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The Disappearing
Two-time Edgar Award-winning author Lori Roy spins a twisted, atmospheric tale about a small Southern town where girls disappear and boys run away.
When Lane Fielding fled her isolated Florida hometown after high school for the anonymity of New York City, she swore she'd never return. But twenty years later, newly divorced and with two daughters in tow, she finds herself tending bar at the local dive and living with her parents on the historic Fielding Plantation. Here, the past haunts her and the sinister crimes of her father--the former director of an infamous boys' school--make her as unwelcome in town as she was the day she left.
Ostracized by the people she was taught to trust, Lane's unsteady truce with the town is rattled when her older daughter suddenly vanishes. Ten days earlier, a college student went missing, and the two disappearances at first ignite fears that a serial killer who once preyed upon the town has returned. But when Lane's younger daughter admits to having made a new and unseemly friend, a desperate Lane attacks her hometown's façade to discover whether her daughter's disappearance is payback for her father's crimes--or for her own.
With reporters descending upon the town, police combing through the swamp, and events taking increasingly disturbing turns, Lane fears she faces too many enemies and too little time to bring her daughter safely home. Powerful and heart-pounding, The Disappearing questions the endurance of family bonds, the dangers of dark rumors and small town gossip, and how sometimes home is the scariest place of all.
When Lane Fielding fled her isolated Florida hometown after high school for the anonymity of New York City, she swore she'd never return. But twenty years later, newly divorced and with two daughters in tow, she finds herself tending bar at the local dive and living with her parents on the historic Fielding Plantation. Here, the past haunts her and the sinister crimes of her father--the former director of an infamous boys' school--make her as unwelcome in town as she was the day she left.
Ostracized by the people she was taught to trust, Lane's unsteady truce with the town is rattled when her older daughter suddenly vanishes. Ten days earlier, a college student went missing, and the two disappearances at first ignite fears that a serial killer who once preyed upon the town has returned. But when Lane's younger daughter admits to having made a new and unseemly friend, a desperate Lane attacks her hometown's façade to discover whether her daughter's disappearance is payback for her father's crimes--or for her own.
With reporters descending upon the town, police combing through the swamp, and events taking increasingly disturbing turns, Lane fears she faces too many enemies and too little time to bring her daughter safely home. Powerful and heart-pounding, The Disappearing questions the endurance of family bonds, the dangers of dark rumors and small town gossip, and how sometimes home is the scariest place of all.
341 pages, Hardcover
First published July 17, 2018
175 people are currently reading
1905 people want to read
About the author
Lori Roy
13 books300 followersLori Roy’s debut novel, Bent Road, was awarded the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best First Novel by an American Author. Her work has been twice named a New York Times Notable Crime Book and has been included on various “best of” and summer reading lists. Until She Comes Home was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and a finalist for the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel.
Let Me Die in His Footsteps was included among the top fiction of 2015 by Books-A-Million and named one of the best fifteen mystery novels of 2015 by Oline Cogdill. The novel also received the 2016 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, making Lori the first woman to receive an Edgar Award for both Best First Novel and Best Novel—and only the third person ever to have done so. Gone Too Long was named a People magazine Book of the Week, was named one of the Best Books of Summer 2019, and was excerpted by Oprah magazine.
Lori's latest, THE FINAL EPISODE, will hit stores June 25, 2025.
Lori lives with her family in west central Florida.
Let Me Die in His Footsteps was included among the top fiction of 2015 by Books-A-Million and named one of the best fifteen mystery novels of 2015 by Oline Cogdill. The novel also received the 2016 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Novel, making Lori the first woman to receive an Edgar Award for both Best First Novel and Best Novel—and only the third person ever to have done so. Gone Too Long was named a People magazine Book of the Week, was named one of the Best Books of Summer 2019, and was excerpted by Oprah magazine.
Lori's latest, THE FINAL EPISODE, will hit stores June 25, 2025.
Lori lives with her family in west central Florida.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
July 19, 2018
Lori Roy’s The Disappearing is a beautifully-written mystery about the local lore that can haunt a small town and the courage it takes to free a community from their past demons. I loved the gothic atmosphere of this novel, and the way the mystery and town folklore wove through the lives of all who lived there.
About the Book
Lane hasn’t been back to her hometown in Florida for twenty years, when a divorce forces her to move out of New York City and back home to the Fielding Plantation with her two daughters, Talley and Annalee. Lane has a dark past in this town and with her family. Lane and her family are haunted by the demons in their past. Her father Neil had been the director of a school for boys that gained notoriety for the number of boys who went missing from the school.
As a girl, Lane was fixated on the boys who ran. She dreamt of getting out of the town as well, and so she’d leave them food and a note of encouragement that they could make it out, even if she was stuck. Now Lane is grown and she knows better than to believe in the stories of her youth. But when a girl goes missing, she can’t help but wonder if the town is cursed. And then a second girl goes missing, Lane's elder daughter Annalee. Lane knows that the town hasn’t escaped its demons. Something is wrong and Lane must find her daughter before it’s too late…
Reflection
After reading about the first 10% of this book, I became curious about the author Lori Roy. This isn’t a run-of-the-mill mystery. The writing reads like a gothic novel, and it is so descriptive that I could not only picture the scenes, I could feel them. The hot breath of air on my skin, the cool shiver of goosebumps, the scratch of the tall grass on my ankles. When I looked up Roy, I saw she is a multiple winner of the Edgar Award, and I can see why after reading the way she writes in this book.
This book uses multiple narrators and times. Normally I love this technique, but in this book it was hard to keep the narrators straight. They switched between 4 voices and two timelines, which adds complexity. I wonder if it will be easier in the final corrected version of this book. I also felt that three of the four narrators had a very similar voice. It almost felt like it was narrated by the same person, but just explaining the perspective of the others.
The very ending moved forward in time. I won’t say much more than that, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was such a good ending. I enjoyed what I learned in this epilogue, and it rounded out many loose threads. The ending itself (prior to this point) did lack a bit of a punch, but this book didn’t really rely on twists. It relied on atmosphere and writing and the turmoil of secrets kept for too long.
I read this book with some of my Traveling Sisters, Brenda, Norma, Berit, Mary Beth, and Holly. I loved our discussion! We all had different characters who spoke to us. For me it was the grandmother Erma, but others really enjoyed Talley and Lane respectively. I recommend this book to fans of gothic atmospheres and small-town mysteries.
About the Book
Lane hasn’t been back to her hometown in Florida for twenty years, when a divorce forces her to move out of New York City and back home to the Fielding Plantation with her two daughters, Talley and Annalee. Lane has a dark past in this town and with her family. Lane and her family are haunted by the demons in their past. Her father Neil had been the director of a school for boys that gained notoriety for the number of boys who went missing from the school.
