Then She Was Gone
A Novel
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4.3 • 5.7K Ratings
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
From the New York Times bestselling author of Invisible Girl and None of This Is True comes a “riveting” (PopSugar) and “acutely observed family drama” (People) that delves into the lingering aftermath of a young girl’s disappearance.
Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. Beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers, and half of a teenaged golden couple. Ellie 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?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
How do you regain normality after your daughter vanishes without a trace? Prolific British mystery writer Lisa Jewell pulls us into the story as anguished mom Laurel Mack confronts the possibility of a new beginning. Every bit as gripping as Jewell’s earlier thrillers, Then She Was Gone keeps us on our toes as we wade into a web of intense relationships and dark secrets. And just when we thought we had it figured out, Jewell adds a twist that touches on our deepest fears.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
More than a whiff of The Lovely Bones wafts through this haunting domestic noir from bestseller Jewell (I Found You). The disappearance of beautiful, brainy 15-year-old Ellie Mack in May 2005 from her north London neighborhood takes a terrible toll on her parents and siblings, even a decade later. Most profoundly affected is her now-divorced mother, Laurel. After a shocking development in the cold case jolts Laurel from her lonely limbo, Laurel stuns herself by agreeing to dinner with a man she meets in a caf , genial author Floyd Dunn, and quickly falls into a relationship with him and the younger of his daughters, precocious nine-year-old Poppy who reminds Laurel eerily in so many ways of Ellie. But then unsettling coincidences start to emerge, most notably Laurel's discovery that Floyd's former partner, Noelle Donnelly, who he claims vanished five years earlier after dumping Poppy with him, was Ellie's math tutor. Skillfully told by several narrators (some of them ghostly), Jewell's gripping novel transcends its plot improbabilities to connect with an emotionally resonant story of loss, grief, and renewal.
Customer Reviews
Thrilling!
I loved the thrill of this book and kept me engaged! The ending was surprising!
Wonderful!
Beautiful, heartbreaking and brilliant. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat while also fulfilling your emotional needs.
Wow! Phenomenal!
This book was amazing! This is my first time reading Lisa Jewell’s work and she is an excellent writer to say the least.
About 40 percent of the book is dedicated to establishing the intricate back story. The pacing is just right and it’s all essential to understand the main character, Laurel Mack.
And when you think you’ve figured the whole thing out, you haven’t. A true masterclass on storytelling that will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, especially so if you’re a parent. I recommend this book to anyone looking for a mystery thriller that’s hard to put down.
Great job Lisa Jewell, and thank you for this story!