The Night She Disappeared

The Night She Disappeared is a 2021 mystery novel by New York Times best-selling author Lisa Jewell. A whodunnit packed with multiple red herrings and a large cast of characters, The Night She Disappeared offers a contemporary look at domestic abuse, teen moms, dangerous friendships, and the tantalizing call of wealth.

Jewell has published 20 books; her 2007 novel, 31 Dream Street, won the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance. Critics have called her work “acutely observed” and have hailed her as a writer who “crafts a complex and thoroughly engaging thriller” (@suzylew_bookreview. “The Night She Disappeared: Review. Instagram. 11 Sep. 2021). Jewell’s novels have sold over 5 million copies and have been translated into 28 languages. Other works by Jewell include The Girls in the Garden, The Family Remains, and None of This Is True.

Plot Summary

This novel has a complex structure, featuring three timeframes and three narrators: Kim Knox, a divorced mother of two; her daughter Tallulah Murray; and Sophie Beck, the girlfriend of a school headmaster.

The first timeframe is 2017, one year since the disappearance of Tallulah and her boyfriend Zach.