The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is perhaps the most beautifully written book I’ve read this year. Lyrical and delightful, Chase’s word choice is as smooth and sparkling as the river that’s so central to the novel’s plot.

Chase transports us to Applecote Manor, a remote English country house, during the baking hot summer of 1959, where we meet the four Wilde sisters, each navigating their uncertain route to womanhood, with the spectre of their missing cousin, Audrey, haunting their every turn. Suffused with brooding uncertainty, wonderfully gothic undercurrents sweep the story effortlessly along.

I became so immersed in the story of the Wilde sisters that on occasions it was a surprise to be reminded that this is a time-slip novel, where what happened in the past presses down on the present day. However, the contemporary strand of the story, focusing on Jess, who is working gently to peel back the layers of her prickly, grieving stepdaughter, Bella, merges beautifully with the historical storyline.

A fantastic read! Chase’s debut novel, Black Rabbit Hall, is now firmly wedged near the top of my TBR pile.

Intriguing atmospheric read. I'd definitely recommend this, A new author to me but will be buying her back catalogue now

I loved this book - thank you for allowing me to read it. I could picture the setting, loved the girls and really didn't want it to end. I will be recommending it to my friends!

This book had me hooked from the beginning and the way in which the author painted the scenery and the characters was just beautiful. The storyline was unique and the reveal wasn’t until the end which was a great way of keeping the reader involved and at the edge of their seat. There were also hints here and there, enough for you to start your own detective work and suspect some of the main characters for the crime that had surely been committed. All the while a country scene, beautiful house and hot summer was conveyed carefully and intricately through the author’s choice of words. Just a beautiful read.

It took me a while to get into this novel that tells a story from the 50s with a present day thread running through it too. Both stories revolve around Applecote Manor.

In the 50s four sisters, Flora, Pam, Margot and Dot Wilde arrive their for the summer holidays. They are staying with their Aunt Sybil and Uncle Perry, who are still recovering from the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey five years ago.

In the present day plot, Jessie and Will move into Applecote Manor hoping that its rural setting will be a haven for their troubled family.

In the 50s, the girls get caught up in the mystery of Audrey and we see events through the eyes of fifteen year old Margot.

I enjoyed the novel, once I got to know the characters and I liked Eve Chase's writing style. It is slow paced in places but describes the 1950s lifestyle well and the story connects the past inhabitants with the new ones.

1959 and the young daughters of Bunny Wilde are sent to the country whilst widow Bunny travels to Morocco. The four girls decamp to Applecote Manor to stay with their Uncle and Aunt whose only child, Audrey, disappeared five years ago. As Margot Wilde suffers the pains of adolescence, her resemblance to Audrey provokes a strange obsession from her Aunt. In the present day Jessie moves to Applecote Manor with her family, husband Will, daughter Romy and resentful stepdaughter Bella. As Jessie tries to fit into local life, the rumours about previous events at Applecote dog the family and eventually the two stories come together.

There is much to like about this book, especially the sections set in 1959. I particularly enjoyed the juxtaposition of the characters of Margot and Bella as troubled adolescents and of Margot and Jessie as people trying to live up to the memory of 'perfect' others. At times I felt that the story was a little forced, particularly the revelation of what had happened to Audrey, but this didn't detract from a strong and readable novel.

The story of four sisters in the fifties and one hot summer in the English countryside, alternating with the story of a modern-day family who move to the same house. The book revolves around the missing girl from the fifties and her young cousin who looks just like her. It's a coming of age narrative with a loss of innocence as the sisters grow apart and come back together again in crisis. The modern story revolves around a new marriage after the first wife died and in particular the distraught teen who struggles to have a new mum.

I almost gave up on this book but persevered. I found the denouement interesting but it's not the greatest story out there. Seems like these two-period historical books are all the rage now. My temptation in reading them is to try to figure out how it's all going to relate.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin publishing for giving me a copy of this book.

I enjoyed the premise of this novel; I thought the author did a brilliant job in creating such a haunting atmosphere which makes this an excellent gothic novel, because of this I was hooked into the book right away. Chase made Applecote Manor into a place I would want to stay in even if it has a bit of a spooky atmosphere. I thought the characters were brilliantly and their character development only added to how well this book was written, it didn't take me long to get through this book. I can't wait to see more from this excellent author

This is a well written story set in the Cotswold’s countryside. Jessie, husband Will, step-daughter Bella and daughter Romy decide to make a break from city life in London and move to a beautiful old manor house Applecote. What follows is a tale of discovery for Jessie and family along with the secrets that the old house is hiding.

