Girls Who Disappeared

If you're a fan of complex mysteries full of complicated characters whose motivations are often ambiguous, told from different points of view and whose reliability you cannot be fully certain of, this will be right up your street!

I found this book to be a captivating read that gripped my attention from the start. The author does an excellent job of drawing you into this small little UK town and its atmosphere which appears almost quaint at first, but quickly begins to feel sinister and oppressive when the town's dark secrets and seedy underbelly begin to unravel. The use of UK lingo, UK references and British manners of speech within the book are also delightful and would be relatable to anyone from the UK themselves, enhancing the atmosphere. This style may also perhaps appear quirky and unique to readers from other countries outside of the UK.

I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of hints of paranormal/supernatural elements, and the characters' reactions to that. As someone who enjoys supernatural thrillers and mysteries, the hints at these elements were initially what drew me to this book and their inclusion really helps build a more sinister feeling around the town, and adds to the mystery component of the story.

One element of the book that really stood out for me was the complexity of the characters, which made them very relatable. Many crime mysteries or thrillers I've experienced have suffered a little with characters who are a little easy to read or one dimensional, but this book does an excellent job of making the reader really begin to distrust everyone or question their motives, which I found to be a lot more realistic when it comes to real criminal cases of this complexity and magnitude. Almost every character unto themselves is an enigma and has something to hide here; be it minor and trivial which turns out to be for small personal reasons, or the seemingly minor that turns into something so much more.

I enjoyed receiving the backstory of the BBC reporter who came to the town to make a podcast about the disappearance, which was the premise for the story. It made her a real and relatable character and also played in to the minor romance elements included within the book, which I also enjoyed. Definitely had that "Will they? Won't they?" vibe going on, which kept me invested further.

The book touched upon several elements of problematic and abusive relationships, which are again unfortunately common and relatable. The book definitely made you feel for certain characters in some situations, particularly as gaslighting was used as an element within the story to keep certain characters vulnerable and dependent.

At the end, both the historical recounts within the book and the modern-day happenings came together to resolve the central mystery well. I found the end satisfying as a reader, particularly as I certainly didn't see some components coming.

I found the way the historical recounts were delivered in the book a little frustrating and confusing at first, as it took awhile before you began to see how they could relate to the main story. I also found a little suspension of disbelief was perhaps necessary, as there were a lot of people involved in how the plot all tied up and it was a little difficult to believe elements of it wouldn't have unraveled in a 20 year span of time passing since the disappearances, and initial police investigation of the incident. The police officer in the story was also very forthcoming with information, much more so than they likely would be in reality but I appreciate that was a necessary component to move things along.

All in all though, minor nitpicking aside, this was an excellent book and one I'd thoroughly recommend to anyone who enjoys complex crime thrillers/mysteries with complex characters each with their own story to tell.