Thank you to Mulholland Books for sending me a copy of Rebecca Muddiman’s new novel Gone in exchange for an honest review.

250,000 people go missing in the UK every year.

91% of those reported to police are found within 48 hours.

99% of cases are solved.

And 1% stay gone.

Eleven years ago, troubled teenager Emma Thorley went missing. The police assumed she was a runaway. But now a body has been found in the woods.

As news of the discovery travels, the past comes back to haunt all those involved, from the police to Emma’s friends and enemies.

Because some secrets cannot be buried forever and some dangers never go away.

REVIEW

A gripping and well written British crime story, Gone was just absolutely phenomenal.

I haven’t read anything from Rebecca Muddiman before, but after devouring this over the space of three days I might have to pick up her other book Stolen which is part of the same series as Gone. Muddiman’s writing is just compelling and I can assure you that if you haven’t read Stolen it will not be a problem when it comes to enjoying Gone. I have had a quick look at the summary myself and the basic outline of what happens in Stolen is recapped briefly in this second novel. Although, if Gone is anything to go by then I will definitely be giving Stolen a read.

Dropping the reader right into the action, I was instantly fixated with this story line. You’ll know by now that I adore crime thrillers due to the immense amount of fun it is to follow the detectives on their case. As I’ve said before, I would not make a very good detective but not even the cops in Gone had this one sussed. There are just so many twists!

What I also liked was how an equal amount of focus is given to both the suspects and the officers investigating the Emma Thorley case which I find to be quiet rare in a lot of crime novels. As a reader there’s nothing more enjoyable than seeing characters develop over the course of the book and it was nice to see how each of their stories played out. From Freeman and Gardner to Emma and those who knew her, these characters were distinct and felt very real.

Speaking of characters feeling very real, I must applaud Muddiman on that feat! The character of Lucas Yates completely made my skin crawl. I don’t think I’ve ever been so unsettled by a fictional character. He was arrogant, vicious and misogynistic. I couldn’t hate a character anymore than I hate Lucas. I know you’re probably wondering why I’m dedicating an entire paragraph to a character I absolutely despised? Well, the reason is that it proves what a terrific author Rebecca Muddiman is. The way in which Lucas and a lot of characters are written provoke a vast array of emotions whether it be hatred or sympathy. No character in this novel is without flaws and that’s something I greatly admire about Gone.

If you’re looking for heroes and happiness, this isn’t the book for you. Gone is very refreshing in the fact that it’s realistic. None of the characters have a perfect life behind closed doors which yes, is tragic, but it’s not too far off how real life can be in that aspect.

Gone is everything I want out of a crime thriller. It’s gritty, dramatic and will have you on your toes.

RATING
★★★★