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I Want You Gone
The one obituary you never want to read - is your own.
Laura Swallow is dead. A life cut tragically short, says the newspaper obituary. But that's a lie.
Estate agent Laura did not die in a car accident. She is alive and well. At first, Laura thinks it's a sick joke. But multiple announcements of her death are followed by increasingly sinister real-life events.
Already fragile, struggling to recover from a recent divorce, Laura is plunged into a living nightmare. Who can she trust? Her new lover? Her clients and work colleagues? What about her ex-husband and his smug fiancee? Can Laura even rely on her best friends?
And why is it that Laura's present troubles are so tied up with her sister's sudden death all those years ago? But one thing Laura is sure of - someone out there wants her to suffer. Wants her gone.
Forever.
Laura Swallow is dead. A life cut tragically short, says the newspaper obituary. But that's a lie.
Estate agent Laura did not die in a car accident. She is alive and well. At first, Laura thinks it's a sick joke. But multiple announcements of her death are followed by increasingly sinister real-life events.
Already fragile, struggling to recover from a recent divorce, Laura is plunged into a living nightmare. Who can she trust? Her new lover? Her clients and work colleagues? What about her ex-husband and his smug fiancee? Can Laura even rely on her best friends?
And why is it that Laura's present troubles are so tied up with her sister's sudden death all those years ago? But one thing Laura is sure of - someone out there wants her to suffer. Wants her gone.
Forever.
Audible Audio
First published November 6, 2018
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About the author
Miranda Rijks
42 books877 followersMiranda Rijks is the author of 26 psychological thrillers, many of which have been Amazon bestsellers. She lives in Sussex, England with her Dutch husband and black Labrador.
Her fast-paced, twisty thrillers are inspired by scary things that have happened to her or places she has visited.
Miranda turned to writing after recovering from Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. She's so grateful that she's now a full-time author and living the dream!
Visit www.mirandarijks.com to get her FREE novella, The Cheat, and the chance to name characters in her books.
Her fast-paced, twisty thrillers are inspired by scary things that have happened to her or places she has visited.
Miranda turned to writing after recovering from Ewing's Sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. She's so grateful that she's now a full-time author and living the dream!
Visit www.mirandarijks.com to get her FREE novella, The Cheat, and the chance to name characters in her books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 259 reviews
July 26, 2019
Imagine getting a phone call from your hysterical daughter claiming that your Facebook account has posted that you died in a car accident and the condolences are rolling in?
That's the position Laura finds herself in. At first she makes light of it. A Facebook glitch, or perhaps a rather off color prank of some sorts. But who or why would anyone do this?
When she arrives at work and is immediately whisked in to her supervisors office who then produces the local newspaper that also shows her obituary. This isn't such a funny prank anymore.
"Laura Ruth Swallow, nee Carson, passed away suddenly on October 28 after suffering fatal injuries in a car accident. She is survived by her ex-husband, Ian, whom she divorced in 2013, and her daughter, Melissa. In life, there was no notable contribution, nothing remarkable. In death, there will be celebration."
It certainly seems as though someone has an ax to grind with Laura but to find out the who and the why you'll just have to read it for yourself.
This book has me so torn. It was compulsively readable and I couldn't stop turning the pages but, and there is always a but, it was so predictable. From the very beginning I guessed the who because it was so obvious. Though I kept thinking it was a trick and that I was wrong, as happens so often, but I wasn't. It was exactly who I thought it was. So then I had to wonder on the why and the why was just so underwhelming. Like, really? This is why so and so did this? I just think the author could have done so much more with this story line. That being said I'll definitely check out her next book because she is talented and I'm hoping her next story will be fleshed out just a bit better. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
That's the position Laura finds herself in. At first she makes light of it. A Facebook glitch, or perhaps a rather off color prank of some sorts. But who or why would anyone do this?
When she arrives at work and is immediately whisked in to her supervisors office who then produces the local newspaper that also shows her obituary. This isn't such a funny prank anymore.
"Laura Ruth Swallow, nee Carson, passed away suddenly on October 28 after suffering fatal injuries in a car accident. She is survived by her ex-husband, Ian, whom she divorced in 2013, and her daughter, Melissa. In life, there was no notable contribution, nothing remarkable. In death, there will be celebration."
It certainly seems as though someone has an ax to grind with Laura but to find out the who and the why you'll just have to read it for yourself.
This book has me so torn. It was compulsively readable and I couldn't stop turning the pages but, and there is always a but, it was so predictable. From the very beginning I guessed the who because it was so obvious. Though I kept thinking it was a trick and that I was wrong, as happens so often, but I wasn't. It was exactly who I thought it was. So then I had to wonder on the why and the why was just so underwhelming. Like, really? This is why so and so did this? I just think the author could have done so much more with this story line. That being said I'll definitely check out her next book because she is talented and I'm hoping her next story will be fleshed out just a bit better. 3.5 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Inkubator Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.
October 23, 2025
This was an okay read but worked things out very quickly,;Laura’s character was OTT she was so paranoid about everything the narration was okay by Gemma Dawson but read in a manic way all the way through, actually I was screaming at Laura the whole way through telling her to 🤐 SHUT UPjust average for me was it enjoyable no not in the way I would have liked.