As a girl, Lane was fixated on the boys who ran. She dreamt of getting out of the town as well, and so she’d leave them food and a note of encouragement that they could make it out, even if she was stuck. Now Lane is grown and she knows better than to believe in the stories of her youth. But when a girl goes missing, she can’t help but wonder if the town is cursed. And then a second girl goes missing, Lane's elder daughter Annalee. Lane knows that the town hasn’t escaped its demons. Something is wrong and Lane must find her daughter before it’s too late…
Reflection
After reading about the first 10% of this book, I became curious about the author Lori Roy. This isn’t a run-of-the-mill mystery. The writing reads like a gothic novel, and it is so descriptive that I could not only picture the scenes, I could feel them. The hot breath of air on my skin, the cool shiver of goosebumps, the scratch of the tall grass on my ankles. When I looked up Roy, I saw she is a multiple winner of the Edgar Award, and I can see why after reading the way she writes in this book.
This book uses multiple narrators and times. Normally I love this technique, but in this book it was hard to keep the narrators straight. They switched between 4 voices and two timelines, which adds complexity. I wonder if it will be easier in the final corrected version of this book. I also felt that three of the four narrators had a very similar voice. It almost felt like it was narrated by the same person, but just explaining the perspective of the others.
The very ending moved forward in time. I won’t say much more than that, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but it was such a good ending. I enjoyed what I learned in this epilogue, and it rounded out many loose threads. The ending itself (prior to this point) did lack a bit of a punch, but this book didn’t really rely on twists. It relied on atmosphere and writing and the turmoil of secrets kept for too long.
I read this book with some of my Traveling Sisters, Brenda, Norma, Berit, Mary Beth, and Holly. I loved our discussion! We all had different characters who spoke to us. For me it was the grandmother Erma, but others really enjoyed Talley and Lane respectively. I recommend this book to fans of gothic atmospheres and small-town mysteries.
July 18, 2018
4 Slow Burning Stars🌟🌟🌟🌟
Sometimes it’s nice to take a deep breath and read a slower paced book... The problem is your brain is so used to the fast-paced... frantic... can’t wait to get to the end books... that it is difficult to make the adjustment to a slower paced story like this.... this book was very southern Gothic and it reminded me of my impression of the south... A little slower, more traditional, more complicated but simple, a bit hard to understand at times (by a southwesterner like me), A little mysterious, and exquisitely beautiful! I truly hope this does not come across disrespectful to the south because it is a part of our country I find very mysterious and charming...
Lane has come home after many years away, something she never wanted to do... there are many family secrets and tragedies that are slowly revealed to us throughout this book.... it is very hard to live in a small town where everybody holds the actions of your father against you and now the same is happening to Lane’s children.... told from the points of view of Lane, her mother Irma, her daughter Talley, and Darrell who is a bit of a mystery.... this book offered us four different perspectives, but not necessarily four unique voices and this lead to some confusion at times... this was my main complaint about this book sometimes it was a bit all over the place.... and this might be a book I would have appreciated more on audio simply because the voices would change if done by a good narrator... and would be even better if done by multiple narrators....(Just checked it does have multiple narrators!)
A girl goes missing and this brings back memories of boys going missing from the local boys home as well as Lane’s own disappearance years ago... but for me this book was more about a family trying to heal.... secrets being revealed... A family breaking into even more pieces... and then picking them all up and trying to find a way to put them back together and making them fit in a different configuration...
Recommend when you are in the mood for a slower read filled with beautiful descriptive writing...
*** many thanks to Penguin Dutton for my copy of this book ***
Sometimes it’s nice to take a deep breath and read a slower paced book... The problem is your brain is so used to the fast-paced... frantic... can’t wait to get to the end books... that it is difficult to make the adjustment to a slower paced story like this.... this book was very southern Gothic and it reminded me of my impression of the south... A little slower, more traditional, more complicated but simple, a bit hard to understand at times (by a southwesterner like me), A little mysterious, and exquisitely beautiful! I truly hope this does not come across disrespectful to the south because it is a part of our country I find very mysterious and charming...
Lane has come home after many years away, something she never wanted to do... there are many family secrets and tragedies that are slowly revealed to us throughout this book.... it is very hard to live in a small town where everybody holds the actions of your father against you and now the same is happening to Lane’s children.... told from the points of view of Lane, her mother Irma, her daughter Talley, and Darrell who is a bit of a mystery.... this book offered us four different perspectives, but not necessarily four unique voices and this lead to some confusion at times... this was my main complaint about this book sometimes it was a bit all over the place.... and this might be a book I would have appreciated more on audio simply because the voices would change if done by a good narrator... and would be even better if done by multiple narrators....(Just checked it does have multiple narrators!)
A girl goes missing and this brings back memories of boys going missing from the local boys home as well as Lane’s own disappearance years ago... but for me this book was more about a family trying to heal.... secrets being revealed... A family breaking into even more pieces... and then picking them all up and trying to find a way to put them back together and making them fit in a different configuration...
Recommend when you are in the mood for a slower read filled with beautiful descriptive writing...
*** many thanks to Penguin Dutton for my copy of this book ***
July 23, 2018
One Coulee, Two Sides
I was lost in a coulee reading The Disappearing with six of my Traveling Sisters and we ended up in the same coulee but on different sides with a couple of us really enjoying this one and the rest of us struggling a bit with this story.
We all started off in the atmospheric, gothic side of the coulee and really enjoyed the setting here with this small town tale. We were intrigued by the small town, and the truths behind the secrets it carries involving disappearing boys from the past and girls who now have disappeared. We really enjoyed some elements to this small town with their small town gossip and dark rumors that kept us on our toes.
There are a few storylines going on here and a few characters and some of us struggled with keeping them apart. I took so many paths down the coulee that I ended up getting lost in the end and my TS sisters had to show me the way back by filling in the blanks to some of the connections to the story I missed.
The Disappearing is a chilling and twisty story with some shocking twists that kept us interested even though at times we struggled with some of them ringing true for us. I recommend to readers who enjoy a gothic atmospheric read with a small town mystery.
This is Traveling Sisters GR Reading Group Review and it can be found posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley. Coulee references are symbolic to our reading experience
I was lost in a coulee reading The Disappearing with six of my Traveling Sisters and we ended up in the same coulee but on different sides with a couple of us really enjoying this one and the rest of us struggling a bit with this story.
We all started off in the atmospheric, gothic side of the coulee and really enjoyed the setting here with this small town tale. We were intrigued by the small town, and the truths behind the secrets it carries involving disappearing boys from the past and girls who now have disappeared. We really enjoyed some elements to this small town with their small town gossip and dark rumors that kept us on our toes.
There are a few storylines going on here and a few characters and some of us struggled with keeping them apart. I took so many paths down the coulee that I ended up getting lost in the end and my TS sisters had to show me the way back by filling in the blanks to some of the connections to the story I missed.
The Disappearing is a chilling and twisty story with some shocking twists that kept us interested even though at times we struggled with some of them ringing true for us. I recommend to readers who enjoy a gothic atmospheric read with a small town mystery.
This is Traveling Sisters GR Reading Group Review and it can be found posted on our themed book blog Two Sisters Lost In A Coulee Reading.
https://twosisterslostinacoulee.com
Coulee: a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley. Coulee references are symbolic to our reading experience
July 17, 2018
"...when everyone thinks they know your worst secret, you become something less than everyone else. Nothing about your life is private or even decent. No one trusts you either, because when tragic things happen to a person, the tragedy sticks."
