When you disappeared is the second John Marrs book I have read and loved. The first being The One back in March this year. John writes in a very specific way in which I find easy to follow yet still has twists and turns that surprise me every time. One of the things I love about the way he writes is how he structures his books in terms of chapters. In The One, he bases each chapter on each individual person/relationship, which you can read about here. Whereas in this book he flicks between the past and the present, as well as the perspectives of the two main protagonists Catherine and Simon. It is very cleverly written in a way that explains both the plot to us readers, at the same time as developing the story between the characters. I can not say too much more on this without giving too much away.

Someone I can say without a doubt is that John is a master at character building. He really knows how to create and develop characters of all ages and sexes. For example a part of the book I was really touched by was when I reached about half of the way through (and after we have already been introduced to Catherine and Simon’s children), to the point where Simon had been missing for exactly 1 year. John creates a scene where Catherine dresses all 3 children in their best clothes and takes them to the bridge over the stream. When they arrive, the children take turns in saying a few things to their daddy. The eldest James tells his dad he misses him and then thanks him for his guitar. The middle boy Robbie is going through a troubled time where he doesn’t like to speak, and simply throws a picture he drew into the water, and the youngest child Emily in her innocence starts singing Happy Birthday to her daddy, as she had not quite understood the significance of the day.

I loved certain characters and hated others just as much, but overall I just adored the way they were written.

I had no idea where the plot was heading and I was surprised with every twist and turn of the story. Some of my favorite being those that unravel right near the end of the book. However, even though I loved the ending, I also didn’t like how the story actually ended. It was quite a long book, but I still felt I needed more. This is more of a personal opinion as I can see why certain things didn’t happen, but in my head I wanted the children more involved at the end.

All in all I can not deny this was a 5 star read for me
(and Winston) and would recommend it if you like mystery, thrillers or even physiological thrillers.

I found myself liking this one more than I thought I would from just the synopsis alone. I can't really say I liked the characters, but I found the plot to be engaging and entertaining. I found some aspects of Simon's actions to be a little hard to believe and Catherine sometimes verged on annoying, but overall the story was entertaining and easy to follow.

After a couple of dud books I was reluctant to start another book that I might not like, however, When you Disappeared by John Marrs hooked me immediately.

When I finished this book, my first thought was just, wow. I really enjoyed this book, which was great since the last two books I had read were not my favourites.

I also found the way it was written well done. The story took place in "the now" with past memories of Catherine and Simon being told to each other. It was a very effective piece of storytelling that I throughly enjoyed.

To the outside world Simon & Catherine were a happy family with three children and no noticeable problems- so why did Simon disappear without trace one morning, leaving Catherine to pick up the pieces. Twenty five years later she finally finds out why. The story covers the twenty five years from both Simon & Catherine's perspectives.

I read this in its earlier incarnation as The Wronged Sons. I gave it five stars then but have gone down to four this time.

Have I got a bit harder to please? Maybe. I remember that I thought that Simon was one of the most selfish characters I'd come across. I did find it difficult to believe some of his actions over the twenty five years and that stopped it from being a five star read- I did find it difficult to put down on both occasions though!

Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher.

Simon has disappeared from his family’s life and they have no idea why. Catherine has to make a new life without him, never understanding why he left. Then

I was in two minds about this book, I can tell you I absolutely loathed Simon and his disregard for his family and others....and yet I couldn’t stop reading because I really wanted to know why.
I feel I didn’t connect with any of the characters. This may have been because the chapters where told in alternative POV’s and flashbacks, so I felt I was being told the story not really immersed in it. But that said, it was interesting and it kept me reading to the end. At the end I still didn’t have any sympathy for Simon and I had some choice words in my head to say about him that I won’t repeat here.

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

I am fast becoming a big fan of John Marrs. I read, highly recommended and persuaded others to buy 'The One' which they were all grateful to me for so I had high expectations of this book.
Oh Boy, it does not disappoint.
So cleverly written, each chapter draws you in, with a short sharp twist at the close of every one, making you constantly revise your opinion of the two main characters, unsure who you side with and questioning how on earth this will finish.
Its the type of novel that leaves you begging 'please don't let me down at the end' and over the moon that it does quite the opposite when you finally put it down well into the early hours.
I would go as far as to say this book lands in my top twenty ever read and it has nothing to do with it being set in Northampton (my home town - C'mon the Cobblers!) though that was a sweet revelation for me. I can only congratulate Mr Marrs on a job well done. Many thanks.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

DNF.

Too slow, or maybe too uninteresting for me. I don't mind the writing style, but the story isn't grabbing my attention. I have a long list of books to read, I'll set this aside for now.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my copy.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. character driven family drama psychological thriller that drew me in from the very first pages! I have to be careful not to give away any spoilers here. The pace and flow kept me reading and the writing intrigued me. I was turning pages quickly

I can’t believe it. I have just read this book again but with a different title The Wronged Sons. The thing is I didn’t recognise that I had already read it until the last moment when something happened that triggered me in to thinking the author had written the same plot twice!

