A fairly average mystery/thriller that was well-written but doesn’t delve into new territory.


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42852598

This book involves a 30 year old mystery on a girl who suddenly vanished from town at the end of summer. When a new girl comes to town, the locals are all over her with stories and suspicions on what they think happened so long ago.
If you want a good light read, this is a great novel for just that. just enough suspense to keep you wanting to turn the page and find out what happened to Maureen. The characters were a little hard to get attached to and didn't involve a lot of character development. But overall, it was a fun and enjoyable read.

One summer in the 80s, young Maureen goes missing from Opal Beach. She was a summer girl, a condescending term that Allison stumbles upon when, thirty years later, she’s given the opportunity to house sit on Opal Beach. She has destroyed her career after her husband destroyed their marriage, so she needs a place to regroup.

This novel bounces back and forth from Maureen’s point of view in one chapter to Allison’s in the next. Unfortunately, the only character in this entire novel that I liked was Maureen. She’s just trying to eek out a living. Back home, she has a drug-addicted mother who can’t take care of herself let alone Maureen. The only person who treats her as human is Tammy. Everyone else dismisses her or uses her. Ah, rich people.

Tammy is still around Opal Beach, helping Allison as she tries to uncover what happened. Mabel, who had been Tammy’s roommate the summer Maureen went missing, is also still around, still as villainously bitchy as ever.

While I felt for Allison’s struggle overcoming her broken marriage and career and her valiant search for the truth, I just never felt her fear about digging up the past and what it meant to the people who were still around. Let me be clear: She was right that there were some bad people who might not want the past revealed, I just didn’t feel her tension, and therefore her endless questioning about whether she should keep going just grated on me.

I did like the message at the end about dismissing women. Unfortunately, that is still far too pervasive today as it seems we are all under attack even, or perhaps especially, as a few steps forward seem to have happened under the #metoo era.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this novel, which RELEASES OCTOBER 1, 2019.

One night gone was read by me in one night (well, okay I did start it earlier in the day) and it was a very enjoyable read which sucked me. The premise was inviting. A young girl comes to a beautiful seaside town (Opal Beach) to start over. She is an outsider looking in at the lives of the elite and wealthy. She has made friends and although considered a "summer girl" she plans to make an impact and be in these people's lives. She is young, she has dreams, she has hopes, she has plans and then *poof* she vanishes never to be seen or heard from again.

Thirty years later, Allison Simpson decides to take a house-sitting job in Opal Beach. She is also looking for a new beginning after being fired from her job for a live rant on TV about her cheating husband. Now divorced, unemployed and embarrassed, she is looking for a change of pace and place. Opal Beach is beautiful and inviting even off season. House (and cat sitting) is just what she needs.

As she gets to know the town, she learns about the town, she hears about the missing girl. She becomes wrapped up in the mystery and even though she is warned to stop digging, she keeps at it and the rest is history as they (who are they btw?) say.

I was drawn into this book right away. I couldn't help but feel for and like Allison who went postal on live TV while giving a weather report about her husband and his affair. She is a sad hopeless mess in the beginning but finds purpose in finding out what happened all those years ago. As clues pop up, she learns more and more. She also learns that even in a beautiful beach city, there is ugliness. Even beautiful things are flawed, and this beautiful seaside town and its residents have flaws - some of them huge ones. Some of them would do just about anything to keep their dirty little secrets hidden.

This book had a little bit of everything. With the duo storylines and timelines, the book at times felt part YA and part coming of age and in the present time it was a mystery, drama and suspense. It was fun to come up with a list of suspects and the reveal wasn't too shocking, but it was still a fun twisty read which did not disappoint. I also really enjoyed both storylines. Often, I find I enjoy one time line over the other but with this book, I enjoyed both equally. I think the Author balanced both sections very well and had me caring about both characters.

Thank you to Harlequin - Graydon House Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

One Night Gone: a Novel by Tara LaskowskI

October 1, 2019
Harlequin Books
Fiction
348 pages
Rating: 4/5

I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin in exchange for an unbiased review.

