| Title | : | The Night She Disappeared |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1982137363 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781982137366 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 416 |
| Publication | : | First published July 22, 2021 |
| Awards | : | Goodreads Choice Award Mystery & Thriller (2021) |
Kim watches her daughter leave and, as late evening turns into night, which turns into early morning, she waits for her return. And waits.
The next morning, Kim phones Tallulah's friends who tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a party at a house in the nearby woods called Dark Place.
She never returns.
2019: Sophie is walking in the woods near the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started work as a head-teacher when she sees a note fixed to a tree.
'DIG HERE' . . .
A cold case, an abandoned mansion, family trauma and dark secrets lie at the heart of Lisa Jewell's remarkable new novel.
The Night She Disappeared Reviews
-
At this point I have read six Lisa Jewell books, but this one is my favourite. I found it absolutely riveting and impossible to put down.
The Night She Disappeared is an excellent thriller, steeped in mystery and drama, with a strong emotionally-compelling mother/daughter love story at its core. Jewell's best books are the ones that make you fall hard for the characters so you can't do anything else until you've found out what happened to them.
This one begins with the plot of countless other mystery/thrillers: a daughter goes missing, leaving behind a distraught mother who will do anything to find her. The difference here is in the vivid characters, in how Kim and Tallulah come to life on the page. When teen mother Tallulah goes missing, the police assume she's made a break for it, cast off responsibility for her baby and ran away with her boyfriend. But Kim knows her daughter. She knows that despite her youth, despite how hard it is to be a young mother, Tallulah would never abandon her baby.
Kim's sense of loss is palpable and the mystery behind the disappearance is unbelievably compelling. As the pages go by, more questions arise, and other characters get pulled into the story, each, it seems, hiding a piece of the puzzle.
The story alternates between the present where Kim tries to find out what happened to her daughter, and the past from Tallulah's perspective as she moves toward that fateful night. As the novel reaches its climax, the chapters get shorter in a frantic race between the two-- Kim discovering the truth, and Tallulah living it.
Strong emotive storytelling at its best. -
The Night She Disappeared starts off as a slow burn with a chilling atmosphere and multiple points of view, which soon all converge into a gripping and unputdownable story.
Young parents Tallulah and Zach are thrilled to have the chance to enjoy a rare night out on the town. But when the couple still hasn't returned by the next morning, Tallulah's mother Kim is rightfully worried. But with no clues, the cases goes cold, and a year goes by. When Sophie, a mystery writer, moves in nearby, and clues start to surface, it seems like Kim will finally get the answers she's been searching for.
This story starts slowly, partly because of the three points of view which take place across different timelines. I generally don't prefer more than two in one story, so it speaks to Jewell's ability as an author to keep me engaged. She keeps the chapters short and they always end on a tantalizing point, so I feel compelled to read just a little bit more.
One of the hallmarks of Lisa Jewell is her characters. They always seem solid and fully-fleshed out, which automatically makes the story feel more real. There's plenty of time taken to get to know and understand them. As a result, I end up caring for them and becoming emotionally invested in the story.
Then, once everything starts to come together and we get hit with twist after twist, I just can't look away. I read a lot of books in this genre, so it's pretty hard to surprise me. And the way the twists are laid out, you do see them coming from a few chapters before. But there was one twist in there that got me good, and it was a delightful surprise.
Reading Lisa Jewell always feels like a treat. She takes a fairly well-trodden genre and adds a depth of character and storytelling that takes it to another level. Throw in her fun twists and turns, and I'm riveted every time.
My heartfelt thanks for the copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
See also, my thoughts on:
Watching You
Then She Was Gone
The Family Upstairs
I Found You
~~~~~~~~~~~~ -
The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Multiple points of view and three timelines, that are presented to us throughout the story, make for an interesting and confusing "who done what" mystery. The story revolves around the disappearance of nineteen year old Tallulah and her nineteen year old live-in boyfriend. They have a one year old baby and there is no way "Lula" would abandon her baby so her mother knows that Tallulah is missing due to foul play. As the story progresses from one timeline and POV to the next, we see that all is not as it seems and one or more people know a whole lot more than they are telling.
At the same time that I really liked the way the story was presented, because it racked up the tension and the mystery, the impatient side of me wished we could have the story in chronological order. But I'm sure getting the story in the order that it happened would have ruined the suspense. It was hard to figure out what had happened to Tallulah and occasionally I'd wonder if she was at fault for her disappearance and then I'd feel bad for thinking such a thing. Tallulah's relationship with new friend Scarlett, rich, entitled, spoiled, and selfish, can't be a good thing, can it?
The 2017 timeline allows us to see stressed out Tallulah trying to juggle a baby, a college workload, and a very controlling boyfriend that she would like to distance herself from. The 2019 timeline shows us Sophie, a writer of a fictional cozy detective series. Having just moved to the same town from which Tallulah disappeared, Sophia is immediately thrown into the midst of the cold case when she sees a cardboard sign on a tree near her new backyard. The sign says "Dig Here" and what Sophie finds opens up Tallulah's missing person case again.
It's best to go into the story knowing no more than possible so I'll say no more. The mystery was intriguing for me and I was torn between all the possibilities of what could have happened to both Tallulah and Zach. All the while, Tallulah's mother, Kim, is at their home, heart broken because she knows her daughter's body is somewhere, and having to take care of a 'terrible twos' grandbaby that she loves dearly but that is trying her patience. All the parts come together in a very satisfactory way for me and now I'm on the look out for the next Lisa Jewell novel.
