The Three Beths

by Jeff Abbott

My mom would never leave me.

This has been Mariah Dunning's motto. Her compass. Her belief. So when she glimpses her mother--who's been missing and presumed dead for the past two years--on the other side of a crowded food court, Mariah's conviction becomes stronger than ever. Or is she losing her mind?

Her mother disappeared without a trace and--even without a body or any physical evidence--suspicion for her murder immediately fell upon Mariah's father, leaving both father and daughter ostracized from their close-knit community.

Until one day, Mariah stumbles upon the fact that two other women have also disappeared recently from Lakehaven. And all three women had the same name: Beth.

Is it merely an unlikely coincidence? Or is there a deeper, sinister connection between the three Beths?

Mariah would give anything to find out what happened to her mother. But the truth may be worse than she could have imagined...

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction, Suspense, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook, Crime

345 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2018

About the author

Jeff Abbott (born 1963) is a U.S. suspense novelist. He has a degree in History and English from Rice University. He lives in Austin, Texas. His early novels were traditional detective fiction but in recent years he has turned to writing thriller fiction. A theme of his work is the idea of ordinary people caught up in extraordinary danger and fighting to return to their normal lives. His novels are published in several countries and have also been bestsellers in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, and France.

Series:
* Whit Mosley
* Jordan Poteet

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 heart pounding tense stars


Mariah Dunning loved going to the mal with her mother Beth to have a Thai meal, but she had disappeared a year earlier she tod her father Craig that she had seen Beth behind the Sunglasses stand but when she went over too look she had gone. Craig said that she had imagined it but Mariah thought she was so sure.


Then Mariah went to this crime blog expert Reveal (AKA) Chad Chang he decides to help her get to the bottom of her mothers disappearance. Then more disappearances are found & the names are Bethany & Lizbeth, they go to Bethany's mothers place Sharon, but Sharon thinks that Bethany's boyfriend Jake had killed her but Jake vehemently denies this.


When Sharon is found by Mariah as she wants to ask more questions she finds her half unconscious at the back of her front door. The townsfolk blame Craig for his wife's murder in Lake Haven Texas you cannot hide from anyone.


MY THOUGHTS
I loved this book it was a fast paced page turner that kept me on the edge of my seat, the characters were well written & the prose was tightly weaved, it was tense, suspenseful & captivating enjoyed every minute.

[Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 tense and original stars to The Three Beths! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Why hasn’t Jeff Abbott been on my reading radar before? I am his newest fan.

I don’t know how you could read the synopsis and not be intrigued. The premise is completely original, and the way this is written is exceptionally engaging.

Mariah Dunning’s mother disappeared without a trace, which is completely out of character for her. Mariah’s father shoulders the blame, though he proclaims his innocence. Their lives are abruptly altered because the community is distrustful and wants nothing to do with Mariah and her father.

There is an opening scene where Mariah spots someone looking like her mother in the mall. What a thrill ride, which lands Mariah at the police station.

Mariah is friends with a crime blogger, and he has pieced together that two other women in the area are missing- both named Beth; making that three women named Beth who are missing. Mariah feels strongly that it is not a coincidence and sets her sights on pinpointing the connection between the women.

The Three Beths is a compelling, twisty, turny adventurous thriller. The pacing is on point, and the writing is so easy to read that once the plots gets moving, it is incredibly difficult to put the book down! The police are focused on Mariah’s dad, and Mariah is focusing hard on the possible connection between the women. Where does the truth lie?

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the invitation to read this book. All opinions are my own.

My reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com

[Carole (Carole's Random Life) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review can also be found at Carole's Random Life in Books.

I thought that this was really good. I decided to pick this one up because I was in the mood for a good mystery and I have been wanting to read Jeff Abbott's writing. Once I started reading this book, I was hooked. I wanted to know what had happened to these three Beths and I wanted to see their families find the answers they needed. This was a mystery that turned out to be quite the page-turner.

