Caffeinated Reviewer

I was in the mood for a suspenseful thriller/mystery when Then She Vanishes by Claire Douglas popped up in my email. This was my first Douglas book, and she quickly pulled me in and held me captive as we searched for the truth.

A twisty, compulsive thriller full of jolting shocks and startling secrets involving two sisters, a disappearance, a double murder, and a reporter determined to find the truth from the bestselling author of Local Girl Missing, Last Seen Alive, and Do Not Disturb.

Everything changed the night she disappeared . . .

On a summer's night in 1994, sixteen-year-old Flora Powell vanished from her sleepy seaside town without a trace. Their hearts shattered, Flora’s mother, her sister Heather, and Heather’s best friend Jess had to somehow carry on not knowing what happened.

Twenty-five years later, tragedy strikes again when Heather walks into a stranger's house and allegedly kills two people in cold blood.

Why would this loving wife and doting new mother commit such a heinous crime? Jess, now a reporter, returns to the hometown she left behind to cover the case and dig for answers. But this isn’t like any other story. Jess was like a sister to the Powell girls, until the summer that tore them all apart.

What happened to the girl she used to know?

The question haunts Jess and propels her to find the key that may unlock the mysteries involving both sisters. But the search may reveal more . . . a darker side to this idyllic place she thought she knew.

Caffeinated Reasons to Pick Up Then She Vanishes

I love a twisty tale and Claire Douglas delivers with a present day murder and an unsolved missing person’s case from 1994 in a small seaside community.

We meet Jess, a reporter working for a small paper when news comes in of the double murder. The reported perpetrator is Heather, her estranged teenage friend. We learn that their friendship fell apart after the disappearance of Heather’s older sister Flora. Heather is currently in a coma after allegedly trying to take her own life after killing two strangers.

• A murder-mystery that seems like an open and shut case until you look at the evidence, characters and circumstances. Douglas gave us an interesting back-story and characters who make us question the obvious.
• Douglas takes her time introducing Jess and giving us her backstory, all while giving us flashbacks of her friendship with Heather. As a reporter, Jess gains access into Heather’s home and is kept in the loop by Heather’s mother. This allowed us to learn more intimate details about Heather, her husband and the case(s).
• Jess does a lot of self-reflection and is struggling when we meet her. Reconnecting with her past is a journey that creates character growth.
• Present day timelines, discoveries and evidence lead to questions about the disappearance of Flora. The author did a great job with checks and balances, allowing things to unfold gradually and making them feel authentic and suspenseful.
• Heather is a dynamic character whose story is told through recollections by her mother and Jess until she awakens from her coma.
• The timeline in 1994 pulled me in as we meet Flora, the carnie, and were witness to Heather’s behavior.
• A twisty ending that answers questions while weaving things together that will leave the reader satisfied. Perfect for book club discussions.

Then She Vanishes satisfied my need for thriller with a solid mystery and plenty of twists. I look forward to reading more from this author.

About Claire Douglas

Claire Douglas always wanted to write novels and, after many years of trying to get published, her dream came true when she won the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award in 2013 with THE SISTERS. Her second and third novels, LOCAL GIRL MISSING and LAST SEEN ALIVE (Penguin), are Sunday Times bestsellers.

Twitter

About Kimberly

Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

Related Posts

• By Claire Douglas
• Same Genre