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The Night She Disappeared

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Listening Length 13 hours and 32 minutes

For fans of Gone Girl and of Harlan Coben and Linwood Barclay’s domestic suspense—a gripping novel by New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Kevin O'Brien, in which “the other woman” becomes the prime suspect when the wife goes missing.

Some nightmares you can’t forget
From the depths of sleep, Seattle TV reporter Anna Malone awakens to her phone ringing. She rarely drinks, and this hangover is brutal. Why can’t she shake the feeling that something terrible happened last night? And why can’t she recall any of it?

But even worse
What Anna does remember: an awkward restaurant meal with her married lover, Russ Knoll, and his unsuspecting wife, Courtney. Russ’s phone call reveals that Courtney is missing, and as days go by with no trace, he comes under police scrutiny. Anna’s in the spotlight too, thanks to a TV rival with a grudge. Anna’s not proud of her affair, but she and Russ aren’t bad people. They’re certainly not the killing kind.

Is the one you can’t remember . . .
Anna already suspected that Courtney—a successful, charming author—might have a darker side. Is she truly missing? Perhaps the sudden disturbances in Anna’s life aren’t accidental after all. But no scenario that Anna imagines can compare to the twisted game unfolding around her, one chilling piece at a time . . .

14 pages, Audible Audio

First published July 27, 2021

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2269 people want to read

About the author

Kevin O'Brien

150 books1,258 followers

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24 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
Profile Image for Joey R..
370 reviews832 followers
October 25, 2021
2.5 stars—“The Night She Disappeared” by Kevin O’Brien is a book I wanted to read after reading so many good reviews of it on Goodreads. It tells the story of local news reporter, Anna, who is embroiled in a scandalous affair with Russ, a local doctor. Their affair goes public after Russ’s wife, Courtney,goes missing after a night out with Anna and Russ ended in argument and confrontation. I felt the premise of the book was strong and enjoyed the buildup and the introduction of the Nancy Grace type tv crime show host, Sally, who has it out for Anna and goes after her on a nightly basis. The book takes a southward turn as each twist the book reveals gets more and more ridiculous. Anna goes from sweet local journalist to clueless, gullible victim. The villain in this book is so unbelievable and delusional once everything is revealed it destroyed what could have been a very good book. However, if you are a fan of “ the crazier the story, the more I like the book” boy do I have a book for you.
Profile Image for Rosh ~catching up slowly~.
2,385 reviews4,908 followers
September 9, 2021
In a nutshell: My jinx with finding satisfying thrillers continues. :/

Story:
Anna has woken up with a bad hangover, so bad that she can’t remember anything of the previous night. Her phone rings and it’s a call from Russ, her married lover. His wife Courtney has gone missing. So far, simple and straightforward. Now to add the complications. Courtney is deaf and a popular author. Anna is a minor celebrity as she’s the news reporter for the local TV station. Russ is a successful doctor. What follows is a game of media and privacy, facts and fiction, memory and imagination. You won’t know whom to trust as each of the characters has a whole range of gray shades.


Excited to read the book? Now let me burst the bubble.

This book has very amateurish writing. To be honest, I thought I must have picked up a debut work. I was quite surprised to see that this author (a new name to me) has many well-rated published thrillers under his belt. The writing style is so repetitive; after every few sentences, you see a line being restated, or a thought being... well… “re-thought”. There is also so much of “telling” in the writing! Every single action is recounted step-by-step as if we won’t get the scene to play properly in our mind without all those elaborations. The book could have been slimmer by at least a hundred pages if the writing issues were rectified.

The plot is dragged too much with unnecessary convolutions and overly detailed backgrounds of even the most minor of characters. This killed the pacing, a vital component in a thriller. It’s supposed to be a mystery-thriller but the mystery didn’t keep me hooked because the characters were most unlikeable and immature and two-faced. Biggest reason it failed me? I could spot the guilty character a mile away, there are so many clues pointing at who was responsible for everything. Spoiled the entire fun of discovery!

