Der Tag, an dem Rose verschwand

by Linda Newbery

Es geschah um Viertel nach zwei an einem Mittwochnachmittag ...

Als Anna sich an einem heißen Sommertag auf den Weg in die Stadt macht, genießt Rose die Sonne im Garten. Anna ahnt nicht, dass sie ihre Schwester zum letzten Mal gesehen hat.

Zwanzig Jahre später fällt es Anna schwer, in die Zukunft zu blicken, da doch Rose immer nur Vergangenheit sein wird. Auch ihre Mutter, die schon einmal einen geliebten Menschen verlor, scheint mit der Tragödie nicht abgeschlossen zu haben – und ein Geheimnis zu verbergen … Was ist damals in den 60ern passiert? Und wer ist Rosanna, von der sie immer wieder spricht?

Eine berührende Geschichte über Mütter und Töchter, über Schwestern und über die Geheimnisse, die wir in uns tragen.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Book Club, Roman

416 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2013

About the author

Linda Newbery's latest novel for adults is THE ONE TRUE THING. She has published widely for readers of all ages, and is a Costa Prize category winner with SET IN STONE, a young adult Victorian mystery. She has twice been shortlisted for the Carnegie Medal, with THE SHELL HOUSE and SISTERLAND.

With friends Adele Geras and Celia Rees, Linda hosts the literary blog WRITERS REVIEW, which features reviews, recommendations, interviews with authors and insights from booksellers.

Linda is an active campaigner on animal and environmental issues and has published a guide to compassionate living: THIS BOOK IS CRUELTY FREE - ANIMALS AND US.

She lives in rural Oxfordshire.

Reviews

[Maxine (Booklover Catlady) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am highlighting some books and reviews from years back to introduce readers to some books that stood out as very worthy reads. This is one of those.

Secrets, secrets and more secrets. This book is FULL of them and I absolutely loved it, I literally could not do anything but read past the halfway point of this book and by 80% complete I was in another world, I was in the book, I was in the words, I was lost. Amazing writing, just amazing.

The basics? One day Rose, Anna's sister just vanishes, nobody knows what happened to her, there is a lot of speculation. Years later, as an adult Anna decides to start to look for her, believing her to still be alive. This book is so clever the way the story weaves and twists, there are way too many spoilers that could be written in this review, the whole book just kept bringing up surprise after surprise.

It's written so well, the characters are so real, so tangible, I formed feelings for all of them, it stirred emotion in me hugely. I was hungry to find out what was happening, with every word it got better and better.

It's a book you can lose yourself in on a long afternoon, turn off your phone, pick it up, grab some chocolate or other indulgence of choice and just jump in, swim in the story, it's fantastic.

The plot is clever, a few themes intertwine, eventually coming together to make sense in one of those crystal clear moments, so darn exciting it was too! More than just another "women's fiction" book, it's gutsy, clever and a darn good read. Loved it, five easy stars, I will be looking out for this author again also.

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[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

At a quarter past two on a Wednesday afternoon Anna went to the local shop. When she returned home, big sister Rose had vanished. Twenty years later Anna’s life is in a sort of limbo, she can’t settle in a job and is in a relationship that she cannot summon up the courage to commit to. Would finally finding out what happened to Rose help her to get some sort of closure at last, and give her the impetus to move on in life? Her parents have only just made the decision to sell the home that Rose disappeared from, but can her mother Sandra go through with it? She has spent 20 years aching for her lost daughter, terrified of what might have happened to her but if they move, and Rose is still alive, how would she find them? Right from the start, the reader can tell that Sandra is living on a knife edge, consumed by her loss and becoming rather vague and confused at times. And what secrets is she keeping from her husband Don and Anna?

The story is told from the perspectives of both Anna and Sandra spanning the time from Sandra’s own teenage years in the 1960s to the present time. The author has really skilfully plotted this story all the way through, with little tidbits dropped into the tale which set your mind going off in first one direction and then another. It is not until right at the end of the book that all the separate strands of the story come together and you find out exactly what happened to Rose on that fateful day, and more besides. After getting to the end of the read, I felt an incredible sense of satisfaction, because now I knew the whys and wherefores of every little morsel of the story and how they all slotted together.

