What a solid popcorn thriller. This had me turning the pages late into the night. A departure from her contemporary fiction and I’m here for it. This was short and tense and compelling. Halloween, the 90s, gymnastics and kidnapping, oh my!

While I predicated some, I still enjoyed seeing it all come together. Grab this for your next slump buster.

When She’s Gone

When she is gone is a tense, fast paced novel that keeps you on your toes. As the story flips between then (whenCora was kidnapped as a teenager) to now (her daughters disappearance) years later, we learn bit by bit how Cora became the hyper vigilant person that she is today. She is not only prepared for almost anything that could happen she is also tough and very smart.

I really liked Cora as a character and felt like I could completely relate to how her team mates treated her. This made the book seem even more real and intense to me.

With short chapters and tons of surprises along the way, I highly recommend this to any mystery/ suspense lovers!



Available January 15th, 2025

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer, and author, Rea Frey for the advanced copy.

Loved it!! I enjoyed how the book alternated between Cora now and when she was fourteen. I started reading this not knowing the premise of the book, which I do for many books of authors I love. So I was a bit shocked about everything that happened to Cora. First she's kidnapped and years later so is her daughter. It can't be a coincidence. It must be related somehow. They never found out who kidnapped Cora all those years ago. Could it really be the same person? How did the people hack her phone and security system? I figured it had to be someone close to Cora. I was extremely suspicious of Faith and Joe. I really had no reason but they seemed like obvious choices. Smorgasbord was definitely the scariest haunted house. There's no way I would have even stepped foot in there. That place was terrifying, especially what happened to Jessie. Jessie was rude and mean, but didn't deserve what happened. There were so many twists and turns. I would never have guessed the ending. Every time I tried to figure out what was going to happen, I was completely wrong. My opinion constantly changed about each of the characters. The lengths people will go to for money!!! All that time and effort was put into hurting people. The reasons behind both kidnappings were insane. I can't believe the short sentence the one person received.

Definitely recommend the book. It was a great mystery/thriller that had me guessing until the end. I can't believe that people were able to keep secrets about what happened quiet for so long. I loved the story, writing style and characters. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Thomas & Mercer through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I don’t even know what I read… it was the most propulsive read with the most far fetched situations. Did I like it? I don’t know. Did I binge it? Yes, yes I did.

It was wildly bizarre, completely bingeable and a little bat shit crazy.

Geez, this is nothing like her last book which I loved. This was a whole new genre with a whole new voice.

I don’t know how to rate this? It was bizarre but bingeable.
Not believable but a thriller beach read. Geez, pretty cool that the author was able to do this

3 stars for plot
5 stars for making me constantly flip the pages
Settling for 3.75

I was so excited to be given a chance to read an ARC of Rea Frey’s upcoming thriller. I read this in one day because I absolutely couldn’t put it down. I loved the dual timelines that always ended in such a way that you just HAVE to keep going. I was suspicious of everyone and when everything was spelled out I simply don’t know how I missed it!

When She’s Gone will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish so make sure to grab your copy when this comes out on 1/15/25

Pretty well paced. There wasn't a lag in action. I just couldn't believe the ending. I don't want to spoil anything for others, but I didn't buy it.

Cora has worked her entire life to make it to the olympics. When trials are just a short distance away, she is kidnapped from a haunted house with the team. It’s been years since her safe return, and she lives a very secluded life with her daughter. When her daughter goes missing while trick-or-treating, Cora is desperate to find her. Will she find so much worse?

HOLY SH*T. I stayed up way too late finishing this book, and poor Rea got all my thoughts over dm while I hit every twist. This book jumps between the past when Cora was kidnapped, and present day when her daughter is missing. I was immediately pulled into the story on page one and seriously could not stop reading. I loved the gymnastics of it all, the kidnapping, and oh goodness did this come together in just the best of twists. I have always love Rea Frey’s books, and this one was no different! I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer and @reafreyauthor for my gifted copy of this book!

This had me in an absolute chokehold. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Wow, terrifying! Cora Valentine, a teenage gymnastic Olympian, is abducted on Halloween night just 4 days before the Olympic trials. Years later, she is living an isolated life in her small hometown out on a rural road. Her own 4 year old daughter, Lulu, goes missing while out trick or treating. Cora’s tragic history is being repeated, her nightmare back to haunt her. While panic and desperation settle in and the clock ticks, Cora will have to make some very difficult decisions to get her daughter back…unharmed.

I felt this story was very fast paced and I found it hard to put down until the surprising reveal at the end. Readers who loved The Chain by Adrian McKinty are going to love this one!

Thank you Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on January 14, 2025

This book is a parent's worst nightmare, having your child abducted. It explores what would you do to get your child back safely. The story is told in dual timeline with what happened to Cora years ago on Halloween as well as the present.

The story is fast paced and intense and so many questionable characters that you don't know who to trust. The 2nd half and how the story ended was just too unbelievable for me.

I do enjoy the aspect about the life of a gymnast and the dedication that a young girl makes to try to qualify for the Olympics.

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book.

Earlier this year, I had the privilege of reading Don’t Forget Me by Rea Frey, and it quickly became one of my top reads of the year. So, when I heard Pulse had picked it up, I was beyond thrilled!

This book did not disappoint. From the very first page to the last, it took me on a nonstop rollercoaster of suspense. It had everything I look for in a thriller, keeping me hooked and completely immersed until the final twist. I couldn’t put it down and ended up devouring it in one sitting.

I’m a huge fan of dual timelines, and this book absolutely nailed it—both timelines were equally gripping and intense, making the story impossible to forget.

When She's Gone is an INTENSE stressful emotional novel. Told in dual time periods, we follow Cora as a teenager when she was kidnapped and again when she's an adult and her young daughter is also taken.

