'd been waiting for, she was ready for them and able to go on with her life and stitch the pieces of her family back together. We have all heard real life unsolved missing person cases so there was something very satisfying about a fictional explanation for one. This book will move you to look at missing person reports and wonder!

Really enjoyed this book, in fact I have recommended it to my book club.

I absolutely love this author's books. Well, the ones I have read, I am still playing catch-up with the rest so I always look forward to the time when she has a brand spanking, shiny new one out for me to devour. There is something about her characterisation that has me in awe. As well as a really good story, you always have these really great characters to like / loathe or be indifferent to. Here was no different, we had a veritable cast of the good, the bad and the unfortunate playing out what to me was a gripping tale that held my attention throughout and left me satisfies at the end.
Laurel's daughter Ellie went missing when she was 15. She was on her way to the library and simply disappeared. Fast forward a year and Laurel meets Floyd and the two hit it off. Then Laurel meets Poppy, Floyd's young daughter and is shocked at the resemblance between her and Ellie. Coincidence, or is there something sinister afoot?
Oh my goodness, I had so many guesses and theories spinning around my head whilst reading this book that I was quite dizzy at times in trying my hardest to beat the author and unravel it all myself. OK, I failed, although there were elements that I had on point, the majority came as a bit of a shock as reveal after reveal uncovered the whole truth. It was also, for me, a rather emotional read. Dark and sinister at times, but never too heavy so it never became overpowering.
Told for the majority by Laurel, we also get chapters from Ellie as she tells her side of things. These were particularly emotional to read and I had to have a couple of time outs to recover as boy can this author write emotion. I think she puts her readers through the wringer as her characters at times!
All in all, another cracking read which only enhances this author's already impressive back catalogue. I really must complete my catch-up mission... soon.

My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Then She Was Gone is the first book by Lisa Jewell which I have read. It tells the tale of a distraught mother who fights to find answers as to what happened to her daughter who went missing ten years before.

In Then She Was Gone, Laurel is still searching for her daughter, Ellie ten years after she disappeared. The police believe that her daughter ran away and eventually she has to accept that as the only possible scenario. Surely that’s what the evidence points to. Ten years later, Laurel is finally ready to start moving on with her life although she has never truly left her daughter behind. And when she meets someone who she falls head over heels in love with she can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. It is only when she meets his daughter Poppy, who is the spitting image of her daughter who went missing does she begin to question what really happened to Ellie and the truth finally begins to unravel.

We hear the voices of both Laurel and her daughter, Ellie who went missing ten years ago. Lisa gives us an insight into Ellie’s mind in the days leading up to her disappearance whilst in the present, Laurel and the rest of her family are rocked when the police uncover a significant piece of evidence. It is soon after this point that Laurel first meets Floyd who she falls head over heels in love for.

There were definitely some chilling scenes in this book, particularly when the novel was told from Ellie’s perspective; I can imagine that some of these scenes must’ve been hard for Lisa to write. There was one character in the book who really gave me chills. The ending of this book really was heartbreaking and so well done.

Lisa Jewell’s latest novel really had me gripped all the way through and I wanted to find out what had happened to Ellie, Lisa has woven a gripping and intriguing tale which keeps you guessing right up until the end.

A fantastic read, five stars from me. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy to read.

There are some crazy people out there in the world, and reading this just reminded me of exactly that! Good read, would recommend...

Wow! This book left me breathless, shaking with adrenaline and just blown away. Lisa Jewell has just written her best novel yet (and I am a massive fan of hers so I am allowed to make that call!). I just loved this book, the twisty plot, the intense characters and the family theme running through it that just reduced me to tears. This is just a must read this summer.

It is hard to go into too many specifics about what I loved so much about this book without giving away any spoilers but I will do my best. This novel is written in 5 parts and has 4 different narrators. We hear from Mum Laurel's perspective, some from Ellie's perspective, a little from Floyd and there is another narrator in there that I won't giveaway. We also have sections written then and sections written now, as the blurb would suggest. This may sound a little complicated, but believe me, it totally works. I love the fact that it was heavily structured like this and the short sections from each narrator made it even more fast paced for me because I wanted to find out what happened then that let to now or what happened to one person and how that affected another-I love books like this!

In terms of the character, Lisa Jewell always writes these amazing strong family relationships that you don't see from many other writers of psychological thrillers. The family at the core of this novel are your typical family, a Mum, a Dad two girls and a boy and I loved the fact that we get to go through this story meeting all of these characters and they all have their own backstory and subplot. But the main characters here are Mum Laurel and daughter Ellie. This whole story revolves around Ellie's disappearance and Laurel's quest to find out what happened. Laurel is really down to earth. She values her family and she trusts her instincts and I love that about her. She is a typical mum when it comes to her children, but we also see her become a woman in her own right when it comes to Floyd.

Of course there are villains in this book as well as heros, what would a good psychological thriller be without a villain or two. But these characters are written so that we as readers can sympathise with them to some extent and form a kind of trust with them in many ways. And of course there are twists with each character along the way, I've already said too much! Needless to say the characters in this novel are all full formed people you could meet on the street, work with, go to school with and I feel like I know them inside out now.

This novel is set in North London and so is very easy to relate to in terms of setting. A lot of it takes place inside which I thought really added to the tension and was an interesting choice, but each home and setting is well-described and easy to put yourself right into. The tension in this book is unbelievable. I had to go and pick my husband up when I had reached 90% and I was physically shaking with the adrenaline of the story unfolding in front of me and as soon as he got in the car I told him to be quiet to I could finish, this book is that good!