It is the story of a family moving on, or not, from their loss, without any closure, and how the keeping of a secret, especially from those who love you, can become a burden that could last years and years and the effect keeping those secrets can have on your peace of mind and the rest of your family. A thoroughly good read, which I really, really enjoyed. Many thanks to the publisher for a review copy.

[Mona · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seit zwanzig Jahren ist die damals 18-jährige Rose verschwunden und bis heute weiß niemand mehr darüber als an diesem Tag. Ihre kleine Schwester Anna beschließt die Suche nach der verschwundenen Rose wieder aufzunehmen, denn die Hoffnung, dass sie irgendwann wieder da sein würde hat die ganze Familie nie aufgegeben. Ist Rose damals freiwillig abgehauen, wurde sie entführt oder hatte sie womöglich einen Unfall und ist schon seit zwanzig Jahren tot? Während Anna sich auf die Suche nach der verschwundenen Schwester begibt verändern sich auch einige grundlegende Dinge in ihrem eigenen Leben und so nimmt die Geschichte ihren Lauf...

Das Buch klang für mich sehr interessant und spannend, vor allem da ich Romane über Familiengeheimnisse sehr gerne lese. Gerade in solch einer Geschichte spielen die Charaktere eine sehr große Rolle, da der Großteil der Geschichte sich in ihrem Inneren abspielt. Die Protagonistin Anna war für mich aber nicht sonderlich speziell oder besonders, ihre Handlungen und das Verhalten ihrem Freund gegenüber konnte ich oft nicht nachvollziehen. Die verschwundene Schwester Rose hat mich da viel mehr interessiert und deswegen habe ich mich immer über Rückblenden gefreut, in denen sie vorkam. Sie ist als Charakter sehr eigen, interessant und anders. Allerdings muss ich auch sagen, dass die vielen, sehr detaillierten Rückblenden für mich zum Teil zu viel des Guten waren. Vor allem, da auch die Mutter von Anna und Rose sehr viel aus der Vergangenheit erzählt, wo ich mir am Anfang gar keinen Reim darauf machen konnte, inwieweit das jetzt wichtig für die Geschichte ist. Natürlich fügen sich alle Schnipsel der Vergangenheit irgendwann zu einem großen Ganzen zusammen, was sehr gut gemacht war. Als man dann endlich herausfindet, was denn damals mit Rose geschah, ist der Großteil des Buches bereits vorüber, sprich der Schluss wird im Gegensatz zu den sehr detailreichen Beschreibungen im Laufe des Buches sehr schnell abgehandelt. Zusätzlich hat es mich nicht ganz zufriedengestellt, WAS da dann letztendlich passiert. An sich waren somit alle Passagen in irgendeiner Weise interessant, aber als Gesamtpaket hat sich das Buch schon gezogen. Der Schreibstil der Autorin war recht angenehm, er war einfach, schlicht und passte dadurch zur Geschichte.

Als Fazit kann ich sagen, dass "Der Tag, an dem Rose verschwand" eine recht interessante Geschichte war, trotz der genannten Schwächen hab ich immer interessiert gelesen, wie Anna versucht dem Geheimnis ein Stückchen näher zu kommen. Ich vergebe 3 Sterne :)

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I'd even opened the book, I fell a little in love with it. The cover is divine. An image of two girls running off, and the photography seems a little hazy, it is the perfect image for this story.

It was a quarter past two on a Wednesday afternoon. It was the middle of summer, a hot day made for lazing in the garden. That was the last time that Anna saw her older sister Rose.

Rose disappeared. She didn't tell anyone that she was going, she didn't take her favourite denim skirt or her floaty blouse. She hadn't acted any differently. She'd always been hot-headed, hard to handle, a bit of a drama queen, but this was completely out of the blue.

Twenty years later, Anna's parents have finally decided to sell their house; to finally admit that Rose would not be coming back to the big old house that had been home. This major decision sparks something in Anna, and she begins to search again for clues about Rose. Anna's life has not really gone to plan, she's drifted into jobs, she's in a relationship that has become boring and dry. Maybe if she can put Rose to rest finally, she can move on with her own life.

Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon is not just Anna's story. It's really the story of her mother Cassandra, or Sandy, or Sandra - depending on which stage of life she's at and who she is talking to. Linda Newbery has deftly interwoven Cassandra's whole life story into the modern-day search for Rose, and she has done it so perfectly with each new chapter of that life adding another dimension to the things that Anna discovers during her search.

