Member Reviews
I’m fairly new to this genre of books and I find that they are slowly becoming my favourite! This is not my first book by Claire Douglas (definitely won’t be the last).
The book has such a good plot with many plot twists that really keep you on your toes. I actually love trying to guess how a book will end but in this case I was way off.
If your looking for a good suspenseful book then you must give this one a go.
I enjoyed this, but wasn't quite as gripped as the blurb would have me believe. I think I never really understood Jess nor liked her hugely. I found the ending a bit convoluted and rushed, all the ends did come together but I am not sure that the narrative gave the story the tension it needed to fully succeed. Good but not fantastic in my opinion.
It seems that there are hundreds of books on the market with a similar theme. Teenage friends, a secret, a missing girl and years later, it all coming to a head. Then She Vanishes is a readable novel on this theme. 32 year old Jess is a journalist who has returned to her home town following a scandal at her previous place of employment. She is desperate to prove herself and scared that if she doesn't she will be sacked. So when there is a double murder followed by an attempted suicide by the suspected murderer, she realises she is perhaps onto a good story especially as the suspect is Heather, a friend from her teenage years. Putting aside qualms about using her friendship in this way she contacts her ex friend's mother and manages to persuade her to give an interview. In so doing she finds herself drawn back into the bosom of this family. This in itself would have made an interesting novel, the conflicts she faces in using her friend in this way but there is a mystery to be solved, that of her friend's missing sister and whether her friend is in fact a murderer.
I was ultimately quite disappointed in this novel. I think perhaps this genre is a very crowded market and it is becoming more difficult to stand out. Certainly I guessed from very early on what was going o.n. This alone doesn't matter but I found it hard to engage with the main character and although certain scenes should have been very moving I just didn't get the emotion. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read the ARC.
A story of absent parents, troubled girls, predatory men and long-term secrets, ‘Then She Vanishes’ by Claire Douglas is carefully plotted and could well be a popular ‘beach book’ this summer.
Ambitious journalist Jessica Fox has moved back to her childhood haunts, working and living in Bristol with dependable boyfriend Rory. She soon realises that the main suspect at the centre of a double murder is Heather, her teenage-years best friend, and is immediately conflicted. She wants – needs – this story but knows that Heather’s mother, Margot Powell, is unlikely to welcome her with open arms. The 90s was a traumatic decade for them all.
Douglas introduces us to a large cast and is careful to ensure that all of her characters are memorable, and mostly credible, through her careful attention to physical and emotional detail and plausible motivations. The many loose ends are tied together neatly by the end of the story even though the finale is a little too well-ordered to simulate real life.
This novel deals with serious and difficult themes, but with a light touch. Few will dwell on the topics of child abduction, domestic abuse and drug addiction after the final page has been read because all of these issues are dealt with in a sanitised way. Whether or not readers will rate this novel will come down to whether they are looking for entertainment or something more besides.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House UK for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
A page-turning mystery with a dramatic opening scene and a twisty plot. This was certainly readable although I didn't feel there was anything in particular to make it stand out from an already crowded market - there's no particular "hook" that makes it easy to recommend in a nutshell.
A twisty mystery that's hard to put down
This book grips you from the first page, written in the first person to make it more compelling. It starts with the murder of two seemingly blameless people in a small seaside town near Bristol. They are apparently unknown to the perpetrator, Heather Underwood, a young woman who then tries to kill herself. But are they really unknown to her? Reporter Jessica Fox is asked to investigate, as she knew the accused as a teenager. A good, fast-paced thriller with a slam-dunk ending.
My first Claire Douglas and oh boy what a an eye opener it was a real murder mystery with loads going on and and the big question is not just who did it but why which made it a real hard book to put down.
The story goes from past to present and is told from the point of view of Jess a local journalist who has personal connections with the family and Margot the mother of the suspected killer and this really adds to the suspense. I liked the style of the writing it was easy to follow even though there were plenty of characters and most of them with secrets to hide which were teased out slowly as the book progressed. The plot was unusual with a fabulous twist of an ending and this was a refreshing change as I read a lot of thriller’s and sometimes plots can become a little stale, but with this book the storyline just grew on me and I was very impressed with both the quality of the writing and plot.
From me it’s a 4+ star read and if you love a good mystery then this one is certainly going to be for you it’s stunning read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Penguin UK - Michael Joseph for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
Then she vanishes
Amazing opening scene (nothing like getting straight into the action! )as a young woman dispatches a mother and son whom she has just rudely awoken by shooting out their lock. The shotgun is later found beside the unconscious body of a woman in a barn who is hospitalised and placed under police guard.
Everything indicates an open and shut case but as journalist Jessica Fox starts to report on the case, she uncovers more and more details that might be relevant. Then another body is found and finally connections start to be made.
The plot contains a fair few twists though I was expecting the final outcome. However, I did start to doubt my conclusions before having them confirmed. A well written book. I would definitely seek out more from Claire Douglas.
Thanks to Penguin UK (Michael Joseph) and NetGalley for the invitation to read a free ARC.
Oh wow, what a tense thriller. The plot just deepens and deepens. Good idea to have a journalist as the main character, worked much better than a police officer would have done. Dark and gripping.
This is the first book I have read from this author and it won't be the last. I really enjoyed it and I found it to be a great book with an excellent plot, a gripping page turner with a satisfactory ending.
