I was immediately drawn to this book. I had a hard time putting it down. I look forward to reading more of this authors books.

🌟 MY REVIEW; 🌟

I really enjoyed reading this book. The blurb was very enticing, & this book literally had me hooked from the very beginning. I felt it was written well; an easy read, written from first-person perspective.

The main characters; Angie, Martha, & Dan, came across as authentic & the plot itself very believable.

This book had me on the edge of my seat at a couple of points within its plot, & most definitely did at the near-end, - & with a 'reader'- satisfying ending/conclusion.

Based on a rating between 1 - 10; where 10 is the highest, I would give this book a 9-star rating, = Deffo a MUST-read

https://staceylouisewrites.blogspot.com/2025/05/while-you-were-gone-written-by-mark.html

This author writes well and there were times when I was really gripped by the tension of the story. I found the protagonist’s back story was very interesting and well developed, explaining her anxiety. The story was a bit predictable and I felt there was not enough exploration of the mental health aspects of the perpetrator to give her greater credibility and to allow the reader more understanding of why she was doing what she was doing,

Gillespie writes plot in this book that will absolutely make you not want to leave your house.
When Angie and Dan need some time away for a holiday, short notice, they hire Martha Hunt.
What can we say about Martha Hunt?
“That sick, twisted bitch. She lied to us.”
Upon returning, Angie and Dan are in for a surprise.

This book is a great book for thriller lovers. The plot flows smoothly, and is a quick read that was hard to put down, until I knew what happened next.

No spoilers here. A word of wisdom… just be careful who you invite into your home!

Angie and Dan go away on vacation and hire Martha to house sit for them while they are gone. However, when they return, their home is in complete disarray. After Martha is let go, she is out to seek revenge on Angie and Dan. But what does Martha have against them? Why is she wanting to hurt the couple? Is Martha psychopath or is it something more sinister? You MUST read this thriller! I guarantee you will not be able to turn the pages fast enough and the ending will absolutely send the reader in a tail spin. My favorite character was Martha. I love some crazy in my characters and did she ever posses that characteristic! Very great read.

Thank you Mark G and NetGalley for the eArc. I can't wait to read more by this author!

While some parts of the story felt a little predictable, While You Were Gone was an enjoyable and engaging read that held my attention right through to the end. Although I found the main character somewhat difficult to connect with, and her recurring grief a touch exaggerated at times, the novel offered a thoughtful exploration of loss and the emotional complexities that come with it. The twists added a layer of intrigue, keeping the story moving and adding unexpected turns. Many thanks to NetGalley and Inkubator for the opportunity to read this – overall, it was a solid read, and I’d be interested in checking out more of Mark Gillespie’s work in the future.

I enjoyed this book a lot! When I read fiction books, I often tend to think that some event/behavior is not logical, doesn’t sound realistic, etc, but this book felt like the main character acted believable and how someone would act in real life (resisting to go to police at first, but later doing it). There wasn’t a lot of unnecessary descriptions and fillers and I really appreciate that. It was a quick and easy book to read and it kept my attention the whole time.

I didn't finish this book I thought the characters were over the top. I always try a few times with a book, picking it back up again the next evening and so on. Not for me.

"While You Were Gone" is a novel that explores themes of loss and resilience. The story follows Angie who loses her mother as a child in tragic circumstances and how she navigates the emotional consequences through to her adult life. The portrayal of grief is powerful. I did however feel that the protagonist made ludicrously bad decisions throughout the novel to the point where her character became unrealistic.
As a result, I couldn't get behind her and this distracted me from the storytelling.

A psychological thriller that sadly left me wanting.
The characters were over the top and the storyline just to far fetched.
I am afraid i ended up skimming here and there.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Angie and Dan are thrilled about their last minute getaway to the Scottish Highlands. All they need is someone to care for their pets and home while they're gone. When warm, reliable Martha Hunt steps in, she seems like the perfect house sitter. But when the couple returns home early, their dream holiday turns into a chilling nightmare. The house is in chaos and they have no choice but to fire Martha on the spot. That should have ended it. Instead, it unleashes something far more sinister. Because Martha isn’t done with them yet and what she wants is far worse than revenge! Wow!! What a wild chilling thriller! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! It had great suspense, murder, mystery, revenge, past dark secrets, intrigue, and some shocking moments! The storyline was very interesting! I highly recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and Inkubator books for sharing this book with me!

Thank you Inkubator Books and NetGalley for an early copy of While You We’re Gone. All I can really say is that it’s fast reading but exactly what I read is very weird. Angie is a sick character, I really didn’t understand her. Dan was the nicest boyfriend or husband, I never knew. Martha was crazy but I truly think was made up in Angie’s mind. Definitely not my type of book, sorry.

While You Were Gone was an exciting, if somewhat predictable thriller. The characters definitely made some questionable decisions, but nothing that completely turned me off on the book. A nice beach read.

Well I was feeling so curious from the start of this book and I was desperate to find out what was going on. I had no idea what to expect and it was surprisingly good. I enjoyed the suspense. The pace held steady throughout!

Quite an enjoyable psychological thriller with a steady pace. A little predictable at times but worth reading. Thanks @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This is one psychological thriller that you would not want to miss out on! The pub date is on 6/15/2025 so definitely do mark your calendars! This arc from netgalley is my first book from author Mark Gillespie, and this thriller does have many twists. It is one amazing written story. Plot is really 🤯🤯🤯 so definitely don’t miss out on this book when it comes out.

I loved this book!!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
This book was not for me. The only characters I liked were the dog and the cat.
The female protagonist's mental collapse every November because her mother died years and years ago, the housesitter from hell and her nasty vengeance ... they were so OTT to me, I just couldn't finish the book.

Frankly this book isn't long enough.
I wanted so much more of unhinged Martha.
It's got huge Baby Reindeer vibes, but also a lot more sinister.
My jaw felt like dropping a few times, from early on in the book when our pair return home, to almost the last page.
A cracking fast paced read, that I really enjoyed.

Angie and Dan are going away for a break, and employ a house sitter. She bombards Angie with photos and texts. Dan suddenly takes ill, and they return home unexpectedly to find that their house is nothing like it looked like when they left.
Martha, the house sitter, is fired - what follows is frightening.

Not quite my cup of tea, this book. It is repetitive and I didn't like any of the characters at all. Predictable as well.
How was the final fire explained and investigated?
I didn't love this book, it could have been so much more.

Went into this one completely blind as it is not on Goodreads or fable and had no ratings on here yet. Overall, it was a unique cat and mouse thriller and I enjoyed it. There were definitely parts that I felt were slower or dragged on, but, overall it was a fun story that I would recommend people check out for a quick and easy read.

Thanks NetGalley & Pub Team!