Years before in the 1950’s Applecote manor belonged to Wilde family, however devastatingly the young daughter Audrey disappeared without a trace never to be seen again. Audrey’s cousins come to stay with their Uncle and Aunt during the summer heatwave of 1959 during which things will never be the same again.

I really enjoyed this story set in two different era’s, one follows the summer of four sister who stay with their aunt and uncle at Applecote manor during the summer of 1959. Sister Margot is determined to discover the truth about her cousins disappearance five years ago. While the other story follows the young family who buy the manor house in an attempt to start a new happy life away from the stresses of London.

I loved the way the family is bought together following all that happens to them in their first few months in their new home. A real treat of a book to read, bravo to Eva Chase!

A haunting gothic tale set in the 1950s but with the contrast of today in the same setting
The main character Margot, tells this beautiful story about her cousin Audrey and the mystery of her disappearance.
The author writes brilliantly taking you from 4 sisters in 1959 to a new family today all in Applecote Manor and concludes by bringing those characters together at the end
A wonderful read that l would recommend and I will look for this author again

An intense and exciting read, this book will leave you wanting more! Filled with exciting characters and nail biting suspense I couldn't read this book fast enough.

This is a wonderful book set in the 1950's and the present .The story centres around Applecote Manor ,a house where the Wilding sisters cousin Audrey has disappeared.This book is so well written and the characters are engaging .Layer after layer of secrets and lies are revealed and the ending was excellent .The book was very hard to put down and I didn't want it to end .

There are so many books described as being, ‘perfect for Kate Morton fans’ that I was a little sceptical when I started this book. However I needn’t have worried as I thought this book was fantastic and well deserved the comparison.

Firstly I loved the setting of Applecote Manor. The description of those seemingly endless summer days of childhood, discovering new friends and creating mysteries everywhere was brilliant. It definitely had me feeling nostalgic for my own childhood and the adventures I had with my sister in the woods behind our house. The house almost seemed alive at times as it seemed to change depending on the moods of the occupants and seemed to help them discover clues to solve the mystery. This helped contribute to the spooky atmosphere that is present throughout the book.

The characters were all very well imagined and developed throughout the book, seeming very realistic and true to life. I especially liked Margot who reminded me of me from my childhood slightly geeky (OK I was very geeky!), misunderstood and suffering from eczema. She was definitely was a character I felt I could get behind and I found myself hoping she would have the happy ending I felt she deserved. I also felt sorry for Jessie as I felt she was a women trying her best against a very angry and obstructive step daughter. Her attempts to make a better, happier life for her new family was very poignant at times. I never really warmed to Ben though. I wanted to shake him for his casual attitude towards His daughters obvious grief for her late mother and for letting her drive a wedge between him and Jessie. I don’t think I would have been as patient and understanding as Jessie was.

The mystery of what happened to Audrey was well played out with the truth of what happened being gradually revealed. This helps keep the reader very intrigued and I kept reading as I wanted to find out what happened. The twist at the end took me by surprise as I thought the mystery had been solved. I also liked that the author included information about what happened to the characters after the summer and how things turned out for them.

This is Eve Chase’s second novel and the second of hers that I have read. I really look forward to reading any future work from her and highly recommend her to anyone who hasn’t read anything by her yet.

Huge thank you to Gaby Young and Michael St Joseph publisher for copy if this book.

The story takes place in two layers of time. In the present day, Jess believes that she has found the perfect house for her troubled family in the dilapidated Applecote Manor with its idyllic Cotswolds setting. The house, however, seems to have an unsettling atmosphere and there are strange rumours locally about is history. Jess had hoped to heal her relationship with step daughter, Bella but the house seems to drive them further apart.

Intertwined with the modern day story is look back at hot 50s summer when the Wilding sisters, abandoned yet again by their mother, arrive to spend the summer with their Aunt and Uncle who have never recovered from the sudden disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, five years earlier.

I found the chapters about the Wildings were very slow and wasn't enjoying the book but I was glad I persevered as it really picked up in the last third as the events of the summer took a shocking turn and secrets and choices were revealed - and the troubles of the present are resolved.

Looking back, I think the slow build up was perhaps deliberate, depicting the long languid summer before the storm. The pick up in pace in the latter part of the book certainly worked well and the interaction with the present story and how it was resolved was excellent.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for a review copy

Beautifully written, this book drew me in from the first page and kept me gripped until the end. This is a story of family dynamics and hidden secrets. I found it quite haunting but a pleasure to read.

I enjoyed how the story effortlessly went from the present to the past as the mystery of what happened was slowly unfolded. It was beautifully descriptive and so well written. This is a slow paced novel which immerses you into the characters and setting of the story. A tale of sisterhood, family dynamics, relationships and nostalgia. I found all of the characters convincing and enjoyed the air of mystery which permeates throughout the book.

A book to get lost in. Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Easy read - wouldn't recommend as it's very slow and Doesn't keep you gripped!

I was originally interested in this story due to the whimsical beauty of the front cover. That, along with the title, led me to assume this was a historical thriller of sorts. As I prefer going into thrillers 'blind' I did not read the synopsis and instead was pleasantly surprised to find, whilst reading this, that it was far more complex than I had ever imaged it being.

Present-day Jessie is aborting the chaos of London life and transporting her family to gorgeous Applecote Manor. Nestled in the depths of the English countryside she images this rural retreat will be the miracle that will restore her fissured family. However, her husband still finds himself reeling from a life split between week-day London and weekends in the countryside, and Jessie finds herself isolated with a toddler demanding constant attention and a teenage step-daughter who continues to despise her and still grieve for her deceased mother.

In the summer of 1959 Applecote Manor was the home of Sybil and Perry. Unable to cope with the disappearance of their daughter, Audrey, their home in now both a shackle they are confined to and their one last, tenuous link to their lost daughter. The intrusion of their four nieces, however, breathes life both back into the gloomy shell of a home and the gloomier shells of the people who reside there. For one summer the manor is returned to its former chaotic state and, in return, sheds the city skins of these London-born girls and transforms them into feral things of the forest.

I was initially unable to see how these two disparate narrative veins would converge, but enjoyed them both equally and immensely. Each was given a separate voice and a distinct feel entirely of its own, that both suited the time periods and the inhabitants of the story. But once the threads that bound each story began to unveil themselves to the reader, I was enthralled.

This was a mystery story, as I had initially speculated, but it was also a story about so much more than that. The character that entitles this book never appears inside its pages and yet the course of the live of two separate families revolve so much around her memory. For that is what this book is ultimately about - family. The trails and grief and agony that accompanies the fierce love and protective spirit you feel for those you choose as your own. For neither could exist without the other, and every facet of feeling is tested and explored inside this book.

The Gothic overtones of this novel were heightened by the setting, which remained a constant link, along with the spirit of Audrey, between the narratives. I found this often read like a classic female Gothic tale and found similarities between this and such renowned works as Jane Eyre and Rebecca. In its own way, perhaps it is a retelling in itself, but it is more the feel of these pieces that this novel so authentically evokes. The larger countryside setting was portrayed in broad, sweeping strokes, yet the feel of the manor and the character of the individuals who reside there were intricately preserved inside these pages. Chase makes it abundantly clear where her readers' focus should remain, and the heightened emotion centred on one, small sphere of space made this an equally powerful as poignant read.

Book has a present and a past story to it and goes from one to the other easy to follow.
Present is about a family that would like to move to the country to help her step daughter and the past is about the Wilding sisters who came to stay at Applecote Manor 5 years after their cousin Audrey vanished. Their aunt and uncle have struggled ever since and the sisters find a house of sadness. Over the course of the summer, they learn the secret of what happened to Audrey. In the present, Jessie, newly married to the widowed Will, moves her family to Applecote hoping for a fresh start, but her troubled relationship with her step-daughter Bella and the secrets the house contains threaten to overwhelm her. Once you start to read you can't put down great book

Told through the eyes of two individuals, living in two different families and separated by decades, this is ultimately the story of a house, the people who lived there and a mystery that unfolded, which involved the first family but also affected the second. The author skillfully glides from one family's story to the other family's story without losing any of the continuity, making it easy to follow. Although it's a mystery, it's a very gentle one and there are many times in the book when the writing evokes memories of a 1950s Britain when the pace of life seemed much slower. I could picture this book being made into either a TV Drama or a film as I think it lends itself to dramatisation.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoy reading family sagas and mysteries so this covered both. I particularly liked the way it moved from the present to the past in alternate chapters, always making me want to keep reading. Definitely one to recommend.