I haven't read any books by this author before and therefore was not familiar with the main character.I would say this could be read as a stand alone book though,in fact not being familiar with the main character David meant that I didn't know if he was a trustworthy narrator and that added to the story for me. Was he being honest or was he having psychological problems and whose reality was really true.I am not giving anything away, but this book is well worth a read and it kept me guessing.Thanks to the Publishers and Netgalley for an ARC.

I enjoyed this book. It’s the first Tim Weaver book that I’ve read and I’ll certainly read more.
The plot was very clever, the writing smart and the story kept me on edge the whole way through.
I liked that it wasn’t predictable like so many other books of this genre have been recently.

Tim Weaver is an author whose work I really enjoy. His writing is precise reminiscent of storytelling from a bygone era, at times displaying shades of Agatha Christie but with a modern feel. The central character in his novels is David Raker, an investigator who markets himself as a locator of lost persons, those individuals who for their own personal reasons wish to disappear....or do they? Weaver uses real and imagined locations throughout London often creating a haunted or sinister backdrop adding to the mystical quality of his prose. Think of old wooden piers and the thrills and sounds of Victorian amusement arcades (What Remains, David Raker book 6) and underground abandoned tube/rail stations (Vanished, David Raker book 3)

Nine years ago Raker sadly lost his wife Derryn to cancer. He is naturally astounded when he receives a call from a local police station informing him that a woman purporting to be his wife has just presented herself at reception. Who is this woman? Is Raker's mind unravelling? Did the last 9 years never happen? What appears to be a simple case of I.D becomes something altogether more disturbing when the lady in question mysteriously disappears after visiting a flat in Chalks Farm. From this point in the novel the events that unravel become increasingly dark and threatening. As our investigator himself is drugged a race against time follows to locate the whereabouts of the missing woman. Raker is horrified to learn that both himself and his wife have been the subject of "stalking" for many years and unfortunately it appears the perpetrator is still active posing a very real and present threat. When the identity of the stalker is revealed the resulting shock and fallout will amaze not only those involved in the hunt but an unsuspecting reader!

I must admit that "You were gone" is not my favourite novel in the David Raker series. The plot is overly complex and at a page count of just under 500 it might have benefited from some close editing as I found myself really struggling to complete the last 20%. Having said that I am a great admirer of the writing of Tim Weaver and this is still a solid contender in the series. Many thanks to the good people at netgalley and the publisher Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for a gratis copy in exchange for an honest review and that is what I have written.

Wow. Love Tim weaver books and this one didn’t disappoint at all. Even with previous knowledge of the other David Raker books, it was hard not to become as confused as David with the Derryn storyline

Oh this book.

I love the Raker series – I tell anyone that listens that it is the best crime series out there that doesn’t involve Charlie Parker, how great it is to have a very different and highly engaging main protagonist and how each book gets better than the last with the twistiest plots, the most emotionally traumatic rollercoaster moments and well just really really good. Every time I read them so fast I can’t even think about anything else until I’m done because that’s how they get you. Then I’m cross with myself because I’m having to wait again.

This one though. Addictive much. I didn’t so much read it as I did devour it, kind of peeking through my fingers not sure if I wanted to know or not. Could our hero, patron (fictional) saint of the missing, actually be not so much saintly (a dark side kind of saintly) as quite quite mad? I couldn’t cope. His wife is dead. It has informed so much of his character, given us so much of his reality – BUT WHAT IF HE IS DELUSIONAL?? Seriously, having read the entire series so far and knowing how sneaky Mr Weaver is, it was entirely possible – it’s not like he wouldn’t go there…

Well I won’t tell you if he does or not but honestly this just rocks along with poor David doubting everyone and everything around him but still, even with all that, he’s going to get to the truth no matter what. Just as he always does. Once again you are pulled into his gravity and live there right with him for the entirety of the read – it is brilliantly plotted and always beautifully written. I loved it.

With an ending that promises so much and a distinctly edgy feel to it, You Were Gone is possibly the twistiest Raker novel yet and that is really saying something.

Highly Recommended. HIGHLY.

I really loved this book! Excellent story with brilliant main characters. I would recommend this book.

I have read all the David Raker series over the last couple of years so was excited to see this pop up for review on NetGalley.
David Raker is a missing persons investigator who has a good track record of finding people, sometimes using slightly unorthodox methods so he is not well liked within police circles. Often he succeeds where they fail which does not help.
One day he receives a call from Charring Cross Police station: a woman claiming to be Raker’s dead wife has turned up and is asking for him. Raker knows that this is impossible as his wife Derryn died 8 years previously after a long illness so he is not sure what to expect. When he walks into the police station he is shown footage of a woman who is the image of his wife and it affects him profoundly. In his head he knows it cannot be true but in his heart he starts to believe.
Raker and the police start to investigate but the woman disappears and he becomes a suspect. He feels helpless and emotional as her appearance brings back all the bad memories of his wife’s last months.
This book has an interesting plot as it flashes backwards and forwards between the present and the past as seen by another character. Is it David himself or someone else.? At times the reader begins to suspect that Raker might be having some sort of breakdown.
There are several twists as the investigation gathers speed and the final denoument is completely unexpected.
I enjoyed this book and read it over the course of a couple of days. It is different from the other books in the series in that it focuses on Raker himself so the reader learns a lot about his history.
I would suggest that it is better to read the earlier novels first as it would give this book more meaning.
A great read and the series itself is highly recommended for crime thriller fans.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin UK for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Let me take you back to Christmas 2017. My boyfriend got me an amazon gift card so I could buy a bunch of books for my kindle, since I am quite the avid reader.
I was browsing the website looking for a new series to dig my teeth into and I stumbled upon the David Raker series. I read a couple of descriptions, some reviews and decided to buy the entire series in one go.

I started reading straight away and I read all the books without stopping. I loved them. I love every single book.

So, when I saw that this book was available, I immediately went for it. I got the book a couple of hours ago and I read it, in one go, start to finish.

David Raker is a man that has been through a lot. 8 years ago he lost his wife Derryn to cancer and this is something that still haunts him to this day. In his daily life, David is a missing persons investigator, before this he was a journalist.
One day, David gets a phone call. It is the police station and they say that a woman walked in claiming to be Derryn. She is asking for them to get David and have him talk to her.
David is shocked and immediately goes over to the police station.

This is where the story really picks up. I won't give away any spoilers, but I can tell you that it is a really fast paced book.
The conclusion is quite shocking and I did not see it coming. In the end, there is a nice little build up towards the next book in the series.

All in all, I can highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys good crime thrillers with a very deep plot and greatly developed characters. You can read this book on its own, but I would suggest you start at the beginning of the series and go from there,