A genuine page turner; it took less than a day to read. Who was the killer, what were the motives - the reader 'knows' the answer(!) and then everything changes; but it is believable, realistic.

To be recommended to anyone who enjoys a good book.

Another gripping book by Clare Douglas. I could not put it down until I found out why Heather would have killed two people with whom she appears to have no previous relationship.
Jess, a newspaper reporter, has recently returned to live in Bristol after living in London. What prompted her to make the move back home?
Jess is shocked to discover her childhood friend, Heather, who she hasn’t seen for many years, is critically ill in hospital, having shot two people. Can Jess get the scoop which will boost her career at the local paper? Is she too close to the story to get an objective account of what happened? Will Heather’s family be more or less receptive to Jess, than to other journalists, due to what took place when Heather and Jess were children?
Such a well plotted book; an excellent read.
Thanks to NetGalley for a Kindle copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Very good. Gripping and exhilarating to the very end. This story deals with a young girls disappearance and the lasting effects on not just the family but a whole community. Loved how the story twist and turned and that right till the end you are surprised as there is a twist on the twist.

A riveting thriller that had me relentlessly turning the pages! Fans of Gillian Flynn and Elizabeth Haynes will love it. I found it refreshing too to read a thriller set outside the metropolis - especially as I recognised some locations myself!

Thanks to Penguin Books for inviting me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's hard to write a review for this book without giving away spoilers.. but what I will say is this is a fast paced, easy read with many twists and turns. You think you've figured it out, and then something else is discovered and you find you were completely wrong. I would definitely recommend this for mystery lovers.

A gripping story from start to finish. The pace is perfect, the characters are believable and the story so real. You can’t help but feel invested in the outcome and once started, you won’t want to put the book down. Plenty of twists to keep you guessing and a must read for anyone who loves a good psychological thriller.

A double murder shakes the small seaside town of Tilby. Heather, a 32-year-old mother of a small boy has killed Clive Wilson, 58, and his mother Deirdre, 76, in the early hours before attempting suicide. But why did she do it? Did she even know them? Her mother is devastated and so is Heather’s childhood friend Jess, now a journalist with a newspaper in Bristol. For almost twenty years, they had not been in contact, but now she is reaching out to the family Jess once regarded as her own. How can one single family be stricken by fate that often? Heather’s father was killed in an accident when a gun was fired, her older sister Flora went missing at the age of sixteen, and now this. There’s something rotten, obviously, but can Jess figure it out?

Another page-turning mystery by Claire Douglas that hooked me immediately. I had high expectations that were totally fulfilled: many mysteries to solve, twists and turns, unexpected links and whole lot of characters that are not to be trusted. Just what you would expect from a great thriller.

What I liked most about the story were the secrets that everybody keeps, those small things that seem to be without any importance but suddenly become crucial but then it’s already too late to tell them. And then, people have to live with the knowledge that they are keeping some major facts that when being told could have saved somebody or prevented a lot of things. The plot is quite complex, at the beginning it all seems quite obvious, yet, the more it advances the more characters are added and the more multi-layered it becomes. Whenever you think you have seen through it all, your theory simply crumbles and falls – and this works out until the very last page.

Simply a great read that I could hardly put down.

Then She Vanishes was my first read by Claire Douglas and I doubt it will be my last. She introduces a terrific cast of characters, all of whom have flaws and/or insecurities and that just makes for a more immersive read. Most of the story is written in the first person from the POV of the deeply insecure journalist Jess who has moved back to the seaside Somerset village of her childhood and becomes embroiled in a storyline which opens old wounds and tests relationships to the limit. Margot Powell (the other POV) and her daughters Flora and Heather have already witnessed tragedy but when a couple - mother and son - are gunned down Heather is firmly in the frame. And Heather was Jess’ closest friend during their teenage years until their friendship floundered. There are so many twists and turns in this story, and numerous threads to follow and I was kept guessing, stomach in knots and rather teary, to the very end. Thanks to Penguin - Michael Joseph for the ARC.

And Then She Vanishes
Claire Douglas
Publisher: Penguin Books

A double murder. A missing girl. A story of love, family, friendship and revenge. Well written and compelling. A riveting read. The denouement was twisty and ultimately satisfying. I couldn’t put it down.
Highly recommended


Big thanks to the author, publisher and netgalley for providing me with a free advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Lots of twists and turns, so you are kept guessing. The characters are believeable, but I did find it a bit long.

This is an exciting, pacey thriller that grips and twists and lives up to its promise. A rollercoaster read that keeps you guessing to the end. Opening with a shocking double murder and an unknown assailant, it moves seamlessly between timelines to help flesh out the potential culprit and motive. All is not as it seems on the surface. Just when you think you’ve got to grips with the plot development, yet another red herring is thrown into the mix.

With varied, totally relatable characters, this book examines family dynamics, aspects of complex relationships and friendships. The friendship between Jess and Heather and her sister Fiona provide the mainstay of the mystery. They demonstrate how a shared personal history insinuates itself into the present. And this suggests the extremities they might go to in the name of fear, protectiveness, loyalty and love. The backstories alone provide enough interest and intrigue to keep you glued to the page.

As a small-time reporter with a painful past, Jess seeks to excel herself in her current job when she is assigned to investigate this crime. Yet the lines become increasingly blurred because of her personal links with the suspected culprit. She also feels sad and stressed by the way their friendship fizzled out, and doesn’t know if she can or should trust her former best friend.