Mariah's mother has been gone a long time. Nobody has seen her and her body has not been found but Mariah knows that her mother would have never just left and despite with the community thinks, Mariah knows that her father couldn't have killed her. After Mariah sees who she thinks is her mother at the mall, she starts to do whatever she can to try to find out what actually happened. When she learns that another Beth went missing around the same time as her mother, she finds herself unraveling a mystery that is much larger than she could have expected.

I liked the characters in this book. Mariah and her father have both been through so much since her mother disappeared. The town is convinced that Mariah's father is responsible for Beth's disappearance so they are dealing with the unknown, their grief, and harassment from the community. I completely understood why Mariah felt the need to try to solve this mystery on her own because the police only seemed to be interested in looking at her father. I will say that some of the things that Mariah does during her quest to find out what happened to her mother made me cringe just a bit.

I thought that the mystery in this story was very well done. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept things interesting. The mystery was very complex with a lot of elements that started to fit together piece by piece as the book progressed. There were a few developments that I was able to predict but there were many surprises along the way. I was kind of surprised that the bulk of the story seemed to be focused on the second Beth but eventually everything came together.

I would recommend this book to others. I found the book to be a well-plotted and complex mystery filled with plenty of twists and turns to keep the pages turning. I hope to read more from Jeff Abbott soon!

I received a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing.

Initial Thoughts
This was really good. Mariah does a few things in this book that made me cringe but I was totally wrapped up in the mystery and couldn't wait to find out how the lives of the Beths would connect. There were a few surprises and I thought that the mystery was really complex. I am glad that I decided to pick this one up.

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mariah's mother Beth went missing without a trace and suspicion falls on Mariah's father. One day while at the mall she thinks that she sees her mother and gives chase. She doesn't catch up with the person but this gives her fresh hope that her mother is alive and in hiding.
After searching online she discovers two more women called Beth have also disappeared in very similar circumstances.
A slow building thriller that kept me guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for my e- copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Elaine · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Three Beths is the second standalone novel by Mr. Abbott that has disappointed me.

I've got more questions than ridiculous answers, such as:

1. What was the point of Mariah seeing that stranger who looked like her mom in the first place?

Just to kickstart her desire to search for her mom? Pretty flimsy, if you ask me.

2. Hooking up with a deceased woman's husband is just gross.

And why does Mariah need a love interest? I mean, come on, does every female need a man by the end of the book?

3. Plenty of adultering to go around (ho hum, this trope once again)

4. Tons of unlikeable people including Mariah. It's laughable the way she just strolls right up to potential suspects and bad guys and demands answers. And these people give it to her!

Unrealistic and suspension of disbelief was difficult to hold for long.

5. So many twists piled on top of more twists that were overwrought to begin with like Mariah's conveniently blocked memory from her bout with the flu. Really?

6. The perp was easy to figure out but its been a week and I can't remember who it was so you see how memorable the story was.

7. I did like the way Craig dealt with his harasser but that one tiny detail could not save this convoluted mess.

Mr. Abbott, I cannot stress how important it is for you to give us another Sam Capra novel.

I don't know if I can read your next standalone novel, three strikes and you're out, but I usually stop at two strikes.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mariah doesn't believe her mother, Beth, would ever just leave, but Beth has been missing for a year. Mariah hasn't given up on finding her mother, and while searching for her, she discovers there are two other missing women, also named Beth. Mariah believes the missing women must be somehow connected.

The community suspects Mariah's father of killing her mother, despite there having been no body found. Mariah continues to stick up for her dad, but there does seem to be some suspicious behavior on the part of her father. In her search for her mother and the other Beths, Mariah's behavior sometimes borders on unstable. She clearly cares about her parents, but she is also desperate to find her mother.

Fast-paced with a lot happening. An enjoyable read, but I did have a few issues with it. For one, Mariah isn't exactly stealthy with her search, which is annoying. However, my biggest complaint is the ending. I'm not a fan of the villain explaining their whole evil plot. This is a twisty novel, so the explanations went on for far too long. That's a personal pet peeve though, so the overall story lost a little something for me in the end.

