Without a Trace

by Susannah Glenn

Flying runs in Charlotte Clarke's blood. As the daughter of a scenic flight company owner, her life is spent soaring over Sydney's glittering harbour―until a series of devastating tragedies sends her crashing to earth. First, the deaths of her beloved grandmother and father, then her boyfriend Connor's seaplane vanishes without a trace.

Haunted by his mysterious disappearance and convinced she’s being watched, Charlotte flees to a quiet coastal town and hits rock bottom, saved from a storm by a mysterious fisherman. But the calm is an illusion. Her paranoia peaks when she spots a man she believes is Connor, only to be told she's mistaken …

As she uncovers shocking secrets about those she holds closest, Charlotte realises her life isn't the only thing at risk. The truth about her past could be deadly.

Genres: Mystery, Psychological Thriller, Australia

330 pages, Paperback

Published June 30, 2026

Reviews

[Mike]

A mystery thriller, Without a Trace (2026) by Susannah Glenn has a grieving hero dealing with a personal, triple tragedy. After the death of her grandmother and father (and loss of his flying business), and the disappearance of her fiancé, Charlotte Clarke returns to her family’s beachside shack, to grieve and rebuild her life. Lyla, a former childhood friend of Charlotte’s, also decides to move to the nearby town of Helene, to help her friend recover. Charlotte soon feels as though someone is watching her, and an unexpected sighting of a man causes her to think it's her fiancé, whose seaplane vanished without a trace. Narrated by three different women, this search for the truth is more a slow-burn best-friends tale. It lacks a malevolent feel, despite its dramatic climax; it's an average thriller with a three star rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.

[Craig and Phil]

Big thanks to Pantera Press for sending us a copy to read and review.
Susannah Glenn’s second release is a character driven thriller.
A fast paced, compelling and engaging mystery that explores the intricacies of friendship and relationships.
A scenic flight business owner, Charlotte Clark’s life has been loaded with misery.
She lost her beloved grandmother, her father and now her boyfriend Connor has vanished.
Her past and these incidents frequently exist in her world.
When she feels like she is being watched and sees a man she thinks is Connor, Charlotte starts to unravel secrets and her life could be in danger……
A plot that builds its tension until the truth comes out.
I enjoyed my time with these characters and while the reveal is not a surprise I did love how it all came about.
The atmosphere, the coastal town, the flying and the cast bring all the excitement for a good and exciting storyline.
I for one look forward to Susannah’s next book and also check out her debut which is a great read too.

[Natalie M]

3.5 rounded up.

I really struggled with the characters in this novel. The plot had great potential but the execution, particularly some of the segues to new characters felt very jarring.

I did finish the book and the resolution was sound but overall I am on the fence with this one.

[Becs' reads Australia]

Without A Trace by Susannah Glenn
⭐️⭐️ and a half.

I really struggled with this book. It starts off strong, but three different POVs made me feel I was reading three different books at times. It was often confusing and I couldn't keep up with so much going on. It appeared the author was trying to pack in so many different themes it was exhausting keeping up. Saying this, the heavily detailed writting was boring. I don't need a highly descriptive account of someone making a cup of tea. Yawn. Plus Ive never read a book with so many cups of tea/coffee or all the pouring of drinks. Give me mystery, tension, character development and a good plot.

The ending was highly frustrating and unrealistic. Women are intelligent and have a strong intuition. This was my second book Ive read of Susannah's that paints women like a pack of idiots with wool over their eyes.

"Flying runs in Charlotte Clarke's blood. As the daughter of a scenic flight owner, her life is spent soaring over Sydney's glittering harbour-until a series of devastating tragedies sends her crashing to earth. First, the deaths of her beloved grandmother and father, then her boyfriend Connor's seaplane vanishes without a trace.

Haunted by his mysterious disappearance and convinced she's being watched, Charlotte flees to a quiet coastal town and hits rock bottom, saved from a storm by a mysterious fisherman. But the calm is an illusion. Her paranoia peaks when she spots a man she believes is Connor, only to be told she's mistaken...

As she uncovers shocking secrets about those she holds closest, Charlotte realises her life isn't the only thing at risk. The truth about her past could be deadly."

#aussiebookreviewer #aussiebookreviews #aussiebookstagram #aussiecrimelover #aussiebookbloger

[Emilie (emiliesbookshelf)]

What a wild ride!