April 3, 2023
Somebody certainly did want want Laura Gone. I really enjoyed this book, reading it very quickly. The story is super fast paced and keeps you wanting more. I really did feel from Laura, her life falling apart so quickly. I did figure out the who but wasn't 100% on the why.
Laura Swallow is dead... according to Facebook and the obituary in the local paper she was killed in a car accident, just like her sister. Only real estate agent Laura is very much alive. This is just the start of her life crumbling before her eyes. Who can she trust? Who could hate her so much and why.
This book certainly kept my interest from the very start and I just wanted to see what would happen next. Thanks to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
Laura Swallow is dead... according to Facebook and the obituary in the local paper she was killed in a car accident, just like her sister. Only real estate agent Laura is very much alive. This is just the start of her life crumbling before her eyes. Who can she trust? Who could hate her so much and why.
This book certainly kept my interest from the very start and I just wanted to see what would happen next. Thanks to Inkubator Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and are in no way biased
April 13, 2024
Laura is horrified when her daughter Mel calls her whilst on a date with new boyfriend Dr Ben. Mel is shocked her mother has answered the phone as she has just seen a post on Facebook that her mother has died after a fatal car crash!! Is this just a sick joke or is someone out to get her?
Laura’s sister Becky had died from a suspicious death and she thinks it might be linked with the update on Facebook and the death notice in the newspaper. She soon becomes suspicious of everyone around her.
Laura has had enough drama in her life after her divorce from ex husband Ian and having money problems. Ben seems like a charming boyfriend but even friend Anna is suspicious of him. Is he too good to be true!! Everybody seems suspicious could it be ex husband Ian, Jenny friend and boss, Ben the new boyfriend or an old school friend that has reappeared.
This is a book that holds you in the palm of it’s hand until the final page. It’s addictive, fast paced and keeps you guessing till the end. Did I guess who the culprit was - yes but not till nearly the end and it certainly did not ruin this book for me!!
I will definitely looking out for Miranda Rijks next book.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Laura’s sister Becky had died from a suspicious death and she thinks it might be linked with the update on Facebook and the death notice in the newspaper. She soon becomes suspicious of everyone around her.
Laura has had enough drama in her life after her divorce from ex husband Ian and having money problems. Ben seems like a charming boyfriend but even friend Anna is suspicious of him. Is he too good to be true!! Everybody seems suspicious could it be ex husband Ian, Jenny friend and boss, Ben the new boyfriend or an old school friend that has reappeared.
This is a book that holds you in the palm of it’s hand until the final page. It’s addictive, fast paced and keeps you guessing till the end. Did I guess who the culprit was - yes but not till nearly the end and it certainly did not ruin this book for me!!
I will definitely looking out for Miranda Rijks next book.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
April 19, 2019
Psychological thrillers are my jam.
In the case of I Want You Gone, the jam was, unfortunately, a bit rotten. This story was so contrived, it was hard to get involved. The characters were cardboard cut-outs to which I couldn't relate at all, and had I been forced to read the word "silly" one more time, I think I would have chucked my Kindle across the room. A thesaurus truly is a writer's best friend.
Normally, a book this size would take me around 3 hours to complete. It's taken me days to finish this reading. Admittedly, I've been incredibly busy, but more importantly, I simply had very little desire to pick up my Kindle and resume reading. I had the entire story figured out within the first 50 pages (and I was correct in my assumptions), so continuing to read was a less than desirable endeavor. The plot just never came together for me, and frankly, the protagonist, Laura, was a dimwit.
Sorry, fellow readers, but this plot was just "silly."
1.5 stars
**Despite my less than favorable review, I'd like to personally thank NetGalley, Inkubator Books, and Miranda Rijks for the ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion.
In the case of I Want You Gone, the jam was, unfortunately, a bit rotten. This story was so contrived, it was hard to get involved. The characters were cardboard cut-outs to which I couldn't relate at all, and had I been forced to read the word "silly" one more time, I think I would have chucked my Kindle across the room. A thesaurus truly is a writer's best friend.
Normally, a book this size would take me around 3 hours to complete. It's taken me days to finish this reading. Admittedly, I've been incredibly busy, but more importantly, I simply had very little desire to pick up my Kindle and resume reading. I had the entire story figured out within the first 50 pages (and I was correct in my assumptions), so continuing to read was a less than desirable endeavor. The plot just never came together for me, and frankly, the protagonist, Laura, was a dimwit.
Sorry, fellow readers, but this plot was just "silly."
1.5 stars
**Despite my less than favorable review, I'd like to personally thank NetGalley, Inkubator Books, and Miranda Rijks for the ARC, in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 27, 2020
Laura Ruth Swallow, née Carson, passed away suddenly on October 28 after suffering fatal injuries in a car accident. She is survived by her ex-husband, Ian, whom she divorced in 2013, and her daughter, Melissa. In life, there was no notable contribution, nothing remarkable. In death, there will be celebration.
This is the obituary printed for Laura Swallow in the local Gazette. Before this, there was a condolence message put up on her Facebook page.
