Title: Gone Before
Author: Sam Hepburn
Publisher: Bookouture
Original Publication Date: October 12th, 2020
Source: NetGalley - Ebook
Genre: Thriller
It has been fifteen years since Maya Duncan went missing, and it remains one of the most famous missing person cases in British history. However, Phoebe Locklear knocks on Kay Duncan’s door with shocking information: The woman who claimed to be her mother has passed away, but left a letter among her possessions where she tells the story of how she took Phoebe fifteen years ago. Phoebe believes she is Maya Duncan, and Kay is her real mother.
It seems to be a long-lost reunion in the making, but when a discovery shatters the relationship they are building again, Kay commits suicide. Filled with guilt, Phoebe decides to uncover Kay’s past to uncover the truth once and for all. But she finds more information than she bargained for, including a heavy secret that could put her life in danger.
While the revelation of the truth of her identity was no shock, I was still very invested in this novel. This was my first book by Sam Hepburn, but I have another one waiting, and I am now very excited to read it. I enjoyed her writing style, characterization, and method of driving the plot forward.
Rating: 4/5 ⭐

A great read, very gripping. Loved the characters and couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read more from the author.

I’ve read quite a few missing child thrillers and sometimes they can get quite samey but this was very good, with a plot that kept me gripped and some great twists that makes it stand out from the others.

A great read
Will have you guessing till the end
You not want to put it down
Great author
Thanks NetGalley

I really enjoyed this book, it started reasonably slowly but then took off at a pace which didn’t slow until the very end of the book!
Phoebe Locklear arrives at a remote holiday let in Cassis, ready to meet the mother she’d only just found out she’d lost.
The reunion doesn’t go quite to the plan and desperate for answers to her true identity, Phoebe accidentally unlocks secrets that people around her were trying so hard to keep hidden.
The twists kept on coming and my head was spinning with it all. Brilliant!

A very good thriller with lots of twists and turns. The storyline is good and well paced. Definitely worth a read.

A compelling thriller that kept me turning the pages. Recommended! Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC

I enjoy reading novels of missing people suddenly showing up years after they go missing. Here a young girl, Maya, became a National story, when she disappeared. Years later a young woman claiming to be Maya appears. The revelation produces joy, suspicion, betrayal, investigation, remorse and suspense. Good fast read with plenty of twists.

Loved the plot if this book. Plenty twists and well written. Look forward to reading more by this author.

I really enjoyed this book. It had lots of twists that had me guessing, great characters, a good pace as well. Loved the plot "missing people" is always a favourite of mine. Highly recommend this book.

Interesting blurb I thought but I found it a little slow? The characters were okay and the storyline was okay too I just dunno didn’t seem to get into it for some reason! Maybe it’s just me, it was an easy read though and I did enjoy it, just didn’t you know blow me away, my friend read it and loved it and so I’d say it’s me been me 😂 good little thriller in itself and I’d recommend if you like this sort of genre.

Maya Duncan went missing when she was five years old and there has been no trace of her since. That is until fifteen years later when Phoebe turns up at Kay Duncan’s door claiming she is Maya...
This book was so gripping; I was utterly immersed in it.
Although I had guessed what would happen at the end that didn’t stop me reading, I needed to know for sure.
There were so many twists I felt like I was in a tornado, awaiting the next twist and so much suspense too.
It was very well written and researched, kudos to Sam Hepburn for this gem of a book. I'm glad I found it.
I have been thinking about it ever since reading it.

When I read the synopsis of this book I thought it sounded so interesting. It’s such an intriguing premise. Unfortunately, it fell short. It started off well but after Kay’s death it massively slows down with a lot of chapters just about how Phoebe is feeling. Then it gets bizarre. The middle has a side plot linked to the abduction but there’s so much going on (including two different cults) that it gets confusing and doesn’t really add anything to the story. The pace picked up at the end and everything is explained but it was a bit disappointing to find out I had already worked everything out. It was a bit of a chore to finish and I only did because I wanted to know what happened

I received a copy of the ebook via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

An interesting, well written thriller.
The characters were portrayed brilliantly, the storyline was well paced and well structured and kept your interest until the very end.
An enjoyable thriller!.

This book was a good thriller. I was engaged and really enjoyed the voice and characters of this book. The ending was unexpected and I enjoyed the thrill!

Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: Gone Before
Release Date: Available Now!!! (October 12, 2020)
Author: Sam Hepburn
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Sipping Synopsis: A kidnapping. 15 years later the kidnapped girl shows up on the doorstep. A reunion with secrets exposed. Mother commits suicide. Now all this is pretty much what you can get from the book blurb and makes up of about 50% of the book. The other 50%, while a part of the storyline, seems to take a sharp left and had me confused, a little uninterested, and made my head spin.

Final sipping thoughts: I could not figure out how I wanted to rate this book. The parts that had to do with what I thought the book was about (a mysterious child abduction) would have been rated a high 4. But the other hoopla that was added really took away from the story and did not add to it. I think the background that was added to make sense of the kidnapping could have been just that, a background story, but it ended up being a HUGE part that made me totally confused on who was who and what was what. Now with that said, the kidnapping story and the immediate details surrounding that was done really well and the twists were coming so fast that I think I got whiplash. Because of the twists in the last 30% of the book, I would recommend it-just know the middle part of the story may get a little confusing and a little off plot.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @Bookouture for an advanced copy of @GoneBefore

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This was a twister of a story that kept me flipping pages until the end. It is very fast paced and suspenseful with a cleverly written plot.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

When five year old Maya Duncan went missing it caused a lot of attention because of Kay, her famous mother. Now fifteen years later Phoebe turns up at Kay's retreat, she says that she is Maya. Roz, the somewhat eccentric woman who was once Kay's neighbour took her. Roz has just died & Phoebe discovered this along with a small yellow sou'wester that Maya had been wearing when she disappeared. Kay's mental health is delicate but she seems delighted by the news. They spend some time together but Phoebe is devastated when Kay disappears & is suspected of committing suicide. She goes to London & attempts to find out more about Kay & also about Roz, but she soon discovers she may have stirred up something dangerous.

This was a good read. I did begin to suspect what was going on- which makes a change! Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book

When 5 year old Maya Duncan disappeared, her mum, Kay, was broken. The tabloids painted her as an unfit mother and she was ousted from society.
When Phoebe tracks Kay down and tells her she is Maya. This starts a chain reaction of deceit, confusion and pain.
Oh this was one gripping book with lots of twists and turns and I really enjoyed it. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! I was intrigued right from the very beginning. The story is based around a young girl Phoebe who's whole world is rocked when her mum dies and leaves her a letter explaining that she was in fact a missing girl that went missing when she was a toddler. Phoebe sets out to find out the truth and stumbles across more than she bargained for. An excellent twisty book that really gets the brain going, I will deffinatly be watching out for more from this author!