This twisty mystery about two women - missing Isabel, and new PI Grayson - was a thought-provoking read. Isabel's doctor boyfriend reported Isabel missing, but Grayson senses that everything isn't right about their relationship. As she digs into the secrets of Isabel's life, Grayson's own secrets unravel. For one, Grayson isn't her real name. Grayson also understands how easy it is for a woman to become trapped in a volatile relationship - and how hard it is to escape.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

It's not often that a book has the ability to transport you back to your relative youth as an emerging adult reader. A book that conjures up images and feelings of past book love while also showing your own growth and depth as a reader. Rachel Howzell Hall did that and more!

For me, this book felt reminiscent of Stephanie Plum (J Evanovich) bounty hunter, a character I adored. And Now She's Gone has a similar vibe with protagonist Grayson who has been newly appointed as an investigator looking into the disappearance of young woman who seemingly had it all - even the picture perfect doctor finance. However nothing is as it seems. Not for the missing woman nor for Grayson as you unearth hidden pasts that have been carefully scrubbed and tucked away.

Grayson was likeable despite being unreliable. Harbouring her own past secrets, she struggles doing her job while grappling with her past traumas being triggered that threaten to cloud her judgement. Gray is sharp perhaps in part due to her adversity, resourceful and attuned to guttural instincts.

And Now She's Gone is a fast paced and intriguing novel packed with interesting twists and turns. While And Now She's Gone is reminiscent of past reads, this book is dark, gritty and raw. It's a fun and completely captivating psychological thriller .Everything that I have come to love in my preferred trope!

It is sure to be a great read on a dark fall evening!

Thank you to Macmillan Publishers/Forge Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

This thriller really explored the question of -- what if the missing woman doesn't want to be found? It's full of unreliable characters, from witnesses to victims, and there's a second story (taking place years before) with a theme matching that of the present day mystery. I appreciated the way the book brought issues like racism, misogyny, and abuse of power into the story. It did feel like the two storylines were a bit disconnected at times (connected in theme but not in feel or plot sequence -- jumping back and forth between concerns rather than having them converge). There were also too many characters for me to track comfortably (admittedly, not my strong suit). Overall, this story had some interesting aspects and I appreciated the character diversity, even if I didn't connect as much as I might have liked to it.

Thank you Forge Books and Netgalley for an advanced electronic copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

And Now She’s Gone
Rachel Howzell Hall
On Sale NOW!

First of all, get ready because I am going brag on this book so much! I love a good missing person book and this one was AMAZING! Grayson Sykes the protagonist was such a great character. I adored her wit, her strength, and her overall fierce-ness. I am crushing on Gray pretty hard right now. I really hope we get to see her in more books, please and thank you @rhowzellhall!

This book was a big one but honestly it was so well written, I read it so fast, I barely noticed the length. I was drawn right into the story from the first chapter. The twists and turns were spaced throughout the book which kept me turning those pages waiting for what comes next.

This book is a story about broken people. Grayson is a new private investigator working her first solo case, trying to find Isabel Lincoln. As Gray works the case she begins to think that Isabel was abused by her boyfriend prior to going missing. That makes this case personal, Gray barely escaped her abusive husband with her life.

As Gray delves deeper into Isabel’s life she starts to realize everything is not what it appears. Just as the case picks up speed, Gray receives a text from her abusive ex letting her know he’s finally found her. Gray now has to look over her shoulder as she tries to find Isobel and stay alive. Everything culminates in a shocking, heart pounding ending that actually left me satisfied. I truly enjoyed this book so much! Thank you
@BookSparks @rhowzellhall and @forgebooks for a copy of the book for my review.

I’m very much tired of many of the tropes that are to be found in the mystery/suspense/thriller genre smorgasbord but And Now She’s Gone presents a fresh take and voice that made it more than just the run of the mill mystery.

Despite her not being a particularly adept P.I. (seriously, she’s pretty awful but this is her first real case) I liked the depth and uniqueness a character like Gray brought to this genre as a curvy Black woman interacting with scummy characters like Ian who unironically described the relationship between himself and the biracial girlfriend he was paying her to track down as “post-racial”. I also found the topic of domestic violence and the recovery from that to be presented in an intriguing and nuanced way.

