A heart-stopping new psychological thriller from international bestseller, Emily Elgar, inspired by a shocking true-life story
Meg and her daughter Grace are the most beloved family in Ashford, the lynchpin that holds the town together. So when Meg is found brutally murdered and her daughter missing, the community is rocked by the tragedy. Her daughter, Grace, has been sick for years and all Meg has ever done is look after her. Now Meg is dead, Grace is gone – and fears are growing for her life.
Who would kidnap a sick teenager? Who would murder a mother who sacrificed everything? As the community come to terms with what’s happened, an unlikely pair start searching for answers: Jon, the most hated journalist in Ashford and Cara, the young woman who found Meg’s body. But once they start digging into the past, they will soon realise there’s no going back.
About the Author:
Originally from the Cotswolds, Emily Elgar studied at Edinburgh University and went on to complete the novel writing course at the Faber Academy in 2014. She currently lives in East Sussex with her husband and If You Knew Her was her first novel.
My Review:
WOW, OMG and WTAF are the 3 main thoughts I had whilst reading Grace is Gone and the day after I finished the book my feelings haven’t changed that much except I realise that YOU will expect a little more detail from me in my review so bear with me.. I might start rambling:
Grace is Gone is inspired by a shocking true story, however I didn’t know that when I started reading it, so I went in “oblivious” to what the story is based on and started the book without a clue what was to come.
Grace is a 17 year old wheelchair bound, seriously ill young lady who is cared for by her devoted single mother Megan. They are both adored and respected in the small community they live in. With an absent and violent father and a tragic past Grace and Meg are protected and supported by their neighbours, so when Cara, their next door neighbour discovers Meg’s battered body and Grace’s empty wheelchair the town is left in turmoil and the race to find Grace begins.
This story has several narrators which I personally LOVE, because the story starts to unfold layer by layer. We find out more about Meg and Grace through a disgraced and ostracised journalist Jon, who published an article on the family and was publicly shunned and issued with a restraining order against the family. Jon is now estranged from his beloved wife and son and becomes obsessed with finding out where Grace has gone.
Cara, the young neighbour and one of Grace’s only friends is still in shock after discovering Meg’s murder and becomes focused on discovering the truth about the family even if it means her own life is in danger.
With Grace’s diary to help Cara and Jon dig deeper into the murder and missing teenager, Grace is Gone tells a sad and disturbingly dark tale of mental illness. I will admit that because I wasn’t aware it was based on a true event I thought I was extremely clever to “work out the twist” almost immediately, however this didn’t spoil my enjoyment of this addictive and brilliantly written story.
Grace is Gone is published on 7th January 2020 and you can pre-order now: (Affiliate link)