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved reading this humdinger of a beach read. Plausible plot, action orientated, twisting scenarios and hidden agendas. Wonderful.
Unputdownable.

[Deb Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

Author Jeff Abbott has written more than 16 books and is a New York Times Bestselling writer. The Three Beths is my first glimpse of Abbott's work. To be generous, I was less-than-thrilled with this reading experience.

I found the main character, Mariah Dunning, to be insipid and unreliable. Some of the dialogue felt stagey and untrue to the character speaking. The pace was plodding for the first half of the book.

It wasn't a terrible story. The Three Beths has some intrigue, but it also has what I found to be amateurish writing in spots. In his acknowledgements, Abbott explains that as he was writing this book, he and his family lost their home to a fire. That may explain volumes about the author's concentration on his work at the time, but not his editor's and publisher's willingness to send this book to market in subpar form.

Given the reputation Jeff Abbott has amassed from his previous writings, I will give another of his books a try in the future.

[Erin (from Long Island, NY) · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5) Audio version was great!

[Kris (My Novelesque Life) · Rating 3 out of 5]

RATING: 3 STARS

I really enjoyed Jeff Abbott's last novel, Blame, so I was excited to start this title. I listened to this one on audiobook as well. The synopsis sounded interesting - a mother and wife goes missing, and her husband is labeled her killer by the community. Their young daughter stands by her father is pulled into the community gossip. Mariah thinks she sees her mom at a food court one day and goes into investigation mode. She discovers that two more women named Beth are missing as well. Is it a coincidence or will these cases help her uncover her mother's disappearance.

I don't know if it is the complicated unraveling of the mystery that turned me a bit off, or the slow story and suspense. Either way I just could not love this book. It was an okay mystery, and I definitely wanted to see how it all worked out in the end.

My Novelesque Blog

[Luanne Ollivier · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Three Beths is Jeff Abbott's newest book.

Mariah Dunning's mother disappeared a year ago. Law enforcement is sure that her father has killed her, but has yet to prove it. One day while at the mall, Mariah is sure she sees her mother at the food court - and she redoubles her efforts to find her. And her search turns up another woman named Beth who has also disappeared. And going by the title, you know there's another.

The Three Beths is a busy book with many twists and turns throughout. Now, I appreciate a complicated plot, but I have to say that I found this busyness somewhat off putting as the book progressed. It was too much - too many coincidences, easily explained (but not always believable) turns and somewhat repetitive scenes and dialogue. (I started keeping track of how many times someone said they were going to 'call the police'. Many times) But, I kept reading 'til the end as I wanted to know if the Beths were alive and if there was a connection between them. The (implausible) ending twist? Had that pegged long before the reveal. I found I couldn't get on board with Mariah. I found her annoying, rather than engaging. The other characters were overdrawn caricatures - especially the police chief.

I had higher hopes for The Three Beths, but it was a bit of a miss for me.

[Liz Barnsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve always loved Jeff Abbott’s novels, I’m never quite sure what is going to happen in turn, this one was beautifully twisted in its plotting with some engaging, divisive characters.

Mariah and her Dad live in an uneasy alliance after the disappearance of her Mother Beth – Mariah is determined to discover the truth no matter the cost, Dad may know more than he’s saying and meanwhile it seems being named Beth is somewhat dangerous…

All of these elements combine into a page turner of a psychological thriller, where things pan out in unexpected directions. It is a journey of discovery for Mariah, both personal and beyond, completely addictive and pitched perfectly.

I wasn’t sure what would happen, always a huge plus for me, The Three Beths kept me on my toes with a twisty storyline and an emotionally resonant feel.

