Then She Was Gone is a fantastic psychological thriller. While there were parts that were fairly predictable, this didn't take away from the novel at all. It was realistically sickening and a story that will stick with me for time to come.
This is my first book by Lisa Jewel, and I am very excited to read some of her previous work as her writing style is wonderful!

There is something about the manner in which Lisa Jewell weaves a tale, the style of her writing has a mesmerizing quality that makes her books true page turners. Just to be completely honest and upfront I do want to say that I did see several of the big twists coming from a mile away. For whatever reason I wasn’t bothered in the slightest though, there was something compelling about Then She Was Gone regardless of my being able to accurately predict several things.

Missing children stories always get to me on a personal level and when the case is years old, it’s even more heartbreaking. Laurel lost more than just her daughter Ellie, her marriage crumbled and her relationship with her two other children suffered as well. Devastation after devastation for this poor woman and I couldn’t help but hope that she would find some small bit of peace in her life, I felt awful for her and can’t imagine not knowing what happened to your child.

This was an emotional thriller, Jewell writes fascinating characters with complex histories that you can’t help but be interested in. If you’re a fan of the author already, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed, it’s a fast paced engaging read with a really strong plot and the kind of book you’ll want to read in one or two sittings.

Then She Was Gone in three words: Intriguing, Spellbinding and Addictive.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a digital ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie is her mother, Laurel Mack’s golden girl. Beautiful and smart, fifteen year old Ellie couldn’t make her parents more proud. But one afternoon, Ellie never returns home, and ten years later no one has a clue as to what happened to her. She simply vanished into thin air.

Ten years later, Laurel, who still has hopes of finding her daughter, is stuck in a funk. A cloud of despair hangs over her since losing her most precious child all those years ago. But things begin to turn around when a man named Floyd sits next to her in a cafe and introduces himself. Here begins a whirlwind romance between the two, and Laurel is finally finding herself smiling again. But then Laurel meets Floyd’s nine year old daughter Poppy, who looks strikingly like Ellie and even has many of the same mannerisms. Laurel can’t help but feel a bit unsettled. Is the clue to what happened to her daughter hidden within this family?

Lisa Jewell’s Then She Was Gone is a fast-paced, suspenseful “gone girl” story with a fresh twist. Newell does a fantastic job of building tension throughout the first half of her story, with the second half being a quick reveal. Readers will easily be sucked in to the comfortable world Laurel builds for herself with Floyd and will not want to see this lovely family for what it really is. Jewell exposes human frailty and the tendency of people to look the other way when a potential revelation could ruin one’s happiness. While the first half of this novel is a slow burn, full of show but not tell, the second half is all tell. Readers who don’t like it when the perpetrator explains away their crime and all the details, may find themselves annoyed with how this novel ends. On the other hand, this reveal, while disturbing, has not been overdone, so readers may not even notice its method of deliverance while they rapidly turn the pages.

A truly chilling tale that Lisa Jewell takes you on as she weaves through heartbreak, love, fear, and so many more emotions in between.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell jumps between a few different perspectives, but overall follows the story of Ellie Mack who disappeared one day without a trace and very little evidence of what happen to her. Ten years after her mother and father and siblings finally get closure and her mother, Laurel, starts to move on... finally. In comes Floyd, father of two girls. One a sharp tongued young woman, SJ, and a beautiful, intelligent nine-year-old girl, Poppy, who looks eerily like her daughter Ellie. As Laurel gets to know Floyd and his family, she cannot help shake an odd gut instinct feeling that something just isn't sitting right and strange coincidences from her past keep appearing.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favorite writers for women's fiction, only because she writes it in a way I have never seen someone write before. Women's fiction can instantly sound like another lovey story, or family focused book about whatever, but Jewell writes it in a way that is so intriguing and keeps you on your toes. Then She Was Gone is women's fiction, with all that great family flair and drama, yet an epic mystery/suspense twist. As a fan of mystery thrillers, this book was completely up my alley.