Anna is a hard character to warm to, she's a complicated person who is not at ease with herself, and so the reader can find her difficult to relate to as well. When we first meet Cassandra, we meet an elderly, confused, straight-laced woman who appears to be cold and distant, but as her story steadily unfolds we discover the real Cassandra. For me, her story was both beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure, made up of tragic loss and huge disappointment. Cassandra has hidden her true self from those closest to her, carrying with her the burdens that have haunted her for most of her sixty years.

There are some very bizarre friendships within the story, and it would be easy to dismiss them as unrealistic and contrived, but stop and think about people you know or strange relationships you may have read about, there really is nothing as strange as human behaviour, and in this novel, the odd couplings really do work.

I had no idea what had happened to Rose, and as Anna's search revealed more information I became more and more engrossed in this exquisite story. Couple that with the beauty of Cassandra's life story and you really have a story that will touch your heart and stay with you for a long time afterwards.

It was about eighty pages from the end when my heart started to pound so strongly, I actually felt a little bit sick and was glued to those last 80 pages. I was desperate to find out what would happen but so so sad that it came to an end.

A story of loss and relationships, of family and friendships. A story of lies, deception and covering up secrets.

Linda Newbery has proved that not only can she produce award-winning stories for children and young adults but that she is a just as talented at writing for the adult market. When I was offered this book to review from Naomi at Transworld I hesitated, I have so many books to review, I wasn't sure that I'd have time to read and review by the blog tour dates. I am so so glad that I said yes, I really think I've found one of my favourite books of 2014, maybe one of my favourite books ever.

[Cleopatra Pullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to admit I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and the intriguing title and these window dressings weren’t false advertising; this well-written novel is told in a narrative that goes backwards and forwards over time slowly revealing an astonishing array of secrets and lies that span decades.

Thirteen year old Anna left her sister, Rose, who she was in awe of to go out because she was bored. It was a Wednesday afternoon in the summer holiday and when she returned eighteen year old Rose had gone, left without a trace leaving Anna with the image of how she had left her reading under a pear tree. The weaving narrative uncovers the truths, half-truths and outright lies that underpin this family, remarkable for their normality, as they struggle to cope with her disappearance. Not knowing what happened to Rose has changed them all and twenty years on, Anna who is trying to live up to her idolisation of Rose decides to track some of her friends in an attempt to find out what happened.

The narrative starts with Anna but it also picks up her mother, Sandra’s story, from the sixties giving this book an unexpected twist with parallels between the two tales that twist around each other revealing another piece of information which adds more detail to the picture being painted. For me the details, were incredibly visual, the writing easy to lose yourself in as the revelations tumbled out the reader understands more about the complexities of the family bonds but gently done so that I didn’t feel that the sheer quantity of issues seemed unrealistic.

This was an absorbing read, which delivers far more than the blurb may suggest with some powerful insights into the bonds that both hold families together and those that can cast members adrift. The wide range of time periods covered were exceptionally well handled with the changes in society clear without the author feeling the need to ‘over-explain’ the details. This is the kind of read I enjoy, one where the author has confidence in the reader to exercise their own reasoning to understand the actions of their characters. The visual characteristic of the book was underpinned by the artistic endeavours of both Rose and Anna, with the heart-breaking description of Anna’s A Level composition of missing people almost undoing me as a symbol of her yearning for her sister’s return.

I’d like to say a big thank you to the publishers Doubleday for allowing me to read this book in return for my honest review.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

So another family drama for me and I can’t get enough of them these days – always something that speaks to me somewhere in the pages – and this one was no different, it was a wonderfully emotional and compelling story, beautifully written and constructed, telling the tale of Anna, Rose, and those around them.

The story is told through several different layers of time, each part uncovering another nugget of family background that adds to the whole and understanding of the people involved. Some excellent characterisation and insight allows you to slowly come to know them and I was enthralled throughout. I adored Anna, who drifts without anchor through her life, every decision or indecision coloured by her loss and Rose is an enigmatic character who although no longer around, influences the lives of those she left behind in very emotional ways.

I especially liked the sense of time and place – how very different the before and after was for Anna and her family – added to that the differences in ambience between modern times and the time when Anna’s parents were growing up, it made the whole thing more poignant and evocative. Cleverly achieved.