On the positive side, I liked the story setting: to see a mystery unravel amid floating boat houses added a novelty factor to an otherwise dull plot. Also different is the portrayal of the two deaf characters in the book. I like that the author didn't make them out to be submissive, under-confident women. Courtney is actually portrayed as a go-getter who manipulates her disability to her advantage. Disabled characters are usually shown to be defined only by their disability, so it was a nice change to see a deaf character being manipulative. Other than these two things, I found nothing enjoyable about the book or likeable about the characters.

The audiobook had a saving grace in the form of narrator Kyle Tait, who did a fabulous job taking me through the 13.5 hours long book. I doubt I would have completed this book were I reading it.

I guess I’d recommend this only to fans of Kevin O’Brien. If you have liked his work so far, you might find this to be in the same league.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tantor Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.



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Profile Image for Wendy.
1,976 reviews692 followers
January 16, 2022
The Night She Disappeared by Kevin O'Brien is a complex and multi-layered mystery thriller.
We are given an intense and suspenseful story!
I loved the beginning, more so the ending, and found the middle to be enjoyably page turning too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,439 reviews98 followers
July 23, 2021
Loved the cover and loved the narrator, Kyle Tait. The story gets more and more mysterious with every chapter. What was going on and who was behind this disappearance? Why was this person really missing?
I couldn’t predict what was going to happen next and the writing was good. With cleverly written suspense this took me down a dark and dangerously trap. I will definitely read another by this author.
Thanks Tantor Audio via Netgalley.
Profile Image for Mae Clair.
Author 24 books566 followers
May 23, 2021
Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for my ARC. I am a long-time fan of Kevin O’Brien and think I’ve read nearly every book he’s written. When I saw The Night She Disappeared offered on NetGalley, I immediately requested it. Once again, O’Brien delivers a nail-biter, riddled with twists and turns that race to a stunning conclusion.

Anna Malone is a TV news reporter with a devoted local following. When she makes the mistake of becoming romantically involved with Dr. Russell Knoll, a married pediatrician, her life implodes.

Knoll is married to an up-and-coming author, beloved by the public. When Courtney Knoll vanishes under mysterious circumstances and Anna is unable to recall the events of the night, both she and Russ become suspects in his wife’s disappearance. Add in mysterious phone calls, a stalker, hypnotism, drug-addiction, and a rival reporter with a sensationalized “justice-style” TV program, and there are enough plot threads to spin a thoroughly riveting and complex web.

I waffled back and forth on the suspects in this book. At the end, I was right about one of them but not for the reasons I suspected. O’Brien definitely kept me second-guessing throughout, including not just who was responsible for Courtney’s disappearance, but also whether or not she was the person she presented herself to be. Another mystery--did she simply disappear or was there something more sinister involved?

I loved the use of Seattle landmarks and the “floating houses” where much of the action takes place. The lake setting made for a creepy environment, especially at night when Anna is in her house certain she is being watched. An excellent character, she is flawed in many respects, but as a reader it’s impossible not have sympathy for her despite the mistakes she makes.

As with all of O’Brien’s stories, this is a page-turner from beginning to end. For anyone who enjoys mysteries with fully-fleshed out characters, tight plotting and suspense that hooks you into reading “just one more chapter” despite a late hour, I highly recommend The Night She Disappeared.
Profile Image for Vickie.
2,233 reviews76 followers
July 17, 2021
This was a fast-paced thrill ride with all kinds of red herrings that fooled me repeatedly. Anna Malone is a TV reporter who is having an affair with a pediatrician. When his deaf wife disappears one night, he is suspected of foul play and by association, so is Anna. There are so many twists here but my favorite one was the TV show host who had a vendetta against Anna and was determined to pin the disappearance on her. This part was like reading a script for a soap opera…fascinating! I enjoyed everything about the book except for the ending seemed to be rushed. The characters were realistic in that they had human weaknesses which led to their being caught in the dilemma to begin with. I really liked George, Anna’s cameraman who is enamored with her and would do just about anything for her. He should seemed like a really nice “good ol’ boy.” I did not like the perpetrator, but that’s enough said about that so I don’t give it away. I did figure out who it was a few chapters before the big reveal, but that did not spoil the pleasure of reading for me. Intense and intriguing were a good mix in this suspense/thriller!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Profile Image for Jayne.
1,033 reviews675 followers
July 20, 2021
A Kevin O'Brien "who dun it" novel with flawed characters, deep secrets, and a missing woman?