This story continuously threw one dark and disturbing twist after another and always when you thought you had figure it all out. I felt like I was Laurel at times when she would question herself on what she was feeling. Did I really trust Floyd? Was there something sketchy? And then come up with a completely plausible explanation and think I'm just making myself crazy. Then it would start again. I was completely enthralled from the first chapter to the very end. I even teared up a few times!

This book is for everyone. It has a little of everything and a huge emotional punch to the gut and heart right at the end to wrap it all up. Pick it up. You will not regret it.

Every once in a while a book comes along that just sucks you in. I am not a fan of the term unputdownable, but there really is no other way to describe a book like Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell, now available in the US.

When 15-year-old Ellie Mack goes missing, the police conclude she’s run away. But her mother, Laurel, can’t believe her daughter, who had a boyfriend and was looking forward to her exams, would leave her family behind. The only sign of Ellie is a break-in 4 years after she disappeared, and the items that were taken lead Laurel to believe it was Ellie, though the police don’t agree.

10 years later, Laurel’s marriage has broken up, her other daughter Hanna barely acknowledges her presence, and new clues to Ellie’s disappearance have suddenly turned up. Then Laurel meets Floyd. He’s charming and funny, and Laurel is ready to put her past behind her. When Laurel meets Floyd’s daughter, Poppy, she’s shocked at how much she resembles Ellie, and she realizes her past isn’t as behind her as she thought.

Then She Was Gone is mostly told from Laurel’s point of view, but we do eventually learn what happened to Ellie in her own words, as well as first person perspective from another character whose involvement isn’t clear until well into the book. It’s a bit confusing in the beginning as details are revealed but it doesn’t take long to figure out where the story is going, though there are a few pieces of the puzzle that are withheld until the very end.

Any book that causes me to miss out on sleep and sneak in a few pages here and there when I’m supposed to be doing other things is one I highly recommend.

Read all my reviews at: https://brainfartsandbooks.wordpress.com

This book was so wonderfully put together and yet I still didn't put all the pieces together until the very end. Wow. I was in shock to say the least. What a story! Ellie is the youngest of three children. One day, she disappears and is never seen again. This is the story of what happened to Ellie, how it affected her family, and how the characters manipulate things to their own benefit. There were parts of the book that I questioned the mother, Laurel. And there were times when I felt like that something that was just not right about Floyd (Laurel's boyfriend) was on the tip of my tongue but I just couldn't figure it out. This book is both sad and happy at the same time. I love books that give the reader closure and this book does this so well.

A big thank you to Lisa Jewell, Atria Books, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Norma and I were lost in the dark and light earthy lush coulee with five of our Traveling Sisters reading Then She Was Gone. We all really enjoyed it and it lead to a great discussion amongst us.

We all were immediately drawn into this intriguing story right from start to the rewarding and very satisfying ending that we all loved.

We all agreed Lisa Jewell brilliantly creates a well-written and perfectly paced story to create a good, intriguing suspenseful story. Just at the right time, she reveals enough of the story to create suspense and then gives us understanding and insight into her characters rather than creating a shocky twisty story. She balances the darkest well by adding just the right amount of disturbing and creepy along with the insight into the well-developed characters’ emotions, creating emotional layers to the characters along with layers to the plot.

Some of us have read a few of Lisa Jewell's books and loved them all and the rest of us will be looking into reading more of her books. For me I have read a few and have a couple to review. We all highly recommend Then She Was Gone.

Publishing Date: April 17, 2018

Thank you, NetGalley, Atria Books, and Lisa Jewell for a copy to read and review.

Review written and posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Another intriguing fast paced novel by this author. Creepy and tension filled.

Back in the early-2000’s I read everything Lisa Jewell wrote. At that time she was all about romance and women’s fiction and I inhaled each and every one. Then she made a shift to mystery novels and, since that’s not usually my genre of choice, it’s now been several years since I’ve read anything from Jewell. But the synopsis of Then She Was Gone captured my attention and I was instantly wondering what happened to this girl named Ellie, who is this man her mother meets a decade later, and why does his young daughter look so much like Ellie.