Overall I found this to be a fascinating read and one that will definitely appeal to fans of well written family drama with a mystery twist. Excellent stuff, I shall look forward to more!

Happy Reading Folks!

[Sina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3-3,5 Sterne :)

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a Wednesday afternoon, time was quarter past two in the afternoon, and Rose goes missing. The last time Anna was with Rose was in the garden. Rose was relaxing on the garden lounger while Anna pops to the shops.

And so the story unfolds.

We have time zones in this book, chapters of them going back over events that we aren't privy to unless we go back a few years at a time. Then we jump forward to the present again. Its not at all confusing as its like someone sat by you telling you the story.

Its a family drama, its full of lies, deceit, hidden secrets that unfold as you read.

I certainly wasn't expecting that revelation at the end! No way would I have guessed the conclusion.

This book was cleverly plotted, holding my interest throughout. I took my Kindle out with me so that if I had a chance to read a bit more I could. Its that kind of book you don't want to leave, you want to stay with it until the end.

I can't give more, as I would be giving spoilers, but this certainly is a well written book.

Linda Newbery is a new author to me. I think I've found yet another author that I love with her style, her fair and how she knits a book together.

I would like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers via Net Galley for allowing me to read and review this book and give my thoughts on it.

[Celia Rees · Rating 5 out of 5]

This powerful first outing into adult fiction allows Linda NEWBERY to use the full range of her considerable ability as a writer. She is very good at describing and documenting what is extraordinary in the everyday. A writer of unusual sensitivity and quiet insight, she is adept at exposing what is happening beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary lives. In Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon she explores one extraordinary event, set in time and place, and explores the implications for all those involved with forensic care and clarity. She keeps the tension high but keeps it real, never giving into the temptation to over engineer, so this is not just a thriller but a careful examination of how one single event can unmoor seemingly secure lives, warping and changing character and relationships forever.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before I'd even opened the book, I fell a little in love with it. The cover is divine. An image of two girls running off, and the photography seems a little hazy, it is the perfect image for this story.

It was a quarter past two on a Wednesday afternoon. It was the middle of summer, a hot day made for lazing in the garden. That was the last time that Anna saw her older sister Rose.

Rose disappeared. She didn't tell anyone that she was going, she didn't take her favourite denim skirt or her floaty blouse. She hadn't acted any differently. She'd always been hot-headed, hard to handle, a bit of a drama queen, but this was completely out of the blue.

Twenty years later, Anna's parents have finally decided to sell their house; to finally admit that Rose would not be coming back to the big old house that had been home. This major decision sparks something in Anna, and she begins to search again for clues about Rose. Anna's life has not really gone to plan, she's drifted into jobs, she's in a relationship that has become boring and dry. Maybe if she can put Rose to rest finally, she can move on with her own life.

Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon is not just Anna's story. It's really the story of her mother Cassandra, or Sandy, or Sandra - depending on which stage of life she's at and who she is talking to. Linda Newbery has deftly interwoven Cassandra's whole life story into the modern-day search for Rose, and she has done it so perfectly with each new chapter of that life adding another dimension to the things that Anna discovers during her search.

Anna is a hard character to warm to, she's a complicated person who is not at ease with herself, and so the reader can find her difficult to relate to as well. When we first meet Cassandra, we meet an elderly, confused, straight-laced woman who appears to be cold and distant, but as her story steadily unfolds we discover the real Cassandra. For me, her story was both beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure, made up of tragic loss and huge disappointment. Cassandra has hidden her true self from those closest to her, carrying with her the burdens that have haunted her for most of her sixty years.

There are some very bizarre friendships within the story, and it would be easy to dismiss them as unrealistic and contrived, but stop and think about people you know or strange relationships you may have read about, there really is nothing as strange as human behaviour, and in this novel, the odd couplings really do work.

I had no idea what had happened to Rose, and as Anna's search revealed more information I became more and more engrossed in this exquisite story. Couple that with the beauty of Cassandra's life story and you really have a story that will touch your heart and stay with you for a long time afterwards.

It was about eighty pages from the end when my heart started to pound so strongly, I actually felt a little bit sick and was glued to those last 80 pages. I was desperate to find out what would happen but so so sad that it came to an end.

A story of loss and relationships, of family and friendships. A story of lies, deception and covering up secrets.

