I love Lisa Jewell's writing and 'Then She Was Gone' lived up to all of my expectations. I highly recommend it without reservation.

Laurel, who has grieved for her missing fifteen year old daughter for ten years, goes through a turbulent time after a chance meeting with an attractive man in a cafe. As the story unfolds, we find out that things aren't quite as they seem and Laurel may finally get the answers about her daughter, Ellie, that she has been looking for.

Lisa explores the breakdown and the reformation of family relationships after a tragedy with insight and this draws the reader into the family's story. Laurel's relationship with her daughter Hannah has been neglected and her marriage to Paul failed after her golden girl, Ellie, disappeared. Ellie took centre stage in Laurel's life and her disappearance doesn't change that.

Floyd, a complex flawed character, is written with compassion. He is brilliant at Maths but struggles with relationships and we can see why he made the choices that result in a mess of tangled relationships. Floyd tries, in his own way, to make things right.

This novel springs surprises right to the end and I would like to thank net galley for sending me a copy to review. I loved this book!

This is the first book by Lisa Jewell I have read, and it certainly wont be my last. Without giving too much away, the story follows the Mack family and the disappearance of their youngest daughter, 15 year old Ellie. I dont like reviews that give away the plot of the story as i feel that is what the blurb is for. This is one of the best books i have read this year, the story is gripping and in many places heart breaking. I really do recommend this book.

This heartbreaking tale of a Mother's loss develops into one of a strange, seemingly impossible set of coincidences which eventually lead to Laurel discovering the awful reality of Ellie's disappearance. It examines how each character deals differently with the stresses they face and the way their reactions to grief affect their relationships. Although heart wrenching at times, I couldn't put this book down.

Then She Was Gone

This is a cracker. I've read a number of Lisa Jewell books, my favourite being The House We Grew Up In and now this one can be added to that. The story gripped me right from the very first chapter. Laurel lives with her husband Paul and their three children, Jake, Hanna and Ellie. She is a half glass empty sort of person, never fully appreciating what she has until the fateful day her golden girl Ellie sets off to the library and doesn't return. Ten years later sees Laurel living alone in an apartment virtually detached from her family and life in general, she works a part time job to keep things ticking over but she is just going through the motions, until she meets Floyd, a charismatic man who sweeps her off her feet. Things progress well until she meets Floyd's 9 year old daughter Poppy. This is where the story starts to really take off. Poppy is the spitting image of her missing daughter Ellie when she was Poppy's age. This is a fantastic read with twists, intrigue and mystery. Can't wait for the next Lisa Jewell book!

This was a fantastic read, one of my favourites of the year. How the author came up with this storyline I honestly don't know, it had twists and turns that seemed improbable yet became the possible. I loved all the characters, they were immensely real, I was very sorry when I came to the end of the book. It was a sad but ultimately hopeful tale full of people as diverse as they were believable. I would highly recommend this book and may re-read it sometime in the future. I felt as though I had been part of the whole scenario, personally knowing all the people involved, they were that real. This is no lightweight book, it's one filled with despair and hope and heartbreak but ultimately a satisfying and highly enjoyable read.

Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite authors of the sort of 'curry and flatmates' (her words) books I devoured when I was in my 20s and 30s. Her writing was always too intelligent and acutely observed to be dismissed with the label chick-lit, and in recent years she has moved away from this tried and tested formula into more reflective, family orientated fiction and this latest novel is a new departure again, into the popular (and in danger of becoming over-saturated) psychological thriller market.

Laurel Mack's 15 year old daughter Ellie went missing 10 years ago. Her loss devastated the family, causing the breakdown of Laurel's marriage and her emotional estrangement from her two other children. While still in this vulnerable state she meets and falls for a charismatic and seemingly perfect man called Floyd, and all is well until she meets his 10 year old daughter Poppy - who is the image of her lost daughter Ellie.

