Review: Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Genres: Mystery, Thriller

Release Date: April 17, 2018

Format: eARC

Source: Atria Books/NetGalley

Find it here: GoodReads


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? 

Back in the early-2000’s I read everything Lisa Jewell wrote. At that time she was all about romance and women’s fiction and I inhaled each and every one. Then she made a shift to mystery novels and, since that’s not usually my genre of choice, it’s now been several years since I’ve read anything from Jewell. But the synopsis of Then She Was Gone captured my attention and I was instantly wondering what happened to this girl named Ellie, who is this man her mother meets a decade later, and why does his young daughter look so much like Ellie.

Told by several narrators, we get pieces of the story doled out at the perfect pace. While a few aspects were easy to figure out, most kept me guessing until the very end. Jewell did an amazing job of gradually unraveling the threads of Ellie’s history and weaving other strands together to create Laurel’s present-day.

Then She Was Gone feels as much like a character study as a mystery. I found it interesting that despite few of the characters being particularly likable, I was still fascinated by their actions and their motivations. From Laurel, who was never warm and fuzzy to start with and became only more distant after Ellie’s disappearance, to the charming Floyd and his precocious daughter, to Laurel’s beleaguered ex-husband Paul, and her somewhat estranged other children. Jewell brought these characters to life and humanized them to an extent that I found myself genuinely invested in their lives.

We know fairly early what happened to Ellie, but it’s the how and the why and all the repercussions that provide the intrigue. As one who isn’t accustomed to the content of mystery/thrillers, there were several scenes when I was truly horrified and utterly heartsick by events that took place. Jewell used the multiple points of view and the dual time frame to craft a story that kept me completely enthralled until the very end. I highly recommend this twisty domestic drama/mystery.

4.25/5 STARS


Note: An advance reader copy was provided by Atria Books. This is no way changes my opinion of the book or the content of this review.

33 comments

  1. I have not read this author in awhile but I do have this one on my radar. Great review and I definitely will read this now.

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    1. I definitely want to go back and read Jewell’s other mysteries now. Hope you’ll enjoy it, Cyndy!

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  2. Oh it is hard sometimes to jump a genre. I'm glad you enjoyed this one :) I haven't tried her before.

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    1. What’s funny is that they few mystery/thriller books I’ve read in the last year or so I have really enjoyed - so you’d think I’d read more of them! :)

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  3. I really enjoyed this one too. I became invested as well and wanted to know what happened, how and how everyone was connected to it. Great review!

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    1. It was easy to get sucked in to this one - especially as all the little threads started to tie together.

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  4. I've never read anything by this author, but I do love a good mystery. That's intriguing that you know early on what happens to Ellie!!

    -Lauren
    www.shootingstarsmag.net

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    1. Yep, you don’t know all the details but you know the general outcome. It’s finding out the how and why that was really intriguing!

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  5. I like a mystery that keeps you guessing until the end :)

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  6. This sounds like an awesome book! Although, I'm sure it would lead to me having to sleep with the lights on.

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    1. There was nothing scary/creepy to keep me up at night, but I was definitely turning the pages fast. :)

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  7. This sounds good. I haven't tried this author, and of course now I want to know what happened and why. Great review Tanya!

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    1. Thanks Kim. I enjoyed this one enough that I want to go back and read Jewell's other mystery/dramas.

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  8. I've actually not read anything by Lisa Jewell yet even though her books always sound so good. I'm actually more into mysteries than I am into women's fiction so maybe I'll make this my first Jewell read after seeing how much you enjoyed it.

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    1. Since mysteries are more your thing anyway, you would probably really enjoy this one, Suzanne. Her last 3-4 books are also in the same vein. It's her earlier stuff that was more romance-based.

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  9. I also haven't read a Lisa Jewell book but you have inspired me to try one!
    Jen Ryland Reviews

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    1. I hope you'll enjoy it if you decide to give one a go, Jen!

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  10. Oh twisty and kept you guessing? This one sounds good! Brilly review!

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  11. I really want to know what happened to Ellie and I don't even like this type of book! lmao

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    1. Same here, Nicola! LOL This really isn't my typical kind of read but that synopsis grabbed and I just had to know what happened.

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  12. I don't read a lot of thrillers but I've been trying to find a few that work for me - this might be one for me to try.

    Karen @ For What It's Worth

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    1. Same here, Karen. Thrillers aren't my go-to but since this was Lisa Jewell I was drawn to it. And I would definitely call this more mystery/domestic drama than a true thriller. I hope you'll enjoy it if you decide to try it!

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  13. I love these kinds of stories. But you actually make me want to check out her previous books in romance. :)

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    1. I've read 11 books by Lisa Jewell and there was really only that was kind of... meh. And even that got 3 stars. Everything else has got 4 stars or more. I really love her writing!

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  14. really want to try some of her older books, what would you recommend stepping my toes into first?

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    1. The Making of Us is very good. And my absolute favorite is The Truth About Melody Browne. Loved that one. For something a bit more romance-based, Vince & Joy was very good. I hope you'll enjoy whichever you decide to try, Lily! :)

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    2. Thank you Tanya, I will make sure to look them up next time I order they sound fantastic

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  15. Oooh this sounds good! I haven't read anything by the author, but I love that this is so character focused instead of being a straight up mystery! I find that I only love a mystery when I care about the characters, and it sounds like the case here. Awesome review, glad this worked well for you!

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    1. Same here, Shannon. Straight-up mystery just leaves me kind of cold. I've gotta be invested invested in the characters, not just the plot. Which really goes for any book now that I think about it. LOL

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  16. Glad this was good! I didn't realize Lisa Jewell had been around that long, I became a fan after reading The Girls in the Garden a couple years ago. Looking forward to this one.

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    1. I remember you liking Girls in the Garden well enough. I think you'd probably enjoy this one, Greg.

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