Yes, this Kevin O'Brien fan was excited about THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED.

Unfortunately, the book did not live up to my expectations. 

First and foremost, it was much too loooooooong.    THE NIGHT SHE DISAPPEARED was a 13-hour audiobook that easily could have been a 10-hour audiobook.

The book started off strong.  Seattle TV reporter Anna Malone drinks too much when dining with her married lover, Dr. Russ Knoll, and his unsuspecting wife, author Courtney Knoll.   The next morning when Anna wakes up, she can't remember anything about the night before and is informed by Russ that Courtney is missing.   Anna Malone and Dr. Kroll quickly become "persons of interest" in Courtney's disappearance.

Courtney is deaf and Kevin O'Brien's decision to use a deaf protagonist wasn't clear to me.

WHY?  I felt like the author was clueless about the emotions and challenges of hearing-impaired women.  To the best of my knowledge, I do not know any hearing-impaired women who use a disability to garner sympathy and sell books.

Overall, I felt that the book's plot was too convoluted and simply lacked the excitement and intrigue of Kevin O'Brien's earlier books.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration was superb.

I have not given up on Kevin O'Brien and I look forward to this author's future titles.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.  
Profile Image for Denise.
2,406 reviews103 followers
September 24, 2021
Fun and suspenseful mystery thriller that I just couldn't put down!

After an evening out to a fancy dinner with Dr. Russ Knoll (her lover) and his author wife, Courtney, Seattle TV reporter Anna Malone wakes with a horrible hangover. She remembers little about the previous evening but does feel certain that Russ's wife knows about his infidelities. That becomes more significant, however, when Anna hears that Courtney has gone missing. Russ reports that Courtney apparently packed a bag and vanished at some point that night -- possibly when he had walked drunken Anna home to her floating house on Lake Union just a short distance from the Knoll's residence. Anna and her sordid personal life suddenly become of great interest to the media, particularly to Sally Justice and her News Network show. The problem is this: Anna can't remember anything that happened after the trio left the restaurant. No spoilers.

I thoroughly enjoyed the way that this story unraveled and the large cast of flawed characters. Although I was searching for clues and guessing wildly as I rapidly turned the pages, I wasn't able to come up with the answer until the twisted tale came close to conclusion. I liked the fast pace, the writing, and the way the author dangled the red herrings. I definitely plan to seek out more of O'Brien's novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
Profile Image for Lin Perrett.
297 reviews102 followers
January 29, 2022
Thank you Netgalley for the audio copy in exchange for a honest review. Anna Malone is a local TV reporter. She has been working with a deaf author Courtney Knoll. They had been out drinking the night before with Courtney's husband Russ who also happens to be Anna's secret lover. Anna wakes up the next morning unable to remember what happened and Courtney is missing. As Anna and Russ's affair is revealed they become the prime suspects in her abduction/murder. A great thriller beautifully read.
Profile Image for Blood Rose Books.
729 reviews13 followers
December 13, 2021
Kevin O'Brien what happens when you cannot remember what happened the night before and you are the last person to see someone alive:

Anna is Seattle TV reporter and she ended up doing (more like forced) a piece on Courtney for the news who just happens to be her boyfriend/lover Russ's wife .Anna doesn't drink very often and she certainly should never drink with her lover and his wife, yet someone Anna finds herself in this situation. The hangover is brutal but she can't help thinking that something worse happened that night, and her mind first goes to that Courtney has realized that her and Russ are together. The truth is much worse, Courtney is missing and the last people to see her alive were Anna and Russ. The spot light is even more an Anna as everyone from neighbour, police to online TV celebrities try to figure out what happened to Courtney and are determined to try anything to get to the "truth". Anna only wishes she could remember what happened on the Night Courtney disappeared

I had high hopes for this book but to sum it up I was really bored throughout the book. I did not find it suspenseful at all, book just felt bland and flat and I was forcing myself to pick up the book just to finish. So you know by then that it is not a book that is keeping you engaged.