Pub September 7, 2021
Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC. -
I’m singing happy book birthday song to this heart throbbing thriller and I’m so happy you cannot hear my voice ( I don’t like to be sued for causing to ear bleeding!) 😃
My brain cells are out of order to put the story in a chronological order and absorb the entire mystery!
Lisa Jewels already guaranteed her place at my top 5 favorite thriller authors list a long time ago.
This smart, mysterious missing people story is like an enigma: she divided it into puzzle pieces and told the story between three time lines and you gotta gather all those pieces together to solve how 19 years old teen mom Tallulah and her boyfriend Zach go missing after they attend a house party at a mansion located Dark Place/ Upley Fold.
Kim Knox, 39 years old, single, who is the mother of Tallulah, cannot believe she could run away by leaving her little baby Noah behind. And her story intercepts with 34 years old thriller author Sophie, who recently moved to Maypole House with her elder boyfriend Shaun who is assigned to teach in private boarding school. She finds a piece of cardboard at the garden of their new house. A piece of cardboard, flap torn from a box, scrawled on it in marker and with an arrow pointing down to the earth, are the words: “Dig in”! And guess what she finds when she digs!
As I told before, there are three time lines to piece the entire story together and solve the mystery:
Chronologically the first time line is 2016:
Tallulah’s life before her missing- her school activities-her struggles to learn how to be a teen mom-her second thoughts about getting together with her boyfriend Zach who is also their baby Noah’s father- her secret friendship with Scarlet who is rich, magnetic, having her own circle of popular friends.
Second time line is 2017: the time Tallullah and Zach’s date night which ends at pool party and nobody heard from them at the exact night. We see Kim’s efforts to find both of them, conducting her own search, a few steps ahead from police officers. As she digs more she realizes there are so many things she doesn’t know about her daughter’s life.
Third time line: Sophie and boyfriend Shaun’s moving to Maypole House. Sophie starts digging her garden and finds something connected with the case of missing young adults. She is already intrigued by their matron Kerryanne’s implications about how the town got affected by the missing people’s case. She connects with Kim and finds herself help her to dig out more to find what happened to Tallulah and Zach.
Overall: Kim is my favorite character who is easily relatable one of the story. The complex, smart storytelling was remarkable as always.
This is not my favorite work of the author and in the middle of the story I may have lost my interest a little bit but the conclusion and epilogue were well wrapped up. It was still shocking, sad, powerful.
So I’m rounding up my 3.5 stars to 4 motherhood, lies, secrets, there’s something dangerous in the woods stars! Actually I couldn’t give less than 4 stars to one of the most brilliant authors’ work, even if I could. I’m looking forward to read her next book!
Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions. -
Not My Favorite Lisa Jewell
The Night She Disappeared is a thriller about a young 19-year-old mother and her boyfriend who go missing on date night.
Zach and Tallulah are young parents living with Tallulah’s mother Kim, their baby Noah, and Ryan, Tallulah’s brother. On the night that Zach is planning to propose, Kim agrees to babysit. But when Tallulah and Zach never return from dinner, Kim’s life is decimated. She spends the next year and a half looking for answers about her missing daughter and almost son-in-law.
Flash forward and meet Sophie, a cosy mystery novelist who recently moved from London to the countryside with her boyfriend, who has been hired as headteacher at an elite school. While exploring, Sophie digs up a clue that holds the answers to Tallulah and Zach’s disappearance.
The timeline switches from the past to the present, and perspectives alternate between Kim, Sophie, and Talulah.
The beginning of this book pulled me in, and I could not put it down. But then it gets repetitive, and the tension lapses. The middle was just blah, and I couldn’t wait to get to the end to finally find out what really happened to Zach and Tallulah. The ending was satisfying, but at the same time, a little over-the-top and unbelievable.
As always, Lisa Jewell has a knack for writing likable characters; however, in this book, she has created Scarlett, one of the most dislikable characters I have encountered in a long time! Thankfully, Kim, Tallulah, and Sophie are all easy to root for.
Similar to her other books, The Night She Disappeard is easy to read, but it is lacking the tension and suspense that I have to come to expect from Lisa Jewell. It’s in no way bad, but it is not one I will remember. -
Are you a ballerina? Well you better be, because Lisa Jewell’s latest will keep you on your toes.
Is it 2017? Or 2019? Are we following Sophie’s perspective, or Scarlett’s? Or Kim’s or Tallulah’s or Zach’s? Hop, hop, hop. Is this 2021’s The Night She Disappeared, or 2017’s Then She Was Gone? Or maybe 2020’s The Invisible Girl? Ack!
Honestly, Lisa Jewell has lost so many girls in her thrillers it’s a miracle she still can find any to write about. In this case, teen mum Tallulah has gone missing along with her baby daddy in 2017. Flash forward to 2019 when her own mum, Kim, aligns with a cozy mystery writer to try to solve the seemingly unsolvable case.
As with every novel by this author, I got completely sucked into the mystery and finished it within 24 hours. I also know I won’t be able to distinguish this one from her others by next week, but that’s okay! Sometimes a reliable page-turner suits me just fine, even if toe shoes are required to keep the time and perspective jumps straight.
3.5 stars rounded up
Blog:
https://www.confettibookshelf.com/ -
***HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY***
This is a slow burn of a mystery that left me wanting more. Ms. Jewell’s writing is always good, the story flows well from dual timelines. The premise of the story was a good one. The idea of a mother and her boyfriend who disappear, leaving behind her baby in the care of her mother, never to return from a night out. I didn’t find it riveting as others have, I did turn the pages because I wanted to “get to the good stuff”, I was waiting for something amazing to happen. There are lots of red herrings which led me to figure out the big reveal. There was, however, another twist that I didn’t see coming.
