The Night She Disappeared is another must read from Lisa Jewell. I was hooked from the first page, as the narrative moves between characters and timelines. Talullah and Zach are teenage parents who go missing on a night out, after partying at the mysterious Dark Place. One year on and novelist Sophie moves in to the private school nearby, and finds a clue to their disappearance. The book is really engaging and I looked forward to getting stuck into the action!

You know I have started this review 6 times now…..
Lisa Jewell is one of my favourite authors, ever, this was my least favourite book by her
Oh its perfectly ok,, t just didn’t gel plot or feasibility wise for me, what saves it is the authors amazing writing style/skill which as always had me turning each page and wanting to know the outcome even when I wasn’t fully invested,good ending
I really look forward to the author’s next book

6/10
3 Stars

I was gripped right from the very beginning of this. Absolutely chilling and such a great read. Would definitely recommend

I'm a huge fan of Lisa Jewell! One of my favorite authors, Lisa always manages to write a gripping page turner and this one was no different!

The night she disappeared is a story full of mystery as we learn that Tallulah has gone missing alongside her boyfriend Zach. Her mother , Kim, is adamant that this is really out of character and her daughter wouldn't choose to leave her baby boy Noah .. Kim is convinced her daughter hasn't just run away so she calls the police ..

One year later , Tallulah and Zach are still missing and cosy-mystery writer Sophie has just moved to the area. Sophie can't find the motivation to write her mystery novels but instead soon becomes involved in the real life mystery of the teenagers who disappeared!

After finding the 'Dig Here' sign and other clues she becomes determined to help Kim find out what happened to her daughter!

Lisa has a way of sucking you right in to the plot, I was hooked and couldn't stop reading! Such a gripping, twisty read and lots of mystery to keep you guessing!

A fantastic mystery thriller for Lisa Jewell fans and if you haven't read Lisa Jewell .. start now !

Having read some other Lisa Jewell books I couldn’t wait to start this one. Sadly it didn’t quite live up to the others but it’s certainly still worth a read. I did have to concentrate hard on the two timelines as they were so close together and there were quite a few characters. Although I liked Sophie I felt she was a little too twee for this author and would have been more suited to a cosy murder mystery. However, the final twist was very unexpected although I felt throughout the book there was something going on with this character. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for letting me read and review this book.

Midsummer 2017: teenage mum Tallulah heads out on a date, leaving her baby son at home with her mother, Kim.

At 11pm she sends her mum a text message. At 4.30am Kim awakens to discover that Tallulah has not come home.

Friends tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a pool party at a house in the woods nearby called Dark Place.

Tallulah never returns.

2018: walking in the woods behind the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started as a head-teacher, Sophie sees a sign nailed to a fence.

A sign that says: DIG HERE . . .

This book wasn’t a very good read, in fact it was flipping fantastic in my opinion. When I started reading this book I just knew I was going to be completely hooked on the story. It is written in two timelines, 2017 leading up to and the actual event and 2018 what happened after. It was very easy to follow each timeline and it wasn’t confusing in any way. There is nothing I disliked about this book, a brilliant and addictive story with a strong cast of characters.

It's 2017 and Talullah has a baby and for the first time leaves Noah with her mother Kim to go with her boyfriend Zach to see some friends. When the next morning she hasn't returned Kim is understandably worried and sets out to find her. She is devoted to Noah and would never leave him. Back in 2019 Sophie has just arrived at the school where her boyfriend has just got a position as head and is getting to know both the staff and the area. When she finds a sign in the garden saying “ dig here ” with an arrow pointing downwards, she is intrigued and being a detective writer she has to pursue it which leads her to the reopening of a case never finalised. I always enjoy Lisa’s books, there is always that air of mystery and tension in a good way building as you go through the book. A cleverly crafted plot from a master writer and planner. Enough to keep the grey matter active, nothing to give you nightmares, but enough to keep me awake wanting to find out more! A gripping read with characters you can take to. Kim and Sophie both come across as well rounded, caring people wanting to find the truth. A plot to stir the imagination and to keep the pages turning. A highly enjoyable read.
(amazon done- misfits farm)

The Night She Disappeared is the latest wickedly twisty psychological thriller from bestselling suspense writer Lisa Jewell in which a cold case, an abandoned mansion, family trauma and dark secrets lie at the heart of the story. On a beautiful summer night in 2017 in a charming English suburb, a responsible young woman, 19-year-old Tallulah, and her new boyfriend, Zach, disappear after partying at the massive country estate of a new college friend. It's a well deserved evening off for mother Tallulah who has left her baby with her mother Kim. Kim watches her daughter leave and, as late evening turns into night, which turns into early morning, she waits for her return. And waits, but it is to no avail. Desperate to find out where she might be, Kim contacts Tallulah’s friends and discovers that Tallulah was last seen heading to a party at a house situated in the nearby woods that locals know only as the Dark Place. It hardly sounds inviting, does it? And the stories that swirl around it are enough to unsettle anyone.

But are any of the horror stories related to Tallulah’s vanishing? Two years later in 2019, the mystery of Tallulah’s disappearance remains unsolved and a writer named Sophie moves into a cottage on the edge of the woods that borders the same estate near the boarding school in which her boyfriend has just begun working as headteacher. The dense forest is the writer's favourite area for long walks and it's on one such walk that she stumbles upon a mysterious note that simply reads, "DIG HERE." Could this be a clue towards what has happened to the missing young couple? And what exactly is buried in this haunted ground? This is a compulsive and enthralling mystery with plenty of creepiness and a fast-paced, tightly spun narrative. It's a contemporary thriller with twists at every turn and a steady stream of reveals and red herrings propelling you onwards. With a claustrophobic atmosphere created by the forest setting and more suspense and intrigue than you can shake a stick at, you can clearly see the gap Tallulah has left behind and the palpable grief felt by her family. Highly recommended.

I liked this book from Lisa Jewell. It’s a good mystery that had me gripped, I couldn’t put it down. There’s multiple points of view and multiple timelines. I liked the twists and that she kept you guessing, however I did guess the ending about half way through but it was still enjoyable.

A gripping, can't put down read. Engaging and well written characters, a story that slowly slowly unfolds, this is a book you want to read! Tallulah is a teenage mother, who loves her baby son Noah totally. She goes out one night with her boyfriend Zach, and neither of them return. What happened to them? Where did they go?
15 months later Sophie moved into a cottage close to the village where the two teenagers disappeared, and is soon discovering clues to what happened. Such a brilliant story, this book had me on the edge if my seat, desperate to find out what had happened. Highly recommended read!

I love Lisa Jewell. She's one of my favourite authors. When I read The Family Upstairs, I had thought nothing could top it - but I love this book even more. It has everything: strong characters, a claustrophobic mystery, a gothic house, creepy teenagers - and a cute dog! It's the kind of book you have to read faster and faster because you're really worried about how it's all going to end!
The Night She Disappeared is told over two timelines by multiple viewpoints. In 2017, Tallulah goes on a date with her boyfriend Zach, leaving her baby with her mother Kim. The next morning Tallulah still hasn't come home. Kim discovers that Tallulah and Zach were invited to the local big house, Dark Place (which already has a sinister reputation), but when Kim calls around the owner says that all the teenagers left after the party. Kim knows Tallulah would never willingly abandon her baby. So where is she?

Then two years later, when everyone but Kim has moved on with their lives, a crime writer called Sophie spots a sign in the local woods that says 'Dig Here'...

The Night She Disappeared is a clever, twisty mystery that doesn't let up on the suspense or tension for a second. I particularly loved the character of Kim, who refuses to give up hope that her daughter will be found, even though all the evidence is to the contrary. Tallulah's friend, Scarlett, is an intriguing character, and I loved the spookiness and legends of Dark Place. Fans of Lisa Jewell will love it. One of my favourite reads this year.



Thanks to Lisa Jewell and Cornerstone/Century/Random House UK for my copy of this book, which I requested from NetGalley and reviewed voluntarily.

I’d like to thank Random House UK, Cornerstone and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Night She Disappeared’ by Lisa Jewell in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

It’s June 2017 and Tallulah and her partner Zach leave their baby Noah in the capable hands of her mum Kim to spend the evening at a local pub. While there they meet Tallulah’s friend Scarlett and her friends and they all go back to Scarlett’s family home to continue the evening around her pool. When Tallulah and Zach haven’t returned by morning Kim’s getting worried and contacts the police. It’s now August 2018 and Tallulah’s been missing for over a year when Sophie who writes crime mysteries under the name of P J Fox moves from London to the countryside with her forty-something boyfriend Shaun who’s the new headteacher at Maypole House. She doesn’t think she’ll get the motivation that London gives her for writing her next book but little does she know that she’ll soon get embroiled in a real-life drama.

‘The Night She Disappeared’ has had me well and truly caught hook, line and sinker until I couldn’t stop reading, ignoring everything around me until I’d found out what happened to Tallulah. It’s a totally involving thriller that spans the period 2017 to 2018 moving from Scarlett and her lifestyle to Tallulah and her family. The tension is palpable, the suspense unbelievable as we finally learn what happened the night of the party. With the events happening around the world I’m amazed that Ms Jewell has been able to write such an inventive and intricately woven plot with powerful characters, all coming together with the police interviews and the final few pages where the loose ends are tightly tied together. This is an amazing thriller that definitely shouldn’t be missed, and one I can wholeheartedly recommend.