Both timelines had me breathless, furiously turning pages to find out what happened.

Rea Frey continues to blow me away, her writing gets better and better. I can't wait to see what's next, and I'll be 1st in line to read it.

A mom’s worst fear….the kidnapping of her precious daughter! In this story, Cora has now experienced this as the child and the mom. What are the odds that both horrific events would happen on Halloween? This is a chaotic whirl of a search for Cora’s daughter, Lulu. The search ends up involving several of Cora’s gymnastics teammates from years ago. The answers they eventually find will leave them in shock and disbelief! This was not my favorite book by this author, but was still a good thriller!

This is my second book by Rea Frey and I really enjoyed the ride this book took me on! The short chapters and dual timelines kept me interested and on edge and I really enjoyed the gymnastics aspect of the story. One doesn’t need to be a fan of gymnastics to enjoy these elements of the story. The ending was surprising and unexpected which is what I love in a thriller!

In When She’s Gone, a young gymnast makes a harrowing escape from kidnapping. Years later, the story takes a gripping turn as Cora faces her worst nightmare: her own daughter has vanished. To reclaim her child, Cora is pushed to do the unthinkable—take another child in hopes of getting her daughter back.

This fast-paced, suspenseful tale kept me on the edge of my seat, exploring the lengths one might go to save your child. Frey masterfully weaves in plenty of twists that will keep you guessing and turning the pages.

The dual timelines add depth to the story, and I loved all of the 90s details.

When She’s Gone is the perfect escape for anyone looking to lose themselves in a gripping story.

♥️𝗪𝗛𝗘𝗡 𝗦𝗛𝗘'𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗡𝗘
𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔦𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔯
🗓️𝙿𝚞𝚋 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎: 𝙹𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝟷𝟺, 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺 (𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚎)
🤩𝕄𝕪 𝕣𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘: 𝟜.𝟝 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤!!★★★★✮ ʳᵒᵘⁿᵈⁱⁿᵍ ᵘᵖ ᶠᵒʳ ᴳᴿ

🤏𝚃𝚎𝚎𝚗𝚢 𝚝𝚒𝚍𝚋𝚒𝚝...”in this haunting story that spans three decades, a young gymnast escapes a kidnapping. Years later, she’s forced to face the past when her own daughter disappears….”

✿𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢...LOVED it!! 🩷Holy hell, I knew gymnastics 🤸was a cutthroat sport, but dayummmm..it really is in this book! 😳 I absolutely adored the authors note on how she used to be in this competitive sport as well so she isn’t in any way slandering said sport..It also made me happy we decided to take a year off of the super demanding competitive cheer my youngest was in. A little breather has been nice for us(she’s in comp dance 🪩 now..way more chill 👏🙌) I know why everyone @thrillerbookloversthepulse is always racing 🏃‍♀️to read @reafreyauthor books because this was my first one & I devoured it! 🎉The pace was delectable! 💨The backstory was just as gripping as the current story! It hardly ever let up. Frey nailed it! Save the date for this edge of your seats(& eye opening) thriller! 🤩

A digital copy of this book was provided to me. The opinions are my own and freely given. Cora, a former Olympic gymnast has rebuilt her life, living in near isolation. One fateful Halloween night, her 4-year-old daughter is taken and so begins the lengths a mom will go too to get her daughter back safely. This book is written in alternating timelines: NOW, telling all the events of the night her daughter was taken, and THEN, the Halloween night when Cora herself was abducted. Cora has very few friends and she begins to doubt the ones she has. Obsession and betrayal. This is a very fast-paced book, and I would recommend.

I think the connection between me and the main character wasn’t established well, perhaps because the story is too fast-paced. She’s already hyperventilating before I’ve had a chance to truly empathize with her. Unfortunately, the side characters feel one-dimensional, which makes me really sad. I didn’t feel attached to anyone in the book, not even Lulu, because her scenes are so limited.

As for the plot, I found it predictable if you’ve read enough thrillers. At least, that’s how it felt to me. There wasn’t much suspense, likely because of that.

What I did like the most was the setting. it’s gloomy, dark, and unhappy, which fits the theme perfectly.

When Cora’s daughter disappears on Halloween night, she is not only distraught, but also frantic. You see, Cora was kidnapped on Halloween years ago. How can something so terrible happen to the little girl she loves?
Told in the then, we learn what happened to Cora in the past. Then we switch to the now and Cora’s desperate search to bring her daughter home. Can both events be connected? I mean, how could they not…….
When everything was revealed, I could not believe it! No, honestly, I can’t say why, but I just kept shaking my head at how far some people, even fictional characters, will go to get what they want. A good story that kept me guessing.

When a child goes missing, you know it will be an edge of your seat read! Cora had a traumatizing Halloween in high school when she was kidnapped right before the gymnastic Olympic trials were to happen. She had been working so hard towards qualifying when it was yanked away by whatever evil felt like taking her. Decades later, a mother herself she fears for her child every day. The trauma she endured haunts her every day of her life. The culprits were never found and she was questioned herself when the girl she was held captive with was never found, or seemed to exist. Some still question what really happened to Cora during the time. So when it is Halloween night and her daughter goes missing, the most terrifying time of her life is now playing out once again. Ransom notes are left with photos and instructions for how to get her daughter back. As Cora starts to follow these notes, she realizes that maybe this is still about her past and what happened to her. They know that taking her daughter, will hit her where it hurts the most and she will do pretty much anything to get her back, even if that includes hurting someone else. This was such a fast paced read. I loved how we had the alternate time lines and the night Cora was taken is untangled as well. Another amazing read by Rea, she is becoming an auto read for me. Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse always looks forward to her thrillers! Thank you to the author for the complementary ebook. This review is of my own opinion and accord.