Then She Vanished
Carla Kovach
393 pages
Bookouture
published March 17, 2025.
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About the Book
It’s dark as the young woman leaves work. Crossing the empty car park alone, she thinks about the warmth of her little house. But she doesn’t make it home that night. Or ever again…
Thirty years ago, Ruth Pritchard’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Elissa, went missing. Police were called, neighbours were interviewed, and even Ruth’s own husband was investigated, but the case went unsolved. Elissa disappeared forever.
Now, Ruth watches the local news and hears about another girl gone from the same streets where her beloved daughter was last seen, and her heart races. A distinctive red scarf was found at a crime scene, and she recognises it instantly. It belonged to Elissa.
After Ruth alerts the police, they rush to speak to her, but nobody answers the door. Her small home stands eerily quiet. Just like her daughter before her, Ruth has vanished into thin air.
Friends say that Ruth suspected someone close to home took Elissa. Others say she never trusted her husband again after he was questioned by police. Did she finally discover the truth behind her daughter’s disappearance? And will her friends and family ever see her again?
My Review
I loved this layered, complex story. I love the team and the characters and the whole package. I’ll admit I am not a fan of Gina not trusting those around her, but that didn’t sour the book for me. Since this is told from multiple POVs, I was able to get a complete picture of what was unraveling. I followed all the red herrings and was shocked by the twists. I really never had a handle on what happened and who they were after until the reveal and even then, I took a moment to pause to make sure that was what I just read.
There are a lot of characters and a few storylines, that at times intersect in unpredictable ways. I was drawn in from the start and I am not normally a fan of books that morph into something else, but this one really never let up. And I was so invested in the characters and their outcome that I wanted to consume it as quick as I could.
I felt for Ruth and what she had been through with her family. I’m not sure how you ever recover when your child goes missing with no answers. But it setup a dark, compelling story. And that ending has me wondering where Gina goes from there.
There isn’t a need to read books 1 – 16 before starting this one. The case is self contained. But you will miss out on the personal lives and growth of the team by starting in the middle. I am not sure how authors with long running series keep it fresh, but this one definitely was.
If you love a good crime novel or police procedural, you need to check out this series.
Author Bio
Carla Kovach is a USA Today bestselling author from the UK and is published by Bookouture, Sphere, Boekerij and Virtualo. Her DI Gina Harte series has been translated into Dutch, German and Polish.
As well as novels, she has also written stage and screenplays.
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