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La paziente scomparsa
Autrice del bestseller Non svegliarti
Emily Jacobs è appena stata ricoverata nell’ospedale dove lavora come infermiera per una piccola operazione. Quando si sveglia nel cuore della notte, ancora confusa dall’anestesia, fatica a capire bene cosa stia succedendo. Per un momento le sembra quasi che un medico stia cercando freneticamente di rianimare la paziente nel letto a fianco. Al risveglio chiede spiegazioni, ma la risposta è che il letto accanto al suo è sempre stato vuoto. Una volta tornata al lavoro, Emily è decisa a non dare più peso alla cosa, ma il ritrovamento di un braccialetto riporta a galla tutte le sue inquietudini. Potrebbe essere della donna scomparsa? Più ci pensa e più si convince che i suoi colleghi nascondano un terribile segreto. Potrebbe sbagliarsi, è vero. Forse per colpa di un trauma del suo passato che rischia di influenzarla… E se invece avesse ragione? Chi altro sarebbe in pericolo?
Un thriller che vi farà perdere il sonno
Una persona può scomparire nel nulla?
Hanno scritto dei suoi romanzi:
«Grandioso… Leggendo Non svegliarti ti sembra di stare sulle montagne russe.»
Angela Marsons
«Ha accelerato i battiti del mio cuore.»
Mojo Mums
«Sentivo i brividi che mi scivolavano lungo la schiena. Una storia che condensa dentro di sé così tante inquietudini da tenerti inchiodato fino all’ultima pagina.»
Echoes in an Empty Room
Liz Lawler
ha lavorato per vent’anni come infermiera, per poi dedicarsi alla gestione di un albergo a cinque stelle come general manager. La transizione per lei è stata quasi naturale, la domanda da rivolgere a pazienti e ospiti è uguale: “Buongiorno. Ha dormito bene?”. Non svegliarti, il suo scioccante thriller d’esordio, è stato pubblicato dalla Newton Compton.
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 24, 2019
695 people are currently reading
1499 people want to read
About the author
Liz Lawler
8 books411 followersLiz Lawler had a 20-year career as a nurse and later became a general manager of a five star hotel, followed by a stint as a flight attendant with British Airways.
Born in Kent, Liz was part of a large family having 11 siblings. She discovered the solitude of writing, after coming home from a busy nightshift in the emergency department, was a place where she could step away from an emotionally and physically demanding job.
She now lives in Bath with her family and writes in any place that has a quiet space.
Born in Kent, Liz was part of a large family having 11 siblings. She discovered the solitude of writing, after coming home from a busy nightshift in the emergency department, was a place where she could step away from an emotionally and physically demanding job.
She now lives in Bath with her family and writes in any place that has a quiet space.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 268 reviews
May 20, 2022
I read ‘The Silent Mother’ by Liz Lawler last year which I liked. That prompted me to try reading more of her books. This one has almost all the right ingredients for a stupendous suspense novel – but botches up towards the end.
Emily Jacobs is a nurse, whose sister Zoe has gone missing. The sisters were very close and this causes deep trauma to Emily. Emily gets admitted in the hospital she works, for a minor surgery. At night, she sees some staff trying to resuscitate a patient. In the morning the bed next to her is empty and she is told that there was no patient there, and she had been given a sedative when she had nightmares. Emily realizes that her mental health is suspect, considering the pain of her sister’s disappearance, and yet feels she did see someone there, but cannot be sure. One evening, she runs behind someone she believes is her sister and suffers an accident. As the police get involved, the hospital management as well as the police find many of Emily’s claims difficult to believe.
Till about 75% of the book, the story was near perfect, just exactly what a suspense novel should be – fast paced, good character development, and suggestions which prompt you to consider various conflicting possibilities. It was near impossible to put the book down. However, near the end, the story more or less falls apart exposing a far-fetched & poor plot. Very disappointing.
Nevertheless, clearly Liz Lawler is a great suspense novel writer and this will not be the last book of hers I read.
My rating: 3.25 / 5.
Emily Jacobs is a nurse, whose sister Zoe has gone missing. The sisters were very close and this causes deep trauma to Emily. Emily gets admitted in the hospital she works, for a minor surgery. At night, she sees some staff trying to resuscitate a patient. In the morning the bed next to her is empty and she is told that there was no patient there, and she had been given a sedative when she had nightmares. Emily realizes that her mental health is suspect, considering the pain of her sister’s disappearance, and yet feels she did see someone there, but cannot be sure. One evening, she runs behind someone she believes is her sister and suffers an accident. As the police get involved, the hospital management as well as the police find many of Emily’s claims difficult to believe.
Till about 75% of the book, the story was near perfect, just exactly what a suspense novel should be – fast paced, good character development, and suggestions which prompt you to consider various conflicting possibilities. It was near impossible to put the book down. However, near the end, the story more or less falls apart exposing a far-fetched & poor plot. Very disappointing.
Nevertheless, clearly Liz Lawler is a great suspense novel writer and this will not be the last book of hers I read.
My rating: 3.25 / 5.
June 19, 2019
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
Set in Bath, UK. Young nurse Emily Jacobs has had to have a minor operation at the private hospital she works at. Whilst coming around from her anesthetic she is certain she saw a woman being resuscitated in the bed next to her. Upon waking fully all the beds are empty and the staff seems to not know what Emily is talking about, telling her she must have dreamt the event.
Emily has had a tough year after the disappearance of her sister Zoe. She suffered with her mental health as a result and has only just returned to work on the advice of her therapist.
Emily isn’t 100% confident in what she saw until she finds a bracelet. What has Emily stumbled upon and will anyone believe her?
I’ll Find You is Liz Lawler second gripping psychological thriller and what a thriller it is. The plot is so interesting and is filled with lots and lots of twists and turns giving to excitement and plenty of intrigues.
There are several memorable characters including Emily who is a determined young lady who is desperate to discover the truth but does have doubts along the way of her own sanity. Geraldine the Detective Inspector came across very real and went with her gut instincts and her police nose when something didn’t feel right. I also fell in love with the young A&E doctor Gerry who believed in Emily all the time.
Lots of special and good chapters in this book including when Emily’s dad makes his peace with her which showed such emotion. Highs and lows were clearly identified and left me several times with my heart in my mouth! This book really drew me in. It was a definite page turner and I recommend it 100% and would love to read more from this author in the future.
Set in Bath, UK. Young nurse Emily Jacobs has had to have a minor operation at the private hospital she works at. Whilst coming around from her anesthetic she is certain she saw a woman being resuscitated in the bed next to her. Upon waking fully all the beds are empty and the staff seems to not know what Emily is talking about, telling her she must have dreamt the event.
Emily has had a tough year after the disappearance of her sister Zoe. She suffered with her mental health as a result and has only just returned to work on the advice of her therapist.
Emily isn’t 100% confident in what she saw until she finds a bracelet. What has Emily stumbled upon and will anyone believe her?
I’ll Find You is Liz Lawler second gripping psychological thriller and what a thriller it is. The plot is so interesting and is filled with lots and lots of twists and turns giving to excitement and plenty of intrigues.
There are several memorable characters including Emily who is a determined young lady who is desperate to discover the truth but does have doubts along the way of her own sanity. Geraldine the Detective Inspector came across very real and went with her gut instincts and her police nose when something didn’t feel right. I also fell in love with the young A&E doctor Gerry who believed in Emily all the time.
Lots of special and good chapters in this book including when Emily’s dad makes his peace with her which showed such emotion. Highs and lows were clearly identified and left me several times with my heart in my mouth! This book really drew me in. It was a definite page turner and I recommend it 100% and would love to read more from this author in the future.
May 7, 2019
I don't tend to read many medical thrillers/settings but those I have I've usually enjoyed. "I'll Find You" is Liz Lawler's second novel after her success with "Don't Wake Up" and is billed as a chilling and unrelenting physiological thriller.
I'm not sure I found it exactly that but I did find it very enjoyable and a decent read.
The opening chapter was very scary and intriguing and although totally preposterous, it set the scene for a determined woman relentlessly trying to discover what's happened to her missing sister. The chapters were slightly slow after this but still moved along at a pace you could easily follow and as paranoia crept in I began to feel sorry for Emily Jacobs, constantly being proved wrong. As Emily's mental health apparently deteriorated, I admired how she persevered in tracking down a missing patient she'd seen in the bed next to her, whilst as an in patient, yet still keeping with the case of searching for her sister Zoe who also disappeared from a hospital.
There was just the right amount of authentic medical terminology and content to not overwhelm an ignorant reader and were appropriate to the storyline. Although a lot of the plot was exceedingly far fetched for a hospital setting and far too many staff seem to have a free reign in the building it was still an entertaining read. The denouement and resolution of what happened to Zoe was perfectly entwined and I was glad there was a conclusion that was satisfactory to the whole story. There was a constant feeling of distrust with all the characters, not knowing who was involved and in what, which kept the story compelling.
I'd probably read more from this author again in the future and if medical thrillers with a psychological edge is your reading genre, I'd recommend this book and I wish the author every success with it.
3 stars
I'm not sure I found it exactly that but I did find it very enjoyable and a decent read.
