Member Reviews
Loved it. A twisty thrilling mystery from the queen of twisty thrilling mysteries! Lisa Jewell’s lock down novel is as interesting and gripping as anyone who loves her work would expect. Tallulah and her boyfriend go missing one evening, leaving behind their much loved baby Noah. 15 months later the mystery of their disappearance starts to unravel with the arrival of a ‘cosy thriller’ writer who is determined to find out what happened to them. A fab read, thoroughly recommend.
Lisa Jewell cannot write a bad novel and this one is fantastic. when the teenaged mother and her boyfriend disappear on a night out with friends, what has really happened to them? Surely they wouldn't abandon their baby son? Their relationship outwardly looks ok but we have seen worrying evidence of controlling behaviour. A year later as the nightmare continues for the fmaily, can the newly arrived head teacher's wife unravel the mystery and who is leaving clues for her? What fate has befallen Tallullah?
I had never read a Lisa Jewell book first so was delighted to be given the chance to read The Night She Disappeared.
Tallulah is headed out on a date with her boyfriend Zach, father of her year old baby, they have had their ups and downs recently but hopefully this night will sort things out once and for all.
Kim, Tallulah's mum, is at home babysitting she gets a text message from Tallulah explaining they have been invited to a party and would she mind looking after the baby for a bit longer, Tallulah promises not to be too late, but when Kim wakes up the next day, neither Tallulah nor Zack have made it home.
A year later a new headmaster, Peter, arrives at a local private school with his partner, Sophie, who is an author. Sophie goes for a walk a few days after they arrive, and finds a sign saying 'Dig here'.
This is a really intriguing book, and I could not put it down, actually read it in one day, it's set across three timelines which take a little getting used to especially, as the timelines aren't years, so you have the evening of the disappearance, the year before, and the present.
I enjoyed the book, was a really good read, just a small criticism that a couple of the characters who had an impact on the book, didn't have much of a back story, even though they were critical (I think) to the narrative, their reasons etc?
Recommended and would read more by the author.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Cornerstone for giving me the chance to read the book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow what a great book. I have enjoyed all of this author’s books but this one blew me away!
Young mum, Tallullah, and her boyfriend go missing after a date night at the local pub. The last contact she made was a text to her mother saying they were going to a friend’s house - then she didn’t return home.
This was gripping and brilliantly written book with so many twists that I didn’t know what was going to happen. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
This was a fantastic, twisty psychological thriller. I really enjoyed the writing style, and the plot had me hooked from the very beginning.
I definitely recommend this one.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this ebook to review via Netgalley
Despite a bit of unbelievability this is Lisa Jewell back on form.
Very much enjoyed this book which I read very quickly. Still have questions that weren't answered- maybe I'm being a bit dense. Kim and Sophie were excellent, well drawn characters. I enjoyed the way the book was set out and the timelines. A little bit of waffle that being cut could have made the book tighter but overall a very good and enjoyable read. Ideal for holidays- when you can have one!
A pool party, the Dark Place, a missing girl and a sign that says DIG HERE - all ingredients for a page-turning thriller I was intrigued to read. With an opening that describes a girl in the dark and the term ‘arachnophobia,’ the book is impossible to put down. It has a fast pace and plenty of dialogue to keep you guessing until the end.
Kim is babysitting for her teenage daughter, Tallulah, who is out on a date with her boyfriend. But as the hours tick by, Kim, who is left at home with the baby, becomes increasingly anxious. When there is still no response to her texts, she knows something terrible has happened. When Tallulah and Zach fail to materialize, the police are called in to investigate. During the weeks that follow, Kim tries to get to the bottom of how, where and why, only to be thwarted at every turn. Her interviews at the country house where the party took place turn up little or no leads. Scarlet Jaques is from a more privileged background. She doesn’t appear overly concerned, yet there is an underlying tension in her behavior.
At every turn of the page, secrets are peeled away. A controlling boyfriend who may have taken rejection badly. A friend whose obsession with Tallulah could have played a part. A DI whose bolstering presence adds a little comfort but is sadly unproductive. The book is told in different timelines, 2016, 2018 and 2017 so we get a marvelous taste of the characters. I enjoyed Sophie, a cozy crime writer, determined to get to the bottom of this mystery. With clues strewn throughout the story, I began to list my suspects.
There are small nuggets of clues and tantalizing clips of conversation that keep us waiting to the end. Although some conversations could have been snappier without so many pleasantries since it catapulted me out of the story at times. I have loved reading Lisa Jewell’s earlier novels. No contrived twists and everything sliding into place at the end. I requested this knowing it would be just as good and I wasn’t disappointed. It's a stay-up-way-too-late read with shifting points of view, and a disturbing narrative that uncovers dark, twisty secrets you know will be satisfying.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher Random House UK, Cornerstone and the author Lisa Jewell for the privilege of reading this book.
#TheNightSheDisappeared #NetGalley
The Night She Disappeared
I was SO excited to read this book that I simply dropped everything to start it.
Teenage couple Tallulah and Zach have a baby boy. They both adore him. Tallulah wants to be a social worker, Zach is working hard to buy their first home. So why do they go out to the local pub for a date night & not come home? Set in the English countryside at a boarding school on the edge of the woods Tallulah’s Mum refuses to accept her daughter would ever leave her son. Newcomer to the area Sophie is an author of detective novels and there is something very unsettling about the abandoned house at the back of the woods.
We hear from several POV for this story - from the before the disappearance and after. However this is nothing unusual for a Lisa Jewell novel and as always it’s easy to follow. I wanted to guess what had happened throughout this book but I couldn’t - I just couldn’t figure it out. It was so cleverly written that I simply had no idea. The characters were all enjoyable (although I found Sophie a little bit dull - maybe she was just a bit lost?). This is another great mystery from Lisa and I’ll definitely be recommending it. Oh and I want a Toby dog please.
After reading a few of Lisa Jewell’s other books, I was extremely excited to receive this one.
We follow a dual timeline again in this book which was easy to keep up with. A girl called Tallulah goes missing one night. A few years later, a woman called Sophie moves to the area. It’s fair to say, her world is shifted somewhat :)
When I read the synopsis of this book, I thought it was going to be a lot darker than it was. Not to say that this book or subject is light and fluffy in anyway. I just expected a little bit more.
Again tho, Lisa Jewell’s writing is phenomenal. There are so many twists and turns you don’t expect really keeping you on the edge of your seat.
If you are a fan of any of her other work, then definitely give this a go when it comes out in July!
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book this intense. WOW this book is amazingly brilliant. If I wasn’t reading it I was thinking of it. It is a well thought out storyline and a bit of a twist at the end with Liam. I would have liked more of his story. The characters where brilliant the storyline unreal. I look forward to reading more from lisa she is so talented.
Another great read from Lisa Jewell. This author had a great way of writing, that in the early chapters you wonder how these characters are going to come together in line with the plot, and they're then cleverly weaved into place. A thrilling read, with characters you can really see and believe. I really enjoyed getting to know Tallulah, her relationships with Zach and Scarlett and her son, and ultimately her fate. Thank you Goodreads for my ARC.
This is the most engaging book I have read for a long time. Tallulahhas a baby with Zach. At college she meets and is dazzled by Scarlett. They begin a love affair and Tallulah plans to leave Zach. The story flits between present day and how Kim, Tallulah's mum is coping and a year earlier and the relationships that lead to disastrous events. Gripping.
This is a superb psychological thriller which had me gripped from get go. The story is excellent and I loved the plot and the way it was written. This book is an absolute page-turner and really hard to put down once you start reading, I’m really glad I got a chance to read it from Netgalley. Highly recommended. Thank you Random House, UK Cornerstone for an advanced copy of this ebook and giving me a chance to review this book!
I always enjoy Lisa Jewell's books and this was no exception. 19 year old Tallulah and her boyfriend Zach go for a night out at the pub leaving their baby son in the care of Tallulah's mum Zoe. They leave the pub with a group of others but they never come home. Extensive searches reveal nothing. A few years later, Sophie moves in to the village with her partner who has just become the head teacher at an expensive 6th form college. Sophie writes detective novels, and quickly becomes involved in the case. This is a fast paced story full of great characters, and will keep you guessing to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.
WOW!LOVED IT! LOVED IT! LOVED IT!.
