Then She Was Gone

Author: Lisa Jewell
Genre: Thriller, Popcorn Thriller
356 pages
Publisher: originally published in Great Britain by Century, 2017

Synopsis
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell is a compelling thriller that follows the story of a mother, Laurel Mack, as she tries to unravel the mystery of her missing daughter, Ellie.

The novel begins ten years after Ellie’s disappearance, with Laurel still struggling to come to terms with the loss. She is haunted by unanswered questions and the lack of closure surrounding Ellie’s disappearance, which has torn her family apart.

When Laurel meets a charming man named Floyd and begins a relationship with him, she is introduced to his young daughter, Poppy, who bears a striking resemblance to Ellie. As Laurel becomes more involved in Floyd’s life, she starts to uncover disturbing truths about Ellie’s disappearance and the events leading up to it.

Through a series of flashbacks, the reader learns about Ellie’s life leading up to her disappearance, including her relationships with her family and friends. As Laurel delves deeper into the past, she discovers shocking secrets that shed new light on what happened to Ellie.

The novel explores themes of loss, grief, and the lengths a mother will go to in order to uncover the truth about her missing child. It is a gripping and emotional story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the very end.

My review
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell is a haunting and emotionally charged thriller that left me completely captivated from beginning to end. The novel’s gripping narrative, complex characters, and shocking twists kept me on the edge of my seat, unable to put it down until I had unraveled every last mystery.

One of the aspects of the book that struck me the most was Jewell’s ability to create such vivid and realistic characters. From Laurel, the grieving mother trying to rebuild her life after the disappearance of her daughter, Ellie, to Floyd, the charming and enigmatic man who enters her life, each character is incredibly well-developed and felt like a real person with their own hopes, fears, and motivations.

The plot of Then She Was Gone is equally compelling, with its intricate layers of mystery and suspense. The story alternates between the past and the present, slowly revealing the events leading up to Ellie’s disappearance and the devastating impact it had on her family. Jewell skillfully weaves together these two timelines, building tension and suspense with each chapter.

As the truth about Ellie’s disappearance begins to emerge, the novel takes some unexpected twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. The resolution of the mystery was both heartbreaking and satisfying, tying together all the loose ends in a way that felt organic and true to the story.

Beyond the thrilling plot and well-drawn characters, Then She Was Gone is a story that tugs at the heartstrings and leaves a lasting impression.

In conclusion, Then She Was Gone is a skillfully crafted thriller and is one of my favorite novels by Jewell. I’m rarely surprised by twists in popcorn thrillers, but this one took unexpected turns at several points during the story and I was completely engaged until the end.

My recommendation: read it!