The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell

The Night She Disappeared

by Lisa Jewell

A cold case. An abandoned mansion. A family hiding a terrible secret. Prepare to be hooked . . .

'By far her best thriller yet.' Harlan Coben
'Insane suspense. I loved it.' Lee Child
'A gothic, multi-layered tale, deeply satisfying. We both loved it.' Richard & Judy Book Club pick
'UNBELIEVABLY good. I was utterly utterly agog.' Marian Keyes
'No one thickens a plot like Lisa Jewell. I couldn't put this book down ... It's SO GOOD!' Shari Lapena
'Compelling, deep, surprising, tense, modern.' Gillian McAllister
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Midsummer 2017: teenage mum Tallulah heads out on a date, leaving her baby son at home with her mother, Kim.

At 11 p.m. she sends her mum a text message. At 4.30 a.m. Kim awakens to discover that Tallulah has not come home.

Friends tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a pool party at a house in the woods nearby called Dark Place.

Tallulah never returns.

2018: 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.

A sign that says: DIG HERE . . .
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Readers can't get enough of The Night She Disappeared . . .

***** 'Strong emotive storytelling at its best.'
***** 'Who is Lisa Jewell and where has she been all my life? I would rank “Disappeared” as the best suspense/thriller novel I’ve read this year.'
***** 'This book will suck you in, chew you up and leave you feeling exhausted….but in the most delicious tormented way possible.'
***** 'An absolutely heart gripping and page turning story, I couldn't seem to put it down.'
***** 'Addictive from start to finish!'
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* More love for The Night She Disappeared *

'Masterly. Gripping from start to finish.' Joanne Harris
'This is Lisa's best book yet, and she always sets that bar high! I couldn't put it down.' Adele Parks
'A head-scratching, heart-racing, page-turning triumph.' Louise Candlish
'I loved this one so much - clever, slick and so intriguing. Lots of emotion and I love how all the sub-plots come together.' Mel Sherratt
'Another first-class mystery . . . Totally enthralling.' Harriet Tyce
'I predict another number one.' Erin Kelly
'I was superglued to the pages.' Mark Edwards
'Totally absorbing. I felt as though I'd slipped into the book and lived there for a few days, heart pounding. So so so amazing!' Katherine Heiny
'Intriguing and wonderfully dark' The Sun
'Good-natured, creepy and tense all at once.' Sarah Perry
'Nail-biting. Left me reeling.' Jane Corry
'A compelling psychological thriller full of twists and turns... ideal for fans of Ruth Rendell and Lianne Moriarty' YOURS book club

Lisa Jewell's books have sold over 5 million copies across all formats [Nielsen Bookscan, May 2024]
Lisa Jewell, Number One Sunday Times bestseller, March 2024

Reviewed by Quirky Cat on

4 of 5 stars

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The Night She Disappeared is the latest novel to come from the mind of Lisa Jewell, one of my favorite thriller/mystery authors out there. Naturally, I just had to make some time to read this beauty!

Two years ago, a young woman by the name of Tallulah went missing. She left behind her baby and her mother, neither of whom had any idea where she could have gone. Just that she was supposed to be out for a date but home soon enough.

She never came home. Now, in the present day, her missing person's case has been opened back up, but not for the reasons her family would have ever hoped for. Not when it all starts with a note that reads:

“DIG HERE”

Consider picking up The Night She Disappeared if you're looking for a slow-burning and emotionally fraught thriller to read. Once again, Lisa Jewell has managed to wrap up many complex emotions into a suspenseful situation, leaving readers wondering what will happen next.

Jewell took advantage of a classic writing approach to help keep the suspense up in the air. The Night She Disappeared unfolds through two perspectives, set in two points of time. One from Tallulah's perspective – telling the story from before she went missing. The other from her mother's perspective, two years after that moment.

Overall, I really enjoyed her latest novel. I won't say that it's my favorite (that honor goes to The Invisible Girl), but it is still a solid and fascinating read. One that isn't afraid to hit readers where it hurts.

Thanks to Atria Books and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 30 August, 2021: Finished reading
  • 30 August, 2021: Reviewed