From the global #1 bestselling author of The Family Upstairs and Then She Was Gone comes The Night She Disappeared. A missing woman, an abandoned mansion, family trauma and deep buried secrets – this book has all the ingredients for another cracking Lisa Jewell domestic thriller!
It’s mid-summer 2017, in the heart of the UK countryside, when teenage mum Tallulah heads out on a date with her partner Zach, leaving her baby son at home with her mother, Kim. At 11pm she sends her mum a text message saying that they plan to stay out late with friends, something they haven’t had time or energy for since having a baby. At 4:30am Kim awakens to discover that Tallulah has not come home. Tallulah never returns, thus beginning a gripping chain of mysteries.
Friends tell Kim that Tallulah was last seen heading to a pool party at a house in the woods nearby, called Dark Place. Its hidden family secrets are central to the tense plot of The Night She Disappeared. Dark Place is an eerie gothic manor, heightening the haunted house atmosphere. It’s surrounded by deep, dark woods and there’s word of tunnels beneath the house. I was truly spooked by the mere thought of being lost there.
This novel contains multiple timelines and narrators. Budding detective novelist Sophie also plays a pivotal role in investigating the mystery. One year after Tallulah’s disappearance, walking in the woods behind the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started as a head-teacher, Sophie sees a sign nailed to a fence that says: DIG HERE. It’s safe to say that you’ll have to catch your breath once all the pieces of the puzzle start to come together.
Despite the creepy gothic setting, The Night She Disappeared is a very modern thriller, where social media hides clues, and the protagonists grapple with how far they would go to protect their loved ones, families and reputations. Prepare to be hooked. Jewell’s latest thriller is her best yet.
Leave a Reply