Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for eARC.

I received this book in audiobook format for review.

"The Night She Disappeared" is a gripping psychological thriller that ensnares the listener in a complex web of deceit, secrets, and suspense. Kevin O'Brien crafts a narrative that is as intricate as it is compelling, with a plot that unfolds in unexpected layers, revealing the dark undercurrents of seemingly ordinary lives.

The story centers around Anna Malone, a Seattle TV reporter who wakes up with a hangover and a haunting sense that something terrible has occurred. As the mystery of the previous night unravels, we are drawn into a twisted game that blurs the lines between victim and perpetrator. The disappearance of Courtney, the wife of Anna's lover, sets off a chain of events that exposes the frailty of public personas and the duplicity of private relationships.

Kyle Tait's narration brings depth to the story, capturing the tension and emotion of the characters with a performance that is both subtle and powerful. His ability to convey the complexity of the characters' experiences adds a layer of realism to the story that is deeply immersive.

O'Brien's writing is sharp and evocative, with a pacing that keeps the listener on edge. The plot is well-constructed, with twists that are both surprising and satisfying.

Although the story occasionally veers towards the implausible, it never loses its grip on the listener's imagination.

"The Night She Disappeared" is a testament to O'Brien's skill as a storyteller and Tait's talent as a narrator.

If you are a reader that likes a lot of build-up, especially lots of twists and turns in the plot, then grab a copy of The Night She Disappeared by new to me author Kevin O’Brien. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, but I was all in to find out what happens.

The protagonist of this story is Anna Malone, a Seattle TV reporter who finds herself in the middle of the biggest news story in history because she is involved. The question is just how involved she is. Anna is having an affair with Russ Knoll, doctor and married man. Usually, this plot device stops me in my tracks. When the protagonist of a story is the one involved in adultery, I don’t like it. I’m supposed to be rooting for the hero/heroine of the story, but if they lack all moral fiber, it makes it very difficult.

Russ’s wife is author, Courtney Knoll, who is working with Anna on a news story about her. She’s deaf and has written a young adult series about deaf teenagers with superpowers, so her star is on the rise. The three meet at a restaurant for dinner where the lemon drop cocktails are flowing faster than they are poured and before you know it, Anna and Courtney are pretty drunk. If you haven’t guess already, Courtney is not a very nice person, drunk or sober, but she definitely has a cruel side when she’s drunk. After dinner, Anna accompanies them back to their place and Courtney becomes even more nasty and hateful…hmmm could she be on to you two cheating fornicators? Inquiring minds want to know!

Russ drives Anna home and puts her to bed, but calls her the next morning to tell her that Courtney is gone, some of her things are gone and has she been in touch with Anna? At this point in the story, I’m suspicious of all three of them! Is Courtney really missing or is she setting them up? Is Russ a killer and just trying to cover his tracks? Did Anna go off on Courtney because she’s tired of waiting for Russ to file for divorce?

And just when things can’t possibly get any worse, guess what? They get worse! There is a Nancy Grace type character, Sally, who appears to have a vendetta against Anna and uses her show to put Anna and Russ through the wringer. Before you know it, the show is using every speculation it can to convict and judge Anna and Russ.

Several additional supporting characters made the story more intriguing. Sally’s daughter, Taylor, can’t stand what her mother is doing to Anna, so she reaches out behind her mother’s back to warn her and tries to help Anna figure out what happened that night, since as we all know, Anna was drunk and can’t remember. Taylor is also deaf and knew Courtney too. Anna’s brother who ran away from home as a teenager comes back into Anna’s life but is a drug addict. These characters really added to the story, for me, because their motives and intentions are unclear. What do they have to gain by getting involved?

When everything finally comes into the light and all is revealed, I was completely shocked. I wasn’t expecting this outcome, but it worked really well and provided the much-needed closure without any loose ends hanging. The author did a fantastic job of creating characters that don’t have to be likable for the reader to be invested in what happens to them. He gives just enough of the story to keep the reader interested without giving away the ending too soon. This was an audiobook and Kyle Tait narrated this story very well. I would have preferred a female narrator to read the female parts, but Mr. Tait’s performance was terrific, especially his vocalization of Taylor’s lines as a deaf woman who never learned to speak.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a very well written story that delivered a great deal of suspense and intrigue. I never anticipated the conclusion and was quite surprised. I recommend this story to readers who enjoy a twisty novel of suspense and mystery and don’t mind that the characters don’t always have to be likable or redeemable.

ARC provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Night She Disappeared is a suspenseful mystery. It was an okay story that I liked but I wouldn't say it was great.

Thank you Netgalley for the audio copy in exchange for a honest review. Anna Malone is a local TV reporter. She has been working with a deaf author Courtney Knoll. They had been out drinking the night before with Courtney's husband Russ who also happens to be Anna's secret lover. Anna wakes up the next morning unable to remember what happened and Courtney is missing. As Anna and Russ's affair is revealed they become the prime suspects in her abduction/murder. A great thriller beautifully read.

The Night She Disappeared by Kevin O’Brien is a triller and mystery with a few twists. It is about a TV reporter having an affair with a married doctor. She is asked by the doctor’s wife, a deaf author, to meet for dinner and discuss a TV interview. When the reporter wakes the next morning, she has no memory of most of the evening or how she got home, and the wife is missing. I will admit I did not figure out the ending as soon as I should have.

Kevin O'Brien what happens when you cannot remember what happened the night before and you are the last person to see someone alive:

Anna is Seattle TV reporter and she ended up doing (more like forced) a piece on Courtney for the news who just happens to be her boyfriend/lover Russ's wife .Anna doesn't drink very often and she certainly should never drink with her lover and his wife, yet someone Anna finds herself in this situation. The hangover is brutal but she can't help thinking that something worse happened that night, and her mind first goes to that Courtney has realized that her and Russ are together. The truth is much worse, Courtney is missing and the last people to see her alive were Anna and Russ. The spot light is even more an Anna as everyone from neighbour, police to online TV celebrities try to figure out what happened to Courtney and are determined to try anything to get to the "truth". Anna only wishes she could remember what happened on the Night Courtney disappeared

I had high hopes for this book but to sum it up I was really bored throughout the book. I did not find it suspenseful at all, book just felt bland and flat and I was forcing myself to pick up the book just to finish. So you know by then that it is not a book that is keeping you engaged.

The main character was just okay and not really well defined as a character, though i think that O'Brien was trying to flesh her out as one, but just never got there. Most of the book is really spent with Anna sitting around her houseboat waiting for news of what happened to Courtney from the police. She does a bit of digging on her own, but that leads no where and is not the main focus that O'Brien chooses to take with the plot. I think I would have like the book better if Anna had done more sleuthing, but the type of reported that O'Brien has Anna a be (feel good pieces) sleuthing does not fit her wheel house.

I figured it out quite early and I will admit that i did not see one twist coming, but when that twist was revealed didn't find is shocking or adding anything to the story as I had already had it figured out. Like I said above the suspense was never there, from the mysterious phone call, to Anna not being able to remember what happened the night before, nothing gave me the edge of my seat feeling

I did like the nod to Gone Girl in the book as as you’re reading it you do start to think the same things, and there is a large portion of the population who had read that book.

I really struggles to finish this book, an honestly I give myself props for finishing it. I think if it had not bee a book i received off of Netgalley I wouldn't of. This one just wasn't for me.

Cheers!!!

I received The Night She Disappeared by Kevin O Brien as an audio book from Netgalley. Anna a journalist is dating a married man, whose wife is a well known novelist. When his wife turns up missing Anna can’t understand what happened to her. This book had plenty of twists and turns and I couldn’t wait to find out what happens and also the narrator for this book was great.

The success of an audiobook is largely due to the narrator. The narrator here was OK ... at first, he was fine. Then, when different voices came into the story, that's where it fell apart for me. Then there's the story itself. While not a bad story, this one sort of dragged on unnecessarily. It could have been much shorter and succinct. It would have been much more enjoyable if it were shorter. Also, the "twisty" ending was really very obvious from the introduction of one of the characters!

This review was also posted on Goodreads.

This was a pretty good mystery thriller that kept me guessing until the end. It’s a page turner that has me hooked.

A TV reporter has been in an affair with a rich pediatrician, who's wife is a young adult author and deaf. All three are last seen at a dinner together, and the next morning the wife is missing, in Gone Girl fashion.
The Night She Disappeared is my first read by Kevin O'Brien. I was not that interested in the characters and the story could have been shortened in a few places, but I still wanted to know what was going to happen next due to the interesting twists and turns.
Thanks to Tantor Audio through NetGalley for the opportunity.

Anna, a TV news reporter, has always told herself she wouldn't get involved with a married man. But she does. Russ is a successful, handsome, and wealthy pediatrician. And then she meets his wife Courtney, a popular young adult author who also happens to be deaf. Reminiscent of Gone Girl by Flynn, it seems like the major players all have secrets to keep. Courtney, Russ's wife goes missing after a dinner the three of them share in a restaurant and Anna doesn't remember much of anything about the evening.

This suspenseful read keeps one guessing to the end, with a few twists thrown in along the way.

Anna Malone is a locally famous TV reporter. For the past year and a half, she’s been having an affair with Russ Knoll, a charismatic pediatrician. He’s promised to leave his wife Courtney but keeps putting it off. Courtney has been deaf since childhood and is the author of the popular series The Defectives about four differently abled teenage detectives. That makes for great publicity and Anna is assigned an interview for a feature story with Courtney. They go to dinner to celebrate the interview (what were you thinking, Anna and Russ?) and the women overindulge. The next morning, Anna wakes up, totally hungover. Courtney is missing. Guess who are the main suspects?

The problem is that Anna does not remember anything about that night. Russ tells her what happened and she has vague flashes of memory but cannot help the police. She tries to investigate on her own. Will she be able to find out what happened to Courtney or will she be a victim herself?

The Night She Disappeared, written by Kevin O’Brien and narrated by Kyle Tait, has a lot going for it. Well-described characters, including a deaf main character, a unique setting on a houseboat row and a plot full of twists. It was just too long. There were so many subplots that could have been eliminated to make a tighter and better thriller. For instance and without spoilers, the trip to the lake by the three teenagers could have been reduced to a sentence or two. Anna’s brother did nothing to further the plot. 4 stars because of the excellent narration.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tantor Audio, Kevin O’Brien and Kyle Tait for this ARC.

A quick Little thriller that was admittedly a big bland In the beginning but drew me in by the chapter three and kept me guessing until the end. What is happening in this secret love affair and who is responsible for our missing person?

The narrator did absolutely brilliant at bringing this to life and the end the epilogue was the perfect proverbial cherry on top!

I would recommend this to any mature reader looking for a little intrigue and drama.

4 four stars with a 14+ rating for mature subject matter and language

I really enjoy O'Brien's thrillers, so Iw as really excited to try out his latest in an audio format for the first time! It's an engaging mystery right from the start. Journalist Anna wakes up, horribly hungover and with little memory of the awkward evening the night before- when she met her married lover and his wife, a deaf author who manipulated Anna into profiling her for the local news, for dinner and way too many drinks. Now, she learns that Courtney is missing.

The book shifts back to give background on the main characters. The inclusion of multiple characters who are deaf really adds to the storyline. I enjoyed listening to this one and definitely found myself listening whenever I could. The book is mainly from Anna's perspective, but there are chapters that come from a few other voices as well. and they work well. There are also some genuinely chilling moments.

The audio performance is solid - though I am surprised that the performer is male since most of the book comes from a female perspective. The plot does take a few predictable turns, but there are some surprises, too. I really enjoyed listening to this one and am definitely looking forward to seeing what O'Brien will write next! He's a definite go-to author for me and he never disappoints!

My thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for this delightfully twisted thriller.

Anna is a journalist having an affair with Russ, a pediatrician, not knowing he is married to Courtney, a television personality and author. After the 3 of them have dinner while Courtney is participating in an interview with Anna, Courtney goes missing. What happened? This leads to a supposed suicide, a framing of a murder, a crooked psychotherapist, a kidnapping, jealousy,and a strange love triangle in the end. A fun twisted ride .

Just loved this - wasn't really sure to start with but I stayed with it and about 10% in was hooked. I really wanted to know what happened and who was responsible if anybody was.

Loved the epilogue it was just perfect and summed up the book.

The narration was brilliant and just loved the way the deaf voices were done (cant say any more due to spoilers). Am seriously going to investigate both the author and the narrator.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

This was a good mystery that I wanted to keep reading so I could figure out the ending. I have read several of Kevin O'brien's books and this is one of his best. I figured out who the killer was early on and why it happened but I still liked the book and found the ending more surprising than I expected. I enjoyed it and think it is a great Beach Read for a book that distracts you from your world! The characters are pretty well developed although I did want more of a back story. I really appreciated the fact that two of the main characters were deaf and that they had a story line. Overall a good book for your vacation.

My jinx with finding satisfying thrillers continues.

Story:
Anna has woken up with a bad hangover, so bad that she can’t remember anything of the previous night. Her phone rings and it’s a call from Russ, her married lover. His wife Courtney has gone missing. So far, simple and straightforward. Now to add the complications. Courtney is deaf and a popular author. Anna is a minor celebrity as she’s the news reporter for the local TV station. Russ is a successful doctor. What follows is a game of media and privacy, facts and fiction, memory and imagination. You won’t know whom to trust as each of the characters has a whole range of gray shades.

Excited to read the book? Now let me burst the bubble.

This book has very amateurish writing. To be honest, I thought I must have picked up a debut work. I was quite surprised to see that this author (a new name to me) has many well-rated published thrillers under his belt. The writing style is so repetitive; after every few sentences, you see a line being restated, or a thought being... well… “re-thought”. There is also so much of “telling” in the writing! Every single action is recounted step-by-step as if we won’t get the scene to play properly in our mind without all those elaborations. The book could have been slimmer by at least a hundred pages if the writing issues were rectified.

The plot is dragged too much with unnecessary convolutions and overly detailed backgrounds of even the most minor of characters. This killed the pacing, a vital component in a thriller. It’s supposed to be a mystery-thriller but the mystery didn’t keep me hooked because the characters were most unlikeable and immature and two-faced. Biggest reason it failed me? I could spot the guilty character a mile away, there are so many clues pointing at who was responsible for everything. Spoiled the entire fun of discovery!

On the positive side, I liked the story setting: to see a mystery unravel amid floating boat houses added a novelty factor to an otherwise dull plot. Also different is the portrayal of the two deaf characters in the book. I like that the author didn't make them out to be submissive, under-confident women. Courtney is actually portrayed as a go-getter who manipulates her disability to her advantage. Disabled characters are usually shown to be defined only by their disability, so it was a nice change to see a deaf character being manipulative. Other than these two things, I found nothing enjoyable about the book or likeable about the characters.

The audiobook had a saving grace in the form of narrator Kyle Tait, who did a fabulous job taking me through the 13.5 hours long book. I doubt I would have completed this book were I reading it.

I guess I’d recommend this only to fans of Kevin O’Brien. If you have liked his work so far, you might find this to be in the same league.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tantor Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this audiobook from the publishers via Netgalley for a review. Good story well plotted, the narrator does a very good job of bringing this book to life.

Narrator 5 stars

Story 3 stars

Great premise, but overall it did not grab me. I didn't feel any emotion to any of the characters and it was just a bit flat for me.
I didn't hate it, but also wouldn't recommend it.