The main character was just okay and not really well defined as a character, though i think that O'Brien was trying to flesh her out as one, but just never got there. Most of the book is really spent with Anna sitting around her houseboat waiting for news of what happened to Courtney from the police. She does a bit of digging on her own, but that leads no where and is not the main focus that O'Brien chooses to take with the plot. I think I would have like the book better if Anna had done more sleuthing, but the type of reported that O'Brien has Anna a be (feel good pieces) sleuthing does not fit her wheel house.

I figured it out quite early and I will admit that i did not see one twist coming, but when that twist was revealed didn't find is shocking or adding anything to the story as I had already had it figured out. Like I said above the suspense was never there, from the mysterious phone call, to Anna not being able to remember what happened the night before, nothing gave me the edge of my seat feeling

I did like the nod to Gone Girl in the book as as you’re reading it you do start to think the same things, and there is a large portion of the population who had read that book.

I really struggles to finish this book, an honestly I give myself props for finishing it. I think if it had not bee a book i received off of Netgalley I wouldn't of. This one just wasn't for me.

Cheers!!!
Profile Image for Cathy Geha.
4,339 reviews119 followers
August 6, 2021
The Night She Disappeared by Kevin O’Brien

Well written and potentially intriguing but not for me. Within the first few pages I realized I probably would not be willing to read this book word for word. Why? The fact that the introduction to the main character, Anna, had her hungover, receiving a phone call from her married lover and the lover was asking Anna if she had seen his wife or heard from the wife after the three had dinner together the night before…well…that left a bad taste in my mouth. I decided to keep reading and the more I read the less I wanted to continue reading so I read the end, skimmed the chapters in between, and knew for sure I didn’t like and could not relate to any of the characters.

Did I like this book? Not really
Would I read another book by this author? It would depend on the synopsis
Who do I think might enjoy this book? My guess is that many would like it even though it was not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

2-3 Stars
Profile Image for Sherri Bryant.
1,364 reviews67 followers
September 28, 2022
If you are a reader that likes a lot of build-up, especially lots of twists and turns in the plot, then grab a copy of The Night She Disappeared by new to me author Kevin O’Brien. I didn’t particularly like any of the characters, but I was all in to find out what happens.

The protagonist of this story is Anna Malone, a Seattle TV reporter who finds herself in the middle of the biggest news story in history because she is involved. The question is just how involved she is. Anna is having an affair with Russ Knoll, doctor and married man. Usually, this plot device stops me in my tracks. When the protagonist of a story is the one involved in adultery, I don’t like it. I’m supposed to be rooting for the hero/heroine of the story, but if they lack all moral fiber, it makes it very difficult.

Russ’s wife is author, Courtney Knoll, who is working with Anna on a news story about her. She’s deaf and has written a young adult series about deaf teenagers with superpowers, so her star is on the rise. The three meet at a restaurant for dinner where the lemon drop cocktails are flowing faster than they are poured and before you know it, Anna and Courtney are pretty drunk. If you haven’t guess already, Courtney is not a very nice person, drunk or sober, but she definitely has a cruel side when she’s drunk. After dinner, Anna accompanies them back to their place and Courtney becomes even more nasty and hateful…hmmm could she be on to you two cheating fornicators? Inquiring minds want to know!

Russ drives Anna home and puts her to bed, but calls her the next morning to tell her that Courtney is gone, some of her things are gone and has she been in touch with Anna? At this point in the story, I’m suspicious of all three of them! Is Courtney really missing or is she setting them up? Is Russ a killer and just trying to cover his tracks? Did Anna go off on Courtney because she’s tired of waiting for Russ to file for divorce?

