Lisa Jewell’s latest novel is a split narrative mystery. In 2017, young parents Tallulah and Zach leave their young son with Tallulah’s mum Kim while they go out for a date night. After leaving the pub with another group of teenagers to head to a local party, no one sees them again. Neither of them return home.

A year later, Sophie and her boyfriend have just moved into a cottage in the grounds of the boarding school he’s just become the Head teacher of. When Sophie is out exploring nearby, she sees a sign nailed to a fence that says “dig here.” Does she find something that explains what happened to Tallulah and Zach the night they disappeared?

The story is told by three female protagonists, Kim, Tallulah and Sophie. All three are likeable and well developed characters who make the story engaging and very readable. Each voice is very distinct so there was no confusion over whose part of the story I was on.

The plot is interesting and flows very nicely, keeping the readers hooked without it becoming too stagnant, even though it is slightly more slower paced than some mystery novels. However, I didn’t find it boring at all, and it did keep my interest; I think this is purely down to good writing.

I can’t say I was blown away by it, and I have to admit, the ending, while it wasn’t completely unbelievable, was a tad too farcical for my liking. I don’t think any of the big twists blew me away, I saw a lot of the big reveals coming if I’m honest. However, I’m yet to read a Lisa Jewell book that’s disappointed me, and this is no exception. It was a steady, good read.

Summer 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 text message. Mum, there's some people here from college, they asked me back to theirs. Just for an hour or so. Is that OK?"

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 novel has three timelines interspersed with each other, the time after Tallulah doesn’t come home which concentrates on her mother Kim’s point of view, current day events which mostly concentrates on Sophie’s point of view and the events of the months leading up to the disappearance which mostly concentrate on Tallulah’s point of view. It’s not particularly confusing as each switch is labelled with a date,

The story owes much to the author’s talented use of smoke and mirrors, and it results in an addictive read, with several twists, and a very surprising ending. Overall, a compelling, absorbing read which I really enjoyed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone, Century for an advance copy in return for a fair and honest review

I have loved every Lisa Jewel book to date but found this one disappointing.
I wanted to know how the story was going to end and kept reading to the end but the premise that Sophie, an author and the the main character – would not remember a plot line of one of her previous books is just not plausible. Neither is her behaviour in the school where her partner has just become the headmaster; sharing a beer with a young master alone in his room would probably not be advisable behaviour.
Relationships were well described and the theme of parenting – both good and bad cleverly investigated.

without a question, 5 stars
In 2017, Tallulah then 19 years old, went on out with her longlife boyfriend Zach, leaving her newborn son with her mother, Kim.
In the morning, Kim is baffled to find that the couple has not returned home and is not responding to her incessant calls and messages. she was certain that something bad must have happened to them as she is certain that, despite their young age, they wouldn't leave without their baby.
Kim's frustration gives way to rage when Zach's parents and the police are mostly indifferent and prefer to settle for a simple explanation: they must have run away.
a year later, a new mover to the village, Sophie a novelist, found a sign indicating to dig, and when she does, she found an engagement ring in a box.

The story is told in a dual timeline, unfolding, as it goes, Tallullah's secrets and revealing the events that led to that faithful night. It was an astonishing read, intense and brightly plotted. I love how the story has many layers; I kept speculating until the end.
I was dumbstruck over that ending, and couldn't believe the nerve on some characters.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Cornerstone for my advanced copy

Young mum, 19 year old Tallulah Murray, her baby Noah, and boyfriend, Zach, (father of Noah), are living with Tallulah’s mum Kim. Tallulah and Zach dote on baby Noah equally, and after a very tough year, they’re treating themselves to a date night at the local pub. Kim is babysitting, it’s a beautiful summer’s evening, it should be a special night, but when they don’t return home at the end of the night, it leads to a mystery that detectives find impossible to solve.

The last sighting of Tallulah and Zach, was when they left the pub with a group of the local ‘in’ crowd, led by Scarlett, a thoroughly spoiled individual, in fact Scarlett’s group are all wealthy, and privileged, and definitely not the type to mix with the likes of Tallulah and Zach. The group were heading to Scarlett’s parent’s mansion for a pool party.

Over a year later, and finding themselves with no serious leads, the police team investigating the case, are no further forward, but the investigation and thereby deduction process, is taken up by Tallulah’s mum Kim, and Sophie ( the new headmaster’s girlfriend). Sophie, a novelist, finds a hand written sign by the back gate of her and partner Shaun’s cottage, just by the entrance to the woods. The sign says DIG HERE, so naturally, she does just that, and discovers something very interesting that definitely relates to the missing couple’s case. Between them, Sophie and Kim manage to do what the police were unable to, and their extensive investigations and intelligent powers of deduction finally brings results.

Told from multiple POV’s and three timelines, the story owes much to the author’s talented use of smoke and mirrors, and results in an addictive read, with several twists, and a very surprising ending.

I've been reading Lisa Jewell books for as long as she has been writing them,and really enjoy the mystery/thriller type ones.
This is a great addition to her catalogue.
Whilst being a slow burn in terms of details of what happened,it gives just the right amount of menace to lead you to NEED to know where those teenagers went.

Likeable and believable characters,who all get sucked in by the mystery,as was I.
At the end,I'm now left wondering,what were the ultimate plans???

Another goodie.

Lisa Jewell has once again held me captive with this wonderfully intriguing story that was so hard to put down. This author drew me in with her amazing words and then left me open-mouthed and totally floored by the time I got to the end of the book. Lisa always produces very good work and is by far one of my favourites for the genre!

How much did I love this book? It's one of those that you pick up and then remain stuck to right until the end, Probably one of my favourite books of the year so far,

Tallulah and Zach, teenage parents and partners went missing 15 months ago after a night out, leaving their son with Tallulah's mother Kim holding the baby.

Kim knows that something went wrong as they were never found, but without leads the case is as cold as ice, with police thinking the couple may have voluntarily left as life with a baby was too much.

Sophie, a crime detective author, moves into the area with her partner, and discovers a clue which may help discover what happened on that fateful night.

We discover the life of the local rich kid, Scarlet and her friends, and at the same time through a series of flashbacks to the events leading up to that night we grimly discover what happened to Tallulah and Zach.

I was not expecting the ending, and that's always a good sign! And my husband knows when I am reading something good as he says I have permanently wide eyes and gasp a lot. This was certainly one of those books! Please read it, it is, yet again from Lisa Jewell absolutely brilliant.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa Jewell always manages to smash books out of the ball park. An excellent story which kept me up all night. Couldn't stop until I had finished

Jewell's talent as a writer continues to grow and grow. I LOVED this! The Night She Disappeared is a sharply written thriller with heartbreakingly real characters and a dramatically satisfying ending. In 2017 19-year old Tallulah and her boyfriend Zach disappear after a poolside party at Tallulah's weathly friend's home. Tallulah's mum Kim assumes she knows her daughter inside out and is convinced that the couple wouldn't just up and leave not least because they have a one-year-old son together. Their disappearance isn't aggressively pursued by the local police, accordingly little is made of the fact that Tallulah's friend Scarlett and her family up and leave their home for one of their other overseas properties. Two years later Sophie, a crime novelist, moveds into the local boarding school with her headmaster partner. When Sophie finds a sign saying 'Dig here' the two women eventually start to work together to discover just what happened on the night of the pool party. What are Scarlett and Tallulah's friends covering up? Jewell's talent (among many) is to create sharp, credible, contemporary characters and gifts them superbly realistic inner lives, all while perfectly weaving in and out of her cast of characters points of view. Brilliant - HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Very much enjoyed this new offering from Lisa Jewell who I have read and liked before. Compelling and clever thriller which will keep you guessing to the end. Thank you.

Brilliantly written and packed with suspense that kept me guessing till the end. I liked how the story wove in time abs between characters. Utterly gripping and Highly recommended.

This book is amazing. When Tallulah disappears on a night out with her boyfriend, her Mum is left with their baby and a whole host of unanswered questions. The arrival of a new headmaster and his girlfriend, a mystery writer, initiates some strange occurrences connected to the disappearance. The story is told from different perspectives and I particularly warmed to Tallulah's mum. I couldn't put it down and the ending was a complete shock to me.