Unnerving
Suspenseful
Tense

Susannah Glenn has weaved an intense and interesting thriller story line and I was hooked in!

Flying has been Charlotte’s life for as long as she can remember. For so long her family has owned a scenic flight business, giving passengers views of iconic Sydney landscapes every day

However, Charlotte has been dealt unimaginable pain, having lost her grandmother, father and boyfriend in three horrible flying accidents

She has reached rock bottom and will herself never fly again. Until seeing what she believes is Connor (her lost boyfriend) in a fleeting moment. She finds a new drive to live life and possibly fly again

Meeting when kids has meant Lyla is her oldest and now dearest friend. Now a successful doctor, Lyla is concerned Charlotte isn’t looking after herself properly, and moves from Sydney to be closer to her, and help her through this tough time

While being a talent agent isn’t where Moira had dreamed her life would take her, she enjoys it non the less. Especially as her current client Daniel is a very popular and in demand chef on the brink of stardom
While the Covid pandemic put a slight pause on his career and their friendship, Moira is looking forward to reconnecting and hopefully relaunching his career

The tension is set from the epilogue, it leaps off the page.

Told from the pov of three very different women in Charlotte, Lyla & Moira, the reader is kept on their toes as we navigate each woman’s story

Family, friendship, communication, history, power and responsibilities all play a part in the narrative

Perfectly plotted, I had no idea where it was going but was loving the ride

All the main characters got under my skin, which for me is a highlight

I loved it! I loved Between Husbands and Wives too! Glenn has a wonderful ability to build a setting that has you completely immersed, first in Far North QLD in Between Husbands and Wives and this time in Coastal NSW.

[Nerelle Donnelly]

A phenomenal psychological thriller that you won’t want to miss….

Without a Trace is a book that you wish you could have the pleasure of reading for the very first time repeatedly, not knowing the ending, and being able to be stunned and surprised anew.

Now this one is going to be a little tricky to review, as there is much I can’t say so not to spoil it for those that are yet to read it. Anyone that has read this book will be acutely aware of what I mean.

So here goes…..

This story is extraordinary in so many ways, from the amazing plot, the variety of characters, and gorgeous landscapes and locations.

This is a slow burn but as the story unfolds the intensity builds, so to say that this gripping thriller had me on the edge of my seat and holding my breath in anticipation, would be an understatement. Although I did see a couple of titbits earlier on, this didn’t detract from the pure enjoyment that I felt reading this captivating book.

I adored pilot Charlotte Clarke’s character and loved tagging along as she heads back to her grandmother’s beach shack at Reflection Bay and tries to pick up the pieces of her life and pull herself together.

As events take place around Charlotte and more information comes to light, her emotions are thrown into turmoil. Not sure if she’ll ever be able to fly again or if she can trust her instincts, Charlotte begins to question her safety and who she can trust when she senses she is constantly being watched and believes she sees Connor in the street.

Dr Lyla Mahoney, Charlotte’s best friend since primary school, Daniel the celebrity chef turned farmer, Moira an under-pressure talent agent feeling the brunt of menopause, Bette the local café owner, farm manager Jimmy, and of course Pistol, an excitable dog but a protective one, are a few of the compelling cast of characters that help make this story so entertaining.

I would be remiss not to make mention of the beautiful depictions of the coastal and rural locations, and love that there was a scene set in Newcastle, a city close to home for me.

This is one of my favourite reads and I can’t wait to see where Susannah Glenn takes us next.

#withoutatrace
#susannahglenn
#clarkecurse
#panterapress

[Janine]

Without a Trace is the second book by Susannah Glenn and after reading her debut novel I just had to read this one. This time we are in northern NSW where Charlotte lived. In a short space of time she has lost her father, grandmother and most recently her boyfriend Connor who disappeared while flying in one of her fathers small planes, neither his body or plane have ever been seen. It seems there is a curse around her family. Enter a stranger who saves her from possible drowning. Enter Lyla - her best friend who is a GP. She moved to Helene to open a medical practice and renew her friendship with Charlotte.

We also have Daniel, a celebrity chef and his agent Moira who is under pressure to get him to re sign with the tv show that made him famous, but Daniel has secrets he doesn’t want revealed. Even Moira is struggling to keep it all together as she gets older with her own health issues.