Lane Fielding thought she would never return to small hometown in Florida. When she left twenty years earlier she swore that was the last the town would see of her. Then her marriage ended, and she found herself with two daughters and decided to go back to her hometown and live in her family home on the historic Fielding Plantation.
Her family has always been steeped in controversy. Her father is the infamous former director of a boy's school. A boy’s school full or horror and misery. Many boy's perished at the school while others ran. Many allegations of abuse and various lawsuits have been filed against Lane's father over the years. Lane's own past haunts her as she attempts to build a life for her children.
Then one day, Lane's oldest daughter, Annalee, goes missing two days after another girl in town has been missing. Is there a connection? Is this the work of a serial killer? Did her daughter run away? Making things worse, Lane's youngest daughter Tally admits that she has been spending time with a new friend in the hopes that she will be accepted into the Little sisters of the south group which is held at the local church. Why does Lane not know what is going on with her children?
As Lane searches for her daughter, family secrets, secrets, lies and revelations come to light. The past and the present collide in this book at a nice pace. I found this book to be well written and enjoyed how the reader is given a glimpse into various characters thoughts. The book started out strong for me but then lost a little momentum. I kept waiting for something big to happen - something that would really WOW me. I didn't really get it but still found the book to be enjoyable. Once the revelations start coming, the book picks up steam again and leaves the reader with answers and a satisfying final chapter.
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
Lane Fielding thought she would never return to small hometown in Florida. When she left twenty years earlier she swore that was the last the town would see of her. Then her marriage ended, and she found herself with two daughters and decided to go back to her hometown and live in her family home on the historic Fielding Plantation.
Her family has always been steeped in controversy. Her father is the infamous former director of a boy's school. A boy’s school full or horror and misery. Many boy's perished at the school while others ran. Many allegations of abuse and various lawsuits have been filed against Lane's father over the years. Lane's own past haunts her as she attempts to build a life for her children.
Then one day, Lane's oldest daughter, Annalee, goes missing two days after another girl in town has been missing. Is there a connection? Is this the work of a serial killer? Did her daughter run away? Making things worse, Lane's youngest daughter Tally admits that she has been spending time with a new friend in the hopes that she will be accepted into the Little sisters of the south group which is held at the local church. Why does Lane not know what is going on with her children?
As Lane searches for her daughter, family secrets, secrets, lies and revelations come to light. The past and the present collide in this book at a nice pace. I found this book to be well written and enjoyed how the reader is given a glimpse into various characters thoughts. The book started out strong for me but then lost a little momentum. I kept waiting for something big to happen - something that would really WOW me. I didn't really get it but still found the book to be enjoyable. Once the revelations start coming, the book picks up steam again and leaves the reader with answers and a satisfying final chapter.
Thank you to Penguin Group Dutton and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
July 12, 2018
Well…. the one thing going through my mind when finishing The Disappearing by Lori Roy? Three strikes and your out! Why do you ask? Because unfortunately for me this is the third supposed to be thrilling book in a row that just didn’t do much for me.
The story centers around Lane Fielding who after twenty years away has returned to her hometown after getting a divorce. Moving back with her two daughters to the family home isn’t exactly where Lane has wanted to end up since she’s not really welcomed in the small town due to things her father had done.
Just as Lane returns she finds that a young college student has gone missing and the fear that Lane had growing up returns. Twenty years before the town had been haunted by a serial killer and now as a parent Lane worries about her girls the way she had once been the one that her parents had worried about.
Ok, so serial killings in the past… abducted victim in the present… sign me up, right? Wrong. The biggest part of the problem for me with getting invested into The Disappearing was the book moved along slow as molasses. Having just read two others that seemed to crawl along it was certainly not what I needed at all. But sealing the deal with my rating on this one was the fact that I didn’t get that wonderful beginning that drew me in and I just never really cared for the characters at all. I’m sure there are those out there that like a slow build and would love this one but it definitely wasn’t my cup of tea.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
The story centers around Lane Fielding who after twenty years away has returned to her hometown after getting a divorce. Moving back with her two daughters to the family home isn’t exactly where Lane has wanted to end up since she’s not really welcomed in the small town due to things her father had done.
Just as Lane returns she finds that a young college student has gone missing and the fear that Lane had growing up returns. Twenty years before the town had been haunted by a serial killer and now as a parent Lane worries about her girls the way she had once been the one that her parents had worried about.
Ok, so serial killings in the past… abducted victim in the present… sign me up, right? Wrong. The biggest part of the problem for me with getting invested into The Disappearing was the book moved along slow as molasses. Having just read two others that seemed to crawl along it was certainly not what I needed at all. But sealing the deal with my rating on this one was the fact that I didn’t get that wonderful beginning that drew me in and I just never really cared for the characters at all. I’m sure there are those out there that like a slow build and would love this one but it definitely wasn’t my cup of tea.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via Edelweiss.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
July 19, 2018
3 stars
This book was as slow as molasses for me. It started off strong with an interesting plot, but I often had to force myself to pick it up so I could finish it.
The Disappearing read much like southern gothic fiction. I don’t have much experience in this genre, but I would recommend for fans that enjoy that type of setting.
The main things that bothered me about this book: There were too many narrators. Now, I typically enjoy books that have multiple POV’s. It makes things interesting. This time it did not. There was too much going back and forth in timeframes and it became kinda messy. I felt that Neil should have been convicted of his crimes. I think that may have added a little thrill to the book. There was not enough action or suspense happening. I am okay with slow burns, but I got bored while waiting for something to wow me. It never happened.
The things I liked: I really loved Talley. Actually, she’s the only character I liked. I felt for Erma and Lane and I thought Neil was a domineering tyrant. I felt like the last quarter of the book gained some of its luster back with the revelations. The ending was meh, but I felt it wrapped up nicely.
I read this with many of my Traveling Sisters. 🌺
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Lori Roy for an advanced copy.
This book was as slow as molasses for me. It started off strong with an interesting plot, but I often had to force myself to pick it up so I could finish it.
The Disappearing read much like southern gothic fiction. I don’t have much experience in this genre, but I would recommend for fans that enjoy that type of setting.
The main things that bothered me about this book: There were too many narrators. Now, I typically enjoy books that have multiple POV’s. It makes things interesting. This time it did not. There was too much going back and forth in timeframes and it became kinda messy. I felt that Neil should have been convicted of his crimes. I think that may have added a little thrill to the book. There was not enough action or suspense happening. I am okay with slow burns, but I got bored while waiting for something to wow me. It never happened.
The things I liked: I really loved Talley. Actually, she’s the only character I liked. I felt for Erma and Lane and I thought Neil was a domineering tyrant. I felt like the last quarter of the book gained some of its luster back with the revelations. The ending was meh, but I felt it wrapped up nicely.
I read this with many of my Traveling Sisters. 🌺
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Penguin Group Dutton and Lori Roy for an advanced copy.
dnf
July 13, 2018This one is going onto my DNF shelf. I was not connecting with the story and its characters which I oftentimes found muddled and confusing. The multiple narrators and the jumping back and forth in the time sequence just made this book fall in the "not for me" category though I did give it a shot stopping at the 54% mark.
