Last time I reviewed a Lisa Jewell book (I Found You) I thought it was a masterpiece and wrote that she was at the top of her game. Well, what can I say now that she has written an even better book? I tell you, this woman is a genius.

Then She Was Gone will break your heart in about ten places. Its observations are so acute it’s as if Jewell can look into people’s minds. Laurel’s life before she lost her daughter was an ordinary cycle of worry and waiting and Jewell describes that with suchabsolute accuracy that I found myself nodding.

I’m not giving anything away here that’s no in the blurb. Laurel’s daughter Ellie goes missing aged fifteen, and that’s the main plot point. The hook of the story is so irresistible that you will be tempted to devour this book in one gulp. Several years after her daughter’s death she meets her boyfriend’s daughter who is so like Ellie that its stops Laurel in her tracks. Therein lies an intriguing story told in tantalising pieces that the readers fits together like an addictive jigsaw.

The book is harrowing in places, but the story is vividly told and not without shafts of light. It is one of the best books I have ever read and just one of the many reasons why Lisa Jewell is my favourite author. Possibly ever.

My first 5 star review of the year, and boy oh boy, did this book deserve it!

Then She Was Gone is told mainly from Laurel's point of view, the mother of missing Ellie, who disappeared at the tender age of fifteen. However, we also get glimpses into Ellie's character as some of the chapters are told from her point of view. We hear from Ellie before she disappears, and then again later in the story. I loved the alternating points of view, and the move between first and third person narration.

This read really got under my skin, and some of the chapters creeped me out. I felt for Ellie's family after her disappearance, especially for her mother who fell apart, and then who, years later, manages to find some form of happiness with a new man. But really, the chapters that disturbed me the most, were those about Ellie's disappearance and her capture...let's talk about an eerie basement, a tiny window, a solid door with three bolts, and hamsters, lots of hamsters...

I found this book to be totally gripping, and even though I've been in a bit of a reading slump for the last couple of months, I couldn't wait to get home every day to read. I definitely didn't feel my slump while turning the pages of this book! And this is why I awarded 5 stars - it was just pure, enthralling, entertainment...and that's exactly what I want from my reads.

In summary, I'm not the type of person that enjoys long winded, highly descriptive prose, award winning books that may be extremely well written but which tend to be a tad monotonous and let's be frank...boring. No Sir, not me! Give me a fast paced, rollicking roller coaster of a read and I'll be happy. This one ticks all those boxes! Loved it.

One word - obsessed! I literally could not put this book down and when I physically had to I could not stop thinking about it. This book will have you gripped literally from the first chapters and you just will not believe what happens! I cannot recommend this book enough .

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

The plot: In 2005, Ellie Mack disappears of the face of the earth. a straight A student with a bright future ahead of her, just about to sit her GCSE's, Ellie has everything to live for. But one day she takes herself off to her local library to study. Ellie never makes it to the library. Convinced something has happened to her, mum Laurel never gives up hope on Ellie. Until her remains are found in Kent some 10 years later. Finally, with closure, Laurel begins to move on with her life. By chance, she meets Floyd in her local cafe, who captures Laurel's heart. Soon they are an item and Floyd introduces Laurel to his daughters, Sara-Jade and Poppy. To Laurel's shock, Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie. But are Floyd and his daughters all they seem?

I've read one other Lisa Jewell book, that being Ralph's Party back in the late '90s and, if I remember rightly, that was more of a romantic kind of affair, and in all honesty I had no idea Ms Jewell had moved on to psychological thrillers. And as the genre goes, she's done a pretty good job of it. The book ebbs and flows, sometimes begging to be read and read and read, others slowing the pace down as if to say "take a break". But you always have the feeling you need to go back to it and see what's around the corner for the characters. I can honestly say I had no idea what had happened to young Ellie until the build up to the final reveal, which comes a tad early for my liking with around a quarter of the book to go - personally I think it could have been squeezed on a few more chapters. I'll definitely be seeking out more thrillers by this author.

While it's certainly not the most gripping of thrillers I've read in recent times, there's no doubt it's a very good book, although not quite a 5* work for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Then She Was Gone’ by Lisa Jewell. The premise of the story is a well-used one, as both male and female readers alike could not help but empathise with Laurel’s pain at one of a parent’s biggest nightmares becoming a reality; fifteen year old Ellie Mack leaves her house one day, and disappears. Her mother’s grief is real, raw and deeply felt. Laurel’s other relationships suffer, her marriage ending in divorce and her other two children paling into insignificance beside the all-encompassing grief of her loss.

The story is told from several points of view, including that of the lost child, Ellie, and Lisa Jewell maintains a feeling of unease throughout the telling of it. The characters are well-developed, and probably the most notable is that of Noelle, Ellie’s home tutor, intelligent, sinister and manipulative.

I have read some reviews that say that the book is predictable; I beg to differ, as to suggest that a book is predictable suggests that the author was trying to ‘hide’ a secret until the very end when the conclusion would be a shocking surprise. I don’t think this is the case with ‘Then She Was Gone.’ There doesn’t have to be a big reveal to make a book thrilling; it is my thought that Lisa Jewell left a smattering of clues throughout the book for the reader to follow, and it is her talent as a writer that maintains the sinister atmosphere throughout, as the story GRADUALLY unfolds and the mystery of what happened to Ellie Mack comes to be GRADUALLY revealed.