But Laura Swallow is NOT dead and she is in a terrible fix, wondering who can be playing such a cruel prank on her! And if this isn't bad enough, a few incidents occur that seem to hint at the contents of the condolence and obituary messages and Laura begins to wonder if this is more than a sick prank and someone she knows really wants her dead.
Alright, so the story wasn't bad, the writing was good and the pacing was fast but what didn't work for me was the main character Laura. I don't know how to put this mildly but she was, well stupid... as far as her judging people was concerned. As a reader it didn't take me long to figure out who the culprit was and if Laura had paid any attention herself, she would have figured it out too but it seems Laura was bent on spending the entire book in suspecting the wrong people, especially those who were genuinely trying to help her 🙄. By the middle of the book I was already so exasperated with her, I really wanted to shake her up a bit myself. Another thing that was a let down was the motive of the person who wanted to harm Laura. Till the end I wasn't sure if the person was serious about the motive for harming Laura because it just seemed a petty reason to kill someone.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Inkubator Books and the author for providing me with an e-Arc of the book. This is the first book I have read from the author and I will try reading more books from her since her writing is good.
This book was published on April 13, 2019.
This is the obituary printed for Laura Swallow in the local Gazette. Before this, there was a condolence message put up on her Facebook page.
But Laura Swallow is NOT dead and she is in a terrible fix, wondering who can be playing such a cruel prank on her! And if this isn't bad enough, a few incidents occur that seem to hint at the contents of the condolence and obituary messages and Laura begins to wonder if this is more than a sick prank and someone she knows really wants her dead.
Alright, so the story wasn't bad, the writing was good and the pacing was fast but what didn't work for me was the main character Laura. I don't know how to put this mildly but she was, well stupid... as far as her judging people was concerned. As a reader it didn't take me long to figure out who the culprit was and if Laura had paid any attention herself, she would have figured it out too but it seems Laura was bent on spending the entire book in suspecting the wrong people, especially those who were genuinely trying to help her 🙄. By the middle of the book I was already so exasperated with her, I really wanted to shake her up a bit myself. Another thing that was a let down was the motive of the person who wanted to harm Laura. Till the end I wasn't sure if the person was serious about the motive for harming Laura because it just seemed a petty reason to kill someone.
My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Inkubator Books and the author for providing me with an e-Arc of the book. This is the first book I have read from the author and I will try reading more books from her since her writing is good.
This book was published on April 13, 2019.
April 11, 2019
Someone wrote an obituary saying she was dead.
And this caused her blood pressure to rise and was very stressful.
Oookay.
A contrived and convoluted storyline.
It's almost like the author put a bunch of names in a hat and whoever she pulled out was the killer. Then she built the ending around that person.
The main character uhm what's her name again? Well anyway i just couldn't connect with a whiny needy divorcee. The writing was simple so it was an easy commuter read.
No more NetGalley downloads. They banned me for writing negative reviews. I write negative reviews to save people from reading books like this. Read my reviews i think they are more than fair.
Say no to censorship!
And this caused her blood pressure to rise and was very stressful.
Oookay.
A contrived and convoluted storyline.
It's almost like the author put a bunch of names in a hat and whoever she pulled out was the killer. Then she built the ending around that person.
The main character uhm what's her name again? Well anyway i just couldn't connect with a whiny needy divorcee. The writing was simple so it was an easy commuter read.
No more NetGalley downloads. They banned me for writing negative reviews. I write negative reviews to save people from reading books like this. Read my reviews i think they are more than fair.
Say no to censorship!
July 30, 2019
3.5 Stars
First it's an obituary printed in the local newspaper. Then it appears on her facebook account. Her car is vandalized. She has a night out and doesn't remember what happened. Her boss receives an email along with a 'private' picture attached.
Laura Swallow is alive and well. She has no idea who would be doing these things to do ... or why. At first, Laura believes maybe she's been mixed up with someone else with the same name.... but there are too many details to accept that.
Just getting divorced and hit with the knowledge that her ex is getting remarried and his fiancee is pregnant, her thought processes are already all over the place. What she's experiencing now is a living nightmare.
There are lots of people in her lives .... a gentleman friend she has just met ... a man she once attended school with and wasn't very kind to him .... a new gal friend ... who was actually her sister's friend before she died ..... the lady who helped her get her job as a real estate agent ... her ex-husband ... his wife? .....
Who can she trust? Who would want her to suffer like this? Who wants to ruin her life? Someone definitely wants her gone.
This is a well-written psychological thriller that gave me the willies. It goes to show that in the modern world of computers and internet, all kinds of people can maneuver around and you'd never know it ... until something strange happens. The characters are finely drawn and quite memorable. The suspense starts with the very first page and continues to the explosive, nail-biting finale.
Many thanks to the author / Inkubator Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
First it's an obituary printed in the local newspaper. Then it appears on her facebook account. Her car is vandalized. She has a night out and doesn't remember what happened. Her boss receives an email along with a 'private' picture attached.
Laura Swallow is alive and well. She has no idea who would be doing these things to do ... or why. At first, Laura believes maybe she's been mixed up with someone else with the same name.... but there are too many details to accept that.
