Book Review: The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Addictive, intense and suspenseful! These are just a few of the words that spring to mind when I think of Lisa Jewell's thriller The Night She Disappeared. Being a huge fan of romance fiction, this is a genre that I have only dabbled with a couple of times, but since reading this one I have been truly converted. For those who are more familiar with a good old thriller, Jewell’s text has it all: exciting plot twists, slow-burn mystery and an immersive writing style. The text overlaps three different timelines, told from multiple points of view and even though at times the different narratives left me stumbled, the pieces of the puzzle very quickly slide themselves together. Yet, what I never seemed to anticipate when reading this text was how often Jewell had me second guessing myself. Just when I thought that I had cracked the case, something new would spring up completely out of the blue and the mystery would unravel again! This was one of the first Lisa Jewell books that I have read and it definitely will not be my last. A book that is bursting at the seams with anticipation, it will have you hooked from the very first pages.

About The Book:

The Night She Disappeared is about the disappearance of teenage mum Tallulah and partner Zach, who both vanish into the dark of the night after being out with a group of college friends. When the couple do not return the next morning Tallulah's mum, Kim, instantly knows that something is not right - Tallulah would never abandon her baby! With friends revealing that there was nothing out of the ordinary about that night and speculations reaching a dead end, the case is left cold but hope for Tallulah and Zach’s return never fades...

Fast forward a year later, we meet characters Sophie and Sean. Sophie is an author of a detective series and her boyfriend Sean is the new headteacher at a local college. One afternoon, walking in the woods, Sophie discovers a sign nailed to a fence that says 'DIG HERE’. Discovering that this sign brings the couple's mysterious disappearance back into the spotlight, the case is reopened. There is a secret amongst this town and Sophie is determined to figure out the truth.