I've been a fan of this author since her very first book. Her crime thrillers are intelligently written, always suspenseful and have that added depth that comes from her legal background.

How To Disappear is no exception. In fact, I'd say that I think it's the best of her books so far. It's a hefty read at over 400 pages, but the reader is drawn in from the very first page, hurtled around as the pace intensifies throughout the story and left with a feeling of satisfaction at the end. This is just what I want from a thriller.

Imagine being told that you have to disappear. You can take two suitcases only. No phone, no laptop, no tablet. Nothing that may identify you. Not only do you have to leave your possessions, but you have to leave your family, your friends, your work. You have to leave your life. There's no going back either, this is not a jaunt, or a holiday, this IS your life, from now on.

Lauren and Zara find themselves in exactly that position. Zara's witness evidence during a murder trial has made her the subject of death threats. If she stays in her life, then it is very possible that she will die. She and her mother Lauren must leave the family home in London and put themselves at the mercy of the People Protection Service. They will have a new home, new identities and a new history. Lauren's husband Aiden is Zara's stepfather, he has a daughter of his own and has to make the heart wrenching decision to stay in London. He cannot abandon daughter Poppy who has issues of her own; caring for a terminally ill mother, along with all of the usual teenage angst.

The reader cannot help but think 'what would I do?' as they read. As Lauren, Zara and Aiden deal with their new situation, in their own ways, we think to ourselves 'why did they do that?', 'what on earth made them think that was a good decision?'. However, it's pretty easy to think those things, as we sit in our comfortable homes, passing judgement. None of us really know what we would do in this situation, and, if by any chance you do know, because you too have been on a Protection Scheme, well, you are not going to admit that .... are you?

The main theme of this story is that of trust and of secrets. All of the characters have their own secrets, and it's clear that none of them feel as though they can trust others. This author packs an emotional punch into her writing too. This is not just a run of the mill thriller, and although the murder case is at the core of the story, it's also a sensitive and well developed look at the ties of family relationships. The parent/sibling relationship is explored so well, in all of its many forms and I was especially impressed by Aiden's daughter Poppy and her feelings of love toward her mother that often battled with a feeling of duty.

How To Disappear delivers it all. Tension, suspense and an intricately woven crime story, accompanied by emotional drama that is totally compelling. I enjoyed this hugely and would highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed this book however for me it was a bit of a slow burner. It’s a bit different to the usual type of book I read & I would recommend it.

I always love a good thriller book and this was no exception. The writing from Gillian McAllister was engaging yet hypnotic at the same time, it kept me gripped in the tension throughout the book. The short chapters added to the atmosphere of the book and I turned page after page to get to know what was happening next.

The characters emotions you could feel in each page and I was unprepared for the emotion that it evoked in me when reading it. To me this is a sign of a really well written book.

I loved the book and the storyline. The characters were engaging and the story moved at a good pace. Highly recommended!

This book is not for me. Too rambly, too much describing of irrelevant things, too drawn out and too much repetition. Also not very interesting.

5 Stars from me

After a certain point this book is absolutely impossible to put down!

I was utterly fascinated by by the witness protection side of things, it's so easy to see how practically impossible it would be not to just send that one text... 

I was second guessing everything with this story - some I got right, some I didn't but I was captivated throughout and can't praise Gillian McAllister enough for creating such a deeply engrossing read.

If you like all consuming, heart in the mouth, thrillers and are looking for some true escapism from what's going on outside right now, THIS is the book for you!

When Zara and her mother Lauren are put into witness protection, they find out just how hard it is to stay away from their old lives – can they keep their old identities a secret?

I really enjoy reading books by Gillian McAllister – I have read The Evidence Against You and The Good Sister before (you can see reviews on Kindig Blog.) One thing I really enjoy about reading Gillian’s work is that her background of working as a lawyer really shines through and creates a realistic view of the process whilst ensuring her audience are not alienated by jargon or technical language.

How to Disappear is a really good premise and the suspense is kept high throughout the plot whilst keeping the story well-paced. I found myself being completely invested in it and the twist at the end really shocked me and actually moved me to tears which does not happen often with thrillers! My only criticism would be that I did often find myself (internally) yelling at certain characters for making some really silly decisions but also I can’t imagine leaving my life behind and knowing I can never see my family or friends again so I guess it was probably realistic!

Overall, I really enjoyed How to Disappear and it’s a great addition to McAllister’s bibliography – I will continue to keep my eye out for more work by this author! Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin UK – Michael Joseph for the chance to read the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed How To Disappear, a believable and at at times harrowing account of the perils involved in witness protection. It featured several thrills and a serious gut-punch at the end that I was not expecting, I will be recommending this.

What a story, so full of tension that it is difficult to keep going but of course you must. Fascinating description of the Protection Service. and the descriptive writing brings all the emotions of the participants, to life. I loved the twist in the tail!

This is the first book I have ever read by Gillian McAllister and I really enjoyed it. The main characters, Lauren and her daughter Zara, have to go into witness protection. Zara witnessed a murder and the assailants are out to get her. Throughout the whole book, it is very difficult to guess how it will all end. Then along comes a twist that will definitely surprise you. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of suspense.

I’ve read all of the authors books, her last one was a little bit a disappointment, but I am pleased that this one was more of a return to her form of her early books.

14 year old Zara, witnesses a terrible crime and is the key witness in sending down two young up and coming football stars. When it comes to the trial she cracks under pressure and admits to lying about exactly what she saw. Days after the trial she is targeted by “fans” of the football club and threatened because they thought she had tried to ruin their club.

Zara and her mum, Lauren are told they will be put into witness protection as there is a real threat to Zara’s life. Lauren has to leave her London life behind, which includes her husband and Zara’s stepfather Aiden and her beloved dog. When Lauren and her daughter are shipped off to the Lake District, Aiden sets out to try and find out who is targeting his stepdaughter so they can be reunited once again. He pretends to be someone who can help the gang track down Zara, a very risky strategy as he doesn’t know who he is really dealing with. He has also broken the rules of Witness Protection by planting a burner phone in Lauren’s suitcase, which is worse is that Lauren doesn’t resist the urge to contact him. The gang won’t let it go until Zara is found and punished, it’s got to be about more than the lie at the trial?

This was a good story, you heard it from 4 characters narratives, Zara, Lauren, Aiden and Aiden’s daughter Poppy. The pace of the book was in the main fast and kept you reading, there were a few parts that felt a little like padding and a tad slow. It poses a great question as to how you would behave either as the person in Witness Protection or those left behind. To me the characters of Aiden and Lauren were not committed to the programme and as such put everyone in danger.

All in all a good read, the ending worked well (I think), it certainly threw me from how I thought it was going. The 20-30% of the book did feel a wee bit rushed, but I think that was the pace it needed throughout. I give this a solid 4/5. Thank you to NetGalley for this free advance copy.

How To Disappear is a tense, twisty and emotional thriller which I think is the author’s best.
This is a story about joining the witness protection program, starting a new life and staying hidden
I found it emotional and so tense. The author is so clever at increasing the tension until your toes curl. I had to keep reading into the small hours to find out what happened next, and what did happen next was quite often unexpected.
Very well written, great plot and brilliant ending.

Wow, this had my hooked!!!!!! This tells the story of Zara, who witnessed a crime and ends up I. Witness protection, her mum is separated from her step dad and this follows them throughout. Gripping and excellent! Loved it!

Absolutely fantastic. Great characters, great pace and kept me reading well into the night. If you’re going to read a thriller this year make it this one!

How To Disappear is a tense, twisty and emotional thriller which I think is the author’s best.

The story follows Lauren and Zara as they join the witness protection program and start a new life. I found it very interesting to learn more about the program, especially the impact it can have on a person. I’ve never really thought about it before but it must be really hard to leave behind your old life and start anew. The emotions involved in this are brilliantly described by the author so that the reader becomes very sympathetic to what they are going through. I often found myself tearing up as I read.

Zara was a very interesting main character who I really enjoyed following through the book. She’s a surprisingly thoughtful teenager and I quickly warmed to her. In a lot of ways I felt that Lauren and her personalities were reversed and Lauren should have been acting the way Zara was.

The author does a great job of increasing the tension in the book until it is almost unbearable. I soon found myself flying through the pages as I desperately wanted to find out what was going to happen next. There were lots of twists and surprises that kept me guessing and further ensured I was glued to the page. The ending was just amazing and a fantastic way to end the book.

Huge thanks to Sriya from Michael St Joseph for inviting me onto the blog tour and for my copy of this book.

Excellent read. This author never disappoints with her books. Lots of twists and turns. Excellent read. This author never disappoints with her books. Lots of twists and turns.

This book was one of the best thrillers I've read in 2020. It had everything I wanted - believable characters that drew you in, twists and turns and a shock ending that I didn't guess for one minute.

I've not read anything about witness protection before but have seen plenty of TV shows with it in. It was a fascinating insight.

I flew through this book and was completely invested in the story.

Highly recommended.

How to disappear it’s my first book by the author and I enjoyed it quite a lot.
I was captivated by the story plot and all the time while reading I felt like watching one of my favourite TV’s ongoing crime investigation series.
Having to change your life forever can be scary for everyone, but our heroine was well depicted as a strong female character with feelings and a lot of courage that I admired at all times.
Throughout the book, we get small glimpses at Zara’s old and new life, at the dynamics between her and her mother, lover and friends and how much her future, her dreams and hopes have changed in a course of a very short time.
A fast-paced, easy to follow the story with many twists and turns, some predictable moments and some very unexpected scenes. This thrilling novel kept me invested from the first chapter to the last.

I always look forward to Gillian McAllister’s books and this is another brilliant one. A gripping plot, plenty of twists and great ending.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy of this ebook in exchange for my honest review.

You know it's good when you immediately finish a book and text your Mum to tell her to buy it straight away. I tore through this in just a few sessions and I loved every page. I find witness protection a fascinating subject and felt the novel had just the right amount of fact mixed with fiction, despite it being a difficult topic to find information on.
I liked the main characters and felt it was a great fast-paced read.