Then She Was Gone: A Novel by Lisa Jewell - Paperback
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Then She Was Gone: A NovelPaperback

by

Lisa Jewell

(Author)

4.5

-

107,505 ratings


#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?

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ISBN-10

1501154656

ISBN-13

978-1501154652

Print length

384 pages

Language

English

Publisher

Atria Books

Publication date

November 05, 2018

Dimensions

5.31 x 1 x 8.25 inches

Item weight

2.31 pounds


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Product details

ASIN :

B074MDD3H6

File size :

4660 KB

Text-to-speech :

Enabled

Screen reader :

Supported

Enhanced typesetting :

Enabled

X-Ray :

Enabled

Word wise :

Enabled


Editorial reviews

Praise for Then She Was Gone:

“Then She Was Gone is a riveting thriller.” (PopSugar)

“Jewell teases out her twisty plot at just the right pace, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. There will surely be comparisons to novels such as Emma Donoghue’s Room (2010) as well as all of the “Girl” thrillers, but Jewell’s latest really isn’t at all derivative. Her multilayered characters are sheer perfection, and even the most astute thriller reader won’t see where everything is going until the final threads are unknotted. Those few who do guess early won’t mind, as the pace and prose will keep them hooked.” (Booklist (starred review))

“Jewell gets more riveting and twisty with every book she writes. Completely absorbing, fast-paced, well-written and with a shocking ending that will keep readers guessing, Then She Was Gone is a nearly pitch-perfect thriller. Fans of Gillian Flynn, Paula Hawkins and Ruth Ware are sure to adore this haunting novel.” (Shelf Awareness)

“More than a whiff of The Lovely Bones wafts through this haunting domestic noir from bestseller Jewell…Skillfully told by several narrators, Jewell’s gripping novel is an emotionally resonant story of loss, grief, and renewal.” (Publishers Weekly)

"For thriller readers, Jewell's latest will not disappoint. Sharply written with twists and turns, it will please fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, or Luckiest Girl Alive." (Library Journal)

“In addition to being a complex and genuinely suspenseful narrative, Then She Was Gone is a rich study of the ways in which people respond to grief and how past trauma can continue to shape their decision-making and relationships years or decades later. Readers will be truly affected by Ellie’s real story once it’s revealed—and they’ll be satisfied by the hopeful yet bittersweet ending. Jewell demonstrates once again that she has what it takes to genuinely shock, surprise and move her readers.” (Book Reporter)

"What begins as a story about the mother of a missing girl starting a new relationship as she comes terms with her grief morphs into a gripping, disturbing and utterly fascinating tale about what really happened to young Ellie Mack. I've been a Lisa Jewell fan for a long time and in this book, as in all her others, she deftly weaves a compelling plot with an emotional depth that leaves you gasping. In Then She Was Gone she has created a book that is dark and claustrophobic but also heartfelt and moving. Then She Was Gone packs a huge emotional punch that will leave you winded. I loved it." (C.L. Taylor, bestselling author )

"If you were the first of your friends to read Girl On The Train, and have read Gone Girl more times than you can remember, then here is your summer read. A thriller about a 15-year-old girl who has vanished and a mother who won’t give up hope. A perfect Pimm’s companion." (The Sun (UK))

"Smart and engrossing." (Sunday Mirror (UK))

"A dark, compulsive psychological thriller, yet one which is also uplifting and tender. I absolutely loved Then She Was Gone." (Rachel Rhys, author of Dangerous Crossing)

"Jewell has departed from chick lit and gone full tilt into a psycho thriller, but she’s lost none of her brilliance… Deeply emotional and incredibly clever. Bravo." (Mail Online)

Praise for I Found You:

“Lisa Jewell is a brilliant storyteller, creating suspenseful yet believable novels time and again. I Found You is no exception—filled with intriguing characters connected in startling ways. Quickly paced yet delicately nuanced, this novel is sure to appeal to fans of Big Little Lies and The Woman in Cabin 10.” (Shelf Awareness (starred review))

"Jewell is a wonderful storyteller. Her characters are believable, her writing is strong and poetic, and her narrative is infused with just enough intrigue to keep the pages turning. Readers of Liane Moriarty, Paula Hawkins, and Ruth Ware will love." (Library Journal (starred review))

“How [the] plots intersect and finally collide is one of the great thrills of reading Jewell’s book. She ratchets up the tension masterfully, and her writing is lively.” (New York Times Book Review)

"Jewell keeps the reader guessing." (New York Post, Required Reading column)

“The structure keeps the suspense level high, and Jewell manages surprising revelations all the way up to the ending. The mix of women’s fiction and suspense—plus a no-nonsense 40-something heroine at the heart of the story—makes this a good fit for fans of Liane Moriarty.” (Booklist)