May 30, 2018
It's hard to pinpoint exactly why the book didn't completely work for me. It definitely had elements that I usually enjoy including a woman who is forced to go back to the hometown she was eager to escape, and mysteries of the past tying into the present day. But the characters were so miserable and depressing it really hampered my enjoyment of a fairly decent plot that went in some unexpected directions. The last third of the book or so is what really saved it from being a total miss.
Thank you First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! All views expressed are my honest opinion.
Thank you First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! All views expressed are my honest opinion.
May 14, 2018
"Beautifully written and expertly plotted, The Disappearing is a twisty, haunting, and utterly riveting thriller. Lori Roy just gets better and better."
August 17, 2018
Lane Fielding swore that she would never return to her hometown. Twenty years later, after a bitter divorce has she no other choice but to return home with her two daughters. Now she works in the local bar and living with her daughter and her parents on the historic Fielding Plantation. She's haunted by the past, the alleged sinister crimes by her father who once was the director of an infamous boy's school. There is a partial event from childhood that Lane has long tried to forget, but the past will soon catch up with her. And, it all starts with the disappearance of Susannah, a young girl...
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!
September 17, 2018
Lane Wallace -- well, Lane Fielding again since her divorce is final -- has moved back home to Waddell, FL with her two daughters. She swore she would never come back, but her divorce forced her to return. She's living with her parents at the Fielding Mansion, the house she grew up in. Reporters still arrive, blocking the driveway, bothering Lane at work, bothering her teenage daughter....they will do anything to dredge up more facts about her father, and the rumors of violent abuse of boys at the reform school he ran until 3 years ago. It's not just about abuse....some of the boys disappeared. People in town have taken sides. Some say Neil Fielding couldn't have done the things he's accused of. And others believe he's a monster. Waddell residents are still riled up about the reform school rumors when a Florida university student disappears after volunteering at the mansion. Then Lane's oldest daughter Annalee disappears. Maybe returning to Florida was a really, really bad idea. Lane will have to confront a web of lies and family secrets to discover what happened to Susannah, her own daughter, and the boys who disappeared from her father's reform school.
Wow -- once I started reading this story I couldn't put the book down! Each chapter is written from the point of view of a different character. Usually I don't really care for that sort of jumping around, but in this case, it worked. The shifting from one character to another heightened the suspense and really kept me guessing about what was going on until the very end. The story developed at a nice pace, and there were plenty of twists and surprises. I really enjoyed this story! The ending was perfect. Very well done!
Lori Roy has written several other books. I'm definitely going to read more.
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Penguin via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
Wow -- once I started reading this story I couldn't put the book down! Each chapter is written from the point of view of a different character. Usually I don't really care for that sort of jumping around, but in this case, it worked. The shifting from one character to another heightened the suspense and really kept me guessing about what was going on until the very end. The story developed at a nice pace, and there were plenty of twists and surprises. I really enjoyed this story! The ending was perfect. Very well done!
Lori Roy has written several other books. I'm definitely going to read more.
**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Penguin via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
July 3, 2018
Lane Fielding has returned home after twenty years to once again live with her parents. She never wanted to return but her divorce was a hard one and she’s back with her two daughters, Annalee and Talley. She’s not welcome in town since her father has for many years been suspected of abusing, and possibly killing, young boys at a nearby reform school. Lane has her own mystery of what happened to her when she disappeared at the age of 13 years old that still follows her around. Now another young blond girl has disappeared and the reporters are back in town. The past will soon touch Lane’s fragile family in an even more frightening way.
I’ve read all of Lori Roy’s books and they never disappoint. The author is very good at bringing her damaged characters to life and keeping her readers hooked. This is a slow moving book, sometimes I thought it was a bit too slow but then it would pick up again. I loved Lane and admired her efforts to be a good mother to the often difficult Annalee and the young vulnerable Talley. Lane had a hard upbringing and she vowed to do better by her daughters. She and her twisted family and their battle with their demons makes for an interesting story. The past is never too far from the present. This novel is apparently based on the real-life tragedy at the Arthur Dozier School for Boys in Florida.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
I’ve read all of Lori Roy’s books and they never disappoint. The author is very good at bringing her damaged characters to life and keeping her readers hooked. This is a slow moving book, sometimes I thought it was a bit too slow but then it would pick up again. I loved Lane and admired her efforts to be a good mother to the often difficult Annalee and the young vulnerable Talley. Lane had a hard upbringing and she vowed to do better by her daughters. She and her twisted family and their battle with their demons makes for an interesting story. The past is never too far from the present. This novel is apparently based on the real-life tragedy at the Arthur Dozier School for Boys in Florida.
Recommended.
This book was given to me by the publisher in return for an honest review.
September 24, 2018
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
The Disappearing by Lori Roy was very slow and a bit of a letdown for me.
What it's about: Lane Fielding has been living in New York for 20 years after fleeing her life and past in small-town Waddell, Florida. But now she's back after a divorce with her two daughters Talley and Annalee in tow, living with her parents Neil and Erma in their historic plantation. Suddenly Annalee goes missing and people start wondering if it has to do with another disappearance of a girl just 10 days earlier, or worse, if the serial killer from years earlier is back. As the death count mounts, Lane is desperate to find her daughter and is forced to confront the fears of her past, as well as the secrets having to do with the school for boys that her father used to work at next to their home.
The Disappearing looks at the bonds of family, small town gossip, and figuring out who you can trust. The book switches between 4 different viewpoints - Lane, Lane's mother Erma, Lane's daughter Talley, and Daryl who works at a church in town. I liked the different viewpoints as they were very helpful for building suspense, but sometimes they could be a little repetitive.
The main thing you need to know is that this book is decidedly NOT fast-paced, nor did I find it to be "heart-pounding". The pace is very slow, but the pages still turn very quickly in the quest for whodunnit and figuring out just what Daryl's role is in it all.
Unfortunately, I was also able to predict most of what ended up happening, and by the time I got to the ending I was pretty underwhelmed. I also didn't really connect with any of the characters in the book. I didn't find any of them all that likable, which isn't necessarily an issue, but the fact that I couldn't make a connection with any of them was pretty disappointing.
Final Thought: If you like a good slow-burning mystery I would recommend checking this one out. I found it predictable, but I don't think everyone will. I think not having as many POVs may have been better (and I NEVER usually say that), but that is just my opinion. I'm not sure if it is just that I didn't connect to the author's writing or what it was, but I would definitely still try out another book from her.
The Disappearing by Lori Roy was very slow and a bit of a letdown for me.
What it's about: Lane Fielding has been living in New York for 20 years after fleeing her life and past in small-town Waddell, Florida. But now she's back after a divorce with her two daughters Talley and Annalee in tow, living with her parents Neil and Erma in their historic plantation. Suddenly Annalee goes missing and people start wondering if it has to do with another disappearance of a girl just 10 days earlier, or worse, if the serial killer from years earlier is back. As the death count mounts, Lane is desperate to find her daughter and is forced to confront the fears of her past, as well as the secrets having to do with the school for boys that her father used to work at next to their home.
The Disappearing looks at the bonds of family, small town gossip, and figuring out who you can trust. The book switches between 4 different viewpoints - Lane, Lane's mother Erma, Lane's daughter Talley, and Daryl who works at a church in town. I liked the different viewpoints as they were very helpful for building suspense, but sometimes they could be a little repetitive.
The main thing you need to know is that this book is decidedly NOT fast-paced, nor did I find it to be "heart-pounding". The pace is very slow, but the pages still turn very quickly in the quest for whodunnit and figuring out just what Daryl's role is in it all.
Unfortunately, I was also able to predict most of what ended up happening, and by the time I got to the ending I was pretty underwhelmed. I also didn't really connect with any of the characters in the book. I didn't find any of them all that likable, which isn't necessarily an issue, but the fact that I couldn't make a connection with any of them was pretty disappointing.
Final Thought: If you like a good slow-burning mystery I would recommend checking this one out. I found it predictable, but I don't think everyone will. I think not having as many POVs may have been better (and I NEVER usually say that), but that is just my opinion. I'm not sure if it is just that I didn't connect to the author's writing or what it was, but I would definitely still try out another book from her.
August 30, 2020
“You fear the truth, Mama said, and one day it’ll be bigger than you. One day, it’ll come for you.”
I didn’t realize it, but I’ve been on a European reading roll. Set firmly in Floridian soil, page one of The Disappearing felt like coming home.
This is the story of the Fielding family who always seem to make headlines for the wrong reasons. At the age of thirteen, Lane was abducted and miraculously returned. Decades later, another pretty young blonde girl goes missing, and Lane keeps a closer watch on her own daughters. But when one of them disappears anyway, Lane knows the time of reckoning is upon the Fieldings. The sins of her father demand retribution.
This book comes alive with drawling language, Southern charm, and vivid characters. It was a relief to read a work of suspense delivered in quality writing. I just added all of Lori Roy’s work to my “Must Read” list.
I didn’t realize it, but I’ve been on a European reading roll. Set firmly in Floridian soil, page one of The Disappearing felt like coming home.
This is the story of the Fielding family who always seem to make headlines for the wrong reasons. At the age of thirteen, Lane was abducted and miraculously returned. Decades later, another pretty young blonde girl goes missing, and Lane keeps a closer watch on her own daughters. But when one of them disappears anyway, Lane knows the time of reckoning is upon the Fieldings. The sins of her father demand retribution.
This book comes alive with drawling language, Southern charm, and vivid characters. It was a relief to read a work of suspense delivered in quality writing. I just added all of Lori Roy’s work to my “Must Read” list.
August 4, 2018
This well-written book is bursting with dark, buried secrets, town rumors and gossip as well as resilient family bonds. The Fielding family has a lot to contest with due to past events becoming potential future dangers. Lane returns home to the scrutiny of her past while trying to preserve the safety of her daughters futures in an unforgiving town that she once called home.
This story released a slow burn that did not take away from the suspense. The author made sure the characters as well as their back stories and perspectives were represented in a way that left you wondering what was going to happen next. I reveled in the pace which I believe was necessary to create the ebb and flow of the unfolding events and allowed me to indulge in the unpredictability of the story without confusion.
I especially enjoyed the way the book concluded which tied things together in a nice, neat, psychologically, suspense-filled bow where the ending you hope for isn't always real-life. This is a great psychological story which left me wanting more. I would like to know what happens next which gives me goosebumps. I plan to look for this author’s books in the future.
I received an advanced review copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
This story released a slow burn that did not take away from the suspense. The author made sure the characters as well as their back stories and perspectives were represented in a way that left you wondering what was going to happen next. I reveled in the pace which I believe was necessary to create the ebb and flow of the unfolding events and allowed me to indulge in the unpredictability of the story without confusion.
I especially enjoyed the way the book concluded which tied things together in a nice, neat, psychologically, suspense-filled bow where the ending you hope for isn't always real-life. This is a great psychological story which left me wanting more. I would like to know what happens next which gives me goosebumps. I plan to look for this author’s books in the future.
I received an advanced review copy (ARC) of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
March 14, 2018
If you read the plot summary of this book, you’ll likely think: basic suspense thriller.
Oh, this is so much more!
The Disappearing by Lori Roy is beautiful, heartbreaking, and haunting.
It starts ‘ripped from the headlines’ with a plot lightly based on the real life findings at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Florida. The author creates her own school, but there’s a horrifying mystery concerning the boys who ran from the school in the not so distant past.
Mixed with the story of the long ago disappearing boys, we have the present day disappearances of the blondes – and we wonder if the two are somehow connected.
The story is told in multiple points of view, each narrative voice disturbing in its own right.
And the truth these voices finally tell? It’s shocking.
The author plays fair. She weaves a tale both compelling and sordid and entwined in the various character arcs are subtle hints as to the truth. I was stunned that I missed it, but simply loved the way it was revealed.
Beautifully written and a very well deserved five star read!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
Oh, this is so much more!
The Disappearing by Lori Roy is beautiful, heartbreaking, and haunting.
It starts ‘ripped from the headlines’ with a plot lightly based on the real life findings at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys in Florida. The author creates her own school, but there’s a horrifying mystery concerning the boys who ran from the school in the not so distant past.
Mixed with the story of the long ago disappearing boys, we have the present day disappearances of the blondes – and we wonder if the two are somehow connected.
The story is told in multiple points of view, each narrative voice disturbing in its own right.
And the truth these voices finally tell? It’s shocking.
The author plays fair. She weaves a tale both compelling and sordid and entwined in the various character arcs are subtle hints as to the truth. I was stunned that I missed it, but simply loved the way it was revealed.
Beautifully written and a very well deserved five star read!
*ARC Provided via Net Galley
May 31, 2018
***Thank you to First to Read for providing me a complimentary copy of THE DISAPPEARING by Lori Roy in exchange for my honest review.***
Based on the real life crimes committed at the Arthur Dozier School for Boys in Florida, THE DISAPPEARING reimagines real life events at the now closed Fielding School. Neil Fielding was never charged for the abuse, disappearances and deaths of the boys at the now closed school, but his family was ostracized. Lane Fielding and her daughters returned to her elderly parents home following her divorce. Annalee, her daughter is the second blond girl to go missing. Have the sins of the Fieldings come back to haunt their small town?
Lori Roy, an Edgar Award winner, didn’t hit the right notes for me. Told in five multiple points of view, each with distinct voices, readers are privy to both past and presents. The quality of Roy’s writing shines, but I didn’t enjoy the execution of the premise. The pacing was so slow I stopped multiple times out of boredom. Even the conclusion was too convoluted to feel satisfactory.
The real story of the horrors at the Dozier school would have been more interesting to me than THE DISAPPEARING.
Based on the real life crimes committed at the Arthur Dozier School for Boys in Florida, THE DISAPPEARING reimagines real life events at the now closed Fielding School. Neil Fielding was never charged for the abuse, disappearances and deaths of the boys at the now closed school, but his family was ostracized. Lane Fielding and her daughters returned to her elderly parents home following her divorce. Annalee, her daughter is the second blond girl to go missing. Have the sins of the Fieldings come back to haunt their small town?
