Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Host: Ruth
Attendees: Julie, Pam T., Lori, Michelle, JJ, Amy, Myra, Debra, Pam M.
From Simon & Schuster:
A 2018 Goodreads Choice Award Finalist—Top 5 Best Mystery & Thriller * A Suspense Magazine “Best of 2018” Thriller/Suspense Pick
“An acutely observed family drama with bone-chilling suspense.” —People
“Jewell teases out her twisty plot at just the right pace, leaving readers on the edge of their seats. Her multilayered characters are sheer perfection, and even the most astute thriller reader won’t see where everything is going until the final threads are unknotted.” —Booklist, starred review
“Sharply written with twists and turns, Jewell’s latest will please fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, or Luckiest Girl Alive." —Library Journal
Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic post-exams summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her.
And then she was gone.
Now, her mother Laurel Mack is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.
Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie. And now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to put to rest begin to haunt Laurel anew. Where did Ellie go? Did she really run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?
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A lot of suspense, some interesting but not necesarily likeable characters, a lot of unexplained and
very far-fetched oddities in the story, (was it a turkey baster?!) but we pretty much agreed this novel kept our interest. It gave us a chance for some stimulating conversation; also a chance to gather and catch up with each other in general..... on Galentine's Day, no less.
We selected the next three months' reading:
March - Maybe You Should Talk to Someone - Lori Gottlieb
April - The BookWoman of Troublesome Creek* - Kim Michele Richardson
May - Dear Edward - Ann Napolitano
*Another novel that mirrors The Bookwoman is The Giver of Stars by JoJo Moyes. (Author of Me Before You, remember?) Both books published almost in tandem. Same subject and similar story. Read both and decide for yourself?
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2020 January selection was The Alice Network by Kate Quinn (Michelle)
