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The Gaia Project
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Pub Date
28 May 2026
| Archive Date
16 Jul 2026
Description
On a warm Italian evening, fourteen-year-old Gaia vanishes after walking away from a village festa. Two decades later, the mystery still shadows everyone who knew her: Frank, the distant father who never understood her; Paul, the American half-brother who had only just begun to; and Bree, who met Gaia during that long-ago holiday and found the girl’s presence unsettling in ways she has never fully faced.
Now Bree returns to Italy with her young daughter whilst grieving for her mother and hoping to reconnect with Frank and Paul. But Paul is consumed by a secretive documentary project about his sister’s disappearance, and Bree is drawn back into the tangle of desires, jealousies and omissions that shaped the summer Gaia went missing.
As past and present collide, painful truths about that night begin to surface – truths that threaten the fragile bonds Bree has rebuilt and force her to confront the consequences of what she witnessed.
On a warm Italian evening, fourteen-year-old Gaia vanishes after walking away from a village festa. Two decades later, the mystery still shadows everyone who knew her: Frank, the distant father who...
Description
On a warm Italian evening, fourteen-year-old Gaia vanishes after walking away from a village festa. Two decades later, the mystery still shadows everyone who knew her: Frank, the distant father who never understood her; Paul, the American half-brother who had only just begun to; and Bree, who met Gaia during that long-ago holiday and found the girl’s presence unsettling in ways she has never fully faced.
Now Bree returns to Italy with her young daughter whilst grieving for her mother and hoping to reconnect with Frank and Paul. But Paul is consumed by a secretive documentary project about his sister’s disappearance, and Bree is drawn back into the tangle of desires, jealousies and omissions that shaped the summer Gaia went missing.
As past and present collide, painful truths about that night begin to surface – truths that threaten the fragile bonds Bree has rebuilt and force her to confront the consequences of what she witnessed.
A Note From the Publisher
Kate Howard grew up in Hertfordshire before attending Universities in Sussex and Kent where she studied English Literature and Modernism. She spent many years travelling and living in Italy, where much of her writing is based. Her first novel The Ornatrix was published by Duckworth Press in 2016. She now lives in Brighton.
Kate Howard grew up in Hertfordshire before attending Universities in Sussex and Kent where she studied English Literature and Modernism. She spent many years travelling and living in Italy, where...
A Note From the Publisher
Kate Howard grew up in Hertfordshire before attending Universities in Sussex and Kent where she studied English Literature and Modernism. She spent many years travelling and living in Italy, where much of her writing is based. Her first novel The Ornatrix was published by Duckworth Press in 2016. She now lives in Brighton.
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Ebook |
| ISBN |
9781835745540 |
| PRICE |
£4.99 (GBP)
|
| PAGES |
300
|
Available on NetGalley
NetGalley Reader
(EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App
(EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Send to Kobo (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)
Additional Information
Available Editions
| EDITION |
Ebook |
| ISBN |
9781835745540 |
| PRICE |
£4.99 (GBP)
|
| PAGES |
300
|
Available on NetGalley
NetGalley Reader
(EPUB)
NetGalley Shelf App
(EPUB)
Send to Kindle (EPUB)
Send to Kobo (EPUB)
Download (EPUB)
Average rating from 2 members
Featured Reviews
Novera O, Reviewer
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Book Guild for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 📚 ✨ 📝
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ 4.5/5
This wasn’t your typical “girl disappears and everyone starts pointing fingers” mystery—and I mean that in the best way. The Gaia Project is a beautifully layered slow-burn that focuses just as much on grief, family, guilt, and memory as it does on solving Gaia’s disappearance. The story moves between the past and present, slowly peeling back the secrets surrounding the night fourteen-year-old Gaia vanished from an Italian village festival twenty years earlier. (Quoted from NetGalley)
The Italian setting absolutely stole the show for me. 🇮🇹✨ Kate Howard paints such vivid scenes that I felt like I was wandering through the narrow streets, sitting at the village cafés, and soaking up the summer heat alongside the characters. It gives the novel a haunting atmosphere that lingers long after you’ve finished reading.
I also appreciated that this wasn’t a mystery packed with nonstop twists every other chapter. Instead, it’s the kind of book that quietly builds tension, making every conversation and every memory feel important. The characters are flawed, realistic, and weighed down by years of regret, which made their relationships feel incredibly authentic.
The only reason this isn’t a full five stars is because the pacing can be quite slow at times. If you’re expecting an action-packed thriller with shocking reveals around every corner, this may feel a little too patient. It asks you to settle into the story and trust that everything will come together, which it eventually does.
Overall, The Gaia Project is a thoughtful, emotional mystery that proves some of the deepest secrets aren’t hidden by evidence—they’re hidden by people. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries, family dramas, and stories that slowly unravel rather than race to the finish, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a read. 🌿🖤
#TheGaiaProject #netgalley
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Caitlin U, Reviewer
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
First, thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book!
Marking for spoilers just in case.
This was a tough read for me. Ultimately I’m glad I stuck it out, the story building and setting were very well done, but it felt very slow, I didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters and I kept waiting for a twist or a big reveal that never really came. I think I was expecting something different from this book, and it wasn’t bad by any means, just not what I thought I was getting into. I think the author did a really good job of showing vs telling, and the dual timelines made things interesting!
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
Featured Reviews
Novera O, Reviewer
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Book Guild for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review 📚 ✨ 📝
⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ 4.5/5
This wasn’t your typical “girl disappears and everyone starts pointing fingers” mystery—and I mean that in the best way. The Gaia Project is a beautifully layered slow-burn that focuses just as much on grief, family, guilt, and memory as it does on solving Gaia’s disappearance. The story moves between the past and present, slowly peeling back the secrets surrounding the night fourteen-year-old Gaia vanished from an Italian village festival twenty years earlier. (Quoted from NetGalley)
The Italian setting absolutely stole the show for me. 🇮🇹✨ Kate Howard paints such vivid scenes that I felt like I was wandering through the narrow streets, sitting at the village cafés, and soaking up the summer heat alongside the characters. It gives the novel a haunting atmosphere that lingers long after you’ve finished reading.
I also appreciated that this wasn’t a mystery packed with nonstop twists every other chapter. Instead, it’s the kind of book that quietly builds tension, making every conversation and every memory feel important. The characters are flawed, realistic, and weighed down by years of regret, which made their relationships feel incredibly authentic.
The only reason this isn’t a full five stars is because the pacing can be quite slow at times. If you’re expecting an action-packed thriller with shocking reveals around every corner, this may feel a little too patient. It asks you to settle into the story and trust that everything will come together, which it eventually does.
Overall, The Gaia Project is a thoughtful, emotional mystery that proves some of the deepest secrets aren’t hidden by evidence—they’re hidden by people. If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries, family dramas, and stories that slowly unravel rather than race to the finish, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a read. 🌿🖤
#TheGaiaProject #netgalley
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
4 stars
Caitlin U, Reviewer
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
First, thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my ARC of this book!
Marking for spoilers just in case.
This was a tough read for me. Ultimately I’m glad I stuck it out, the story building and setting were very well done, but it felt very slow, I didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters and I kept waiting for a twist or a big reveal that never really came. I think I was expecting something different from this book, and it wasn’t bad by any means, just not what I thought I was getting into. I think the author did a really good job of showing vs telling, and the dual timelines made things interesting!
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
3 stars
