A scary book which shook my insides, based on real life incidents.

Meg and Grace, mom and seriously ill daughter were the darling of the town when one night Meg was murdered brutally, and Grace vanished, probably kidnapped or killed. It took a journalist Jon and neighbor Cara all their skills to find her.

My first book by author Emily Elgar, the story brought a sinking tumoil in me. I had read enough to realize where the story was going, but the author's writing did its magic on me, and I was entranced to kerp reading.

Told to me in dual POV, I got to know how Jon and Cara investigated along with their personal lives, there was also Grace's voice, as excerpts from her diary, interweaved into the story which had a strong hold on it.

The story, all true, brought out the dark human psyche. It was quite a page turner that kept me engrossed all through. A perfect breakfast read, I would say. The darker, the better.

This book was so addictive to read, I really couldn't put it down. Although based loosely on real life events, I was still shocked by the twists and turns within. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and would definitely recomend it.

This is a story more than inspired by the true case of Dee Dee Blanchard.
I say more than inspired because it is basically the same story; the author took a real life case and imagined her own version of it.

I don't see this as a problem per se but it did bother me throughout the reading that there's not a foreword or at least acknowledgments regarding the fact that this was not a story fully created by the author.
Perhaps the final edition will address the matter but I read an ARC so I am basing this review on it.

The novel is well structured and the explanations sound reasonably plausible, but the tone is a tad melodramatic for my taste, which leaves a soap-opera like after taste. This, however, is a personal issue of mine.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this novel in exchange for this honest review.

A difficult and harrowing thriller based on a shocking true story. This is a difficult and horrifying read, but is masterfully written and definitely keeps you intrigued whether you know the true story or not.

Synopsis: Meg and Grace are adored by their town; the devoted mother with a severely disabled but ever smiling daughter are at the centre of their neighbours lives. So, when Meg is found murdered in her own home and Grace is found to be missing, the whole town bands together to try and find her.

With severe illnessess that are fatal without Grace’s medication, the race is on to find her before it is too late.

As the town remains horrified at the notion that someone could take away the life of such a loving mother and kidnap her daughter, taking her away from her medication, they search for the truth about what happened. But the truth may be much darker than they first realised. Will Grace be saved before it is too late?

— Masterfull And Immersive —
The Writing Style And Narrative. Emily Elgar’s writing style is masterfull and immersive, even after I realised what story this was based on, and therefore knew the twists, I continued reading because the writing was just incredible. The writing really made me feel the emotions of the characters, the pain (physical and emotional) and the heart-break and horror the people felt. Though immersive, it really connects you with the difficulties of the story making it in and of itself quite a difficult read- but in a way that makes you want to keep reading.

The narrative is a dual one, mainly focusing on Cara (Grace’s friend) and Jon’s (a journalist) view of the crime. It follows them both as they try to unravel the truth behind what happened so that they can save Grace. The dual narrative worked very well to show the impact of this on two rather different people, and also made the revelations more harrowing.

The narrative structure also allows for the tension to be built up and maintained very well, as both of the characters learn different things at different times, slowly allowing you to piece together the true story. I love a well done dual narrative, and this did not disappoint.

— Harrowing And Heart-breaking —
The Story/Plot. I hadn’t looked at any reviews of this book before reading it, I only knew that it was based off of a true story and was about a murder/kidnapping. Usually, I would avoid stories like this one, the true story, because it is quite a difficult read but I was unaware of its basis before starting, and by the time I realised I thought I might as well see it through.

The story is one I was already familiar with, so I knew what was coming so it was easier to read and the story itself is actually very interesting. Elgar did a brilliant job in turning this story into a thriller/mystery. Despite being known to me it was still a tense, and heart-breaking read that I couldn’t put down.

The story follows the townspeople as they try to find and save Grace who has been kidnapped and thus taken away from all of her much needed medication, alongside this her mother was murdered in the process. It was incredibly interesting following the people as they try to work out who would kill the devoted mother and why, and kidnap such a sickly child. And incredibly horrifying to watch as the truth unfolds before them, as they have to come to terms with it.

The story also takes an in-depth look at Grace’s conditions, from a weakened heart, to muscles to needing a wheelchair and a feeding tube. It was devestating to see the effects of this on her, especially as you learn more about it.

— Realistic And In-depth —
The Characters. The characters in this story are realistic and in-depth, very well written as they are based on real people. The cast is relatively big but I will be focusing on the four main characters.