One POV’s is from 2017, the night that Tallulah, a 19 y/o college student disappears. Lula as she is called by friends, loves her son whom she had at 17 with her boyfriend Zach. She has been settling into her new life with her mom, Kim, who cares for her baby while she attends college 3 days a week. Her life is good with the exception of Zach who now wants to make them a family. Lula isn’t so sure this is what she wants.
Lula has just become friends with Scarlett, a wealthy young woman at her school who seems to radiate a certain amount of power over those who she befriends. She now has her sights set on Lula. There are so many feelings that are let loose inside of Lula, she never thought she was anything special but Scarlett makes her feel as though she is.
On the night in question Lula and Zach have a date night, out to the pub and then a pool party, never to be seen again. Her mother Kim has done all she can to find her.
The other POV is 2019, told by Sophie. Sophie and her boyfriend have just settled into a cottage on the property of an exclusive boarding school. He is to be the head-teacher and they have both moved from London and are exploring their new surroundings. Sophie is an author, she writes cozy mysteries. One morning, she discovers a sign that points to the ground and states “DIG HERE”, when she does she discovers what turns out to be a missing piece of the puzzle of what happened to the two teenagers two years previously. Her experience at writing mysteries makes Sophie throw herself into discovering what happened to them.
My biggest problem is that I was expecting more from this author. The 3 previous novels that I’ve read were solid 4* but this one just felt repetitious and drawn out. I truly got excited at 70% into the book, that’s a long time to wait. My favorite character was Kim, who was the one that I was able to connect to and who was the most fully described. The others were mainly known just from what happened that night two years before.
I would still consider this a good mystery, especially if you don’t mind a slower paced novel.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through Edelweiss. -
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
A mostly riveting mystery with dual timelines and multiple POVs? Sounds like a Lisa Jewell novel, and it is.
In 2017, 19-year old Tallulah is going out for a date night with her boyfriend, Zach, while leaving their 1-year old son at home with her mom, Kim. Kim wakes up the next day, and they are still not home. She reaches out to many people, and it is determined that Tallulah and Zach went to a pool party at a house through the surrounding woods after leaving the bar that they were at. They are never seen again.
In 2019, cozy mystery author Sophie moves with her boyfriend to a cottage near a boarding school where he is the head teacher. The cottage lies near the school, and is surrounded by the woods. One day while leaving their garden and locking the fence that leads to the thick wilderness, Sophie sees a note stapled to the post: DIG HERE, with an arrow pointing to the ground.
The less said, the better...but this did not turn out the way I thought it would. It’s a gripping mystery that kept me intrigued throughout. Given the synopsis and the prologue, I thought this would be a terrifying read that would present some of my greatest fears. While it didn’t end up touching too much on those, it was still an enjoyable mystery that I couldn’t wait to figure out.
Lisa Jewell is one of the most talented writers to utilize multiple POVs and timelines, and she is mostly successful with it here. She manages to leave you hanging after each chapter, eager to learn more. She’s also proficient at wrapping up all loose ends and giving a plausible ending. I so appreciate that as a reader, and I think many others will as well.
While I feel this book could’ve been a little darker, I thoroughly enjoyed the nuances and surprises in store. The back and forth worked so well in creating a compelling plot and making this reader skip his Sunday nap.
All in all, I recommend this to those who won’t be disappointed if it’s not quite as dark as it initially sounds. It’s still a satisfying mystery, and Jewell fans should eat it up! I expected a bit more, and didn’t love the lengthy epilogue, but it is certainly as compelling as you’d expect from the author.
Thank you to Random House UK/Cornerstone and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be released in the US on: 9/7/21.
Review also posted at:
https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com -
Lisa Jewell has a special knack for taking seemingly unrelated plot threads and weaving them together into a seamless, cohesive story by the end. Few authors are masters of this technique, and that's why the ones who do it well have a loyal following of readers who will dip their toes into whatever books they choose to write. Typically, I've found Jewell's books to use the multiple POV approach, and while this one does employ that strategy, the focus is more on the timeline between past and present rather than the narrators at hand. This was a nice twist on her usual writing style, and the risk paid off!
The Night She Disappeared takes place between 2017 and 2018, and we start with the realization that young couple Tallulah and Zach have gone missing after a night of partying with friends from Lulah's college. The kicker is that they are 19 years old and have a baby together, and Tallulah's mom ensures the police that her daughter would not just run off and leave her son like that. Fast forward to the present and Sophie, who is a writer of crime fiction, moves to the area with her husband, who is the new head of the local college, and while trying to write her new book stumbles in the midst of this ongoing missing persons case. As we see flashbacks into the past leading up to the disappearance, we're also moving forward with Sophie, Kim, and the other friends who were at the party that night, until the explosive ending that reveals what really happened.
The beginning does a wonderful job of putting us in the midst of Tallulah and Zach's home life with her mother Kim and their son Noah, and I felt completely connected to this family, experiencing all the emotions alongside them during the course of this journey. The reader doesn't get the same level of depth with Sophie and her personal development, but I found her endearing nonetheless. I'm not sure I would label this Jewell's darkest book, but it definitely is more on par with her latest books like
The Family Upstairs rather than her earlier works. If you enjoy a well crafted mystery that brings the countryside atmosphere to life, add
The Night She Disappeared to your September TBR.
