THEN SHE WAS GONE kept my interest, but I can't say it was a thriller until the past was coming into the picture and the book went back in time to tell us the story of how Ellie went missing.

There is an alternate ending for this novel available on the internet, which the author initially wrote and changed to the current conclusion based on the author's literary agents' advice. Laurel usually doesn't take chances, but after the last clue in Ellie's case was discovered, Laurel is ready to put her life back on track. You know, how you get to forty and you suddenly stop giving a sh** about all the stupid things you worried about your whole life.If you are always loyal, honest, and supportive with each other and never complain about each other to other people, there is a high probability that you are ideal candidates for mutual or unconditional love.

And in this very 'ordinaryness' Jewell creates compelling characters that we come to love and empathise with, and addictive reads. The sinister thing seemed to be the tie to all of the heartache the characters were experiencing both present and past. The amount of courage and character she showed during the challenging experiences will make us love her more. Some suspension of disbelief may be necessary, but it didn’t really bother me, I just enjoyed what I found to be a unique and absorbing story. I figured the "mystery" out but that did not spoil the book for me, as I kept turning the pages to see who else was going to figure the book out.

So many questions without answers can wear a person down, can leave a hole, and can prevent a person from fully moving on with one's life. Now divorced and distant from her other two children, Laurel is attempting to move on and begins dating a handsome and kind man. Multiple other studies show different results with people's rational brain fully developed before or after this age. Thank you to NetGalley, Ariele Friedman, Atria Books and Lisa Jewell for a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Though some give-away clues are revealed early on, you’re still taken on a journey that will most definitely pull your heart in many directions.