Linda Newbery has proved that not only can she produce award-winning stories for children and young adults but that she is a just as talented at writing for the adult market. When I was offered this book to review from Naomi at Transworld I hesitated, I have so many books to review, I wasn't sure that I'd have time to read and review by the blog tour dates. I am so so glad that I said yes, I really think I've found one of my favourite books of 2014, maybe one of my favourite books ever.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots's of family secrets come tumbling out throughout this book. Anna's sister Rose just disappeared 20 years ago and never got in contact with them again. Was she murdered? Could she have stayed away that long without anyone hearing from her.

When her parents decide to sell the family home- her mum seems to suffer a crisis. Does she find it impossible to let go?

Anna feels unhappy in her relationship- is her troubled past to blame and can they sort things out? She decides that she needs to try and find some resolution to her sister's disappearance and turns to facebook. She contacts Rose's best friend, ex boyfriend and following discussions with them, a teacher from the school. You begin to wonder how many more skeletons are going to fall out of the wardrobe!

I really enjoyed this one and thank the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this one.

[Renita D'Silva · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book about the lies we tell and the secrets we keep from the ones closest to us, that fester and seethe and finally explode with devastating consequences. Loved it.

[Sophie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring from beginning to end. Felt like it took over 100 pages to even begin some sort of story, and it didn’t get any better from there.
I didn’t feel anything for any of the characters, even when the story reached its crescendo. Shouldn’t have bothered finishing it, and definitely won’t be reading any more by this author.

[Gill's likes reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for my honest review. My thanks to the Publisher for sending me this book.

Lazy days, summer heat, memories of childhood, teenage years, past cultures; Linda Newbery can take you on a journey to your own past without interfering with the novel. I love the way I was able to bring my own memories of being in the garden on hot summer days. To me there is no plot in this book to distract it is a continuous flow of time moving, of memories and events being exposed wrapped up in the tangled emotions of the characters. It is a memory quilt of missing pieces that are gradually uncovered and sewn in place.


This is not a crime thriller, it is about the uncertainty of ‘being’ in those left behind when someone goes missing, spreading life a fungus throughout the lives of others close to them. The narrative exposes the understanding of the readers own past showing the complexity of every life, some hidden and some in full view.

The characters are offered so sensitively in raw detail, I felt I almost knew them. When the story looks back with Sandra their Mother, it was the same era I was growing up and the time was described perfectly adding to my belief in the characters.

It is a story told so beautifully and tragically that comes full circle. I love the ending that Newbery has given the story, not brutal and not final leaving the reader with a sense of hope.

There is nothing I dislike about this book.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets, lies and deception that's the theme, one lie told grows like a virus causing more and more secrets to be kept from those they love. Each secret is peeled back layer by layer and revealed through a story told in flashbacks through the memories of Anna and Cassandra each with their own thoughts and feelings. Rose the elder daughter, pretty, clever, good at everything, vanishes at quarter past two on a Wednesday afternoon and is not seen again. Anna her sister, always in her shadow never feeling good enough, never feeling she matches up is convinced she is still alive, starts a search. The mum, Sandy, Sandra or Cassandra depending on what she is calling herself at various stages of her life is torn apart because of the loss. I could identify with Cassandra's story starting with her teenage years in the sixties, the start of all the secrets that lead to everything that happens leading up to the fateful afternoon. A well crafted book, put together well each twist, turn and secret kept me engaged until eventually all becomes clear. Rose, who at the start I felt sympathetic towards as the book progressed I found her self centred and selfish never realising the devastating affect she has caused on the others. Anna has lived her life in a shadow constantly in waiting. One thing this book has proved is my old adage to my children "don't lie it only makes things worse" is so true.

[Mandy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn’t a bad book, but I found it a very ordinary one. In fact it’s the second book I’ve read this month with a missing sister and secrets about adoption as part of the plot. Here we meet Anna, whose sister Rose went missing without trace 20 years ago, leaving Anna unable to move on with her life, in effect unable to grow up – which apart from anything else makes her a very irritating character. Her uncertainty about her latest relationship impels her to finally put her ghosts to rest and have one last try at finding Rose. I can’t talk about how it all works out without giving away spoilers, but I found the ending far too melodramatic and unlikely. In fact I found a lot of this book unlikely, including many of the relationships. I also found the book far too “busy” with too many subplots and too many extraneous characters. This is Linda Newbury’s first book for adults and I don’t think she’s quite there yet. It would have been a better book if she had concentrated on the main plot, had less dialogue, which is often clunky, and focussed on her main protagonists. I found the writing pedestrian and unoriginal, and remained unengaged. If I hadn't been reading for review I would have skipped to the end (because even I was curious to find out what had happened!). So a pleasant enough read, but not one to my (admittedly exacting) taste.