*Many thanks to Atria books for providing my review copy. -
5.0 stars—- I try to make it a point to keep up with who are the best thriller writers, and then try to read as many different authors as possible to make my own determination of who I like the most. So I asked myself after reading, “The Night She Disappeared” by Lisa Jewell: who is Lisa Jewell and where has she been all my life ? In fact I would rank “Disappeared” as the best suspense/thriller novel I’ve read this year … although I do have high hopes for Daisy Darker. The only good news is that now I can go back and catch up with some of Jewell’s earlier books with the hope that some of them reach the same level of quality that “Disappeared” exhibited. “The Night She Disappeared” is told from multiple points of view and details the disappearance of a young mother, Tallulah, and her live-in boyfriend after attending a party at the home of a college friend of Tallulah’s. The disappearance remains unsolved until a mystery novelist moves into town, who becomes interested in solving the case and begins investigating it herself. The book then alternates between the past and present with multiple twists and turns that keeps you interested throughout. Jewell does a wonderful job in keeping the plot moving throughout this over 400 page book, and there were no plot holes that prevent you from enjoying the book. I will definitely be reading another book by Ms. Jewell soon, but I do hope there is at least one male character that isn’t a slimeball in her next book. (We aren’t all losers are we?😂😂).
-
Closer to a 4.5
Lisa Jewell does it again. I cried at the end of this book, which is incredibly rare for me with thrillers. I knocked off a star because the middle was so slow, and I did predict one of the twists, but I also blasted through this thick book in two sittings because I was so hooked and couldn’t stop reading. I love the mother / daughter relationship at the center of this book, it reminded me a lot of my favorite book of hers, Then She Was Gone.
Reading vlog with more thoughts:
https://youtu.be/v0v5yTpWtig -
Just BRILLIANT!! Lisa Jewell is one of my most favourite authors. I think this is my favourite book of hers since she has moved into the mystery/suspense/thriller genre. Her last few books were less thrilling for me. This one kept me on the edge of my seat and had all the right components for a good ole "whodunnit" mystery.
Two teenaged parents go out for a much needed break from their young child one evening but vanish and never return home. The story is told in multiple points of view and goes back and forth in time. Lisa Jewell is known for her well developed quirky characters. I found this time around the characters were a little less quirky and more likeable.
I listened to the Audiobook narrated by the actress Joanne Froggatt (Anna Bates from Downton Abbey.) She was OUTSTANDING with all the voices and made each character her own! She mesmerized me and I just could not stop listening! I highly recommend the audiobook format. You will not be disappointed!! -
A slow burn domestic mystery from a favorite author!
19 year old Tallulah, her mom Kim, and two timelines from 2017 and 2019.
Tallulah disappears while her mom babysits her young child. This is where the mystery begins....
I was wrapped up in Kim's story and she felt authentic and was the star of the novel for me. Although the mystery was intriguing, I never felt it had enough tension or thrilling suspense, but was still curious enough to find out all the why's of the disappearance.
I struggled with the timelines (lots of backstory) and relating to the teenage characters (which was a large part of the narrative). I just wasn't invested in the teenagers or interested in their stories (disappointing for me). Maybe YA fans would enjoy it more.
I think Jewell fans will still enjoy the slow-burning mystery. There are some curious aspects that I enjoyed as well as a creepy old mansion, a snoopy secondary character and plenty of hidden secrets.
Thanks to NG and the publisher for my early review copy. OUT on Sept. 7, 2021 -
this didnt blow me away, but i honestly cant think of anything that i majorly disliked about it.
for being on the longer side (and a bit slow in the middle), this was actually a very easy story to read and get into. and i think its because theres a lot of dialogue, which i prefer. i also like the narrative format of the chapters alternating between the time before tallulah goes missing, when she does go missing, and two years after.
the characters are okay. no one particularly stood out to me, but they are all written in way that kept me guessing what they know and what their intentions are, so that worked for me. the small town secrets and old historic house also add to the atmosphere of the story.
again, this wasnt the best mystery/thriller ive read, but i did enjoy this more than that one other book ive read by LJ (‘then she was gone’), so a definite improvement!
↠ 3.5 stars -
Young mum, 19 year old Tallulah Murray, her baby Noah, and boyfriend, Zach, (father of Noah), are living with Tallulah’s mum Kim. Tallulah and Zach dote on baby Noah equally, and after a very tough year, they’re treating themselves to a date night at the local pub. Kim is babysitting, it’s a beautiful summer’s evening, it should be a special night, but when they don’t return home at the end of the night, it leads to a mystery that detectives find impossible to solve.
The last sighting of Tallulah and Zach, was when they left the pub with a group of the local ‘in’ crowd, led by Scarlett, a thoroughly spoiled individual, in fact Scarlett’s group are all wealthy, and privileged, and definitely not the type to mix with the likes of Tallulah and Zach. The group were heading to Scarlett’s parent’s mansion for a pool party.
Over a year later, and finding themselves with no serious leads, the police team investigating the case, are no further forward, but the investigation and thereby deduction process, is taken up by Tallulah’s mum Kim, and Sophie ( the new headmaster’s girlfriend). Sophie, a novelist, finds a hand written sign by the back gate of her and partner Shaun’s cottage, just by the entrance to the woods. The sign says DIG HERE, so naturally, she does just that, and discovers something very interesting that definitely relates to the missing couple’s case. Between them, Sophie and Kim manage to do what the police were unable to, and their extensive investigations and intelligent powers of deduction finally brings results.
Told from multiple POV’s and three timelines, the story owes much to the author’s talented use of smoke and mirrors, and results in an addictive read, with several twists, and a very surprising ending.
Thank you to Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an ARC. * I have given an honest unbiased review in exchange* -
5 stars!
Another winner from a favourite author of mine!
I loved everything about this book! The school campus setting, dual narrative timelines, an old crumbling mansion, secret tunnels, complex and unique characters, long buried secrets and a multitude of clues that kept my curiosity piqued from start to finish.