The opening chapter was very scary and intriguing and although totally preposterous, it set the scene for a determined woman relentlessly trying to discover what's happened to her missing sister. The chapters were slightly slow after this but still moved along at a pace you could easily follow and as paranoia crept in I began to feel sorry for Emily Jacobs, constantly being proved wrong. As Emily's mental health apparently deteriorated, I admired how she persevered in tracking down a missing patient she'd seen in the bed next to her, whilst as an in patient, yet still keeping with the case of searching for her sister Zoe who also disappeared from a hospital.
There was just the right amount of authentic medical terminology and content to not overwhelm an ignorant reader and were appropriate to the storyline. Although a lot of the plot was exceedingly far fetched for a hospital setting and far too many staff seem to have a free reign in the building it was still an entertaining read. The denouement and resolution of what happened to Zoe was perfectly entwined and I was glad there was a conclusion that was satisfactory to the whole story. There was a constant feeling of distrust with all the characters, not knowing who was involved and in what, which kept the story compelling.
I'd probably read more from this author again in the future and if medical thrillers with a psychological edge is your reading genre, I'd recommend this book and I wish the author every success with it.
3 stars
January 29, 2019
I read this book with thanks to Pigeonhole Books, but due to being on holidays with no WIFI connection I could not read it daily with the rest of the crowd. I finished it last night and still not really sure I feel about it.
The main character Emily is a mess and some of her actions were completely unrealistic. The twist in the story was a bit predictable and the ending a bit of a non event. I didn't hate this book, but I did struggle with it
The main character Emily is a mess and some of her actions were completely unrealistic. The twist in the story was a bit predictable and the ending a bit of a non event. I didn't hate this book, but I did struggle with it
June 5, 2020
The start of this book is about Emily having a dream where she was climbing into a morgue fridge to try and find her sister Zoe that is known to be missing. Emily jolts awake to see it was a dream she was re-living. Emily is a nurse who has started a new job at a private hospital after being on sick for a year when her sister went missing after a night out. Emily did everything she possibly could to track down and find her sister. After so long Emily needed to start getting herself back to normal to help with her mental health but still be able to look for her sister in her spare time.
Emily went into hospital for a normal routine operation to remove a lump from her breast. After he operation Emily awoke in the middle of the night with the sound of the patient in the bed beside her being resuscitated. The clear picture of seeing this resulted in someone shining a torch in her face and being injected with something to make her fall asleep. When she awakes in the morning Emily sees the bed next to her was empty and made up, she decides to ask the nurses about the young girl next to her to see if she has survived. But they say no one has been in the bed next to her and told Emily she had a nightmare in the middle of the night. Was Emily imagining things or did she actually have a nightmare or was it real?
The story follows Emily as she is trying to work out who the young girl was and if she really imagined her. Emily needs to prove what has happened to show that she isn't lying and that it did really happen. When Emily gets home one day she finds a note in her spare room telling Emily to stop looking for Zoe as she doesn't want to be found but this just pushes her forward to try and find her missing sister.
Emily goes back to the police to show the note see has received. But when the police look into the case to see how the note got there, it looks like Emily is telling lies and making things up. Emily's mental health is being questioned again, and other things are happening what make her look like she isn't coping. Will Emily sort everything out and prove she telling the truth and things aren't all what they seem to be in the private hospital.
Emily went into hospital for a normal routine operation to remove a lump from her breast. After he operation Emily awoke in the middle of the night with the sound of the patient in the bed beside her being resuscitated. The clear picture of seeing this resulted in someone shining a torch in her face and being injected with something to make her fall asleep. When she awakes in the morning Emily sees the bed next to her was empty and made up, she decides to ask the nurses about the young girl next to her to see if she has survived. But they say no one has been in the bed next to her and told Emily she had a nightmare in the middle of the night. Was Emily imagining things or did she actually have a nightmare or was it real?
The story follows Emily as she is trying to work out who the young girl was and if she really imagined her. Emily needs to prove what has happened to show that she isn't lying and that it did really happen. When Emily gets home one day she finds a note in her spare room telling Emily to stop looking for Zoe as she doesn't want to be found but this just pushes her forward to try and find her missing sister.
Emily goes back to the police to show the note see has received. But when the police look into the case to see how the note got there, it looks like Emily is telling lies and making things up. Emily's mental health is being questioned again, and other things are happening what make her look like she isn't coping. Will Emily sort everything out and prove she telling the truth and things aren't all what they seem to be in the private hospital.
October 27, 2019
A convoluted mess of a novel with a scarcely credible plot and utterly implausible happenings.
I wasn’t a fan of Liz Lawler’s debut, Don’t Wake Up, and in common with that novel, I’ll Find You is another shocking poor ‘medical thriller’ that never really gets anywhere near to plausible territory.
Although the premise sounds decent enough that is about the highlight as a ludicrous opening sets the tone for a glimpse into the unhappy life of protagonist, Emily Jacob’s, and the tragedy of her sister, Zoe, going missing. What it doesn’t tell the reader is that Emily is hugely unreliable, with a catalogue of mental health issues and obsessive behaviour following the disappearance of her decade younger sister and that two-thirds of the novel is taken up by highlighting each and every one of these episodes before the real substance of the premise comes to the fore.
Highly trained emergency nurse, Emily, is days away from starting a new job at the private Windsor Bridge Hospital following a break from work after the trauma of her student nurse sister, Zoe, going missing. Prior to starting work Emily undergoes a minor operation at her new hospital and wakes to see the patient in the next bed being resuscitated, however the next morning she wakes to an empty bed and asks questions. Seeking reassurance that everything is above board with her new colleagues and with a predisposition to thinking the worst, Emily uses her days at work for some undercover detection. Unsure who to trust and determined to prove that someone shared her room that night her erratic behaviour quickly convinces everyone around her that she is far from fit for work. Plagued by unrelenting guilt and a domestic servant for her feckless and ungrateful parents, Emily should be sympathetic but instead I was infuriated by her how she handled the preposterous work issue and how far from reality everything about the hospital set-up proved to be.
The narrative itself is presented from multiple perspectives, including that of Emily’s counsellor, Eric Hudson, and that of DI Geraldine Sutton who ran the investigation into Zoe’s disappearance, both of whom are overly involved and seem to be dedicated solely to serving Emily round-the-clock. The medical team whom Emily works alongside in her new job at the private Windsor Bridge Hospital are extremely hard to get the measure of, largely because so much of their behaviour is inconsistent. On the whole the narrative felt rather abrupt, jumping from one ridiculous scenario headlong into another and at times confusing, constantly looping back to labour on the disappearance of Zoe.
Despite the far-fetched circumstances the plotting is so simplistic that even an uninvested reader can easily spot the direction the novel is going in due to the fact that it’s so poor disguised. Scattered throughout the novel are various nuggets of medical information that do nothing to move the plot forward and simply felt designed for the author to prove to readers that she possesses medical knowledge and I cringed every time they cropped up. I would simply have preferred at more realistic setting that bears any resemblance to the hospitals I have visited.
Although the novel has what might be considered a partial resolution to some of the questions raised in the story I cannot say that I found it satisfying simply because by the time I reached the denouement I was long past caring about anyone or anything in a book that should never have made it past the slush pile.
I wasn’t a fan of Liz Lawler’s debut, Don’t Wake Up, and in common with that novel, I’ll Find You is another shocking poor ‘medical thriller’ that never really gets anywhere near to plausible territory.
Although the premise sounds decent enough that is about the highlight as a ludicrous opening sets the tone for a glimpse into the unhappy life of protagonist, Emily Jacob’s, and the tragedy of her sister, Zoe, going missing. What it doesn’t tell the reader is that Emily is hugely unreliable, with a catalogue of mental health issues and obsessive behaviour following the disappearance of her decade younger sister and that two-thirds of the novel is taken up by highlighting each and every one of these episodes before the real substance of the premise comes to the fore.
Highly trained emergency nurse, Emily, is days away from starting a new job at the private Windsor Bridge Hospital following a break from work after the trauma of her student nurse sister, Zoe, going missing. Prior to starting work Emily undergoes a minor operation at her new hospital and wakes to see the patient in the next bed being resuscitated, however the next morning she wakes to an empty bed and asks questions. Seeking reassurance that everything is above board with her new colleagues and with a predisposition to thinking the worst, Emily uses her days at work for some undercover detection. Unsure who to trust and determined to prove that someone shared her room that night her erratic behaviour quickly convinces everyone around her that she is far from fit for work. Plagued by unrelenting guilt and a domestic servant for her feckless and ungrateful parents, Emily should be sympathetic but instead I was infuriated by her how she handled the preposterous work issue and how far from reality everything about the hospital set-up proved to be.
The narrative itself is presented from multiple perspectives, including that of Emily’s counsellor, Eric Hudson, and that of DI Geraldine Sutton who ran the investigation into Zoe’s disappearance, both of whom are overly involved and seem to be dedicated solely to serving Emily round-the-clock. The medical team whom Emily works alongside in her new job at the private Windsor Bridge Hospital are extremely hard to get the measure of, largely because so much of their behaviour is inconsistent. On the whole the narrative felt rather abrupt, jumping from one ridiculous scenario headlong into another and at times confusing, constantly looping back to labour on the disappearance of Zoe.