This for me was a five star read!

A disturbing story of a fifteen year old girl who goes missing. Ellie is a bright 15 year old and the apple of her mothers eye, so when she goes missing her mothers world is torn apart. Her parents separate and her mothers relationship with her remaining children is far from a close one. Ten years past and when laurel thinks she will never be happy again she meets a man and begins to see just a glimmer of light in her life. With meeting said man comes his two daughters, eldest daughter SJ and youngest Poppy who shares and uncanny resemblance to Ellie. Laurels World is once again rocked as she pieces together the pieces of events that link the new people in her life with her beloved deceased daughter.

When writing this review it was extremely difficult not to write spoilers but what I will say about it is that we're I did enjoy it, I liked the writing style and I read it very fast and clearly it made and impact with me for me to rate it four stars but with that being said I did find it predictable. I knew a lot of the time what was happening and when reading thrillers I do like to be surprised and shocked. Overall the novel was well written, super sad I felt a large amount of sadness for laurel and for Ellie too.

I will be reading more books by this author in the future because this one i did enjoy.

I really enjoyed this book. It was well written, full of mystery and intrigue. I loved the plotting, which kept me guessing and I will read anything by Lisa Jewell. She has become another go to favourite author.

After coming across Lisa Jewell a couple of years ago I knew this was going to be a gem.

"A girl missing and a buried secret" the tagline that speaks for itself. The characters were believable, the only thing was I worked the whole twist out so early on 😦 BUT that didn't take away the fact that the story was believable and also shocking!

4 stars and would definitely recommend this to anybody who enjoys a good thriller or crime novel

OHMIGOSH!!! This book!! Just phenomenal! Fast-paced, breathtaking, sad, creepy.

This is a new level of brilliant from one of my favourite authors! A big change from her earlier fluffier, happy-ever-after rom-coms, Then She Was Gone is dark. It will draw you in and hold you by the throat until the very last word. It's unrelenting and sad, unlike any other book I have ever read.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Have read a few of Lisa's books and have enjoyed them - loved this one it was a great pageturner! Ellie was 15 when she went missing one day no one knows where - it broke her family apart. The story is set 10 years later she is still missing - it follows her mother Laurel as she comes to terms with not knowing where she is and how meeting a man in a cafe starts the mystery to unravel. I was hooked and there are enough twists to keep you engrossed!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this.

An enjoyable read. Darker in parts than i expected it to be but I had not read any others before from this author. It is a story of a families loss and how years later the mother by a seemingly bazaar turn of events is about to find out the truth about her daughters disappearance.
A sad(ish) ending but a better book for it.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Some bits of it I worked out quickly, but other details I had to wait to read in this gripping book. I will be recommending this book to my book loving friends, and I shall also check out other books by this author.

I loved this book and read it in one sitting.
The premise was a missing child which has obviously been done before but Lisa Jewell has given a whole new take.
Laurel and Paul’s marriage broke up after their daughter Ellie went missing. Laurel then meets Floyd and begins to see the chance for a new relationship. Then she meets his 9 year old daughter. The story is written from the four main characters point of view including Ellie. The story is written both in the present and past as you begin to discover what happened to Ellie.
I was engrossed from the first page and will be looking to read Lisa Jewell’s next book.

I have been reading Lisa Jewell books for 20 years, since the first one, Ralph's Party and loved this book as much as al the previous ones . Great characters, hooked from the beginning and kept me gripped until the end! Looking forward to the next one!

Wow what a read. Such an unputdownable read that I completely devoured. A dark, moving, heart-stopping book that put me through so many emotions reading it. It broke my heart but I was completely engrossed in this book from start to finish. I loved it. Highly recommend!!

I absolutely loved this book, it was a definite page-turner, I literally couldn't put it down and read it in a day.

Great psychological thriller and a very worthy 5 stars from me.

Highly recommended!

This is the best thriller I’ve read from the pen of Lisa Jewell.

I've always loved Lisa Jewell and though I'm not the biggest fan of thrillers it's interesting to watch her change direction. Although I guessed the twist, Lisa's writing kept me wanting to read, determined to find out if I was right.

An emotionally charged psychological thriller that is gripping but at same time disturbing. From the outset I was drawn into the mystery surrounding 'golden girl' Ellie Mack who at 15 years old just suddenly vanished without trace

The book is set some 10 years later with snippets from the past told by different characters involved. The storyline depicts with clarity how the unsolved disappearance affected and continues to affect her family and their difficulty with moving on.

Great characterisation and very well written. Late at night in bed I found myself reading into the small hours telling myself it would just be 'one more chapter'. Totally recommended

Laurel is a mum of three but her daughter Ellie goes missing just before she is due to complete her GCSEs. She had maths tuition from a woman named Noelle who Ellie found very disturbing.
Laurel and her husband Paul's relationship ends after the heartbreak of loosing their daughter. She meets a man called Floyd who seems like a great guy but his life mixes with Laurels more than she anticipated.
Laurel tires to find out what happened to her daughter to her bring her family back together, bringing more family together than she thought she would have again