Recommended.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Last year when I read Jeff Abbott's Blame, the first book I'd read by him, I thought I'd found a special new (for me) author. After just finishing The Three Beths, that thought had solidified into a concrete fact. No one tells a story steeped in secrets better than Abbott. His mastery of connecting the threads between characters and the timing of revealing their hidden deeds or thoughts is perfection. Secrets seldom hold their breaths forever, and the effects that delay of information and taking responsibility for actions result in can be deadly. And, with Jeff Abbott, there is always one more gobsmacking secret to learn. There are quite a few characters in The Three Beths, but I never once thought about that while reading the story. Only after did I realize that the author did quite the amazing job of avoiding confusion with the number of characters involved. I didn't spend any time looking back to see who someone was. That's smooth writing.

The story centers around two missing women, both named Beth, who vanished six months apart. It's mostly through the eyes of the second missing Beth's daughter, Mariah Dunning, that we experience the unfolding of events, although Mariah's father, Craig, contributes quite a lot of the drama, too. Beth Dunning has been missing for a year, and the blame from the police and the community is aimed squarely at Craig Dunning. Though not arrested or tried for anything to do with Beth's disappearance, opinion itself has been a harsh judge. Mariah believes in her father's innocence and has moved back into their house after college so that the two of them can find some semblance of existence in a world where they have no clue what happened to Beth. The police chief, an old friend of Beth's and somewhat resentful of Craig's marriage to her, hasn't given up on pinning something on Craig. There are others in their well-heeled community and neighborhood in Austin who want little or nothing to do with Craig and wish he'd just move. Of course, these opinions have fall-out for Mariah, who misses her mother and feels badly for her father living under suspicion.

When a former high school classmate of Mariah's who has a crime blog writes a post about another Beth vanishing six months before Beth Dunning, Mariah takes notice and feels that this blogger, who goes by the name of Reveal now, could be onto something in his linking the two disappearances by the names of the women. Mariah has not been able to make any sense out of her mother just leaving one day without any further communication to her, and Reveal's post stating that Bethany "Beth" Blevins Curtis, young wife of a newly millionaire tech genius, vanished without a trace, too, gives hope that there may be some answers in that connection. Knowing that Lakehaven's Police Chief Dennis Broussard has tunnel vision for only her father Craig's involvement, Mariah decides that she has to do her own investigating, starting with Bethany Curtis' family, her husband Jake and her mother Sharon, and then moving on to Bethany's friends, one of whom is named Lisbeth and hasn't been around since shortly after Bethany's departure. Digging hard for a connection between her mother and Bethany that would explain both of their disappearances, Mariah becomes entangled in the past of Bethany's family and friendships that have many dark corners. Harassment against Craig Dunning has begun in earnest again, and Mariah needs desperately to clear his name and find out where her mother went if they are ever to have a "normal" life. Her investigation does start bringing some answers to light, but the danger is building fast, as containment of secrets is paramount to those with the answers. And, of course, there is always the admonition of being careful what you wish for.

The twists the reader experiences throughout the journey of Mariah's quest for the truth are many, and Jeff Abbott controls these twists beautifully in their purpose to further suspense and create interest. There is a lot of damage that most of the characters have to deal with, damage to their perceived view of what their lives would be, and there's loss of one sort or another, too. Their stories are woven into the main story, as the major reveals are formed from the earlier actions and inactions in their lives. The Three Beths will grab you and surprise you and make you want to read more Jeff Abbott.

[VickiLee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this to be a brisk, interesting read with enough suspense to keep me moving at a good speed. Three women, all named Beth, have disappeared from the same area. The persistent daughter of one of the women is determined to discover what happened to her mother. There are no bizarre, shocking twists (which are so popular today). Rather, we are lead along pathways of discovery which I found satisfying.

[Marcia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry but the whole book was preposterous. I felt no empathy for anyone. I don't want to spoil it if you want to read it but it just made no sense to me why the main character would go off in search of clues that were ridiculous. There was one character to like/feel sorry for but the rest were awful people.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh, that is too many Beths.