Despite the far-fetched circumstances the plotting is so simplistic that even an uninvested reader can easily spot the direction the novel is going in due to the fact that it’s so poor disguised. Scattered throughout the novel are various nuggets of medical information that do nothing to move the plot forward and simply felt designed for the author to prove to readers that she possesses medical knowledge and I cringed every time they cropped up. I would simply have preferred at more realistic setting that bears any resemblance to the hospitals I have visited.
Although the novel has what might be considered a partial resolution to some of the questions raised in the story I cannot say that I found it satisfying simply because by the time I reached the denouement I was long past caring about anyone or anything in a book that should never have made it past the slush pile.
February 7, 2019
I was on the promotional blog tour for this book! Thank you to the publishers Bonnier Zaffre for the opportunity!
’ll Find You is a new standalone thriller novel, set in the city of Bath (bonus points for being in a local setting near to me!) and about a young nurse called Emily who is searching for her missing sister Zoe. One day, she has to have a operation and is certain that she saw another patient with her at the time. Everyone else however, say that there was no other patient.
The thriller was filled with scary twists and turns at just about every corner possible. It really took a missing person’s case and hospital setting and made characters with hidden secrets into a shocking ending that truly made me gasp. If you are looking for a thriller with medical elements and/or a scary read before bedtime, I’ll Find You is a must-read!
Although I’ll Find You does tackle heavy topics such as mental health and the struggles of cold cases and tough family upbringings, it was good to read a slow-burn that showed Emily well as a character. She was desperate for the truth and as the reader, I really appreciated just how passionate she was in trying to find her sister.
The only downside was that the pacing itself was a little slow, I do prefer fast-paced thrillers in general.
I really enjoyed Liz’s writing style and will be looking out for more novels by this author in the future!
’ll Find You is a new standalone thriller novel, set in the city of Bath (bonus points for being in a local setting near to me!) and about a young nurse called Emily who is searching for her missing sister Zoe. One day, she has to have a operation and is certain that she saw another patient with her at the time. Everyone else however, say that there was no other patient.
The thriller was filled with scary twists and turns at just about every corner possible. It really took a missing person’s case and hospital setting and made characters with hidden secrets into a shocking ending that truly made me gasp. If you are looking for a thriller with medical elements and/or a scary read before bedtime, I’ll Find You is a must-read!
Although I’ll Find You does tackle heavy topics such as mental health and the struggles of cold cases and tough family upbringings, it was good to read a slow-burn that showed Emily well as a character. She was desperate for the truth and as the reader, I really appreciated just how passionate she was in trying to find her sister.
The only downside was that the pacing itself was a little slow, I do prefer fast-paced thrillers in general.
I really enjoyed Liz’s writing style and will be looking out for more novels by this author in the future!
May 25, 2019
Like the first Liz Lawler book I thought this was book was brilliant. It was such a great mystery/thriller. It was interesting from start to finish and I was desperate to find out what happened next. I was trying to figure out what happened to Zoe and who Emily saw in the hospital room but when I found out it was mind blowing. I would never have thought that in a million years. The book was really addictive and definitely didn’t disappoint. A must read.
February 11, 2019
Yoo-hoo! *waves*
Yes, you - the one reading this review, obvs. If you’re looking for a literary review then this one is not for you *snorts* No, this one is #allaboutthefeels
Still there? Yay *mini fist pump*, thank you for sticking with me.
So, OMG, this book! This book was an eight letter word that starts with m and ends in k. Come on *wafts hand*, would I lie to you?
I was literally rigid with tension whilst reading this story. The littlest thing would have had me jumping out of my skin. Say, for instance, if my cat, Nigel, were to accidentally-on-purpose brush against me. *whistles* Let’s just leave that story there, shall we? *blushes*
I was both desperate to turn the page and scared at the same time. It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again, I’m a special kind of twisted *smirks*
The prologue was genius in the fact that I was simultaneously hooked and freaked out...
Emily Jacobs has been through the mill. Can she ever move forward with her life without closure? Now, she finds herself smack bang in the middle of another mystery, or does she?
All is not as it seems - as they say, appearances can be deceiving. Who can she trust when all those around her seem to have lost faith in her?
Now, followers of my reviews will know, that I normally pride myself on working out who the ‘baddie’ is when I read crime/thrillers. Well, it’s true - pride does cometh before the fall *smirks* I had zero clue.
I was left agog, open-mouthed, dumb-founded. Ack, you catch my drift!
But most of all, I was left unsettled.
Now, that’s a job well done *big thumbs up* by the author in my book.
Yes, you - the one reading this review, obvs. If you’re looking for a literary review then this one is not for you *snorts* No, this one is #allaboutthefeels
Still there? Yay *mini fist pump*, thank you for sticking with me.
So, OMG, this book! This book was an eight letter word that starts with m and ends in k. Come on *wafts hand*, would I lie to you?
I was literally rigid with tension whilst reading this story. The littlest thing would have had me jumping out of my skin. Say, for instance, if my cat, Nigel, were to accidentally-on-purpose brush against me. *whistles* Let’s just leave that story there, shall we? *blushes*
I was both desperate to turn the page and scared at the same time. It’s been said before, but I’ll say it again, I’m a special kind of twisted *smirks*
The prologue was genius in the fact that I was simultaneously hooked and freaked out...
Emily Jacobs has been through the mill. Can she ever move forward with her life without closure? Now, she finds herself smack bang in the middle of another mystery, or does she?
All is not as it seems - as they say, appearances can be deceiving. Who can she trust when all those around her seem to have lost faith in her?
Now, followers of my reviews will know, that I normally pride myself on working out who the ‘baddie’ is when I read crime/thrillers. Well, it’s true - pride does cometh before the fall *smirks* I had zero clue.
I was left agog, open-mouthed, dumb-founded. Ack, you catch my drift!
But most of all, I was left unsettled.
Now, that’s a job well done *big thumbs up* by the author in my book.
September 3, 2019
Quando lei lo prendeva per mano, sentiva il cuore spezzarsi per quel segreto che manteneva per il suo bene, e capiva che qualcosa dentro di lei si era rotto. La morte di Zoe non poteva rimanere impunita. Una sentenza andava pronunciata.
Per tutto il tempo ho creduto che la protagonista avesse le allucinazioni, che sentisse la presenza della sorella solo perché ne era ossessionata. Finale impressionante e colpi di scena fin dal primo capitolo. Colleghi, dottori, famiglia e detective, ognuno ha un particolare ruolo nella storia, apportando un contributo notevole.
Per tutto il tempo ho creduto che la protagonista avesse le allucinazioni, che sentisse la presenza della sorella solo perché ne era ossessionata. Finale impressionante e colpi di scena fin dal primo capitolo. Colleghi, dottori, famiglia e detective, ognuno ha un particolare ruolo nella storia, apportando un contributo notevole.
February 14, 2019
I’ll Find You is another pacy, clever psychological thriller from Liz Lawler, a great follow up to her first book Don’t Wake Up.
This is the kind of page turner I thoroughly enjoy, with an unsure main protagonist and plenty of twists and turns.
The plot races along to an emotional conclusion, we have some engaging characters and some excellent writing.
Very good. Recommended.
This is the kind of page turner I thoroughly enjoy, with an unsure main protagonist and plenty of twists and turns.
The plot races along to an emotional conclusion, we have some engaging characters and some excellent writing.
Very good. Recommended.
dnf
January 24, 2019DNF at 46%
January 27, 2019
1.5 Stars
The blurb for this sounded so promising. Emily Jacobs is in hospital for a routine procedure and she thinks she witnesses something, something that reminds her of her sister Zoe going missing one year ago. She has never come to terms with Zoe's disappearance and now it looks like she has two mysteries to investigate. I was really looking forward to this but, sadly, the tale really isn't up to the blurb.
The story itself lurches along in an increasingly bizarre set of circumstances that have more in common with a fantasy novel than a thriller. There is a complete disconnect between real life and the story in this book, to say more would be to give away what is, I suppose, the big twist in the book - so I will bite my tongue and just say REALLY, as if anyone would think that is acceptable hygiene practice?
I think we are supposed to feel sorry for Emily, she is still hurting from her sister's disappearance but her sessions with Counsellor Eric are helping. She still has regular contact with the Police as she hasn't given up looking even if they have had to move on. Her parents are clearly alcoholic wastes of space. Now she is being made to feel like she is losing her mind because of what she witnessed when coming round from her operation. At first I did, but then misery upon misery is heaped on to the character and my attention slipped away - the scenarios are more American Daytime Soap Opera than pulse-pounding thriller. It's hard to find any enjoyment in a book that tests your knowledge of the world so completely and relies, almost completely, on coincidence for the plot.
The bits I did enjoy were the medical information scattered throughout. Although they do seem to be filler much of the time (get that word and page count up), I can see how showing Emily's competence as a nurse during the resuscitation of the hysterectomy patient helps to give lie to the perceived sense of her insanity. Unfortunately, outside of that the plot is tissue thin and the characters are pretty much one-dimensional.
