ewell was an unread-by-me author till now. It was certainly an explosive, but pleasant, introduction, although I do have some niggles.

The niggles: well, the civilian-turns-amateur-detective thing is a bit overdone, and when said civilian is also a writer of detective novels, it's all a bit clichéd. Secondly, the story is told over two time frames, only 18-24 months apart; the extremely unwelcome present-tense narrative not only makes that confusing, but the latter is also messy: there is no congruity within the earlier time frame…some of it is present tense, some of it isn't. I'm not a fan of PTN in any case, even less of a fan when it's inconsistent.

That aside, Jewell is a fantastic writer, and this is certainly a very compelling read with a cheeky little twist at the end.

As the title suggests, there is a disappearance. Teenage mum, Tallulah and her boyfriend, Zach, go to the party of a rich, privileged, self-entitled student, leaving their son with his grandmother, Kim (Tallulah's mum). It's the last time Kim sees either of them. Two years later, novelist Sophie and her head-teacher husband move into the same village. Whilst exploring the nearby woods, she finds a note tied to a tree inviting the reader of the note to 'dig here'. She can't for the life of her fathom why that note is so familiar. What she finds buried in the signposted spot reopens the cold case of Tallulah and her boyfriend's unsolved disappearance.

Plenty of suspense and mystery, plenty of red herrings, in fact a plentiful amount of reasons to keep you firmly glued right to the end. I really enjoyed it.

As a result, I am definitely going to read more of this author, but I do so hope she doesn't have a fetish for present-tense narrative which I find so constrictive and unappealing.

Lisa Jewell is a psychological thriller writer at the top of her game, and it shows in this pacy and taut story about a clash of haves and have=nots at an elite school.

I really enjoyed the first 4/5ths of this book - thought it was very good, Good characters and plot development. Really felt for the mum and her anguish was very well written. The relationship of the two missing young adults was again very well written and the obviously controlling issues were not over done and crept up on you as the reader in the same way I am sure they do in real life.
Was not such a fan of the amateur detective/writer - thought that was a little silly and to be honest not sure she was really needed - the mum could easily have done that 'role'.
However where it all went wrong for me was the last 1/5th of the novel it just all fell into a cliched mess - so unrealistic - not helped by the fact we had no idea really why the mum of the killer did what she did - where was the motivation to not only cover up for her daughter (a daughter who she did not really care for) but to then go on and drug, kidnap the missing girl - and at one point its said she is also poisoning her daughter - just why? That was lazy writing I feel.
Overall though an enjoyable read - an easy read and I am sure will do well.

I usually really like Lisa's novels but something about this one just didn't click with me.
I found myself not caring about any of the characters which in turn meant I really wasn't invested in the story.
It was unfortunately a dnf for me this time.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for an advance copy of The Night She Disappeared, a stand-alone thriller set in the fictional Surrey village of Upley Fold.

In June 2017 teenager Tallulah Murray goes on a date with her boyfriend, Zach, to the local pub where they later meet people she knows and end up at a party at a house called Dark Place. They are never seen again. In 2018 Sophie Beck is walking in the woods behind the boarding school where her boyfriend has recently been appointed headteacher and finds a sign saying “dig here”, so she does.

I have not read any of Ms Jewell’s work before, so I was interested to give The Night Before She Disappeared a go. I quite enjoyed it, but it’s not my type of reading. I didn’t like the format and didn’t get invested in the characters so it didn’t hold my attention.

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, but it makes for a disjointed read as the reader is constantly moving from one timeline and narrative voice to another. I found it difficult to work up any enthusiasm to read on because these splits also slow the novel down.

There is so much backstory to Tallulah that it consumes the novel without getting to the point until about three quarters of the way through when things start to heat up and it starts to get interesting, with twists, explanations and two unbelievable final scenarios. Most of it is taken up with problems in her love life and it’s repetitive. Or is simply that I can’t identify with a troubled teen? Who knows? I found her dreary and secretive. I have no idea why Sophie would do her own investigation when the police are on the case but she is the catalyst character, moving the plot on with her discoveries. The only nuanced character is Kim. Her grief and need to cope are well portrayed and very relatable.

The Night She Disappeared is not my kind of reading as I prefer a solid investigation rather than a lengthy excavation of the past. Readers should not be put off by my take on the novel as there is plenty there, including several twists for those who prefer a wider ranging read.

The Night She Disappeared
Young parents Tallulah and Zach go out for an evening drink leaving their baby son in the care of Tallulahs mum Kim. They text her later in the night telling her that they are going to be late back as they head out to a friends house to continue the party. That is the last contact Kim has with her daughter. Both Tallulah and Zack have disappeared without any trace.
What follows is a gripping tale of surprise and suspense. The author has set the story with duel timelines which adds to the tension. This story had me gripped and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks to #NetGalley and Random House UK/Cornerstone for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#TheNightSheDisappeared.

Wow just wow. Was gripped from start to finish. This is one of Lisa’s best! The story of a young mother who went missing, told from the year before when it happened, and then a year later when someone started looking into it! Loved it!

I usually really enjoy Lisa's books but this one just didn't work for me. I couldn't figure out the rationale for setting it in a school (where the students rarely feature but random adults live for no apparent reason) and the Tallulah story was just too out there for me. What was the point of Sophie's husband in all this and his kids etc.? The almost romance between Kim and Dominic? I will still read Lisa's next book straight away as I've enjoyed all of her previous novels, this one just wasn't for me.

