I don't know about you but Lisa Jewell is one of those authors that when she drops a new book I automatically have to read it. She never disappoints. The Night She Disappears isn't going to break that record either. She just keeps getting better and better. I couldn't put this down, the dual timeline is always a hit with me. There are so many issues touched upon in this book and all feel as though they are thoroughly explored and do justice to the subjects. From controlling and toxic relationships, to teen pregnancy and whole lot more. A book filled with suspense, intrigue and little clues for the reader.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

My second Lisa Jewell this year, third overall, and she’s going on my auto-buy list (that and I’ll have to catch up with that backlist of hers too!).

A teenage mom who leaves for the pub, never to return. A controlling boyfriend. A crime-writer-cum-amateur sleuth who unearths an important clue to a cold case. A rich family that thinks it’s above the law. A desperate mother searching for answers.

Lisa Jewell knows not only how to spin a good yarn, but also how to keep you on the edge of your seat. I was so impressed by how well she fit all the pieces of the puzzle together, how she created such an incredible sense of anticipation and general ugh-ness (that’s a literary term I’ll have you know) because you can just sense that people aren’t who they pretend to be—but you can’t quite figure out the who or how just yet.

And isn’t that just what we want from a good thriller? A deeply satisfying read.

p.s. I was also pleasantly surprised how well this one fit with my #pride reading this month!

Having read four previous books by Lisa Jewell, all of which were easy five star ratings for me, maybe I went in too high expectations but I just could not get interested in The Night She Disappeared.

Firstly the timeline jumps between 2016, 2017 and 2018 and it took me a few chapters to realise that 2018 is basically current timeframe in the story and 2016 and 2017 are in the past. The dates are just so similar that I kept forgetting and getting muddled. Secondly I didn't like the majority of characters in the book. There’s Tallulah Murray and her boyfriend Zach who are the main characters in the past story but have disappeared in 2017 so aren’t part of the current thread. They’re both nineteen and have had an unplanned baby, Noah. Zach dropped Tallulah when she was pregnant but has since wheedled his way back into her life. His behaviour and how Tallulah handles it was just a great irritation to me and one I found hard to believe in 2021. The 2018 thread is mostly focussed on Tallulah’s mother, Kim, who is now looking after baby Noah and Sophie, the girlfriend of the new headmaster at a local private school. Sophie is a published author of detective fiction and finds herself in the midst of some real life detective work when a sign saying ‘Dig Here’ appears near her back garden shortly after moving in. Sophie's part of the plot just didn’t ring true many times what with her forgetting that a sign saying ‘Dig Here’ was in her first novel and then many times just happening to see something that moved her real life detecting work on significantly. There were too many coincidences and amateur sleuthing that didn’t ring true.

The book dragged and just seemed quite repetitive for the first two thirds. That, alongside my dislike of the characters, means this is a 3.5 stars from me and hoping that this is a temporary blip in style from the author or maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

such a brilliant book ! If you enjoy thrillers, then I would recommend reading this fantastic book! Brilliant story, and I couldn’t put it down had to read it n just two sittings! , it will not disappoint ! Enjoy

Now this is how to write a thriller! Expertly written, this is a slow burn. The teenage parents of a young baby go missing and no-one really takes it seriously. Then we peel back the layers and holy shit there is so much going on here! I love how we slowly discover the true natures of the the protagonists. What starts off as a domestic family drama turns into a gothic horror which definitely gave me the fear!
Really good, this is Lisa Jewell at her best.

I received a copy of this e-arc in exchange for an honest review thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books.

I love Lisa Jewell’s books so this one was an automatic must-read for me.

Another fantastic book by Lisa! I honestly didn’t expect to blitz through this in one sitting. I literally couldn’t stop reading it.

It follows 3 perspectives: Lula (1 year before the event), Kim (during and immediately after the event) and Sophie (a year after event).

It was so fascinating reading the different viewpoints slowly merging together, revealing the full story in bits and pieces.

I loved that there was a subtle LGBT relationship - it wasn’t dominating the main plot but it contributed quite well to the story.

The only disappointing thing was the fact that I guessed what was going on about half way through the book!

I’d love a short story set where this book finishes. I want to know how all the characters deal with the aftermath of this reveal!

