Review of "Then She Was Gone: A Novel of Suspense" by Lisa Jewell

 

Ten years ago, Londoners Laurel and Paul Mack were happily married with three children, Ellie, Hanna and Jake.



Laurel loved all her children, but the youngest, 15-year-old Ellie, was her favorite. Ellie - smart, beautiful, and warm, with a handsome boyfriend and bright future - had a special bond with Laurel.



Then Ellie left for the library one day and never came home. A police search turned up no clues to Ellie's fate and Laurel's grief was unassuageable and overwhelming.



Now, a decade later, Laurel and Paul are divorced and Hanna's contact with her remaining children amounts to cleaning Hanna's apartment for £30 a pop, and phone calls with Jake - who's living with his girlfriend Blue.



A recent reenactment on 'Crimewatch' reminds the public of Ellie's disappearance, and the girl's remains are found, crushing Laurel's hopes of seeing her daughter again.

Laurel knows she has to move on and the opportunity presents itself when Laurel is having a bite to eat in a café. A nice looking divorcé named Floyd Dunn sits at the next table, strikes up a conversation, and gives Laurel his phone number.

Before long Laurel and Floyd are dating......



…..and Laurel meets Floyd's daughters, twentysomething Sarah Jade and nine-year-old Poppy. Shockingly, Poppy is almost the spitting image of school-age Ellie, with similar intelligence and exuberance, but less fashion sense.



Poppy's mother is long gone so Laurel takes the girl shopping, and catches herself choosing clothes like Ellie wore.

Soon afterwards a dinner is held to celebrate Laurel and her daughter Hanna's joint birthdays, and the guests include Laurel's ex-husband Paul and his new girlfriend Bonny; Jake and Blue; and Floyd and Poppy. (This guest list is unbelievable to me, with the ex-spouses and their new love interests.)



In any case Blue, who's a spiritual flower child, calls to tell Laurel that Floyd has a dark aura and deep secrets....but Laurel gets angry and blows it off.



As it turns out there are LOTS of secrets, revealed by a string of characters, including: Laurel; Ellie (from beyond); Poppy's mother; and Floyd. Some of the book's characters are toxic and stomach-churning, some are manipulative and dishonest, and some are mildly pleasant. There's probably no one you'd want to hang out with for any length of time.

Like any good mystery there are twists, and the astute reader is likely to guess some of them in advance. However this doesn't detract from the impact of the story.

I think fans of psychological thrillers would enjoy the book.

Rating: 3 stars