The Girls Who Disappeared: A Dark and Suspenseful Crime Thriller with a Haunting Mood―Uncover the Fate of the Missing Girls

All my thanks to Harper Collins Publishing, NetGalley, and the Author, Claire Douglas for the opportunity to read and review an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

In Autumn 1998 Olivia Rutherford and her three friends are driving back from a night out, down Devils Corridor near Wiltshire. The Rain is pounding down, and Olivia swerves her car to try not to hit the man in the middle of the road. Olivia was out cold and when she comes to, she is pinned in her car. Her legs are trapped, and her three friends are nowhere to be seen. Where have her friends gone?

Twenty years later, on the anniversary of the accident and the disappearance of the three girls, a podcaster, Jenna Halliday arrives from the BBC to the village to investigate and found out what happened to the girls. Jenna is not welcomed by the villagers, and they do not want her there. Weird things start to happen, and Jenna gets threatened and told to leave. Why won’t locals want her to find out the truth about that day?


The Girls Who Disappeared is highly intriguing and eerie. The multiple POVs and possible supernatural/paranormal elements throughout the setting really kept me intrigued throughout. Another of my favorite aspects is the emotional, and complex characters. This one is a hit for me! I love a book with a podcast element and this one delivered. I was excited to be able to read this one, as I loved Local Girl Missing and The Couple at No. 9

It was a really good story I love the twist and turns in it I had no clue how the Indian was going to be so kudos for that I'm not going to give any spoilers but it is a good mystery thriller read

I recently picked up "The Girls Who Disappeared" by Claire Douglas, having never read her work before. I was looking for an engaging read, and this book certainly delivered as a classic page-turner with unexpected twists. While I anticipated the villains' identities early on, the revelation of Ralph's murderer at the end genuinely surprised me. The story unfolds through the perspectives of two main characters: Olivia and Jenna. Olivia, a woman in her late thirties, survived a car accident twenty years ago that claimed the lives of three friends, who vanished after she regained consciousness. Jenna, a journalist, is digging into this mysterious case and plans to create a podcast about it. Occasionally, a third perspective appears in italics, adding a layer of intrigue, although the identity of this narrator and the timeline remain unclear until later in the book. Overall, I enjoyed "The Girls Who Disappeared," despite several stretches in credibility typical in dramatic fiction. My main critique would be the pacing; it took some time for the story to pick up, gaining momentum in the final third, especially during the last quarter.

What I love about Claire Douglas' books is that you think she's put the villain in sight, you suspect this book is going to be predictable and then she weaves all the easter eggs together and spits out an ending that you didn't see coming. The Girls Who Disappeared follows a journalist who is trying to find out information on an unsolved disappearance that happened 20 years prior. Douglas gradually brings in different characters and also links in a story from the past which brings some information to light. I needed a book with twists and turns and this delivered. I read it in one sitting!

A quick read which I enjoyed as it kept me guessing throughout. For me there were too many plot weaves which were done ok ish but left me disappointed with the ending. Felt the author tried too hard with the plot twists.