She Treads Softly: The Day She Disappeared

Tuesday, October 3, 2023

The Day She Disappeared

The Day She Disappeared by Lisa Hall
10/3/23; 353 pages
Joffe Books

The Day She Disappeared by Lisa Hall is a highly recommended psychological thriller.

Rebecca (Becky) returns to Kirton Island, the island where she grew up, when she learns her mother is very ill. When she arrives, it is in time to plan the funeral. Rebecca knows everyone remembers her and what she did sixteen years ago. She can feel their animosity, but she needs to stay to settle her mother's estate. As a writer, she has also promised her editor that she would be looking into a girl who went missing from the island, Violet.

Everyone, with the exception of Violet's sister Ivy, seems to think Violet left the island. Since Violet was a part of the community of Travelers who lived on the other side of the island, people assumed that Violet simply left and really didn't look too deeply into her disappearance. Rebecca is determined to uncover the truth. And then another teenage girl disappears.

Rebecca is a well-developed and sympathetic character, albeit a little too introspective and fanciful. The backstory about the incident that was the impetus for her leaving the island and never returning is shared. Readers will understand her remorse over her actions years ago as a teen, but it really stretches credibility a bit that everyone on the island remembers and holds a grudge. Additionally, Rebecca should have developed more self confidence and moxie after being completely on her own for years. It was surprising she still cared what any of these people thought.

What helps the novel is the writing which will hold your attention and Rebecca's tenacity in looking into Violet's disappearance. Someone is also trying to make Rebecca leave and they seem to be escalating their actions/sabotage. As soon as all the characters are introduced the final outcome will be easy for long time readers of mysteries and thrillers to predict. However you'll keep reading to see if you're correct about how it all turns out. 3.5 rounded up.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Joffe Books via NetGalley.

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.