Book Summary: “Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. And then she was gone. Ten years after Ellie’s disappearance, her mother, Laurel Mack, is trying to put her life back together when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters – and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.

Because the eerily precocious Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie. And now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to put to rest begin haunting Laurel anew. Where did Ellie go? Did she run away from home, as the police long suspected, or did something more sinister happen?“

What started as a slow moving story line, left me saying “Well, that’s f****d up” by the end. I must admit I lost my motivation to finish reading at one point, however, I am happy I did. Between the romance sparked between Laurel and Floyd; the mystery of Ellie’s disappearance, and the swapping points of view, this story will have you on your toes, and questioning your own sanity, if you weren’t already.

One thing I can say that I appreciate about Lisa Jewell’s writing style is that she has a strong grasp of using the uncanny to her advantage. She doesn’t have to outright say that a character or scenario is creepy to know that it’s creepy. She can take any normal situation and send shivers up your spine or spark a crush on someone you know your mother wouldn’t approve of.

This story only encouraged me to read more of Jewell’s work.

More by Lisa Jewell