And just when things can’t possibly get any worse, guess what? They get worse! There is a Nancy Grace type character, Sally, who appears to have a vendetta against Anna and uses her show to put Anna and Russ through the wringer. Before you know it, the show is using every speculation it can to convict and judge Anna and Russ.

Several additional supporting characters made the story more intriguing. Sally’s daughter, Taylor, can’t stand what her mother is doing to Anna, so she reaches out behind her mother’s back to warn her and tries to help Anna figure out what happened that night, since as we all know, Anna was drunk and can’t remember. Taylor is also deaf and knew Courtney too. Anna’s brother who ran away from home as a teenager comes back into Anna’s life but is a drug addict. These characters really added to the story, for me, because their motives and intentions are unclear. What do they have to gain by getting involved?

When everything finally comes into the light and all is revealed, I was completely shocked. I wasn’t expecting this outcome, but it worked really well and provided the much-needed closure without any loose ends hanging. The author did a fantastic job of creating characters that don’t have to be likable for the reader to be invested in what happens to them. He gives just enough of the story to keep the reader interested without giving away the ending too soon. This was an audiobook and Kyle Tait narrated this story very well. I would have preferred a female narrator to read the female parts, but Mr. Tait’s performance was terrific, especially his vocalization of Taylor’s lines as a deaf woman who never learned to speak.

My Final Verdict: Overall, this was a very well written story that delivered a great deal of suspense and intrigue. I never anticipated the conclusion and was quite surprised. I recommend this story to readers who enjoy a twisty novel of suspense and mystery and don’t mind that the characters don’t always have to be likable or redeemable.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Night She Disappeared from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Perm Clark.
155 reviews12 followers
October 3, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is my personal 5 star rating system because I’m too lazy to write a review for every book.

5 stars -> OMFG. I couldn’t stop listening. I was engaged from beginning to end. The story & narrator was amazing. I 100% recommend this book & author. I was able to clearly follow each and every character.

4 stars -> It was pretty good. I would’ve rated 5 stars, But either the ending was lacking, I struggled to keep up with characters, or the story didn’t keep me fully engaged. The narrator was pretty good as well. I’m on the fence about recommending this book, It could go either way.

3 Stars -> It was boring at times & I missed chunks of the story. I most likely struggled to keep up with character developments. The only way I would recommend this book is if it was part of a series. The narrator was most likely average or just couldn’t fix a mediocre book.

2 Stars -> It was pretty horrible. I used it as background noise because I hadn’t had a chance to search for another book. The book either had a bad narrator, The character development was non existent, or the story was hot garbage. I would not recommend this book.

1 Star -> The absolute only reason I listened to this book was because i had no time to search for another one & I needed background noise. It was 1 step up from listening to the radio. I wouldn’t recommend this book to my worst enemy. Everything about this book was terrible. This is only recommended for people on death row and have absolutely nothing else to read.
Profile Image for Nila (digitalcreativepages).
2,667 reviews223 followers
December 26, 2021
This was a fun mystery when the main character and her lover become suspects when his wife goes missing. I liked how the author brought together various elements to keep me guessing. Some sections were too long and felt it needed a sharper editing. But overall, a good read
Profile Image for Kylie.
919 reviews17 followers
July 31, 2021
**audiobook version**

Narrator 5 stars

Story 3 stars

Great premise, but overall it did not grab me. I didn't feel any emotion to any of the characters and it was just a bit flat for me.
I didn't hate it, but also wouldn't recommend it.
Profile Image for Caryn.
1,070 reviews75 followers
March 26, 2023
What I love about Kevin O’Brien is his ability to tell a story with multiple storylines that all manage to weave together and solve a mystery. This one felt all very one note, with one repetitive storyline. Trust me, it was a quick read given its length, but I didn’t feel surprised by any revelation.
Profile Image for itsallaboutbooksandmacarons.
2,291 reviews48 followers
July 28, 2021
Wow. I haven’t read a book with so many twists and turns in a while. Real. A big surprise for me because I haven’t read Kevin O’Brien’s books so far. This will change, I will definitely read more. Well, this time I got the audio on Netgalley.com and Tantor audio for a copy in honest review. Thank you.