Grace. The main character of the story. Grace is disabled, she uses a wheelchair, needs a PEG (a feeding tube that enters through, and feeds directly in to, the stomach), has a weakened heart, and has limited to no use of her legs due to a severe and rare case of muscuar dystrophy. Grace is a very smiley young girl who is extraordinarily close with her mother. She is sweet, docile and loves to see her friend Cara. Everyone in the town adores her and her mother, and when she goes missing the town feel it deeply. Grace’s character is an interesting one, and grows even more so as the story develops. Reading about her was incredibly intriguing but likewise difficult when she was sufferring. As a central character she is incredible, and it is completely understandable as to why people dote on her. By the end you feel conflicted, and her character does not diappoint.

Meg. Loving mother and full time carer to her daughter, Grace. Meg is a saint, she will drive from their little town to London to ensure her daughter has the best possible care and will do anything to help her. She is meticulously organised, which she has to be in order to adminster medication, and is incredibly sociable and friendly in the community. Her death, unsuprisingly, brings about horror and devestation. Meg’s character is another interesting one that, as you learn more about, you become both interested and shocked. She was definitely a well-crafted character, and a well crafted person.

Jon. The journalist. Jon is a character that you my start off with either neutral towards or you will dislike him. He starts off disliked by the town, due to a poorly targeted article and is sufferring the consequences. Upon hearing about the murder/kidnapping, Jon takes it upon himself to find out the truth, to rescue Grace, and hopefully restore his reputation. I likd this character and his development over the course of the story, the workaholic, headstrong journalist is definitely good at what he does.

Cara. Grace’s friend and neighbour. Cara is rightly devestated when she learns of the crime. Having not seen Grace as often as when they were younger, due to having moved away temporarily, Cara is determined to find Grace and help her. Cara is headstrong and determined, driven lso by guilt for not having seen her friend in a while. I liked her character overall, her development is interesting to watch play out.

— Difficult And Horrifying —
Overall. This is a difficult and horrifying story of loss, pain, illness and tragedy. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would when I realised its truth, and the writing is just stunning. It is definitely worth the read.

Perfect for thriller lovers, real life crime lovers and those who know the true story and want a myster/thriller twist on it.

Content warnings/may contain small spoilers. Severe Chronic Illness and disability-distressing scenes of symptoms, murder, suicide references, abuse, domestic abuse (spoken of), severe child abuse, severe mental health issues/illnesses, violence, death of a child/drowning, drug abuse/addiction. So sorry if I have missed any.

*I received an eARC of #GraceIsGone by #EmilyElgar from #Netgalley @LittleBrownUK in exchange for an honest review*

Review will be posted on my blog/Goodreads and twitter on the 6th of February and links will be provided on this date.

Grace Is Gone is inspired by a true story - what the? This is a sick and shocking story and to think that this actually did happen is terrifying. Exploring some deep themes, this was a quick, page turner of a book that I couldn't wait to see how it was going to end.

Meg and her daughter Grace are well loved and known in the community. So who would murder Meg? Next door neighbour and Grace's friend Cara finds Meg, brutally murdered - and Grace is nowhere to be seen. Grace is very ill and in a wheelchair, and without her medications she could die in days. But where is she? Who has taken her and why? The community work together to try to find the teenager. Cara teams up with Jon, a journalist to dig into Meg and Graces lives to find the clues to what has happened. The fin al few chapters are nuts! And it was great.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased.

#GraceIsGone #NetGalley
A good read.
Meg and her daughter Grace are the most beloved family in Ashford, the lynchpin that holds the community together.
So when Meg is found brutally murdered and her daughter missing, the town is rocked by the crime. Not least because Grace has been sick for years - and may only have days to live.Who would murder a mother who sacrificed everything, and take a teenager away from the medication that could save her life? Everyone is searching for an answer, but sometimes the truth can kill you
Narration is very good and holds the reader.
Characters were so-so and were not too good.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hachette UK for giving me an advance copy of this book.

A chilling read based loosely on a true story. I knew nothing of this event so came to Grace is Gone with no prior knowledge. I have to say I nearly gave up reading a few times, basically because I absolutely hated the characters. I couldn't take to any of them. I'm glad I continued though as the book really got better towards the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for my copy.

What an incredible story! This was just outstanding and I really couldn’t put it down. I don’t want to say anymore in fear of spoilers. Just incredible xx

Reading «Grace is Gone» reminded me of two very distinct things:
- why thrillers and mysteries used to be my favorite genres, and also
- why I stopped reading them.

