Gone: The Disappearance of Claudia Lawrence and Her Father's Desperate Search for the Truth

by Neil Root

The last time that anyone heard from 35-year-old Claudia Lawrence, a chef at the University of York, was when she sent a text message to a friend on 18 March 2009 at 8.23 p.m. She has never been heard from or seen again, and her disappearance is a mystery that endures to this day. What happened to Claudia that early spring evening—or was it early the following morning on her way to work? There had been nothing abnormal about her behavior before she vanished, and there were no signs of a struggle at her home. A Crimewatch reconstruction has been broadcast, and the police investigation into the case has cost more than £750,000. Dozens of interviews have thrown up numerous leads, but there are no concrete clues. With extensive access to her family and friends, in Gone, Neil Root assesses the facts and theories and asks: where is Claudia?

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction

283 pages, Hardcover

First published March 14, 2013

About the author

I was born in London in 1971. I love reading and writing, as well as films, travelling, and meeting people. I write true crime, crime fiction, literary criticism and journalism.

Reviews

[John Parry · Rating 1 out of 5]

Claudia - Lost in words

'Gone' by Neil Root purports to be an investigation of the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence and the unwavering pursuit by her father for answers. Unfortunately I found it disappointing on a number of levels.

Though it is long on words it is quite short on actual analytical detail relating to the disappearance. The writer throughout seems to want to embellish his credentials by offering knowledge and information which is at best tangential to the actual story.

Much of the narrative is occupied with the thoughts, memories, reminiscences and opinions of the family and friends of Claudia. Clearly the writer has the support of the family but at times it seems he is writing on behalf of them which does diminish the book's objectivity. This is most noticeable regarding the chapter on Claudia's social and romantic lifestyle. Evidently the police felt that area held the key to unlocking the case. Yet one senses the writer is too eager to defend or diminish Claudia's extracurricular activities to preserve the sensitivities of the family.

I would also question the completeness and accuracy of some of the detail surrounding the disappearance contained in the book. Many reports of what Claudia took with her when she left her home that final time include hair straighteners!Yet the writer omits mention of that item. This is a serious omission because if she did indeed take that piece of hair care equipment it could be indicative of the time she left her home and why she left.
My own thinking on this is that Claudia slipped out of her house sometime after her last phone call to her mother. Perhaps to fulfill an agreed rendezvous and perhaps intending later the next morning to go on straight to her job at the university. In this scenario hair straighteners would be an obvious accessory for a woman wanting to quickly prepare her appearance before arriving at work. Therefore to overlook that item in her inventory is a problematic oversight.

Despite the length of the book it is only in the final chapter that we get a summarised review of the possibilities for what happened to Claudia. A summary which I felt lacked any great depth or detail.

Overall I would not recommend to anyone wanting a thorough understanding of the disappearance of Claudia Lawrence, the circumstances surrounding it or the possible causes.

[Susan Spurr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book but very repetitive, doesn't have any new information. Everything in the book, you could read online.

[Desleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read. I tend to get deeply effected by true accounts such as this. It floundered a around a bit. But, what do you expect from a book written on this subject matter and by the personal involvement of the author. Would recommend it. Also, interesting that updates occurred in the media quite quickly after I had finished the book.