Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

While it took me a little while to really get into this one, I found that by the end, I couldn’t put it down! Lisa Hall has written a great story about a woman who goes back to her hometown to investigate the disappearance of a young girl the year prior. Dealing with the local people who despise her for something she did when she was a teenager herself, Becky is determined to uncover the truth.

Even though I figured out who it was pretty early on, this was a fun book. The twists that surprised me had nothing to do with the main plot and honestly they were very shocking. I would have loved to see how those resolved. The ending was soooo good. A great cliffhanger that could totally set up a sequel or just leave us always wondering.

3.5 stars

When Rebecca gets a phone call from her childhood best friend telling her to come home ASAP as her mum is very ill, she has to face going back to a place she ran away from 16 years ago. On arrival on the remote island she grew up on, she realises that 16 years is apparently not long enough for people to have forgotten the mistake she made that led to her leaving and she is certainly not given a great welcome. This isn’t helped when she starts to investigate the disappearance of local girl Violet who has been missing for a year, and she is soon receiving threats at her house, but can she work out the mystery before she is hounded off the island... or worse?

Despite figuring out the who pretty early on, I enjoyed reading particularly the first half of this book. The end felt a little drawn out, but recomended if you are in the mood for a family-style dra-mystery!

Rebecca “Becky” Gannon receives a call from her childhood friend Megan Brazil telling her she needs to come back home as her mom is very ill with cancer and doesn’t have much time left. Becky is not anxious to come back to the island of Kirton, the island she grew up on and ran away from 16 years ago after making a dreadful mistake. A mistake that was unforgivable and that still haunts Becky to this day.
Upon arrival on the island of Kirton Becky finds out her mother has passed before her arrival. Becky is devastated but decides to stay on the island and settle her mother’s affairs. As expected Becky does not receive a comforting welcome from the habitants of the island she knew growing up.
Becky left the island and was moved to London to become a journalist and get a fresh start at life. Becky convinces her boss to let her have time off for her mother’s burial and to find out what happened to a missing girl named Ivy Monroe who disappeared from the island a year ago. Becky is a journalist turned true crime book author. Becky comes to the island and starts to stir up dust and upsets the locals by asking questions about Ivy’s disappearance.
As Becky starts uncovering what happened to Ivy Monroe. A lot of violence and warnings start coming her way from a mysterious source telling her to get off the island and threatening her. Will Becky give in and leave the island or will she stay and find out what happened to Ivy. When another local girl goes missing that is close to Becky. Will she stay and fight till the end or will she just give up and leave the island.


I loved the first half of this book, to be honest I was able to figure out who the perpetrator was about half way thought the book almost st the beginning I had my suspicions but it was confirmed at the midway point. I felt like the ending was drawn out a bit and that Becky’s character appeared as a damsel in distress that couldn’t make a conscious thought for herself. I would give this book a solid 3 stars just because I felt it went off plot towards the ending. I will admit I didn’t suspect the very last sentence of the book. However, the ending to me felt like a cliffhanger. Could this mean another book? Or are we just left to contemplate what we think is going to happen?


This is my unbiased opinion of The Day She Disappeared. Thank you Netgalley and Joffe Books for the chance at this ARC.

I love British mysteries and this one did not disappoint. Rebecca , a true crime writer, returns home to a small British island after her mother's death. Having left years before after a tragic suicide, she is facing not only settling her mother's affairs, but the scrutiny of the people that she left behind. Investigating the disapperance of a young girl from the island for her next book, she is met with hostility and random acts of violence. Who knew what and when; will she find outburied secrets before it's too late? I can't wait to read other books by this author.

A nice, fun whodunnit! Even though I guessed who was the perpetrator early on, it shows the clues were there (and ending didn't come out of nowhere!) and it still had some twists I didn't see coming. Definitely reminds me of Mare of Easttown!

I found the storyline to be exciting but overall, this book fell short. The characters weren’t memorable and I had a hard time keeping them straight. The story kept me guessing, although the ending was easy to guess. Overall, the plot was lacking and character development fell short. The last paragraph was really great though.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for a digital ARC of The Day She Disappeared in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Lisa Hall book and while it took me a tiny bit to get hooked (probably because I read multiple books at a time), once I did, I could not put it down. So many "suspects" to choose from! I will say I had it figured out, but that didn't stop me from continuing on. I liked the writing style and was never annoyed with the main character. She wasn't perfect but I was rooting for her all the same. I'll definitely read more of her books!

A remote island...a missing girl...a woman with a troubled past....

Firstly, let me just say that ending - WOW! It was creepy, it was disturbing, it was brilliant! And left me feeling completely satisfied upon turning the final page. If only the rest of the book was like that. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it for the most part but I felt it dragged out far too much from the beginning in the build up. And there were too many annoying characters - who else was there to suspect?

Welcome to Kirton, a secluded island off the south coast of Dorset; population, small enough to have long memories. Rebecca Gannon grew up on Kirton but left when she was 18, escaping to London where she pursued a career in journalism and became a successfully published author. But she left Kirton under a cloud. So when her best friend Megan calls to tell her that her mother is ill, begging her to come home, Becky takes some indefinite compassionate leave and heads back to where it all began.