I absolutely love Lisa Jewell's books and I think this is her best yet!
Telling the story of Tallulah, a teenage mum with a controlling boyfriend, Zach, and her charismatic new friend Scarlett.
Scarlett lives in the aptly named Dark Place, with her incredibly rich family. Tallulah lives with her mum and her boyfriend in the same village.
One night, following a pool party at Scarlett's house, Tallulah and Zach disappear. There are no clues to their disappearance and opinion is that they have run away from the responsibility of parenthood.
With the determination of Tallulah's mum, Kim, and the new headmaster's girlfriend, Sophie, - a crime novelist - the mystery of their disappearance is gradually unwrapped, piece by piece.
This book is cleverly written, twisting and turning with a brilliant plot and conclusion.
A must read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for this ARC.

This is the second book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoyed it. Tallulah and her partner go out one evening and never return - where are they and what happened to them? I loved the authors writing style here, I thought it was engaging, very descriptive and the story flowed really well and captured and held my attention right from the start. The characters were believable, mostly likeable and the author wrote of their feelings, emotions and thoughts very eloquently. I particularly liked the dual time line and how the book moved from past to present times so effortlessly and that was the story was told through different characters. This book was one that really hit the mark with me, it was written very well, had plenty of twists to keep me guessing and raced to a final conclusion tying up all loose ends. Overall a great entertaining read that surpassed my expectations, and one I would recommend.

The book is set in different timelines, Before she disappeared, After, and Present, It is easy to follow and brilliantly written. The three main characters are likeable but there are also some detestable ones too. Tallulah and her boyfriend Zach disappear after a night out, Kim, Tallulah's mum is certain that something bad must have happened to them as she is certain that they wouldn't leave without their baby Noah who she now has full responsibility for. Sophie who has just moved into the area is unwittingly drawn into the investigation, she is a crime writer and the girlfriend of the local headteacher. It is a year since Tallulah and Zach disappeared and they are no further forward in finding out what happened until Sophie comes across something that may be a clue. There is so much going on in this book, it is suspenseful very entertaining and I highly recommend it.

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell
I give this book 4.5 stars

Midsummer 2017: teenage mum Tallulah heads out on a date,
At 4.30am Kim awakens to discover she 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 . . .. .

I totally love this authors writing style and the now and then storyline is completely engaging.Plenty of twists you may or may not expect, l raced through the pages as fast as l could.
I enjoyed every second of this highly addictive read!
With thanks to Netgalley,Lisa Jewell and Random House UK Cornerstone for my chance to read and review this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House UK for the advanced digital copy of this book prior to publication on 22/7/21.
Told with the usual Lisa Jewell flare that I love and anticipate, this is a story across two timelines just over one year apart as a detective novelist, a mother and a missing daughter describe the events surrounding the disappearance of this young mum.
The story weaves a complex and compelling tale, with the usual subtle darkness that comes with Lisa Jewell’s books.
I’ve read all of Lisa Jewell’s books and each one seems to get even better than the last - this one will not disappoint! It’s easy to read but hard to put down!

This was my first book by this author and I was so impressed! I loved the plot- it started a little slow but it gripped me very rapidly. I loved the characters- they seemed so real that I felt I personally knew them and wanted to know them! I particularly loved the description of Scarlet- I think we all knew someone just like her as teenagers!

a fantastic read! I started this with the intention of just getting a feel for it and then reading after another book, but a few pages in i was hooked and unable to put it down.
the relationships between the characters are twisted and complicated, making the book intense and full of surprises.
There are also lots of characters, it makes you wonder what part they all play and leave you guessing til the reveal.
it's realistic, made more so by the telling from all the different perspectives. it gives you that sinister reminder that things may not always be as they seem on the outside.
I found myself racing through to unravel the story and i really didn't know what was coming next.
the setting, an old house, the history and the dark past made for the perfects place for the events to unfold.
another brilliant book by Lisa Jewell.

When Tallulah, a young mother, goes missing her mother sets out to discover what happened to her. This gives us a story with lots of suspense built over multiple time lines which certainly keeps the reader guessing.

Really interesting mystery from Lisa Jewell, doing what she does best - multiple points of view, different timelines, swapping perspectives and interlacing storylines.

I was so intrigued the whole time I was reading this, I raced through it desperate to find out if my ideas were right. I enjoyed that the mystery is unravalled slowly rather than a short sharp ending like a lot of this genre. Having only read one previous book from the author, which I was a little disappointed by, I'm looking forward to trying some more as this was entertaining.

<i>Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review</i>

I never miss a Lisa Jewell novel and I’m never disappointed; this was no exception. Totally gripping from beginning to end and terrifying at times, I devoured it. I loved the fact that Sophie is a crime writer, it’s a really great element and a nice change from a traditional detective character.
Can’t wait for the next one!
Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic read! I loved the suspense element and all the different characters. There were just enough to keep it interesting but not too many that you got confused. One of the best I've read from this author.

A story of a daughters disappearance and a mother who does not give up hope. She knows something has happened as Tallulah would never leave her baby. This story is told from different timelines, before Tallulah and Zach disappeared, straight after, and a year later, all brought together when Sophie (a detective novelist) moves into a cottage on the grounds of a school and finds a "dig here" sign.
I have read a few of Lisa's book but I think this is her best.
Many thanks to Netgalley and publishers for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own