Laurel Mack never got over the disappearance of her child. Ellie was the youngest in a happy family. She was doing very well at school and expected to come out with A's & A*'s in her exams. She was well liked and had a boyfriend of eight months. One day Ellie set off to the library to revise but never got there. Searches, appeals of information led nowhere.

Ten years on Laura meets Floyd & they soon start a relationship. When she meets Floyd's daughter, Poppy she is shocked- Poppy is the image of Ellie at that age! What could be the connection?

This was a real page turner as I was desperate to find out what really was behind Ellie's disappearance. I found the characters very engaging. All in all it was a great five star read- thanks Netgalley & the publisher.

This is the first book I have read by Lisa Jewell and I will read more.

Golden girl Ellie Mack goes missing at the age of fifteen. The police are adamant that she has run away. Her mother, Laurel refuses to believe this and never gives up hope that she will be found. Ellie’s disappearance results in the break-up of the rest of the family and Laurel’s poor relationship with her other two children.

Ten years later Laurel, single and living a drab existence, meets a charming man called Floyd. Initially she is suspicious of his motives but gradually begins to fall in love with him. She meets his precocious nine year old daughter, Poppy, who bears an uncanny resemblance Ellie.

The story is narrated from a number of viewpoints and the chapters told by Ellie are very poignant. The characters are well drawn and I had a particular sympathy for Hanna, Laurel’s other daughter.

It is difficult to say more about the plot without creating spoilers. It is an enjoyable thriller with a number of effective twists. The ending is heart-breaking.

I would recommend this book.

ARC received from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

I saw this described on Goodreads as being 'believable' and while I wouldn't go quite that far, this is certainly a very readable domestic thriller. The main character of a grieving mother who has put her life on hold while she recovers from her daughter's disappearance - and eventual death - is very sensitively done and while the plot does veer into the downright bizarre around halfway through, it certainly didn't feel as jarring as it has done with other, similar books I've read recently. Lisa Jewell is a very good writer and I found myself tearing through this in the space of a day. It would make a great beach read, and is certainly a book I'll be recommending to friends when they ask me what they should read while on holiday this year.

This is the third Lisa Jewell book I have read and they just get better and better. Then She was Gone will break your heart. I finished it yesterday and it's still on my mind. Brilliantly written, I strongly recommend this book!

Thank you Netgalley for my copy.

Oh my Lisa Jewell books are so good. She writes absolutely wonderful books with characters that are just so read. This book is no exception. Loved it! One to recommend. My thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for the advance reader copy.

Cracking read! Lots of half expected but utterly unbelievable twists and turns - in the best possible way - you'll have to read it to find out what I mean, because if I tell you then it will spoil the plot. The most heartbreaking ending I have ever read in a book though, so consider yourself warned.

A very well written psychological novel from Lisa Jewell, told from three different viewpoints. The main one being Laurel Mack whose daughter Ellie went missing out of the blue 10 years ago. Then we hear from Ellie, 10 years ago, with all the events leading up to her vanishing and what happened after. We also hear from Noelle, a maths tutor, that was tutoring Ellie before she went missing. To say anymore would involve spoilers, but the story rattles along at quite a pace, uncomplicatedly thank heavens, which always leaves you wanting to read more. I read this very quickly, over two sittings, as I liked the writing and was determined to see if the 'twist' was what I was expecting. The answer to that is "yes, it was.......kind of". You'll just have to read it to see what I mean.
Overall, a very satisfying read that I highly recommend.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie Mack has been gone for 10 years, she just vanished one day on her way to the local library and her disappearance broke her family. With a break-in at the family home 4 years after her disappearance, there was some feeling that it may have been Ellie. Mum Laurel has never given up hope of finding Ellie and one day she is swept off her feet by a man....a man who has a young daughter that looks just like Ellie did.

What a page turner this was, I could tell the way it was going but that didn't worry me and there were little twists that kept my attention. Most of the book is Laurel's story but towards the end there are some chapters narrated by other characters including Ellie. We go through Laurel's pain after Ellie is gone, to her regrowth after meeting Floyd and his daughter Poppy and I found the ending very powerful. Another 5 star read from this author for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy to read and review.

Warning: don't read this book for comfort. Because you won't, fell comfortable that is .. this is a disturbing novel that plays on your nerves perfectly to crank up the tension tighter and tighter.

Ellie Mack disappeared 10years ago, leaving behind her a fragmented and broken family. Laurel, Ellie's Mum is trying to pick up the pieces of her life and go through the motions of moving on. She then meets someone, someone who helps her rebuild some semblance of normality. In the building of her and Floyd's relationship she meets Poppy his 9 year old daughter and is astounded by her, particularly as she looks just like Ellie did. All Laurel's unanswered questions surrounding Ellie's disappearance flood back as she tries to unpick the truth.

