Gone was such a gripping read, it was quite slow during parts but did starting picking up pace, the ending was quite a shock!

As a fan of psychological thrillers, I found Gone by Ruby Speechley to be a gripping, if somewhat mixed, experience. The story revolves around a mother, Rachel, whose teenage son, Shay, goes missing after a troubled period in his life. The narrative explores themes of trust, the dangers of the online world, and the complexities of family dynamics.

One of the strengths of the novel is its realistic portrayal of the online gaming world and its potential dangers, which added a layer of contemporary relevance. I appreciated the relationship between Rachel and her ex-husband, Mick, as it was depicted with nuance and maturity, showing how they managed to stay on the same page for the sake of their child.

However, the pacing of the story felt slow at times, particularly given the age of the missing children. As a reader, I expected more urgency and tension, which might have been heightened if the children were younger. Additionally, some of Rachel’s decisions, such as accepting a text message as proof of her son’s safety, seemed unrealistic and frustrating, detracting from the story’s credibility.

Despite these issues, the novel kept me interested with its tense moments and compelling twists. The mystery surrounding Shay’s disappearance and the secrets within Rachel’s new family added depth and intrigue to the plot.

Overall, Gone is a solid read for fans of psychological thrillers, offering a blend of suspense and emotional complexity, even if it doesn’t fully deliver on the edge-of-your-seat excitement I hoped for.

Well paced, brilliant characterisation and an ending I didn't expect, this was a wonderful thriller. A complex, suspenseful plot with tension so thick that it felt palpable. Wonderfully-developed characters with depth and substance. I was immediately drawn in and held captive from beginning to end. It was a fast paced roller coaster ride that is packed full of so many twists and turns that by the time you reach the final twist,you are left feeling so dizzy that all you want to do is lie down in a dark room for a few hours or until your head stops spinning.

*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review*

A great thriller - I would recommend it!

This is such a fantastic written story I loved all the twists and turns it was like being on a rollercoaster I didn't want this story too end but such an amazing ending I never guessed I love a good thriller that keeps me on my

Ruby Speechley’s Gone is a chilling, intense and terrifying thriller that explores trust, guilt and the lengths we go to for our loved ones.

Rachel’s son Shay has gone missing and she’s absolutely frantic with worry. Despite telling him not to go to the illegal party in the woods, Shay had sneaked out of the house last night and didn’t come home. With somebody having been attacked at the party, Shay’s disappearance has the police suspicious that he could somehow have been involved in the attack – and despite hoping otherwise, Rachel is worried that the police might be right. Shay has been getting into all sorts of trouble lately, having started mixing with the wrong crowd and coming home bruised and battered. Rachel had thought that they turned a corner recently, however, it seems that her son might have been keeping things from her – and he might not be the only one…

Rachel has a new boyfriend called David, whom Shay doesn’t get along well with at all. Shay resents the fact that Rachel has moved her boyfriend into their family home and the two of them have clashed since day one. Caught in the middle between her son and her boyfriend, Rachel had hoped that the two of them would have put their differences aside, but that clearly has not been the case. Rachel had even found a half-written email on Shay’s laptop telling her not to trust David, but was he just trying to get her to dump her boyfriend? Or did her son know something about David that she didn’t?

As the hours begin to go by, Rachel continues to worry about Shay. Will she ever see her son again? Is he safe? Did David have anything to do with his disappearance? And just who has Rachel let into their family home?

Ruby Speechley’s thriller Gone will send your heartrate soaring through the roof. Brilliantly plotted, terrifyingly tense and unpredictable, this addictive chiller kept me reading way past my bedtime. Ruby Speechley writes domestic thrillers brimming with intensity, danger and foreboding and with Gone, I found myself frantically turning the pages desperate to find out what was going to happen next.

Ruby Speechley’s Gone is a nail-biting thriller you will want to devour in one sitting.

When I say this book is twisty I really mean it is twisty. One moment you are loving a character, the next you are super suspicious of them!
This is the first book I have read by the author and I will definitely be reading more.
I have definitely spent late nights and even a really early am session reading this book.
I enjoy a book that has everything tied up nicely with a good ending, thankfully this book did not disappoint.
The book is available on kindle unlimited too so there’s no excuse!