“Riveting…numerous twists avoid predictability, and the novel is well-paced as it weaves three narratives together. Dark and moody, this is a mystery with substance.” (Kirkus Reviews)

"One word: wow! This latest offering from Jewell starts off strong and keeps readers riveted until the very last word…this book is ‘unreliable narrator’ at its best!" (RT Book Reviews)

“Jewell is a genuinely original and skilled novelist with an impressive flair for deftly crafted narratives and surprising plot development.” (Midwest Book Review)

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Sample

Prologue PROLOGUE

Those months, the months before she disappeared, were the best months. Really. Just the best. Every moment presented itself to her like a gift and said, Here I am, another perfect moment, just look at me, can you believe how lovely I am? Every morning was a flurry of mascara and butterflies, quickening pulse as she neared the school gates, blooming joy as her eyes found him. School was no longer a cage; it was the bustling, spotlit film set for her love story.

Ellie Mack could not believe that Theo Goodman had wanted to go out with her. Theo Goodman was the best-looking boy in year eleven, bar none. He’d also been the best-looking boy in year ten, year nine, and year eight. Not year seven though. None of the boys in year seven were good-looking. They were all tiny, bug-eyed babies in huge shoes and oversized blazers.

Theo Goodman had never had a girlfriend and everyone thought maybe he was gay. He was kind of pretty, for a boy, and very thin. And just, basically, really, really nice. Ellie had dreamed about being with him for years, whether he was gay or not. She would have been happy just to have been his friend. His young, pretty mum walked to school with him every day. She wore gym gear and had her hair in a ponytail and usually had a small white dog with her that Theo would pick up and kiss on the cheek before placing it gently back down on the pavement; then he would kiss his mum and saunter through the gates. He didn’t care who saw. He wasn’t embarrassed by the powder-puff dog or his mum. He was self-assured.

Then one day last year, just after the summer holiday, he had struck up a conversation with her. Just like that. During lunch, something to do with some homework assignment or other, and Ellie, who really knew nothing much about anything, knew immediately that he wasn’t gay and that he was talking to her because he liked her. It was totally obvious. And then, just like that, they were boyfriend and girlfriend. She’d thought it would be more complicated.

But one wrong move, one tiny kink in the time line, it was all over. Not just their love story, but all of it. Youth. Life. Ellie Mack. All gone. All gone forever. If she could rewind the timeline, untwist it and roll it back the other way like a ball of wool, she’d see the knots in the yarn, the warning signs. Looking at it backward it was obvious all along. But back then, when she knew nothing about anything, she had not seen it coming. She had walked straight into it with her eyes open.

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About the authors

Lisa Jewell

Lisa Jewell

LISA JEWELL was born in London in 1968.

Her first novel, Ralph's Party, was the best- selling debut novel of 1999. Since then she has written another twenty novels, most recently a number of dark psychological thrillers, including The Girls, Then She Was Gone, The Family Upstairs, The Family Remains and The Night She Disappeared, all of which were Richard & Judy Book Club picks.

Lisa is a New York Times and Sunday Times number one bestselling author who has been published worldwide in over thirty languages. She lives in north London with her husband and two daughters.

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Reviews

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

107,505 global ratings

Tarren

Tarren

5

wow

Reviewed in the United States on May 27, 2024

Verified Purchase

Unbelievably amazing and the end…beautiful. The ending captured my whole being. Wow. Well written and very well executed. Worth more than 5 stars.

7 people found this helpful

Joseph J. Truncale

Joseph J. Truncale

5

An interesting but also somewhat disturbing novel you may want to check out.

Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2024

Verified Purchase

As someone who loves all kinds of books from the many fascinating sciences to the often strange esoteric. I also like unusual thrillers that force you to turn the page to hurry and find out what happens next. While browsing on Amazon I came across this unusual and interesting 384-page soft cover book (Then she was gone by Lisa Jewell) book. This story takes place in Great Britain, but it could have been anywhere.

I admit to finding this to be a page turning compelling read that was difficult to put down once I started the book. As someone with a law enforcement (many years ago) background I immediately suspected the person who is mentioned early in this thriller; however, I also found this book disturbing for reasons I am not going to reveal in this review. You will find out soon enough if you read this book.

Unlike some reviewers who seem to enjoy giving too much information, which in my opinion may spoil it for those who are thinking of reading the book, I will just say, that if you like mysteries with an unusual theme with some strange and sometimes disturbing results, you may want to read this book. This is also a book about family who must deal with various issues.

Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Use of the Monadnock Straight Baton).

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Beth

Beth

5

Gasped on the Plane

Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2024

Verified Purchase

I have been looking for a book like this and I'm so happy I found it. I've been looking for my next summer read that isn't a Colleen Hoover book and I've already purchased another from this author. The perfect, page-turning thriller and I even gasped aloud on a plane while reading the ultimate twist.

5 people found this helpful

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