I did struggle to finish this book but I persevered to the bitter end and, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure it was worth it.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PIGEONHOLE
The blurb for this sounded so promising. Emily Jacobs is in hospital for a routine procedure and she thinks she witnesses something, something that reminds her of her sister Zoe going missing one year ago. She has never come to terms with Zoe's disappearance and now it looks like she has two mysteries to investigate. I was really looking forward to this but, sadly, the tale really isn't up to the blurb.
The story itself lurches along in an increasingly bizarre set of circumstances that have more in common with a fantasy novel than a thriller. There is a complete disconnect between real life and the story in this book, to say more would be to give away what is, I suppose, the big twist in the book - so I will bite my tongue and just say REALLY, as if anyone would think that is acceptable hygiene practice?
I think we are supposed to feel sorry for Emily, she is still hurting from her sister's disappearance but her sessions with Counsellor Eric are helping. She still has regular contact with the Police as she hasn't given up looking even if they have had to move on. Her parents are clearly alcoholic wastes of space. Now she is being made to feel like she is losing her mind because of what she witnessed when coming round from her operation. At first I did, but then misery upon misery is heaped on to the character and my attention slipped away - the scenarios are more American Daytime Soap Opera than pulse-pounding thriller. It's hard to find any enjoyment in a book that tests your knowledge of the world so completely and relies, almost completely, on coincidence for the plot.
The bits I did enjoy were the medical information scattered throughout. Although they do seem to be filler much of the time (get that word and page count up), I can see how showing Emily's competence as a nurse during the resuscitation of the hysterectomy patient helps to give lie to the perceived sense of her insanity. Unfortunately, outside of that the plot is tissue thin and the characters are pretty much one-dimensional.
I did struggle to finish this book but I persevered to the bitter end and, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure it was worth it.
THIS IS AN HONEST AND UNBIASED REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED VIA THE PIGEONHOLE
November 15, 2019
I loved this book. I thought it was better than Don't wake up" her previous novel that I read. I highly recommend this book.
October 18, 2019
Salve lettori!
Oggi voglio parlarvi di un thriller che ho appena finito di leggere: “La paziente scomparsa” di Liz Lawler, edito Newton Compton editori.
La protagonista è Emily Jacobs, una giovane infermiera che è costretta a convivere tutti i giorni con un pesante fardello: la sorella minore, Zoe, è scomparsa poco più di un anno fa e non è ancora stata ritrovata.
Nonostante sia passato tanto tempo, Emily non si è arresa, continua a cercare la sorella nella speranza che sia ancora viva e sia solo nascosta da qualche parte. Dopo mesi di dolore affrontati grazie al supporto dell’ispettrice Geraldine Sutton, ormai diventata quasi un’amica, e del psicologo Eric, Emily decide di tornare al lavoro ma, invece di riprendere il suo vecchio posto, inizia a lavorare in una clinica privata.
È proprio qui che Emily si sottopone anche a un intervento chirurgico, peccato che durante la sua breve esperienza come paziente della clinica si ritrovi ad assistere a una scena insolita e inquietante.
La notte dopo la sua operazione, Emily si sveglia di colpo e si accorge che la ragazza nel letto accanto al suo deve aver avuto un malore perché qualcuno sta cercando di rianimarla con un defibrillatore. Tuttavia, non fa in tempo a mettere a fuoco chi siano le persone nella stanza e che cosa stia succedendo che qualcuno le punta una torcia contro e le inietta qualcosa che la fa addormentare all’istante.
Il mattino dopo, al suo risveglio, trova il letto accanto vuoto.
Quando il dottor Dalloway e la caposala Barrows passano a controllarla, chiede loro come sta la ragazza che era con lei nella stanza, ed è allora che la vita già spezzata di Emily subisce un altro colpo: entrambi le dicono che è sempre stata da sola, che non c’era nessun’altra paziente oltre lei.
Emily è sconvolta. È certa di quello che ha visto, anche se tutti sembrano determinati a convincerla che quella notte ha solo avuto un incubo e hanno dovuto darle qualcosa per calmarla e farla riaddormentare. Emily fatica a crederci, cerca di capire se è stata l’unica a vedere quella ragazza o se qualcun altro l’abbia vista.
Dopo un po’ è pronta a mettersi il cuore in pace, ma l’incontro con una donna e il ritrovamento di un oggetto particolare la costringeranno a fare i conti con ciò che ha visto e la metteranno di fronte a una scelta: lottare contro tutti per dimostrare che quanto dice è la verità e quindi risolvere il mistero della paziente scomparsa, oppure arrendersi e accettare la versione che cercano di farle credere tutti gli altri.
Perfino Eric e Geraldine, a cui ha rivelato la verità, iniziano a dubitare di lei, convinti che la scomparsa di Zoe abbia danneggiato profondamente il comportamento e l’equilibrio psichico di Emily, portandola a fare pensieri e a compiere azioni che non sono da lei, come se fosse uscita di senno, perdendo il controllo di sé e il contatto con la realtà. Perfino in clinica qualcuno inizia a mettere in dubbio le capacità di Emily, nonostante abbia dimostrato in più occasioni di essere non solo un’infermiera preparata, ma di saper anche gestire con prontezza situazioni d’emergenza.
È tutto così confuso e frenetico che a volte persino Emily dubita di se stessa e la comparsa di un biglietto che sembra essere stato scritto dalla sorella scomparsa complica ulteriormente le cose. Secondo Eric, il suo psicologo, è normale che tanto dolore unito a tanto stress la portino a comportarsi in modo strano.
O forse a qualcuno fa comodo che tutti la credano pazza.
“La paziente scomparsa” è un romanzo che parte in sordina.
Per i primi due/tre capitoli ho fatto un po’ di fatica a immergermi nella storia, ma dal quarto capitolo la trama inizia a farsi sempre più interessante e coinvolgente.
La narrazione è in terza persona, cosa che permette di conoscere non solo i pensieri e le azioni di Emily, ma anche quelli di tutti gli altri personaggi principalmente coinvolti nella trama.
Man mano che si prosegue nella lettura i capitoli si susseguono come in una specie di montaggio alternato, mostrandoci ogni volta un personaggio diverso e il modo in cui le sue azioni si incastrano con quelle di tutti gli altri pagina dopo pagina, fino a creare un intreccio perfetto e sconvolgendo che risolverà tutte le questioni lasciate in sospeso e ogni mistero.
Il fulcro del romanzo è Emily, un personaggio già provato dal trauma della scomparsa della sorella e dal senso di colpa che la tormenta incessantemente, che si ritrova a compiere un’importante e dolorosa ricerca della verità che la porterà a interrogarsi su se stessa, ad affrontare le sue paure e a fare sconvolgenti scoperte sulla vera natura di alcune persone che la circondano.
Perché lei ha visto davvero una ragazza nel letto accanto al suo, deve solo scoprire come è arrivata in quella stanza e che cosa le è successo, anche se quello che scoprirà porterà alla luce ben più di quello che spera di trovare.
Perché forse la paziente scomparsa è collegata in qualche modo a un’altra sparizione: quella di Zoe.
Ho adorato lo sviluppo dei personaggi e il modo in cui ogni dettaglio si intreccia perfettamente all’altro, creando una storia capace di rapire il lettore e di spingerlo a voler sapere sempre di più.
Forse la verosimiglianza di alcuni particolari è discutibile, ma in fondo si tratta di un romanzo, per di più di un thriller, perciò non mi sono focalizzata troppo su questi dettagli e mi sono goduta la storia per quello che è.
Non è uno di quei thriller paurosi che ti riempiono di ansia e non ti fanno chiudere occhio la notte, ma è una storia che intrattiene, che sorprende e che lascia emozioni profonde.
Ogni personaggio ci segna in qualche modo, ma è Emily quella da cui impariamo di più e per cui soffriamo.
Tutta la sofferenza che ha dovuto sopportare, tutte le persone che l’hanno delusa, tradita o abbandonata, tutte le volte in cui lei avrebbe potuto arrendersi, colpiscono con forza il lettore spingendolo a riflettere, a crescere e a soffrire con lei. Emily viene abbandonata da tutti, ma nonostante questo non perde mai la sua determinazione nel fare della verità e della giustizia una ragione per vivere e per lottare anche quando sembra inutile. Emily ci insegna ad avere coraggio e speranza anche quando all’apparenza non ci sono motivi per farlo, anche quando sarebbe molto più facile lasciar perdere.
Intenso, coinvolgente ed emozionante, consiglio questo romanzo a chiunque sia alla ricerca di una lettura che lo assorba completamente, costringendolo a girare le pagine con ansia e trepidazione nell’attesa di scoprire finalmente se e come Emily riuscirà nella sua impresa.
Io alla fine ho pianto, non riuscendo proprio a trattenere la commozione per questa storia così turbolenta e dal finale così toccante.
Voto: 4
Oggi voglio parlarvi di un thriller che ho appena finito di leggere: “La paziente scomparsa” di Liz Lawler, edito Newton Compton editori.
La protagonista è Emily Jacobs, una giovane infermiera che è costretta a convivere tutti i giorni con un pesante fardello: la sorella minore, Zoe, è scomparsa poco più di un anno fa e non è ancora stata ritrovata.
