Then She Was Gone: A Novel [B0850]

2018 PB. From the bestselling author of Invisible Girl and The Truth About Melody Browne 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?

From the many recent GoodReads & Amazon reviews: "The first novel I've read by Lisa Jewell and I found it enormously gripping. It made me incredibly sad, as it was meant to, and it was not a book that was easy to read. It was emotionally taxing. It was twisted and evil, and yet utterly captivating in ways that are difficult to describe. I am more than happy to rate this book all five stars and will definitely read more from this author-although I do believe I'll need some time for this novel to settle before I am able to jump into another written by this talented author."; "Love Lisa Jewell and this book did not disappoint."; "Lisa Jewell is such an amazing author and this book has so many twists and turns. I love how it's told from many different POVs and jumps around from then to now. Definitely a good one!"