[Sally Flint · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, so much so that I couldn't put it down until it was finished. It was a book with a 'proper' plot that on the whole held together brilliantly. There were just a couple of times when I thought, blimey, that happened a bit quick. It is based on the story of a girl (Rose) who goes missing one afternoon and for twenty years no one knows if she is dead alive, or what has happened to her. We follow an intriguing story told mainly from the point of view of the girl's sister, Anna who didn't go missing and is left with the guilt of still being there and having to carry on with life. We also see events unfurling from the viewpoint of the girl's mum, and get to trace how events that happened to her in her own youth, go on to be hugely important in the story being told. I felt sympathetic to almost all of the main characters and it made me reflect on what is acceptable and normal in society in different times in society. The book was poignant and written with real sensitivity. It was a delight to read. I wouldn't call it just a light beach read, much too good for that, but it was completely accessible.

[Book-shelf Shelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This starts of in the 1990's when Anna's sister, rose, goes missing with no clues as to why or how she left. It then comes up to present time and takes you to the mothers perspective, as well as the sisters of roses strange disappearance and the affect this has had on there lives, at times without them seeming to realize. It caused problems with Anna from school adolescence all the way through to present day relationships, while with Cassandra, the mother, its taken more of an affect than she realized, not only with her job, but also in her head. You see Cassandra knows why rose disappeared but has to keep this a secret because if she doesn't her whole life will unravel around her! This book kept me hooked I was not expecting the outcome at all. Would love a sequel.....

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit forgettable and samey. I figured out the ending and the plot twist at around page 150. The characters were underdeveloped and left me cold.

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally published as 'Quarter Past Two on a Wednesday Afternoon'. Fast paced and intriguing but you do need to turn your believability metre off early on and just go for the ride.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Am Anfang kam mir die Handlung sehr vorhersehbar vor: Anna konnte sich nicht aus dem Schatten ihrer verschwundenen Schwester lösen, das Leben der gesamten Familie ist stehen geblieben und die Mutter kann den Kummer nicht mehr aushalten und flüchtet sich in eine Fantasiewelt.

Aber es steckt viel mehr hinter den Ereignissen, als man auf den ersten Blick sieht. So habe ich im Verlauf der Geschichte mehr und mehr den Eindruck gewonnen, dass Rose gar nicht die perfekte Tochter und Schwester war, die alle in ihr sahen. Es waren nicht nur die Bemerkungen der alten Freunde, sondern auch die Dinge die Anna erzählte. Sie fand zwar immer eine Entschuldigung für das Verhalten der großen Schwester, aber was soll sie auch in dieser Situation anderes machen?

Die Auflösung des Rätsels um Roses Verschwinden fand ich zuerst nicht passend. Aber nachdem ich eine Nacht darüber geschlafen habe, finde ich dass es eigentlich der perfekte Abschluss für das Buch ist.

[Kim Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down, I was somewhat disappointed. The cover states, 'She thought she knew her sister. She was wrong...' but the book was just as much about the sisters not knowing their mother and I felt Rose's reasons for leaving were not explored sufficiently and the ending was not satisfying - it seemed incomplete and rushed. I didn't particularly like any of the characters but I did feel sympathy for Ruth and Cassandra and would have liked to have learnt more about Rosanna. Simon Mayo is quoted as saying, 'Scary, intriguing, I love it', but I didn't find the book scary in the least. What the book did was fill me with nostalgia for my own teenage years and remind me of my relationships with my own sisters, my mother's secrets and the way we see events in the past very differently from other people who were there.

[Geraldine · Rating 3 out of 5]

My rating is far more a 3+ than a 3-.

I was under a misapprehension when I started to read this. I can't now remember why it went on my TBR but as I started it I thought it was yet another of the numerous 'girl is abducted/killed/goes missing' psychological thrillers that currently abound.