I’m a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and I’m happy to report she created another brilliant, thrilling, mysterious, suspenseful and unputdownable story. I always find myself hanging on every word she writes - this novel was even better than I had hoped!
I loved the atmosphere, the tension-filled sense of foreboding and suspense. It took me a few chapters to get into the groove of switching between narrative timelines because they are only 2 years apart, but it wasn’t something that took away from my enjoyment.
Needless to say, this is a must read! Run and grab your copy now! -
4+
Young mother 19 year old Tallulah and partner Zach leave their baby Noah with Tallulah’s mum Kim while they have a rare night out. They don’t return home that night and are last seen at ‘Dark Place’ a large property owned by Scarlett Jacques parents. Just over a year on, Shaun takes up the headship at Maypole House, a private boarding school whose grounds border onto Dark Place. Shaun moves into a cottage in the grounds with his partner Sophie, a writer of cozy mysteries. The story is told in several different timelines and from several perspectives which works very well with the narrative flowing seamlessly between then and ramping up the tension.
In my opinion, Lisa Jewell doesn’t let her readers down! This is a well written, carefully plotted story with a good pace and plenty of interesting twisty turns in the storytelling. The settings are good, in particular Dark Place (I mean, even the name!) which adds an atmosphere all of its own as do the surrounding woods which offer up some creepiness and a spot of chill. The characters are good, Kim’s emotions are very well expressed and it’s obvious that she is a wonderful caring mother and grandmother. Tallulah’s perspective is probably the most interesting as it’s the most revealing particularly about the various relationships involved. Scarlett is flippant at times, friendly then dismissive at others and it seems as if she is a very damaged young lady. The only characters that don’t chime but you definitely get off notes from them are Zach's parents especially his mother Meg who is a cold fish. The contrast between the wealthy Maypole group with Scarlett as it’s Queen Bee and the world of Tallulah works well and leads to some lively, colourful scenes. I particularly like how the author uses Sophie as the vehicle for moving the story forward and through her we get some very weird games being played which tests Sophie’s intuition but which leads to several breakthroughs in a case that has stalled.
Overall, a compelling, absorbing read which I really enjoyed.
With thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review. -
**4.5-stars**
💙💍💙💍💙💍💙💍💙💍💙💍💙💍💙💍💙💍💙💍💙
In 2019, 19-year old Tallulah heads out on a date with her live-in boyfriend, Zach. The young couple have a beautiful baby boy, Noah, so don't get a lot of private time.
Kim, Tallulah's Mom, who the kids live with, is happy to sit Noah for the night. Tallulah works so hard going to college and being a Mom, she deserves a nice night out.
Later that night, Kim receives a text from Tallulah that she is heading to the home of one of her friend's from college. Kim tells her to enjoy. She's happy Tallulah is letting loose for once.
But as the sun rises the next day and Tallulah still isn't home, Kim begins to worry. Not returning home, and not notifying Kim as to why, is far from typical behavior for rule-following Tallulah.
Calling Tallulah's friends, Kim hits a dead end. No one has seen her since the previous night. Now Kim knows for sure, she feels it in her gut, something has happened to Tallulah.
In 2018, Sophie moves with her boyfriend, Shaun, to the campus of a boarding school in Tallulah's hometown, where he will be the new head teacher.
Sophie, a Murder Mystery writer by trade, learns early on of some local missing persons cases and becomes interested.
After she finds what appears to be a clue to one of those cold cases, she begins her own investigation. The case in question, that of Tallulah and Zach.
This intriguing mystery novel follows multiple perspectives as past and present begin to merge. I was gripped from the very first chapter. Jewell immediately pulled me in.
My fabulous niece,
Alyssa, and I actually Buddy Read this one together. We had a great time discussing various theories and plot points along the way.
The way Jewell structured this was very clever. Getting Tallulah's perspective, in addition to Kim's and Sophie's, it built-out the truth of Tallulah's ill-fated night on the town in such an interesting way.
I loved Tallulah as a character. She seemed so real to me. What she was going through, feeling and experiencing in early motherhood and with her relationship with Zach, it was quite compelling. I felt myself growing steadily more attached to her.
Getting to know her friend group and the various players involved in the disappearance was extremely addicting. There were some bad actors, that's for sure.
Sophie's investigation also drew me in. Y'all know, an amateur sleuth is one of my favorite tropes in a mystery. Sophie was believable in that role and I loved the fact that she was actually an author of Mystery books.
Additionally, this one kept me guessing until the very end, which is never a bad thing.
I would say, thus far, this is my favorite Jewell to date. There were a few parts where I felt the pace dragging just a little, hence why I couldn't give it a full 5-stars, but overall, this is a sensationally fun Mystery!
I would definitely recommend all Mystery Lovers add this one to their TBR!! -
How to make a Lisa Jewell novel, in cocktail form:
*1 oz of Mystery
*2 oz of Character Development
*Garnish with red herrings
And in the case of The Night She Disappeared...
A heavy, heavy pour of amateur detective sleuthing that made this drink a bit sour.
2017: Tallulah (Lula) is missing after a night out away from #MomLife with young baby Noah. She has left her son with mom Kim and attempts to live the life of a 'normal' young adult, with boyfriend and baby's father Zach and a cadre of friends, including the it-girl Scarlett. Late night turns into early morning, and Tallulah doesn't return.
