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From the 1 New York Times bestselling author of The Family Upstairs and None of This Is True comes an “acutely observed family drama” (People) about the lingering aftermath of a young girl’s disappearance. Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic 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 youngest child 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. Laurel is haunted by her long unanswered questions. What happened to Ellie? Did she run away from home, as the police have long suspected? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl? Read more
Publisher : Atria
Publication date : November 6, 2018
Edition : Reprint
Language : English
Print length : 384 pages
ISBN-10 : 1501154656
ISBN-13 : 52
Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
Dimensions : 5.31 x 0.96 x 8.25 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #538 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #32 in Mothers & Children Fiction #47 in Women's Domestic Life Fiction #64 in Contemporary Women Fiction
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Top Amazon Reviews
Format: Kindle
This author is not in need of yet another review. This novel has well over 122,000 of them, so I am well aware of the fact that one more will not make a difference—either good or bad—and normally I wouldn’t take the time to write a review for a book with this many reviews … but I was deeply affected by this novel, so I decided I needed to write some of my thoughts and feelings about it down. After going through and reading some of the reviews other readers left, I was spurred on even further to share my own. Then She Was Gone is the first novel I’ve read by Lisa Jewell. I am a fan of mysteries and thrillers, and this book was one that was recommended by Amazon because of other books in my Kindle library. It also happened to be on sale—just to be honest—and the synopsis grabbed me. It sounded interesting, so I bought it. I am much like other readers … I don’t always finish every book I pick up. I am a writer myself, so I do for other authors what I hope readers will do for me and push into a book as far as I can before I stop reading. Not every book is for every reader, but this novel by Lisa Jewell was one I found enormously gripping. This story was sad and uncomfortable. It was heartbreaking, and while it wasn’t what one might categorize a typical thriller as some other reviewers stated, it was definitely mysterious and twisty, and I was propelled through the story because I had to know all of the sordid details. To be fair, as I write this review, the categories this novel is listed in are Women’s New Adult & College Fiction, Women’s Divorce Fiction and Women’s Literary Fiction. It isn’t listed in Mystery, or Suspense, or Crime. Even People Magazine says it’s an “acutely observed family drama”. While maybe not a typical mystery novel, it was recommended to me because there are elements of suspense and yes, mystery. Truthfully, I felt that Ms. Jewell delivered a book that was described perfectly by the synopsis, and it was definitely one I had a hard time putting down. There’s no way around it. Then She Was Gone is creepy. It’s gloomy. There were so many things about many of these characters that I didn’t like, that made me angry. I believe that’s one of the many reasons I kept reading—because they were all human. They were real. They did things that were annoying. I questioned them. For instance, I struggled with Laurel because I, too, am a mom to more than one child and cannot fathom loving one of them more than the other. But I’ve known other mothers in real life that are very much like Laurel. None of us are one-dimensional, and Ms. Jewell’s characters certainly weren’t. I wanted to learn more about why they were the way they were or made the decisions that they made, and the story—which is told over a ten-year time span—takes the reader on a journey and shows how the characters change and develop over that time. I believe Ms. Jewell knew the story was an emotionally exhausting one, and I think she wrote it brilliantly. Then She Was Gone made me incredibly sad, as it was meant to. It was not a book that was easy to read. As I stated before, it was emotionally taxing. It was twisted and evil, and yet utterly captivating in ways that are difficult to describe. I am more than happy to rate this book all five stars and will definitely read more from this author—although I do believe I’ll need some time for this novel to settle before I am able to jump into another written by this talented author.
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Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2025 by J.C. Wing
Format: Paperback
I feel horribly guilty giving only four stars to a Lisa Jewell book. She is one of my favorite authors, and. in spite of the misgivings outlined below I did 'enjoy' this book, although that isn't quite the right word. I give her four stars for brilliant prose, great character creation, and the invention of incredible plots. I take away the fifth star because in this case the plot really is incredible, in the deepest meaning of that word. I often say that this author is so great because (1) even her strangest characters are 'real' and (2) even her most bizarre plots are 'believable.' This book is the exception to item number 2. The basic premise of this story is impossible. Not just bizarre, impossible. Period. There is no way in this day and age that the basic plot line of this book could happen. It MAYBE could have happened in the 1800s, but not in the 2000s. There are simply too many holes in the villain's plan, and inevitably everything would have 'fallen apart.' I'm not saying that the girl who disappears couldn't have disappeared in the manner outlined. That certainly could happen, and probably does more often than we'd like to admit. No, what I'm saying is that the 'mystery' here, the 'plot twist' that keeps the book going, is, simply, not possible. It couldn't be done, not by this villain, not by any other villain who ever existed. And yet it's ALMOST convincing even so. The author is so brilliant at character creation, and so gifted with words, that the story grabs you and never lets go, even when the impossible plot is revealed. A fifteen year old girl disappears, in very mysterious circumstances. Later her bones are discovered, and the family has 'closure.' Except not really. There is never really any closure under these sorts of circumstances, and one thing the author sets about proving is that that is so. Another thing she proves satisfactorily is that people are never quire what they seem. We all have our hidden sides, and sometimes those hidden sides mask something tragic, or horrifying, or simply sad. We are none of us what we seem. But all that has been said before, by this author and many others. She tries something beyond that. She tries to show that some of our most hackneyed beliefs have a flip side. I think what happened here is that the author felt the need to make a statement, and the only way she could find to make that statement was this plot line. It's not giving too much away to say that the statement is this: Not all monsters are men. Notice I did NOT say: Not all men are monsters. That statement has been made many times, by many authors, and Lisa Jewell herself is one of them. But the statement she does make here is far different. The fact is that not all monsters are men. The female mind is fully as capable of monsterdom as is the male mind, and one of the exquisitely crafted characters in this book is excellent proof of that. With her flair for creating fully-fleshed characters, Ms Jewell does manage to make the statement. At the same time she makes an even more important one: No good people are entirely good, and no bad people are entirely bad. Human beings contain within themselves the potential for becoming monsters. Like it or not, monsters are human.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2021 by Len B
Format: Kindle
I finished this book with such a heavy feeling in my heart. Every character seemed to carry some kind of burden—grief, guilt, trauma, or unanswered questions—and you really feel the weight of it all. Laurel’s story especially broke my heart because losing someone is devastating enough, but having your child disappear and spending years wondering what happened is a completely different kind of grief. I also loved how the author shifted perspectives and let us into the minds of certain characters, even the villains, making you understand their pain without excusing their actions. Underneath the mystery, this felt like a story about grief, the burdens people carry, and eventually finding a way to heal and move forward. Such a heavy story, but I really enjoyed it.
