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colette_grady's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
gracenick3's review against another edition
4.0
I love how all the loose ends were tied perfectly. It felt like Jewell revealed details without being overly pushy, and then brought them up later in the book. Definitely well written.
jhutch1324's review against another edition
5.0
I hate to write a review with spoilers but I have a few things I want to talk about here that would spoil major plot points so I've basically got no choice. I will keep the biggest spoilers for the end and warn you as you read, I don't actually want to spoil the plot for anyone so please only read ahead after the warnings if you've also read the book or don't care to read it.
In the first timeline, Tallulah and Zach are new parents to one year old Noah. He's a happy, adorable baby and they're young parents who are just trying to do what's best for their son. One night, on a 'date night' these two young adults go missing. They had gone to the local pub as planned but then unexpectedly went to a party at the home of Tallulah's college friend. Scarlett's home, Dark Place, is old and full of history, and on the outskirts of town. Everyone at the party says that nothing odd happened and the couple left saying that a cab was on the way to pick them up. They insist they have no idea where the two could be now. Some, even Zach's mom, say that they probably ran off because being parents at 19 was too much for them to handle. Kim, Tallulah's mom doesn't think so. She knows Tallulah could never voluntarily stay away from Noah. She continues to insist that something terrible has happened and even holds a vigil on the anniversary of the disappearance to keep everyone's thoughts on finding the truth.
In the second timeline, we meet Sophie, an author of detective novels. In the fall, one year after the disappearance Sophie moves with her relatively new boyfriend to a country house owned by the boarding school where he is now head-teacher. We don't have head-teachers here in the states so I would guess that would make him the Dean. Her background causes her to be very curious about things, especially local true crime. She hears some gossip and then does her own research and finds the recent story of Tallulah and Zach. She also hears about an abandoned home that can be accessed through a forest path right behind her cottage. The home, Dark Place, can be traced back centuries and was abandoned by the family who lived there very recently. One day right outside her back garden gate, she stumbles upon a sign instructing her to 'dig here', just like a scene in her first novel. When she does she uncovers a
In the first timeline, Tallulah and Zach are new parents to one year old Noah. He's a happy, adorable baby and they're young parents who are just trying to do what's best for their son. One night, on a 'date night' these two young adults go missing. They had gone to the local pub as planned but then unexpectedly went to a party at the home of Tallulah's college friend. Scarlett's home, Dark Place, is old and full of history, and on the outskirts of town. Everyone at the party says that nothing odd happened and the couple left saying that a cab was on the way to pick them up. They insist they have no idea where the two could be now. Some, even Zach's mom, say that they probably ran off because being parents at 19 was too much for them to handle. Kim, Tallulah's mom doesn't think so. She knows Tallulah could never voluntarily stay away from Noah. She continues to insist that something terrible has happened and even holds a vigil on the anniversary of the disappearance to keep everyone's thoughts on finding the truth.
In the second timeline, we meet Sophie, an author of detective novels. In the fall, one year after the disappearance Sophie moves with her relatively new boyfriend to a country house owned by the boarding school where he is now head-teacher. We don't have head-teachers here in the states so I would guess that would make him the Dean. Her background causes her to be very curious about things, especially local true crime. She hears some gossip and then does her own research and finds the recent story of Tallulah and Zach. She also hears about an abandoned home that can be accessed through a forest path right behind her cottage. The home, Dark Place, can be traced back centuries and was abandoned by the family who lived there very recently. One day right outside her back garden gate, she stumbles upon a sign instructing her to 'dig here', just like a scene in her first novel. When she does she uncovers a
pink_alex's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
In 2017 Tallulah went out with her boyfriend on a Friday night. She never came back home. The last place she was seen at was a house in the woods nearby called Dark Place.
One year later Sophie, a crime writer, moved to these woods discovering a sign „Dig here“. She starts looking into the disappearance of Tallulah and follows any lead she can find.
I enjoyed reading the story and following along with the clues while getting the back story. But I didn’t get sucked into the plot. I thought some of the characters are annoying and for me, there was just no big revelation.
One year later Sophie, a crime writer, moved to these woods discovering a sign „Dig here“. She starts looking into the disappearance of Tallulah and follows any lead she can find.
I enjoyed reading the story and following along with the clues while getting the back story. But I didn’t get sucked into the plot. I thought some of the characters are annoying and for me, there was just no big revelation.
books_inthewild's review against another edition
5.0
I’m giving this one five stars because it had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, had me guessing, and was filled with twists & turns!
I absolutely loved the characters, and the different timelines. Seeing the “before” and all that led up to the two characters disappearing was so powerful- it built up the suspense, and constantly had me wondering who & why & what!? The “during” timeline was a great perspective and I enjoyed the character of Sophie. I especially liked that she was a mystery novelist, and that her storyline was set on the school campus.
I’m a big fan of Lisa Jewel and this one is no exception.
Waiiiiitttttt for the ending…. And then waitttttt for the epilogue!
I absolutely loved the characters, and the different timelines. Seeing the “before” and all that led up to the two characters disappearing was so powerful- it built up the suspense, and constantly had me wondering who & why & what!? The “during” timeline was a great perspective and I enjoyed the character of Sophie. I especially liked that she was a mystery novelist, and that her storyline was set on the school campus.
I’m a big fan of Lisa Jewel and this one is no exception.
Waiiiiitttttt for the ending…. And then waitttttt for the epilogue!
jencunn2024's review against another edition
3.0
I am a huge Lisa Jewell fan but this is only about 3.5 stars for me compared to some of my faves from her. The pace was stronger than The Family Upstairs but not as fast-paced as some of her other thrillers. I liked the multiple character lines but there could have been less Sophie & Shaun. There were some things I was able to predict but that may be because I have read Jewell before. However, there was also plenty that I did not see coming and I was still excited to get to the next chapter. I would recommend as a fun mystery or fun summer read.
wani0187's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
limerickreads's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0