Shay for all appearances could be my teenage son in terms of our relationship with each other, the drama, the sulks to teenage attitude, but where I differ form Rachel is and I am sure why she doesn't use this feature is that I know where my son is at all time through the iPhone find my phone, google also has a similar version, being the type of mum she comes across I am surprised she doesn't use this feature,,,,, then eventually she does!! It would have been the first thing I would have done as soon as I discovered my child missing!

Anyway that irk aside, Rachel did everything in her power to find Shay and in her quest to find him, she uncovers a few secrets that she didn't know about her son and her partner as ell that may be connected. Its a race against time for Rachel to find him and when some of Shay's friends also go missing its even more crucial that Shay is found safe and well.

I was not expecting where this story went at the final feew chapter though! This was a thrilling read from start to finish.

This book is about how far a mother will go to protect her child. You don’t want to doubt your son but you’re also in love…with many twists and turns this book left me wanting more.

A gripping read that had me compelled the whole way through. An absolute page turner that I devoured

Woah. jump into a story of shadows and secrets with this amazing thriller, where danger hides behind every page and the unknown beckons. Pure class

Amazing, any and every parents worst nightmare, very well written, a real page turner, I was there with Rachel and felt her pain

I just loved the pace on this one. I wanted to know what was happening and this is credit to Rubys writing style. Loved it. Cant wait to read her other books now.

As suspense thrillers go, Gone by Ruby Speechley is really good, but I have read better. There were some thing that seemed out of place or not fitting the to story Speechley is telling. First, the cover. Swing sets always make me thing of young children, but the kids in this story are teens so the swings on the cover are the first thing that seem out of place, even though it does make for a striking cover that draws your attention.

The second issue I had is with the third person point of view. Normally, this works very well in suspense books, but for some reason it doesn't seem to fit this story. I tried reading some of the story in first person, from Rachel's (the mother) point of view, and I honestly liked it a lot better. If Speechley had chosen to write from Rachel's POV in first person, the suspense, the motherly panic of wondering where her child is, and the suspicion of those around her would've all be heightened and given more insight into Rachel's character, which I had a hard time connecting to Rachel.

But, overall, these are minor issues. The plot is very well constructed and the characters are well-rounded. The story's pacing is good and the ending is worth the read. Speechley does a great job of laying out clues, building suspense and suspicion, but I wish I'd had more of an "edge of my seat" reaction to reading the book.

Reading Between the Wines book review #55/115 for 2023:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 🎧: Gone
Author: Ruby Speechley
AVAILABLE NOW!

Sipping thoughts: Going into a missing child book can always be daunting as it is thrilling. This book read completely differently than I expected. It felt almost like like a domestic suspense. I didn't really love or hate it. I just wished for more...not sure of what but just more. It kept my interest but was just not what I wanted or expected.

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley and @BoldwoodBooks for an advanced copy of @Gone.

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*5 Stars*

ARC kindly received via NetGalley for an honest review.

This was a very interesting and good read, with really great characters. Lots of secrets and lies kept. If they hadn't been kept maybe things might have turned out differently and better for some of them.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.

This was a thrilling story of a mother's worst nightmare. As a mom of a young kid, this book gave me ANXIETY! But it was an entertaining and bone-chilling read that I enjoyed reading.

A great psychological thriller that you will not want to put down. A child goes missing and a Mom will go to any links to rescue her child. This book shows the momma bear instinct that a Momma has for child. The mom has meet a man and her kids do not really like him, He is a surgeon and a family is mad with him for not being able to save their child. The book also deals with childhood bullying which I think is a very important topic nowadays. The divorced parents are finally able to co parent and enjoy the children. I loved this book

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. It took me a few times of starting this book before I was able to continue it but it did turn out to be a good book and I'm glad that I stuck to it. It has suspense and some twists to it but is a good read.

A bit of a slow burn for me but it did keep me intrigued to find out the ending! I"ve not ready a book by Ruby Speechley but would definitely read more of her books!