A review by darthsansa
The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Claire Douglas’s The Girls Who Disappeared is a labyrinthine tale of secrets and outright lies with a lot of moving parts. At the heart of the mystery is Olivia, a woman in her late 30s who was involved in a serious car accident in 1998 in which her 3 closest friends disappeared. Olivia bears permanent injuries and guilt from that night and lives a sheltered life caring for horses with her mother. She also maintains a strained and stunted relationship with her boyfriend, Wesley. But she cannot forget her friends and wonders what happened to them. On the 20th anniversary of this baffling accident, BBC journalist Jenna comes to town to produce a podcast detailing the events of that night in 1998. Jenna rents a secluded Airbnb in the forest nearby to the accident site and forms a shaky partnership with the lead detective, Dale. Almost everyone in this story has secrets, and it is hard to know who to trust.

I was immediately drawn to the plot and setting of this book. The rainy, autumn forest with a small town full of quirky characters is certainly interesting, and the mystery of the missing girls is intriguing. The plot is fast-paced and takes place over 5 days with interspersed flashbacks to an undisclosed time. However, I felt the character development fell flat. Jenna was not quite believable as a successful BBC reporter, and Dale did not come across as a particularly skilled detective. Neither of them asked many pertinent or in depth questions in their interviews. And although it worked for Jenna to have a “partner,” I just did not buy that Dale would really involve her as much as  he did. 

This is the third Claire Douglas novel I have read. I really like her plots, which are very interesting and current, however, her writing style is not for me. I like more character development and fluid writing. I still recommend this book for someone who favors a plot-driven story that is quickly paced. 

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Perennial  for this ARC edition.