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Then She Was Gone: A Novel

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?

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384 pages

Average rating: 7.47

1,973 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

Tamanna
Apr 09, 2025
6/10 stars
I personally didn't like this book a lot because it was predictable and even after the twist it kept going on and on
jpubs
Feb 02, 2025
8/10 stars
"And I thought of the girl ... of her big brain and her perfect features, the honey of her hair tied so carelessly into a topknot, the socked feet tucked beneath her and elegant hands folded into her sleeves, the smell of her - of apples and toothpaste, of clean hair and girl - the keenness to learn, her gentleness, her perfection. She had a glow about her, a circle of light ... She was quite, quite lovely and quite, quite brilliant. And I have to confess, I became more than a little obsessed."

Genuinely good book. Certain parts were very predictable, but it was still a page-turner. Not much of a mystery/suspense reader normally, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Evelyn.sablan4
Jan 31, 2025
8/10 stars
Good plot twist lol people thought the girl was the daughter and it definitely wasn’t
Jesica Clemmons
Jan 26, 2025
7/10 stars
Good read
Anonymous
Jan 14, 2025
8/10 stars
Thrillers need to strike a balance between giving enough clues while still surprising the reader. Lisa Jewell does just that in Then She Was Gone. I enjoyed the characters and could totally relate to Laurel, the mother. This was my first Lisa Jewell book and won’t be my last.

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