The Girls Who Disappeared audiobook

Loved the book! Solid 4.5 stars from me, happily rounded up!What a clever, well-paced and pulling thriller with clues scattered about - did you also see those twists coming? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the lookout for any new books from the author, Claire Douglas!The book was so fun to read, it kept me hooked and guessing the twists ahead of time. Loved the setting, the remote cabin in the middle of the allegedly haunted woods. No one truly is who they seem...Thank you so much for the ARC, NetGalley!

Five days in Stafferbury for a podcaster stirs up a hornet's nest relating to a 20-year-old mystery. There are three POV: Jenna (podcaster and outsider), Olivia (the survivor of a mysterious car crash), and Stace -- a woman on vacation in Thailand. The interviews that Jenna initiates around town are a vehicle for bringing out the events of the past. Olivia is reluctant to speak to Jenna, but she will change her mind as the days go by. I was nearly gobsmacked when I found out the connection between Thailand and Stafferbury. Perhaps I was also a bit swayed by the hints of paranormal activity. Douglas saves one last big reveal for the Epilogue leaving the reader a bit unsettled, but not disappointed. One of my favorite quotes is in Chapter 37: It's not like in books, Jenna. Not everything gets explained and tied up nicely in a neat little bow. This world is messy, complicated. . . . Love this self-aware statement in a book that I still expected to be tied up neatly with a bow -- and it was. . .Thank you to Harper Paperbacks and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date: January 10, 2023 Twenty years ago, Olivia Rutherford was in a car accident on the rural “Devil’s Corridor”. But Olivia lost more than the complete use of her leg- her three best friends, who had been traveling with her, had completely disappeared after the accident and hadn’t been seen or heard from since. Now, Olivia is stuck in the past, trying to come to terms with her survivor’s guilt and facing blame and ridicule from her neighbours. Although she previously refused speaking to the press, Olivia changes her mind when podcaster Jenna approaches and encourages Olivia to tell her side of the story. But as Jenna investigates, and secrets are revealed, both women’s lives are soon in danger. I am a fan of mystery author, Claire Douglas, and her previous novels, “Then She Vanishes” and “The Couple at Number 9” were four star reads for me. The premise of her newest novel, “The Girls Who Disappeared” was unique and caught my attention right away, and sure enough, Douglas did not disappoint. The story is told in alternating viewpoints, in present day, from the perspective of Jenna and Olivia. The prologue is the only part of the story told in the past, where the events of the car accident, from Olivia’s view, are detailed, but of course Douglas gives very little away, as Olivia is scared, confused, injured and unsure of her surroundings. There are chapters that feature italicized parts of another story, that feature other characters in entirely different surroundings, and although the presence of this plot is confusing at first, it all comes together in the end. The premise is what hooked me, three girls who go missing after a car accident, and the speculation throughout the novel kept me turning the pages. What does Olivia know? Is she to blame like her neighbours believe? Did the three girls run away? There are so many possibilities and Douglas makes each one just as plausible as the next. “Girls” had one heck of an ending, entirely unexpected and completely suspense-fueled. Olivia’s gaslighting, manipulative boyfriend Wes (who is entirely unlikable from the first page), gets what’s coming to him, and the real mystery around the missing girls is revealed. It is difficult to write a captivating novel with a unique plot in this genre, as it is inundated and over-hyped, but Douglas delivers that and more with “The Girls Who Disappeared”.

Another fabulous read from Claire Douglas. The narration from Joanne Froggatt was fantastic and the story has some nice twists

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest thriller by a favorite, Claire Douglas. 4 stars!Twenty years ago, teenager Olivia was driving her three friends home after a night out when suddenly there was a man in the road. She swerved, lost control, and crashed. When she woke up, she was pinned in the car and her three friends were gone. On the anniversary, Jenna is working on a podcast about the girls' disappearance and leaves her small boy at home with her estranged husband to spend 5 days doing interviews. But has she put herself in danger?This was a creepy, atmospheric thriller with strange happenings in the woods and on a road known as The Devil's Corridor. The story is told from the POV of both Olivia and Jenna, with alternating chapters of a past timeline. I was intrigued with this story and there are plenty of questionable characters. The ending was a bit over the top for me but still another good read from this author.

Twenty years after a car accident has all but been forgotten, the case is reopened by the police force, and a journalist arrives in town to make a podcast about what happened.Four friends were heading home from a night of drinking on a rainy night on The Devil's Corridor when a person appeared in the road, and they crashed.The only one who survived was Olivia. The strange thing, though, is that the other three friends were not in the car, all their belongings were gone, and they have never been heard from for twenty years.Why is the case being re-opened after all this time?People don't want the case re-opened nor do they want Jenna, the journalist, to be digging up the past that most likely holds clues.THE GIRLS WHO DISAPPEARED kept my interest and had some interesting characters.The only puzzling thing was the chapters interspersed with something I wasn't really sure had to do with the murder, but oh you will find out why they are there.This book will appeal to fans of Ms. Douglas, fans of suspense, and fans of characters with secrets. Lots of secrets kept and many lies. 4/5This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

A haunting thriller with a gripping hook – twenty years ago four girls drove home after a night out and got in a car crash. But when all the dust settled, only one girl remained. Where are the other three girls?I absolutely loved this one and think it might just be my favorite Claire Douglas book yet. Gripping, pacey, and wonderfully twisty, it hits all the right points for a fantastic thriller. Claire has a way of writing vibrant, emotive characters that feel like they could be real. The story has hints of ghostly happenings and a nice creepy vibe. I loved it!Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A deliciously dark, captivating and twisty mystery from Claire Douglas, the Queen of Gripping Pageturners. With an eerie setting, a brilliant hook and a cast of suspicious characters, The Girls Who Disappeared will keep you guessing and frantically turning the pages from the gripping opening to the very last page.

The narrative is told predominantly from two perspectives. There is Olivia, a woman in her late thirties, who was involved in a car accident some twenty years earlier along with three of her friends. Olivia survived the crash after being rendered unconscious, but her companions had all mysteriously disappeared when she regained consciousness. The second point of view is provided by Jenna, a journalist looking into the case with the intention of making a podcast about it. Intermittently, there is also a third viewpoint, written in italics, though it is not immediately apparent who is providing this account or when the events are taking place. Clearly, this will have relevance to the central mystery, but the connection will not become clear until much later in the story.

I was craving some more mystery and this book scratched that itch perfectly.There are some foreseeable twists, a bit of a little plot hole and some far-fetched elements to the resolution; but this was addictive, gripping and I enjoyed it so much!

One night Olivia is driving home with her friends. It's raining out and she spots a man in the middle of the road, she swerves to miss him but ends up in a terrible accident. When she wakes, she is the only one in the car and her three friends have gone missing. It's now twenty years later and Jenna, a journalist, is back to the scene and would like to do a podcast that focuses on the events that happened so long ago. Jenna soon finds out she's in for more than she bargained for, as she receives threatening letters. Will she learn what really happened to the girls so long ago?This was an engaging, twisty read. I have been a long time fan of Claire Douglas and when I read the summary of this one, I knew this book was for me. THE GIRLS WHO DISAPPEARED had me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out the mystery. I loved all of the alternating points of view and how everything came together for the final conclusion. This was an outstanding book and highly recommend getting a copy!Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial Paperbacks for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.This review will be shared on my Instagram (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

Twenty years ago, Olivia Rutherford was heading home to her town of Stafferbury, down a road called The Devil’s Corridor (which many local folks believe is haunted). She had her three best friends in the car with her. There was a terrible storm, and she ends ups swearing, losing control of the car and crashing after seeing a man in the middle of the road. She wakes up badly injured, to a stranger trying to help her. She looks around and does not see any of her friends. She soon learns that her friends mysteriously disappeared that night with no trace. It haunts her to this day and many of the local townspeople have their own opinions on what might have happened; some saying Olivia knows more than she is letting on.Fast forward to present day. Jenna, who is a BBC podcaster, wants to cover the 20th anniversary of the disappearance and comes in town to interview the locals. She is hopeful the people closest to the case, like Olivia, will agree to interviews as well. When she arrives, she is not given a warm welcome to say the least. On top of that, she is staying in a cabin in the middle of the woods and creepy things keep happening. Each day that passes, Jenna quickly comes to realize that not only is she not welcome, but she may also be in danger.This story is told in dual timelines and from multiple POV’s. IMO, the overall mystery and storyline were well thought out. There are creepy vibes throughout the book, along with many twists. However, the story did drag out in certain parts. Also, I was not a huge fan of most of the characters. On the plausibility spectrum, I had an incredibly hard time believing that Jenna would stay in a secluded cabin in the middle of the woods all alone (especially considering she was there to cover a story of three woman that mysteriously disappeared twenty years ago). Also, while I thought the supernatural aspect would be a clever inclusion, I felt let down by the way it was portrayed and by the lack of it. Overall, 3.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