My mistake but it took me a while to cotton on. Quarter of the way through I thought it to be slow paced, tough not particularly in a bad way. Halfway through I was wondering when the thrills or the deconstruction of the sociopathic personality was going to begin. I did wonder if I ought to abandon it, even though I was enjoying it.

Then the penny dropped. I was misunderstanding its purpose. It's purpose was to be slow-paced, because that's how life unfolds - although sometimes it seems not to - and it was examining the long term and possibly cumulative of tragic perhaps catastrophic life events.

In some ways that was done very skillfully. It was told from the points of view of both Anna and her mother Cassandra. It purported to be about how both their lives were affected by the disappearance of Rose at the age of 18. They lived with that awful limbo of there not being a body found nor even the slightest evidence of a murder (or death by misadventure or anything) not of an abduction/Rose being held captive).

And in a sense, that was what the book was about. Both of them were eminently capable of presenting as normal. Cassandra was til married to her first husband and as far as one can tell it was largely a successful/happy marriage - apart from the Rose Missing situation. she had a decent job with hours that suited her as a doctor's receptionist.

Anna seemed to be less successful in her relationships, although now happily settled with Martin, and flitted from job to job. However, nothing on the surface indicates that she is anything but 'normal'. That reads as if the books reveals a damaged or disturbed person, which she really isn't. It's just very clear that the her constant awareness that Rose is missing has shaped her life.

The conclusion to he book is, arguably, anti-climactic. however, as I indicated above, as it was never a plot-driven suspense story, it was, therefore character driven.

And, i suppose that's why I gave it a 3 star rather than a four star rating. That characters fell short in several ways but not to an alarming degree. In a nutshell they didn't walk off the page for me. They lacked contradiction and didn't come across as in anyway multi-faceted. A lot of the time the reader was left to fill in blanks, although, in fairness, the author allowed us to in a positive way.

I think this was a hugely ambitious novel and I don't think, in the end, she quite pulled it off. Nevertheless I enjoyed reading it and I suspect it might be one of those I ponder on, maybe out of the blue, in months to come, maybe more so than some I award 4 or even 5 stars because I so liked being 'in the moment' with them.

[Sue Goult · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing daughters and secrets

A family with too many secrets. The mother had an illegitimate daughter who was adopted at birth. Then she had two more daughters, Rose and Anna. However Rose disappeared when she was around eighteen. The family think she is dead. However Anna has problems in her marriage, and through a series of coincidence s finds Rose alive and living in Cornwall.
Then they find the other daughter in Australia. But all's well that ends well. Superb writing, believable characters and a cracking good story.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is well-written, the plot, which ranges from 1967 to 2010, is interesting. The book is dominated by Rose, Anna's missing sister, whose disappearance has influenced the whole of Anna's life - negatively. Rose is not however a very likable character, even though Anna hero-worshipped her and has spent her life thinking she could never measure up tp what Rose would have achieved if she were still around. I found my sympathy for Anna herself diminishing as the book went on (& on, & on), though she did manage to regain it in the penultimate chapter.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was really good until I got to the end. When I finally found out what happened to Rose it all seemed a bit rushed and anticlimactic. There seemed to be too many subplots all coming together at the end with none really being satisfactorily explained or resolved. It is well written and intriguing upload until the final chapters though.

[Infamous Sphere · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think this is as strong as Linda Newbery's excellent YA books Sisterland, and The Shell House, but I still think it's an excellent depiction of a woman who feels stuck, her life frozen at the point when her sister disappeared. I thought the story of Anna's mother was also very strong, possibly even stronger than the story of Anna and Rose. Started slow but I became hooked quickly.

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this book for ages as I am a sucker for a missing person story. I fell in love with the cover immediately. I would describe this as a slow burn, where you get to know all the various characters gradually. I was intrigued all the way through and will be interested to see if there are any further books by this author.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story. Wanted to strangle Rose for her selfish behaviour, which I don't think was ever really fully explained. Found the ending very satisfactory. The Martin-anna think was a bit predictable, but glad the author didn't Labour the reunion, which would have been a bit cheesy.

[May · Rating 2 out of 5]

Secrets always have a way of coming up and haunt you. Wish the mystery of Rose didn’t end up annoying me so much though. So hard feeling any sympathy towards her. Wish there was a bit more explanation as to why she behaved that way.