Well this is a story laden with mystery and intrigue. From the very beginning you can sense that something bad is about to happen. And happen it does, in the most unassuming and yet life changing way when young parents, Tallulah and Zach, head out for the evening but never come home. Now that in itself is bad enough, especially as it is made clear what a devoted mother Tallulah is, but when you add in thr truly ominous prologue ... Yep. Interest well and truly piqued.

The story is effectively split between that fateful night and, eventually, the events leading up to it, and the present day, twelve months on from the pair's disappearance when Sophie Beck moves into a cottage on the grounds of the exclusive school where her partner, Sean, is the new Head Teacher. So far, so disconnected, other than the school is in the town that Tallulah disappeared from, and the fact that the woods behind Sophie's new home were once the focus of a mass search for the two missing teenagers. Well, that and the strange note that Sophie finds pinned to her back fence and the strange discovery she makes when she follows it's instructions.

The story is packed with mystery, more of a slow building tension and alerting of avid crime readers spidey-senses, than an overly obvious attempt to shock readers. There is always big question mark hanging over the disappearance of the pair, and whilst Zach's parents seem relatively indifferent about him going missing, Tallulah;s mum, Kim, knows that she would never leave voluntarily. Added to this you have a cast of characters who all feel ... I don't know. Wrong? I never quite settled with any of them, never trusted their narrative, their reticence in sharing the truth of what happened the night in question. Here is where Lisa Jewell has pulled a blinder, making sure that each one feels both genuine and unreliable at the same time, with the exception of a small handful who I would not trust as far as I could throw them. And in a story where character motivation and behaviour is key, it really does make the narrative all that more suspenseful.

I really did grow to like the character of Sophie, a cosy crime author who seems to be channeling one of her own Detectives in trying to find out what happened that night. Her enthusiasm, and talent for procrastination, was infectious (and I never need to be encouraged to procrastinate), but her curiosity breathes new life into the cold case and brings new hope for Kim. I was very happy to spend time in her company, often frustrated by the way she kept things to herself, but ultimately very satisfied by the way her element of the story played out.

This is a far more complex story than my review might suggest, but I'm mindful of dropping spoilers. It's a story of family, obsession, control, deception and privilege. It has an air of cosy-ish mystery about it in the amateur sleuth kind of way that Sophie goes about finding out what really happened, but also a dark heart, one where certain people are willing to do anything to protect their name, no matter the consequences. One thing is for sure, although the where and why of that fateful night become clear to the reader not long after the halfway point, the ending will definitely take you by surprise and probably leave you reeling. I didn't expect it, that's for sure.

Another excellent psychological thriller from an author who is very adept at catching readers unaware.

I adore Lisa Jewell's books. After Ralph's Party, The Family Upstairs, I Found You and Then She Was Gone I just HAD to request The Night She Disappeared.

Oh wow, this book just blew me away from the first scenes and all the way through.

Taking place between 2017 and 2018, it follows events as teenager Tallulah leaves the house to meet friends. Her mum is left looking after her baby. Up to there, the scenario seems normal. I was thinking "will she come back'" even before time passed and her mum was wondering where she was.

In 2018, Sophie moves from bustling London to quieter Surrey, goes for a walk and is led on a quest to find out what happened to Talullah. The novel is so atmospheric that it felt like I was there in the story.

Oh, my emotions were just running wild. I had tears in my eyes as I was witness to first shock, then pain for the family and a whole lot more emotions on this rollercoaster ride of a Thriller.

Lisa Jewell is a master storyteller and this is an amazingly twisty thriller that made me feel so deeply for Talullah, her baby and her family. I find Lisa Jewell's characters are so memorable and I'm looking forward to the next book.

Lisa Jewell has done it again.
Thanks to Lisa Jewell, Penguin Random House UK and Cornerstone for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Having read and enjoyed books by this author before, I was keen to get started on this one.
The premise sounded exciting, and so was the story! The detail of description was so good that I could visually play out the scene in my mind as I read - to me this signifies perfection.

A great read, that kept me gripped to the very end.

A book to read.. A well written plot, with characters which can be followed turning page after page. Twists and turns, I had to read to the end to find the answer.

Brilliant book by a brilliant author. I have read quite a few books by this author and this one exceeds all the rest

This book is okay but feels like a bit by the numbers. Lisa Jewell is a bit like Lee Child in that she sometimes hits the motherlode and creates a compulsive page turner. Other times it feels okay but a bit lacklustre.

The Night She Disappeared definitely falls into the latter category.

Still, its a worthwhile read and very competent for what it is.

This is not just for completionists or fair weather friends but somewhere in between.

