Tension Fuelled..
Charlotte Salter disappeared without a trace, failed to arrive for her husband’s fiftieth birthday party, and no one has seen her since. Lives continue, despite struggles and little understanding of what had happened, and the years pass until Etty, Charlotte’s daughter, eventually returns to her hometown to help her father move into long term care. When a podcast threatens to drag up the case of the disappearance, long held secrets may well out along with the facts. A steady and solid mystery with a deftly drawn cast, an immersive and intriguing narrative and a tension fuelled plot laced with heavy doses of suspense. A worthy addition to this writing team’s canon.

Told in three parts this novel tracks the effect of the disappearance of a mother, on her husband’s 50th birthday, on her 4 children. The first part deals with the police investigation at the time of her disappearance and the death - apparently by suicide - of her neighbour. Parts 2 and 3 deal with a podcast of the events of 30 years ago and the recent police investigation of the woman tasked with clearing the family home.

DI Maud O’Connor is determined to solve this recent crime and find out what really happened 30 years before.

This was a slow burner which only really came alive for me during the third part. I did not, however, predict the ending.

Took me a while to get into this storyline and gel with the characters.

I got into it eventually at about 30% and did enjoy it overall but for me personally it wasn't an edge of seater.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book and found it very hard to put it down at night. It drew me in, got me emotionally attached and desperate to find out what had actually happened.
I have loved Nicci French's Freida Klein series too and would recommend it.
This is a stand alone book and I will be recommending it to friends. I loved the storyline and truly felt for the characters, particularly Etty. An emotional read.

DO NOT START THIS UNTIL YOU CLEAR YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!!!… I absolutely LOVED… Perfect read and keep you hooked… Will keep you up late at night

I've only read a couple of books by these authors (Nicci Gérard and Sean French) but they are good murder mysteries and I will read more. This novel starts 30 years ago when a wife and mother of 4 disappears followed by another town members mysterious drowning. The police quickly wrap up the investigations until 30 years later when an arson attack kills another town member. The police then investigate the cold cases and the new murder.
Picture shows the book cover, a woman in a yellow coat standing on a white wooden path.

I love Nicci French and the new novel will not disappoint fans. A brilliant, dark, twisty mystery thriller with brilliant characters.

When Charlotte Salter goes missing on the night of her husband’s 50th birthday party her children are convinced something terrible has happened to her, she simply wouldn’t walk out on them. The police have no leads and when a local resident commits suicide a few days later they conclude that he killed Charlotte and, as a result of guilt, took his own life. Thirty years later the siblings return home, still unconvinced the police got the right man.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French is a story told in three parts. It opens a few days before Christmas 1990. It is Alec Salter’s 50th birthday party, everyone is present apart from his wife Charlotte. Alec doesn’t seem bothered and assumes she’s running late. The Salter children don’t appear to be particularly bothered either, apart from the youngest, fifteen-year-old Etty. I really felt Etty’s raw emotion as she tried to convince everyone that her mother wouldn’t abandon the family.

It transpires that the Salter marriage wasn’t a particularly happy one which would make Alec Salter a suspect, however, he has an unbreakable alibi, he was the centre of attention at his own birthday party. Alec comes across as apathetic regarding his wife’s disappearance, I certainly didn’t feel there were any sinister undertones to his behaviour. A lot of the time I felt he was under-utilised as a character, a little like someone who regularly walks across a stage to remind you they exist.

Etty is the driving force who keeps the police and community searching for a mother she knows wouldn’t desert her family. Another reason for Etty’s insistence is that she doesn’t want to be left alone with her father. Etty’s siblings, Paul, Niall and Ollie are all older and have already left home or are about to. There is nothing sinister about Etty not wanting to be left with Alec, it is simply down to his cold indifference.

The middle section of the novel takes place thirty years later. Alec Salter is living with dementia and, despite having a live-in carer, can no longer remain in the family home. The siblings return home to clear the house and facilitate the move to a care home. We get to see how they have been affected by the lack of closure surrounding their mother’s disappearance. They’ve all been affected in some way. Etty left home as soon as she could and lived a risky lifestyle. She’s now a lawyer but chose to live alone, avoiding relationships.