The story is told from various viewpoints - Laurel's, Ellie's and that of a strange woman called Noelle who has dark and sinister links to both families. I did have an idea of what the 'twist might be from pretty early on but it was handled sensitively and convincingly. I was a bit apprehensive about one of my favourite authors entering this genre, as I find that some psychological thrillers can be a bit melodramatic and unbelievable, but, despite the shocking storyline this wasn't the case here. I thought the ending was particularly poignant.

Incidentally I had to wait in line after my mum to read this book after she read the blurb and snaffled it before I could get to it. Her verdict was that it was gripping so I think I'll introduce her to a few of Lisa's back catalogue to see how she gets on with them..

Review from Cafethinking.com

In our little series on ‘truth’ we’ve covered fake news and untrue allegations. Today we feature a novel that reminds us that humans have a quest for truth: that not knowing can strike into our being. This novel also touches on what it might be like to not know who we are, to have our identity hidden from us. These are among the themes of Lisa Jewell’s psychological thriller Then She Was Gone, which is out later this month.

Then She Was Gone has one of the saddest endings to a novel that I’ve come across for a long time. This surprises me for a while, because to be honest I don’t really take to any of the lead characters. I suspect wizardry by the writer, who can portray the joys of the everyday and the hope and promise that is snatched away even, alongside the humdrum, the sad, the ordinary and deep personal tragedy. Even as she offers us scenes of unbearable despair, there’s a lightness to some of the prose as Jewell finds new metaphors that describe the human condition as we all live it. Every reader will know what is meant when Bonny’s voice is described as ‘beenaroundtheblock’. A death is hinted at pages before it is described, and I feel throughout that Lisa Jewell is deliberately turning up and down our emotions at will. Jewell is a gifted writer who knows exactly how to play us. Her use of multiple points of view helps, as we see things through the eyes of witnesses who may not be reliable or who – unlike us – don’t have access to the information we’ve seen.

In part, this book is about the struggle of the characters – all the characters – to come to terms with who they are. Just as the story of Amadeus pitted a bitter Salieri against a glittering Mozart, those who see themselves as mediocre resent others whom they believe to be brilliant or at least out of their league. Except that the golden people aren’t, much. And Jewell plays with our notions about whether self-loathing is something that was taught (for example, through bad parenting) or reflects something innate. There are plenty of layers, both to the truth and to the way in which it is unveiled and eventually they are all peeled away and we are left exhausted. But we can be satisfied that we have now been told the truth.

A week on from reading it, I’m still reeling, and am aware of having been made to reel. Then She Was Gone is a novel from a writer who is completely on top of her craft.

Then She Was Gone is released in the UK on 27 July 2017 and you can pre-order it here.

Thanks to Century for the review copy.

I have read a couple of Lisa Jewell books before but this is different to her normal offering.....and it is brilliant. This is the genre of psychological thriller at its best and beautifully written.. About a third of the way through the book you feel that you have the whole plot line sussed. How wrong can you be! I read this in a couple of days as wanted to find out how all the mysteries were tied together.

what a brilliant read this turned out to be. i couldnt put it down till it was finished, this book will be on my read again pile

Wow as usual Lisa Jewell does not disappoint.

I really enjoyed this book, I swallowed it up in one setting.

The twist in the plot I just didn't see coming. The story took you down a different road and leads you to think something different.
The characters are strong and believable.
It has many emotions running through the story which in their selves can be a completely different story, so many levels but never once did I lose track of who was who and what had happened. That's a clever way to write. I'm looking for ages to the next book already!

There is, at the core of this book, a really good story. Unfortunately I didn't feel that the book, in the end, lived up to that potential.

I'm not a reader who usually figures out the mystery early in the story, and I don't generally read a mystery with a "detective" mindset - I'm quite happy to just read, allowing ideas and thoughts to pop into my head, rather than actively looking for clues and solutions - but in this case, I had 95% of the story figured before I got even a quarter of the way through the book. As if that wasn't disappointing enough, the further twist which appeared close to the end of the book was also obvious to me from much earlier.

I highlighted a couple of passages which made me frown: for example, when a character "silently removed it and said" - you can't really be *silently* removing something whilst also speaking! I was also irritated because it was so very clear that the author had done no research whatsoever before covering "homeschooling" - a minute or two on google would have at the very least shown her that what she was calling it was not what it is usually called in the UK.