We move to 2019: mystery writer Sophie and her teacher husband have moved to the same area Tallulah was last seen. Seems innocuous enough, until Sophie finds a clue reminiscent of one of her mystery novels--literally. A sign with a small spade urging her to "Dig Here", and Sophie is immediately drawn in and begins to dig. What she finds, however, is only the beginning of a mystery that has baffled police and left Kim raising young Noah without his mother, all begging the question---what happened that night? Were any of Tallulah's companions that night to blame for her disappearance? Who would be clever enough to leave Sophie a trail of breadcrumbs that SHE specifically couldn't refuse...and could they possibly lead her to Tallulah...or is she too late?
Lisa Jewell does SO many things right. There is a consistency I've come to expect from her books--they are well-plotted, her writing is descriptive and immersive, and they always center around interesting ideas, even if they seem a bit basic to start (just another missing persons case.) However, something about last year's Invisible Girl and this book bothered me, and I think it all comes back to characterization. Jewell is so good at it, and has written such complex, layered, and interesting characters in the past that the players in this book and the last just seemed a bit flat. I'm not sure what it was, but I've always appreciated that her characters a bit off the beaten path, and in this case only one of them truly was...and we don't find that out in its entirety until the book is almost over.
The pacing in this one also felt uneven to me. The first 40% or so flew by, the next 30% slowed to a near crawl, and then the last part of the book picked back up again enough to keep me invested until the end. The ideas fully explored at the conclusion of the book once some of the big reveals happened could have been introduced sooner without hurting the plot...even if she just hinted at them. I was relieved to feel like sticking with this one was 'worth' it, but it could have been punchier and more dramatic throughout without spoiling anything.
This might be personal preference, but I am also a bit weary of reading about all of the amateur detective work in mystery books as of late. I felt similarly when reading
The Maidens: it seemed like the characters got so lost (and were so successful?!) in solving their respective crimes that it lost some believability in terms of the ACTUAL investigations. I also had some trouble believing the police investigation would have felt 'stalled' after two years, and that they wouldn't have explored some of the more obvious avenues and suspects that Sophie eventually found on her own.
Though these two last efforts from her have felt similar and a bit underwhelming, I have every confidence the Lisa Jewell I know and love--complete with characters that wind their way into my heart and mind, trademark twists, and steady pacing--will be back in rare form for The Family Upstairs 2! But while we wait, I just might need to enjoy a cocktail or two! 😉🍹
3.5 ⭐, rounded up to 4 -
Solid read, but not as good as the author's previous books. I'm on a streak of books really dragging in the middle. I tried an experiment with this one once it started to drag for me. I skipped ahead 10 chapters and read a few pages to see if I could figure out what was going on. Honestly, I couldn't even tell that I'd skipped the chapters, there were a few incidents that were referred back to, but overall I didn't miss anything major in those 10 chapters. (I did go back again) To me that is a sign that the book needed some more editing.
This book contains my absolute favorite trope: people missing without a trace. It's told in two timelines:
2017 Nineteen year olds Tallulah and her boyfriend Zach, parents of a young son, disappear after going out on a dinner date. Tallulah's mother, Kim is worried and starts working with the police to trace their movements and hopefully find them.
2019 Mystery novelist Sophie and her boyfriend move into a house near the grounds of the school where her boyfriend will be the head teacher. On her first day there, she finds a sign in her back garden saying "Dig Here" and she does. What she finds helps to reopen the case of the missing teenagers.
The earlier timeline also has a year's lead up to the disappearance through the eyes of both Tallulah and Kim, revealing the backstory and providing clues as to what might have happened.
Although I generally liked this book, I dislike armchair detectives and didn't like Sophie as a character at all. I didn't think her involvement really added much to the narrative. I thought the ultimate resolution to the missing persons case was super far-fetched and unbelievable, however I did like the epilogue and thought it added a nice twist at the end. The setting was also excellent and very atmospheric, although I was really puzzled as to how the house was in such a ruin after being abandoned for only a couple of years.
I do recommend this book, but I didn't like it as well as other books I have read by this author.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own. -
I love this authors work and I’m gradually working through her books. I have most of them sitting on my shelf.
A brilliant well planned out and plotted story that had my jaw dropping moments more than once.
It pans from 2016-2017 to 2018.
The now, the before and the lead up.
Tallulah Came over to me as a mixed up teen at some points (and let’s face it, most of are us
at this age and learning about life)
She has a boyfriend, known him since she was 14 years old, they soon become parents.
The Night She Disappeared I did have some hesitation over as there has been plenty written last year on the subject, I should have known that Lisa Jewell would pull it out the bag and show a different twisted aspect to this subject matter.
I’m so glad I have a signed copy which I can keep, although I did borrow the audio from my library, I have to say that I enjoyed the narrators voice, the pitch, power and pace of her reading.
I’ll be working my way through her backlist of books this year for sure and anticipating her book 2 of The Family Upstairs soon. -
Well written.
Good plot.
Unpredictable.
However, the twist needs better explanations towards the end.
The characters are quite the people not thinking hard enough about what would possibly go wrong the next moment. I could understand it most probably because we are dealing with hit headed, problematic teenagers here.
However, I feel like the security system and the police are quite dull and almost non-existent for a thriller/missing people mystery such as this.
Apart from this, it's a good read. Mostly because I liked the writing better than the plot or the mystery. -
Another hit from Lisa Jewell! Jewell has become my go-to-author when I want an absorbing mystery/thriller. She’s the author of novels in which you think “I need to get back to my book!”
“The Night She Disappeared” follows a mother’s search for her missing 19-year-old daughter. Tallulah went on a date night with the father of her infant son, with Kim’s (her mother) blessing. Both Tallulah and Zach (baby father) have been living with Kim with their baby. The police do not take Kim’s concern seriously, as 19-year-olds disappear all the time. But Kim in convinced there is something not right about the disappearance.