The two backstories of Gray and the woman she was chasing acted as interesting foils to one another, and this was very much a bingeable read, but coming in at 525 pages, it did feel a bit unnecessarily lengthy. There were plenty of twists and turns, some fairly predictable and others not so much, and these get more concentrated as the book pushes on.

Overall, I really enjoyed the different perspective this one brought to the table and despite the length, managed to finish it in two sittings.

From the author of They All Fall Down (2019) comes this slow burn read that focuses on domestic violence and stars a complicated main character with her own insecurities, past and secrets.

Grayson Sykes is a new private investigator who is still learning the do's and don'ts of the job but comes off as bumbling instead of prime PI material. Gray's a confusing character - she's not easy to like, shares her scattered thoughts often with the reader and I'm still unsure why her recent appendectomy was mentioned so often. As the story progresses, readers see that Gray's own past influences her first case as she tries to find Isabel, a woman who has lived through similar experiences.

This is the epitome of a slow-burn kind of read and I'd strongly suggest reading it in large chunks to help keep the changes in time and POVs clear. There are a lot of characters to keep track of - between Gray's friends, the people in her case and the fact that a couple of people are referred to using multiple names which made things overly complicated.

There is decidedly less tension in this almost 400-page thriller than I had anticipated, but just enough to keep me reading. Instead, the focus is on the important issue of domestic abuse with readers being given vivid descriptions of abuse, with particular focus on the mindset of the abused partner. Definitely not for the faint of heart and could possibly be a trigger for some readers. But with this strong focus, the switching narratives and timelines and Gray's past and the current case, the tension was repeatedly broken and it made for a convoluted read.

While I appreciate that the story focuses on issue of domestic abuse, this story was more complicated than it had to be. With too many characters, too many metaphors and flashbacks and not enough tension, I wouldn't call this a thriller because the suspense never reached the point where the book truly gripped me.

Disclaimer: I received this complimentary digital ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Looking for someone who doesn't want to be found is hard enough, but when you are finding danger at every turn is it worth finding her. The incredible twists and turns at every page.

Wow, wow, WOW! Absolutely loved this book. A total page-turner that also had me holding my breath without realizing it.

In And Now She's Gone, we follow the protagonist Gray Sykes, a private investigator as she works the case of a missing person, Isabel Lincoln. We quickly learn that this case will not be as open and shut as it is advertised and are led down many rabbit trails, all while getting to learn about Gray's past, and why this case is so difficult for her. Eventually, this missing person case turns into a murder mystery and things pick up.

While this one is kind of a slow burn and only picks up near the end, it is quite the page-turner because of how action-packed and interesting Gray's history is. That being said, because of what we learn of her past, it's got you holding your breath, even looking over your own shoulder, and by the end, you totally want to MORE Gray Sykes!

This was the first book I've read from this author, and I genuinely can't wait to dive into her other work, however, this book was hard for me to get into in the beginning, due to the writing style and use of so many metaphors. That didn't stop me from reading, and I quickly got used to it, but that was my challenge in the beginning just to keep that in mind.

The possible triggers in this one include (LOTS) of descriptive scenes of domestic violence, abuse, and drug/alcohol use.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and recommend to those who enjoy a good twisty mystery.

Honestly this book exceeded my expectations and I had high ones already. What a wild ride that kept me guessing the entire way!! So good!

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall is another great addition to Hall's impressive backlist. I featured it as Book of the Day on my social media platforms and included it in a roundup of new releases on my blog.

GoodReads:
Noir-esque with a Black woman PI (and a Black woman femme fatale!) set in a modern LA rich with touches of realness. One thing that's a little different from classic noir is we get quite a bit of backstory about the PI. I enjoyed that, but be aware it's different. She's a survivor of domestic violence, which gives her a different viewpoint on femmes fatale than we might normally see. A twisty story with multiple tales to tell, I really enjoyed it.

