I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
This was my first Claire Douglas novel and I will definitely be reading more from this author.
This was a solid mystery, with a distinctive set of characters, great relationship dynamics and brilliant character development.
Our main character is a journalist who is writing about a woman she once knew - I always love when our main character is connected to the centre mystery. I also love that she was a journalist as it added a great dynamic between her and those connected to the incident she is writing about, of course exacerbated by her personal connection to the story but there was also an added depth in her internal conflict, does she prioritise her work and the story or her relationship with those affected.
I really liked that each relationship was conveyed in a different way - each relationship was distinctive and stood on its own, for example Jess' relationship with Margot was completely different to her relationship to Jack, just as her relationship to Jack was different to her relationship with Ted and Rory and so on so forth.
This mystery held more depth than I could ever have guessed and I believe it was executed perfectly; there were a few moments where I actually gasped out loud.
This is a really solid mystery and I truly cannot wait to read more from Claire Douglas.

Jess and Heather were inseparable as children. Best friends who shared everything. Until Heather's sister, Flora, disappears without a trace and everything changes. Years later, Heather is accused of shooting Colin and Deirdre Wilson before turning the gun on herself. Jess, now a journalist, finds herself the reporter on the case and is soon drawn into this twisty tale of what exactly happened to Flora, and why Heather seemingly committed this terrible crime.

I’ve only read one of Claire Douglas’ other novels, which I thought was brilliant, so I was really excited to read this one and I was not disappointed!

This one is chock full of twists and turns, including a fab mix of multiple POV, flashbacks and present day, secrets and lies. Much as with LAST SEEN ALIVE, I was totally thrown by the ending- I thought I’d worked out exactly what was going on and who did what, only to be surprised at the last. Gotta love a book that makes you go “huh”.

Then She Vanishes gripped me from the start.. A young woman is found dying from, seemingly, self inflicted wounds from a gun used, shortly before, to murder two people. An open and shut case? The book weaves neatly through current events and happenings 18 years previously. But are there links...? Jess, a local newspaper reporter, is conflicted but she needs her story. The suspect had, however, been her closest school friend but they had been estranged for many years, whilst the mother still mourns the disappearance of her other daughter all those 18 years ago.
The story unfolds through the eyes of the main characters moving smoothly from one to another and across time. There are a rich mix of twists and trails which provoke changing emotions as you read. If she wasn't guilty then who was?
The prose of Then She Vanishes is beautifully written whilst the pace of the book is unrelenting and made me want to just keep reading.
A first rate thriller which demands attention and deserves to be another best seller.. Highly recommended.

Jess and Heather were inseparable as teenagers. But after Heather’s sister, Flora disappears, their friendship falls apart.

Eighteen years later, Jess is a journalist working for a small, local newspaper and Heather is in a coma, accused of murdering two people. When Jess realises the accused is her childhood friend, she hopes to reconnect and get an inside scoop on this shocking story - What makes a happily married mother kill two people she has never met?

With a premise like that how can you not be intrigued, so of course I said yes when I was offered the opportunity to read and review this book.

The story was well structured and alternated between current day and past events leading up to Flora’s disappearance. It was also told from a number of different points of view. This added some extra depth to the story but did get a little confusing at times.

Although the plot was full of twists and turns, some of them were fairly obvious and lacked the real shock factor. Having said that there were a couple that I genuinely did not see coming.

The writing style was fluid and engaging, if a tad slow at times. The characters were relatable and realistic, although not necessarily likeable.

All in all I would say I enjoyed elements of this book and would definitely pick up another Claire Douglas novel.

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up to 4)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Penguin UK - Michael Joseph) for inviting me to review this book. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

This is such a good book that I vanished into it for a day or two, completely immersed in this thrilling, suspenseful mystery which happens to be set in my part of the world, so I had the additional fun of trying to identify the seaside town of Tilby (which I reckon was mainly a hybrid of Clevedon and Portishead, but I stand to be corrected on that)! Jess, the main character, is sympathetic; returning from London due to a hiccup in her journalism career, she has a cheap flat to share with her boyfriend Rory, and a new post in a bi-weekly newspaper. A horrific murder reconnects her to her childhood second family and she has the conflict between historic loyalties and the current need to do well in her job. Margot, Flora and Heather have weathered a series of tragic events, and fate hasn't finished with them yet. Claire has created a complex plot and turned it into a story that is unforgettable and enjoyable, with loads of suspense and twists thrown in. I thoroughly recommend it,

Glued to this book from start to finish!!!! I don't like giving too much away in my reviews but I would recommend this to anyone. It really kept me guessing and with every chapter I was trying to figure it all out. Brilliant book!

Thank you to NetGalley for the chance to read in exchange for an honest review.

This is 4th first Claire Douglas book and whilst it's not my favorite hence the 4 stars and not 5 it was a really gripping read! Claire doesn't disappoint and I cant wait for her next book! I also love the fact it's set around the Bristol area so local and familiar for me.
This story follows the pattern of telling the story over 2 time periods the past and present a format I really enjoy as you get to make your own assumptions about what happened and how it affects the current murder mystery. The story is told from the point of view of Jess a local journalist who was a childhood friend of the family central to the mystery. The writing style as always is easy to read and very enjoyable the book also concludes with a fabulous twist I wasn't expecting.

