Books like these are a godsend when you're stuck in bed feeling lousy. I was thrown into Kathryn's world from the start and needed to know the secret behind the disappearance of Elsie 25 years ago.
Told in multiple POV the reader can see how the case evolves and the tension is high making it impossible to put down. The closed nature of the Welsh community adds to the sense of danger and suspicion. There were so many ways this novel could go and give a satisying ending but the chosen one was ideal. I'm looking forward to more from this author.

Compelling, Immersive…
When a crime is committed that is chillingly similar to one of twenty five years ago the residents of a town on the island of Anglesey are in shock, or they all certainly appear to be. It’s a closed community, tight knit, everyone knows everyone else. Don’t they? Not everyone on this island wants the truth to emerge but what lengths will they go to in order to make sure that it doesn’t? A compelling and immersive suspense with a credible and disturbing storyline. The plot is pacy, the narrative littered with red herrings aplenty and the cast of characters is well drawn and believable.

Twenty-five years ago a five year old girl went missing from her back garden and was never seen again. A local butcherwas charged with her murder and was sentenced to life. The daughter of the murderer has never recovered and wants to know where the body of her best friend is. Her father has never revealed her where abouts why?
Fast forward to the present and another five year old girl has gone missing from the back garden of the same house. Is this a copycat or has an innocent man been sent to prison. A gripping and compelling read which I devoured in one sitting I HAD TO KNOW THE TRUTH and finally turned the last page in the wee hours with a conclusion which literally blew me away and definitely not what I was expecting. A well deserved four stars and recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Firstly thank you to Canelo and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it was very easy to read and become quickly immersed in its pages.
From the start a gruesome crime was committed by Kathryn's dad, who is serving life. It's a crime that has never had any real explanation behind it and for years now Kathryn has been asking her dad, why? Were is her body? But 25 years later on the anniversary, another little girl is taken and Kathryn goes back to the island that her family fled from.
It's quite a simple story, but with lots of twists and turns and from the start I had my suspicions as to who was really responsible for the crime all those years ago. But I'm glad to say that my suspicions were wrong and for once I never seen that coming!!!

Would have liked to see a bit more of an aftermath. But overall it was enjoyable and a good read.

The girl who left by Jenny Blackhurst
⭐⭐/5

A little girl goes missing in the early 90's and Katy's father is sentanced to life for her murder . She was Katy's best friend . And he admitted to it . Which sent his two children and wife running in hopes they could lead a normal life out of the dark shadows their father. And husband cast upon them. Being a child killer and all . They seem to have escaped that life but 25 years later, to the day another 5 year old goes missing from that same house. Bringing up old bones and questions for miles. The killer is locked away - who could have possibly been behind this disappearance?
Katy travels back to help with the search in hopes she can find out more about her old friend . And despite the secretive community, she vows to solve both cases . If it kills her .

Ive come to the conclusion I dislike books that heavily depend on the point of view of the detectives on the case. I don't know what it is . I love true crime and shows like law and order... but reading about it is different entirely and I think thats where the stars fell for me . The story itself is wonderful. The writing is great ! But the changing point of view's- specifically ones of the detectives working the case tended to lose my attention early on in the book and failed to bring me back at any point during the rest. Unfortunately, I also predicted the ending despite a few times I thought I was wrong . It turns out I just had it pegged from the start and the author had tried to throw me off a few times .

The Girl Who Left is a gripping thriller set on the island of Anglesey where a five year old girl has gone missing 25 years to the day that another girl disappeared from the same area. Kathryn knows who was responsible all those years ago but also knows it couldn’t have been him as he is in prison for that little girls murder. Elsie was 5 when she went missing, she was Kathryn’s best friend and it’s her father who is serving a life sentence for her murder. The relationship between father and daughter is a complex one with Kathryn only visiting Patrick to find out what he did with her friends body so when another abduction takes place, Kathryn goes back to Anglesey to find out more…
I thought I had this book all figured out but I have to admit to being totally hoodwinked by the author here! There are plenty of red herrings and it’s stuffed full of characters who seem to have lots of secrets to hide so Kathryn certainly has her work cut out for her if she must make a connection between the recent abduction and her missing friend. I think it could have been condensed a little in the middle as I thought it dipped a little bit before building back up to a climactic ending.

Quick and easy read. I was immersed the whole time and finished in two different sittings. It is the first book by this author and I definitely want to read more. The author tried hard with red herrings and throwing you off as well but the twists weren't too surprising. But I still enjoyed it unfold

Thank you Canelo and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book before publication. IYKYK, my reviews are always honest.

Writing: 4/5 | Plot: 4/5 | Ending: 4/5

THE PLOT

Kathryn is tryna navigate life with a dad locked up for murdering her bestie in her backyard 25 yrs ago when another girl is snatched from her childhood garden. So what is up???

MY OPINION

This was Honda Civic reliable but with upgrades. We're talking sunroof. We're talking leather interior. We're talking matte black rims. (Idk if these are actual upgrades but you know what I'm saying). A juicy j premise enhanced by dark humour, great pacing, and dual POVs.

I was getting my Nancy Drew on and I thought I had it... but I didn't... sorta. It may be obvious to some, but I was totally wrapped up in the action and jokey jokes that I wasn't really checking for the clues that much. I'm usually not a fan of civilians gone rogue, but I Blackhurst used humour to poke fun at Kathryn's amateur sleuthing skills, so I was on board. Plus, the other POV was an actual DI, so it gave the book the balance super hard asses like me require.

I would like to see more books featuring DI Maggie. She's funny. She reminds me of Kim Stone from Angela Marons's bangerlicious series. I'll definitely be checking out more Jenny Blackhurst books. Legit my only complaint with this book is one of character's was named Verity #TRIGGERED LOL. Nah but, this isn't a 5 star because it was just missing a lil more oomph and I did have some questions at the end.

PROS AND CONS

Pros: juicy premise, dual RELEVANT POVs (key word: relevant), fast-paced with short chapters, suspenseful, good ending (wasn't giving me "catching up with a friend over coffee vibes"), funny af

Cons: the spoilt sister in law was named Verity... was this intentional??? 😂

A local girl Elsie button went missing snatched from her front garden in a sleepy town on the Welsh island of Anglesey and her best friend Kathryn Bowens father was sent to prison for killing her and Kathryn and her family left under the cloak of darkness one night unable to bear the shame and the anger of their neighbours and now on the twenty fifth anniversary of her murder another five year old girl goes missing in exactly the same house on the isle of Anglesey as Elsie and Kathryn fuelled by the need for answers returns to the island of Anglesey under a assumed name
I really enjoyed this book it had me gripped throughout totally recommend
Thank You NetGalley and Canelo
I just reviewed The Girl Who Left by Jenny Blackhurst. #TheGirlWhoLeft #NetGalley

Kathryn Bowen has spent her life living under a dark cloud. When she was five years old, her father was sent to jail for killing her little friend Elsie Button. On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the murder, another girl goes missing in exactly the same place, and Kathryn feels compelled to return to the scene of the crime. Arriving at the place of her birth on the Isle of Anglesey, she is confronted almost immediately with strange happenings and soon realizes that despite the lapse of time, she has been recognised and is probably in grave danger.
The book is written mainly in the first person from Kathryn’s perspective. However, Maggie, the lead detective’s point of view is told in alternate chapters. There are many characters to deal with in the story and I found I had to rack my brains at time to remember who was who. Even so, it’s a compelling and intriguing novel despite the twist at the end, which I thought a little contrived, but the story was enjoyable all the same.

Although the language distracts from the story and could be left out, reading on I discovered an innovative story. There were several red herrings, but the ending was easily discovered with hints. The characters are not likable, but this is a murder mystery after all. This author is talented in weaving a cannot out down book. Hoping there will be a follow up…some questions left unanswered…the mark of a good mystery of course. This book was sent to me from Netgalley for review. I hope others will read it and discover what happened while reading. If not, the ending will be a surprise.

This was a great thriller. I enjoyed it tremendously and would recommend it to mystery fans of the genre

This was an easy read, I was able to get through it in two days, which is very quick for me! It was interesting and entertaining and kept me wondering what had really happened all those years ago, clearly there was more to the story. Definitely a good read for lovers of psychological twists and mysteries.

This is the first novel I've read by Jenny Blackhurst and I found it to be a compelling and satisfying read with a twist I didn't anticipate.
25 years ago, 5 year old Elsie Buxton went missing from an Anglesey town. A local man was convicted and imprisoned for her murder. His daughter Kathryn was Elsie's best friend and 25 years later she returns to Anglesey after a local child disappears on the anniversary of Elsie's murder. The novel is told from the point of view of Kathryn and also DI Maggie Grant. I really enjoyed the dual points of view and particularly the police procedural aspect of the novel. It's a twisty read and I loved the Welsh setting. I'd recommend and will definitely read more from the author's back catalogue.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC

This is the kind of book that will stay with you, and haunt you for a bit. Kathryn was five years old when her father was convicted of murdering her best friend, Elsie Button. But Elise’s body was never found. Now 25 years later another little girl goes missing in the same location on the same exact day. Now who could have done this? Kathryn’s father is behind bars. Could this be the work of a copy cat or was there something else that happened 25 years ago? We follow along with Kathryn as she returns back to the island. She is set on trying to help find this missing girl. Plus she needs answers on what really happened to both these missing girls. Things aren’t what they seem, and Kathryn is not welcome back to her childhood hometown. Can she deal with these locals and figure out the truth? Well buckle up for one crazy book experience!

We also have the dual POV of DI Maggie Grant. Maggie is determined to solve this missing persons case. Can she find the little girl in time? The story is a fast paced race for time.

What I enjoyed:
-You will feel fully immersed in this story. First few chapters and I was already itching to find a hiding/reading spot
-the twists through out were great! I was definitely on my toes
-trying to figure out everything was fun. You will definitely not expect a few things. I kept guessing wrong
-quick read with great pacing!

This book was well written, and not very obvious on the big reveals/twists. I LOVE thrillers! They are probably my favorite genre. Andddd this one did not disappoint me at all! I had to keep reading to figure it all out. Perfect for any fan of a fast paced, twisty, and wild thriller. 4 stars out of 5.

I’ve enjoyed several of the authors previous books so I was excited to get a chance to read this one. A police procedural set in a small town with a long memory in Wales, it was original and refreshing. While I did figure out who it was early on, it didn’t ruin the book at all for me and I think most readers will be taken with the red herrings that they won’t get it till closer to the end.

Kathryn’s life was ruined when her father killed her five year old best friend 25 years ago. Now, another girl has gone missing from the same house. Kathryn hopes to return to figure out what is happening, though she finds their memories are long and she is not welcomed at all. DI grant is racing against time to find this little girl and as their stories all collide you will be turning pages quickly to find out what happens.

It's been awhile since Jenny had a new book, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy. thank you! Kathryn's bff was kidnapped when she was a young girl. Her father was sent to prison for the crime. Now 25 years later, she returns to her hometown when another girl is taken. She starts wondering if her father is innocent. Secrets come to light; hidden relationships comes to light. A lot of good suspense and twists. Great book!

Fabulous suck you in read!
An absorbing thriller which i read in record speed, we are given a number of characters so i changed my mind a number of times about who did what!
A very unusual ending which i kind of understand but found a little annoying.
Overall its a 5 star rating, will look for this author in the future.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy and i happily give my honest review.

This is the first book I've read by this author even though I have heard a lot of good things about her. Now however that I have finished this book myself I know what all the hype was about. Jenny Blackhurts did a great
job at writing a thriller that not only keeps you on the edge of your seat but also takes a very dark subject like child murder and abduction and makes it a little lighter. The characters in this book were fantastic and I couldn't get enough of them all, especially our main character Kathryn. The book starts out with our main
character return to a jail cell to try to get a confession, yet again, from her father, to no avail. When a young girl is taken the whole neighbourhood is shook. No one can understand who could do such a terrible thing and when a local man confesses no one can believe it. This local was a man of good character and to make matters worse his daughter was the same age as his victim, and the victims best friend. Determined to avoid
the prying eyes of the community the family leaves town and Kathryn cuts all ties with her father. Now right when things start to be going normal again exactly twenty-fives years to the day of the first murder another child is taken from the same place. Determined not to be in the wrong this time and to make up for her past mistakes Kathryn decides to join in the search for the missing child. However things aren't as cut and dry as they seem and not everyone is as willing to help as they let on. I really liked the characters in this book and one of the best parts about it was I liked how the author pulled you into the story right away. There was a slight build up however it was so interesting that you weren't able to stop reading it. I found the characters to be very interesting and I liked the duo view points because it gave the reader lots of information that our characters
wouldn't have had otherwise. It also gave us bits and pieces that helped us put together what actually happened before the big reveal. Great ending I never saw it coming. I'm so glad that I got to read this book, it is one for sure that has to be read multiple times especially when you get the insight at the end it would be interesting to read it again with that knowledge.

Not a bad read but I kinda figured
it all out early on in the book if you know what I mean but lots of twists in it throughout ..