Three stars.

She did the impossible again .... this book was amazing loved every word on every page .... I might even have to say it's the best book yet !!! I don't know how she does it.

The book grips you from the very first word till the last. The characters are engaging and you do get a good love and hate relationship between them which is a great thing to achieve. The story really transports you and will keep you at the edge of your seat but scenes the dance around in your head this book keeps intrigued to the very end.

I highly recommend this book and thanks for letting me be able to read this early ... still have my book on order cant wait to read it again it was that good.

I am a fan of this author and this book didn’t disappoint.

Well written and tense thriller with a plot so thick you’re desperate to turn the next page.

Excellent thriller.

Wow!! What a brilliant book!! Best Lisa Jewell book yet!! Kept me guessing all the way to the end. So well thought out and depicted from the first page to the last. Such a great observation on different sets of families and their dynamics, and morals. A real 21st century thriller. Loved it!!!
Tallulah Murray is a teenage mum living in a village with her mum in the Surrey Hills, she goes out to the pub on Friday night and never comes home........ no spoilers.
Clever, intelligent, absorbing and addictive. No disappointment here.
Lisa Jewell's thrillers are the best....prepare to be gripped!
Loved this book, highly recommended.
Thank you for the opportunity to read early NetGalley so very appreciated.

This book is incredible! It's terrifying, gripping, believable, tense and dark. The characters are so varied and engaging, love them or hate them. Lisa created some incredible scenes that I could picture vividly in my mind. I can see Lula, Scarlett and Noah so clearly. I can see Dark Place and I want to visit it.

I absolutely flew through this book! Phenomenal. Absolutely stunning.

4,5 Stars

Sophie is a young novelist who moves with her boyfriend from London to a small village where he got a job as head teacher. On her first day she sees a sign nailed to her fence which says “dig here”. Sophie writes cozy crime books so of course her interest is piqued. She learns that two years ago a young couple disappeared while on a night out. She gets in touch with Kim, the mother of the young woman who went missing. Kim is sure that something happened because her daughter had a little boy whom she loves dearly and would never leave him. Sophie gets kind of into her book character and begins to investigate.

I haven’t read a book from Lisa Jewell in quite a while but I am happy that I read this one. It is told in two timelines: from the POV of Tallulah before she went missing up to the point what happened to her, and from Sophie’s POV. It has a complex story with memorable characters and enough tension to keep you reading. I enjoyed it very much.

19 year old Tallulah is going out for a well deserved night out with her boyfriend, Zach. Her mother, Kim is looking after their one year old son, Noah.
When Tallulah texts to say they will be out later after meeting up with college friends, Kim tells them to enjoy their night. The next morning, Kim wakes to find her daughter has not returned home.
One year later, Zach and Tallulah are still missing.
Liss Jewell is fast becoming one of my favourite authors. I had no idea how this book was going to end until the very last, and that is Jewell's secret power! Her books are full of twists and turns and always so unpredictable and this one was no different! I loved the creepy, mysterious setting of Dark Place and the character dynamics, especially the dysfunctional relationship between Tallulah and Scarlett.
Overall a very compelling read I will have no hesitation recommending to my customers.

Oh my I’m left speechless this was such an amazing read I loved it !
So this is a thriller told in different timelines and it just worked so well and every time I had to put put the book down I could feel myself itching to get back to it because it was just so addictive.
As with any Lisa Jewell book you know you are in for a great read but there was something about this story that just took it to another level. The book started at a slow pace building the mystery in such a clever way and I felt myself being drawn in more and more as the plot developed. The characters were well crafted and real, the writing as you would expect from this author was excellent and it had a very satisfying conclusion, what more could you want.
Loved the book, loved the story and can’t wait for the next many thanks to Lisa Jewell for a very addictive read.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

2017 - Tullulah and her boyfriend Zach leave their baby with her mum and go on a date to the local pub. They end up at a house party, but both are never seen again. Then later in 2018 a writer called Sophie Beck is walking behind her new home in some woods when she finds a sign pinned on her back gate saying ‘dig here’ and she does.

Told in three timeframes, The time before Tullulah and Zach go missing, the time after which is Tullulah mums perspective and then Sophie’s in the present day. At the start I became a little confused but as I started to know the characters it became easier and I had no troubles with realising which timeframe I was in. I read this within a day devouring every word, page and chapter. I loved it and think it is one of Lisa Jewell’s best yet.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.