But as soon as she steps off the ferry, Becky can feel the frosty reception from the community. The islanders have long memories and they do not want Becky back...almost as much as she doesn't want to be back. Never mind that she arrived too late to see her mother, who passed before she was able to see her one last time. And so she has the arduous task of packing up her childhood home and putting it on the market. And only then can she leave the island.

But while she is here, Becky decides to look into the disappearance of teenager Violet Monroe who went missing the year before after the summer festival. The island are divided as to what really happened. Most believe she caught the ferry and ran away but her sister is adamant that Violet would not just up and leave. And then Becky stumbles onto some interesting information...the day she was last seen there were no ferries running that night because of the storm. So Violet could not have left the island. Which means she is still here somewhere. The question is, where? And what happened to her?

Becky is determined to uncover the truth and get closure for Violet's family but will it be to her detriment when her past is about to come back and bite her? I mean, cry wolf one too many times and no one will believe you. But is Becky ready for the truth?

So this was a slow burn, a bit too slow in my opinion that I almost gave up on it. I'm glad I didn't because it ended up a great read for the last 60%. And that ending is deserving of another star as I was going to rate it a 3 but it is deserving of a 4 with that deliciously disturbing twist at the end. I will say I wasn't surprised by the villain. In fact, I had them pegged almost from the first thinking it was so obvious it was screaming at us. But everyone else on the island was blind and hardly anyone was likeable, which made it hard to root for anyone. And Megan? My gosh, for someone who was supposed to be Becky's best friend she was a b****. Letting her take the blame for something she was guilty of. And then still blaming her! Becky, ditch her and leave the island. None of them are worth the trouble.

I did like the setting. A remote island is always an atmospheric setting for a sinister and creepy thriller. It bore some resemblance to another one I can't think the name of which was also set on a remote island off the coast of Dorset or Devon or somewhere along there, with the main character returning with a big secret etc. But that one uncovered buried remains in their garden if I recall. It was some years ago so I really can't remember the title or the author but when I began this book I began to get a sense of deja vu. Much like Becky...she was continually getting the sense of deja vu with every chapter it became a little repetitive.

But overall, while it was initially a slow burn, it did pan out into a thrilling read with creepy connotations and a deliciously disturbing twist.

I would like to thank #LisaHall, #Netgalley, #JoffeBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheDaySheDisappeared in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

The Day She Disappeared by Lisa Hall is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

Rebecca (Becky) returns to Kirton Island, the island where she grew up, when she learns her mother is very ill. When she arrives, it is in time to plan the funeral. Rebecca knows everyone remembers her and what she did sixteen years ago. She can feel their animosity, but she needs to stay to settle her mother's estate. As a writer, she has also promised her editor that she would be looking into a girl who went missing from the island, Violet.

Everyone, with the exception of Violet's sister Ivy, seems to think Violet left the island. Since Violet was a part of the community of Travelers who lived on the other side of the island, people assumed that Violet simply left and really didn't look too deeply into her disappearance. Rebecca is determined to uncover the truth. And then another teenage girl disappears.

Rebecca is a well-developed and sympathetic character, albeit a little too introspective and fanciful. The backstory about the incident that was the impetus for her leaving the island and never returning is shared. Readers will understand her remorse over her actions years ago as a teen, but it really stretches credibility a bit that everyone on the island remembers and holds a grudge. Additionally, Rebecca should have developed more self confidence and moxie after being completely on her own for years. It was surprising she still cared what any of these people thought.

What helps the novel is the writing which will hold your attention and Rebecca's tenacity in looking into Violet's disappearance. Someone is also trying to make Rebecca leave and they seem to be escalating their actions/sabotage. As soon as all the characters are introduced the final outcome will be easy for long time readers of mysteries and thrillers to predict. However you'll keep reading to see if you're correct about how it all turns out. 3.5 rounded up.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Joffe Books via NetGalley.
The review will be published on Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

A brilliant thriller that will have you holding your breath!

When Becky returns to Kirton after 16 years her last comes back to haunt her.

Faced with hostility from the locals she attempts to solve the mystery of missing girl, Violet.

Becky is convinced that someone is not to be trusted but is she suspicious about the right person.

Loved this book - couldn’t put it down. A great thriller with lots of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing.

Rebecca left the island on which she was born and raised, vowing never to return. Her departure was very much under a cloud, with the majority of the islanders pleased to see her go.
But Becky’s mum has passed away and now she has no choice but to return to the family home. As a journalist and author, Becky’s anxiousness in returning is outweighed by the opportunity to find out what happened to Violet, a fellow islander. Was there something untoward about Violet’s disappearance a year ago, or did she leave the island of her own accord. As she starts asking questions, the islander’s aversion to Becky bubbles to the surface once more. Will Becky discover the truth before her time runs out?
The trouble with stating ‘with an astonishing twist’ on the front cover, is that it holds the book up in such esteem and my expectations were high. I examined the plot in detail throughout and was on the lookout for who the twist could involve. Unfortunately, I felt that this book dragged on too long and the twist wasn’t as astonishing as I had been led to believe, and it left me a little underwhelmed. An ok read.
One of Lisa’s previous books is up there in my top ten best reads of all time, so this won’t put me off of reading any more of her books.