Did I enjoy it yes, I did though there were moments I had to put my scepticism aside. Fairly fast moving but obviously not memorable!

Thank you to Netgalley for my ARC.

When You Disappeared was a great book I loved it.
It flicks between present day and 25 years ago (which gradually moves towards present day) and focuses between the two main characters.
I enjoyed the storyline, Simon who walks out on his family and just disappears and Catherine (or Kittie) who is left to pick up the pieces.
A great few twists along the way that helped to keep me hooked.

What a great read, I loved the plot unfolding and the characters interactions. It's full of mystery and the longing to belong but the fact that Simon, the main character, is both hated and liked throughout the book makes it a great read. The way the story unfolding grabbed me and made me hang on for a true book ride.

Enthralling psychological thriller that draws you in right from the beginning. Keeps you guessing until the very end. Well worth the read. 4/5 stars

This is the first book I have read from this author and if all books are similar I would read all of them.
I enjoyed the way the story bounced between before and after Simon left his family. The way Catherine was determined to find out what happened and why he left was amazing. I like how she put the kids first but trying not to upset them into thinking their dad was dead.
Reading through he book I was trying to come to my own conclusion as to why he would have left, having read briefly in the book about them loosing a baby, I thought maybe he was depressed regarding that and this was his way of dealing with it.
When I got to the last few pages I cried! Buckets full of tears at the revelations he made. I felt for them both in separate ways. I feel if Catherine had told him what happened with dougie in that room that night, I don't think he would have left.
Amazing book and I have recommended it to all my reader friends.

This book is something else. I mean, within the first couple chapters, I was ready to kill one of the main characters. So it starts off with a real bang.

The story is set in England, but also goes worldwide as Simon hops around the globe. I point this out because sometimes, books set with different slang and jargon can be hard to grasp. This book did not have that issue at all. A few stores or names are different but I was able to easily follow what the characters meant. 

This book alternates between the past and present. The author presents this in an easy to understand way. You're never confused as to what point in time you're at or anything of that nature. We see Catherine and Simon's lives, after he disappeared, and then subsequently, reappears. You don't realize it at first, but parts of the past that you read, are actually Catherine and Simon telling each other what happened after he disappeared.

This book will take you on a rollercoaster ride of thoughts and emotions. Very early in the story, Simon alludes to hating Catherine, and how she did something to him. So while I found myself empathizing with Catherine and admiring her for all she did to keep the family going, I was always cautious.

Simon, on the other hand, I really only grew to hate him more and more. I kept wanting to understand him but my loathing of him stayed steady. He is just so selfish, and really conniving. You don't realize it at first. I thought he was just under a lot of stress and sort of snapped. But as the story continues, Simon is much more than you think. 

This book is definitely one you'll enjoy if you like a lot of suspense while watching the characters unravel their past, and current, messes. This book is unique in that we get to see our characters together, apart, and everything in between. It's a unique perspective that I don't often see, and it was a nice change of pace.

As soon as I started reading, I could tell it was going to be a good book.

So the story, Catherine wakes up one morning to find her husband isn't beside her. Thinking he went for a run Catherine carries on her daily routine, only to discover that Simon didn't go for a run or turn up to an important work meeting because Simon is missing and he must be in trouble he wouldn't just leave.

Only Simon knows why he has left his family home and what he has done. Its only when he returns home 25 years later does the real story begin and we uncover what made Simon leave 25 years ago.

As you can probably tell, this is a gripping read. I love the way in which John took us through the story and how we were guided between the past and the present with such ease. You felt for both characters (Simon and Catherine) and it was nice to see the tale from both angles. 

I also really enjoyed how the past was brought into the present. It was as though we were in the living room with Catherine and Simon on the day he returned and we were trying to work out why he went missing along with Catherine. 

Also, I did not see it coming. I had an inkling that it had to do with certain people and I was right about that but the way in which it came out was brilliant. 

So as you can see, I enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend this book.

2.5 stars.
I started this thinking it was 4 stars, then it went to 3 and then for the rest of the book, it jumped between being 2 stars to 3.5 stars.

I liked how the story of the past and the present twisted around each other. Catherine's story was interesting and kept my attention, while Simon's story I grew bored with at times. It started off reading as a crime and mystery story, but then slowly turned into more of a drama. The story was interesting enough to keep reading but I did feel like I was pushing my way through it in parts. This was probably due to the fact that I had not wanted to read a 'drama' but a crime story, so its likely not the authors fault I didnt really enjoy this, still, id be interested in reading his other novels.

After reading both of his novels I can say that I’m officially addicted! He’s got what it takes to completely transport me to another country and another lifetime and he really let the characters come alive so much in this novel that they crept under my skin. When You Disappeared is a deeply character-driven family drama and I was really invested in the characters (or one of them at least). This is a novel that’s all about the journey and isn’t fast-paced in that way but more of a slow unfolding and discovery of the characters throughout the story. Don’t expect it to focus on an investigation after Simon went missing and you’ll be absolutely fine.