The return home prompts a couple of their peers to start a podcast, hoping that it may prompt new clues in the disappearance to come to light. When a third death occurs the police realise that the original case needs to be reinvestigated.

The third section of the story involves the new police investigation. I found the tone of this section to be very different from the earlier parts of the novel and loved DI Maud O’Connor, the detective tasked with reviewing the case.

DI Maud O’Connor upsets quite a few people early on. The local police don’t appreciate someone from London being drafted in to oversee the investigation. A couple of the male officers in particular took against Maud as she rebuffed their advances before they knew who she was. The fact that she is young and attractive is also held against her. I liked the fact that Maud takes no prisoners, those members of the task force who are hostile towards her are given a chance, but one chance only. If they can’t work as part of a team she has no use for them.

As the evidence is re-examined and witness statements double-checked the family eventually finds closure.

Thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for this ARC. I absolutely loved this book lots of secrets and many twists and turns! It had short chapters which made me race through it.

My favourite character was Maud as I felt a connection to her and hopefully she will feature in more books this would be great if this was turned into a tv series,

Overall, a twisty and unputdownable thriller would highly recommend! 😊

Loved this book. Hooked from the very first paragraphs about Lottie. The story was set in two eras 30 years apart which worked very well. We were carefully introduced to all the characters, who appeared in both era’s. The storyline was well constructed and we were gently led through the disappearance of Lottie, and the subsequent police investigations 30 years apart. Loved the characters, especially Maud. This was my first Nicci French novel, but it will not be my last!

In the gripping novel "Vanished Without a Trace," author explores the haunting mystery of Charlotte Salter's disappearance and the lasting impact it has on her family. When Charlotte fails to show up for her husband Alec's 50th birthday party, her children are left bewildered and concerned. However, Alec remains strangely unperturbed. As the days turn into weeks, the Salter children, Etty, Niall, Paul, and Ollie, grapple with the agonising uncertainty of their mother's fate. Years later, Etty returns to her childhood village to assist in moving her aging father into a care home. Alec's dementia has taken hold, often mistaking Etty for her long-lost mother. Etty, once carefree, now carries the weight of her family's secrets and the burden of their collective trauma. When their childhood friends, Greg and Morgen Ackerley, decide to delve into Charlotte's disappearance through a podcast, the town's hidden truths and the Salter family's darkest secrets threaten to resurface.
With the passage of time, will the Salter children finally uncover the truth behind their mother's vanishing act? As the podcast unearths buried secrets, the tension builds, and the possibility of finding closure becomes tantalizingly close. "Vanished Without a Trace" is a riveting tale of suspense, family bonds, and the relentless pursuit of truth. Prepare to be captivated as the Salter family's past collides with their present, leading to a shocking revelation that will leave readers breathless.

A complex story of inter-related family histories and how the disappearance of Charlotte Slater affects he family and close friends. I found it a compelling story with a few twists at the end. Not outstanding writing but enjoyable enough read. Look forward to more from this author.

Classic Nicci French. I devoured this book and struggled to put it down. Initially it’s the story of a woman who goes missing on her husband’s 50th birthday. Loved by all but him, her family is never the same again. A man is found dead and the case conveniently closed as a murder/suicide. The second part moves forward 30 years and is dominated by a podcast on the case and possibly a third murder. Beautifully written, with the desolation of the setting and the sadness of an unresolved mystery. The third part introduces a new detective in charge and a completely new perspective.

It’s already been described as a classic Nicci French and I have to say, it’s got all the authors’ hallmarks: relationship intrigue, a mystery, and people not saying what they mean or meaning what they say. Charlotte Salter does not turn up at her husband’s 50th birthday, much to her childrens’ unhappiness. Days pass and the mother of four still isn’t heard of, leaving the Salter children bereft and their father as unpleasant and unhelpful as ever. Decades later, the Salter children have forged new lives – for the most part – but must return to the village to see their now elderly infirm father before he moves into a care home. Their mother’s absence is still clearly felt, all the more so when a podcast about the situation looks like it’s going to bring what really happened to light. This reads like an epic read of one family and the impact that one person can have even when they’re not there. Brilliant.