Heather’s sister, Fiona, is the obvious missing person in the story but she’s not the only one. Heather and Jess also act like lost souls who have vanished into themselves. I was entertained and gripped by it all. This is the first book I’ve read by Claire Douglas but it won’t be the last. Grateful thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for the ARC.

It's first book I read by this author and it was a great discovery.
It's brilliant, cleverly plotted paged turner that will keep on you on the edge and make turn pages as fast as you can.
It's well written, the cast of characters is fleshed out and there's no plot hole.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I have enjoyed Claire Douglas's previous novels and this one is no exception. This is the story of two teenage friends, Heather and Jess who, after Heather's older sister, Flora, disappears, fall out. Eighteen years later Jess is a journalist on the local paper who reports on the death of two people who Heather is accused of murdering. Unable to believe that her best friend of years ago could be capable of such violence Jess is determined to get to the truth meanwhile discovering what happened to Flora.

It is a clever plot which will keep readers guessing. Although I did work it out before reaching the end it didn't spoil my enjoyment. Many thanks to NetGalley and PenguinUK/Michael Joseph for the opportunity to read and review it.

Heather is found with what looks like a self inflicted gunshot wound. Two people are killed in their home. These two events are linked and Jessica an old family friend who is now a journalist must discover the truth.
A well written book with lots of twists and turns. Cannot say what happens, you need to read it for yourself, enjoy.

Just wow! I enjoyed this book so much!
It's a story about life, friendship, trust and decision that will change your life forever.
The first chapter is indeed so captivating that hold my attention in a second and i didn't stop until i finished the book. The entire time, my heart was beating so hard at times that i didn't know if to stop or keep reading, that much i love this story.
The author has a way with her words, the description makes you envision the surrounding like you are there, plus i want to visit in real life the places because they sound wonderful.
The story's so thrilling, gripping, full of twists and unexpected turns, i thought i have everything sorted out but no, i didn't and nor did i see it coming. That is what I call a masterpiece of story and book, all the rollercoaster of emotions and more.
One of my tops reads of the year for sure.

I challenge any reader to pick up this book, read the first chapter and then not want to devour the rest of the book! Oh my goodness, the first chapter had my heart pounding and my interest well and truely piqued. I am a big fan of Claire Douglas, having read most of her previous books and loved them.. she is definitely a writer that I instantly pick up, without needing t know the plot. Her stories are believable and characters relatable. Once I started reading this book I just wanted to keep reading... only time prevented me from reading this in one sitting.

This is the story of 2 best friends.. well they were when they were kids in their small seaside town. Heather and Jess were joined at the hip as kids.. until Heathers sister Flora disappeared one night and never came home. They both have secrets from that night and their friendship suffered. 18 years later Jess is a reporter and is drawn back to the town she grew up in when Heather is accused of a horrid crime. What would make her former best friend do what she has been accused of? jess is determined to find out, and in the process finally find out what happened to Flora all those years ago. A wonderful story of friendship, family, first love and secrets.

Thanks to a NetGalley and Penguin UK, Michael Joseph for my advanced copy of this book to read. all opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

"Then She Vanishes" was a really cracking read! This was my first book by Claire Douglas, though I have 'The Text' on my e-reader and 'The Sisters' on my 'To Be Read' list.

This was a wonderfully tense, dramatic and nerve-wracking read and everything I would want to see in a thriller was there. Full of twists, I was totally hooked from the beginning. The character portrayal of Claire Douglas was so good that I immediately felt a connection with each of them. even though they weren't perfect by any means. None were stereotypical either, yet all of them felt real to me.

Gripping and believable, the plot unravelled at a very satisfying pace. I appreciated the ties of family and friends, the conflicting loyalties and the complexity of the relationships, all of which added depth to the mystery. I was certainly very pleased with how well everything came together at the end.

I definitely recommend this gripping and unputdownable book.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Penguin UK - Michael Joseph via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

From its shocking double murder opening to its conclusion, this book had me gripped, and anxious to learn the truth about the complex network of relationships at its heart.
Former childhood best friends Heather and Jessica connect again in unlikely and harrowing circumstances. Or rather, Jessica finds herself drawn to the home where they spent so much time until their bond was fractured. What follows is a tense, tightly written tale with many different strands to follow. It could easily have collapsed in a muddled morass, but the author deftly steers the plot along. I devoured it in a handful of days, and would have finished much sooner given time. I also realised I'd already read – and loved – The Sisters by the author. My thanks to her, the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of the book.

I enjoyed this book, the first I've read by this author. This one came to me from NetGalley in exchange for a review, thank you.
The book starts with an explosive murder in a small town, the story follows the back threads which lead to this
and the chapters alternate between 1994 and the present day.
In current time, Jess is a reporter under pressure to bring in a story about the double murders which look to have been carried out by her childhood best friend Heather
In 1994 Heather's sister Flora has disappeared as a young teen and we explore the story and the breakdown of Jess and Heather's friendship.
Back in the present day the story is also told from the point of view of Heather's mother who is now coming to terms with not only having lost one daughter but that her second daughter appears to be a murderer and is now in a coma. A good story, rather convoluted at times, I read it in a couple of days. I did work out whodunnit and, more or less why, as the story unfolded but that didn't detract really.

Liked the premise of the book and it didn't disappoint. Great read, will look out for more books by the author