This novel blends the discord of a fractured family drama with the angst of a psychological thriller and it makes for a truly unique and gripping read. Thanks to Netgalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review- I loved it.

What a brilliant book. I started reading on a long return train journey and was gutted that work took me away from a mystery steeped in strategy about how family life and favouritism affects the human psyche.

Lisa Jewell is at her best. Characters that intrigue you and draw you in. Laurel is a mum, emotionally damaged following the disappearance of her daughter Ellie and subsequent divorce.. So the reader is pleased for her when she meets the well presented, charming and educated Floyd.
But as the story unfolds we are given teasers of information.
The only person I would have liked develop more is Jake. .His relationship with his girlfriend is hinted at, speculated upon but never revealed.
The pace of the story was good, I was intrigued and involved from the beginning.

Incredible book. As a mother this book gripped me from the start of the first page.
And a page turner it was.
A host of emotions throughout.
My heart wanted to break for the Mack family.
Highly recommend

I read this in one sitting, just could not put it down! The story is about Laurel Mack and the events surrounding her daughter, Ellie's, disappearance 10 years earlier. It's a bizarre, creepy and sad tale told from the point of view of 4 main characters. My only issue was that I guessed what was going on pretty much right from the start but it's still a great read!

15 year old Ellie Mack goes missing one day. Her mother never gives up of finding her. 10 years later later the family has moved on and Laurel has separated from her husband, Ellie's remains are found in a local nearby wood. She meets Floyd after things are going good for a while she spends the night and then meets his daughter Poppy that has a striking resemblance to her daughter R#Ellie when she was at that age. All the feelings of Ellie start coming back. Where did Ellie go? What had happened to her?

This was an exciting, riveting, read It was intense and stirred so many different emotions witch each chapter.. It was a real page turner. I can't wait to discover what Lisa also has to offer.

This book recieved my 4 star because it was a very interest of it .since Ellie has been missing , Polly is very pretty and double of Ellie when she was younger x

I absolutely loved this book. Another great read from lisa jewell.
It was slightly predictable about half way through but it did have a twist at the end
Read about the lives of a family ripped apart with the disappearance of a 15 year old daughter and sister. Leading to the eventual discovery of what happened thst fateful day.

I have read all of Lisa Jewell's books so was really pleased when this came up on Netgalley. The story kept me gripped from the beginning and even though it went backwards and forwards a bit, it was never confusing.. I warmed to the characters and it kept me guessing right up until the end. Lisa Jewell seems to have moved on a bit from the normal chick lit that she used to write about, but it has been a successful move and I really enjoyed this book, even made me cry! Thanks Netgalley for the advance preview of this book.

This book is equally as chilling as it is heart rending. A family torn apart and nearly destroyed.

Well written and far more believable than anyone would want bearing in mind the storyline.

Simply fantastic.

When fifteen-year-old Ellie goes missing her family’s lives crumble around their ears. How can they possibly go on without their golden girl?

Ten years on, Ellies mother Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter one day, but when some new evidence comes to light she’s finally able to move on. As luck, would have it, moving on comes in the form of charming and charismatic Floyd. Before too long Laurel is spending the night at his house and meeting his precocious 9-year-old daughter, Poppy, and she is the spitting image of Ellie.

Meeting Poppy sends Laurel on a journey for answers, answers to questions she has asked herself for the last ten years. What happened to Ellie? Where did she go? Who is hiding the secrets she needs?

By 15% I had pretty much summed up this story, not all the intricacies and conclusion but the general gist. This didn’t necessarily spoil the book but it did take away any possible suspense there could have been. However, it was interesting enough to keep me intrigued until the end. I’m not sure I found any of the characters particularly likeable or warming, I even found it difficult to sympathise with Laurel, at some points I wanted to scream at her, but for a story in which you don’t know who you can trust this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I must admit I hadn’t been wholly impressed with Jewell’s newer work up until now but this latest novel may be changing my mind. My one complaint would be that I think Jewell is talented and capable enough of going much darker than she has so far, adding a new level of grittiness to her writing. Whether the lack of this is due to affecting her fan crossover, I'm not sure.

Started this novel on Saturday morning and it was glued to me until I finished it on Sunday evening. This book is beautifully written in a language which captures images and moods perfectly without being too flowery or wordy. It's rare that I read passages out loud to my husband but I did so several times this weekend. One thing to comment, it's difficult to decide where to place this novel. It's certainly a great thriller but a surprisingly good family saga too. So I'll conclude by calling it a bit of both...scrub that. Its a lot of both and well worth a read. I shall look forward to reading others by this author.