Title: Then She Was Gone
Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Rating: * * * * *
Publishers: Thorndike Press Large Print
(May 2, 2018)
Hardback: 531 pages
ISBN: 978-1432850661
FTC Disclosure: Public library
Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic post-exams summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her.
And then she was gone.
Now, her mother Laurel Mack is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.
Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie. And now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to put to rest begin to haunt Laurel anew. Where did Ellie go? Did she really run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?
Ahhh, a very satisfying read!!!
Although I thought I had figured out part of this mystery, I was pleased that the author threw in enough curves to keep me guessing but still stay true to the story. It was at times horrifying and totally had me wiping tears from my face while still offering a look at the resilience of the human soul.
All of the characters were well flushed out and even the minor ones were believable. The villains were evil but humanized by the events in their lives. In general, I don't like a story told from multiple viewpoints but it absolutely worked in this instance.
As a parent, I can't imagine the unbelievable horror of having a child disappear without knowing what has happened but I'm not sure if Laurel had known the intimate details of Ellie's disappearance if it could have been any less horrifying. While there is a satisfying ending to the story, the trip is full of bumps and turns that makes it impossible to slow down or take a break until the end is reached.
Lisa Jewell is the internationally bestselling author of eighteen novels, including the New York Times bestseller Then She Was Gone, as well as I Found You, The Girls in the Garden, and The House We Grew Up In. In total, her novels have sold more than two million copies across the English-speaking world and her work has also been translated into sixteen languages so far. Lisa lives in London with her husband and their two daughters. Connect with her on Twitter @LisaJewellUK and on Facebook @LisaJewellOfficial.
Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic post-exams summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her.
And then she was gone.
Now, her mother Laurel Mack is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.
Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie. And now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to put to rest begin to haunt Laurel anew. Where did Ellie go? Did she really run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?
Ahhh, a very satisfying read!!!
Although I thought I had figured out part of this mystery, I was pleased that the author threw in enough curves to keep me guessing but still stay true to the story. It was at times horrifying and totally had me wiping tears from my face while still offering a look at the resilience of the human soul.
All of the characters were well flushed out and even the minor ones were believable. The villains were evil but humanized by the events in their lives. In general, I don't like a story told from multiple viewpoints but it absolutely worked in this instance.
As a parent, I can't imagine the unbelievable horror of having a child disappear without knowing what has happened but I'm not sure if Laurel had known the intimate details of Ellie's disappearance if it could have been any less horrifying. While there is a satisfying ending to the story, the trip is full of bumps and turns that makes it impossible to slow down or take a break until the end is reached.
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