Nonostante sia passato tanto tempo, Emily non si è arresa, continua a cercare la sorella nella speranza che sia ancora viva e sia solo nascosta da qualche parte. Dopo mesi di dolore affrontati grazie al supporto dell’ispettrice Geraldine Sutton, ormai diventata quasi un’amica, e del psicologo Eric, Emily decide di tornare al lavoro ma, invece di riprendere il suo vecchio posto, inizia a lavorare in una clinica privata.
È proprio qui che Emily si sottopone anche a un intervento chirurgico, peccato che durante la sua breve esperienza come paziente della clinica si ritrovi ad assistere a una scena insolita e inquietante.
La notte dopo la sua operazione, Emily si sveglia di colpo e si accorge che la ragazza nel letto accanto al suo deve aver avuto un malore perché qualcuno sta cercando di rianimarla con un defibrillatore. Tuttavia, non fa in tempo a mettere a fuoco chi siano le persone nella stanza e che cosa stia succedendo che qualcuno le punta una torcia contro e le inietta qualcosa che la fa addormentare all’istante.
Il mattino dopo, al suo risveglio, trova il letto accanto vuoto.
Quando il dottor Dalloway e la caposala Barrows passano a controllarla, chiede loro come sta la ragazza che era con lei nella stanza, ed è allora che la vita già spezzata di Emily subisce un altro colpo: entrambi le dicono che è sempre stata da sola, che non c’era nessun’altra paziente oltre lei.
Emily è sconvolta. È certa di quello che ha visto, anche se tutti sembrano determinati a convincerla che quella notte ha solo avuto un incubo e hanno dovuto darle qualcosa per calmarla e farla riaddormentare. Emily fatica a crederci, cerca di capire se è stata l’unica a vedere quella ragazza o se qualcun altro l’abbia vista.
Dopo un po’ è pronta a mettersi il cuore in pace, ma l’incontro con una donna e il ritrovamento di un oggetto particolare la costringeranno a fare i conti con ciò che ha visto e la metteranno di fronte a una scelta: lottare contro tutti per dimostrare che quanto dice è la verità e quindi risolvere il mistero della paziente scomparsa, oppure arrendersi e accettare la versione che cercano di farle credere tutti gli altri.
Perfino Eric e Geraldine, a cui ha rivelato la verità, iniziano a dubitare di lei, convinti che la scomparsa di Zoe abbia danneggiato profondamente il comportamento e l’equilibrio psichico di Emily, portandola a fare pensieri e a compiere azioni che non sono da lei, come se fosse uscita di senno, perdendo il controllo di sé e il contatto con la realtà. Perfino in clinica qualcuno inizia a mettere in dubbio le capacità di Emily, nonostante abbia dimostrato in più occasioni di essere non solo un’infermiera preparata, ma di saper anche gestire con prontezza situazioni d’emergenza.
È tutto così confuso e frenetico che a volte persino Emily dubita di se stessa e la comparsa di un biglietto che sembra essere stato scritto dalla sorella scomparsa complica ulteriormente le cose. Secondo Eric, il suo psicologo, è normale che tanto dolore unito a tanto stress la portino a comportarsi in modo strano.
O forse a qualcuno fa comodo che tutti la credano pazza.
“La paziente scomparsa” è un romanzo che parte in sordina.
Per i primi due/tre capitoli ho fatto un po’ di fatica a immergermi nella storia, ma dal quarto capitolo la trama inizia a farsi sempre più interessante e coinvolgente.
La narrazione è in terza persona, cosa che permette di conoscere non solo i pensieri e le azioni di Emily, ma anche quelli di tutti gli altri personaggi principalmente coinvolti nella trama.
Man mano che si prosegue nella lettura i capitoli si susseguono come in una specie di montaggio alternato, mostrandoci ogni volta un personaggio diverso e il modo in cui le sue azioni si incastrano con quelle di tutti gli altri pagina dopo pagina, fino a creare un intreccio perfetto e sconvolgendo che risolverà tutte le questioni lasciate in sospeso e ogni mistero.
Il fulcro del romanzo è Emily, un personaggio già provato dal trauma della scomparsa della sorella e dal senso di colpa che la tormenta incessantemente, che si ritrova a compiere un’importante e dolorosa ricerca della verità che la porterà a interrogarsi su se stessa, ad affrontare le sue paure e a fare sconvolgenti scoperte sulla vera natura di alcune persone che la circondano.
Perché lei ha visto davvero una ragazza nel letto accanto al suo, deve solo scoprire come è arrivata in quella stanza e che cosa le è successo, anche se quello che scoprirà porterà alla luce ben più di quello che spera di trovare.
Perché forse la paziente scomparsa è collegata in qualche modo a un’altra sparizione: quella di Zoe.
Ho adorato lo sviluppo dei personaggi e il modo in cui ogni dettaglio si intreccia perfettamente all’altro, creando una storia capace di rapire il lettore e di spingerlo a voler sapere sempre di più.
Forse la verosimiglianza di alcuni particolari è discutibile, ma in fondo si tratta di un romanzo, per di più di un thriller, perciò non mi sono focalizzata troppo su questi dettagli e mi sono goduta la storia per quello che è.
Non è uno di quei thriller paurosi che ti riempiono di ansia e non ti fanno chiudere occhio la notte, ma è una storia che intrattiene, che sorprende e che lascia emozioni profonde.
Ogni personaggio ci segna in qualche modo, ma è Emily quella da cui impariamo di più e per cui soffriamo.
Tutta la sofferenza che ha dovuto sopportare, tutte le persone che l’hanno delusa, tradita o abbandonata, tutte le volte in cui lei avrebbe potuto arrendersi, colpiscono con forza il lettore spingendolo a riflettere, a crescere e a soffrire con lei. Emily viene abbandonata da tutti, ma nonostante questo non perde mai la sua determinazione nel fare della verità e della giustizia una ragione per vivere e per lottare anche quando sembra inutile. Emily ci insegna ad avere coraggio e speranza anche quando all’apparenza non ci sono motivi per farlo, anche quando sarebbe molto più facile lasciar perdere.
Intenso, coinvolgente ed emozionante, consiglio questo romanzo a chiunque sia alla ricerca di una lettura che lo assorba completamente, costringendolo a girare le pagine con ansia e trepidazione nell’attesa di scoprire finalmente se e come Emily riuscirà nella sua impresa.
Io alla fine ho pianto, non riuscendo proprio a trattenere la commozione per questa storia così turbolenta e dal finale così toccante.
Voto: 4
May 21, 2019
The opening chapter is quite gripping. We learn that Emily’s sister Zoe disappeared over a year ago and Emily is still searching for her. She is seeing a therapist as it has affected her mental health. While recovering from an operation, in the night Emily believed that there was another girl in the room who was being resuscitated. The next day when asking the staff if the girl was alright everyone denied that there has been anybody there. Emily thinks there is something that they are covering up especially since the last time Zoe was seen alive was at the hospital. I enjoyed the first half of the book but thought the plot then became a little far fetched. A disappointing read for me.
Thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
Thanks to NetGalley and Zaffre for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
February 3, 2022
4.5 stars
Audio version was fantastic. Read by Jessica Ball.
Twisty like a pretzel.
Partly set in a hospital… terrifying right there, perhaps read with one eye shut, if it’s the audio version you choose you might want to block both ears. LOL!!
Clicked the play button every chance I had. I was hooked…HOOKED, I tell you…until the very last word.
My first read by this author, love her work, can’t wait to read all her backlist and current titles.
Audio version was fantastic. Read by Jessica Ball.
Twisty like a pretzel.
Partly set in a hospital… terrifying right there, perhaps read with one eye shut, if it’s the audio version you choose you might want to block both ears. LOL!!
Clicked the play button every chance I had. I was hooked…HOOKED, I tell you…until the very last word.
My first read by this author, love her work, can’t wait to read all her backlist and current titles.
January 27, 2020
Un buon thriller da leggere senza pretese. Un po'troppo surreale. Non ho amato molto la personificazione dei personaggi, che a mio avviso, appaiono un po'tutti troppo simili e senza spessore.
March 15, 2019
I’ll Find You is a generally well written, pacy thriller with an interesting main character. Emily hasn’t recovered from the disappearance of her younger sister, Zoe, a year earlier, and the search for Zoe has taken her down some strange paths. However, Emily, an experienced nurse, is now finally ready to get back to work, taking a job in a private hospital. When she witnesses something which nobody seems to believe, Emily’s life again starts to unravel.
While the opening scene felt a bit too shocking for the sake of it, I did overall enjoy the book, which has plenty of twists and turns. It turned out to be a lot more of a medical drama than I was expecting, but I have no problem with that and enjoyed the nursing parts particularly.
However I was troubled by the scene in which Emily manipulates a hospital patient who has OCD, causing him acute mental distress, for her own ends. Not only was this hugely unethical but I also felt it stereotyped and misrepresented people with OCD, who are rarely dangerous to others, and had the effect of dehumanising the man in question, using his mental disorder and distress just to further the story. I understand that Emily felt driven to desperate measures by her situation, but I didn’t feel it was justified, especially for a supposedly dedicated nurse, to act in such a way. I may be going on about this a bit but it really did leave a very sour taste.