«Grace is Gone» combines some of the best traits of mysteries and thrillers - from an action-packed page-turner to gripping writing style, I never noticed myself flipping the pages (or, in this case, tapping on my Kindle), and from the first sentence I got transported into the story. It was very difficult to put the book down when I needed to sleep, and my thoughts kept returning to this story over and over again.

Writing thrillers is not an easy task. Besides all the little hints spread through the story that usually neatly tie in a pretty bow by the end of the book, the author needs to be careful to not only “tell”, but also “show” the events to readers. And Emily Elgar’s writing did just that.

I loved how simple and efficient her writing is. How she doesn’t waste a single word, and every sentence conveys some part of the picture. Whether she was talking about dripping blood or “favorite daisy-printed sheets”, her writing always felt purposeful.

Despite all its positive qualities, «Grace is Gone» lacked one important trait - unexpected twists. The hints were there for us to see, but it wasn’t just the hints that made me suspect how it was going to end. From the beginning, I saw these familiar elements that I’ve already seen in other books.

If you’re new to Thriller and Mystery genre this will be a perfect starting point for you. Captivating and very emotional, «Grace is Gone» combines family relationships and small-town setting with interesting, and at points dangerous, investigation.

Well written, tense, and shocking! This was a very spine tingling story, especially since it’s a fictional story inspired from a true crime story. I think the author did an amazing job of turning a true account into a work of fiction, because I’m sure it’s not as easily done as some may think! The writing was above average, in fact unputdownable, with characters developed in a manner that made sure you had to find out exactly what happened and when! Grab your copy today, it’s one you’ll not want to miss!
Will make sure to buzz this book up on the different platforms!

What a brilliant read!

I was familiar with the case that this was based on (no spoilers here) so I guessed how this storyline would play out but not for one minute did it detract from the enjoyment I got from this book.

Meg is the mother of chronically ill Grace, a full time carer and wonder mum by all accounts, so who would want to kill her and abduct Grace? Told from the perspective of Grace, her next door neighbour Cara, and persistent journalist Jon we learn exactly how events unfolded and why.

The storyline whipped along and had twists and turns galore. A thoroughly good read.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'Grace is Gone' is a true-life crime refracted through the lens of a psychological thriller. For the author attempting to turn a real life story into fiction, this is a harder task than it sounds. The book will certainly not write itself; there has to be a narrative, the story still needs to hold true to real life events, and the plot has to truly engage the reader. Few authors are capable of authentically straddling these boundaries, whilst maintain the integrity of the story. Emily Elgar is an exception to this rule. This novel is a true tour de force, written by an author of immeasurable talent. I was simply in awe of Elgar's pitch-perfect plotting and sparklingly, arresting prose. This book lives up to its billing as a 'gripping psychological thriller inspired by a shocking real-life story', and then some. It is a psychological thriller, yes, but when almost all thrillers come with prefix of 'psychological', it does not necessarily mean much in the context of actually engaging with the psychological, or those by-products of mental processing. 'Grace is Gone' does, and in a number of ways that really give the book an edge over similar novels of this type. This is a story of facts, yes. Facts: Meg is murdered and her daughter, Grace, is missing. Irrefutable. of course, but in the multiple points of view through which the story is told, the narrative splits in a way where we as readers literally go down the rabbit hole of multiple truths and human subjectivity. Facts as Elgar reminds us, are rarely undisputed - different people see things in different ways, and so it is with 'Grace is Gone' Indeed, this is what makes this story great - a must-read, even. 'Grace is Gone' is not a simple story told simply. What it is, however, is a sophisticated page-turner that really engages the mind of the reader. A true psychological thriller that lives up to its name.

A definite hit for 2020.

This is a book that definitely has your mind racing as you’re frantically trying to piece the story together. I hadn’t appreciated that it was based on a true story, and haven’t read any newspaper articles, so don’t know how true to life the novel is. It was well written and had me intrigued. The way the novel was written from two different perspectives was really good. A recommended read

Firstly I want to thank Net Galley and Emily Elgar for sending me this to read, it was on my ‘wish list’ so I was delighted! I haven’t read anything by this author before but the description of the plot had me hooked as soon as I read it and now that I have finished reading it it did not disappoint!

From reading the first couple of pages I knew this was my kind of book and I was excited to read it. There are twists all the way through this story and just when I thought I had it worked out, something else came along. It kept me gripped from beginning to end and I couldnt wait to finish whatever I was doing to sit down and read some more!

I will definitely be watching out for more books by this author and if you want something that gets you thinking and keeps you guessing, this book is for you.