The novel starts with Simon’s return after 25 years and then turning back to his decision to disappear and leave his childhood sweetheart Catherine and his 3 children so many years ago. He actually planned to take his own life but in the end he decided that would be too easy, better to let his wife suffer and wonder what happened to him so he just vanished… until now. The reason why he left is surrounded by mystery but it must be something terrible is all I could assume. It is much worse than I thought though… that ending, knowing, finally understanding it, realizing… it’s harrowing!

When he knocks on her door after such a long time and after she’s overcome the shock of seeing him again, Catherine demands why he left and what she did to him that make him take this action. He’s there to tell her why he’s resented her all this time but first she has to hear what she made him do while he was away. He tells her he set fire, he stole and killed and it was all due to her. She quashed his dreams and ideas and all he knew was that true happiness was non-existent. When you think you’ll have it, something dark and rotten will turn it around and take it away. He’d seen it often enough, with his mother, with the ‘perfect’ family of his friend Douglas, and then what his wife did. It sounds bitter and there is definitely a heaviness I felt when I was reading this book but thankfully positive notes became more and more prominent the further I advanced into the novel.

There’s nothing that gives an idea as to what happened but the alternating storylines of their pasts gave me a pretty good idea of who these people were, their true selves come forward through their actions and how they coped with their struggles. I learned how he led a decadent life without worries while she tried to pick herself up, got 3 jobs to provide for her children. Even though Catherine did something so awful that Simon gave up everything and I should probably have sympathized with him for making such a grave decision, I didn’t, not one moment really. He pushed his family out of his mind just too easily, he did atrocious things and I found myself not feeling sorry for him and not sympathising anymore. I was wondering if the author was going to make me feel guilty and swing my sympathies by the end of the novel but I can’t say. I can only confirm that I felt deeply for one of them in the end.

It took until the end of the novel to be enlightened why he finally came back and is even so many years after the facts still trying to instill guilt. Their interactions in the present were like a dance, seeing what their truths did to the other when hearing them so honestly declared. It was fascinating to see how they spent their lives and slowly they are coming to the crux of the story with a twist, a turn of events that I never imagined and was so tragic.

I’m not sure this novel is for everyone, it’ll have some divided opinions probably because of this unlikeable character and the lack of exciting things happening, but I was really drawn into it. When You Disappeared was a rich story that had me completely immersed.

One morning Catherine’s husband Simon leaves home for a run before work and doesnt return. Left with three young children to raise in the best way she can little does she know he is alive and leading a somewhat nomadic life overseas. When he turns up on her doorstep after 25 years the truth wont be what she wants to hear.
Even though I thought, Simon was weak and spineless I can still understand why he did some of the things he did. I though less of him after he did what he did to his wife’s best friend and that is just for starters. At first, I was going to say his justification was unbelievable but perhaps that should be unforgiveable. The terrible loss early in their marriage may have been the catalyst for Simon’s actions but it doesnt excuse it.
I could not help wondering what trauma he had experienced in the past that left him feeling he had to give up on his life and family. Perhaps people in Simon’s position make decisions, which seem rational only to themselves and see their actions, as the perfect solution. It is very sad that people do things like this in real life and the terrible repercussions on family including pets.
As I read about Catherine’s drinking problem I wondered how she coped considering the quantity she seemed to consume up to the point where she recognised she had a problem. Everyone has secrets and no doubt, hers added to the pressure she was under from which she needed an escape.
How hard would it be to understand and/or forgive when someone turns up on your doorstep after 25 years? Would you even want to after such a long time?
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and even found myself using every spare moment to read another chapter. Highly recommend this to those who love a good mystery thriller.

I picked up the book because after reading The One by John Marrs which I loved so much! I really enjoyed When You Disappeared because the synopsis was so intriguing! The book switches between Simon & Catherine’s chapters & in 2 points in time: 25 years ago & now. I was SO MAD at Simon for all that he put Catherine & the kids through. HE BLOODY BASED EVERYTHING ON A DAMN ASSUMPTION! Kudos to Catherine for working 3 jobs & taking care of 3 kids & becoming someone that her kids can look up to. I really recommend reading it!

I've been told that the secret to a lasting relationship is communication. So it's the same with Catherine and Simon.

Alternating from the perspective of Catherine and Simon 25 years ago to present. Simon is the perfect father and husband. One day he doesn't come home. The police are called, the community rallies up search parties with no luck. Family and friends start to suspect Catherine has something to do with it. Over time he's presumed dead and Catherine and their 3 children try to move on with no answers. However, Simon is out there and he can't live with who Catherine says she is. He contemplated suicide, but leaving without a trace would be easier. We see how each of them cope over the 25 years.

It's an interesting premise for a novel and Marrs does a good job with the characters. I haven't come across a novel that I have completely despised a character as much as I despise Simon. Does this man have any redeeming qualities? No. I read on hoping for a twist. No, still an ass.

Thank you Net Galley, John Marrs, and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity.