She’s Not There by Joy Fielding
Narrated by Tanya Eby
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books / Brillance Audio
Publication Date: February 23, 2016
Date Read: February 18, 2019
Length: 368 pages / 10 hours 37 minutes
Source: NetGalley / Library
★★★★☆
A vanished child, a family in turmoil, and a fateful phone call that brings the torments of the past into the harrowing present . . . the New York Times bestselling author of Someone Is Watching weaves these spellbinding elements into a gripping novel of psychological suspense—a must-read for fans of Laura Lippman and Mary Higgins Clark.
“I think my real name is Samantha. I think I’m your daughter.”
Caroline Shipley’s heart nearly stops when she hears those words from the voice on the other end of the phone. Instantly, she’s thrust fifteen years into the past, to a posh resort in Baja, Mexico—and the fateful night her world collapsed.The trip is supposed to be a celebration. Caroline’s husband, Hunter, convinces her to leave their two young daughters, Michelle and Samantha, alone in their hotel suite while the couple enjoys an anniversary dinner in the restaurant downstairs. But returning afterward, Caroline and Hunter make a horrifying discovery: Two-year-old Samantha has vanished without a trace.
What follows are days, weeks, and years of anguish for Caroline. She’s tormented by media attention that has branded her a cold, incompetent mother, while she struggles to save her marriage. Caroline also has to deal with the demands of her needy elder daughter, Michelle, who is driven to cope in dangerous ways. Through it all, Caroline desperately clings to the hope that Samantha will someday be found—only to be stung again and again by cruel reality.
Plunged back into the still-raw heartbreak of her daughter’s disappearance, and the suspicions and inconsistencies surrounding a case long gone cold, Caroline doesn’t know whom or what to believe. The only thing she can be sure of is that someone is fiercely determined to hide the truth of what happened to Samantha.
This was quite good! I have read and enjoyed Joy Fielding in the past so I knew that I had a pretty good chance of enjoying this book as well. I have had a review copy for a while but for one reason or another never ended up actually picking it up. This is a story of a missing child so I knew that it might be a bit more emotional but when I saw that my library had a copy of the audiobook, I thought it was time to give this book a try. This book ended up being really hard to set aside because I just had to know what really happened to Samantha.
This book is told through several points in time. We see everything happening to Caroline and her family today and all those years ago during that fateful trip when Samantha disappeared. We do also see a few shorter scenes at different points during the fifteen years that have elapsed since the disappearance. I really thought that everything fit together very well and came together to tell a very sad tale.
I was completely invested in learning what happened all those years ago and felt really bad about everything that Caroline has been through over the years. Not only did Caroline lose her daughter, but she was also treated terribly by society. Everyone seemed to blame her for her daughter’s disappearance. As the actual night that her daughter disappeared came together, my heart hurt for her. It didn’t seem right that one bad decision should have such a devastating impact on her life.
The story that was set in the present was equally well done. I understood why Caroline had to find out if the girl on the other end of the phone could be her daughter. I did have some issues with her older daughter, Michelle. I couldn’t understand why Caroline allowed her to have the control that she did and it got to be a bit much for me. I know that Michelle had also been through a lot and was dealing with things differently but Caroline, as her mother, should have stood up to her a bit more. Once everything was finally revealed, there were a few surprises.
Tanya Eby did a great job with the narration. I thought that she added a lot of emotion to the story and really brought the characters to life. I found her voice to be very pleasant and had no problem listening to the book for hours at a time.
I would recommend this book to others. I thought it was a very well done and sometimes emotional mystery with plenty of twists to keep things interesting. I definitely plan to read more from Joy Fielding in the future.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books via NetGalley and borrowed a copy of the audiobook from my local library via Overdrive.
About the Author
The name sounds familiar, Must google!
Sounds heartbreaking. A missing child is every parent's nightmare, and it's best experienced in a book and not in real life! Thanks for reviewing this one.
I didn't know about the book but like B the name sounds familiar without being able to ponpoint what she wrote. But it looks good!
Can't believe I have not heard of this one. I like the way it all came together. Great review
I discovered Joy Fielding by accident years and years ago and really enjoyed her books. I haven't read this one but it sounds like I need to. I love the kind of books that get you invested and pull you in!
This one sounds so sad and 15 years! I'm not sure I could survive that long with not knowing would eat me alive. Excellent review. I'll have to look into this one. Anne – Books of My Heart
Definitely sounds emotional, and very intense too maybe!
this happens in real life way too often, but I do hope this has a happy ending
Losing a child is not easy, so I can imagine how emotional this story is likely to be. Glad you enjoyed it.
That sounds emotional, especially when the daughter comes back and they find out what she's been through.
I stopped reading after it mentioned a child vanishing! I don't like to read books about missing children or child abuse, but that preference started after having my own children. It's just not something I want to read about, fictional or not. I am happy you enjoyed it though! The fact that it's told through multiple points in time sounds very interesting.
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? ?
Ooh this sounds fantastic. I definitely think I need to look into this one.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
I don't generally like this type of story, but this sounds good! ???
I don't tend to read this kind of thriller but parts of it remind me of a real life ongoing case we keep hearing about in the UK.
I have not yet read a Joy Fielding book. She's been on my list of authors to try for years now. One of these days . . .