I struggled to connect with the characters in *When I Disappear* and wasn’t a fan of Rhett’s voice. Something about the story just didn’t pull me in, though I might have liked it better in print.

While the book delivers plenty of twists, it didn’t fully work for me. Fans of psychological thrillers may still enjoy it.

After serving 20 years for a murder he swears he didn’t commit, Rhett Cohen comes back to the town where it all went down. Then, Sylvia Stone, the daughter of Marjorie Stone, the woman Rhett was convicted of murdering, receives a series of letters suggesting Rhett may be innocent. The last letter she receives reads “You Are Next”. Sylvia starts questioning her testimony all those years ago while trying to figure out who has left her these letters and why now? Then, Sylvia disappears.

I liked the story. I did feel it was a bit predictable. The twists were perfect, but too late. I felt like they were a bit…given away. I enjoyed the multiple POVs (Sylvia, Rhett, and Marjorie). They provided a lot of dimension to the storyline.

It was a quick read. And a good one! It’s listed as a book that would be enjoyed by those that like Freida McFadden and the like and they aren’t wrong. You’ll definitely be left wanting to know more.

The story was very gripping. It hooked right from the start and I wanted to know what would happen each end of the chapter. It was a fast-paced murder mystery thriller where you don't know who's the enemy, who's the trustworthy, and who's truly innocent. The twists and turns were fun especially the final revelation, albeit a bit predictable. I am really satisfied with how the story ended and I had a good time listening to the audiobook.
Thank you Netgalley for the copy of the audiobook 💙

When I Disappear
Amanda McKinney
Someone has been leaving letters for Sylvia Stone. The letters each contain a clue except the last one which contains a threat “you’re next.” Twenty years previously Sylvia’s mother, Marjorie Stone, was murdered. Rhett Cohen was a carpenter renovating Marjorie’s kitchen. He was charged with and convicted of the murder although he has maintained his innocence. The letters cast doubt on Rhett’s guilt. Only the killer would have the information. When Rhett is released from prison, he shows up at Sylvia’s home demanding to see the letters. Sylvia had already given the letters to the police, but she had made copies. She also realizes she may have been living with a lie for the last twenty years.
Right after Rhett’s release Sylvia disappears. Rhett is determined to reveal the killer before he is blamed for Sylvia’s disappearance.
This is a psychological thriller. The characters MAKE this tale. I liked them, I liked that they were flawed, it gave a sense of reality. The author kept the chapters short and to the point. The plot is fast paced, and the suspense intensifies. The twists and turns kept me turning pages. The author used multiple points of view to tell the story, and she used flashbacks. The timeline shifts from past to present flawlessly. The ending was exquisite.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC

A fast-paced, thriller that fas fun to read. The short chapters made it easy to get through.
The plot was exciting but not very surprising.
Fun read though.

Audio book review - Elise Roth the narrator gives a thoroughly absorbing and clever performance that made the book even more enjoyable. A twisted plot that will keep you entertained from start to finish as Elise's tone and melodic voice create the perfect thriller. The book itself, a psychological thriller was well thought through and offered plenty of twists along the way.

He spent twenty years in prison. She spent twenty years living a lie.

At 2:00 a.m. Sylvia Stone awakens to a letter on her doorstep suggesting the handsome carpenter, Rhett Cohen, who was convicted of murdering her mother twenty years earlier, is innocent. The anonymous letters continue, each one revealing details only the true killer would know, making Sylvia question her testimony years ago.

But as Rhett is released from prison, the fourth and final letter arrives with one chilling message: You’re next.
Then Sylvia disappears.

A woman mysteriously disappears after the man convicted of killing her mother is released from prison. Further clouding, the disappearance, is the letter she received shortly before her disappearance, claiming that the man who is convicted was not her mother‘s killer after all. This is an enjoyable, if not the most original of plots. It made for a pleasant afternoon, Interlude.

This was a super fast paced and addictive albeit predictable read. The story ramps up quickly, but you are able to guess what is going on pretty quickly as well. The main character felt somewhat ingenuine with going from one extreme to the other. I enjoyed the switching perspectives as I usually do, but I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I had read and not listened to it because I couldn't get into the narration.
Sincere thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

Sylvia Stone finds anonymous letters on her porch suggesting that Rhett Cohen, the man accused of killing her mother twenty years earlier, is innocent. The letters mention details only the true killer would know, making Sylvia question her own testimony years ago. When Rhett is released from prison, Sylvia receives a final letter that says "You're next." Then Sylvia disappears.