Just getting divorced and hit with the knowledge that her ex is getting remarried and his fiancee is pregnant, her thought processes are already all over the place. What she's experiencing now is a living nightmare.
There are lots of people in her lives .... a gentleman friend she has just met ... a man she once attended school with and wasn't very kind to him .... a new gal friend ... who was actually her sister's friend before she died ..... the lady who helped her get her job as a real estate agent ... her ex-husband ... his wife? .....
Who can she trust? Who would want her to suffer like this? Who wants to ruin her life? Someone definitely wants her gone.
This is a well-written psychological thriller that gave me the willies. It goes to show that in the modern world of computers and internet, all kinds of people can maneuver around and you'd never know it ... until something strange happens. The characters are finely drawn and quite memorable. The suspense starts with the very first page and continues to the explosive, nail-biting finale.
Many thanks to the author / Inkubator Books / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
April 19, 2019
It doesn't take a lot for me to like a character in a book. But when said character behaves so bizarrely, panicking at the drop of a hat, no commonsense prevailing, no smart questions asked, it gets on my nerves, a little. Laura Swallow has had the misfortune of having every nasty life tragedy thrown her way.
Close sibling dies.
Husband leaves for another woman.
Husband finds another younger woman to start a family with.
Assaulted.
And many more to discover through the course of the book.
The first parts of this book was good, there was a really good storyline there. The characters were interesting. I like how the book opened. The starting parts of the book were where I liked Laura. She was emotionally damaged but she was out there taking on life and everything thrown her way. But as the story progresses she becomes a hyperventilating sad sorry mess. Midway through the book, it got pretty obvious who was the psycho out to get Laura. What's striking is that not once throughout the course of the book did Laura make an attempt to report the strange happenings in her life until she was practically forced to. I'm not a fan of damsels in distress. Also the ending was ridiculous in my opinion. I wouldn't go so far as to call this a psychological thriller.
Thank you Netgalley, Miranda Rijks & Inkubator books for an arc.
Close sibling dies.
Husband leaves for another woman.
Husband finds another younger woman to start a family with.
Assaulted.
And many more to discover through the course of the book.
The first parts of this book was good, there was a really good storyline there. The characters were interesting. I like how the book opened. The starting parts of the book were where I liked Laura. She was emotionally damaged but she was out there taking on life and everything thrown her way. But as the story progresses she becomes a hyperventilating sad sorry mess. Midway through the book, it got pretty obvious who was the psycho out to get Laura. What's striking is that not once throughout the course of the book did Laura make an attempt to report the strange happenings in her life until she was practically forced to. I'm not a fan of damsels in distress. Also the ending was ridiculous in my opinion. I wouldn't go so far as to call this a psychological thriller.
Thank you Netgalley, Miranda Rijks & Inkubator books for an arc.
April 27, 2019
I received this book free from the publisher. Opinions shared are mine.
I Want You Gone by Miranda Rijks touts itself as a psychological thriller with a nerve-shredding twist. It shredded my nerves alright, but only out of sheer frustration.
The first third of the story was pretty interesting. Despite the multitude of characters to keep up with, I liked the way the author drew in various story threads to set up the web. The main character, Laura, seemed like an average woman. She was like someone I might know from work, trying to focus on her career after an unexpected divorce. When the first unusual activity started happening, it seemed like it could have been overlooked as a mistake or even a strange coincidence. As the weird events piled up, however, you'd think she would have contacted law enforcement. If I ticked off on my fingers all the crazy things that happened to Laura, I'd quickly run out of hands. The story isn't bad. It's just tedious. We're exposed to every single thought that runs through Laura's dull mind. It wasn't at all difficult to figure out who was at the root of the problem. All I really wanted to know was the WHY, and it took forever to get there.
I would have loved an epilogue at the end of the book just to see what happened next. There were a lot of areas in Laura's life that were wrecked as a result of her trials, and the story needed some closure in that respect.
I Want You Gone by Miranda Rijks touts itself as a psychological thriller with a nerve-shredding twist. It shredded my nerves alright, but only out of sheer frustration.
The first third of the story was pretty interesting. Despite the multitude of characters to keep up with, I liked the way the author drew in various story threads to set up the web. The main character, Laura, seemed like an average woman. She was like someone I might know from work, trying to focus on her career after an unexpected divorce. When the first unusual activity started happening, it seemed like it could have been overlooked as a mistake or even a strange coincidence. As the weird events piled up, however, you'd think she would have contacted law enforcement. If I ticked off on my fingers all the crazy things that happened to Laura, I'd quickly run out of hands. The story isn't bad. It's just tedious. We're exposed to every single thought that runs through Laura's dull mind. It wasn't at all difficult to figure out who was at the root of the problem. All I really wanted to know was the WHY, and it took forever to get there.
I would have loved an epilogue at the end of the book just to see what happened next. There were a lot of areas in Laura's life that were wrecked as a result of her trials, and the story needed some closure in that respect.
January 19, 2021
This had all the elements of being a good suspense, but I just couldn't get past how stupid the main character was. Everything she said and did seemed so counter-intuitive to what a rational person would do and detracted from me truly enjoying the plot. The "rational" conclusions she continued to jump to had me constantly shaking my head.
July 28, 2021
Another enjoyable read from author Miranda Rijks, intriguing plot, good characters and lots of suspense.
The newspaper obituary states that Laura Swallow had her life tragically cut short in a car crash. But Laura is working in the Estate agents and is perfectly healthy. Is this a sick joke or something more sinister. The announcements are followed by further disturbing events that push Laura into a living nightmare.
Fragile Laura doesn’t know who to trust, who is making her life unbearable. Someone is making her suffer and they want her gone.
This is a fast paced page turner that you will find difficult to put down.
The newspaper obituary states that Laura Swallow had her life tragically cut short in a car crash. But Laura is working in the Estate agents and is perfectly healthy. Is this a sick joke or something more sinister. The announcements are followed by further disturbing events that push Laura into a living nightmare.
Fragile Laura doesn’t know who to trust, who is making her life unbearable. Someone is making her suffer and they want her gone.
This is a fast paced page turner that you will find difficult to put down.
March 28, 2019
I Want You Gone was a quick enjoyable read. Very fast paced and full of action. So why two stars and not my usual five? The villain of the story is obvious and the stupidity of Laura as a character was really off putting, add in an ending that offered no explanation, I thought there would be another two chapters at least!
Overall it was okay but I would be disappointed if I had paid for this book.
Overall it was okay but I would be disappointed if I had paid for this book.
January 5, 2019
A fast paced psychological thriller that has you hooked from the get go. Fantastic characters that all come together. The suspense was nail biting, you just want to get to the end and find out who done it. .
Highly recommended. .
Highly recommended. .
April 12, 2019
Laura Swallow is certain that the death notice is a sick joke. She's fairly certain she would know if she was dead or not. And Estate Agent Laura is 100% certain that she is alive and well.
But multiple announcements of her death are followed by increasingly sinister real-life events. Laura,who is already fragile,struggling to recover from a recent divorce,finds herself plunged into a living nightmare.
As Laura's life falls apart,she struggles to figure out who is terrorising her,who she can trust and why all her present troubles seem to tie up with her sisters death all those years ago.
But one thing Laura is sure of,someone wants her to suffer.
Someone wants her gone
Forever.
Like many readers,I like to feel some sort of connection to the main character/characters of the book that I am reading.I like to be able to root for them throughout their quest for the truth. I like to feel that heart pounding,adrenaline rush when they find themselves in dangerous situations. Throughout most of I Want You Gone,I just thought that Laura was irritating,she didn't seem to know how to make a decision for herself and she was judgemental and jumped to conclusions far too quickly. There was a number of times as the story unfolded that I felt like reaching into my kindle and giving her a good shaking and telling her to wake up and stop being so gullible and stubborn. I didn't really blame her ex husband for leaving her,I think if she had had a cat (she didn't) it would have packed up its little handkerchief, Dick Whittington style and wandered off to pastures new.
There was not many players in this character driven thriller but which one of them was terrorising Laura and why? Was it her ex husband and his new wife? Was it one of Laura's work mates or her best friend Anne? Was it her new lover or the boy she was mean too at school who has suddenly reappeared on the scene. Or maybe it was her own daughter,could she be unhappy that her parents divorced and secretly blame her mother.
I Want You Gone is a well written,fast paced thriller that does have some unexpected twists and turns. I did figure out quite early in the book who was behind everything that was happening to Laura but that didn't spoil my enjoyment of this enthralling story. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I would quite happily read more books written by her in the future.
Many thanks to Emma Welton,Miranda Rijks and Inkubator Books for the opportunity to read and review this book and take part in the Blog tour.
July 27, 2022
I was intrigued with this story…. Reminded me of a movie I watched years ago…. Solid plot but just a bit short for me. Tired of reading about weak/stupid women and the main character (Laura) was just that.
Laura Swallow is dead. A life cut tragically short, says the newspaper obituary. But that's a lie.
Estate agent Laura did not die in a car accident. She is alive and well. At first, Laura thinks it's a sick joke. But multiple announcements of her death are followed by increasingly sinister real-life events.
Already fragile, struggling to recover from a recent divorce, Laura is plunged into a living nightmare. Who can she trust? Her new lover? Her clients and work colleagues? What about her ex-husband and his smug fiancee? Can Laura even rely on her best friends?
And why is it that Laura's present troubles are so tied up with her sister's sudden death all those years ago? But one thing Laura is sure of - someone out there wants her to suffer. Wants her gone
Laura Swallow is dead. A life cut tragically short, says the newspaper obituary. But that's a lie.
Estate agent Laura did not die in a car accident. She is alive and well. At first, Laura thinks it's a sick joke. But multiple announcements of her death are followed by increasingly sinister real-life events.
Already fragile, struggling to recover from a recent divorce, Laura is plunged into a living nightmare. Who can she trust? Her new lover? Her clients and work colleagues? What about her ex-husband and his smug fiancee? Can Laura even rely on her best friends?