Lori Roy, an Edgar Award winner, didn’t hit the right notes for me. Told in five multiple points of view, each with distinct voices, readers are privy to both past and presents. The quality of Roy’s writing shines, but I didn’t enjoy the execution of the premise. The pacing was so slow I stopped multiple times out of boredom. Even the conclusion was too convoluted to feel satisfactory.
The real story of the horrors at the Dozier school would have been more interesting to me than THE DISAPPEARING.
August 4, 2018
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Lane Fielding has returned to a place she had hoped to never see again. The historic Fielding Plantation, her family home. Her marriage fell apart and now she and her two daughters have moved in with her elderly parents. Her father, the former director of the boy’s school across from the home, is failing and needs constant care but he has made it well known he isn’t happy Lane has returned. Her mother, failing too, tries to placate everyone to keep the peace.
A college student that was working at the plantation went missing 10 days ago and now Lane’s oldest daughter has disappeared too. Boys used to disappear but now it is blonde girls. The police are trying to find the girls and after talking to Lane’s other daughter have started to zero in on a suspect. The question is will they find the girls in time.
This book has a haunting, almost Gothic feel. Told from several points of view and a couple different timeframes, this story slowly unfolds to reveal so many secrets and lies all attached to this one family. Twenty years have passed since Lane left her home for New York, but her own secret still has never been revealed. Having read other stories by this author I knew the mystery was not going to be as simple as it seems. There is a mighty twist that turns the story upside down.
There was truly nothing endearing about these characters, except maybe Talley, the youngest daughter, but these character’s story is a very compelling read. The family’s drama set in motion by the sins of Lane’s father had me shaking my head in disbelief of all the happenings. The final line sent chills up my spine.
I had read somewhere this book is based on the true story of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys and I just had to do a little research myself. I was surprised to see the school was just shut down in 2011 after years and years of investigations. Ms. Roy’s fictional spin on this was so interesting to read.
The only downfall in the story for me was the repetition of events from the different points of view made the plot a bit disjointed, but after getting into the story I found a good rhythm to overlook this issue.
The book ending leaves an open option to visit these characters again. It might be interesting to look back on them, say twenty years again in the future.
Lane Fielding has returned to a place she had hoped to never see again. The historic Fielding Plantation, her family home. Her marriage fell apart and now she and her two daughters have moved in with her elderly parents. Her father, the former director of the boy’s school across from the home, is failing and needs constant care but he has made it well known he isn’t happy Lane has returned. Her mother, failing too, tries to placate everyone to keep the peace.
A college student that was working at the plantation went missing 10 days ago and now Lane’s oldest daughter has disappeared too. Boys used to disappear but now it is blonde girls. The police are trying to find the girls and after talking to Lane’s other daughter have started to zero in on a suspect. The question is will they find the girls in time.
This book has a haunting, almost Gothic feel. Told from several points of view and a couple different timeframes, this story slowly unfolds to reveal so many secrets and lies all attached to this one family. Twenty years have passed since Lane left her home for New York, but her own secret still has never been revealed. Having read other stories by this author I knew the mystery was not going to be as simple as it seems. There is a mighty twist that turns the story upside down.
There was truly nothing endearing about these characters, except maybe Talley, the youngest daughter, but these character’s story is a very compelling read. The family’s drama set in motion by the sins of Lane’s father had me shaking my head in disbelief of all the happenings. The final line sent chills up my spine.
I had read somewhere this book is based on the true story of the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys and I just had to do a little research myself. I was surprised to see the school was just shut down in 2011 after years and years of investigations. Ms. Roy’s fictional spin on this was so interesting to read.
The only downfall in the story for me was the repetition of events from the different points of view made the plot a bit disjointed, but after getting into the story I found a good rhythm to overlook this issue.
The book ending leaves an open option to visit these characters again. It might be interesting to look back on them, say twenty years again in the future.
June 17, 2018
From my blog and instagram account - @livereadandprosper
Thank you Dutton books for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.
Lane never thought she would return back to home state, but soon enough finds herself there working behind a bar. She's cautious about town as she is known for her father's supposed abuse of the boys at the school he was a director at. She stays even more cautious for her two daughters that she lives with. Sure enough, Lane's oldest daughter goes missing. Is Lane willing to put family differences behind her in order to be successful in finding her missing daughter? Including even her younger daughter?
You may already know by following my reviews that I'm not a fan of multiple points of view. Honestly? They're growing on me! This one, on the other hand, has a LOT. I'm not one to read more than one book at a time, and having so many different points of view makes me feel like I am. I really focus in on the characters when I'm reading and I had a hard time doing this with so many characters. In all honesty, this was much needed for this book because of the conclusion the storylines all come to in the end. I had a hard time getting into the story at first because I was spending a lot of time trying to keep the characters in line and the timeline that matched it. I really had to pull myself to stay dedicated. The switch from first person to third person point of view was also way too distracting for me and a bit of a turn-off. The twist at the end of the book grabbed my attention back for sure (the twist is worth the read if anything!) I thought it was super cool that the story was based off true life events, something that makes it all the more relatable. In the end, I do need to go read more of Lori's books!
2.5/5 Stars
Thank you Dutton books for allowing me to read this in exchange for my honest review.
Lane never thought she would return back to home state, but soon enough finds herself there working behind a bar. She's cautious about town as she is known for her father's supposed abuse of the boys at the school he was a director at. She stays even more cautious for her two daughters that she lives with. Sure enough, Lane's oldest daughter goes missing. Is Lane willing to put family differences behind her in order to be successful in finding her missing daughter? Including even her younger daughter?
You may already know by following my reviews that I'm not a fan of multiple points of view. Honestly? They're growing on me! This one, on the other hand, has a LOT. I'm not one to read more than one book at a time, and having so many different points of view makes me feel like I am. I really focus in on the characters when I'm reading and I had a hard time doing this with so many characters. In all honesty, this was much needed for this book because of the conclusion the storylines all come to in the end. I had a hard time getting into the story at first because I was spending a lot of time trying to keep the characters in line and the timeline that matched it. I really had to pull myself to stay dedicated. The switch from first person to third person point of view was also way too distracting for me and a bit of a turn-off. The twist at the end of the book grabbed my attention back for sure (the twist is worth the read if anything!) I thought it was super cool that the story was based off true life events, something that makes it all the more relatable. In the end, I do need to go read more of Lori's books!
2.5/5 Stars
March 17, 2018
This book was such a disappointment. I have loved Roy's other books and was thrilled that a new one was coming out only to find this book is a more than a bit of a disaster. I did not like a single character - which is fine as long as they are realistic which I guess they were, but they were wholly irredeemable. The switch between telling the story in the first person through one character to telling it in the third person for the remaining was clunky and distracting. Nothing seemed finished in this book. Not the character development, nor the plot, nor the sense of place. And the ending - so trite and typical of less-talented authors than Roy. It was a stretch to give it 2 stars. I will not take Roy of my list of must-read authors but will proceed with caution in the future.
ARC from publisher.
ARC from publisher.
