Daughter, Disappeared

by Fiona MacBain

This is an alternate cover edition - ISBN-10: 0995658919

Love, death, culture clash, escape... an emotional roller-coaster for anyone who loves a hard-hitting 'women in jeopardy' thriller.

1994: Jane has no idea of the horrors in store when she plunges into a new life in North Africa with her recently discovered sister, Crystal. When she falls in love with Ali, she believes happiness is within her grasp. But Ali persists in digging into secrets that Crystal and her brutal husband have been hiding, and Jane’s idyllic life starts to crumble. How far will Jane go to save herself and her sister?

2013: Almost twenty years after rebuilding her life back in London, Jane’s fragile peace is destroyed when her daughter, Anna, disappears to Tunisia in search of her father. Jane follows, desperate to prevent her falling into the clutches of the people Jane escaped from all those years ago.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery

316 pages, Paperback

Published November 11, 2016

About the author

Fiona is the author of two published thrillers, Daughter, Disappeared and Glasdrum. She grew up in Fort William, graduated from Edinburgh University, then worked in London as a Recruitment Consultant before moving to Tunisia where she ran a watersports base near Sousse with her local husband (more about that at fionamacbain.com). She returned to the UK with her 6-month old daughter in 1999 and has since worked as a Customer Services Trainer, a French Tutor and an Administrator, writing in her spare time. She lives in Inverness with her two younger children.

Reviews

[Danielle Goddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book club pick. Enjoyed the back and forth from the past to present. I thought this was a good read. Contains dark details which was heart breaking.

[Grass monster]

Review to follow

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was described as an ‘emotional roller coaster’ and that’s exactly what it was. I was given the book as a gift and what a great gift it turned out to be, I must say when I started reading it I was absolutely hooked from the first page.
The story begins in 2013 when Jane finds a note from her daughter stating that she has gone to Tunisia to try and meet her dad and to discover what happened to her aunt. Jane is utterly shocked at this turn of events and she is consumed by fear and dread for Anna’s safety.
Events then switch back to 1994 when Jane has first arrived in Tunisia with the hope of finding her sister Crystal who had married a Tunisian Hotel Manager called Waheed Habba. She finds herself drawn into a very perilous situation and has to help her sister escape from a brutal marriage. Fiona MacBain perfectly captures the way of life and culture there and shows the way in which Western women are perceived. It is quite disturbing and very dramatic in parts and certainly kept me engrossed.
It is a story with many plot twists and dramatic turns which kept me on edge, and at times frightened for the lives of the three women. The story moves effortlessly between the past in 1994 and the present time with the mystery and danger surrounding Jane’s sister being revealed. Years later Jane faces a frantic search to find her daughter Anna and to save her from the same people Jane had escaped from in the past. It’s fast paced and thrilling with a complete twist at the end. I hope to read more from this author very soon. What a debut.

[Isabella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Explicit. This was a very quick read, less than four hours. It packs a lot into the pages though! I enjoyed how it moved between present and past, and some of the characters were great. The plot was a little predictable, but some of the scenes were harrowing and will stay with me for a while I think. The ending was nice too, very emotional.

[shirley bodycot · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read.

This book was adsorbing, it drew the reader in- needing to find out more. The storyline twisted a d turned as the story unfolded the horror of the situation that Jane found herself in engrossing and well told.

[Sandra The Old Woman in a Van · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daughter, Disappeared was my choice for Tunisia in my global book tour. I may try to find another option as I felt this book fell short. I never liked the lead character. I never liked or felt much for any of the characters. The plot was ok, and it kept me reading - but overall it’s full of stereotypes and pretty much horrible people.

[Maureen Kenyon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent - good read and the story moved very quickly. Would have put 5 stars but I did find the jumping back and fore re dates a bit confusing at first.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's best to be honest about potential sources of bias when posting reviews, so I should declare that the author worked in the same office as me around 13 or 14 years ago (to be honest I can't recall exactly when it was) and at the time we were work colleagues within the same section.

However, putting aside any bias, I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this debut novel. Fiona did advise me, via GR, that the book is aimed more at a female audience, but actually I could probably do with reading more female authors.

