When She Disappeared by Steph Mullin
Product Details
Web ID: 15058228Equal parts thriller and character study
I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. I was unfamiliar with the authors and didn't know what to expect, but from the first few pages to the last, I was intrigued by Margo's story, her failed relationships, her losses, her worries, and her hopes for the future. Equal parts thriller and character study, the book held me in its thrall and reminded me that no one gets through life without struggles.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Unexpected Ending
When Margo was a senior in high school, her best friend, the very popular Jessie, went missing. Now, some 15yrs later, Margo has returned to her hometown to help her dad after surgery and the timing couldn’t be better (or worse?), because Jessie’s body has just been found at the bottom of the swimming hole where the HS seniors have always hung out. Now that everyone knows Jessie was killed (and didn’t just run off like many thought), the true-crime documentary series, Into Thin Air, is reviewing the case, and Margo is doing her part to help out. But as the story progresses, secrets from Jessie’s inner circle are uncovered, and Margo realizes she wasn’t as close to Jessie as she might’ve thought. I zipped through this book; easy to read, relatable characters, and a suspenseful pace. I’m not sure how much I liked the ending—in retrospect, I’m liking it more—-and I think it’s definitely worth the read! Special Note: Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Not what I expected
When She Disappeared by Steph Mullin and Nicole Mabry has Margo back in Lake Moss after fifteen years. On her way into town, she learns Jessie Germaine who disappeared in 2004 has been found in the local high school swimming hole. Margo teams up with her old friend, Austin who now works on the documentary show to uncover the truth. I was looking forward to reading When She Disappeared because it sounded like a suspenseful thriller (I have been wanting to read a twisty whodunit filled with tension that would have me on the edge of my seat). When She Disappeared has a fifteen-year-old mystery, unreliable narrator, a variety of suspects, and a documentary crew who wants the truth. I did not feel that the elements came together into one cohesive whole. The story moves at a very slow pace (I have seen snails move faster) and the authors are extremely verbose. We do not need to know what Margo is wearing each time she goes out with Austin (nor her makeup choices). The main character, Margo is an unlikeable woman. It is hard to enjoy a story when you do not like the MC. None of the characters are fleshed out. They are flat from lack of development. The mystery can be solved early in the story. The ending was a big disappointment. There is a lot of repetition in the book. At least a quarter of the book could have been edited from duplication. When She Disappeared lacked the right elements to make it a suspenseful, engaging novel. While When She Disappeared was not for me, I suggest that you obtain a sample to check it out for yourself. When She Disappeared failed to satisfy my craving for a suspenseful whodunit.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Another winner from great authors!
I’m a sucker for a beautiful cover. And if it’s written by an author I like, reading the book blurb is optional! “The Family Tree” was one of my favorite reads last year, so I took the leap with “When She Disappeared”. My review may or may not contain spoilers?? Read at your own risk. Margo returns to her hometown just as the body of her childhood friend is discovered. Jesse disappeared into thin air one day and was never heard from again. Did she run away? Was she kidnapped? Murdered? No one knows. Now, after fifteen years, her body has been found at the bottom of a popular swimming hole. And one thing is certain, she didn’t stuff herself into a cooler. My suspicions regarding the suspect proved correct, although I would never have dreamed up the motive! My only issue is the ending. Is there another book coming or are we left hanging? Thank you to Steph Mullin, Nicole Mabry and Avon Books for providing this complimentary ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
well written and engrossing crime/thriller
I really enjoyed this crime novel/thriller. At the start it went along the well-worn lines of young woman, Margo, comes back to the small town that she has avoided for many years after her best friend, Jessie, went missing. She was bullied at school, everyone in the town has secrets. As she arrives in town, Jessie’s body is found, and what was originally seen by the police as a teenage runaway, turns into a murder investigation. But what sets it apart from most, is first the excellent writing style, and secondly the investigation is not done by the police, but by a TV documentary team, who had originally covered Jessie’s disappearance, and now want an update as new information comes to light. Preparation for the documentary is being handled by sound technician, Austin, who had also grown up in the town. He enlists Margo’s aid, as she knew Jessie very well, and worked as a court stenographer, so was good at taking notes. Their (and most other people’s) main suspect is Jessie’s ex-boyfriend, Charlie. He is from a wealthy family, entitled, arrogant and a major bully who had made Margo’s school life horrible. You so want Charlie to be the murderer. However, it soon becomes apparent, that popular girl, Jessie, had upset nearly everyone in town at some time or other. Although many of the complaints against her would not necessarily have been motive enough for murder (in a rational world), almost everyone’s life was improved by not having Jessie in it. Someone wants Margo to stop asking questions. There are threatening emails, and someone might be spying on her at her home. In the book there are chilling scenes where Margo sees a flicker of movement out the corner of her eye. Is it a stalker? Or is she imagining it? Margo’s mother had been very paranoid and overprotective of her daughter, before dying in a car crash (accident or suicide?). Has Margo inherited her paranoia? “There was a physical piece of evidence sitting in front of her. But it had been real to her mother too. Was the danger real, or all in her head? Was her mind inventing a perceived threat, filling in blanks of its own accord?” There is a major twist at the end that I did not fully see coming (though I had suspected everyone at one time or another) – and although we finally know what happened to Jessie, the book ends on a cliff hanger, as the town remains in ignorance – or does it? This was an excellent read – fast paced and has you on the edge of your seat. It would make a really exciting TV series. I recommend it to all crime/thriller fans. I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by either the author or publisher.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A twisty, atmospheric thriller
Margot's childhood friend Jessie disappeared just before high school graduation in 2004. The shock of Jessie's disappearance coupled with her mother's tragic death has kept her away from her small mountain town of Lake Moss for 15 years. Now she's back to take care of her dad after his knee surgery and by coincidence, Jessie's body is discovered inside a cooler in a secret swimming hole just as she arrives in town. Determined to find out what happened to her friend, she teams up with an old classmate who is working on a documentary about Jessie's case. However, someone is equally determined to drive Margot out of town, and just how far are they willing to go to make sure she stops digging up the past? When She Disappeared is a twisty, atmospheric read set in a small town with plenty of secrets and suspicious characters. The story has a true crime feel to it, with the documentary playing a big role in the plot. I enjoyed that aspect as I am a true crime fan myself. As for the big twist, I thought it was really clever. It didn't shock me though as there were a few red flags about that particular character from the start. I think if you pay close attention to certain details, it's pretty easy to figure out the killer's identity. The ending might be a hit or miss with readers depending on how you like your stories wrapped up. This one leaves an open ending and lets the reader decides if they think there will be justice for Jessie. Overall, I enjoyed this thriller. Despite the slower pace, I was never bored while reading and it held my interest until the end. I won't mind reading more from these authors. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com