April 23, 2019
~4.25 stars~
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would based on the reviews. It has a very Southern Gothic feel that kept me engaged the whole way through. I liked how everyone becomes a suspect at some point, and 10 (?) year old Talley seems to have all the answers. There are points when I felt Roy does more telling than showing, but overall I enjoyed her writing, and each character who had a POV chapter in this book has a distinct voice. I’m sure I’ll pick up another one of Roy’s thrillers sooner or later.
I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would based on the reviews. It has a very Southern Gothic feel that kept me engaged the whole way through. I liked how everyone becomes a suspect at some point, and 10 (?) year old Talley seems to have all the answers. There are points when I felt Roy does more telling than showing, but overall I enjoyed her writing, and each character who had a POV chapter in this book has a distinct voice. I’m sure I’ll pick up another one of Roy’s thrillers sooner or later.
September 29, 2019
2! I at least finished this one...BUT it was VERY repetitive! Even the ending couldn't save this book...too predictable! Starting to think this author was a one hit wonder...
July 17, 2018
I have really mixed feelings on The Disappearing. Some parts worked really well, and some just feel apart. I was drawn to this story from the start, and really wanted to know what happened. There are a lot of different threads to this story that interested me.
I think my biggest problem with this book was that although there were great pieces, it didn't really come together as a whole. I think I might have enjoyed it more if we could have gone deeper into certain aspects instead of so many things happening in such a short amount of time.
The book is repetitive at times, and I'm hoping this is something that is edited for the final copy. I felt like I was just going in circles at some points - a lot of background information would be given on something, and then it wouldn't really connect to much else.
I liked the concept for this book - it was a good small town setting, but it was difficult because you didn't actually get to know anyone. The characters were flat.
This book was almost a 4⭐ read for me, but it began to get dramatic and over-the-top. I struggled to connect with the direction(s) the story went in. By the time I was at the end, I felt dissatisfied. Some storylines felt unfinished, and everything was a little disjointed.
I think that The Disappearing had a lot of promise, and I really did enjoy parts of the book. I think I just wanted it to go deeper into everything. The story tried to do too many things. Thank you to Dutton for sending me a copy to review!
I think my biggest problem with this book was that although there were great pieces, it didn't really come together as a whole. I think I might have enjoyed it more if we could have gone deeper into certain aspects instead of so many things happening in such a short amount of time.
The book is repetitive at times, and I'm hoping this is something that is edited for the final copy. I felt like I was just going in circles at some points - a lot of background information would be given on something, and then it wouldn't really connect to much else.
I liked the concept for this book - it was a good small town setting, but it was difficult because you didn't actually get to know anyone. The characters were flat.
This book was almost a 4⭐ read for me, but it began to get dramatic and over-the-top. I struggled to connect with the direction(s) the story went in. By the time I was at the end, I felt dissatisfied. Some storylines felt unfinished, and everything was a little disjointed.
I think that The Disappearing had a lot of promise, and I really did enjoy parts of the book. I think I just wanted it to go deeper into everything. The story tried to do too many things. Thank you to Dutton for sending me a copy to review!
August 6, 2018
This is not a good thriller. It’s predictable and the characters are inept.
June 24, 2018
ARC from First To Read, Penguin. The ending of this book had me on the edge of my seat, but the last line of the book was truly chilling. I loved the shifting, multiple perspectives. They kept the differing aspects of the story alive. There are so many flawed characters, but some are truly endearing because of their flaws. This is an excellent, suspenseful thriller, although I could see some of it coming, but that didn’t detract from it, at all.
May 16, 2018
When Lane Fielding fled her isolated Florida hometown after high school for the anonymity of New York City, she swore she'd never return. But twenty years later, newly divorced and with two daughters in tow, she finds herself living with her parents on the historic Fielding Plantation. Here, the past haunts her and the sinister crimes of her father--the former director of an infamous boys' school--make her as unwelcome in town as she was the day she left.
Lane's unsteady truce with the town is rattled when her older daughter suddenly vanishes. Ten days earlier, a college student went missing, and the two disappearances at first ignite fears that a serial killer who once preyed upon the town has returned. But when Lane's younger daughter admits to having made a new and unseemly friend, a desperate Lane attacks her hometown's facade to discover whether her daughter's disappearance is payback for her father's crimes--or for her own.
The Disappearing is a mystery set in a small town in Florida. In quite a few ways it reminded me of Secrets of Southern Girls. Both books share a protagonist who has left home and not been back for many years, and they both have secrets they are keeping about their pasts. Obviously this formula works well for me because I liked both books a lot. The Disappearing leaves out most of the salaciousness that permeated the other story though.
The mystery seemed pretty straight forward at first, but it ended up being more complicated than that. There was a point where I started suspecting what really happened, but it was a really nice twist anyway. The characters where all really well drawn and I especially liked Tally, the main character's 10 year old daughter, a lot. The ending fit the book well, and this appears to be a stand-alone, but there is room to write more if the author ever decides to. I wouldn't mind revisiting these characters just so the truth can come out about a certain someone. If you like stories about small southern towns, large southern mansions with sketchy pasts, and characters with secrets then you will probably like this book.
Thanks to Penguin Group and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
Lane's unsteady truce with the town is rattled when her older daughter suddenly vanishes. Ten days earlier, a college student went missing, and the two disappearances at first ignite fears that a serial killer who once preyed upon the town has returned. But when Lane's younger daughter admits to having made a new and unseemly friend, a desperate Lane attacks her hometown's facade to discover whether her daughter's disappearance is payback for her father's crimes--or for her own.
The Disappearing is a mystery set in a small town in Florida. In quite a few ways it reminded me of Secrets of Southern Girls. Both books share a protagonist who has left home and not been back for many years, and they both have secrets they are keeping about their pasts. Obviously this formula works well for me because I liked both books a lot. The Disappearing leaves out most of the salaciousness that permeated the other story though.
The mystery seemed pretty straight forward at first, but it ended up being more complicated than that. There was a point where I started suspecting what really happened, but it was a really nice twist anyway. The characters where all really well drawn and I especially liked Tally, the main character's 10 year old daughter, a lot. The ending fit the book well, and this appears to be a stand-alone, but there is room to write more if the author ever decides to. I wouldn't mind revisiting these characters just so the truth can come out about a certain someone. If you like stories about small southern towns, large southern mansions with sketchy pasts, and characters with secrets then you will probably like this book.
Thanks to Penguin Group and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy of this book.
Review also posted at Writings of a Reader
May 10, 2018
The Disappearing by author Lori Roy is a suspense mystery set in Florida. The story is good and it will leave you feeling emotional for this family. Lane Fielding has two daughters and she has come back home to live with her aging parents on their large Florida estate. Her father seems to have dementia, and her mother is trying to get through each day as best as she can. Lane's oldest daughter does not return home one evening. So begins a huge media storm of speculation and a new investigation into the disappearance of Annalee.