Told by several narrators, we get pieces of the story doled out at the perfect pace. While a few aspects were easy to figure out, most kept me guessing until the very end. Jewell did an amazing job of gradually unraveling the threads of Ellie’s history and weaving other strands together to create Laurel’s present-day.

Then She Was Gone feels as much like a character study as a mystery. I found it interesting that despite few of the characters being particularly likable, I was still fascinated by their actions and their motivations. From Laurel, who was never warm and fuzzy to start with and became only more distant after Ellie’s disappearance, to the charming Floyd and his precocious daughter, to Laurel’s beleaguered ex-husband Paul, and her somewhat estranged other children. Jewell brought these characters to life and humanized them to an extent that I found myself genuinely invested in their lives.

We know fairly early what happened to Ellie, but it’s the how and the why and all the repercussions that provide the intrigue. As one who isn’t accustomed to the content of mystery/thrillers, there were several scenes when I was truly horrified and utterly heartsick by events that took place. Jewell used the multiple points of view and the dual time frame to craft a story that kept me completely enthralled until the very end. I highly recommend this twisty domestic drama/mystery.

4.5*

Brilliant! I completely lost myself in this book from beginning to end!

Laurel is doing her best to move on with her life. Her teenage daughter went missing years ago, triggering an avalanche of misfortune. The family splintered. Laurel and Paul divorcing. And now, their two remaining children are leaving home at the first chance they get - anxious to live their own lives, away from the oppressive tension within their home.

When laurel meets Floyd she’s quickly swept off her feet. She’s finally ready to live and love again. But too many things just aren’t adding up. What do they say about coincidences? Could Floyd be too good to be true? Why do the doors to the past keep opening?

What a breath of fresh air this book was for me. I‘ve had trouble loosing myself in a good book lately. And isn’t that what we all hope for?
Well, this was the refreshing change I’d been looking for! Though some give-away clues are revealed early on, you’re still taken on a journey that will most definitely pull your heart in many directions.

A wonderful Traveling Sister read 🌸

Thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Lisa Jewell for an ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

For this review and our full Traveling Sister review please visit Brenda and Norma’s fabulous blog:
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com/

Ellie was Laurel’s golden girl, her youngest, the 15-year-old with the stunning smile and beautiful hair, a new boyfriend who was just as golden as she, a bright future ahead. And then one day she simply disappeared. The police looked at all the angles but finally had to conclude the likely scenario was that she ran away, but Laurel knew that couldn’t be the case.

Ten years later, Laurel is divorced from her husband, distant from her older daughter and son. She just goes day to day. And then she meets a charming man who seems very interested in her, and her life suddenly actually has some life to it again. But when she meets Floyd’s two daughters, she is struck by the uncanny resemblance his 9-year-old has to Ellie. As much as she tries to shake off that something strange is happening, that people look like other people all the time, little things pop up as their relationship progresses that make her start wondering more about Ellie and what really happened to her.

Then She Was Gone is interesting and kind of a mystery/thriller, but I figured out fairly early on what had happened. As I read, the details then filled in and there was resolution. It kept my attention but didn’t surprise me. A good read for the beach or cozying up inside while it rains.

This was my first book by Lisa Jewell and why I am late to the party, I will never know. This will definitely not be my last!

When Ellie Mack goes missing, the police think she ran away. Her mother Laurel knows she could not have. She was the family golden child. She had everything going for her. She was a bit nervous for her Math exams but she had a tutor, Noelle, who had helped her. She was very creepy but she helped her.

Years have gone by and with more news, the family finally goes on with their lives. Laurel and her husband have gone their separate ways. Laurel meets Floyd at a coffee shop and immediately, there is something between them. But it is when she meets his brilliant daughter Poppy, that things go from zero to one hundred in this story. Poppy looks exactly like Ellie. But how could that be? A trick of the mind or something a lot more sinister?

