🎧 A L C • R E V I E W 🎧
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Title: The Girls Who Disappear
Author: Claire Douglas
Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨- Rounded up to 4 Stars on NetGalley and GoodReads
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2023 must be the year for slow burns for me because I feel like that is the only thing that I have read so far this year. As per most of my reads so far this year - this one started off fairly fast paced, and then tapers off into a slow burn in the middle to have the end really pick up as the final twist is revealed.
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This one is told from the perspective of Jenna (a news journalist), Olivia (the survivor of the crash from the past) and Stace (someone vacationing in Thailand?) I was all about Jenna and Olivia’s parts, but if I am being honest I did not understand why this Staces’ story even mattered. I didn’t really appreciate her story, or figure out how it mattered until the very end, which at that point was a nice twist but I felt like by that point I was less invested. Throughout I was super intrigued, just wished it kept that fast pace and a bit more information into Stace.
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I’ve seen some mixed reviews on the ending of this one, and I am pretty indifferent about it. I thought that this was wrapped up pretty nicely, but I dont think that it was the most unique or memorable ending, but I think it worked for the story.
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I listened to this via audio and think that Joanne Froggatt and Clare Corbett did a great job bringing this one to life for the listener! I followed along great, except for Stace’s part like I already mentioned. They did great at setting that atmospheric tone for this creepy thriller!
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Not my favorite by this author but definitely one that I liked enough. I’m excited to read even more of her work! The Girls Who Disappeared was just released this week on 1/10 - be sure to check it out!
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Huge thank you to @netgalley and @harperaudio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!
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#netgalley #alc #advancedlistenercopy #theyearofneygalleyreads #thriller #popcornthriller #multiplepointsofview #thepastmeetsthepresent #audiobooks #pubweekreview #clairedouglas #harperaudio #thegirlswhodisappeared

This was a fantastic thriller! I enjoyed the multiple POV, short chapters and pacing that kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the book. Midway it slowed down a bit but picked up again for an ending full of surprises and twists!

My second Claire Douglas and it’s official she is an read for me! I love listening to thrillers on audio and this one was fast paced, full of clues and twist and turns! With multiple POV… one being a podcaster visiting a small town where they had a mysterious car crash 20 years prior with three girls that up and vanished. Olivia the lone survivor, and Stacie a mystery throughout but a young woman on vacay in Thailand. A unique story that I feel like Douglas always delivers

Twenty years ago, four girls were driving home when their car crashed. When help came, three of them had disappeared. The sole survivor, Olivia, says she has no idea what happened that night to her or her friends. Journalist Jenna Halliday is sent to the small town where it happened to cover the 20th anniversary of the tragedy, but the town’s residents aren’t happy when she starts digging into what happened. When Jenna starts getting threatening notes and she starts learning more about the people involved, she wonders if there’s anyone in the town she can trust.

This story kept me on the edge of my seat, unfolding in three POVs. Two were clear, but I couldn’t quite piece together how the third fit in to the story and trying to figure it out made the book really fun. I was definitely surprised by the ending and will absolutely be reading more books by Claire Douglas.

It’s no surprise that I listened to this one, but I think I might love listening to thrillers set in England the best. There’s something about the accents that completely immerses me in the books, and the narrator for this one did a great job plunging me into the spooky setting and getting me in the mindset of all three point of view characters. I’d definitely recommend listening to this one if you’re a fan of audiobooks.

𝘛𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘺, 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤!

I love Claire Douglas books and this one was no exception. Twisty, suspenseful, compelling, tense, clever, chilling, dark and impossible to put down. It kept me at the edge of my seat from start to finish. I think it’s my favorite book from her so far.

Thank you Harper Perennial and NetGalley for this gifted copy.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 by Claire Douglas releases tomorrow January 10, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

This was my first novel by Claire Douglas but it won't be the last! I really enjoyed this psych thriller. One of the MC comes to town to record a podcast about a past murder...it felt very relevant for current pop culture.
I recommend this for readers of suspense and psychological fiction.

Read or listen if you like:
💀 Thrillers
✌🏻 Dual POV
⏳ Mysteries Soanning 2 Decades
👶 Hearing things

This one was such a wonderful concept and I wish I loved it more than I did. The narrator has a wonderful accent but also something that made me need to slow down my usual pace for listening quite a bit to fully grasp the story as I felt I was missing information.

The atmospheric vibes created with the narrators accent and the story telling were by far my favorite parts of this audiobook.

The ending of this one was also just a huge let down especially as I am such a twist girly and if it’s got good twists that redeems a whole book for me, but this one was just a let down unfortunately.

Thanks to the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my thoughts!

The Girls Who Disappeared begins with a creepy mystery. Four girlfriends go out for a night out. A tense drive home on The Devil’s Corridor ends suddenly when a man appears in the middle of the road. Olivia, the driver, hits the breaks and they crash. When she regains consciousness, her three friends are gone. Jenna Halliday, podcaster for the BBC, returns to the small Wilshire town 20 years later to investigate what really happened that night.

