Review: Gone Without a Trace

Gone Without a Trace by Mary Torjussen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! I loved this book so much! I actually read this book in two days, which is extremely rare for me since I work fulltime and am supposed to be writing my dissertation. I couldn't stop, though! The story just captivated me and I could not wait to know what would happen next.

So, the story is about a woman named Hannah who is a successful, emerging accountant. One day she is at a conference for work and gets great news, they want to put her in line for a promotion! Hannah can't wait to get home to tell her live-in boyfriend Matt. She heartbreakingly stops for champagne to celebrate, only to get home and discover, Matt is gone.

But Matt isn't just gone...every trace of Matt is gone as well. Her house is set back to the way it looked before Matt ever moved in 4 years earlier. Her old tv is suddenly back in place. Her books are placed back where they were before his record collection was stored there. The photos of the two of them are all missing. His mugs are gone from the cabinets. Even the bed sheets are changed back to the old ones!

Hannah is upset and confused. She goes to call Matt only to discover he isn't in her contact lists. As Hannah begins to spiral, checking for any trace of Matt--emails, text messages, facebook messages--she realizes everything is gone. Hannah can't accept this, she doesn't understand how this could happen. She spends time thinking back--did she ever see a sign he was unhappy? Did he give any indication of this? How are all traces of him gone? Amidst her friends telling her she needs to move on, Hannah cannot let it go.

I'm going to stop my synopsis there, since I covered what you know from the back cover and the first chapter or so. But...holy smokes, the premise of this was wonderful! The lack of closure something like this would cause--it would drive almost anyone insane. Because you're left wondering along with Hannah... WHY?!?!?!?!?! And also, how?

The ending is wonderful with multiple twists and turns. A few things I sort of suspected, and others completely blew my mind. The ending could have gone so many directions that I would have been happy with, but I think Mary chose the exact perfect one. I loved this book, and I recommend it to any suspense/thriller lovers!

View all my reviews

Comments

Review: When Never Comes

When Never Comes by Barbara Davis My rating: 4 of 5 stars Sometimes learning to let yourself be happy is the hardest lesson of all… Though the premise of this book may sounds like it veers towards thriller, it is anything but that—in a good way! Davis’s When Never Comes is a beautiful story of resilience, finding yourself, and learning to be open to happiness. It’s a story about a woman who ran away or hid her entire life, until she was forced out of hiding. This book is an incredible addition to Women’s Fiction in 2018. I think many readers will find this story to be a starting point to reflect on their own lives and identify the ghosts we all have following us around. Christine lives an enviable life… Married to handsome, charismatic, best-selling author Stephen Ludlow, book-editor Christine has the perfect marriage. They live in the very house one of Stephen’s books was filmed in for the movie-adaptation. They have no children (by choice), and Christine ...

Review: The Death of Mrs. Westaway

The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book had me completely hooked from page one! I have to give this 5 glowing stars for Ruth Ware—who if I’m being honest never disappoints me! This book was positively haunting!!! It was spooky yet meaningful, with lovely prose and compelling plot twists. I cannot recommend it enough! I finished this book last night. It was one of those books that I stayed up late on a work night to finish, because I was so invested in the story. Hal’s dilemma had me completely immersed in the book. I think most readers will find themselves wondering what they would do if they were in Hal’s position! One thing that Ruth Ware does so well in this book (and in her previous work) is to write about characters that are cut off from society in some way. Sometimes this is done through a setting or an experience, and other times it is done through their social predicament. Hal fell into the latter category, with a dash of ...

Review: Don't Believe It

Don't Believe It by Charlie Donlea My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars The last 40% of this book is mind-blowing—I had to go back and reread passages to make sure I read what I thought I did!!! This is my first book by Charlie Donlea, and what a fantastic introduction to this author!!! This book already drew me in with the premise, but the writing and the way the story was executed kept me engaged until the very last page. This is a book that is fueled by the plot. Some thrillers take place mostly in the minds of the characters, but this book is action driven. There are no slow points—every single chapter is moving you towards the shocking conclusion. You’ll want to pay attention, because a LOT happens in this book! 10 years ago Grace Sebold was convicted of murdering her boyfriend… Grace’s life was on the right track. Grace recently found out she was accepted in the medical residency she wanted in NYC with her boyfriend Julian, who is unbeknownst to her about to ...

Novel but Nice

Search This Blog