I was so wrapped up in this book. I read with a deep feeling of dread. I read with tears in my eyes. I read with my mind working a mile a minute putting two and two (or three) together. Whatever the emotion, I read and I read and I read. The writing is superb. The storyline, with the four different voices, played out so perfectly. It gave us a look into everyone’s view of what happened and why. It was creepy at times. Okay, a lot of the time but how I loved the creepy factor. Just a perfect read. I will be picking up more Lisa Jewell books immediately.

Thanks to Netgalley and Atria Books for this fantastic read.

Ten years after a 15 year old girl (Ellie) disappeared, new leads surface. Did Ellie really run away from home like the police suspected? Or was she the victim of something sinister?

Then She Was Gone follows Laurel, as she continues to recover from the disappearance of her 15 year old daughter, Ellie, ten years ago. Divorced for years from Ellie's father, Paul, and finally feeling some closure, Laurel met Floyd, a promising new love interest, and was immediately intrigued by both him and his 9 year old daughter, Poppy, because she bore an uncanny resemblance to Ellie.

I loved the unique format of this book which placed the reader one step ahead of the characters, so that the reader knew more about Ellie's disappearance than Laurel did. Until. All of a sudden, the format changed, and the revelations were a surprise to both the reader and Laurel. Even though I felt like I had it all figured out throughout the first half of the book, I remained desperate to continue reading to know if I was right.

Lisa Jewell has mastered the unreliable narrator, and I would highly recommend this one for fans of suspense!

Thank you to the author and the publisher for an advance copy of this book! All opinions are my own.

Location: London, England

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell was such a great read. I totally enjoyed this book from beginning to end.

What I Loved About "Then She Was Gone"

Lisa Jewell popped onto my radar last summer when I read "I Found You", a pick from Modern Mrs. Darcy's Summer Reading Guide. I loved her story—the premise, style, and suspense all perfectly fit within my wheelhouse as a reader. When the opportunity to preview her latest book, "Then She Was Gone", came up I immediately jumped on it. And I wasn't disappointed.

Jewell effortlessly blends suspense and intrigue while also giving readers what they need to know a little at a time. As I was reading "Then She Was Gone", there was never a moment of confusion regarding the characters, their relationships, or their past histories. I was able to devour the book without pausing to refresh my memory.

Another reason I love Jewell's novels is her perfectly flawed characters. In each book I've read, the characters have plenty of strengths to go along with their weaknesses. Even the protagonist and the villains are equally weighed—until they aren't anymore.

Jewell does a fantastic job humanizing each character and illuminating their true selves just a little at a time. As the main characters, Laurel, Ellie, Floyd, Poppy, and Noelle are all given their own chance to shine, along with their motivations, heartbreaks, and joys. I thoroughly enjoy novels that give a range of perspectives and allow the reader into the minds of their characters.

What I Didn't Love About "Then She Was Gone"
While I enjoyed the premise and the suspense of the novel it didn't keep me in the dark for long. I quickly put the pieces of this great mystery together. However, I must say that it didn't keep me from enjoying the book. Even though I could sense the direction the plot was going, Jewell's air of mystery pervaded the atmosphere and kept me intrigued until the end.

There was also an essential element of the plot that seemed quite unplausible to me. In order to avoid spoiling it, I won't give a lot of details; but, suffice it to say, the scientific probability of a certain occurrence is just too unbelievable.

Recommended For...
Overall, "Then She Was Gone", is a great story of suspense. I highly recommend it for readers that enjoy crime mysteries centered on families and authors like Clare Mackintosh, Fiona Barton, and Kate Morton.