I have liked previous books by this author, but this one is written a bit differently and I did not enjoy the way the characters were written, or maybe the timeline. I found I needed to go back and reread parts to make sure I had not misunderstood the character and the time era, whether present or past. This is in part due to one of the characters who is thinking a lot of random thoughts, some of which could have a lot of importance to what has happened in the past at the boy's school and the present. Some of the characters thoughts are repeated, and I'm sorry, but I find that tiresome when I am wanting to really get into the plot of a good suspense. I suppose I am disappointed because the book has so many elements for a successful plot.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I have liked previous books by this author, but this one is written a bit differently and I did not enjoy the way the characters were written, or maybe the timeline. I found I needed to go back and reread parts to make sure I had not misunderstood the character and the time era, whether present or past. This is in part due to one of the characters who is thinking a lot of random thoughts, some of which could have a lot of importance to what has happened in the past at the boy's school and the present. Some of the characters thoughts are repeated, and I'm sorry, but I find that tiresome when I am wanting to really get into the plot of a good suspense. I suppose I am disappointed because the book has so many elements for a successful plot.
Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
January 19, 2019
Reviewed for Library Journal on June 15, 2018.
Lane Fielding is a woman with a complicated history. At age 13, she went missing from her family's historic plantation in Waddell, FL. The estate bordered a boys' reform school, where her father reigned as tyrant/director. She was found that same night but was thereafter known locally as "the girl who was taken." What unspeakable things were done to her by this juvenile delinquent, who was never named, was irresistible fodder for small-town gossip. Now years later, Lane has returned home with two daughters, a failed marriage, and an uncertain future. Her timing couldn't be worse; allegations have surfaced against her now aged father by former inmates of the school. They tell stories of cruelty, violence, and even murder. When Lane's oldest daughter disappears, just days after a college student vanishes, it seems the past is repeating itself in a most terrifying manner. VERDICT There is much to digest in this richly atmospheric tale told through the alternating perspectives of four main characters. Roy (Bent Road; Until She Comes Home) is a skilled and deft wordsmith, but the tortuous plot fails to form a cohesive story. An optional purchase. [See Prepub Alert, 1/8/18.]—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph, MI Library Journal
Lane Fielding is a woman with a complicated history. At age 13, she went missing from her family's historic plantation in Waddell, FL. The estate bordered a boys' reform school, where her father reigned as tyrant/director. She was found that same night but was thereafter known locally as "the girl who was taken." What unspeakable things were done to her by this juvenile delinquent, who was never named, was irresistible fodder for small-town gossip. Now years later, Lane has returned home with two daughters, a failed marriage, and an uncertain future. Her timing couldn't be worse; allegations have surfaced against her now aged father by former inmates of the school. They tell stories of cruelty, violence, and even murder. When Lane's oldest daughter disappears, just days after a college student vanishes, it seems the past is repeating itself in a most terrifying manner. VERDICT There is much to digest in this richly atmospheric tale told through the alternating perspectives of four main characters. Roy (Bent Road; Until She Comes Home) is a skilled and deft wordsmith, but the tortuous plot fails to form a cohesive story. An optional purchase. [See Prepub Alert, 1/8/18.]—Amy Nolan, St. Joseph, MI Library Journal
February 2, 2018
How can I just now be discovering Lori Roy? This was such a good read and kept me engaged throughout. I was actually surprised toward the end. It was not what I had anticipated, but was so much more satisfying. I will absolutely be reading more from this author.
July 3, 2018
I received a copy of The Disappearing by Lori Roy from the publisher (Penguin Random House/ Dutton) in exchange for an honest review. The Disappearing is scheduled for release on July 17, 2018.
The Disappearing focuses on a woman (Lane) and her family. Lane is from an old southern family, the kind where your last name has meaning in the Florida town. But Lane’s family name is tinged with controversy.
Her father was the director of the boys’ reform school that backs up to the family plantation. Boys that went there would sometimes disappear, or die of illnesses that didn’t quite make sense. Others eventually left the school and moved on with their lives, only to find each other later and realize that they, and others,were beaten while at school.
Lane also disappeared when she was thirteen. It was only for part of a day, and she returned home safe. But the story shared with the world was that one of “those boys” took her, and returned her a damaged girl.
Now Lane is older. She has two girls of her own. And a cheating husband who asks her to move on with her life. So Lane reluctantly returns to the family plantation and finds herself back in the middle of controversy and remembered scandal.
Girls are disappearing again. People are talking again about watching your girls, especially the blond ones. This is a place that remembers a man named Ted, that remembers Lane, that is watching for girls to disappear.
Lane’s oldest daughter, Annalee, disappears in the night. Some think it’s another serial killer. Some think it’s payback for everything Lane’s dad did. Lane doesn’t know what to think. She only knows that here, in this place, things are often not quite what they seem.
This book is full of characters who are sketchy. No one here, not even the children, are purely good. Which makes this an interesting read. As a reader, you don’t always know who is hiding what, but you feel that everyone is questionable, no one should be trusted.
The plot in The Disappearing is as twisted as the characters. There is no point in the story where I felt completely confidant that I knew exactly what had happened, or what would happen next. This worked well for the story until the end. The ending of the story felt a bit too pat, with almost every thread neatly tied up. There is even a huge jump forward in time, to show us Lane’s family in the future. There is one exception to this wrap-up, one thread that is left dangling and waving in the wind.
I think I would have rather had more things left loose, more things for me to wonder about after I stopped reading. It would have made more sense to me in this story full of uncertainty and questionable choices.
The Disappearing focuses on a woman (Lane) and her family. Lane is from an old southern family, the kind where your last name has meaning in the Florida town. But Lane’s family name is tinged with controversy.
Her father was the director of the boys’ reform school that backs up to the family plantation. Boys that went there would sometimes disappear, or die of illnesses that didn’t quite make sense. Others eventually left the school and moved on with their lives, only to find each other later and realize that they, and others,were beaten while at school.
Lane also disappeared when she was thirteen. It was only for part of a day, and she returned home safe. But the story shared with the world was that one of “those boys” took her, and returned her a damaged girl.
Now Lane is older. She has two girls of her own. And a cheating husband who asks her to move on with her life. So Lane reluctantly returns to the family plantation and finds herself back in the middle of controversy and remembered scandal.
Girls are disappearing again. People are talking again about watching your girls, especially the blond ones. This is a place that remembers a man named Ted, that remembers Lane, that is watching for girls to disappear.
Lane’s oldest daughter, Annalee, disappears in the night. Some think it’s another serial killer. Some think it’s payback for everything Lane’s dad did. Lane doesn’t know what to think. She only knows that here, in this place, things are often not quite what they seem.
This book is full of characters who are sketchy. No one here, not even the children, are purely good. Which makes this an interesting read. As a reader, you don’t always know who is hiding what, but you feel that everyone is questionable, no one should be trusted.
The plot in The Disappearing is as twisted as the characters. There is no point in the story where I felt completely confidant that I knew exactly what had happened, or what would happen next. This worked well for the story until the end. The ending of the story felt a bit too pat, with almost every thread neatly tied up. There is even a huge jump forward in time, to show us Lane’s family in the future. There is one exception to this wrap-up, one thread that is left dangling and waving in the wind.
I think I would have rather had more things left loose, more things for me to wonder about after I stopped reading. It would have made more sense to me in this story full of uncertainty and questionable choices.
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