The story is told through alternating timelines at Opal Beach, about 2 hours from Philadelphia, PA.
It all begins back in the summer of 1986 at a party on the beach where flyers are posted regarding a missing woman. Fast forward to September 2015 in Manayunk where Allison has been living with her sister Annie, a nurse, after a tumultuous divorce from Dennis “Duke” Shetland. Allison had a great career as an on-air meteorologist in her local town until she gets fired for an angry outburst during her forecast.

In October 2015, with the help of her sister, Allison moves to the affluent Opal Beach where she will house sit for Patty and John Worthington on Piper Sand Road. Sisters, Delores and Sharon, as different as night from day, help Allison settle into life on Opal Beach. It isn’t long before she meets a lot of the locals who live there after the tourist season is over. She is befriended by Tammy, owner of the local coffee shop Sweet Spot, who draws her into trying to solve a 30 year old mystery regarding a missing girl.

The mystery unfolds as it goes back to June 1985 where Maureen is working for a traveling carnival in Opal Beach for the summer. Maureen is a street smart girl running from a dysfunctional family like most of the carnival workers. She usually enjoys scamming the local rich guys without getting emotionally involved. That changes one night when Tammy and Clay come to her rescue from Desmond, her sleazy boss. Tammy has Maureen live with her and roommate, Mabel Haberlin, who is less than thrilled with the intrusion.

Allison’s peaceful time on the beach becomes complicated after getting involved with helping Tammy. It seems the missing girl from the past was Tammy’s friend who she fears was murdered. The lives of many people will soon be disturbed once questions of the past resurface. When truths and lies are revealed everyone’s life is altered in ways no one was expecting.

An engaging story from beginning to end, although I figured out part of the mystery half way through, there were more that weren’t obvious until the end.

This book was full of lots and twists and turns which I love I love how it was told in both the present and the past to provide clues to the mystery.

Sometimes it was a little harder to follow the jumps, and I had to go back and see what was happening. But the whole thing left to the mystery.

This read was a fast one and I couldn't put it down until I finished. That's not to say it was a short book. Just that it was highly enjoyable.

I received this book in exchange for feedback.

Not a truly compelling suspense story and the ending was predictable. Not one of the best books I’ve recently read on netgalley.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Opal Beach, 1980s; a young girl arrives in the opulent summer town, looking to escape from her life amidst the gorgeous beach mansions and rich “summer bunnies”. But she gets more than she bargains for when one night, she mysteriously disappears.
Opal Beach, present day; Alison Simpson has humiliated herself on air, railing about her ex-husband’s cheating ways. When she is presented with the oppourtunity for a summer at Opal Beach, she desperately agrees to the chance, hoping a summer away will bring the much needed relaxation she seeks. Alison, however, soon begins to have doubts that Opal Beach is not the town of idyllic opulence that she once thought, as she is drawn into the mysterious disappearance of a girl from over thirty years ago. As secrets are discovered, soon Alison’s life is in danger.
“One Night Gone” is the first full-length novel by author Tara Laskowski, and it is quite a memorable debut. A novel full of summer heat, outrageous wealth, family secrets, and missing girls is all wrapped up and presented in a package wrapped with mystery and suspense.
“Gone” is told from the viewpoints of both Maureen (our missing girl) and Alison, across the two time periods. Each chapter alternates viewpoints, and each viewpoint and time frame is clearly labeled. This makes the plot easy to follow, and I was able to determine quickly which protagonist was narrating.
The novel has a not-so-subtle feminist message, whether implied or not, as the two protagonists are females, trying to find a peaceful escape from the men in their lives who have hurt them. All of the men in the novel are manipulative and some are even criminal, and the overall message of female empowerment is not lost, even though it is skewed, since there is most definitely at least one twisted female in this story (no spoilers here).
“Gone” is easy to read, and the characters are (although slightly naïve and gullible) human and likable. Although there are parts of the plot that are implausible and exaggerated, it was easily forgiven as the novel is also highly entertaining and suspenseful.
Laskowski has debuted a novel that is well-written and well-developed, with a creative plot, and that is a feat in its own right. “One Night Gone” must not be the last we ever hear from Laskowski. I am interested in seeing where she goes next, as her writing talent further develops.

This dark story takes place in Opal Beach, a Jersey Shore-like town with authentic details such as the Boardwalk, carnivals, and winter residents (who hate the summer with a passion). These residents are insular and secretive with good reason – a girl went missing years ago and no one knows what happened to her.