This book had so many twists and turns. A true roller coaster ride from start to end. Several shocking plot twists, interesting characters, and easy to follow. While I had most of it figured out early on, there were still some shocking turns that caught me off guard and made this entertaining and worthwhile. I liked the different POVs and I felt that they really gave this story some depth. I listened to the audiobook and while I thought the narrator did a great job, I think the audiobook would have benefited from a male narrator as well considering how much we hear Rhett's POV.

Thank you Dreamscape Select for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I had mixed thoughts on this one but I’ll begin with the positives…

I thought the narrator did a wonderful job at playing each character and keeping me fully engaged .I really enjoye being able to listen to an audio and feel like I'm able to visualize each scene in my mind like a movie. I also really enjoyed Rhetts point of view. I found him to be the most interesting character and really was the reason I was able to continue on. Unfortunately I felt that the twist was quite predictable and that did make me want to dnf it. Overall, while I may not have loved this book I would still recommend it. I think this would be especially perfect for a reader that is just getting into thrillers. I think the twist would be all the more twisty for that reader.

Good little thriller. Enjoyed the audiobook. Helped me get into the story more. Thank you NetGalley for this arc

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Select | Storm Publishing for an audiobook copy of this book.

As far as the audio goes, the narrator did a good job. She played all characters well and I found myself absorbed into the book. However the story was pretty obvious to me and I guessed the murderer right from the start. Twisty and interesting but not shocking...

Thank you to Netgalley for this free audiobook.

When I Disappear is a psychological thriller. The writing is good and keeps you interested. I felt the characters were well thought out. I felt this book in comparison to Freida McFaddens books, you get the same type of read. Definitely a page turner. I would recommend this book. I gave it 3 stars because even though I really liked it, I did guess the ending a little more than halfway through. I would have liked to have been more surprised.

I really enjoyed this fast paced story, it was full of surprises. I liked the multiple points of view as it kept me engaged. I would recommend this to thriller fans.

Many thanks for my gifted copy.

The story had a well-paced narrative that kept me engaged from start to finish. While I probably need to listen to it again to catch every detail, the experience was enjoyable. The writing was clear, and the pacing allowed the plot to unfold naturally without feeling rushed or dragged out.

The character development was well done, making it easy to connect with the characters as they evolved. Their growth felt natural and believable, and their experiences shaped their actions in a way that made sense. Watching them change over time added depth to the story.

The plot twists added intrigue without feeling forced. While not every twist was completely unexpected, they kept things interesting and fit well within the story. They helped maintain engagement and added layers to the narrative.

The combination of strong character development, a well-paced narrative, and engaging twists made it worthwhile. I’d definitely consider revisiting it to catch any details I might have missed the first time.

2.5⭐
Genre ~ domestic thriller
Setting ~ Vermont
Publication date ~ January 24, 2025
Publisher ~ Storm Publishing
Est Page Count ~ (55 chapters)
Audio length ~ 8 hours 3 minutes
Narrator ~ Elise Roth
POV ~ multiple 1st (present tense)
Featuring ~ multiple timelines, unreliable narrator

Sylvia helped put Rhett away 20 years ago for the murder of her mother. Now he’s out of the slammer and still maintains his innocence. When Sylvia starts receiving anonymous notes that only the murderer would know she’s on the hunt for answers.

Oh man, I did not care for Sylvia one bit, even after hearing her terrible backstory which is told by her mother, Marjorie, in past chapters. She’s a wack job with her obsession, and too unreliable for me.

I have to wonder what changed exactly since this was “previously published as The Stone Secret, an Independent Publisher Book Awards Gold Medal Winner - 2024. This version includes updated plot and new content.” Might I have liked that version better…perhaps, but I’ll never know.

Overall, I was not a super big fan of this one. There was nothing shocking or surprising to me. On the bright side the chapters are short and there’s a cool cave.

Narration notes:
She does okay differentiating her voice sometimes, but I do think this would have benefited from having a male narrator especially since his parts are told in the 1st. This is one that I wished I had read and not listened to due to that.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read. While quite predictable, it wasn't slow enough that I lost interest, and I really like Rhett. I can't say the same about Sylvia, which is the main reason I couldn't rate higher. I found her to be an annoying MC & I didn't care what happened to her. That's unfortunate, because I typically love an unhinged character. She was just...blah. That aside, the story was actually a good one. Finishing this book left me wanting to read more by this author, which I'm looking forward to doing!

I listened to this audio book over a couple of days. I enjoyed the story line as well as the reader. This book is about a woman who meets up with the man just released from prison after 20 years for killing her mother. Some odd twists and turns but you ultimately discover who the real killer was and the motive behind it. #WhenIDisappear #NetGalley

This was a quick read and I really enjoyed the audiobook! It was a little predictable, but overall a solid thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC.