Status
Available
Genres
Publication
Harper Paperbacks (2020), 336 pages
Description
Fiction. Suspense. Thriller. HTML: From the bestselling author of If You Knew Her comes this harrowing tale of suspense�??a story ripped from today's headlines�??of a tight-knit English community, who's rocked by the murder of a mother and the mysterious disappearance of her daughter, and the secrets that lie concealed beneath a carefully constructed facade. A small town's beloved family. A shocking, senseless crime�??and the dark secret at the heart of it all. Everyone in Ashford, Cornwall, knows Meg Nichols and her daughter, Grace. Meg has been selflessly caring for Grace for years, and Grace�??smiling and optimistic in spite of her many illnesses�??adores her mother. So when Meg is found brutally bludgeoned in her bed and her daughter missing, the community is rocked. Meg had lived in terror of her abusive, unstable ex, convinced that he would return to try and kidnap Grace...as he had once before. Now it appears her fear was justified. Jon Katrin, a local journalist, knows he should avoid getting drawn back into this story. The article he wrote about Meg and Grace caused rifts within his marriage and the town. Perhaps if he can help find Grace, he can atone for previous lapses in judgment. The Nichols' neighbor, Cara�??contending with her own guilt over not being a better friend to Grace�??becomes an unexpected ally. But in searching for Grace, Jon and Cara uncover anomalies that lead to more and more questions. Through multiple viewpoints and diary entries, the truth about Grace emerges, revealing a tragedy more twisted than anyone could have… (more)
Similar in this library
User reviews
LibraryThing member miss.mesmerized
When Cara comes to her neighbours’ house, she’s got a guilty conscience, she hasn’t seen Grace as often as she could have and the girl hardly has contact to anybody apart from her mother. Suffering from multiple diseases, she is confined to the house and needs a wheelchair to move around.
Emily Elgar’s novel is a real page turner which offers some unexpected twists. The author has well dosed the revelations about Grace and Megan’s past to keep the reader hooked and curious to find out who they really were. What I liked most was the fact that – set aside the murder of Meg – most of what is told about them could be true and surely happens every day. This makes the suspenseful psychological thriller also a very sad story and leads the reader to ponder about the question how such a story could take place.
It is quite difficult to talk about the characters or the plot without giving away too much of it and spoiling the fun for other readers. I liked having alternate narrators who tell the events from their respective point of view and I also rarely find crime stories where the police and their investigation only play a minor role, or rather: none at all. Even though I had the correct idea of why and how the scheme was set up, I enjoyed reading the novel thoroughly.
Show More
What Cara finds, however, is not Grace and her loving mother Meg, but a horrible crime scene: the mother has been slaughtered and the daughter is gone. Who would do such a thing to the most beloved family of the small Cornish city of Ashford? Haven’t they suffered enough with the daughter fatally ill and their son who drowned a couple of years earlier? Together with journalist Jon, who published a not so pleasing portrait of mother and daughter a couple of months before, Cara starts to investigate and soon realises that the public picture of Grace and Meg differs a lot from reality. Emily Elgar’s novel is a real page turner which offers some unexpected twists. The author has well dosed the revelations about Grace and Megan’s past to keep the reader hooked and curious to find out who they really were. What I liked most was the fact that – set aside the murder of Meg – most of what is told about them could be true and surely happens every day. This makes the suspenseful psychological thriller also a very sad story and leads the reader to ponder about the question how such a story could take place.
It is quite difficult to talk about the characters or the plot without giving away too much of it and spoiling the fun for other readers. I liked having alternate narrators who tell the events from their respective point of view and I also rarely find crime stories where the police and their investigation only play a minor role, or rather: none at all. Even though I had the correct idea of why and how the scheme was set up, I enjoyed reading the novel thoroughly.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jfe16
Seventeen-year-old Grace Nichols has been devastatingly sick most of her life. Her mother, Meg, has dedicated her life to caring for her daughter. They are fortunate to have a strong support system in their community; friends often stop by to leave something for them. And so, one day, neighbor Cara
Meg is on her bed, bludgeoned to death.
Grace’s wheelchair is overturned.
Grace is gone.
In shock, the community rallies to find the missing girl while the police investigate the gruesome murder. Early on, Grace’s father, Simon Davis, becomes the primary suspect, in part because he’d tried to take Grace once before when she was just six years old. However, investigative journalist Jon Katrin, who once wrote a less-than-well-received piece on Grace and Meg for the local paper, thinks there’s something else at play in this case. As he and Cara investigate, anomalies surface that cause them to question everything they thought they knew.
Who killed Meg? And where is Grace?
Told alternately by Jon and Cara and supported by entries made in Grace’s diary, the unfolding story seethes with an undercurrent of tension and suspense. The small town’s residents continue to ostracize Jon for his earlier article; he struggles to repair his marriage to Ruth while seeking answers about Grace’s disappearance in hopes of finding her and thus atoning for that earlier article. Meanwhile, Grace’s father, Simon, clearly knows more than he’s saying, but conflicting stories about him make it particularly difficult to separate truth from fiction.
Readers familiar with the true-life case that serves as the basis for this narrative will know the surprising twist long before its reveal in this tantalizing tale, but there are enough clues along the way that astute readers will have no problem deciphering this twisted tragedy.
Unfortunately, a much-overused and offensive expletive mars an otherwise intriguing, spot-on narrative and lowers the rating for this book.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program
Show More
Dorman stops by with some clothing for Grace. She rings the bell, but no one answers. When Cara discovers the front door is open, she goes inside. Meg is on her bed, bludgeoned to death.
Grace’s wheelchair is overturned.
Grace is gone.
In shock, the community rallies to find the missing girl while the police investigate the gruesome murder. Early on, Grace’s father, Simon Davis, becomes the primary suspect, in part because he’d tried to take Grace once before when she was just six years old. However, investigative journalist Jon Katrin, who once wrote a less-than-well-received piece on Grace and Meg for the local paper, thinks there’s something else at play in this case. As he and Cara investigate, anomalies surface that cause them to question everything they thought they knew.
Who killed Meg? And where is Grace?
Told alternately by Jon and Cara and supported by entries made in Grace’s diary, the unfolding story seethes with an undercurrent of tension and suspense. The small town’s residents continue to ostracize Jon for his earlier article; he struggles to repair his marriage to Ruth while seeking answers about Grace’s disappearance in hopes of finding her and thus atoning for that earlier article. Meanwhile, Grace’s father, Simon, clearly knows more than he’s saying, but conflicting stories about him make it particularly difficult to separate truth from fiction.
Readers familiar with the true-life case that serves as the basis for this narrative will know the surprising twist long before its reveal in this tantalizing tale, but there are enough clues along the way that astute readers will have no problem deciphering this twisted tragedy.
Unfortunately, a much-overused and offensive expletive mars an otherwise intriguing, spot-on narrative and lowers the rating for this book.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this book through the LibraryThing Early Readers program
Show Less
LibraryThing member SquirrelHead
Grace is Gone is a nice twisty mystery about Meg and Grace Nichols. The setting is Cornwall in a peaceful small town. Cara Dorman is the neighbor of these two, Meg is the mother and Grace is the very ill 17 year old daughter.
Cara is banging away at the door to drop off a bag of clothes for Grace
As she makes her way into the house calling out for Meg, she finds Grace's wheelchair overturned, Grace is no where in sight and Meg is dead in her bed. Her head is bashed in so obviously it's murder. Where is Grace? Did Meg's violent ex-husband kidnap her?
The story is told from two points of view, Cara the neighbor and Jon, an investigative reporter. There is also Grace's diary where Jon gets a glimpse of her life through these diary entries.
There are many correlations with a real life case about Gyspy Blanchard. If you read about that you may have some spoilers as far as this book.
I enjoyed Emily Elgar's first book If You Knew Her much more than this one. Would I read another novel by this author? Absolutely.
For more info on the author check out her website HERE. Emily grew up in West country and currently lives in East Sussex England. Much thanks to LibraryThing for my copy of this book.
Cara is banging away at the door to drop off a bag of clothes for Grace
Show More
when she makes a shocking discovery.As she makes her way into the house calling out for Meg, she finds Grace's wheelchair overturned, Grace is no where in sight and Meg is dead in her bed. Her head is bashed in so obviously it's murder. Where is Grace? Did Meg's violent ex-husband kidnap her?
The story is told from two points of view, Cara the neighbor and Jon, an investigative reporter. There is also Grace's diary where Jon gets a glimpse of her life through these diary entries.
There are many correlations with a real life case about Gyspy Blanchard. If you read about that you may have some spoilers as far as this book.
I enjoyed Emily Elgar's first book If You Knew Her much more than this one. Would I read another novel by this author? Absolutely.
For more info on the author check out her website HERE. Emily grew up in West country and currently lives in East Sussex England. Much thanks to LibraryThing for my copy of this book.
Show Less
LibraryThing member niaomiya
This book was mildly interesting - not the riveting thriller that it appears to be. Meg Nichols and her daughter Grace live in Ashford, Cornwall, where everybody knows the loving mother-daughter team: Meg, who selflessly cares for her ailing daughter, and Grace, who stays positive in spite of her
The book took a while to get going, and that was frustrating, because I wanted to get to the meat of the story. Also, alas, I had this mystery figured out pretty early on, so the two twists in the book ended up not being twists at all for me. The writing was good, and telling the story from different characters' points of view kept things interesting, but overall the book just did not grab me. It wasn't bad - just wasn't great.