The novel is structured around alternate chapters set in 1994 and in 2013. The two main characters, Jane and her daughter Anna, make unplanned visits to Tunisia to contact family members, whose existence they have just discovered. In the UK there is a "reality" TV show called "Long Lost Families" which invariably ends with a tearfully happy reunion of the relatives concerned. Suffice to say that in this novel the family reunions are not entirely joyful occasions. I thought the plot was well constructed. I would say that it took until the last third of the book before I started to engage emotionally with the characters, but the last 100 pages or so had me well and truly hooked.

Congratulations Fiona!

[Mummyyyyy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable read

This was an enjoyable read. It took a while for me to really get into it, but it kept me engrossed once it did. This book has great potential; I found it hard to connect with and like the characters, and at times I felt their interactions were slightly stilted. That said, I think Fiona McBain perfectly captured the essence of Tunisia and its people. It was evident she has an affinity with the culture which she always touched upon with sensitivity. A very good first novel, well done!

[Geoffroy Thomas]

It took me a while to get into this book, and I almost put it down without reading it. However, it is well written, and, as I know Tunisia reasonably well, could relate to the environment. In the end I enjoyed this book, and will be looking for Fiona MacBain's name on the bookshelves to purchase any other books she will write.

[Gillian Matheson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant

Absolutely brilliant. Gripping from start to finish. The best read in ages. Can't wait to read more from Fiona Macbain

[Sandra Watt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this debut novel. Gripping story with twists and turns.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first book request from the author of the book! A thank you to Fiona MacBain for this opportunity. For the detailed review, please visit www.littleseabear.com

[Mandy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book of Fiona’s and the first one of hers I’ve read after following her on TikTok and I’m glad I gave her a try. She sets a scene amazingly well and makes it easy to feel you’re right in the midst of the action. Believable characters really draw you in and a fast paced storyline kept me hooked.

[David Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent read. For a first book 8/10. It took me a few chapters to get used to jumping backwards and forwards in time. A very enjoyable book. I have purchased the authors second book so obviously she's on the right track.

David (Morpeth)

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a roller coaster of emotions. I was gripped from the very beginning. I love the way the stroy flicked from present to past, giving details along the way. Very well written and a must read in my eyes.

[Isabella Callaghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and am sorry it's finished. I could not put it down. It was bought for me by my friend who loved reading it.

[Jacqui · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!!!!

[Christine Hughes]

I enjoyed the book. It kept me wanting to read on. A bit predictable but none the less a great read.

[yvonne harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow

Wow , loved this . Fast paced , dramatic , very well written . Excellent first book for me from this author . Looking forward to more please

[Barbara Moss · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two alternating stories: in 1994, a young woman, Jane, travels to Tunisia in search of her sister Crystal, and in 2013, her daughter goes there in search of the father and aunt she has never known. Three Tunisian men appear in both stories, and I sometimes got confused about which story I was reading. Some scenes are set in a water sports centre, drawing on the author's experience. A common theme is why people fail to tell the truth, and with what consequences.

[Craig Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daughter, Disappeared by Fiona MacBain is easily one of the best books I’ve read this year. From the moment I picked it up, I was completely hooked and couldn’t put it down. The story is incredibly compelling, keeping you gripped from start to finish, with twists and turns that constantly keep you guessing. The twist at the end, in particular, blew me away—it was so unexpected yet perfectly executed.

The pacing is excellent, and MacBain’s ability to build tension and suspense is masterful. I was so enthralled by this book that I immediately had to read the author’s other work right after finishing. I actually discovered Daughter, Disappeared after following Fiona MacBain on TikTok, and I’m so glad I did. This book definitely lives up to the hype!

If you’re a fan of thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat and deliver shocking, satisfying twists, Daughter, Disappeared is an absolute must-read. Highly recommended—I’m already looking forward to whatever MacBain releases next!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The past may be another country, but it has a way of coming back to haunt you. This is a stirring story about what happens when cultures don't just clash, but meet head on. It's also about the impact of decisions, taken in the heat of the moment, that reverberate across the years.
When Anna sets out to find her father in Tunisia and discover the truth about her aunt, she doesn't realise that she will bring danger to herself and to her mother, Jane.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of those books that I didn't want to put down, I lost track of time on more than one occasion! The plot kept me interested all the way through and I was desperate to know what happened next. I also like to learn something when I read, so the cultural differences really interested me. Easy to read but with some really evocative turns of phrase too. Looking forward to more from this author.

[Louise Rennie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for any mother. This book shows that a mother will do anything for her children, highly recommend