Instagram:
Much like perennials like this blackberry, some of the women in this noir style mystery seem to disappear but actually reappear in a new season. I really enjoyed this noir. It follows the general vibe of the style but featured a Black woman PI and a Black femme fatale! Plus it’s #ownvoices and with a deliciously twisty plot in a modern LA. Thanks to @torbooks for the review copy via @netgalley

Isabel Lincoln is reported missing by her boyfriend. Grayson is a PI that he hires to find her. She finds out that Isabel might not be missing after all but hiding. I thought this book was clever and it wasn’t your typical missing woman story. I found it to be refreshing and I consumed it in a day.

Life could not get any worse for. P.I. Gray Skyes fresh off an appendectomy, scattered brain from medication, and still plaagued by memories of the past, when she is assigned her first missing person case, hmm no more like an absconded animal case. Gray is tasked with finding a doctor's ex-girlfriend so he can retrieve his stolen dog. Hence, the case should be simple enough, find the girl and rescue the dog, yet this case turns out to be anything but simple. Can Gray get her life in order in time to put the pieces of this perplexing case together or will the haunting similarities between her old life and the missing woman's life impede Gray's abilty bring the case to resolution? I highly suggest you read this book and find out. And Now She's Gone is a complex, layered, and engrossing mystery. But it is also a character driven novel which gives the reader a realistic and sometimes hilarious look into the not so glamorous life of a jaded private investigator whose on the run from her past. I really enjoyed this book, I rate it 4.75 stars.

And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall⁣⁣⁣
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This one was a psychological thriller - my type of book. I was soo excited to read it. The cover is so beautiful and mysterious 😍 The synopsis and the cover were the main reasons I requested for it because I've never heard of the author before.⁣
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I didn't get into the book like i wanted to. It was a bit complicated and slow. It has a good plot actually, but there are a lot of characters and i think they weren't explained in a way that I could differentiate and understand them. So it was confusing. ⁣
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I also think the scenes were congested a lot, making it hard to understand what was going on easily. ⁣
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I love the main character though. The author showed she's a tough lady who has gone soo many things that it's a surprise she's still standing. But well, she is. The author is a good storyteller making use of metaphors and suspense throughout.⁣
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Lots of thanks to Netgalley, Rachel Howzell Hall and the publisher for this ARC.⁣

Congrats to Rachel Howzell Hall on the publication of this gem! I want to thank NetGalley and Forge Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I cannot rave about this book enough. Also, will there be a sequel?? I feel like I need to know what happens next for Gray. This gripping, suspenseful, page-turner will have you on the edge of your seat until the very last page!

I honestly loved everything about Grayson’s character. She is a strong, complex, and badass woman, who has overcome so much in her life, yet still has her own secrets. Her relationship with Nick was another aspect of the book that I really enjoyed. The history and love between them added such a beautiful element to this story.

I must admit for probably about 75% (maybe more), of the book I had NO IDEA where the story was going to go. Isabel is another complex character that has so many layers and secrets of her own. When she disappears, Grayson is hired to find her, but is Isabel really missing? That is the real question Gray finds herself asking. She doesn’t want to track her down if Isabel has a valid reason for disappearing. However, the more revelations that Gray uncovers about Isabel, the more questions she has. And Now She’s Gone is an intricate and dangerous cat and mouse game between two women with plenty of secrets to explore and truths to uncover.

If you haven’t grabbed a copy of this yet my darlings, seriously, stop what you are doing and get on it! I will be buying a physical copy myself because I need this book in my collection. I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next!

And Now She’s Gone was such a great read, featuring a new up and coming private investigator grappling with a complicated past of her own. The book is filled with lies, secrets, and more twists and turns than I ever anticipated, all while seamlessly weaving in important discussions around race and gender. I was stumped until the very end. This is a must read for fans of thrillers and suspense.⁣
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Thank you so much to @forgereads for the gifted advance copy. This book will be released 9/22/20. ⁣

Grayson Sykes, a private investigator working in Los Angeles has been given her first missing persons case to investigate. A doctor Ian O'Donnell is looking for his missing girlfriend Isabel Lincoln who ran off with his dog Kenny G.