Lisa Jewell has made the transition from successful chic lit author to psychological thriller author really successfully.
Having not read any of her previous genre, I began to read her preferred thriller genre out of curiosity.
Initially I found the different timelines confusing,as well as mixing up the various characters relating to said timelines.
However,once I got past that, I found the revealing of the various relationships and differing dynamics of the characters intriguing.
I dislike an ending which is predictable,this wasn't in that category. The twisty end surprised me and I felt it was a satisfactory conclusion that didn't disappoint.

Lisa Jewell is one of the only adult authors I read, and I relish every new title.

This is a thriller, quite a slow burning thriller, told with dual timelines and perspectives.

2019, young couple move into a cottage, not having a clue what has occurred in the town in the year before their arrival. While exploring her surrounds, Sophie sees a sign...saying Dig here...so she does,

2017, 19 year old Tallulah, a new young Mum, heads out for a night with her boyfriend. Neither of them are seen again, gone without a trace.

What Sophie found in the garden, is enough for the police to open up the investigation again, and finally get to the bottom of the mystery.

The dual timelines work well , as the investigation in 2019 heats up, we get to go back and piece together what really happened, but by bit.

It’s a perfect kind of read.
It’s easy to read, because it’s well written and suspenseful enough that you have to keep going because you want to find out what’s going on.
It’s also challenging enough that you are kept guessing.

A gripping tale that had me hooked from the start. This is always the case with any book by Lisa Jewell.
Tallulah and Zach are childhood sweet hearts and became parents to Noah at a young age. They live with Tallulah’s Mum Kim while they save for their own place. Kim babysitts one night while Tallulah and Zach have a well earned date night......but they never return.

Crime author Sophie moves to the village a few years later and discovers a sign saying “dig here” this starts a trail of events that uncover some dark secrets.

I was not disappointed at all by this book and found I was reading late into the night. There were so many twists during this book, leading to lots of emotions arising.

So pleased that Lisa Jewell wrote "The Night She Disappeared". As gripping as her other books and delighted that she managed to avoid 2020 and the whole covid problem. Easy to follow, with enjoyable characters and plot that kept me gripped right to the end.

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<p>Well she’s done it again! This is the best book by this author yet. I am a huge fan of Lisa Jewell and couldn’t wait to get stuck into this one. </p>
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<p>This is one fantastic author. Each book just gets better and better and this one has been impossible to put down. </p>
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<p>Lies unfold throughout the dual timeline of this one. It’s really hard to know who we can trust while trying to figure out what happened to Tallulah. </p>
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<p>This is well placed and well thought out. I have loved the twists and suspense filling each chapter of this one. I definitely haven’t been able to predict where this was going. </p>
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<p>I have had a strong dislike for Tallulah’s boyfriend throughout. This has added a whole other element to this book. The journey with the characters is one that will make you experience many emotions. </p>
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<p>This is one of my absolute favourites by one of my favourite authors. This is not a book to be left on the shelf. </p>
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<p>A definite five star read and one that must be read. </p>
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Wow, I could not put this book down. Lisa Jewell really does know how to tell a tale.
Set in 2 different time frames, Tallulah goes missing after an evening out with friends and her mum is left to look after her son whilst wondering where she went. Sophie moves to the village and turns sleuth to try and work things out.
The characters were great and you really got a sense of what Tallulah was going through and the world she inhabited. And how different people have different perspectives on the world.
I was gripped from the start. Lisa Jewell has a way of drawing the reader in and not letting them out again until the story has been told.

As you’d expect from Lisa Jewell this is a creepy mystery with solid characters and plenty of surprises. Sophie moves into the headmasters cottage of a private school, she finds herself involved in a local mystery of a missing teenage couple due to discovering a buried clue. She’s a mystery writer and this real life mystery doesn’t fail to engage her. In amongst her chapters we have flashbacks to the time Tallulah disappeared and the months before that when she’s struggling with her relationship with her boyfriend, who she is only still with due to them having a son, and her confusing feelings for the enigmatic Scarlett. There’s so many suspicious characters in this it’s hard to know what to think and the outcome is spine-chilling brilliant read.