All this comes together with some shocking accidents and incidents. Is the Clark curse still happening or is there something even more sinister in the midst.

I read this book over a couple of days and it is just as thrilling as Susannahs first book. Highly recommended for readers of domestic suspense and psychological thrillers. This author is a must read author for me.

[Sharon Oaks]

I’d probably bring this back to a 3.5 star but it was closer to 4 than 3 so will round up. Despite a really awful character which almost made me not want to continue on with the book, other characters were enjoyable. Although unrealistic, the satisfying end made up for the parts I didn’t like.

Ok I’ve come back to edit my stars… I have decided to round down rather than up as there are 4 star books that deserve those 4 more than this…
Still a 7/10 though really

[Kate]

Without a trace is a speedy character driven psychological thriller set in a quiet coastal town north of Sydney, Helene.

Charlotte is trying to recover from the sudden shocking deaths of her grandma, father and the disappearance of her boyfriend Connor.
She retreats to Helene where she spent her summers as a child.
Here she reconnects with her childhood friend Lyla and starts to form friendships within the community.
But Charlotte has this strange sense she’s being watched and that someone is keeping secrets from her.

Delivered in multi POV and quickly the reading audience has some insight that Charlotte doesn’t.
I wasn’t racing to figure out the ending; I was waiting to see the penny drop moment for the cast.
You couldn’t help but feel on team
Charlotte, Daniel and Moira and were rooting for a good outcome.

This is a tense and intriguing drama. I loved the setting and the characters were memorable. I especially adored Moira.
Two books in and Susannah is consistently delivering atmospheric locations and terse character centric dramas!

Thanks to @panterapress and @Susannahglenn for having me along on the #withoutatrace book tour. And also for providing a gifted copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. AD-PR

[EmG ReadsDaily]

Atmospheric. Twisty. Sinister.

[Kim (hundredacreofbooks.com)]

“Sometimes, all it takes is one sentence to convince you to read a book.
“A daughter’s flight to freedom becomes a deadly descent into secrets.”

That was it. I closed the synopsis and started reading.
After Between Husbands and Wives became one of my standouts reads of 2024, I had complete faith that Susannah Glenn would deliver another compelling mystery—and she absolutely did. Without a Trace is packed with suspense, emotional tension and the kind of story that makes “just one more chapter” impossible to resist.

Read the full review over on Hundredacreofbooks.com
https://hundredacreofbooks.com/withou...

[Brooke]

Susannah Glenn’s second novel Without A Trace was a gripping and twisty psychological suspense which kept me guessing from start to finish. Set in the fictional NSW town of Helene, it featured a wonderfully close-knit and supportive community which had weathered its fair share of tragedy. Charlotte Clarke’s family have been an integral part of the community for many years with her grandmother Dot running a charter flight business and being a big supporter of keeping the local airfield afloat. Unfortunately both Dot and Charlotte’s father, Max, were killed in separate flying accidents. With Charlotte’s boyfriend, Connor, also disappearing while flying and now presumed dead, it seems like the Clarke’s are cursed. Haunted by his death which has been ruled a suicide, Charlotte starts to uncover secrets so shocking that they will have her questioning everything. Could digging up the past end up proving deadly?

I loved that this book was told from multiple POVs and although early on I wasn’t sure how these would be connected, Susannah soon wove them together in a seamless way. The setting for this story was perfect and I really enjoyed reading about Charlotte’s childhood spent there and her relationship with her grandmother.

There were so many little twists and turns throughout this novel and although I could sense that things were not right, I didn’t predict the full extent of the shocking secrets that were revealed. It was an absolutely wild ride as the story sped towards its dramatic conclusion with an ending that left me incredibly satisfied.

[ANDREA]

I started this book and I just couldn’t finish it . The first chapter started of ok , the second chapter I just couldn’t read without thinking where is this going , every chapter had a new character and story ,I couldn’t keep up . It got boring . I even skipped a few chapters but it got worse , so I just quit .

