I was so happy to see Sara Foster has a new book coming out. I really enjoy her writing and was thrilled to read When She Was Gone early. I was hooked from the beginning on this gripping story with nuanced characters.

Rose's daughter has gone missing and she wasn't alone. She's the nanny of two very young children in Australia. These children belong to a very rich high profile family so there's even more pressure to find them as soon as possible. Rose's ex husband wants her to go and represent their daughter since he can't. Besides, she can also lend her expertise as a former London police officer.

The only problem is that Rose and Lou are estranged. Thanks to the ex husband who is a real piece of work. But Rose decides she's not going to let that stop her from doing everything she can to help find her. Rose is the heart of this story, I really liked her. She didn't let anyone try to keep her from doing whatever it took to find them.

The detective on the case didn't appreciate her doing her own investigating. He's close to retirement and under a lot of pressure to solve this case quickly. The patriarch of the family is doing his own things that the police would rather he didn't. But he's the type of guy that does things his way and doesn't respond to the word no.

The entire family is unlikable and the parents seem very suspicious. It's quite possible that Lou might have run to save the children from them. It's also likely one of the family's many enemies has taken them for revenge and/or ransom. There is a lot going on and as new details emerged, I was thoroughly invested.

I recommend When She Was Gone to those who like emotional meaningful mysteries. There's also a police procedural aspect that doesn't get bogged down with the details that I appreciated.

Thank you Blackstone Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

I have read several of Sara Foster’s books but I think this is the best so far. The climax was truly stomach churning with suspense and the plot was sophisticated. A very visual narrative with complex characters make this a great book for discussion. I could see a sequel from this. Looking forward to her next book!

This is my first Sara Foster thriller, and it certainly won’t be my last. I loved the excellent character development and the short, multi-character POV chapters—even more than the central mystery of what happened to the nanny and kids, or the dark secrets the Fisher family harbors, giving off Australian Corleone vibes!

From the blurb, I expected an eccentric, forced partnership between Rose Campbell, an estranged ex-police officer turned bestselling author and domestic abuse consultant, and Mal Blackwood, a sharp, workaholic detective taking his last case before retirement due to health issues. However, as I began reading, I realized they each conduct their own investigations, with Blackwood determined to keep Rose from crossing his authority. Still, their separate searches for the truth converge in unexpected ways, revealing secrets and well-executed twists.

Early on, we meet Lou, the nanny caring for the wealthy Australian couple Kyle and Frannie’s two children, Honey and Kai. She reflects on their escalating arguments and how their home has become far from peaceful. While at the remote beach by the Fisher’s house in Kardanup, Perth, West Australia, Lou sees something threatening on the rocks while searching for Honey’s toy. Soon after, both Lou and the children go missing, leaving the Fisher family devastated. The head of the family, Jock Fisher, takes control, organizing a press conference. DSS Mal Blackwood is called in, despite it being his anniversary, to work with his colleague Angie on the case. As he interviews the Fisher family, he quickly realizes they’re hiding many skeletons in their closets.

Adding to the intrigue, Lou’s father, Henry, contacts his ex-wife, Rose Campbell. Years ago, Henry had done everything in his power to drive a wedge between Lou and Rose, including taking custody while Rose recovered from a colleague’s shooting and hiding letters Rose sent to their daughter. With the help of his second wife, Henry fed Lou lies that estranged her from Rose. However, after his lies were exposed during his third marriage, Henry faced the consequences. Lou moved to Australia to live with her brother Charlie, found a babysitting job with a wealthy family, and cut ties with Henry. Now that she’s missing, possibly implicated in the children’s disappearance, Rose, with her law enforcement expertise, is the only one who can help.

Rose quickly flies to Australia to assist in the investigation, although she’s still unsure what kind of person her once-moody teenage daughter has become. Despite being kept in the dark by the authorities, Rose is determined to uncover the truth, even if it means crossing lines and conducting her own investigation.

Overall, the character development is fantastic, and all the pieces of the mystery fit together perfectly. The pacing is engaging and well-balanced. I’ll definitely be reading more of Sara Foster’s books, and I highly recommend this one to crime thriller lovers!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for providing me with a digital reviewer copy of this riveting thriller in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The plot is around the main character - Louisa - who nannies for one of the wealthiest and one of the most influential families in Perth, Australia. One day, while playing with the kids at the beach, something happens and she goes missing along with the kids. Did she take the kids and run away with an ulterior motive or has something happened to her & the kids? What happened and how does it unfold forms the rest of the story.

What I really enjoyed about this book:
- multiple POVs
- multiple timelines which gives us an insight into how everything and everyone plays a part in the story
- the plot was intriguing and kept me guessing who done it and the motive

It is definitely a page turner! However, in the end when the suspense unfolded, it kinda fell flat for me and I felt like the police didn't do a good job but everyone else did a better investigation than the police force. But again, this is my personal opinion and maybe there was nothing else they could do?! The book is a page turner for sure and I will recommend it to all thriller lovers!