When Allison, a disgraced meteorologist, scores a house-sitting job in Opal Beach she discovers just how insular the townfolk can be. The story is told from various points of view, with the main story being that of Allison and her demons. Maureen, the vanished girl, has demons of her own but has a youthful optimism that makes her more appealing than Allison. I was instantly on Maureen’s side and was hoping for a good outcome for her. Allison had her moments, but it seemed that she was slow to make a move due to past events. I understand how she was written, but I wanted her to have a little more backbone. Perhaps she was outshone by the brightness and promise of Maureen. I absolutely loved, loved, loved that Maureen considered herself a mermaid, with her tail flapping at times when she was most confident. It’s too bad that some of that confidence didn’t rub off on Allison.

Allison is befriended by a few friendly residents of Opal Beach and shunned by others. As the plotlines converge and we see characters commit actions in their youth, the reader will find out that what happens in the 80’s does not stay there. The author is skilled at creating the carefree attitude of summer down the shore, both in her character description and the environment. Laskowski is adept at setting a mood with weather; I wondered if that was a subtle nod to Allison. Maureen’s weather is mostly warm, sunny, and full of promise, while Allison’s is bleak and cold. There has been quite a lot of books written with converging multiple points of view, and I may be growing weary of that. However, the author managed to keep my interest going until the plot twists captured my attention – then I didn’t put the book down until it was finished.

The themes of sisterhood and betrayal illuminate just how brutal it can be when women turn on each other. Women grab onto their anger and never let go until the death, either literally or figuratively. ONE NIGHT GONE places the reader firmly in the middle of this anger and doesn’t let go.

3.5 stars rounded to 4 because I really liked our somewhat unreliable protagonist, Allison – and, surprisingly, the less moral Maureen.

The writing style immediately drew me in to our town of Opal Beach – both to the hot, sticky, sandy summer of 1985 and the calmer offseason of 2015.  The house Allison is staying in to heal from a messy divorce and on-air weather girl snafu (which got her fired, natch), was built the year after Maureen disappeared in 1985. It happens to be situated right next door to the Bishops, the richest and most powerful family in Opal Beach.

Unsurprisingly, the Bishops also play a large role in our 1985 setting.  Carnival girl Maureen escapes a life of traveling from town to town manning games and rides and the house of mirrors due to a creepy boss. She thinks she finds true friendship and love with townie Tammy and Ivy-League bound Clay, respectively.  But when Maureen begs her way into a high-stakes poker game with a Bishop, her summer takes a turn for the sinister.  Maureen disappears – but does she ever leave Opal Beach?

Back in 2015, Allison finds herself intrigued by Maureen’s story and sets out to find the truth behind Maureen’s disappearance, a 30 year old mystery that much of the town prefers stays buried.  While there were a few red herrings, it was somewhat obvious who the culprits were – in the past and in the present. 

There are a few issues with repetition, formatting and dialogue that will most likely be ironed out with a final edit.  Thank you to Netgalley for this preview!

One Night Gone by Tara Laskowski is a fantastic debut and it did not disappoint. I ended up staying up all night to read this because the story and mystery are enough to hook you in from page one. One Night Gone was a great thriller with a satisfying ending.

I was sent this book in exchange for honest review

One summer, a "summer bunny" goes missing and no one seems to care....until 30 years later when Allison heads to the beach to seek the solace of winter and unexpectedly finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery.

What first drew me to this book was the cover! Who doesn't love a good beachy thriller? The cover definitely sets the tone for the story.
I love a good dual perspective/dual timeline in a thriller, and this one didn't disappoint! The characters are great, and the story is unique (which is sometimes hard to find in a thriller). Tara does a great job sucking you into the story, and is great at descriptions that make you feel like you're in the story as well.

Warning, reading this book may cause a spike in your blood pressure!
Highly recommend if you're looking for a good thriller!