And why is it that Laura's present troubles are so tied up with her sister's sudden death all those years ago? But one thing Laura is sure of - someone out there wants her to suffer. Wants her gone
April 12, 2023
Lately, I’ve been reading several of Miranda’s books. She is another author who has easy thrillers that read quickly. And this book has such an interesting premise. A woman (who is very much alive) is posted as dead on Facebook. And then an obituary appears in the newspaper! What is going on?! Before she can figure this out, many more disturbing events occur in poor Laura’s life that are just spinning out of control! There’s the new boyfriend, the creepy man she used to go to high school with, her frustrated employer and her two friends. And don’t forget the ex! What makes her fake death even more shocking is that her cause of death is the same as her sister’s death 4 years earlier. Although I got frustrated at times with Laura, I found this read to be very entertaining, reading it in a day.
July 16, 2019
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to review this book. Overall, I found things to enjoy about this book and the suspense kept me invested. A book for a rainy and chilly day! That being said, I did have several problems with plot points and believability in certain respects. 2.5 Stars. Be warned of spoilers ahead. Don’t keep reading if you plan to read the book.....
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Okay, my issues:
1. Laura’s Facebook is hacked and she does nothing about it!
2. She discovers HER obituary in the paper and doesn’t call the police. At this point, she is clearly being harassed and possibly threatened.... she just goes on about her life.
3. Her death certificate is sent to her ex-husband - still no police involvement?????
4. She is drugged and wakes up mostly nude with no recollection of what happened the night before. She goes to the doctor and is swabbed and tested. She and her doctor both say it is unlikely she was raped, but she continues to tell people she suffered a rape AND accuses Ben, with no real proof. Does she talk to Ben or the police before possibly ruining his life & career? Nope.
5. She’s run off the road and her vehicle is vandalized. At this point you’d think she’d tell the police EVERYTHING - but NOPE.
6. There is a letter sent to her work accusing her of misconduct. She never contacts the sender to discuss letter. This leads to my next problem...
7. Nude and highly sexual photo sent to all her colleagues. Laura is put on leave from work. Still no police involvement?!?!?! Come on!!! Your life is being systematically dismantled and ruined, but you feel you need to handle it on your own? WHY?? Because you’ve done such a great job of that so far???
8. Laura accuses a lot of people of a lot of things with little proof. She seems to have no problem tarnishing someone’s reputation.
9. Her daughter is kidnapped and she runs off to save the day — after FINALLY involving the police. However, the police do not seem to be very responsive, which I feel was an unfair representation of how they would really react.
10. Unsatisfying ending with so much left in the air.
11. WHY is Anna so possessive and crazy? What’s the backstory??? We get hints that this is a pattern, but only hints. I want more about what made her so unstable!! Most people don’t just become stone cold killers. This would have been a really good addition to the plot.
12. The book just abruptly ends.
Oh, and I figured out the culprit wayyyy too early!!! It was like she was wearing a neon sign and the only person who didn’t see it was Laura!
I think this book can be enjoyed on a surface level as long as you don’t mind overlooking all of these glossed over issues. Maybe I’m overthinking, but that’s just me. I need to relate to the characters, and there were just so many behaviors I really couldn’t understand.
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Okay, my issues:
1. Laura’s Facebook is hacked and she does nothing about it!
2. She discovers HER obituary in the paper and doesn’t call the police. At this point, she is clearly being harassed and possibly threatened.... she just goes on about her life.
3. Her death certificate is sent to her ex-husband - still no police involvement?????
4. She is drugged and wakes up mostly nude with no recollection of what happened the night before. She goes to the doctor and is swabbed and tested. She and her doctor both say it is unlikely she was raped, but she continues to tell people she suffered a rape AND accuses Ben, with no real proof. Does she talk to Ben or the police before possibly ruining his life & career? Nope.
5. She’s run off the road and her vehicle is vandalized. At this point you’d think she’d tell the police EVERYTHING - but NOPE.
6. There is a letter sent to her work accusing her of misconduct. She never contacts the sender to discuss letter. This leads to my next problem...
7. Nude and highly sexual photo sent to all her colleagues. Laura is put on leave from work. Still no police involvement?!?!?! Come on!!! Your life is being systematically dismantled and ruined, but you feel you need to handle it on your own? WHY?? Because you’ve done such a great job of that so far???
8. Laura accuses a lot of people of a lot of things with little proof. She seems to have no problem tarnishing someone’s reputation.
9. Her daughter is kidnapped and she runs off to save the day — after FINALLY involving the police. However, the police do not seem to be very responsive, which I feel was an unfair representation of how they would really react.
10. Unsatisfying ending with so much left in the air.
11. WHY is Anna so possessive and crazy? What’s the backstory??? We get hints that this is a pattern, but only hints. I want more about what made her so unstable!! Most people don’t just become stone cold killers. This would have been a really good addition to the plot.
12. The book just abruptly ends.
Oh, and I figured out the culprit wayyyy too early!!! It was like she was wearing a neon sign and the only person who didn’t see it was Laura!
I think this book can be enjoyed on a surface level as long as you don’t mind overlooking all of these glossed over issues. Maybe I’m overthinking, but that’s just me. I need to relate to the characters, and there were just so many behaviors I really couldn’t understand.
June 11, 2019
Firstly, thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this read in exchange for an honest review.
This book is about Laura who finds out in the newspaper and on her Facebook there is a death notice specifically for her, even though she is still alive - she receives a death notice and other unimaginable things keep happening to her. This book is a classic 'who dunnit' book.
At first I was enjoying the read - I wanted to read more and more and found it such a thrilling concept to write a novel about. BUT - I was very disappointed. I guessed who was doing all these things to Laura and the storyline just seemed so forced - it didn't make much sense why it was that specific person and many questions were unanswered for me. I found that the ending didn't really give much of an answer to everything that had been happening to Laura and found it to be pretty predictable and underwhelming.
This book is about Laura who finds out in the newspaper and on her Facebook there is a death notice specifically for her, even though she is still alive - she receives a death notice and other unimaginable things keep happening to her. This book is a classic 'who dunnit' book.
At first I was enjoying the read - I wanted to read more and more and found it such a thrilling concept to write a novel about. BUT - I was very disappointed. I guessed who was doing all these things to Laura and the storyline just seemed so forced - it didn't make much sense why it was that specific person and many questions were unanswered for me. I found that the ending didn't really give much of an answer to everything that had been happening to Laura and found it to be pretty predictable and underwhelming.
October 13, 2019
⭐️⭐️💫 rounded up!
First, it’s a Facebook post saying she’s dead; next it’s an obituary in the paper noting her unremarkable life and lack of contributions to the world. Laura’s life is under siege - a fake death certificate surfaces, she’s potentially date raped after being drugged, has a cancer scare, her car is vandalized, she’s in a car accident, and she loses her job. Who has she upset so greatly? Is her life in danger? Who can she trust?
Predictable and a little underwhelming but overall a quick and entertaining read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.
First, it’s a Facebook post saying she’s dead; next it’s an obituary in the paper noting her unremarkable life and lack of contributions to the world. Laura’s life is under siege - a fake death certificate surfaces, she’s potentially date raped after being drugged, has a cancer scare, her car is vandalized, she’s in a car accident, and she loses her job. Who has she upset so greatly? Is her life in danger? Who can she trust?
Predictable and a little underwhelming but overall a quick and entertaining read.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 12, 2019
Alright
The book was alright but very predictable and almost no closure or resolution at the end. I found the main character , Laura to be immensely annoying and wanted to just skip to the end the entire time.
The book was alright but very predictable and almost no closure or resolution at the end. I found the main character , Laura to be immensely annoying and wanted to just skip to the end the entire time.
June 18, 2019
No twist
It was obvious from the second chapter who was the villain despite the obvious red herrings placed clumsily throughput this book. Dull and predictable.
It was obvious from the second chapter who was the villain despite the obvious red herrings placed clumsily throughput this book. Dull and predictable.
April 2, 2019
I read this book in two sittings. I was on a roller coaster ride with Laura. Who to trust, who is behind the horrible things that keep happening to Laura?
I wasn’t sure about Dr. Ben , Laura’s new love interest, was he too perfect or just who he says he is. I mean come on Laura needs a break! Dumped by her husband Ian and really struggling with finances and now someone is posting on Facebook that she is dead. For me all of her friends came under suspicion as the culprit and a few others in her life as well.
I wanted Laura to have something good happen to her but honestly this book kept me guessing the outcome right until the end.
If you like mystery/suspense then this is for you.
I wasn’t sure about Dr. Ben , Laura’s new love interest, was he too perfect or just who he says he is. I mean come on Laura needs a break! Dumped by her husband Ian and really struggling with finances and now someone is posting on Facebook that she is dead. For me all of her friends came under suspicion as the culprit and a few others in her life as well.
I wanted Laura to have something good happen to her but honestly this book kept me guessing the outcome right until the end.
If you like mystery/suspense then this is for you.
May 18, 2019
Aaaaagh. This book was incredibly frustrating.
The book begins with our protagonist Laura rebuilding her life and career post divorce when her obituary suddenly appears in the local paper. So far, so interesting. Then follows a series of increasingly sinister / odd occurrences which suddenly escalated to became wildly implausible. Through none of this does it seemingly even occur to Laura to contact the police, and as a reader we are offered no explanation for this.
The book also relies heavily on the trope of the disbelieving colleagues / police officers, who accuse our protagonist of “making it all up” or “doing it to herself” for no reason what so ever. This frustrates the hell out of me whenever I see it as it’s just lazy writing. I understand for the sake of the narrative the police can’t step in / friends and colleagues rally round and solve the case in chapter five but it rings so false and is so frustrating because it’s just so implausible.
I figured out who the stalker was in around chapter three and just slogged through the rest of the book to find out why. Started well and then limped to a finish feeling tired and one dimensional.
The book begins with our protagonist Laura rebuilding her life and career post divorce when her obituary suddenly appears in the local paper. So far, so interesting. Then follows a series of increasingly sinister / odd occurrences which suddenly escalated to became wildly implausible. Through none of this does it seemingly even occur to Laura to contact the police, and as a reader we are offered no explanation for this.
