Then She Was Gone: A Novel

An acutely observed family drama with bone-chilling suspense.” —People

“Jewell teases out her twisty plot at just the proper pace, leaving readers on the sting of their seats. Her multilayered characters are sheer perfection, and even the foremost astute thriller reader won’t see where everything goes until the ultimate threads are unknotted.” —Booklist starred review

“Sharply written with twists and turns, Jewell’s latest will please fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, or Luckiest Girl Alive." —Library Journal

Ellie Mack was the right daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days faraway from idyllic post-exams summer vacation, together with her whole life before her.

And then she was gone.

Now, her mother Laurel Mack is trying to place her life back together. It’s been ten years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last hint Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man during a café, nobody 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 watching Poppy is like watching Ellie. And now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to place to rest begin to haunt Laurel anew. Where did Ellie go? Did she really run far away from home, because the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?