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Reviewed in the United States on October 11, 2026 by Sheyda Ebrahimi
Format: Paperback
Laurel experiences the unthinkable: her fourteen-year-old child goes missing. Not just her child — it is THE child, the one she favors over her three children. Ellie goes to school one day and never comes back. She’s there one moment, and then she’s gone. Ellie is a smart, carefree girl with a crush on a guy who shares her passion for academics and good grades, so she’s no runaway. The years go by, and just when the police give up, Laurel gets some rather devastating news... The years pass. Laurel trudges through her days, picking up the pieces of her broken life. She tries to make amends with her daughter Hannah and her son Jake, but they’re all grown now, with their own lives to worry about. Her marriage is long over, her ex now in a steady and loving relationship with a pleasant lady. Laurel's life couldn't be worse if she tried... And then she meets Floyd. It’s a chance encounter, a semi meet-cute at a café. He tells her about his books — academic books about math — and about his #1 fan: his nine-year-old daughter, Poppy. Hope flares for Laurel. Will she find happiness with Floyd? And then she meets his daughter — and it’s like taking a trip to the past. Poppy is almost the splitting image of Ellie. Laurel is floored. How is it possible? This is only the beginning though. She’s opened a Pandora’s Box of disturbing revelations that even she wouldn’t have been able to imagine. I’m not a fan of child abduction thrillers, but THEN SHE WAS GONE is one harrowing and amazing read! I couldn’t put it down. This book was on my TBR pile for over a year. I took it with me for my French Polynesian holiday because, why not? I’m so glad I did. The sea-salt breeze, the hammock, the sunset, this book — sweet memories are made of this! I took three books with me, and this one practically read itself. The writing is amazing, well crafted and riveting, with no over the top twists for shock value. Everything serves a purpose in this book. Many of us will guess the outcome, but that’s beside the point. There are so many surprises — so many “mini twists” — that you’ll love it for the character-driven piece of brilliant suspense that it is. The psychological aspects are amazing. There’s a character with Borderline Personality Disorder in this book, and the author touches on various subjects, like triangulation and toxic enmeshments. It’s all done in an organic, not-in-your-face way, which makes it more appealing. I’ve always loved Lisa Jewell, have loved her since her early “chick lit” days. I’m glad she now gets to write the genre she loves. Downsides? Just one. Floyd is a socially awkward mathematician, but he says “Brangelina” at one point. I can’t picture a man — let alone a middle-aged one — saying something like this. I’m surprised the editor didn’t pick up on it. Other than that, I love this novel. One of my favorites this year. Five solid Pecan and Toffee iced lattes, with extra vanilla-flavored oat milk!
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Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2020 by Mini
Format: Kindle
Then She Was Gone started off a little slow for me, but once it picked up, I was hooked! It turned out to be a really good read with plenty of twists that kept me wanting to know what happened next. Definitely glad I stuck with it!
Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2026 by Lisa Glover
Format: Kindle
I liked this book, but I didn't quite love it. The story initially grabbed me. The disappearance of Ellie Mack is heartbreaking, and the way her family's lives unravel in the absence of answers feels authentic. The uncertainty of not knowing what happened—and not even having the chance to lay a loved one to rest—is portrayed with real emotional weight. For me, though, the plot became harder to believe as the story unfolded. Once Laurel meets a man whose young daughter bears an uncanny resemblance to Ellie, the story took a turn that stretched my suspension of disbelief a little too far. That said, the novel has redeeming qualities. Lisa Jewell does an excellent job exploring grief, the pain of unanswered questions, and the ways unimaginable loss can fracture even the closest families. I also appreciated the nuanced look at sibling rivalry, parental favoritism, and the difficult work of healing after tragedy. Those emotional themes resonated with me even if the central plot did not. Overall, this was a good read with strong character development and meaningful emotional depth. If you enjoy character-driven mysteries and don't mind a premise that asks for a bit of suspension of disbelief, you'll likely enjoy this one more than I did.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2026 by tpot.nc
Format: Paperback
Great book, tragic story, many twists. This book made me feel hopeful, angry, disgusted, appalled, shocked and sad and I loved it. For one book to take me through that many emotions 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Reviewed in the United States on October 10, 2026 by Misha
Format: Kindle
I enjoyed this book. It certainly was different and I got totally absorbed in the plot, characters and couldn't really put it down for long. I was compelled to finish the story. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes a good plot twister of gruesome proportions. Gives you that, "huh" moment. Thank you!
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Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2026 by Jasmine