This book / audio was a nightmare for many people in the book. TV reporter Anna Malone is woke up after a night drinking and said her lover’s wife is missing. She dated Russ for 18 months and they were preety close, but soon after Courtney Knoll's disappearance he changed his attitude towards her. And who is the main suspect in the story? It's not hard to guess. But that's not all. There are few other people who would be interested to harm others in this story. A very dynamic book. Although it was quite long it sounded great.

Thanks to Nettagaley and Tantor Audio for this possiblity
47 reviews3 followers
January 8, 2024
After the last Kevin O'Brien book was so compelling, I was disappointed
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Raquel.
125 reviews3 followers
October 8, 2024
Audiobook 🎧 I was obsessed and listened to the whole thing in one day until the author started to unravel who did it. I was wildly invested and needed to know more. I didn’t LOVE the last hour, finding out who did it/reasoning etc. but the writing was captivating and held my interest all day.
Profile Image for Dee.
1,237 reviews30 followers
June 29, 2021
3.5 stars. The ending was a little disappointing
Profile Image for Brenda.
1,539 reviews
May 20, 2021
I give this a 6/5 stars it was so exciting! It was hard to put down this puzzling murder mystery.

All of the characters are well-developed and quite likeable, even when they're 'the bad guy'. There were so many plot twists I changed my mind on who-done-it a half dozen times. Anna Malone is a TV new reporter whose assigned to interview deaf novelist Courtney Knoll. Anna becomes a suspect in Courtney's murder when Anna's relationship to Courtney's husband is revealed.

I loved the ending - a perfect surprise to a perfect book.

II volunteered to read an ARC from Pinnacle Books (Kensington) through Net Galley.
Release date July 27, 2021
Profile Image for Tandie.
1,563 reviews249 followers
January 25, 2023
This grabbed me and didn’t let go. This is my first Kevin O’Brien book, and I’m impressed. I love his writing style. His characters felt real and I even had a degree of sympathy for the less than decent characters. Except for Courtney. Yes, she was the wife getting cheated on, but I despised her. O’Brien writes compelling characters. I was invested in MC Anna and was rooting for her, despite the fact that she was having an affair with a married man. I liked her even though Anna might’ve done a bad, bad thing. I suspected all the main players at different points. I even suspected some of the minor characters.

I remember thinking late in the book that there was no way things could end in a way that I’d be pleased with. I’m so glad to be wrong. I had some minor quibbles about a certain character being able to manipulate so many different people, let alone have access to such a variety of skilled persons. But then I thought about how much I enjoyed it all and decided to round my 3.5 stars up to a 4 star. A short epilogue had me questioning my feels, but was actually quite perfect. I’m very hard to please when it comes to epilogues.
Highly recommended.

Content: mention of sex, but no actual sex scenes. A sprinkling of F-bombs, but not to excess. Descriptions of murder scenes, but it didn’t feel very graphic to me. I mean, if you’re super sensitive to dead bodies and a little throat slashing, this probably isn’t your genre anyway.

I received a free copy of this audiobook for review purposes. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Nikki DeVaux.
253 reviews10 followers
July 26, 2021
I am a huge Kevin O’Brien fan. His books always hook me from the beginning, they’re quick, fast-paced and interesting yet this one was just okay for me.

I enjoyed Anna initially, but as the book progressed she became the most frustrating character I’ve encountered. The countless secrets she’s keeping from the police, the justification for being the other woman and the messed up way she willingly became entangled in the Knoll’s marriage was just the tip of the iceberg. There were sooooooo many minor characters that I felt like I needed to start making a chart to keep track of them, and good lord if George isn’t a cringy “nice guy”. Parts in the middle seemed to drag on for forever, but there was enough interesting content that kept me invested.