My review could consist of .... This. Book. Was. Amazing. And that would be enough! But let me give it a little more love because it so deserves it! This book is one of those amazing finds that you can read while a freight train roars past you going 200 mph and you wouldn't notice. 
It's not like the storyline itself has never been written: mom suffers loss of child, disappearance is a mystery yadda yadda... HOWEVER.... Lisa Jewell manages to intertwine so many unexpected plot twists and shocking character developments that the story morphs into one damn fine original & amazing story that has quickly risen to one of our top favs! 
You know a story will stay with you long after the last page is turned when you finish it in one day and stay up until the wee hours of the morning because you can't put it down! We are so excited to read more from Lisa Jewell!

THEN SHE WAS GONE by LISA JEWELL is a breathtaking, thrilling, unputdownable, and suspenseful psychological thriller novel that had me totally engrossed and interested right from the very first page. I was so intrigued in finding out what happened to Ellie Mack that I was racing through those pages as fast as I could!

LISA JEWELL delivers a well-written story here with flawed, believable, and compelling characters that was told in alternating points of view and short chapters to make this a quick and easy read. Upon finishing one chapter it was easy to read the next and then just one more chapter and before I knew it I was finished!

I absolutely love LISA JEWELL’S writing style as she writes with passion and feeling and I couldn’t help but feel for so many of these characters. Also, I really enjoyed how she leaves us with little snippets of clues along the way for us readers to pick up on right away and start questioning and guessing how they fit into the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and the ending was very touching and satisfying for me. Would recommend!

Publishing Date: April 17, 2018

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Atria Books, and Lisa Jewell for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.

THEN SHE WAS GONE straddles the fence in genres, somewhere between thrillers, dysfunctional family tales and missing-child-mysteries. At its best, it uses storytelling techniques from each of these to create a fast-moving, compelling tale. At its lesser moments, the book is predictable and the tension wanes. Overall, the book is a fast read and immensely addictive; author Lisa Jewell moves easily between time frames and viewpoints, providing just enough information to keep readers glued to the page. Despite guessing key parts, the writing was good enough, and I was invested in the characters enough, that it didn’t matter. I still experienced the emotions the author wanted and the story needed. This was a satisfying and exciting book. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell is truly a spine tingling novel. Jewell plays with her reader's emotions in a very enjoyable way. Laurel Mack is trying to put her life together ten years after her teenage daughter, Ellie, disappears. It has been seven years since Laurel's marriage ended and although she has two other children, her life has been flat and empty since Ellie's disappearance. Surprisingly, one day she meets Floyd, a charming man, in a cafe and she responds to his flirting. Laurel and Floyd's dates quickly develop into something more serious. Floyd is raising Poppy, his nine year old daughter. When Laurel meets Poppy she is stunned by her resemblance to Ellie. Laurel's mind is filled with questions that she can't leave unanswered. Will Laurel be strong enough to seek out the truth or will her feelings for Floyd hold her back? Then She Was Gone is not to be missed.

Lisa Jewell does it again. I was so consumed with this story that I finished it in less than 24 hours.

Every time I read a book by Lisa Jewell I wonder why I have not read more from her. Her writing is so addictive that I never want to put the book down (and I very rarely did). She effortlessly weaves together past and present timelines and multiple POVs. I love how character-driven her stories are and Then She Was Gone was no exception.

The book focuses mainly on Laurel, a woman whose daughter has disappeared many years ago. She does not have a very good relationship with her remaining children and has been separated from her husband for awhile. When she finally gets some closure on the missing Ellie, she meets a charming man and finally begins to get her life back. When she discovers a connection between Ellie’s disappearance and Floyd’s young daughter she begins to investigate to try and figure out what really happened to her daughter.

I have to say that I did not find any part of the mystery that mysterious. It did not take me very long at all to figure out what happened to Ellie and how various characters connected to it. I didn’t really care that I wasn’t surprised, though. The play of alternating timelines and how the information was revealed, as well as the character development really made up for any lack of twist.

Overall, I really enjoyed Then She Was Gone. Once I started it I never wanted to put it down. I loved the character development and the use of multiple POVs and timelines. Lisa Jewell is such a wonderful writer and I really need to start reading more from her.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars