Okay I have to say I loved everything about this book except the last roughly 15%. I'm not going to spoil, but it just felt unresolved/fast and I had a serious existential crisis about what the "right answer" would be in that scenario. I also struggled with the point of what happened with Kathryn outside of the pub (iykyk, but also no spoilers!!). Also, did we ever find out about what happened with her mom, and who Shakespeare was (because that character felt kind of important and I feel there could have been a good twisty arc there)? Not gonna lie though, that may be on me bc I was reading so fast wanting answers so dang bad LOL But, I so truly enjoyed everything else - the characters, the plot, the mystery, the build up, the red herrings, the intertwining between the characters, and Maggie Grant is goals, I loved her. And I loved Kathryn's friend Miriam. This was a mystery read that kept me hooked, and will definitely have me digging in to more in this genre!

This was my first read by Jenny Blackhurst and wowwwww have I been missing out. This is definitely up there as one of my favourite thrillers. I was completely engrossed from the first page couldn’t get enough of the characters and the atmosphere. With colliding timelines and characters, this is a great read if you love the feeling of holding your breath until the big reveal. The twist was everything and more! I’m definitely going to be going through Jenny’s back list. If you love a great investigation where you’re never really sure where you’re going next then this is for you!

Thank you Netgalley, Canelo and Jenny Blackhurst for the arc!

It's been a long time since I stayed up way too late to finish a book!!! I thought I had figured out the "whodunit" like 3 or 4 times. I was surprised to find out none of my guesses were correct!

Loved the storyline and the characters. I don't want to give anything away, but I will say I can't imagine a 5 year old living with trauma and growing up with a father in jail, labeled a child killer. My heart hurt for Kathryn.

You will not be sorry reading this one, for sure!

This book kept me interested until the end. I ended up guessing correctly on “whodunit” but the whole book had be second guessing myself. I also loved the contract of one main character using “I/my” and the other using “she/her” it helps distinguish who is the true main character here. Well done!

A solid four star read. Great premise. Well written. Good characters. Page turner. Plenty of suspense to keep me guessing . Only downside I guessed the culprit. Would definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.

Kathryn’s father murdered her best friend, Elsie Button, when the girls were just 5 years old.

After a lifetime of depression and trouble, Kathryn finds herself confronting her father again and again in hopes of getting a confession. But he never confesses.

Then when a little girl goes missing under very similar circumstances, Kathryn is drawn back to her hometown to find out what happened to Elsie for once and for all. And the truth will shock you.

The writing was engaging and kept me on my toes! The characters were well developed and I found myself especially enjoying DI Maggie Grant. But this was no police procedural. The ending felt a bit flat to me, but 4 stars for the rest of the book which I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jenny Blackhurst, and Canelo publishing for this free ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Twenty five years ago 5-year old girl disappears, her best friend's father is sent to prison for her murder although no body was ever found. Move forward and a second young girl goes missing from the same house. This is the final straw for the best friend, Kathryn, who sets out to discover herself, her family, what's happened to the recent young girl and so on. Set in a small minded small town she is not exactly popular. The police investigate the recent missing girl. I guessed within a few pages what had happened 25 years ago, I rapidly lost patience with Kathryn although accept that she had had a horrible time trying to adjust to their erratic way of life since Elsie's disappearance and did not root for DI Grant either. The red herrings were rather more pink. Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for this advanced copy which was a great read, I had trouble putting this down! I liked the way it was written and it made for an easy read. I would definitely recommend and look forward to reading another book by this author! A stunner!

I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review

This one did not pack as much of a punch as I had hoped for Dash the murderers daughter set up sounded really promising but not much was done with it. Very typical “small town closes ranks” around outsiders after a murder kind of mystery. All the types are there. I’m going to give it a 3.5 because the detectives were well-crafted.

Can a house be evil? Before you answer that think of two five year old girls, twenty five years apart, going missing from the same house on a small island like Anglesey. The person who was convicted of murdering the first victim is still in prison. Or did he just get blamed and the real perpetrator is still out there, why leave twenty five years between crimes?
Loved it. Lots of questions, lots of tangents.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I read a free advance review copy of the book. This review is voluntary, honest and my own opinion.

I really did start of loving this book. But then the detectives came in and for me it just lost its way a little bit. I lost interest in it and just wished that it had been written differently as I think that it would have been great.

" . . . the man I’m trying to force a confession from is Patrick Bowen, infamous child killer. My father."

Oh, how I wanted to love this book. It started out strong. So intriguing. Then the detectives were introduced and the more and more air time they got the less and less interested I became. In the end, I was utterly disappointed. I had guessed it from the start--too predictable. The characters and writing were well done, making this a solid story with a few unfortunate downsides.

‘Abandon hope all ye who enter here’ is exactly how Kathryn Starling feels every time she visits her father Patrick Bowen in prison. She’s demanding an answer to a question- ‘Where is she?’ This is the twenty five year long awaited answer to the puzzle of five year old Elsie Button’s murder and subsequent disappearance for which Patrick is convicted. He remains silent. Later, she receives a strange and perturbing voice mail from her mother. Then, to everyone’s shock and horror twenty five years to the day since Elsie disappeared another little girl goes missing. She is Abigail Warner from Pentraeth, Anglesey and the coincidences don’t end there. DI Maggie Grant is in charge of the investigation and despite the pleas from her family, Kathryn sets off to Wales to help in the search for Abigail.

There is much to praise in this latest novel by Jenny Blackhurst. First of all, the impact of Elsie on Kathryn’s life is done very well, she can never settle to anything as it casts a huge shadow over her life. She also feels the need to atone because of her father. She is very likeable, despite being a bit of a mess and I like her sense of humour. The attitude of the locals on Anglesey towards the Bowen family comes across loud and clear too - unfair though that may be. The setting is terrific, it’s a small place where everyone knows everyone and so the atmosphere created perfectly matches the tense situation and building suspicion.

The characterisation is really good too with DI Maggie Grant also being very likeable. She’s quite a character, you wouldn’t mess with her and yet you’d be so glad she’s in your corner. She’s whip smart and is a class act in the art of the excellent retort.

The writing is lively, the plot is well thought out, the pace is quick and it’s immersive and entertaining. In places it feels creepy, there are some scary moments, there’s deception, you’re full of questions and on a couple of occasions there’s a bit of a supernatural vibe which I really like. There are good twists and although I do figure out some it doesn’t spoil the enjoyment as there are some jaw droppers you don’t expect as it builds to a good ending.

Overall, a good read from start to finish.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Canelo for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this story about Elsie Button who went missing 25 years ago and then another girl goes missing on the 25th anniversary from the same house!!! Her friend, whose father has spent years in Prison for Elsies murder, returns to Wales to find out exactly what happened and why her Dad committed such a terrible crime. She finds she is not at all welcome in the village and there are lots of sinister things going on.
I completed this book very quickly as it kept me engaged as I was dying to know how it would end. I was not disappointed. Lots of dark twists and turns. And would thoroughly recommend this book.

I was so into this just from reading gthe blurb and I wasn't disappointed. There seems to be a lot of these "my father is a murderer" type thrillers around amt and this one does stand well on its own. The characters are all well written and compelling. The story is well paced and has plenty twists and turns to keep you wanting more. It's definitely one of those ones that gets under your skin and has you wondering til the end. An intelligent thriller that lives up to the blurb and achieves what is sets out out to do

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Canelo and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Suspense! Thrills! Chills! Twists and turns.

Elsie Button, cute as a button. Compelling thriller and the author certainly captured that claustrophobic small town feeling. Lots of twists and interesting characters along the way, but I wasn't so shocked at the outcome. Very enjoyable read which certainly kept me turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Girl Who Left.

I would not have requested this ARC if not for a Goodreader friend who recommended it and I'm glad she did and that I took her advice.

Twenty-five years ago, Elsie Button disappeared. Her body was never found. Now, another little girl, Abigail, has gone missing from the same location and the town is in a uproar over the similarities.

Kat Starling was Elsie Button's best friend and she has returned to her hometown to see if she can figure out what happened to Abigail and to Elsie. Because her father is in prison for Elsie's disappearance and Kat is beginning to suspect he may be innocent.

Kat has never got over the death of her childhood BFF Elsie. As the daughter of a child killer, her life has not been easy.

She's a relatable character; I like her tone and affect; like the majority of main characters in these types of books, she attempts to play Nancy Drew, starting an investigation of her own and revealing secrets that have been buried for good reason.

I liked her brother, Jordan; he was supportive and kind, exactly what an older sibling is supposed to be.

I enjoy the procedural parts of the narrative; I always like reading from the detective's point of view so I can solve the crime alongside them.

I didn't like or dislike Maggie; I did dislike that she is a typical trope; the author has to comment on how attractive she is; that men always follow her with their eyes, and, naturally, or as a result, she's a ball breaker and scary to her subordinates, as if to compensate for her attractiveness.

The writing was good, and though the narrative wasn't particularly suspenseful; the bad things happening to Kat is typical in stories like these, the pacing was decent and moved along.

I liked the ending, especially when Kat knew the only way to get her life back was to face the truth and the consequences.

I look forward to the author's next book.

This book was really great. I was pleasantly surprised by the twists and turns that the author presented in the story, and I do not feel as though they heavily relied on overdone thriller tropes.

Thanks to Netgalley and Canelo for providing this ARC in exchange for.am.hinest review.

Kathryn's father is serving time for murdering her best friend Elsie 25 years ago when they were both 5 years old. She visits him in prison every month to ask him why he did it but she never gets an answer. So when another 5 year old goes missing in their old hometown in Wales on the 25th anniversary of Elsie's disappearance, Kathryn travels to the town to help with the search and she begins to realize things may not be as they seem.

3.5 stars.

This book was fine but nothing really new. I was maybe hoping for a little more compelling conclusion though the conclusion was fine. Maybe I have read too many of these types of books and I just can't be really wowed anymore. It was fine though, not bad at all and I am sure I will read more from this author as I think I have read all of her books so far.