☆☆☆☆This is only my second book by Claire Douglas but I feel like I’ve been reading her books forever. Her outstanding writing style flows seamlessly and kept me hungry for more. Two distinct and gripping narratives come together during the ominous tale of “The Girls Who Disappeared”. A jaunt to Thailand with four couples was a mysterious portion that factored in much later in the book, also.Secrets never stay buried and they become more unmanageable the longer we cover them up. There is always someone prepared to expose them.Jenna is a podcaster investigating and reporting on an old accident that took place on the Devil’s Corridor. A local road known for chilling and bizarre activity. Twenty years earlier, four girls driving home wreck their car, and only one was seen again. Olivia survived but badly injured her leg. The strange atmosphere hints at the possibility that unexplained forces may be at play. The audiobook has fantastic narration and might be the best option for this book!Sincere thanks to Harper Audio for providing this gifted ARC through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.#TheGirlsWhoDisappeared #ClaireDouglas #honestreview #harperaudio #penguin #netgalley #audiobook #England #crimeandcocktailsbookcrew #mysteryandthrills #readwithme #bookaddict #thrilleraddict #thrillersofinstagram #bookstagrammer #lovebooks #bookreviewersofinstagram #lovetoreadbooks #cantstopreading #fortheloveofbooks #bookrecommendations #ireviewbooks #ilovereading

This was a fantastic thriller! I enjoyed the multiple POV, short chapters, chilling atmosphere and pacing that kept me on the edge of my seat for most of the book. Midway it slowed down a bit but picked up again for an ending full of surprises and twists!

3.5 stars rounded up to 4!I really love Claire Douglas' books and how thrilling and twisty they are without getting too intense or gory. I absolutely loved The Couple at No. 9, so I was extra excited to have gotten approved for this one. This was a fun mystery story to put on while cleaning and doing other chores and I really enjoyed how all of the storylines were intertwined together in the end. The multiple POV and possible supernatural/paranormal elements throughout the setting really kept me intrigued throughout, even though I felt some of the pacing slowed down just a little bit in the middle. I've tended to really gravitate towards stories with some kind of podcast element mixed in and this one was definitely a win in that category for me. Not my favorite by this author but still one I recommend picking up! Thank you NetGalley and Harper Audio for my review copy!

This. Book. WOW! I loved her story The Couple at Number 9, so I was thrilled to be selected to read The Girls Who Disappeared. The story starts with a bang as Olivia and 3 friends are driving and get into a terrible accident. When Olivia comes to, her friends are gone and never to be seen again. 20 years pass and we meet Jenna, a journalist who is doing a podcast on the disappearance of the girls for the upcoming anniversary. She’s hoping to jog the memory of someone, or stir up old clues to bring new evidence to light. She’s met with resistance from everyone in town, especially Olivia, and everyone seems to be keeping secrets. Her life is in danger as she receives threats throughout her stay. There’s another side story that had me wondering how everything would tie in together. Douglas is a master at weaving her stories into webs of lies and deceit, that you never fully untangle until the last page, and this book was no exception! I loved the spooky atmosphere she created with The Devils Corridor, and the forest surrounding Jenna’s isolated cabin. Several parts of the story had me extremely creeped out, and I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how the story ended up. Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial and paperbacks for my ARC in exchange for my honest feedback! This book is out now, and is a must read!