Becky returns to her small island home in order to sort out her late mother's estate. She is not welcomed back thanks to long past events which are hinted at for several chapters. She, herself, is not a pleasant character which does not help the reader to engage. She's feisty at times, simply bolshie at others and very naïve as well. And then she goes house-breaking to prove her (wrong) point. Definitely into assuming guilt on thin evidence to say the least. Not a nice trait but becoming too common these days. The perpetrator, I'm afraid, is blindingly obvious from the start and I kept hoping for some denouement that meant I'd barked up the wrong tree. Nope. Still, well-written on the whole, just a disappointingly predictable story; good light read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

I absolutely loved this book and I was hooked from the first chapter. I couldn't wait to find out what had happened all those years ago to make her leave the island originally and it was good how you kept finding out in little flashbacks. I was suspicious of a few of the characters in the present time concerning the current disappearances and kept changing my mind about who I could trust. A great read.

When she gets news of her mum's death, Becky returns to the island she lived on as a child, even though she said she'd never return after what happened in the past... She doesn't get a friendly welcome and hopes to get away as soon as she can, but then the news of a missing girl intrigues her and she knows she won't leave until she finds out what happened... A brilliant thriller that keeps you turning the pages until the very shocking ending. Great twists and turns, I was kept guessing until the end!

This is my first read by this author and I enjoyed the book. I had my suspicions but was pleased by the outcome. I would recommend😊

Becky is forced to return home to the tiny island where she was raised after the death of her mother. She vowed never to return but her best friend called and convinced her she needed to come home.

The island is full of memories and they aren’t all good. Becky is clearly not wanted home and people aren’t afraid to let her know it.

Determined to solve the case of a missing island girl, Becky decides to stay and settle her mother’s affairs and dig into the mystery. When she starts asking questions, Becky is told to let it go. Is something sinister going on? Can Becky solve this mystery and confront her past?

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this looked and sounded like my type of book.

There were elements of this that made it feel like a cosy mystery, and I did feel very at home in the setting. Having said that, it was as suspenseful as a thriller, and I found myself turning the pages very quickly. There were definitely some twists that I didn't see coming, and this felt like a comfortable compromise between a cosy mystery and a thriller.

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

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy. I struggled with this book to keep my interest. I had planned to DNF it, but I push through. This was not a thriller or even interesting.

"The Day She Disappeared" by Lisa Hall is an absolute gem of a book, offering a thoroughly enjoyable read.

This novel hooked me right from the start with its intriguing premise. The story revolves around Rebecca "Becky" Gannon, who receives a phone call summoning her back to her childhood home, Kirton Island, a place she left 18 years ago. This is a journey she never thought she'd make, but it's to see her ailing mother. The same day she gets this call, she also stumbles upon a news article about a missing girl named Violet, a young Traveler from the island who vanished a year ago. Most locals believe she ran away, but her sister Ivy is convinced otherwise. This dual narrative adds layers of mystery and suspense that kept me hooked throughout.

One of the highlights for me was the setting of the Scilly Islands, with Kirton Island at its core. While Kirton Island is fictional, its atmosphere and allure are vividly described. The portrayal of the place is incredibly evocative, making me yearn to visit these islands.

The relationships Becky forms with the islanders are a central focus of the story. It's clear they haven't forgotten the terrible lie she told before she left, and their reluctance to welcome her back adds a rich layer of tension and drama to the plot. The palpable resentment and the difficulty of mending old wounds make for compelling dynamics.

Becky's character is a standout element. Her relentless pursuit of the truth, including breaking into people's homes, added a thrilling dimension to the narrative. This gave the story a fascinating unreliable narrator vibe that kept me guessing.

The pacing was spot-on, with clever hints and red herrings scattered throughout. The major reveals at the 40% mark and the revelations about Violet's disappearance around the 60% mark were well-executed and kept me second-guessing.

The book also delivers thought-provoking social commentary on the treatment of Travelers. It raises essential questions about societal biases and selective empathy, highlighting the disparity in public outcry when a local girl goes missing compared to a Traveler girl.

That said, I share the sentiment about the reveal of what happened in the barn. It felt a bit clichéd and could have been more nuanced.

In summary, "The Day She Disappeared" is an outstanding book with a breathtaking setting, compelling character development, and an enthralling narrative. It's a gripping mystery that will immerse any reader. I enthusiastically recommend it to those in search of an immersive and atmospheric read. Kudos to Lisa Hall for crafting such an enthralling story.

I am big fan of this author you know it's going to be addictive from page 1. Rebecca gets the phone call of her old friend. Megan, she calls her old name Becky. she is successful. writer she left her old town. A scandal and has never gone back to the island but she has to now her mum is dying. when she goes back it's too late. the people of the village still have anger to her and a young girl has gone missing.no one cares because Violet. is from a Travellers site. And Rebecca will do anything to find the missing girl. a very gripping read