Interesting storyline and characters. A man and woman are killed and a woman is found having tried to take her own life yet there appears to be no motive for the killings.

A cracking page turner that follows the lives of 3 friends whose futures each pan out very differently yet they remain connected. I loved this book it kept me hooked right from the beginning.
Another to be recommending to family and friends

I really enjoyed this - a proper page-turner with the (good) red herrings you might expect from this kind of novel. I wasn't entirely surprised by the ending but some events leading up to the great reveal were a real surprise. Definitely worth a read.

A teenager went missing twenty years ago, now her sister is in a coma after shooting herself.

A stranger had stormed into a house in the early hours killing fifty eight year old Clive Wilson and his mother, Deirdre. Later Heather Underwood was found with a self inflicted gun shot wound. Jess, a reporter, has been sent to cover the story. The shooting had taken place in Jess's home town. But Jess's boss does not know that the perp had been Jess's best friend.

This is a fast paces read with many twist and turns. There is so much going on in this book. The way the author has written about the characters makes you feel that you know them. I don't want to say any more about this story as I do t want to spoil it for potential readers. A well executed who-did-it.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable summer-time read that kept me engrossed and involved in the helter-skelter ride. It’s told from various points of view from different time settings and each shift in perspective changes the reader’s expectations and understanding of events. Overall a good read.

Loved this book and kept you on the edge of your seat as to who, why, where and how.

Secrets are never the best idea and when they hurt those around you it's worse. Great book and great twist.

With thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC, which I have enjoyed reading.
Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas is a psychological thriller about Heather, whose sister Flora vanished when she was 16 and everyone believed her to be dead, although her body was never recovered.
Then two people are shot dead in their home and Heather is found in a barn with gunshot and a head wound. The police believe Heather has tried to kill herself after shooting and killing a mother and son.
The storyline unfolds and it is only at the end that we found out what really happened now and all those years ago.
Highly recommended.

So I’m sitting here after finishing this book, and all I can think is: obvious story is...obvious.

This book is being billed as gripping, thrilling, best twists yada yada yada. I guess slow, poorly executed, and obvious, don’t really sell books.

While reading this book, I have discovered that I detest stories - particularly those in the mystery/thriller fad we appear to be in - when they allude to a past transgression/s, several times, before the thing is eventually unveiled. In this book there were so many and by multiple characters, and by the time each reveal came along I was like: “are these the twists?”
Because they weren’t very twisty, nor surprising, in fact it was 100% expected.

I couldn’t warm to any of the characters, the opening chapter was incredible, but fell rather flat from that point onwards. And as unreliable narrators and characters go, this one left a lot to be desired. Such a shame, I was really looking forward to it. I’ve seen a lot of rave reviews, so maybe it just wasn’t for me.

Or Maybe I need a break from this genre.

I was invited to read this book by the publisher, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Many thanks to Claire Douglas, Penguin - Michael Joseph, and NetGalley for the invitation to read and review an arc of this book.

A mystery about secrets and families set in the West Country.

It seems like an open and shut case. Heather has been seen walking into a house and killing a man and his mother, before attempting to take her own life. Now she lies in a coma.

Jess was once Heather’s best friend although something happened to their relationship and they drifted apart after Heather’s sister Flora disappeared. She’s now a journalist on the local paper, trying to rebuild her career that was nearly derailed by a scandal that saw her depart a London paper.

With her unique knowledge of the family at the centre of this crime, what is Jess willing and not willing to do – either to further her career or to discover what has actually happened?

This is the first book by Claire Douglas that I’ve read, and she skilfully weaves a tale that incorporates teen friendships and relationships, against a contemporary backdrop of media intrusion into the lives of victims. There’s plenty going on here. Is Jess being stalked? How is her rival at the local daily getting the inside scoop on a story that should be hers? And just what actually happened that summer of 1994 that seems to have lead inexorably to what’s happened today?

All in all, this is perfect summer reading.

A thrilling novel After a terrible tragedy happens Heather is seriously Injured and hospitalized When Jess an old friend of hers and now a journalist hears what happens and becomes involved she helps uncover a lot of secrets As thing start to unravel and relationships and friendships are tested some lives will never be the same again A thrilling novel with lots of twists along the way which keeps you guessing right to the end A fantastic read

This is the second book that i have read by Claire Douglas. The first being 'Last Seen Alive' which i very much enjoyed. I thought 'Then She Vanishes' couldn't be as good as the first, but i was wrong. It was excellent and if i could give more than five stars i would. I seldom write what a story is about as i prefer one to read the book for themselves, but i do highly recommend. Cannot wait to read more by this author.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review, freely given.

Then She Vanishes kept me engrossed from the first chapter to the last with murders, missing people, lies and secrets. The 2 main characters had been close friends in the past and the book is as much the story of a need to reconnect as it is a murder/psychological thriller.

Filled with twists, turns and red herrings, this was a gripping and fast paced read that I found difficult to put down. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.