A year after the disappearances, a couple move into a nearby local school. The wife (Sohphie Beck) of the teacher is a cozy mystery writer. Sophie sees a sign in her garden that states “dig here”. Well, Sophie used that sign in one of her previous novels and assumes that the sign is meant for her. She’s aware of the missing couple and decides to dig where the sign told her. She finds a clue to Tallulah and Zach’s disappearance.
So, Sophie teams with Kim in the mystery of Tallulah’s disappearance. Kim is insistent that Tallulah would never leave her baby. She feels strongly that she’s alive and has disappeared under suspicious circumstances.
Jewell adds dubious characters and an abundant number of clues, some of which are red herrings. But, that’s the beauty with Jewell. There are differing timelines with differing characters. Her stories are easy to follow even with the copious clues. Just when you think you know what happened to Zach and Tallulah, there is a change of narrative which points the reader to a different direction. Jewell still has game.
I listened to the Simon & Schuster Audio production narrated by Joanne Froggatt. I highly recommend for Jewell fans or for those who have not checked her out. -
It's dark on the other side, like there's nothing and no one there. Like I'm sealed away in a tomb. "Let me out," I say, but now it's a whisper. "Let me out."
Back to my one of my favourite authors Lisa Jewell for the latest instalment of crime / psychological thrillers with a creative, unpredictable plot, great twists and thrilling suspense.
Tallulah is a young mother who decides to give the relationship with her former boyfriend another chance for the sake of their one-year-old son. Things are strained however, as Tallulah continues with her studies and meets new people, some of whom appear to be consuming her attention and taking her time away from Zach.
After the two attend a party whilst their son is cared for by Tallulah’s mother, both go missing, with no motive, no bodies but lots of speculation that leads to nothing. One year on, a few lines of inquiry open up in a new investigation. A sign is found by crime writer Sophie saying ‘dig here’ which uncovers an engagement ring that we later discover was bought by Zach as he was preparing to propose to the mother of his son, before both went missing that fateful night.
The story was split between the present day and what happened twelve months earlier, which I think confused the story a little because the son for one wasn’t much older to make a difference. The story wasn’t old enough to build the level of intensity into the plot about an unsolved mystery. It may have been better to keep it all in the present day. However, overall, the book was excellent and one I thoroughly enjoyed.
Lisa Jewell is a great plot builder, with a slow burn release of twists, sub plots and information relevant to the reader rather than a one-time hit of facts and information for the reader to absorb. I loved this gradual building of suspense, and the ending was unpredictable which I loved.
'Lord, Lord, how this world is given to lying!' (Shakespeare) because in this story almost everyone does. -
3.5*
A night out in the town… a possible engagement.
Zach has been diligently saving his money and finally has enough to take his girlfriend, mother of his child, Tallulah out for a much-deserved romantic dinner.
But when the young lovers vanish without a trace, only Tallulah’s mother fears something horrible has happened.
Told in two timelines:
2017 – Tallulah is a 19-year-old new mother, just discovering what she truly wants in life. Specifically, whether that includes the father of her baby or not.
2019 – Sophie moves in with her boyfriend after he lands a job at a boarding school. Sophie is a mystery writer who now finds herself quickly drawn into a mystery of her own.
I usually love dual timelines but I found myself a bit confused, as the difference was a mere 2 years.
I did, enjoy Tallulah’s character. Her dedication and love for her child, while struggling with the desire to live the life of a carefree young adult.
I am a huge fan of this author and already looking forward to her next release.
A buddy read with Susanne.
Posted to:
https://books-are-a-girls-best-friend...
Thank you to Ariele Friedman at Atria Books for the arc via NetGalley. -
In the Summer of 2017, the young parents of baby Noah, Tallulah and Zac disappeared on a rare night out at an unscheduled pool party at the home of super-privileged and super wayward Scarlett; a home, or should I say mansion called Dark Place! In the Summer of 2018, the pair are still missing in, when published detective fiction writer Sophia moves into the small town, and finds a sign nailed to a fence saying 'dig here'. That Night She Disappeared recounts the year leading up to their disappearance alongside telling the story of Sophia's investigation in the present. The missing young people from a pool party never to be seen again turns out to be a wonderfully compelling starting point that had me involved from the start, and throughout.
An abandoned mansion, multiple suspects, missing suspects, no corpses, a controlling boyfriend, a 'hot' police detective and more ensues.
Lisa Jewell's move from romantic-comedy writer to psychological thriller writer has been phenomenal and this is another great example of this now bestselling voice in UK crime fiction. Not satisfied with writing a pretty good suspense thriller,
Lisa Jewell manages to include critiques on families, power abuses in relationships and the financially privilege, and as well as a study of controlling partners. What really matters to me though, was that this is such a well written book set in our current (Western) reality that gave me an immersive experience, and like
Louise Candlish said in her review of the book (on the back cover) this really is a "head scratching, heart-racing, page-turning triumph" 8 out of 12.
2022 read -
2017:
Tallulah is a devoted 19 year old mum to baby Noah. So, when she and the baby’s father, Zach, do not return home after a date night, her mother, Kim, knows in her gut, that her daughter did not leave her baby behind, voluntarily.
2018:
Shaun is the new head teacher in Upfield Common and his partner, Sophie, author of the cozy mystery series, “The Hither Green Detective Agency” has agreed to move with him to the Counryside. Shortly after settling in at the cottage that comes with the job, Sophie finds a cardboard sign with an arrow in marker, pointing down, which says: Dig Here! (Very Alice in Wonderland like!) Of course, she doesn’t hesitate to start digging….
2016:
What exactly was happening in Tallulah’s life, prior to THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED? We become privy to that information in this timeline.
The timelines alternate until the past collides with the present, and I actually got a bit choked up at the conclusion. Maybe, because of a recent young lady’s disappearance which is still dominating the news today….
This story has received mixed reviews from my friends, but it was one of MY FAVORITES by the author!
Perhaps because the characters (with the exception of Tallulah’s friend, Scarlett) were a bit less quirky than those in previous work, this FELT more realistic to me. Until, the ending-that is, which admittedly was a bit OTT-and reduced my rating from 5 ⭐️ to 4⭐️.
All in All, I was thoroughly entertained and look forward to seeing what Lisa Jewell dreams up for us next!
Thank You to my local library for the loan of this title. -
What happened to Tallulah from the bus?
2017: Talullah and her boyfriend go out for a dinner date and never return home, leaving their baby with her mother. They vanish without a trace, providing detectives very few leads, and ultimately the case goes cold.
2019: Sophie follows her boyfriend to a boarding school, where he has just been named the new headmaster. She finds a note tacked to a tree that reads, “Dig here” with an arrow. Curiosity peaked, Sophie uncovers what might be a clue to solving the mysterious disappearance of Talullah and her boyfriend.
I am an huge fan of Lisa Jewell and her books are on auto-request for me. Her latest thriller is definitely not as dark as many of her others have been recently. It is told in dual times lines with multiple points of view, a commonly used writing format. Surprisingly, this book had a very slow start. I didn’t become invested in the characters or plot until around 30%, which is unusual for me not to be immediately gripped. However, once I made it to part two, the action ramped up and I was hooked.
Sophie’s role as amateur sleuth is well played, except for one detail. I had a difficult time believing that she didn’t remember the plot of her own books. Would a mystery writer forget what she has written? Scarlett is a very intriguing, dark character and I really enjoyed getting to know her. However, Tullulah was very frustrating at times with her naïveté. Jewell does a fantastic job making many characters suspects in the disappearance, but ultimately the reveal was sort of strange for me. I didn’t feel like what actually happened lined up with what I knew about the characters. That being said, I didn’t completely guess the twist either.
If you enjoy Lisa Jewell thrillers, you will definitely be on board for this one. While it wasn’t my favorite of hers, I am still a huge fan and will absolutely keep reading everything she writes.
3.5/5 stars rounded up
Thank you to Edelweiss and Atria books for the ARC of The Night She Disappeared in exchange for an honest review. -
Available now (22nd July 2021)
3.5 stars
A slow moving and suspenseful mystery featuring family, secrets and entitled teenagers
3 POVs, featuring Tallulah, her mother Kim, and Sophie, an author who relocated to live with her headmaster boyfriend at a private school,
3 timelines,
2 missing teenagers.
What happened to Tallulah and Zach? Where are they? Will Kim ever find out? What has Sophie found in the woods, and who left it?
The Night She Disappeared was a well written mystery, which kept me turning the pages, wanting to find out what really happened to Tallulah and her boyfriend Zach. The different timelines wove together well, and kept me hanging, as we switched between them and the different character's POVs. There were a few good red herrings, and I was engaged in the mystery.
I loved the setting with the creepy house and the surrounding woods, most villages have both so I could really visualise it, and feel the atmosphere!
The character's POV I related to the most was Kim's, Tallulah's mother. I loved Kim, she was a great character, and I really felt for her as she struggled to deal with not knowing what happened to her beloved teenaged daughter. I could feel her pain, grief and frustration; she was stuck in limbo, not knowing, her own life on hold whilst she looked after her grandson (Tallulah and Zach's son). She definitely stood out as the most fully fleshed out and relatable character.
Sophie's POV was fine, I liked her, and she was necessary in order to move the plot on, to reopen the cold case and discover hidden secrets. However I was a bit surprised that she had forgotten THAT detail from her own cosy mystery books..
Tallulah's POV was interesting, and showed the most. I felt for her, and the situation she was in, and was shouting at her to confide in her lovely, strong mum.
I had heard that this book read a bit YA, and I have to agree. Being in a 17-19 year old's head for most of the book made it feel that way. I do like reading YA every now and then, but this had way too much teenage relationship drama in it for me. All Tallulah's backstory did slow down the first half of the book, in fact the whole book felt quite long!
In the last part of the book, the pace picked up, and the plot quickly moved along, but I found some of the events a little unbelievable and implausible if I'm honest!
So a mixed bag for me. Whilst I enjoyed the mystery, the setting and some of the characters, wanting to find out what had happened, I didn't connect with other characters, and I wasn't sure about the ending.
This was my first book by
Lisa Jewell, but I have heard she has some really good books, and I do own
The Family Upstairs.
Many thanks to NetGalley UK and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the ARC, in echange for an honest review! -
I think this is the first time I have read a book that had THREE different timelines represented, and I really liked it! This is my third book by this author and my favorite of hers so far (the other two were
Invisible Girl and
Watching You). I will say all three books do have the same problem for me - the ending of the book is not as strong as I would like it to be. But in this book in particular I can overlook that because of how much I liked the rest of what preceded it.
I really connected with and could relate to most of the (female) characters. I felt that most of the characters overall were really well developed. The only exceptions being maybe , but I think they were meant to be more ambiguous as part of maintaining the 'mystery'. As for the plot, the switching between the three timelines really worked for me and kept the story feeling fast paced. I liked how things were slowly revealed, including the chapters with the police interviews.
Overall, I would recommend this! Unless you are maybe a frequent mystery/thriller reader - in that case you might see how this book is going to end a mile away and therefore you won't enjoy it as much as I did. I like mystery books with stronger characters rather than stronger mysteries if I had to pick between the two.