I got a bit confused about what was going on at certain points and it did all get a bit far fetched.
All in all a good read but spoiled for me by certain elements.
January 24, 2019
An enjoyable read, full of twists and turns but I was never fully invested in the story, and some of the twists felt a little forced, hence "only" 3 stars. Very strong start, proving that Liz Lawler is indeed the queen of the shocking opening chapter, and very strong closing paragraph as well.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this novel for free.
Many thanks to The Pigeonhole for the opportunity to read this novel for free.
September 17, 2022
I'll find you es un thriller médico que se puede leer gratuitamente si se es cliente de Amazon Prime. Es obra de Liz Lawler, una autora británica.
Emily es una enfermera que acaba de entrar a trabajar a un hospital privado de Bath. Un año atrás, su hermana pequeña Zoe fue ingresada en el anterior hospital en el que trabajaba Emily tras una borrachera y a la mañana siguiente, cuando le dieron el alta, desapareció sin dejar rastro. Desde entonces Emily la ha estado buscando sin descanso, hasta el punto de perder ella misma la salud. Ahora, Emily trata de salir adelante concentrándose en el trabajo, hasta que un día le tienen que hacer una pequeña operación para quitarle un quiste en su mismo hospital y por la noche se despierta para ver que a la chica que está en la otra cama de la operación le están aplicando una resucitación cardiopulmonar, pero no puede ver más porque alguien la duerme al instante. Al día siguiente, cuando pregunta por la chica, le dicen que está confundida y que no había nadie más en la habitación. Confusa, Emily se convence de que es verdad, hasta que una mujer llega al hospital preocupada porque su sobrina ha desaparecido...
Estamos ante un thriller que no es especialmente memorable, pero que se deja leer. La autora fue enfermera durante muchos años y se nota porque mete muchos detalles médicos de la profesión cuando describe cómo Emily realiza el cuidado de sus pacientes. El inicio es algo lento, luego ya coge más ritmo y mantiene una buena intriga hasta el final.
Emily como es lógico no está bien mentalmente, sufre un severo trauma tras la desaparición de su hermana y no es la primera vez que su mente le falla, imaginándose cosas y llegando a extremos bastante preocupantes. Por ese motivo cuando le dicen que no había ninguna chica en su habitación duda de lo que vio. Ni siquiera la policía la toma en serio, lo cual es muy frustrante para Emily, y más cuando encuentra una pulsera que está bastante segura que perteneció a la chica desaparecida.
Lo más interesante de la novela es cómo Emily va buscando pruebas que corroboren su historia al tiempo que todo el mundo a su alrededor le hace luz de gas, tratando de convencerla de que no está bien y de que se lo está imaginando todo, que es algo que tendría más sentido que no una conspiración para eliminar un cuerpo en un hospital privado tan prestigioso. Además, también está el tema de saber si esta desaparición está relacionada con la de Zoe.
La resolución al misterio es correcta aunque hay algunos detalles que no me terminaron de convencer, como el tema de las grabaciones de seguridad. ¿Cómo a nadie se le ocurrió eliminarlas? ¿O por qué la policía tarda tanto en verlas? Un poco telefilme de Antena 3 todo, pero una lectura entretenida. Seguramente leeré el otro libro de la autora que está en Prime.
Emily es una enfermera que acaba de entrar a trabajar a un hospital privado de Bath. Un año atrás, su hermana pequeña Zoe fue ingresada en el anterior hospital en el que trabajaba Emily tras una borrachera y a la mañana siguiente, cuando le dieron el alta, desapareció sin dejar rastro. Desde entonces Emily la ha estado buscando sin descanso, hasta el punto de perder ella misma la salud. Ahora, Emily trata de salir adelante concentrándose en el trabajo, hasta que un día le tienen que hacer una pequeña operación para quitarle un quiste en su mismo hospital y por la noche se despierta para ver que a la chica que está en la otra cama de la operación le están aplicando una resucitación cardiopulmonar, pero no puede ver más porque alguien la duerme al instante. Al día siguiente, cuando pregunta por la chica, le dicen que está confundida y que no había nadie más en la habitación. Confusa, Emily se convence de que es verdad, hasta que una mujer llega al hospital preocupada porque su sobrina ha desaparecido...
Estamos ante un thriller que no es especialmente memorable, pero que se deja leer. La autora fue enfermera durante muchos años y se nota porque mete muchos detalles médicos de la profesión cuando describe cómo Emily realiza el cuidado de sus pacientes. El inicio es algo lento, luego ya coge más ritmo y mantiene una buena intriga hasta el final.
Emily como es lógico no está bien mentalmente, sufre un severo trauma tras la desaparición de su hermana y no es la primera vez que su mente le falla, imaginándose cosas y llegando a extremos bastante preocupantes. Por ese motivo cuando le dicen que no había ninguna chica en su habitación duda de lo que vio. Ni siquiera la policía la toma en serio, lo cual es muy frustrante para Emily, y más cuando encuentra una pulsera que está bastante segura que perteneció a la chica desaparecida.
Lo más interesante de la novela es cómo Emily va buscando pruebas que corroboren su historia al tiempo que todo el mundo a su alrededor le hace luz de gas, tratando de convencerla de que no está bien y de que se lo está imaginando todo, que es algo que tendría más sentido que no una conspiración para eliminar un cuerpo en un hospital privado tan prestigioso. Además, también está el tema de saber si esta desaparición está relacionada con la de Zoe.
La resolución al misterio es correcta aunque hay algunos detalles que no me terminaron de convencer, como el tema de las grabaciones de seguridad. ¿Cómo a nadie se le ocurrió eliminarlas? ¿O por qué la policía tarda tanto en verlas? Un poco telefilme de Antena 3 todo, pero una lectura entretenida. Seguramente leeré el otro libro de la autora que está en Prime.
February 11, 2019
I didn’t like this book at all, I’m afraid. It was set mainly in a hospital, with vivid descriptions of morgues, operations, A & E departments and psychiatric units, and was all a bit too visceral for my liking. Emotionally grim as well.
I can overlook subject matter not being to my taste if the writing is good but in this case I really didn’t think the story was well written either. The plotting was not tight and after a while it seemed repetitive, lots of actions that didn’t take the action forward. The language was not … interesting, for want of a better word.
The one thing I did find mildly intriguing was that, in the middle of the story, I couldn’t work out whether all the craziness that was going on was objective or was just going on in the heroine’s tortured brain which the reader was being given an insight into (she seemed very highly strung). I was quite ready to discover that it was all one giant hallucination.
I should have given it up but I find it very hard not to finish a book once I’ve started it. I always want to know how it ended. I read this book as an e-book serial with the Pigeonhole. If I’d had the hard copy it wouldn’t have been long before I’d flipped to the back and read the ending just so I could be done with the whole thing. In this case I would have discovered that there is no way I could have guessed how the main problem was resolved because the author didn’t leave any clues at all and just told us herself at the end. I think she was gunning for this shocking twist but it really fell flat and seemed very unfair if she was presenting the story as a whodunit! So I actually don’t know what sort of story this is. A medical mystery, a horror, a psychological thriller, a police procedural, a mixture of all (with all the main elements of each genre left out???)? As I say, this isn’t my type of book in any case and the quality of the plot or the writing couldn’t redeem it for me.
I’m sorry to leave a negative review because I couldn’t write a novel if my life depended on it, but I guess that gives me high expectations for those who do write them!
I can overlook subject matter not being to my taste if the writing is good but in this case I really didn’t think the story was well written either. The plotting was not tight and after a while it seemed repetitive, lots of actions that didn’t take the action forward. The language was not … interesting, for want of a better word.
The one thing I did find mildly intriguing was that, in the middle of the story, I couldn’t work out whether all the craziness that was going on was objective or was just going on in the heroine’s tortured brain which the reader was being given an insight into (she seemed very highly strung). I was quite ready to discover that it was all one giant hallucination.
I should have given it up but I find it very hard not to finish a book once I’ve started it. I always want to know how it ended. I read this book as an e-book serial with the Pigeonhole. If I’d had the hard copy it wouldn’t have been long before I’d flipped to the back and read the ending just so I could be done with the whole thing. In this case I would have discovered that there is no way I could have guessed how the main problem was resolved because the author didn’t leave any clues at all and just told us herself at the end. I think she was gunning for this shocking twist but it really fell flat and seemed very unfair if she was presenting the story as a whodunit! So I actually don’t know what sort of story this is. A medical mystery, a horror, a psychological thriller, a police procedural, a mixture of all (with all the main elements of each genre left out???)? As I say, this isn’t my type of book in any case and the quality of the plot or the writing couldn’t redeem it for me.
I’m sorry to leave a negative review because I couldn’t write a novel if my life depended on it, but I guess that gives me high expectations for those who do write them!
January 25, 2019
Wow!! Absolutely my kind of read, this one. Loved it.
There were some parts that seemed to have too much technical detail in which didn't really add anything to the story...but then this didn't distract too much.
Loved the characters - how we meet them and how they develop thoughout the book and then how we view them in the end.
Especially enjoyed following Emily's journey whilst trying to find her missing sister and all the things that are uncovered and become apparent.
Lots of twists in this one so don't try and second guess what might be going on....just go with it and wait and see.
And again....would recommend
There were some parts that seemed to have too much technical detail in which didn't really add anything to the story...but then this didn't distract too much.
Loved the characters - how we meet them and how they develop thoughout the book and then how we view them in the end.
Especially enjoyed following Emily's journey whilst trying to find her missing sister and all the things that are uncovered and become apparent.
Lots of twists in this one so don't try and second guess what might be going on....just go with it and wait and see.
And again....would recommend
October 27, 2019
An enjoyable read although at times I felt it stretched credulity to the limit.
Perhaps a few too many threads and storylines woven around the main one and thus some coincidences felt a little forced.
There is a lot of detailed medical information which I liked but some descriptions are quite graphic and may not suit everyone.
I would read more by this author.
Perhaps a few too many threads and storylines woven around the main one and thus some coincidences felt a little forced.
There is a lot of detailed medical information which I liked but some descriptions are quite graphic and may not suit everyone.
I would read more by this author.
January 28, 2019
Emily Jacobs sister, Zoe, went missing from a hospital nearly a year ago. As a result Emily’s mental health has suffered and she is only now feeling ready to return to work. She is starting work as a nurse in a Private hospital but just after starting she has an operation to remove a lump in her breast. After the operation she awakes in the middle of the night to see a girl on her ward being worked on my several members of staff, one of which injects Emily with a substance that makes her instantly sleep.
The next morning Emily wakes to find alone on the ward. Where did the girl go ? No-one else saw the girl and the staff Emily talks to deny there ever being anyone else on the ward but Emily is convinced she didn’t imagine her. Everyone she speaks to thinks Emily is suffering with her mental health again but was the girl really there and if so where is she now ?
A book full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Some great characters, especially Emily and the detective Geraldine, who believes in Emily and doesn’t give up.
Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.
The next morning Emily wakes to find alone on the ward. Where did the girl go ? No-one else saw the girl and the staff Emily talks to deny there ever being anyone else on the ward but Emily is convinced she didn’t imagine her. Everyone she speaks to thinks Emily is suffering with her mental health again but was the girl really there and if so where is she now ?
A book full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing. Some great characters, especially Emily and the detective Geraldine, who believes in Emily and doesn’t give up.
Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.
February 23, 2019
I would firstly like to thank Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Emily Jacobs wakes up in the night after a minor operation, woozy with anaesthetic. She sees the doctor frantically trying to resuscitate the woman in the bed next to her. In the morning, she is told that she must have had a nightmare. That the bed has been empty all along..... When Emily returns to work as a nurse, she discovers a bracelet that she believes belonged to the missing woman. She becomes convinced the people at the hospital are hiding a terrible secret. What if she's right? What else could they be capable of?
Liz Lawler certainly knows how to give me goosebumps!! This book is just as thrilling as her first book! Like her first book, this one kept my heart pounding from beginning to end, and had me completely hooked from the very first page. With a very disturbing, terrifying plot, brilliantly-written characters that had me constantly on my toes wondering who to trust, and a chilling ending that left me rather unsettled; I definitely can't wait for this author's next!
Emily Jacobs wakes up in the night after a minor operation, woozy with anaesthetic. She sees the doctor frantically trying to resuscitate the woman in the bed next to her. In the morning, she is told that she must have had a nightmare. That the bed has been empty all along..... When Emily returns to work as a nurse, she discovers a bracelet that she believes belonged to the missing woman. She becomes convinced the people at the hospital are hiding a terrible secret. What if she's right? What else could they be capable of?
Liz Lawler certainly knows how to give me goosebumps!! This book is just as thrilling as her first book! Like her first book, this one kept my heart pounding from beginning to end, and had me completely hooked from the very first page. With a very disturbing, terrifying plot, brilliantly-written characters that had me constantly on my toes wondering who to trust, and a chilling ending that left me rather unsettled; I definitely can't wait for this author's next!
September 5, 2019
RECENSIONE DI GIUSY
VOTO: 5
Se c’è qualcosa su cui questo thriller porta a riflettere, è la perdita. Esistono svariati tipi di perdita, ma quello peggiore è il non scoprire mai che cosa sia successo…
Emily sta attraversando un periodo particolarmente doloroso della sua vita. Sua sorella minore, Zoe, è scomparsa nel nulla da un anno circa e il pensiero che non possa essere più rintracciata terrorizza Emily, facendo nascere in lei una profonda determinazione nel ritrovarla. La luce della speranza non è mai scomparsa dai suoi occhi e ha sofferto molto per tenerla accesa, aiutata in parte dal senso di colpa. Continuare a cercarla è anche un modo di espiare un terribile errore verso la sorella; avrebbe potuto evitare tutto questo, quel giorno, ma non lo ha fatto. Le ricerche hanno assorbito tutto il suo tempo, nell’ultimo anno, confinandola socialmente e mettendo a dura prova la sua psiche. L’unico modo per non pensare ossessivamente a tutto ciò è tenersi costantemente occupata con il suo lavoro; è un’infermiera molto preparata e qualificata, la migliore nel suo campo.
A causa di un nodulo al seno, per un breve periodo, passa dall’essere infermiera a paziente nella clinica in cui lavora e da qui in poi verrete travolti da shock e ansia in ogni capitolo. La notte successiva all’intervento, Emily viene svegliata dal trambusto causato nel tentativo di rianimare la paziente del letto accanto, ma, al mattino, le viene comunicato che quel letto è sempre stato vuoto. Che sia stato un incubo dovuto all’effetto dell’anestetico o forse la sua psiche stressata le ha fatto immaginare una donna che non esiste? Ma allora perché Emily non riesce a scacciare l’immagine di quegli occhi castani ansiosi e spaventati?
Proprio quando inizia a convincersi (o sarebbe meglio dire che INIZIANO a convincerla) che si sia trattato dell’ennesima allucinazione su Zoe, Emily trova il braccialetto che “la ragazza del letto accanto” portava al polso. Come può un’allucinazione lasciare prove solide e concrete del suo passaggio? Che diavolo sta succedendo in quella clinica? Possibile che tutti le stiano mentendo? E il bracciale non sarà l’unica prova che riuscirà a ritrovare Emily. Tutta questa faccenda, però, viene accantonata quando Zoe lascia un messaggio alla sua “sorellona”, nella quale dichiara di non voler essere più cercata. Ma allora è ancora viva? Le ipotesi che si pone e le domande su cui si interroga Emily sono tante, ma una cosa è certa: c’è qualcosa che non quadra in tutta la faccenda. Quel messaggio potrebbe essere una prova del fatto che Zoe è viva, certo, ma se ci fosse un’ipotesi ancora più inquietante? Se Emily, con la sua psiche ormai ridotta a brandelli, avesse inventato tutto questo stratagemma per dare nuova linfa alle indagini? Se si stesse autoconvincendo che sua sorella è viva e vegeta per alleviare il suo dolore e il suo senso di colpa? Se stesse andando incontro alla pazzia?
Nessuno più le crede e tutti quelli che considerava amici, e di cui si fidava, mostrano un'altra faccia. Ha un piano, un ultimo disperato tentativo di dimostrare che non si è immaginata tutto sulla donna scomparsa e che non sta di certo impazzendo per la sorella. Andrà incontro a una verità scomoda, che deve rimanere a tutti i costi celata. Di chi può fidarsi? Più di nessuno. Le sono state tolte la vita e la libertà, ed è fermamente intenzionata a riprendersele.
Mi chiedo come possa un essere umano sopportare tanto dolore, tanta sofferenza, tanto stress emotivo e conservare la sanità mentale. E mi chiedo anche come Liz Lawler, l’autrice, abbia potuto partorire una personaggio come Emily e una sordida storia intrisa di pazzia e cattiveria come questa; in ogni caso, entrambe hanno la mia massima ammirazione. Emily è una donna altruista e buona, nonché un’infermiera straordinaria, alla quale sarebbe piaciuto molto iniziare da zero, avere un futuro da sognare, una vita da vivere. Una donna spezzata dal dolore, ferita dalla speranza e dalla paura di non ritrovare più quella sorella che ama incondizionatamente al punto di perdere la ragione. Solo la sua dignità e la sua forza interiore le hanno fatto sopportare quel terribile periodo. Ha imparato a non avere emotivamente bisogno di nessuno, tranne che di Zoe; non sapeva che cosa fosse l’amore fino a quando non è arrivata la sorellina.
