Then She Was Gone – Lisa Jewell

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

Up until my holiday this year, I hadn’t read a book by Lisa Jewell from around 20 years. I picked a book off the shelf in my hotel and loved it and so I thought for the first Book Club, I would start with this author.

Then She Was Gone tells the story of the disappearance of Ellie Mack, a 15-year-old but it’s told in the main, by her Mum, Laurel, but later in the book, from Ellie herself as well as a few other characters.

When Ellie goes missing, Laurel’s world, naturally feels like it has ended and as there is no body, closure for Laurel and her family, seems impossible.

Laurel’s relationship with her other two children deteriorates in the wake of Ellie’s disappearance and that’s ‘feels’ understandable especially since it would appear that Ellie was Laurel’s favourite child.  I couldn’t really get on board with that; surely that happening would make you hold onto your remaining children that much more?  Perhaps that’s just me.

In time, Laurel moves on with her life and meets a new man, Floyd, who has a small daughter, the rather precocious Poppy.  Laurel is drawn to her, not least because she sees her own child Ellie in young Poppy.

It’s really hard to not give everything away and I don’t like spoilers, but the story is as intriguing as it is frustrating at times. I’m not sure I overly liked any of the characters but perhaps that’s the genius of a good author; create people who you are interested in but don’t overly like.  When I watched the TV drama Love/Hate (brilliant, if you haven’t seen it) I hated every single person in it, didn’t care if they lived or died, but it was totally because the acting was so, so good. 

There is a part, around 60% in, that I thought ‘oh get on with it’ but I stuck in there and I’m glad that I did.

This book is really good; tense, with a very clever plot.  Original and intriguing are my two final words for it; It gripped me from the start.

Did I see the twist in the tale, honestly yes, but I didn’t foresee the ending.