My thanks to Random House U.K. Cornerstone for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Night She Disappeared’ by Lisa Jewell in exchange for an honest review.

I can always count on Lisa Jewell to deliver a cracking psychological thriller/mystery. I found her latest book almost impossible to put down. So in order to avoid spoilers I won’t say too much about the plot.

The story is set primarily in Upfield Common, a picturesque Surrey village, and emerges through two timelines separated by fourteen months. In June 2017 Tallulah, a teenage mum, heads out on a date leaving her baby son at home with her mother, Kim. Yet when Kim wakes in the early hours she discovers that Tallulah has not come home.

Kim learns from Tallulah’s friends that she and her boyfriend, Zach, were last seen heading to a pool party at a house in the nearby woods called Dark Place. Yet neither Tallulah and Zach return. There is some investigation by the police but the case quickly goes cold.

In August 2018: Sophie Beck is walking in the woods behind Maypole House, the private boarding school in the Surrey hills where her boyfriend has just started as head-teacher. She sees a sign nailed to a fence: ‘Dig Here’. Sophie is a writer of cosy mysteries and cannot ignore such an invitation. What she uncovers throws light on the missing teenagers.

The structure of the narrative does demand close attention to avoid confusion, even though each chapter heading clearly states the date. This is especially so when Kim appears in both timelines.

Overall, I feel that ‘The Night She Disappeared’ will not only prove a success with existing fans of Lisa Jewell but also win her enthusiastic new readers.

Within the sub genre of psychological thrillers/mysteries, this novel ticks all my boxes and so happy to recommend.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
Pub Date 22 July 2021

"Mum, there's some people here from college, they asked me back to theirs. Just for an hour or so. Is that OK?"
Midsummer 2017: teenage mum Tallulah heads out on a date, leaving her baby son at home with her mother, Kim.
At 11pm she sends her mum a text message. Then, at 4.30am, Kim awakens to discover that Tallulah has not come home.
Friends tell her that Tallulah was last seen heading to a pool party at a house in the woods nearby called Dark Place.
Tallulah never returns.
2018: walking in the woods behind the boarding school where her boyfriend has just started as a head-teacher, Sophie sees a sign nailed to a fence.
A sign that says: DIG HERE . .
The Night She Disappeared is a captivating psychological thriller that grabs your attention right from the first page and doesn't let go until the final full stop.
As you would expect from this author, the Plot is expertly contrived, and the delivery is top-notch.
This skilful piece of writing has everything a psychological thriller should. The multiple timelines and details keep you guessing, and the way the story unfolds, and all the elements, come together to its perfect conclusion. I am happy to recommend this one.
I want to thank NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone and author Lisa Jewell for a pre-publication copy to review.

I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan so was very excited to get the chance to read this one ahead of it's release. Following the disappearance of Tallulah and her boyfriend Zach this really kept me guessing throughout. The characters are well developed and the pace was good throughout making it a real page turner. I enjoyed all the twists and turns and although I had a few ideas throughout there were a couple of revelations that really caught me off guard. I personally think this might be my favourite book of hers I've read to date.

The Night She Disappeared was a book that I listened to and thought it was simply fantastic. It was a slow burn of a read at times but I think that it suited the book. I loved the way the story was told in the different timelines, I really can’t recommend this book highly enough..

Leaving her baby son with her mum, Tallulah heads off to the local pub with her boyfriend. All is well until the early hours of the morning when Tallulah's mum, Kim realises that Tallulah hasn't returned home and even though she traces her daughter's last known whereabouts, and despite an intensive police search of the local area neither Tallulah, nor her boyfriend, Zach are found. Two years later and Sophie is walking in the woods near to the property where she and her partner have just moved and she comes across a mysterious message which opens up the cold case once more to scrutiny.

The Night She Disappeared is a powerful and compelling psychological thriller which grabs grabs your attention right from the opening prologue and doesn't let go for a single minute. It's quite a chilling story, especially in the description of Dark Place, an old mansion which features strongly and which not only adds an air of gothic gloom but also a sense of creeping menace. It's definitely one of those stories which is best read in one sitting and even though I was reading the book on one of the hottest days of the year I definitely felt an anticipatory chill in my bones as I read on to the startling conclusion.

The Night She Disappeared is Lisa Jewell writing at her absolute best in a powerful psychological thriller which will keep you guessing from start to finish.

In June 2017, Tallulah Murray goes on a date with her boyfriend Zach to the local pub, leaving their baby son with Tallulah’s mother, Kim. When Kim wakes up next day, they’re still not back home yet –d id something happen? Tallulah is responsible, she has her school and she would never leave her baby. Is it time to call the police?
One year later, Sophie Beck, girlfriend of a new headteacher at the local school, is walking the woods, only to find a sign saying „Dig here“ – so she does, and suddenly there is maybe hope that they’re going to find Zach and Tallulah. Or is it too late?

The story alternates between three time periods and it flows seamlessly, especially when you’re already familiar with the characters and the plot. In 2017, we get to know Tallulah, the one who disappeared. Her story, actually, is complex and twisty and stretches through the whole novel. When she doesn’t come home one day, we start to follow her mother Kim and then there is also the present timeline, which follows Sophie, author of cozy mysteries. It jumps then between the times, but no worries here, it’s not confusing, thoug I must say that it starts to feel repetitive and disjointed. I had more problems with the story not being able to keep me interested. I didn’t feel any connection with the characters, couldn’t relate with them and somehow I also had a feeling that some of them are simply there for the sake of the story, that they just fitted in. One of the characters was so antipathetic and controlling and dominant that truly, I was not sad with what has happened to them, actually I was satisfied – I hope it doesn’t make me a bad person.

I’ve seen reviews stating it’s Lisa Jewell’s best novel yet… Hmmm… I’m sorry, but I didn’t find this book as riveting and captivating as so many other reviewers. It was a very slow mystery and I found myself waiting all the time for something to happen, for a big reveal, and I was turning the pages to get to these things, but, sadly, they never came. It was a steady read, with some twists and turns that, however, weren’t as thrilling, and actually it was easily predictable. I was simply waiting for more, for this „something“ and I didn’t get it – I was expecting more.

The writing style is really good, you can’t say a bad word about it, the author is for sure a good story teller and huge brownie points for the dog at the end of the book.

This book is set in two timelines. 2017 & 2019. In 2017 we follow Tallulah as she prepares for a night out with her boyfriend, leaving their baby in the capable hands of her mother Kim with whom they all live. A night out that she, and boyfriend Zach both fail to come home from. We also follow the days leading up to that night as well as some of the direct aftermath. It appears that Tallulah met up with friends from college and went to a house party.
Back in the present, 2019, we meet Sophie as she moves in to accommodation in the boarding school where her boyfriend has just taken up the position of headmaster. She's a crime author so she has a nose for investigation so, imagine her "delight" when she comes across a sign fixed to a tree - "Dig Here". Then imagine her intrigue at what she unearths... Spoilers prevent me from saying much more but Sophie is then thrown onto a course which will lead her to trying to figure out what happened to Tallulah and Zach...
I've not that long discovered this author - yes I know - but since I have, I have read everything she has newly written as well as trying to play catch-up with her back catalogue. There is something about her style of writing, her plots, characters, delivery, that just gels with me so well. It's hard to put a finger on exactly what, and to be honest, I'm not sure knowing is important, I just know that before I start a book by her I need to clear my decks for the foreseeable as I know I will get sucked in and be grumpy if I have to put it down for more than a life-or-death situation!
This book was no exception, sucking me in from the off, holding me captive throughout and spitting me out at the end wholly satisfied. Characters were excellent, wholly believable and easy to connect to - both in the positive and negative. Plot was expertly contrived and very well delivered, holding my level of intrigue high all the way through, compelling me to keep reading.
And with no superfluous padding or waffle and description limited to just the necessary to progress and complement the storyline, the book got on with itself very well.
All in all, a cracking addition to an already well impressive back catalogue. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

What joy! A mystery featuring many characters - mostly lovable.

Very young unmarried parents Tallulah and Zach go out for an evening date and drink in the local pub and, as usual, their babysitter is Tallulah's mum, Kim. This date was initially the two of them but other friends muscle in and the party continues at a friend's house. From then, Ms Jewell leads us in a search for the missing couple who did not return that night or indeed the next morning. No more contact was received and some locals and the police start a search.

I was initially disappointed at the timelines but there were only three and they did help with the whole mystery. The setting was a small village with the local private school backing on to a large wooded area PLUS an abandoned old house - aptly named 'Dark Place'. All well described, as are the main characters including the private school's head teacher (Shaun) and, wait for it...his partner (Sophie) who writes 'cozy crime' stories.! You can guess who helps solve the mystery!?

If Ms Jewell can bring back Liam and the wonderful Scarlett, I will not be disappointed. Certain 5 stars.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for the chance to read and review.