The narration was excellent. Having two different narrators for Jenna and Olivia brought so much more to the story. Joanne Froggatt in particular was fantastic, bringing so many layers of emotion to Jenna.

This is now my second book read by Claire Douglas. Her style of writing is captivating. The atmosphere of this small town permeates the page. Every resident seems less trustworthy than the next. The backstories of the major players are all compelling. Unfortunately, I just wanted a bit more from the ending as the twist seemed off somehow?

Overall, I recommend The Girls Who Disappeared. Even with my reservations of the final section of the book, this is a solid four star read with an intense, atmospheric audiobook!

I was really excited to listen to this one since I really enjoyed listening to The Couple At No 9. This book almost had the same feel, but just sort of fell short for me. I sometimes struggle with names & rembering who is who. I got a little confused at the end trying to place who is who. I still will keep reading & listening to more from Claire Douglas.

DNF at 27%. Unfortunately this was a VERY slow burn that’s just not drawing me in. I’ve seen the crime podcast aspect done much better in other books and I just can’t continue with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Audio for access to this audio ARC.

“‘Everyone always tells me what to do… I know it’s because they have my best interests at heart but it’s almost like they think I stayed eighteen after the accident. I’m a grown woman. I have a voice!’ ‘Of course you do,’ I say.”

A horrific car accident.

Three missing girls.

A young podcaster digging up secrets long since buried.

This was a good mystery and it held my interest for part of the story. But, despite the title, there really isn’t that much focus on the missing girls. The writing it atmospheric and creepy and I can vividly picture the cabins deep in the woods. But the storyline was a bit simple and I just didn’t feel that pull to pick it back up.

The audio was good and has dual narrators, one for each of the main characters. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and I love when there is more than one narrator. It really brings the story to life for me and I believe that the audio is actually why I kept going with this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Audio, Harper Perennial and Paperbacks, and the author for the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this audio! Very entertaining and fast paced. Read it alongside the physical book and it was great. Highly recommend.

The Girls Who Disappeared is a thriller that keeps you guessing up to the end. Twenty years earlier four friends were returning from a night out. A car accident traps one in the car....and the other three disappear at the Devil's Corridor. Podcaster Jenna Halliday arrives at the small town of Wilshire to investigate the twenty year old mystery. She seeks an interview with the lone survivor of the tragedy, Olivia. After two decades Olivia still remains silent about that night. She can't remember, or so she says. Flashbacks throughout the book give us clues to the unsolved mystery. An excellent read, and even better as an audio book. Read by actor Joanne Froggatt (Downton Abbey) and voice actor Clare Corbett, this book is well worth your time!

Claire Douglas excels at creating a gloomy, creepy, atmospheric tension in her settings and that vibe is strong in this book. With dual points of view the story moves forward and while I didn't necessarily like the characters I found them interesting and wanted to know what was going on. The ending may or may not be what you want to happen, but it worked and this thriller is another win for the author and the reader.

I alternated between print, ebook and audio for this title, and it was an amazing reading experience. The narration by Downton Abbey’s Joanne Froggatt @jofroggatt was outstanding, and I highly recommend this type of immersive reading experience.

After I closed the last page of this book, I knew Claire Douglas would be the latest addition to my autobuy authors list.

Utterly compelling and so very clever, The Girls Who Disappeared is a must read, my friends.

Brand new in paperback January 10.

My thanks to @netgalley and Harper Audio for the opportunity to read and review this book before its publication date.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this book and I was pleasantly surprised! I ended up really enjoying this book. I loved the multiple POV and the podcast aspect of the story. I’m a sucker for a podcast theme in a book. I loved both Jenna and Olivia and their friendship that grows throughout the story. It had me guessing until the end on what happened. I unfortunately didn’t like Stacy’s POV or her character in general. She seemed naive and just kind of annoyed me. Overall, I really enjoyed listening to the audiobook version of it and definitely recommend this fun thriller!

My first Claire Douglas novel but definitely not my last! In the 90s, Olivia Rutherford was in a terrible car accident with 3 of her friends. When she becomes conscious, her friends are missing. Completely gone as if they were never in the car at all. It is still a mystery. Journalist Jenna Halliday is covering this 20-year mystery for a BBC podcast and the anniversary of the disappearance. What actually happened back then? Where are the girls? Could they still be alive? Was it all a grand hoax so that they could disappear without Olivia or was something more sinister at play. Tons of suspense happening here. Thoroughly enjoyed this.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for this audio file.*

I will be withholding my review until Harper gives their Harper Collins union workers a fair contract. Thank you again for the copy.

This one just didn't do much for me. While there wasn't anything I can really pinpoint as bad about it, there also isn't much that sticks out as good. I finished it 48 hours ago and have already lost a great majority of the details

I actually couldn't get through the audio on this one, sadly. I really like Claire Douglas so I will for sure pick up the print edition. The narrator was hard to focus on and follow and that is 100% on me and my auditory processing issues. I can usually do okay with accents but there was something...muddled? about these particular voices that I kept having to rewind and try again until I finally gave up.