I am always excited to see there is a new Nicci French novel coming out so I dove straight into this one when I was approved. I found the opening really slow going and difficult to get into to the point where I almost gave up...I appreciate that the scene for the later action needed to be set and characters introduced but it felt too drawn out. Once the story moved to the present I became fully invested and I raced through it so it's definitely worth persevering with.

4-5 stars rounded down

Thirty years ago in 1990 in an East Anglian village a party is being prepared in a barn which now looks beautiful. The 22nd December pre-Christmas bash is the 50th birthday party for Alec Salter but one person never makes it to the celebrations. This is the story of Charlotte Salter, the story of a mother of four, a lover of life and people, vibrant, colourful and much liked. Her four children wait and wonder where she’s got to as this is so out of character and as time ticks on 15 year old Etty (Elizabeth) becomes more and more concerned. Eventually she leaves the party and goes to a telephone box and dials 999. The novel is divided into three parts, Part One is 1990 and is principally told through the eyes of Etty. Part Two is set in 2022, where the story unexpectedly advances and Part Three is via the character of DI Maude O’Connor who is drafted into East Anglia from London to lead the investigation. Will Charlotte Salter ever be found? Only time will tell.

I’ve been reading the books of this dynamic writing duo for years as they rarely ever disappoint, and I do like the direction that their recent novels have taken. I think this character driven, domestic/mystery thriller is one I’ll remember because it’s written with such sympathy, compassion and understanding of the Salter siblings, whose portrayal is excellent. Right from the start the novel is also full of atmosphere with the East Anglian setting adding to this. The 1990 timeline reveals a dysfunctional household, chiefly because of the character of Alec, whose morose, angry, personality sets a terrible tone in the Salter household. The heartbreaking desperation of the siblings, especially young Etty makes you feel so sad and you empathise with their unfolding nightmare. Etty seems so alone, but what she does so well is to bring her mother to life and it’s clear that Charlotte is a much loved parent.

The writing in part one is very poignant and this contrasts so jarringly with the incompetent and misogynistic police investigation which beggars belief as they assume way too much. Part two is also tough to read as you witness how the loss of Charlotte has impacted and continued to impact on the siblings lives. Etty is a very different person now, she’s changed so dramatically because of it and it’s such a stark contrast to the Etty that you meet in part one. Part three is equally strong and that’s as much as anything down to the character of Maude who is an admirable, strong female lead. There are multiple twists especially in part three, it’s suspenseful as well as emotional and when you’ve view all three parts as a whole, the storytelling is complex and multilayered. I really like the short sharp chapters which delivers plenty of tension.

Overall, I think this is an ambitious novel and the talented pair have really pulled it off. I daresay years of writing together leads to a multitude of storytelling skills. It’s another winner for me.

A great cover too.


With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Simon and Schuster for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I enjoyed the different perspectives in this book and how the plot came together as the time went on. I liked Etty as a character, but felt as though she could have been developed more throughout the storyline. Overall I'd probably recommend reading this book and author to others.

My first read by Nicci French, and I enjoyed it. Brought in on a murder case, Maud O’Conner is soon embroiled in the thirty year mystery disappearance of wife and mother, Charlotte Salter. Unravelling inept police work, Maud determines to solve the case. Filled with complex characters, this is an enjoyable mystery. 3.75/5

This book was the first foray into the writing of Nicci French for this reviewer, and it seems that I have a lot of fantastic storytelling to catch up on! Charlotte Salter, mother of four disappeared on the night of her husband’s birthday party, never to be seen or heard from again. Shortly afterwards another death rocks the close knit group of family and friends, then 30 years later, there is a murder in the same area. Are the deaths connected, and if so, how? The family of Charlotte Salter has never stopped looking for her, but it takes the skills of detective Maud to shake things up and bring about the closure everyone has been waiting for so long. This really is a cracking story, with believable characters, a plot with plenty of twists and turns, and a completely unexpected ending. Superb storytelling altogether.

Another hit from the excellent writing duo Nicci French who's books I can't get enough of.
This read builds and builds from the events of Christmas 1990 to the present day where this story full of secrets and lies comes to a brilliant ending which took me by surprise.
All characters were interesting but my favourite was Maud O'connor a strong likable character with her own demons who I think would be suitable for a new series of books HINT HINT.
Highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster UK for the ARC.