Show More
many inexplicable illnesses. When Meg is found brutally murdered and Grace is missing, the entire community pulls together to find the missing teen. Grace's best friend Cara teams up with Jon, a reporter, to try to unravel the mystery of Grace's disappearance and to find out who would want to murder everyone's most loved mom.The book took a while to get going, and that was frustrating, because I wanted to get to the meat of the story. Also, alas, I had this mystery figured out pretty early on, so the two twists in the book ended up not being twists at all for me. The writing was good, and telling the story from different characters' points of view kept things interesting, but overall the book just did not grab me. It wasn't bad - just wasn't great.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jjnaaucoin
This book was an easy, relaxing read Although you get a feel for it early on it still holds your attention throughout. I would recommend this book if you want a quick read that you know what is going to happen and are just along for the rise. I enjoyed it.
LibraryThing member Amelianovich
Review This small town mystery certainly was addictive! Various view points and diary entries tell the story of a missing disabled young girl and of a town searching for her and answers. Compelling to the very twisted ending. 3.5 stars and another .5 for the last 50 pages!!
LibraryThing member susan.h.schofield
This was another well written book from Emily Elgar. However, I was able to figure what was actually going on with Grace and Meg almost immediately. It was simply another fictionalized version of the Gypsy Rose and DeeDee Blanchard story, just like Darling Rose Gold. If you are unfamiliar with the
Show More
story of the Blanchards or haven't read Darling Rose Gold, you will probably enjoy this book more than I did. Show Less
LibraryThing member kbranfield
4.5 stars.
Grace Is Gone by Emily Elgar is a twisted domestic mystery set in a small town in Cornwall.
Cara Dorman makes a shocking discovery when she goes to neighbor Meg Nichols' house to make a delivery. Meg has been brutally bludgeoned to death and her very ill seventeen daughter Grace is
Cara and her mum Susan have been close to Meg and Grace for years. They, along with the rest of the town, have nothing but admiration for Meg and her selfless care of her very ill daughter. But as Cara joins forces with Jon to find Grace, she begins to rethink some of the things she has witnessed over the years. They have uncovered some very unexpected information that alters her opinion of Meg and Grace. But the big question is whether or not these shocking new details have any bearing on Meg's murder and Grace's disappearance.
Jon has been living in disgrace since his article about Grace and Meg was published in the local paper. Originally from London, he grossly miscalculated the angle of his article and he is now separated from his wife, Ruth and their son, Jacob. During the course of his investigation, he realizes that he might have allowed his personal situation to color his perception of Meg and her estranged husband, Simon.
A few minor findings and insatiable curiosity lead to unexpected clues. With the town's attention focused on finding Grace, Cara avoids the limelight and inadvertently stumbles onto an absolutely shocking discovery. Jon, too, has found unanticipated information that changes the course of their investigation. Jon and Cara soon put themselves into an increasingly dangerous situation as they try to uncover the truth about what happened to Meg and Grace.
Based on true life events, Grace Is Gone is a clever mystery that is quite riveting. The storyline is well-executed and the characters are well-drawn. Emily Elgar brings this engrossing mystery to a twist-filled yet ethically questionable conclusion. I completely enjoyed and highly recommend this thought-provoking novel to readers of the genre.
Grace Is Gone by Emily Elgar is a twisted domestic mystery set in a small town in Cornwall.
Cara Dorman makes a shocking discovery when she goes to neighbor Meg Nichols' house to make a delivery. Meg has been brutally bludgeoned to death and her very ill seventeen daughter Grace is
Show More
missing. The entire town rallies around the much loved and admired family of two and begins their own search for Grace. Cara is somewhat traumatized by her memories of finding Meg's body and she is also wracked with guilt she has allowed her once close friendship with Grace to fall by the wayside. She unexpectedly teams up with despised journalist Jon Katrin to find the missing teen before it is too late.Cara and her mum Susan have been close to Meg and Grace for years. They, along with the rest of the town, have nothing but admiration for Meg and her selfless care of her very ill daughter. But as Cara joins forces with Jon to find Grace, she begins to rethink some of the things she has witnessed over the years. They have uncovered some very unexpected information that alters her opinion of Meg and Grace. But the big question is whether or not these shocking new details have any bearing on Meg's murder and Grace's disappearance.
Jon has been living in disgrace since his article about Grace and Meg was published in the local paper. Originally from London, he grossly miscalculated the angle of his article and he is now separated from his wife, Ruth and their son, Jacob. During the course of his investigation, he realizes that he might have allowed his personal situation to color his perception of Meg and her estranged husband, Simon.
A few minor findings and insatiable curiosity lead to unexpected clues. With the town's attention focused on finding Grace, Cara avoids the limelight and inadvertently stumbles onto an absolutely shocking discovery. Jon, too, has found unanticipated information that changes the course of their investigation. Jon and Cara soon put themselves into an increasingly dangerous situation as they try to uncover the truth about what happened to Meg and Grace.
Based on true life events, Grace Is Gone is a clever mystery that is quite riveting. The storyline is well-executed and the characters are well-drawn. Emily Elgar brings this engrossing mystery to a twist-filled yet ethically questionable conclusion. I completely enjoyed and highly recommend this thought-provoking novel to readers of the genre.
Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Physical description
336 p.; 8 inches
ISBN
0062945637 / 9780062945631