This book kept me hanging after every page. I was intrigued and could not stop reading. I was surprised by what occurred and did not expect it at all. This is a thriller I definitely recommend.

The book started off really well with Frances receiving a phone call that her daughter had been in an accident. As she races to the hospital, she passes a car with a terrified child in the rear seat screaming for help. The pace is good but slows down as we read from the perspective of Frances. I just failed to empathise with any of the characters and the ending was just a bit too quick. Overall, a good mystery/psychological thriller. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and HQ Digital for the eCopy to review

I enjoyed The Girl Who Vanished, it was full of twists and turns that I did not see coming. You really empathise with Frances who seems to be suffering from early onset dementia and her daughter Naomi who the burden of care falls upon.

It starts with every mother's worst nightmare a phone call to say your daughter has been in an accident and to come to the hospital quickly. On her way to there she sees a girl in a car who seems to be asking for help. Frances is convinced she was kidnapped and decides to investigate.

What follows is a masterpiece in trying to work out what is true, what are memories, and what is false. It had me gripped and the sense of fear is palpable. Ultimately, Frances learns to rely upon herself and to face the demons of her past

*4.5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

It was terrible what Frances and Naomi went through because of some people being rejected and the jealousy of others. The ending was interesting.

It all starts with the accident, and a phone call.

Frances gets a call she'd never hoped to repeat. Her daughter's been in another accident, and in a panic she rushes to London to get to her. Along the way, she sees what might be a possible abduction; a young girl acting strangely in the car beside her, asking for help.

When she reaches the nearest service station, she gets a call from Naomi, her daughter, who isn't in the hospital at all. At least, not again. Her accident was 6 years ago. But Frances swears the phone call was so real.

This isn't the first time Frances has called her family in a panic, thinking there's been another accident. It is, however, the first time she actually got in her car and started driving. Her family's fed up of her panicking, until they start to think it might be signs of something more serious going on. After all, Frances' own mother has been suffering from dementia for years.

Like with the false alarm of the accident, her family is quick to dismiss the so called abduction sighting. As are the police. But Frances can't get rid of the guilt she feels, that she should have done more to help the girl. If nobody else is going to look into the matter, she'll do everything she can to get to the bottom of it.

An unreliable narrator, with alternating points of view to "The GIrl" and Naomi, once the story gets going it's hard to stop reading.

Thank you to the publishers through Netgalley for the ARC.

There was nothing particularly wrong with this, but it felt a little too similar to other thrillers. I didn't dislike it, but there was nothing about it that really stood out for me, and I didn't really connect with or relate to any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a free copy to review.

4.5 stars for The Girl Who Vanished
Author: R.M. Ward
Release Date: May 12, 2023

Frances is on her way to the hospital following a call about her daughter Naomi being in an accident, when she believes she sees a little girl who has been kidnapped. Frances becomes obssessed with the little girl snd everything surrounding the alleged kidnapping. No one believes Frances and everyone thinks she is going crazy, Naomi is worried she is starting to have Dementia like Francis' mother did. Was a little girl kidnapped? Can Frances save her? Is Frances' mind playing tricks on her?

This story picked up quick from the beginning and I didn't want to put it down. It is told from 3 point of views, Frances, Naomi, and the girl. The story started out as more of a mystery/psychological thriller and finished up more along the lines of a psychological thriller/domestic thriller. I was able to figure out one of the twists, but the other one caught me by surprise. This book is a fast paced read that will have you questioning what is real and what is fake.

Make sure to pick up R.M. Wards latest book on May 12, 2023 and take a ride with Frances!

This book was enjoyable and very clever. You do start to work things out as you go along. Thank you @Netgalley for early access to this book.

Frances thinks she is losing her mind to a family history of dementia, and to be perfectly honest, you would be convinced too. She is convinced she was witness to a kidnapping, setting her world into a spiral. There are too many events to recap but all lead up to the ultimate question; is this dementia or is someone playing a sick joke on Frances? Will her memories uncover more from her past that she had hidden away?

The Girl Who Vanished - by R.M. Ward

Oh my..what a creepy and twisty thriller here.

Frances received a call from the hospital at night, said her daughter was injured in the car accident and needed Frances to be in the hospital asap. Frances was panic and when she was on the highway heading to the hospital, she saw a little girl in a car and asking for help. The little girl said the drivers were not her parents and wrote “HELP ME” on a napkin….

Then the story moved along to no one believed what Frances said. Everyone thought she was mad, but Frances insisted what she saw! Can she finally save the girl?