[Justkeepreading · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m really sorry. But this book just was t for me. The writing of the book is pretty good. But I didn’t like the characters. Which meant I didn’t really enjoy the book. I’m so sorry.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, this was a book that could have been less than three hundred pages long. It is very repetitive and too dramatic and emotional for my taste in thrillers. Lakehaven sounds like an awful place to live, everyone knows each other, not only that…. people get involved, too involved. Too insular and for the pricey price tag Abbott kept referring to the houses in the story, people behave like they live in a very small town.

Mariah is being treated and perceived in the storyline not as a young woman but rather a lost and unfocused teenager. The plot was interesting and thrilling but all the characters were flat, they simply were not believable. I read An Ambush of Widows and became a fan of this author. I will continue reading him because his plots are always inventive and exciting but the characters in this book were not for me.

[Fiona MacDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of repetitive information, mixed with a disappointing and predictable ending.

[Jay Dwight · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jeff Abbott's work and this tale is a true mystery. The reader is cleverly kept in the dark right up to the final reveal.

Two women have disappeared within six months of each other. A true crime podcaster plants a seed that the two cases might be linked, and this sets the daughter of one of the missing women on an investigative trail to find the truth about the disappearances.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s always great to read a Jeff Abbott book. This book was definitely a page turner. This was a great mystery and as you read the book there are so many hidden secrets. Two women with the name of Beth vanish within six months of each other. The daughter of the second Beth wants to know why her mother simply vanished and starts her own investigation. Do the two Beths know each other? And where does a third Beth fit in? Ahh, I can’t tell you, this is a must read if you want the answers.
Mr. Abbott is an expert at writing very clever plots. Kudos to you, Mr. Abbott for another fantastic mystery.

[Kayley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I probably should've DNF'd this one once I realized how rough the dialogue was, but I was intrigued by the mystery. Or maybe when the main character volunteered to stay the night at the home of a missing woman's mother after knowing her for a matter of hours (maybe I'm petty but I can't stop thinking about this. Are you serious???). Or potentially when it hit me that MC Mariah's amateur "sleuthing" bored me to tears.

No but really, I realized that this book was just aggressively not for me. Almost every conversation in this book felt like an alien had jotted down their idea of a human interaction. Bummer because this one sat on my TBR list for literal years.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

There isn’t a book that Jeff Abbott has written that I don’t love. His Sam Capra series is excellent as are all his stand-alone novels..
The three Beths follows a young girl, Mariah, searching for her missing mother Beth. Her father has been the main suspect of the police and silently accused by his neighbours and work colleagues. When Mariah’s friend Chad, who runs a crime website, finds another Beth had gone missing around the same time as her mum, Mariah keeps digging until she finds that these two Beths
did in fact know each other.

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a slow-burn of a novel with characters that are unlikable and have questionable motives to their actions. Some of the plotting was a bit preposterous and was, overall, an unsatisfying read for me.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading a book with 3 Beths in it. I think there should be more Beth literature. 😁😆

[Anja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich fand es von Anfang bis Ende einfach nur super spannend. Absolute Empfehlung.

[Mellisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mariah's mother went missing a year ago, no word, no cash withdrawals, nothing. Mariah then thinks she spots her whilst out for food with her father. This potential sighting starts the journey to the truth, to what really happened that day Mariah's mother, Bethany, vanished. I can definitely say, the ending is a shocker you won't see coming! This book was a gift that kept on giving, I'm so glad I read it and would recommend to everyone.

[Wendy Pakrul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, a lot of twists and turns in this one!

[Ti.Me · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trauma, coverups, greed, and a healthy dose of raw insanity to pull it all sideways. The Three Beths left my head spinning.

I can't wait to get my hands on another Jeff Abbott novel.

[Tex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very entertaining mystery but also very convoluted with plot lines twirling around each other. Thought I had one thread and was only partially right so the result was satisfying.
A few editing things overlooked took it down from 5 stars.
Drawn to it because of the Beths in my own life.