If you only read one book in 2020 make it this one
I was hooked from the beginning
twists and turns are in abundance
it's emotional and intriguing
keeps you reading through the night
excellent characters, brilliant writing
will definitely be recommending this book

Thank you netgalley, Emily Elgar and Little Brown Book Group UK

This is apparently based on a true story. One which I had never heard of - or I think I haven't as I did manage to guess something quite key early on which did shape the way that I read the rest of the book. I can't say how much that affected my enjoyment though as it was never a given that I was right!
So, single parent Meg lives with her sick daughter Grace. They are pillars of the community and very well respected therein. One day, their neighbour Cara pops round to drop something off and what she finds is shocking. Meg is found brutally murdered and there is no sign of Grace. This shock ripples through the community and the police go all in trying to find out both what happened to Meg and where Grace is as she is wholly dependent upon serious medication to survive. Meanwhile, disgraced journalist Jon hears the news and rushes to the scene despite the order preventing him from doing so. His downfall is attributed to an article he wrote about Grace and her estranged father who the police believe may be connected to what is happening. Together with Cara they peel back the layers of grace and Meg's life and what they find there is astonishing and threatens everything once understood about their past...
This was an interesting and intriguing story. As already mentioned it stems from a real case which I am not going to mention here as it might spoil things. I guess that if you are familiar with this case then the book may fall a little flat for you. I wasn't and I still managed to guess - not sure how or why - lucky maybe. But even though I guessed THAT, I wasn't fully aware of everything else that went around and about so there was plenty to keep me hanging and reading on. Told from the POVs of both Jon and Cara, with diary entries from Grace interspersed throughout, the story gets on with itself very nicely indeed. Enough was withheld to keep me interested and sufficient divulged to satisfy along the way.
All in all, a good solid read. I have already read this author's debut, If You Knew Her, so I am now playing the waiting game to see what she serves up next time. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I was intrigued by the stunning cover and the premise of the book. I was aware of the real life case this book is based on and so saw the twist coming. Initially I was apprehensive this would deter from my reading however the characters were so emotionally compelling and I felt so invested in their arcs that the predictability of it didn’t matter. Also the book is well plotted that I couldn’t wait to see how things would unfold and was excited to see that the author decided to add her own take to the story.
This follows two protagonists: Jon, a journalist who wrote a scalding story about Megan and her 17-year daughter, Grace, who’s been sick since infancy, that got him into trouble and he’s also trying to bounce back from his temporary separation with his wife; Cara, a 20-year old, neighbour to the single mum and her sick teenage daughter, discovers Megan’s body - her head has been caved in and Grace is missing. Without her medications Grace will die...Driven by her guilt of not being a better friend to Grace Cara is drawn into the mystery of her disappearance and working with Jon, who’s looking for a story that will redeem him in the eyes of his wife and community.
I highly enjoyed this and could not put this down. Cara and Jon are so realistic and well-drawn, that I found myself invested in their story. This was a pacy read, and despite being familiar with the real life story this is based on I couldn’t stop reading. I loved the setting of Cornwall and the sense of community so vividly painted. My only gripe was that the surprise second antagonists felt like plot device and weren’t as fleshed as the other characters.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for an honest review. 4/5

Grace lives with her mum Meg in a small
community in Cornwall. Meg and Grace are loved and supported by everyone within the community as Meg single-handedly looks after Grace her disabled daughter. Then one day Meg is discovered having been brutally murdered and Grace is gone. The countdown now begins to not only find Meg’s murderer but to find Grace who will only have days to
live without her medication...

The story is told in the voice of Cara a family friend and neighbour who makes the discovery and Jon a down on his luck journalist who has been vilified by the community for a previous story in the paper about Meg and Grace. This is an addictive fast paced psychological thriller and one of the best I have read for a while. I think what makes this book particularly good is that it sticks to the story without any unnecessary subplots or too many characters needing attention. I read this book in one sitting as I needed to keep up with the story. I’m still waiting for heart rate to slow down especially after discovering this is inspired by a true story!

his is a book about Meg and her daughter Grace who is in a wheelchair. Meg is found murdered in her house and Grace is missing. This is the story of what happened to Meg and the search for Grace.

This book is beautifully written and is a page turner. There are some back stories within this book. It is also creepy in places. The ending is so good and was not what I was expecting.

This is a well paced enjoyable read and kept me on the edge of my seat.

‘Grace is Gone’ is a very moving book. It’s a page turner for sure and will keep you interested until the very end. You need to be emotionally prepared to pick up this book but it is so worth it!