The storyline is fabulous, totally believable, incredibly tense but also something you could totally see happening in your neighbourhood to your friends. I loved the family theme and the twists and turns during every section of the story. The structure was perfect and lends itself to binge reading, what more could you want from a book this summer? Go out and get yourself a copy now-you won't regret it!

Fifteen-year-old Ellie disappears when she is on her way to the library. There she is on the CCTV cameras, walking happily down the street and after that there are no further sightings of her. Her mother Laurel and father Paul are understandably distraught. They appeal for help to find their daughter but they are not successful. Eventually the police wind down their investigations, no further ahead than they were when Ellie was first reported missing. It is a mystery to her family and they cannot believe she would run away from home, especially as she is an A* student and is well prepared for her upcoming exams. She has also been in a relationship with her boyfriend for eight months, she loves her parents and sister; she just would not put them through all the pain and anguish. She is a good girl, a loving daughter and sister.
The years pass by and the whole family are fractured. They are no longer comfortable with each other and now live apart. Laurel still believes Ellie will be found one day. She is living a half-life, time in limbo and scarcely able to get on with her own life, until one day she meets and starts to date a man with a nine year old daughter. He is wonderful, intelligent, romantic and charming but his daughter Poppy takes her breath away when they are first introduced. She is the image of Ellie when she was Poppy’s age. Poppy is very welcoming and polite and soon they become close, merging their families gradually. But Laurel starts to feel that something is a bit off kilter and cannot stop herself from trying to put the pieces of the jigsaw together, hoping finally to discover the disturbing truth.
“Then She Was Gone” is quite unlike any of the other novels that I have read written by Lisa Jewell, but I really loved it. It is an absorbing psychological thriller full of suspense, twists and thrills and spills. It is beautifully written and well paced with a host of skilfully crafted characters. My favourite character was Laurel. I could well imagine and empathise with what she was going through. She had no closure to the mysterious disappearance of her treasured daughter. But what I most liked was her character development throughout the story, how she changed and became more open to absorbing theories about what may have happened to Ellie. This novel was a real page turner with an absolutely stunning storyline. I never once guessed what had happened to Ellie and when the mystery was solved it made my heart race with the shock of acceptance. I also really loved how the novel ended with the discovery that Ellie would have wanted for her loved ones. It brought tears to my eyes and made me realise what a truly special girl Ellie was.
I would like to thank NetGalley and publisher Cornerstone Digital for my copy of this novel, sent to me in return for an honest pre-publication review. I have no hesitation in recommending this as an excellent, enjoyable and exciting read and I will be thinking about this novel well into the future.

I really enjoyed this book by Lisa Jewell, it had me hooked from the first chapter.

A story about a missing teenager who disappeared ten years ago, you follow Laurel in her journey to find out what happened to her daughter Ellie. While the rest of her family have moved on with their lives Laurel has never been able to do that. However suddenly she is swept off her feet by Floyd a charming man who appears in her life if by chance.

Slowly Laurel realizes that everything is not all as it seems and she starts to unravel the mystery surrounding her daughter’s disappearance.

There moments reading this that I couldn’t carry on as the tension got too much for me to take. I highly recommend this smashing book by Lisa Jewell and I cannot wait to read the next gripping page turner.

While reading "Then She Was Gone" by Lisa Jewell I experienced a whole range of emotions and not just those positive ones.
I can praise this book for its ability to grasp the readers attention. I admire the way the author seems to be able to see into the characters minds. Plus, it was all described in such a realistic way it sometimes made me shiver.
I think that the only criticism I have for this book is not the criticism of the actual book. The only thing I did not like while reading was how vulnerable I felt and how exposed my feelings were. I like reading stories that make me feel certain way but with this book the emotions were a little too strong for my taste. But like I said, it is not a criticism of the actual book. If anything, I suppose it's a praise since not many authors would be able to pull all those feeling to the surface.
I also found it easy to connect with the characters and immensely enjoyed the story itself and it's originality and complexity.
Thank you so much to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I was unsure whether to read this book or not, after all isn't a missing child one of every mother's nightmares? After a friend gave it such a glowing review I knew that I had to just dive in and I'm very pleased that I did!

Fifteen year old Ellie is a very bright and studious young lady who, having just dismissed her rather strange tutor Noelle, goes off to the library to study for her GCSE exams and never returns.

Ellie's mother Laurel is so completely overcome by grief at her disappearance, that she alienates the rest of her family. Husband Paul leaves and finds a new wife, daughter Hannah and son Jake feel completely neglected and have their own grief to deal with.

Ten years later, over a slice of cake, Laurel meets and falls in love with handsome Paul. Paul's daughter, Poppy, looks so much like a younger version of Ellie that seeing her opens up all the old wounds and Laurel starts the heart searching and wondering all over again.

From here this disturbing tale takes you on a time travel journey into the minds of Laurel, Ellie, Paul and Noelle. It becomes so addictive that its almost impossible to put it down. I was torn between feelings of horror, sadness and needing to find out what happens next. I felt my own emotions dipping and diving as I read late into the night.

An excellent psychological thriller with deeply disturbing undertones. This is the first book I have read by Lisa Jewell and after this I will certainly be reading more.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy.

THEN
She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.

NOW
It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter.
And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet.

Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter.
Poppy is precocious and pretty - and meeting her completely takes Laurel's breath away.

Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.

What happened to Ellie?

Where did she go?

Who still has secrets to hide?

My life stopped while I read this book. I absolutely loved it and would recommend that everybody reads 'Then She Was Gone' 5*