I was able to figure out the “bad guy” in the end and I did like how it came about, but the wrap up was just messy. Honestly it probably would have been okay if there was no epilogue that straight up ruined the prior 400 pages for me (I mean REALLY ANNA!!!! What the hell) and I despised how O’Brien finished the book, but overall it won’t stop me from continuing to read his work.

Thank you Kensington Books and NetGalley for my ARC of this book
Profile Image for Žaba Čita Novine.
279 reviews11 followers
July 29, 2021
This was so, so, soooooooooooo bad, I don't even have the words to express it!

I hated the sleazy little b that the main character is and her cheating bastard lover, I hated the slow and repetitive story. Honestly, how many time does O'Brien think is enough to use the same sentence - word for word!? I can't remember the last time I read something so badly written!

There was a moment that's going to haunt me forever,. Something like "It was raining and she decided to go to a store. Of course, she had her phone with her. But she also had an umbrella". WHAT!? What is that! Is she going to turn into Mary Poppins and fly away! What's the importance of this all!???

I don't know, man. It was a pain. I have a lot more to say, but I don't want to spend any more time on this joke of a story.
Profile Image for Maggie61.
784 reviews3 followers
August 9, 2021
It pains me to give one of Kevin O’Brien’s books a 3 star as I love his books, but this one just didn’t do it for me. I am all for twists and turns in books but this one felt all over the place and seemed to go on a lot longer than it needed to. And the motive just seemed a little ridiculous and flat. I will still read his books because for the most part, I love them. This one was just a one off.
Profile Image for Rick.
Author 118 books1,046 followers
October 26, 2021
This is one of O'Brien's best and I've read almost everything he's written. You need a healthy suspension of disbelief, but if you get past some of the implausibilities, you'll be rewarded with a gripping read that's very hard to put down.
13 reviews
September 14, 2021
2.5⭐️ This book was all over the place & it dragged on. It’s a shame bc it had potential in the beginning
Profile Image for Carla.
7,616 reviews179 followers
August 28, 2025
In The Night She Disappeared, we meet TV reporter Anna Malone. Anna meets a doctor, Russ Knoll, at an event and they hit it off well. They begin to have a relationship, without her knowing that he is a married man. She invites him to a dinner, but he declines saying that he has other plans. What he didn't know was that they would be attending the same dinner. That's when Anna finds out that he is married. Not just married, but married to a best selling author who wants Anna to do a feature on her. Courtney is a driven woman, one who wants to beat all odds to succeed, and it looks like she will do that, despite being deaf. Anna and Courtney meet up a few times for Anna to do the story and they even go out to celebrate when it is over. That is the last night anyone sees her. When she misses a book signing, Russ calls the police and reports her missing. A police investigation begins and it comes out that Anna and Russ are having an affair. Anna takes a leave of absence, but a tabloid TV show picks up on the affair and begins a series of shows smearing Anna. Sally has it out for Anna and her shows are quite sensational. Her daughter is not happy with what she is doing, so calls Anna to tell her what is coming up. Anna is sure she had nothing to do with Courtney's disappearance, but she was very drunk, and can't remember the whole evening. Did Anna do something to Courtney? Did Russ?

I enjoyed this mystery/thriller and was invested in what happened to Courtney. I liked Anna and felt bad for her. Not only did Russ tell her he was married initially, but the hatchet job Sally was doing seemed unwarranted. She really couldn't remember parts of the evening and it was almost as if she had been drugged? Who might have done that. Russ seemed like someone that couldn't be trusted. I didn't like him much, not only because he was cheating on his wife and lying to his mistress, but because I didn't believe anything he said. I was sure he had something to do with Courtney's disappearance. Other characters played important roles in the story, and some were just a distraction, but I was interested in how they might be involved. The story moves quickly and kept me guessing throughout. For a smart woman, Anna made some questionable decisions along the way. With someone else disappearing, Courtney's body being found, and Anna under suspicion, I raced to the end to see who was behind the whole thing kidnapping/murder and whether Anna would survive. A great thriller that I enjoyed. I will definitely be reading some other Kevin O'Brien books that are on my shelves at home. Kyle Tait narrates this story and does a great job with the story. He doesn't really do voices, but uses tone, pacing and expression to add the tension to this book.
Profile Image for Joan Hall.
Author 14 books57 followers
May 30, 2021
Mixed feelings about this one…

Anna Malone is a popular news reporter for a Seattle news station. She’s more or less forced into doing a show featuring local author Courtney Knoll, who is deaf. The problem? Anna has been seeing Courtney’s husband, pediatrician Dr. Russ Knoll, for the past eighteen months.

