Deeply upsetting but beautifully written mystery that had me entranced. Such vibrant characters and an intriguing narrative that kept me turning page after page, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

When her 17yr old daughter is missing, all indications are she has runaway. But Jess doesn't agree with law enforcement's conclusions. As the days turn into weeks, then months, Jess doesn't give up even though it all seems hopeless. A year after Wyn disappears, Jess gets a desperate text from Wyn asking for help but warning her not to contact the police as a police officer is responsible for her disappearance. A great story line that didn't quite deliver to it's potential. I enjoyed the read but didn't love it as much as some of the titles I've been reading. Other readers loved it so it might be me.

After a year of Jessica's daughter, Wyn being missing, she finally hears from her through a series of alarming text messages.
The story alternates between the view points of Jessica and Wyn, something which I personally enjoy in a book as it allows us to delve deeper into the characters individually and adds more depth to the story.

At times the story itself was a bit slow, but when it reaches the midway point it is gripping and keeps you thoroughly engaged.

"One Year Gone" by Avery Bishop is a gripping thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The story revolves around Jessica Moore, a mother who is determined to find her missing daughter, Wyn, even when the police dismiss her concerns. The novel takes readers on a heart-pounding journey as Jessica receives mysterious text messages from Wyn a year after her disappearance, revealing that her kidnapper is someone with a badge.

Bishop skillfully builds tension throughout the book, creating a sense of unease and dread that keeps the pages turning. The plot is filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing, and the pacing is relentless, making it difficult to put the book down.

The character development is solid, especially when it comes to Jessica, who is a relatable and empathetic protagonist. Her determination and courage in the face of danger make her a compelling lead.

While "One Year Gone" is a gripping and thrilling read, it falls slightly short of a five-star rating due to some plot elements that may require readers to suspend disbelief. Nonetheless, it is an engaging and suspenseful story that will leave you eager to discover the truth alongside Jessica. If you enjoy fast-paced thrillers with a strong emotional core, this book is well worth picking up.

While I loved Girl Gone Mad, unfortunately One Year Gone by Avery Bishop didn't quite work for me.
The premise sounded intriguing, but the execution left something to be desired. I seem to be in the minority, as most reviews seem to be much more favorable than mine. What didn't work for me?
In a thriller I don't necessarily need to like the characters as long as they are interesting, but somehow I could not connect at all. The pacing was too slow and the ending felt rushed. Overall I will say I enjoyed Jessica's chapters more than Wyn's. I feel like there was a really good story in there somewhere that could have been uncovered with a bit of tighter editing. We needed a sense of urgency, less filler, less telling and more showing.
On the plus side, I also had a chance to listen to the audiobook and I thought the narration was very well done!

A twisty, never saw it coming, read that is safe for your fall book club pick and is sure to engage discussion!

This is the first book I've read of this author. The storyline is quite universal, but very dark, I couldn't put it down! There are some twists and turns in this book with some well developed, believable characters. Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Another DNF for me. While the premise was intriguing, the execution was just blah for me. I guess I'm just a little over all of the mystery/thriller books that use the same tricks, and fall into the same tropes. There is nothing in One Year Gone that I haven't read or seen employed in another book and I felt like I had read this before, just with different names and locations.

This book sucked me in from the very beginning! It was twisty but I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending - seems a little too unrealistic. I would’ve been happy with the book wrapping up without the last two chapters 😬

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this advanced copy.

A bit of a slow burn this one, with an exciting end.
The pace was too slow for me personally and I couldn’t quite engage in either of the main characters but I’m glad I saw it through to the end.
Sometimes the writer is over descriptive and that’s when I started to lose interest, overall though, an ok read.

It was ok. All a bit far fetched if I'm completely honest, although if we just accept that a lot of thrillers are far fetched this one was pretty good. I don't think I'd recommend it but I wouldn't put someone off it if they fancied it.

Jessica Moore’s 17 yr old daughter, Wyn has vanished! Everyone tells her that she’ll come back, “teens run away sometimes”. But as the weeks become months, Jessica’s fear becomes a living nightmare. Until one day, she receives multiple text messages from Wyn, crying out for help but to not involve the police. Jess will do anything to bring her daughter home….but will this put her in danger as well? Thank you Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. Available now

A year has passed since Jessica seventeen year old daughter, Bronwyn (Wyn), disappeared. It looks like she may have run away, so little is done, despite Jessica's feelings that her daughter wouldn't run away. Then a year later Jessica receives a text message begging for help!

The story is told with dual timelines. The NOW and then there are various dates leading up to the last time that Wyn was seen and through the time afterwards. Can Jessica uncover what happened to Wyn and help save her.

There was a lot of characters in this story and at times I found myself getting lost, especially with the timelines going back and forth and various POV's, but it did all add to the tension of the book, and ultimately the reveal.

Quite a few of the actions of the characters were over the top and at times verged on unrealistic. But it did redefine a whole new meaning of 'mean'.

Publication: August 10th 2021

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC.

Wyn was being bullied at school, her best friend and ally was killed and Wyn had questions. Shortly after Wyn disappears. The police try to convince her mother Jessica, a functioning alcoholic, that Wyn ran away, but she won't believe it. When she's starting to lose hope after a year goes by, she starts receiving texts from her daughter for help. Whoever has her ears a badge and he's going to kill her. She can't call the police and is left trying to find answers herself. But as she investigates further and more of the truth is revealed, she realizes her own life is in danger as well. How far will she go to save her daughter?
This story was just OK overall. I thought it was overly descriptive in some areas and not enough in others. I didn't really connect with either Jessica or Wyn, so the story kind of fell flat for most of the book. The revelations at the end made it more exciting, but still fairly predictable.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I did enjoy this novel but I did feel it was fairly slow but the twists and turns at the end made it up to four stars as it was so exciting.

So many twists and turns!! I really enjoyed reading this book! I thought it wasn’t a hard read and didn’t feel bored

I wasn’t too sure about this one, I found it to be an ok read but not massively gripping or engaging

Jessica is trying to find her missing daughter, Wyn, and after nearly a year she finally hears from her in a disturbing series of text messages. The story alternates between Jessica and Wyn, with Jessica's story alternating between both past and present, which left me confused at times as to where in time I was . The search for Wyn started slow with some repetition between chapters and details that I didn't find necessary. Somewhere around the middle of the book the pace picked up, although Wyn's story was still agonizingly slow. This just made me read that much faster as I had to find out what happened. I was ready to give this book a 3 star rating, however there is deception and twists on twists at the end that I did not see coming that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Excellent story. I really enjoyed everything, from the plot to the characters to the epic conclusion. 4 stars, and I can't wait to read more by this author!

I want to thank Netgalley and the author for gifting me the ebook. A good thriller/drama/suspense. Great weekend read.