What can I say about this amazing book apart from I LOVED IT!. I was devastated to finish it because I wanted it to go on and on and on. I was completely gripped and I tried to take my time reading it but that was an impossible feat. All the characters had their own little story, they were believable and relatable and Lisa bought them to life on the page, I really felt for Kim Knox, I just wanted her to find her beloved daughter Tallulah The plot flowed at a nice pace and the ending was remarkable, with a wicked twist. I love all Lisa's books and this one did not disappoint and I am really glad Lisa found the strength to finish writing it whilst in lockdown, after some telling off from her editor Selena, so THANK YOU Selena for giving the amazing Lisa Jewell the final push to complete this book, it truly is brilliant and I have already pre-ordered it and I can't wait to get into my hands. Huge Congratulations Lisa you certainly deserve all the credit and this book will undoubtedly be on the bestseller list.
Thanks to Random House and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am a massive fan of Lisa Jewellery so I was very excited to read this one. And it did not disappoint. A well written mystery based around two teenage parents Zach and Tallulah who after a night out, go missing. This is out of character for the young mother, devoted to her son Noah. A year later, Sophie crime writer moves into the area with the new headmaster of the local school and is soon determined to solve the mystery of the missing teenagers, with the help of Tallulah's mother. This book kept me hooked and I recommend to all who like a good crime thriller.
I love Lisa Jewell's novels and this is another great one.
Kim's daughter has not come home after a night out with her boyfriend. No-one else is too concerned at first,, but with Tallulah's baby at home, Kim knows her daughter would not stay away voluntarily.
So begins the story of That Night She Disappeared, told along two timelines, Tallulah's and Sophie. Sophie is a writer of detective novels, just moved to the area. And the story of missing young people a year earlier has her intrigued.
The story has a great ending that also left me feeling relieved, Jewell had me caring so much about the characters.
I can easily see this on Netflix as a series or one-off film. In 2017, teenage mum Tallulah, much loved by many, heads on a date with her baby’s father, leaving their little boy at home with his granny. Kim wants her daughter to experience what teen life can be about and is happy when she learns she’ll be going to one of her college friends’ houses. But Tallulah doesn’t come home. A year later, Sophie, a detective writer who has moved with her boyfriend to the area – he’s the new headteacher of the local boarding school – is walking in the woods when she finds a sign that says ‘Dig here.’ Sophie will not be able to predict what obeying the sign will do to her life and those so desperately wanting to hear from Tallulah. In flashback scene, we understand more about the young mum’s determination to succeed and to not settle for second best. But not everyone agrees with her wanting to do that. There are moments when reading that are hand over mouth startling, and the novel is all the better for it. One of my favourites of Lisa’s without doubt.
Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the ARC of this book.
Another fantastic book from Lisa Jewell. Really great characters well formed that you soon feel totally at home with. Nice to read a book based on current years which refers to things we all use today like Sonos and smartphones. Some more great names for characters that you certainly don’t hear everyday and the mix of Sophie actually being a published author. The main story finished nicely but there were lots of sub stories that I would have loved to see completed too.
Looking forward to next book already.
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.
Jewell has delivered another page-turning, intense read with this. Quite quickly, I was taken with Tallulah and Kim and intrigued by their story and what was about to unravel. Jewell creates an atmosphere of unease throughout the book; I knew what I was reading but kept thinking of other reasons for the behaviour we were seeing and I found myself second guessing everything. For the first half, I was never too sure what was happening and this definitely kept me turning the pages.
Jewell then ramps up the tension and begins to reveal the secrets of Tallulah and what has happened to her. The reader is given a little reveal to wet their appetite, keep them hooked and keep them guessing. I was coming up with theories left, right and centre, but Jewell honestly surprised me with this one and I loved the twists that just kept coming.
Jewell has written this in multiple timelines and it only served to keep me gripped. As we flitted from 2016 to 2018 and 2017, I was enthralled by what might happen and loved seeing how Jewell pulls everything together. This was definitely an intense read.
Character wise, these are not my favourite characters and I would not say they were easy to get to know. However, it did not matter for this read, they were there to tell the story and not necessarily for the reader to become invested in. I still enjoyed the different personalities and seeing how they all interacted. Personally, I do not think the book needed Sophie, she did not bring a huge amount to the plot and I think the book would have been fine without her presence.
'The Night She Disappeared' is another dark, intense thriller from Jewell who just keeps delivering the goods. Another excellent read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.