Grayson is running from a dark past herself and the more she looks into this woman she realizes Isabel is hiding some of her own dark secrets. As the case goes on, Grayson realizes that Isabel doesn't want to be found. Things are not adding up and now Grayson’s past seems to be closing in on her too.

This was a slow build mystery with a lot of twists. It is a lengthy read with the timeline jumping around quite a bit but the ending was so satisfying. I loved the final twist and would love to read more about this private investigator.

Thank you NetGalley and Forge Books for this advance reading copy.

This one was a hard for me to get into. It's full of flashbacks and metaphors which sometimes caused me to miss what I read and I had to go back and re-read. The pacing was also slow and I was expecting something more fast paced. Plus I found myself detached from most of the characters. I don't necessarily need to relate anyone in a story but I do need to find them entertaining enough to spend several pages with.

This story follows PI Grayson(Gray) Sykes who is a PI on her first solo case. She's already stumbling through it when she finds herself relating to the missing woman Isabel Lincoln in several ways. This case brings up many horrible haunting memories for her that she's been trying to escape ever since rebuilding her life after leaving an abusive relationship. The threat of her ex is always looming over her as he still tries to She early on projects much of herself onto Isabel. And she's not the most prepared PI since she meets with her client without being ready to take notes, where's very bright colors on stakeouts, and makes careless mistakes. Just when you think you understand how this book is going to go it takes an unexpected twist.

I wish this book would've cut down on some of the descriptions of everything Gray ate and drank. She also suffers from chronic pain and at times feels like her body will shut down. This is depicted with several mentions of her popping pills followed by her downing alcohol to try and dull her internal pain. I know authors do that to build up atmosphere but it tends to be repetitive after the umpteenth time it happens. At times the plot was too slow moving and contained some filler which I'm not a fan of in mysteries.

For me the book didn't start to really pick up until after the 60% mark. After that I found the pacing to be steady and the action was continuous. Though that manic anxious feeling present throughout the story still remained.


See review here
https://womenofcolorreadtoo.blogspot.com/2020/09/and-now-shes-gone-by-rachel-howzell-hall.html

I've been in a weird reading funk with other things going on in my life and it took me 4 days to finish this book. If you know me, I'm a one-sit binge reader. So many shiny things and my own brain seemed to have plotted against me because I absolutely LOVED this book and am mad I took so damn long to finish it! But I DID - so YAY, SUCCESS!!

Grayson, I'm sending you a crate of pens. I'm never naming my dog Kenny G. And, I want to put on record that while Mrs. Kim, the Korean old lady, may have always cooked Korean food that smelled musky, not ALL Korean food smells like this! Haha - I'm mostly kidding, because there were definitely times I felt like my parents house smelled like a musky ox so I totally understand how even more terrible this can be for people not used to it! All jokes aside.... I really LOVE Grayson. The further I got into this book, the more my heart went out to her. What a strong ass woman. And the case that she's on..... WHAT... THE .... FUCK. I'm 85% in the book and I STILL have no clue what is going on or what direction it's going in but I also am finding Isabel a genius of a woman herself. Cat, meet mouse.... a worthy opponent. GIMME!

The build up that leads to the reveal is brilliant. I will say that I found some of the metaphors used within the writing a bit odd at times... but mostly I found them humorous and took them more as a nod to Grayson's personality, and as such, appreciated the uniqueness of it all. I did notice that the text messaging could be a little hard to follow at times due to the lack of differentiation in font and format most of the time. It did not take away from the enjoyment of the novel however.

I'll be honest, I was hovering between a 3.5 and 4 star review throughout my read but when that ending came and the culmination of everything that was set up throughout the story erupted, I nodded and was like "MMM HMMM..... THAT'S IT! YES!" So yeah, absolutely bumping up to this 5 star ramble of a review. I really need to know what happens next though - WILL THERE BE A SEQUEL? Turn this into a series? How will I ever know if _____ get what ______ ______?! 😉

Read this book.

This book was good. The plot was great, but it moved at a glacier pace at times. The middle of the book went on and on. And to be honest, some of the flashbacks weren’t necessary.