Russ has promised Anna his marriage to Courtney is over. But is it?

Courtney is conniving and she uses people to further her career and gain attention. She also uses to disability to garner sympathy. The night before the interview is scheduled to air, Courtney insists on Anna, Russ, and herself going out to dinner together. She immediately begins ordering drinks for Anna, who overindulges, then proceeds to drop hints that she’ll never leave Russ and that she knows about his affair with Anna.

Anna wakes up the following morning with the hangover from hell and unable to remember anything after they left the restaurant. When Courtney disappears and presumed dead, Anna struggles to remember what happened.

Throw in a cast of characters—Anna’s cameraman George and his neurotic wife. Sally Justice, a rival talk show host who is determined to cast blame for Courtney’s disappearance and possible murder upon Anna and Russ. There’s Sally’s daughter, Taylor. Anna’s long-lost brother turns up.
Coupled with the fact someone had been stalking her in the months prior, it’s hard to tell who’s to blame.

This one kept me guessing until near the end. The storyline is compelling, the plot well done. However, I have a couple of issues.

I had a hard time relating to Anna. Who would like the “other woman” even though Courtney was manipulative? I also didn’t like the fact Anna kept so many secrets from the police, but when you’re hiding a secret like she is, it’s understandable. I thought she’d redeemed herself, but in the end, I wondered.

I also thought things wrapped up a little too conveniently and a bit unsatisfactory for me. No matter what my feelings were toward Anna, Courtney ended up smelling like a rose.

This was my first time to read anything by Kevin O’Brien, but I’m not opposed to reading some of his other works.

Thanks to Kensington Books and Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Profile Image for Kathy .
3,805 reviews3 followers
July 30, 2021
4.5 stars.

The Night She Disappeared by Kevin O'Brien is an intriguing mystery with plenty of suspense.

Seattle TV Reporter Anna Malone is relieved her current project is almost over. She has been working on a segment starring young adult author Courtney Knoll. Working with her has been very uncomfortable but Anna cannot say no to Courtney’s dinner invitation. Anna dreads the upcoming evening and her dread turns to shock when she sees Courtney’s pediatrician husband Russ at the table.

Anna has nothing against Russ but the last thing she wants to do is spend an evening with the man she has been dating and his wife. Drinking way more than she is used to, Anna has no memory of most of the previous night when she learns Courtney has gone missing. Then Anna notices someone is following her and she begins receiving menacing phone calls. What has happened to Courtney? And why can’t Anna remember what happened the night before?

Anna is a popular reporter without any close immediate family. Both her parents are deceased and her older brother Stuart has been missing for several years. She has never had a serious relationship until she meets Russ. Anna trusts Russ’s assertions his marriage is over but doubts creep in after she begins working with Courtney. Relieved the filming is finally over, Anna is surprised by her videographer George Danziger’s observations about the things he noticed when the two women were working together.

Anna does not agree with Russ’s suggestions about how she should deal with Courtney’s inexplicable disappearance. Anna does hold a few things back when she is questioned by police. However, she does not believe these details have any bearing on why Courtney has vanished. But Anna continues to be troubled by some of her choices and she then makes another decision she soon comes to regret.

The Night She Disappeared is a clever whodunit that is fast-paced and engaging. The storyline is well-written and filled with unexpected twists and turns. Despite her affair, Anna is a likable woman who is a little naïve. The various settings spring vividly to life and one place in particular eventually plays a pivotal role in current events. With plenty of tension, Kevin O'Brien brings this suspenseful mystery to an unanticipated conclusion.
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