[Marles Henry]

Without a Trace by Susannah Glenn is the suspenseful Australian thriller that blends mystery, grief, and family secrets against the backdrop of coastal New South Wales.
The story follows Charlotte Clarke, whose life is upended after a series of tragic events, including the unexplained disappearance of her boyfriend, Connor, during a seaplane flight. Returning to her childhood hometown in search of answers, Charlotte soon finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew as long-buried secrets begin to surface.
The novel starts strongly, immediately creating intrigue around Connor's disappearance and Charlotte's growing unease. I also enjoyed the coastal setting, which added atmosphere without overshadowing the story, and the short chapters kept the pace moving.
One aspect I found interesting was the multiple points of view. While it occasionally took me a moment to settle into each perspective, they gradually revealed different pieces of the mystery and helped build the bigger picture. Lyla was probably the character who stood out the most for me. Her calculating nature and increasingly unsettling behaviour added an unpredictable element to the story, and I found myself curious to see how her role would unfold.
There were several twists throughout, a few felt more predictable than others. That said, the ending pulled the story together well and answered the major questions in a satisfying way. This was an enjoyable mystery with an intriguing premise, a strong sense of place, and enough suspense to keep me reading. If you enjoy Australian crime fiction with multiple perspectives, family secrets, and a steady build of tension, this one is worth checking out.

Thank you to Susannah Glenn and the book tour team for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

[Terri | Twist & Doubt | Bookstagram]

4.5 stars

After a series of devastating losses, including the disappearance of her boyfriend Connor, Charlotte Clarke leaves Sydney behind for a quiet coastal town. But when she starts to believe she’s being watched - and then thinks she sees Connor - Charlotte begins to question what really happened and who she can trust.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved the smaller-town vibe and the way the setting added to the feeling that Charlotte couldn’t quite escape what was happening around her. The concept was also really unique, particularly for me because I haven’t read many books involving aviation. It was such a refreshing change from the usual settings and scenarios I find myself reading about in thrillers.

I also really enjoyed the secrets that came out as the story progressed and watching Charlotte try to work out exactly what was going on.

The only thing stopping this from being a 5 star read for me was the ending. While justice had definitely been served (in more ways than one), I would have liked a bit more confrontation personally. I think I was just looking for a little more oomph at the end!

Overall, this was a really enjoyable read, and definitely one that felt a little different from what I usually pick up.

Thank you to Susannah Glenn and Pantera Press for my free copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Lu thrillskillsandchills]

Without a Trace was deliciously addictive & once it had me on board, I was buckled into my seat and prepped for any and all incoming turbulence (very unlike usual me, as I’m actually shit scared of even the most minor of mid flight bumps)

There’s plenty of baggage aboard this journey as well as what the characters are carrying internally themselves. Trauma & grief, lingering health battles after Covid, menopause & body image, stalking and the skin-crawling fear of being watched or followed, small-town dynamics & the authority we automatically give certain professions. And hovering over all of it is the rather important question of who the hell can you actually trust?

The short chapters & multiple POVs kept the pacing at a steady altitude and I truly struggled to put this down. This book is clever, layered and I absolutely flew through it!

4.5⭐️

[Martin]

This was an okay easy read with an array of good characters to compliment the protaganist Charlotte.
Who needs a best friend like Layla [odd that nobody ever picked up on her pyschotic tendencies !].

[Justin Carey]

I loved it.. great book, every bit as good as Susannahs first one! Cant wait for the next one!!

[Sharon]

Twisty dark tale. I found if hard to engage with the characters at first, but once I did, it was compelling! Not sure how I feel about the ending.

[Ellen]

Creepy

[Shane Jones]

It really left me hanging with the cliffhanger in the middle of the book. I just had to keep reading. Definitely couldn’t put it down. Great read.

[Bronwyn Rykiert]

I enjoyed this story.

[Nikki • bookedupwithnikki]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Review coming soon!

[Marit]

A truly compelling read, this story is inspired by the author’s love of “… the mystery-thriller domestic noir genre as well as the beautiful, complex, tangled mess that is human nature”. Set mainly in the (fictional) town of Helene on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales the novel centres around three main female characters with the story told in the third person by Charlotte Clarke, a registered small plane pilot, and Moira, a talent agent, with Lyla, a medical doctor sharing her viewpoint in the first person. Some very dark themes are covered in this book, including profound grief, stalking, sinister online communities, paranoia, manipulation but there is also hope for a better future, the unconditional love of a dog, good food and wine, friendship and community. As the back quote reads this is ‘compulsive, sinister and tense’. Unputdownable. Does contain strong explicit language.