Not as suspenseful as I had hoped it would be; this took a while to get going, like it wasn't quite sure what genre it belonged in. I'm sure the cover and the marketing will ensure its success even though my own reception of it was lukewarm. :)

*Thanks to Negalley and the publisher for providing an e-galley in exchange for an honest review.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book had two points of view. One was a girl who was a teenager or girl in her early twenties. Her name was Maureen and she worked at a circus and was making friends and trying to become part of the local crowd when she disappeared. The second point of view is thirty years later when Allison, a disgraced weather person comes to house-sit in the same town. Allison becomes enthralled with the old mystery and tries to find out what happened to Maureen. This book started very slowly and then got more interesting. It was pretty easy to guess the ending but I thought it was a pretty average mystery story. I did read and ARC which of course is not finished yet but one thing that bothered me was that there was a space after every "fl" letter combination. I'm sure they will fix this by publication.

One Night Gone was a well-written mystery that had me guessing until the final reveal. The two narratives of Allison and Maureen were equally strong and Tara Laskowski brought them together beautifully. I think the choice of making Maureen a carnival worker was incredibly clever as the book reminded me of the Hall of Mirrors that Maureen often goes into: just like the Hall of Mirrors, things are not what they appear to be in this book. I sometimes cringe when mysteries attempt to add social commentary into the story as if often doesn't fit. However, I think Laskowski's theme of the disposability of women and the power of sisterhood not only is a commentary on current society, but it was relevant to the story and its characters. While Allison and Maureen both had their flaws, I felt they both were relatable, likable characters who I needed to know what happened to them. There were a couple of moments where the story was a little bit slow but other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

This is a particularly strong debut and a thoughtful, well-constructed mystery. I can't wait to see what Tara Laskowski does next!

Thouroughly enjoyed this debut novel. I figured it out about half-way through but that didn't stop me from finishing the book. Really enjoyed the characters and the back and forth from past to present. It was easy to follow along the different time periods and to keep the characters straight. Nice job! I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.

Thank you #netgalley and #HARLEQUIN - Graydon House Books (U.S. & Canada) for the eARC.

I was provided an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was a great mystery suspense book! Loved the dual POV that spanned years apart but the same location.
There was times that the story dragged in, but in the end I was glad I read it and would recommend it to fans of suspense genre.

This book was simply amazing!! It kept me on the edge of my seat and I have to admit that I didn’t figure it out and I usually do! I love a good beach read and the mystery of this book, and the fact that it was in the “off season” was very intriguing!

One Night Gone is the perfect crossover novel for YA fans, though I doubt it will be marketed that way--too bad! The book expertly balances dual POVs--40-year-old recent divorce Allison, who ends up housesitting in Opal Beach during the off-season and stumbles upon a 30 year old missing persons case, and 17-year-old Maureen, a "Summer Girl" in Opal Beach in 1985--and she's the missing girl. Maureen's story covers the "shady rich people in beach town" trope well and hers is a compelling, if sad, POV given we know she probably won't make it out of Opal Beach that summer. Allison's POV feel distinct in every way--she's a different person, an adult, living in Opal Beach when it's chilly and deserted. I enjoyed the juxtaposition of the two stories to build a mystery, and as both a YA and adult thriller fan, this hit the spot.

The book kept me guessing on many things, though by act three it's more or less clear what likely happened. There is one nice twist that hit me like a freight train--it's one of those that is explained in the space of a few pages and is a bit overwhelming, and I need to let the book sit a bit longer before I decide if it worked for me. It might be a bit too convenient? I was also moderately disappointed that there ended up being no specific connection between Allison and Maureen--I was hoping for a triple twist, honestly. Instead, the book handwaves a slightly spooky explanation for some things, and I can see some more grounded readers not liking this aspect.

My favorite aspect of One Night Gone was the writing. I liked the way Laskowski described things, both the visuals of the ocean, the beach, etc. as well as the feel of things. Emotionally/tonally I felt very immersed in things, though I do think my particular enjoyment may have been helped by my being from the region. I spent time both in summer and winter in Ocean City, MD and was tickled by references to it and could easily picture Opal Beach as being similar. I also have a soft spot for class differences/rich assholes in beach towns, which seems oddly specific and yet there are plenty of books in that space...

Not a bad story, but everything was too, too... too much drama, too long, too over the top when it came to being believable. A woman who just happens to look exactly like a woman missing for 30 years shows up in a small town and becomes best friends with the missing woman's best friend. Of course they work to figure out the mystery and get caught up in the cover-up.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion.