Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy! Great book! The layout of this book, the suspense, the hints at past events coming to light grabbed my attention like nothing else! It's been awhile since Jenny had a new book, so I was super excited to read this. I kind of feel like the ending was a little predictable, but def not in the way it was laid out.

Thank you Netgalley and Canelo for this ARC of The Girl Who Left by Jenny Blackhurst.

Twenty-five years ago Kathryn's best friend Elsie Button disappeared and Kathryn's father, Patrick was convicted of her murder after confessing to the crime. With the town turning their backs on Kathryn's family, they fled, never to return. Now twenty-five years to the date, another little girl goes missing from the same town and same house. Searching for answers, Kathryn returns to her hometown digging for answers but the town isn't quite ready to welcome her back.

This book started of with a bang and I couldn't read it fast enough. I loved this author's writing style and ability to tell the story in a way that even if you figure it out like I did, you keep wanting to read more. It was such a thrilling, but heartbreaking story that is not just another forgettable mystery that you've read a million times. I definitely recommend this one to mystery lovers like myself.

WOW! What a fantastic thriller!! The back and forth narratives between the main character and the lead investigator kept me up late into the night. I can't get too into the plot without giving away too much but I was kept guessing right up until the end of the book.

Fast-paced, gripping story -- it had me on the edge of my seat! Twists, turns, and strong characters kept the story moving along as well as a great setting. The story did not end how I thought it would and the ending was satisfying. Highly recommended! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

After enjoying both How I Lost You and Before I Let You In, by this author, I was really excited to get this from NetGalley but this was kind of a bust for me. I figured out the who about twelve pages in...That is a big bummer for this reader. I read a lot of thrillers so maybe I am just too good of a sleuth? This isn't a bad book by any means and I think most people would enjoy the twists and turns this one takes...There are some red herrings to try and throw the reader for a loop but I am just too damn intelligent for it to get past me. 😂 I did enjoy the journey to see if I was right and this was a quick read at only 256 pages on my tablet. I have to say it was pretty original and I liked the police procedural part of the story. I also enjoyed the setting in Wales and the small town feel surrounding the book. I would recommend this to mystery lovers I am just too smart for my own good!

Loved this, had me hooked.from page one. A great creeper thriller. Look forward to more

Thanks for the arc

Kathryn's life has been blighted by events of her childhood, when, aged five, her father, Patrick, was convicted of the murder of her best friend, Elsie Button - although no body was ever found. Branded by association, her family fled the area and Kathryn changed her name, but continued to be besieged by press every year on the anniversary of Elsie's disappearance.

Now, twenty-five years later to the day, another five year old girl has gone missing - from the same house on the island of Anglesey. Kathryn, driven by a need for answers, returns to the town she hasn't visited in twenty-five years, hoping to go unrecognised - but she's not exactly welcome.

Meanwhile DI Maggie Grant, leading the investigation into Abigail Warner's disappearance, races against time to find the little girl.

This was an excellent read - I had no idea where the story was going and my wild guesses were generally wrong. I liked the characters of both troubled Kathryn and spiky Maggie, and the Anglesey setting was well done. I enjoyed it very much.

#TheGirlWhoLeft #NetGalley
Awesome.
Elsie Button was snatched from a garden in a sleepy town on the Welsh island of Anglesey, and a local man later confessed, it sent shockwaves through the tight-knit community. How could one of their own do such a thing? Especially when his own little girl was the same age – and the victim’s best friend. Kathryn and her family left under the cloak of darkness one night, unable to bear the shame, and the anger of their neighbours. She hardly remembers that time. Now, she suffers the consequences of living under an assumed name, always looking over her shoulder. Her dad has not spoken a word to her since he went to prison. She is haunted by the question: why did he kill Elsie?
When another child is taken from the same garden, twenty-five years to the day of Elsie’s murder, Kathryn is determined that this time she’ll be on the right side. She’ll join the search and atone for her father’s deed, and maybe, just maybe, get the answers she wants. But she’s not prepared for the long memory of the locals, nor the risks of going back. Not everyone on the island wants the truth to come out, and they’ll go to extreme lengths to stop that from happening.
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me an advance copy.

I really, really enjoyed this book! It was captivating and it hooked me from the very first chapter! I was glued to my seat!

I picked this book up for two reasons.
1)I'd read the author before and enjoyed her work.
2) it's set on anglesey.

The Anglesey part definitely delivers, it's made to sound magical yet a little bit creepy, with talks of close knit community and mosters and woods.

It also delivers on the author part, good writing, good story.
By about half way through I knew who had done it... turns out I was wrong.

Setting a cold case against the ticking time bomb of a currently missing child works so well for getting tension into your story line.
I liked how it made things seem a little bit sinister even when they weren't.

Very enjoyable.