Quod verum tutum

This latest offering from Lisa Jewell, Then She Was Gone, is most definitely a page turner. It tells the story of Laurel, who lost her daughter ten years ago, believed to have run away and no evidence has been found to the contrary since. Then the discoveries start happening. Some bones are found and a new man appears in Laurel’s life, who is about to give Laurel closure.
I could not put this book down. I was reading it whilst brushing my teeth and during every second I got at work. The suspense is built up brilliantly and the characters are very believable. Not everyone can relate to what Laurel has been through, but this didn’t matter. You could still emphasize and sympathize with her throughout the story.
I think I worked out what had happened about half way through, however this did not put me off – I still had to read to the end to see if I was right and if I was, what the consequences would be.
I would most definitely recommend this book, its fast paced and full of suspense and keeps the reader on the edge of their seats.

Brilliant, emotional thriller. I could not put this book down. Everything was right about this book, the characters, the story, the writing. Thank you!

Over the past few years there seems to have been a huge saturation in the market of psychological mystery type thrillers. Or maybe it's just me thinking so, because I've bought or requested through Net Galley, many books of this type. Then She Was Gone, is another one to add to this genre.

There's nothing much I can add really, the description is easily available to read. The narrative goes back and forth between the present day and the past, and is told from the perspective of four different characters, at different times throughout the book, although mainly from the pov of Laurel and Ellie. As a reader it's not at all difficult to keep on track, the perspectives don't keep changing continually, but rather gently weave in and out.

Other than that, Then She Was Gone, is an enjoyable suspenseful read, filled with characters with shady secrets and questionable pasts. There are many emotional parts with plenty of moving moments. The book has some twists and turns, but I think I may have read so many books of this genre now, that I was able to see where the story was going. However, I shouldn't let this detract from the fact this is a well written book, it certainly didn't drag, and each time i picked my kindle up to read I was looking forward to reading it. It just wasn't "omg that was original" or "well I never saw that coming", but I do now think authors will have to really pull something out of the bag to have a psychological thriller that really stands out and is completely original.

I don't mean to end on a downer, I do think this book is well worth a read, even if you have read a lot of this genre of late. I will definitely keep my eyes peeled for more books written by Lisa Jewell. The ending of Then She Was Gone is particularly touching and I defy anyone to not be moved.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House U.K, Cornerstone for the opportunity to read this ARC in return for an honest and unbiased review.

I really enjoyed this thriller, it has an unusual story line with great characters that you can visualise within the story. A fifteen year old girl disappears and Laurel will not rest until she finds her daughter. and as this book unravels you are drawn in - it's a gripping read. Fabulous.
SmileyJan

WOW what a great story! Gripping, twisty and thoroughly enjoyable! Had me hooked from the outset and racing through the pages to get to the bottom of the story. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone, its a 5* from me indeed.

Lisa Jewell's writing gets better and better. This book had me turning page after page long into the night. I was desperate for that tingly spidery feeling feeling to be wrong and for everyone to leave happily ever after. An excellent read

A very different approach to the usual format within this genre, looking at the aftermath of a disappearing teen but building to a climax that doesn't disappoint.

As a mother of a teen girl i found the premise of this book quite terrifying, and disturbingly possible. Ellie's sudden disappearance and the effect this has on her over the next decade family is beautifully told and hits all the right notes. The story then starts to wander into something almost darker; a secondary insanity, directly connected to the first. Okay, so the story strays a little into far-fetched territory now, but hey...who's to say this couldn't happen? Stranger things have...

The tension ramps up as the novel progresses and the use of diary style entries from other protagonists is a clever solution to a wholly first person account. The reader is taken from heartbreak to hope via a series of twists and turns worthy of the best thriller writers.

Clever and satisfying.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It had a different slant, interesting characters and a vaguely plausible story. I must admit that I had to suspend disbelief at some points, but on the whole the story was good. It had mystery, romance and family interest.
Would be very interested in further books by this author.