If you like a good, hard to put down read then this is the book for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin UK (Michael Joseph) for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Rating: 3.5 - 4*
With thanks to Michael Joseph for this weekends invitation to read Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas.
Written from Jess and Margot POV with each section headed up.
Jess - a reporter now working on a bi-weekly paper. When she was younger Jess was best friends with Heather and a constant visitor to her home it was like she was part of the family. But time has moved on and they haven't seen or spoken for eighteen years. She’s with Josh now, he uprooted and came out to Bristol with Jess after she lost her job in London, he’s supply teaching. Jess has a couple of secrets they could shatter her world. When she tells Jack, the papers photographer and her good friend, one of them he urges her to come clean. She knows he’s right, life’s never easy. She was lucky to be taken on and now she’s got a possible break but can she really be the hard-boiled journalist, can she be impartial?
Margot - mother to Flora and Heather; she looked on Jess as another daughter but then, when Flora went missing, Jess distanced herself from Heather. Margot didn’t understand but she was so devastated over Flora and time has passed. What will she think when Jess comes back into their lives? Under such circumstances? And, now, Jess is a journalist! But Margot needs someone to talk to, can Jess really be that person or will she just take the story and leave - again?
Heather - now married to Adam with an 18 month old son, Ethan. She and Jess were best friends then Flora went missing. It’s been eighteen years. Now Heather’s in hospital believed to have attempted to commit suicide after killing two seemingly innocent people!
There's a lot to this story - missing persons, drugs, jealousy, need, murder, mystery, secrets and more. You will think you know what happened but do you really? It's a book that will keep you reading, wondering and guessing until the end. I liked the ending but you are also left with a lingering sadness of what might have been, a heart-rendering sadness for what was. Still hope for what will be.
This is the first book by Claire Douglas that I have read and it’s a cracker! I recommend this book and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
I’d like to thank Penguin UK-Michael Joseph and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘And Then She Vanishes’ by Claire Douglas in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Jess Fox is a reporter with the Bristol & Somerset Herald and learns there’s been a double shooting near the Tilby Manor Caravan Park for which Heather Underwood is thought to be responsible. Heather and Jess were best friends at school and she always remembered Heather as being a warm and caring person, so what’s happened to turn her into a killer? As Jess was at one time very close to Heather’s family, her mother Margo, and sister Flora who went missing many years ago, she hopes to get an exclusive story to keep her editor happy. But as Jess starts digging around for the truth, someone leaves a message on her car windscreen warning her to ‘back off’.
This is a chilling psychological thriller that has a strong and complex plot which moves between the 1980s and the present time. It took me a while to get into the story which was promising at the beginning but slowed down somewhat in the middle, but as I continued reading I was gradually drawn in as the plot became sinister and full of menace. There were twists and turns, some devious characters who I thought could be involved, but when I reached the conclusion I was shocked by the outcome which wasn’t what I’d expected. This novel is thrilling, very easy to read, and I have no hesitation in recommending it.
Another great page turner from Claire Douglas.
If you are looking for thrills, twists and great characters then you will not be disappointed. From the opening chapter to the final twist I was captivated.
Highly recommended.
A complicated and unusual story set in and around Bristol. Good characters and lots of twists right up to the end.
Couldn't stop reading this book. Brilliantly written with with amazing twists and turns.
Can't recommend this book enough.
A story based on two sisters, one who vanishes and the other who is found with a severe head injury after possibly shooting a man and his mother. There is also Jess, who was a friend of the sisters whilst they were growing up and now happens to be a journalist. This was very slow to start for me in comparison to Claire's earlier novels, however it builds layer upon layer to an amazing crescendo. Keep on reading... To the end. Loved it!
'Then she vanishes' is a captivating and well written psychological thriller that hooks you from the minute you start reading.
We are immediately thrown into the action when you mother Heather is accused of shooting and murdering a local pensioner and her son. Heather cannot defend herself or give her side of the story as after shooting herself in the head she was left comatose. But for those around her and her family circle they are left wondering how this apparently stable and caring woman could be responsible for something so shocking and out of character.
Her childhood best friend, Jess, who is now a journalist is asking the same questions. Tasked with getting the exclusive story Jess has to reexamine the past and try to draw some conclusions from her new found friendship with Heather's mother Margot.
Margot is also going through hell as this nightmare unfolds. After losing her husband and her eldest daughter Margot cannot take anymore heartache despite an overriding need to find out the truth of all three events.
This book is full of twists and turns that will leave you shocked right up until the very end. I hope to read more from Claire Douglas soon.
Full of twists and turns Claire Douglas never disappoints! I would highly recommend this book to fans of this genre I couldn’t put it down.
I really enjoyed this book, the story was interesting and I really wanted to know how it was going to end up - I read it in 2 sittings. It was a great holiday read - better than the average fun read by the pool. The only criticism would be the husband, he seemed off kilter for the rest of the characters, unnecessarily full of angst which didn't seem to be resolved.
Overall though it was a great story that I would recommend,
I did enjoy Then She Vanishes. The synopsis piqued my interest. The opening to the book is explosive but then the pace seems to completely slow as the book goes between past and present and events slowly unfold. It was billed as a twisty, compulsive thriller but I felt there was something missing.
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin UK Michael Joseph and the author for the chance to review.