Publication
date: 27 Jul. 17
Ten years after her teenage
daughter disappears, a woman crosses paths with a charming single father whose
young child feels eerily familiar, in this evocative, suspenseful drama from New
York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell—perfect for fans of Paula Hawkins
and Liane Moriarty.
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 cafĂ©, 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?
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 cafĂ©, 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?
My Review
My thanks go to Netgalley for approving my request to read this
very emotional novel from one of the top contemporary female authors in my
opinion. Lisa Jewell is a well established and respected
author and this, her latest novel is well worthy of that respect.
It follows the story of Ellie Mack 15 year old GCSE student who is
approaching her exams, and her family. With the gorgeous boyfriend Theo being a
high achiever Ellie feels she needs a little extra help with her maths so her
mum Laurel enlists the help of local tutor Noelle Donnelly. From there on in
life for the Mack family is never the same as Ellie goes missing shortly
afterwards.
I really don't want to give too much away with this review as I feel
it's a journey the reader needs to take themselves in order to appreciate the
complexity of some of the characters. Suffice to say there are twists and cul
de sacs brilliantly interwoven by the author throughout and just when you think
events can't get any more disturbing more information comes to light to make
you wonder just how much more Laurel can endure in her search for the truth
about her daughter's disappearance.
By the end of this book I felt I had been through
an emotional wringer. How an author can take the reader through such a journey
by putting words on a page will never cease to earn my respect.
Would I buy this book? YES! Buy the book, buy a big
box of tissues and settle in for one of the most emotional reads of your life!
