Then She Was Gone

Then She Was Gone – Lisa Jewell

Ellie Mack was fifteen, the golden girl of her family: clever, beautiful and about to sit her exams, with her whole life ahead of her. Then one day she left home to go to the library and never came back. Ten years later, her mother, Laurel, is still struggling to come to terms with her disappearance. Her marriage has fallen apart, her relationships with her other children are strained, and she lives a lonely, carefully controlled life.

Then She Was Gone, by Lisa Jewell, begins when Laurel meets a charming man named Floyd in a café, and for the first time in years she allows herself to feel hopeful. Floyd is warm and attentive, and soon Laurel meets his nine-year-old daughter, Poppy. But Laurel is unsettled: Poppy looks remarkably like Ellie at that age. As Laurel grows closer to Floyd and Poppy, she begins to suspect that their connection to her family may be more than coincidence.

Meanwhile, the remains of Ellie are finally discovered, raising new questions about what happened to her. The novel moves between perspectives and timelines, including Ellie’s own experience, and gradually reveals the shocking truth about her disappearance and the people involved.

Jewell builds suspense steadily while exploring grief, family, obsession and the lasting impact of loss, with complex characters and dark psychological twists.

Then She Was Gone is a compelling read for fans of psychological suspense and domestic thrillers. It contains abduction, captivity, violence and disturbing themes that some readers may find upsetting.