The Girl Who Vanished made me hooked and I finished the book in one sit. I found Frances was very pathetic, probably because of her childhood. She had PTSD and sometimes she thought she had dementia…

The twists in the story were excellent lily executed. I am surprised the whole idea of this book came from kind of a true story of the author…what an unexpected one!

Many thanks to Netgalley, HQ Digital and the author for this advanced copy.

Pub date: May 12, 2023

Having previously read Safe with you by this author,was really looking forward to this new book,and it definitely did not disappoint.
It grabs your attention from the first page and is one ot those books that you want to read as quickly as possible to find out if the outcome of the book is what you constantly are trying to guess it is .

WHAT A WILD RIDE. This book had my head spinning the entire time. It had me trying to decipher what was really happening and what was imagined. Throughout the book my mind was constantly being changed as to what the end result was going to be. I felt I was really able to connect to some of the characters and rooted for the successes. The family drama and mysteries kept me guessing until the very end. If you’re looking for a page turner with a thrilling ending, look no further.
CW: gaslighting, kidnapping, abuse

This one starts with some epic twists and turns. A crazy story with suspense and mystery. It was slightly predictable but the awesome writing and story telling made it so that didn’t detract from the story. A great plot moving at a great pace. Well done

The novel started well, a mother is informed her adult daughter has been admitted to a London hospital after an accident. Then the story gets convoluted with too many elements not combining to strengthen the narrative. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

3.5 rounded down

A panicked mother, Frances Brookman, drives frantically to a London hospital where her daughter Naomi has been taken after an RTC. She catches sight of a car driving recklessly out of the corner of her eye, there’s a child in the back, clearly distressed and forming the word ‘Help’. Frances stops at the next service station and so does that car and without questioning her actions, she follows them. Frances is clearly in a dilemma. Naomi needs her but so possibly does this child. What to do? If she does nothing could she live with herself? The story is told via the alternating perspectives of Frances, Naomi and The Girl.

First of all. I do like the book and enjoy reading it. It starts really well and effortlessly draws me into the storytelling. The pace is quick and I’m intrigued. At the start it seems to be a mystery thriller but then the pace slows and becomes more of a character driven study and a domestic psychological thriller. Frances’ perspective is done very well and all your sympathy heads in that direction. I’m invested in her story, her emotions are palpable and her trauma feels real. The other characters are less well conveyed but that’s not to say I can’t picture them.

The novel is very easy to read and is told in a straightforward way and it flows. One aspect of the outcome is a surprise but the other big reveal is possible to see from not that far into the book, hence the three star rating.

Overall, this is a solidly written, enjoyable novel with a good premise and strong aspects.

This story starts with a phone call to Frances that her daughter Naomi is in hospital. As she is driving there, she sees a little girl in the back of a car mouthing ‘help me’.
We soon learn that Frances is an unreliable narrator. Despite only being in her fifties, her family thinks she is getting dementia.

This is certainly a page turner but towards the end, when things are wrapping up, we’re introduced to a complicated storyline - too complicated for this stage of the story and so it feels rather contrived.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a wild ride full of suspense. I couldn't help putting myself in this mother's shoes at every turn. This had some thrilling and unexpected twists. It kept me captivated from start to finish.

I enjoyed this one. It centers on Frances, who becomes obsessed with a woman that she thinks kidnapped a child. Frances’s daughter Naomi is also a primary character and is worried that Frances nah be developing dementia like her own mom did. Chapters are narrated from both POVs.

I could empathize with both Frances and Naomi and I appreciated the family dynamic on top of the mystery. There were 2 big twists in this book, one that I figured out quickly (because that’s just how my mind works) and one that I thought I had right but went in another direction. The story was fast paced with lots is activity leading up to the culmination of the story. The ending left a little to be desired but left me hopeful.

Overall, this was a good mystery with a lot of action and surprising twists. I would recommend to those who enjoy the domestic suspense genre. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This thriller kept me entertained. What would you do if you saw a child asking for help in another car when you are in a hurry to get somewhere? Try to help? Convince yourself you didn’t see it?
This is what Frances is being faced with as she races to the hospital to see her daughter who is in critical condition.
The book kept me entertained and guessing. I was very entertained.
Thank you

This book's plot was full of twists and turns. It'll have you questioning whether or not you can trust the narrator's chain of events or if maybe she is have trouble with her memory .

Overall this is a fast paced engaging read, I recommend giving it a try!

Thank you to Net Galley, HQ and R.M. Ward for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book!