Then She Was Gone

"An acutely observed family drama with bone-chilling suspense." People

"Jewell teases out her twisty plot at just the right pace, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. 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." Booklist (Starred Review) 

"Sharply written with twists and turns, Jewell's latest will please fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, or Luckiest Girl Alive." Library Journal

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?

"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

"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

"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

Lisa Jewell is the internationally bestselling author of eighteen novels, including the New York Times bestseller Then She Was Gone, as well as I Found You, The Girls in the Garden, and The House We Grew Up In. In total, her novels have sold more than two million copies across the English-speaking world and her work has also been translated into sixteen languages so far. Lisa lives in London with her husband and their two daughters. Connect with her on Twitter @LisaJewellUK and on Facebook @LisaJewellOfficial.