The book also relies heavily on the trope of the disbelieving colleagues / police officers, who accuse our protagonist of “making it all up” or “doing it to herself” for no reason what so ever. This frustrates the hell out of me whenever I see it as it’s just lazy writing. I understand for the sake of the narrative the police can’t step in / friends and colleagues rally round and solve the case in chapter five but it rings so false and is so frustrating because it’s just so implausible.
I figured out who the stalker was in around chapter three and just slogged through the rest of the book to find out why. Started well and then limped to a finish feeling tired and one dimensional.
June 8, 2021
This book had the daftest protagonist and most unsurprising twist I've ever read in a thriller. Laura constantly complains that people thinks she's lost it whilst constantly behaving like someone who's lost it, jumping to conclusions and ignoring the obvious signs. I was hoping the twist wouldn't turn out to be what I thought the book wanted me to believe from the start, but it was exactly that, which leaves an extra sour taste because of the poor mental illness representation.
Also, Laura is shallow and judgemental, always commenting on people's looks, including her own. "Ugly" people don't deserve to be with "pretty" people, apparently.
I'm a little sad a promising premise got wasted with this one.
Also, Laura is shallow and judgemental, always commenting on people's looks, including her own. "Ugly" people don't deserve to be with "pretty" people, apparently.
I'm a little sad a promising premise got wasted with this one.
November 25, 2021
Over the Top Stupidity
Books with seemingly intelligent women who do nonsensical things are not my forte. It appears the author created a lead character who continually jumped to ridiculous conclusions in an attempt to create a story. However, the plot is so forced, it is eye-role. Not one incident in the book was believable. Not sure why I bothered to finish it, perhaps in the hope that there would be a surprise conclusion, rather than the ending that is obvious in the first few pages.
Books with seemingly intelligent women who do nonsensical things are not my forte. It appears the author created a lead character who continually jumped to ridiculous conclusions in an attempt to create a story. However, the plot is so forced, it is eye-role. Not one incident in the book was believable. Not sure why I bothered to finish it, perhaps in the hope that there would be a surprise conclusion, rather than the ending that is obvious in the first few pages.
June 19, 2019
Ridiculous
April 29, 2021
Hysterical contrivances. I skipped to the end to confirm I’d figured it out.
July 19, 2021
Bit cliched ..... not going to say anymore and give away any spoilers
April 17, 2019
This is the first book I have read by this author and it certainly won’t be the last. This psychological thriller got completely under my skin and I spent an evening curled up on the sofa devouring it.
There are lots of characters introduced quite quickly in I Want You Gone but definitely keep with it if you’re a little confused at the beginning. The main event that freaks Laura out is when someone posts her death on her Facebook page and so very soon everyone that Laura has come into contact with is regarded with suspicion by the both the reader and Laura herself. Eventually, she comes to believe that it is the circumstances surrounding her sisters death that may be at the root of why someone is targeting her but how much danger can she take before it all gets just too much and others get hurt too.
This is a fast past and addictive read that is very easy to become involved in. As I said before there are plenty of suspects as to who could be doing this to Laura and I did think I had it all figured out, which I had but I hadn’t quite got to the bottom of why! The book is very much plot driven which meant that there were many characters I would like to have been developed more. Most of them were incredibly unlikable but there were some gems in there that I felt were underused especially Ian and his new partner. And as for Laura herself…I did find her incredibly annoying at times!! She was just so melodramatic and got overwrought and hysterical very VERY quickly before she took stock of things that were happening! But this was a minor thing for me and I actually thought the author did a good job of keeping my attention even though Laura kept going off on one of her manic “jumping to conclusions before she had the whole story” frenzies!
I’ve got a copy of the authors next book and I’m really looking forward to seeing what direction her new series takes. So watch this space!
There are lots of characters introduced quite quickly in I Want You Gone but definitely keep with it if you’re a little confused at the beginning. The main event that freaks Laura out is when someone posts her death on her Facebook page and so very soon everyone that Laura has come into contact with is regarded with suspicion by the both the reader and Laura herself. Eventually, she comes to believe that it is the circumstances surrounding her sisters death that may be at the root of why someone is targeting her but how much danger can she take before it all gets just too much and others get hurt too.
This is a fast past and addictive read that is very easy to become involved in. As I said before there are plenty of suspects as to who could be doing this to Laura and I did think I had it all figured out, which I had but I hadn’t quite got to the bottom of why! The book is very much plot driven which meant that there were many characters I would like to have been developed more. Most of them were incredibly unlikable but there were some gems in there that I felt were underused especially Ian and his new partner. And as for Laura herself…I did find her incredibly annoying at times!! She was just so melodramatic and got overwrought and hysterical very VERY quickly before she took stock of things that were happening! But this was a minor thing for me and I actually thought the author did a good job of keeping my attention even though Laura kept going off on one of her manic “jumping to conclusions before she had the whole story” frenzies!
I’ve got a copy of the authors next book and I’m really looking forward to seeing what direction her new series takes. So watch this space!
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