Da questa scomparsa, è derivata tutta la storia, un effetto dominio che le ha provocato non pochi guai; ma non poteva essere altrimenti. È un tipo troppo intelligente per non accorgersi dei passi falsi; troppo determinata per star buona e zitta; troppo pura e nobile d'animo per non aiutare una persona in pericolo e con una sete di verità troppo grande per lasciar correre le ingiustizie. Volete sapere che ne penso? Penso che non tutto il male viene per nuocere e tutto ciò che accade, per quanto doloroso e devastante possa essere, sia la cosa migliore che poteva capitare a Emily e spezzare una volta per tutte quel ciclo di vite distrutte. Emily: un angelo caduto, un animo tormentato. Un thriller che si rispetti deve scioccare, spaventare, inquietare e instillare una curiosità morbosa nel lettore. La Lawler non ha risparmiato nulla di tutto questo, ha aggiunto quel tocco di macabro che dona a tutta la storia un fascino da brivido; ti confonde a tal punto che, come Emily, non sai più a cosa credere; t’incatena dalla prima all’ultima pagina riempiendo il cuore di tristezza e morte. Ho versato non poche lacrime, e non sono il tipo di lettrice che le versa facilmente, ma qui è una vera e propria sfida non farlo. Senza contare che vedrò gli ospedali in maniera un po' sinistra dopo questa lettura. “La paziente scomparsa”: un predatore micidiale, che mette all’angolo il lettore, la sua preda.
Dati aggiuntivi: narrazione in terza persona, descrizione molto dettagliata e personaggi secondari ad alto impatto, così partecipi e significativi nella storia, che non li definirei affatto secondari. Non posso che consigliare, disperatamente, questo libro a tutti gli amanti del genere.
http://bit.ly/2Zy3JaE
VOTO: 5
Se c’è qualcosa su cui questo thriller porta a riflettere, è la perdita. Esistono svariati tipi di perdita, ma quello peggiore è il non scoprire mai che cosa sia successo…
Emily sta attraversando un periodo particolarmente doloroso della sua vita. Sua sorella minore, Zoe, è scomparsa nel nulla da un anno circa e il pensiero che non possa essere più rintracciata terrorizza Emily, facendo nascere in lei una profonda determinazione nel ritrovarla. La luce della speranza non è mai scomparsa dai suoi occhi e ha sofferto molto per tenerla accesa, aiutata in parte dal senso di colpa. Continuare a cercarla è anche un modo di espiare un terribile errore verso la sorella; avrebbe potuto evitare tutto questo, quel giorno, ma non lo ha fatto. Le ricerche hanno assorbito tutto il suo tempo, nell’ultimo anno, confinandola socialmente e mettendo a dura prova la sua psiche. L’unico modo per non pensare ossessivamente a tutto ciò è tenersi costantemente occupata con il suo lavoro; è un’infermiera molto preparata e qualificata, la migliore nel suo campo.
A causa di un nodulo al seno, per un breve periodo, passa dall’essere infermiera a paziente nella clinica in cui lavora e da qui in poi verrete travolti da shock e ansia in ogni capitolo. La notte successiva all’intervento, Emily viene svegliata dal trambusto causato nel tentativo di rianimare la paziente del letto accanto, ma, al mattino, le viene comunicato che quel letto è sempre stato vuoto. Che sia stato un incubo dovuto all’effetto dell’anestetico o forse la sua psiche stressata le ha fatto immaginare una donna che non esiste? Ma allora perché Emily non riesce a scacciare l’immagine di quegli occhi castani ansiosi e spaventati?
Proprio quando inizia a convincersi (o sarebbe meglio dire che INIZIANO a convincerla) che si sia trattato dell’ennesima allucinazione su Zoe, Emily trova il braccialetto che “la ragazza del letto accanto” portava al polso. Come può un’allucinazione lasciare prove solide e concrete del suo passaggio? Che diavolo sta succedendo in quella clinica? Possibile che tutti le stiano mentendo? E il bracciale non sarà l’unica prova che riuscirà a ritrovare Emily. Tutta questa faccenda, però, viene accantonata quando Zoe lascia un messaggio alla sua “sorellona”, nella quale dichiara di non voler essere più cercata. Ma allora è ancora viva? Le ipotesi che si pone e le domande su cui si interroga Emily sono tante, ma una cosa è certa: c’è qualcosa che non quadra in tutta la faccenda. Quel messaggio potrebbe essere una prova del fatto che Zoe è viva, certo, ma se ci fosse un’ipotesi ancora più inquietante? Se Emily, con la sua psiche ormai ridotta a brandelli, avesse inventato tutto questo stratagemma per dare nuova linfa alle indagini? Se si stesse autoconvincendo che sua sorella è viva e vegeta per alleviare il suo dolore e il suo senso di colpa? Se stesse andando incontro alla pazzia?
Nessuno più le crede e tutti quelli che considerava amici, e di cui si fidava, mostrano un'altra faccia. Ha un piano, un ultimo disperato tentativo di dimostrare che non si è immaginata tutto sulla donna scomparsa e che non sta di certo impazzendo per la sorella. Andrà incontro a una verità scomoda, che deve rimanere a tutti i costi celata. Di chi può fidarsi? Più di nessuno. Le sono state tolte la vita e la libertà, ed è fermamente intenzionata a riprendersele.
Mi chiedo come possa un essere umano sopportare tanto dolore, tanta sofferenza, tanto stress emotivo e conservare la sanità mentale. E mi chiedo anche come Liz Lawler, l’autrice, abbia potuto partorire una personaggio come Emily e una sordida storia intrisa di pazzia e cattiveria come questa; in ogni caso, entrambe hanno la mia massima ammirazione. Emily è una donna altruista e buona, nonché un’infermiera straordinaria, alla quale sarebbe piaciuto molto iniziare da zero, avere un futuro da sognare, una vita da vivere. Una donna spezzata dal dolore, ferita dalla speranza e dalla paura di non ritrovare più quella sorella che ama incondizionatamente al punto di perdere la ragione. Solo la sua dignità e la sua forza interiore le hanno fatto sopportare quel terribile periodo. Ha imparato a non avere emotivamente bisogno di nessuno, tranne che di Zoe; non sapeva che cosa fosse l’amore fino a quando non è arrivata la sorellina.
Da questa scomparsa, è derivata tutta la storia, un effetto dominio che le ha provocato non pochi guai; ma non poteva essere altrimenti. È un tipo troppo intelligente per non accorgersi dei passi falsi; troppo determinata per star buona e zitta; troppo pura e nobile d'animo per non aiutare una persona in pericolo e con una sete di verità troppo grande per lasciar correre le ingiustizie. Volete sapere che ne penso? Penso che non tutto il male viene per nuocere e tutto ciò che accade, per quanto doloroso e devastante possa essere, sia la cosa migliore che poteva capitare a Emily e spezzare una volta per tutte quel ciclo di vite distrutte. Emily: un angelo caduto, un animo tormentato. Un thriller che si rispetti deve scioccare, spaventare, inquietare e instillare una curiosità morbosa nel lettore. La Lawler non ha risparmiato nulla di tutto questo, ha aggiunto quel tocco di macabro che dona a tutta la storia un fascino da brivido; ti confonde a tal punto che, come Emily, non sai più a cosa credere; t’incatena dalla prima all’ultima pagina riempiendo il cuore di tristezza e morte. Ho versato non poche lacrime, e non sono il tipo di lettrice che le versa facilmente, ma qui è una vera e propria sfida non farlo. Senza contare che vedrò gli ospedali in maniera un po' sinistra dopo questa lettura. “La paziente scomparsa”: un predatore micidiale, che mette all’angolo il lettore, la sua preda.
Dati aggiuntivi: narrazione in terza persona, descrizione molto dettagliata e personaggi secondari ad alto impatto, così partecipi e significativi nella storia, che non li definirei affatto secondari. Non posso che consigliare, disperatamente, questo libro a tutti gli amanti del genere.
http://bit.ly/2Zy3JaE
August 16, 2020
I really enjoyed this psychological thriller in which an experienced nurse, Emily, seeks her much-loved, missing sister, Zoe. She feels alone in her quest. Even those whom she trusted most gradually start to believe that her obsession with finding Zoe is turning her mind. Even Emily wonders if she is hallucinating.
Zoe is not the only missing person. Emily is sure that a patient is also missing from the hospital in which she had minor surgery but everyone in that hospital denies that the patient ever existed. This is hardly an original storyline, but it works very well in this book and ties in with the doubts that already exist in our protagonist’s mind.
The pace is generally quite fast, although it does droop a little in places. The last few chapters bring the Detective Inspector Geraldine Sutton, who has been involved in the case of Zoe’s disappearance form the very beginning, into the action. Even she has doubts, but she is a strong character.
It’s a great read. I highly recommend it.
Zoe is not the only missing person. Emily is sure that a patient is also missing from the hospital in which she had minor surgery but everyone in that hospital denies that the patient ever existed. This is hardly an original storyline, but it works very well in this book and ties in with the doubts that already exist in our protagonist’s mind.
The pace is generally quite fast, although it does droop a little in places. The last few chapters bring the Detective Inspector Geraldine Sutton, who has been involved in the case of Zoe’s disappearance form the very beginning, into the action. Even she has doubts, but she is a strong character.
It’s a great read. I highly recommend it.
January 29, 2020
This book didn't really grab me. There were a few twists and turns I didn't expect but I thought that for an intelligent woman, she missed some of the signs to keep her mouth shut and out of trouble.
It was ok read. If you are into medical thrillers, this one might work for you.
It was ok read. If you are into medical thrillers, this one might work for you.
October 25, 2021
I enjoyed this because it was different to anything I've read before. I did guess what was going on early enough, I just didn't know WHY it was happening. I enjoyed the pace, the plot, the main character and the ending. I will check out more by this author.
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