In The Night She Vanished, Wendy Dranfield spins a thrilling and captivating tale featuring both a cold and current missing person case. This is my first experience with the author’s work and I plan for it not to be my last.
Title: The Night She Vanished
Author(s): Wendy Dranfield
Published by Bookouture on March 14, 2023
Pages: 389
Genre(s): Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Source: Netgalley
Format: eArc 
Purchase: Amazon|Audiobooks.com
Rating: 
My parents seem to be the perfect couple. But no one knows what I know…
Everyone in the small Midwestern town of Henderson looks up to my perfect parents. With dependable jobs as a midwife and the town sheriff, they help this close-knit community feel safe. But the locals didn’t grow up in my parents’ house. They don’t know what I know. And they wouldn’t believe me if I told them…
After my best friend vanished when we were just fifteen, I left town and never looked back. I couldn’t prove it, but I think my parents killed her.
Now, years later, my little sister has vanished. I have no choice but to go home and play happy families again. Because I have to find out what my parents have done to her. I have to try to save her.
But when bones are discovered on a local farm, and all the evidence leads back to our front door, I realize I was wrong about absolutely everything. And that coming back was the deadliest thing I could do…
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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The Night She Vanished introduces Nicole Rivers. Nicole was spending the day with her husband Lucas when she received a chilling phone call from her parents. Her sister Aimee is missing. Hearing this news brings back the terrifying memory of her best friend, who went missing and whose body was never found. Nicole’s belief of her parents’ involvement in her friend’s disappearance led to her distancing herself physically and emotionally from them. Desperate for information about her sister, Nicole returns home where she’s forced to confront the past.
The story moved between the past and the present, providing readers with information relating to both missing persons cases. As the story unfolds the link between the disappearances of both girls became apparent. Dranfield delivered a story filled with twists after twists and where secrets from the past tumble into the present. The twists, turns and secrets keep readers guessing until the end. The wide suspect pool made it difficult to determine the guilty party. Each of the suspects harbored secrets heightening the suspense and danger.
Although not a fan of the characters’ behaviour, they acted in true form given the situation. In addition to the mystery, the story delivered some dramatic moments. Some of which called for eye rolling and shaking head moments.
Overall, The Night She Vanished delivered an intense and addictive thriller filled with twists, turns and jaw dropping reveals. The story demonstrates what happens when secrets from the past come to light and the ripple effect it has on a family and, by extension, an entire community.
About Wendy Dranfield
Wendy is the bestselling author of the Detective Madison Harper crime series. She is a former coroner’s assistant turned crime writer who writes a mixture of standalone thrillers, crime series and short stories. Some of her books have been shortlisted for various writing competitions and awards, including the Mslexia novel writing competition and the International Thriller Writer Awards.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
The set up sure makes one want to find out what happened in the past and with her sister in the present.
I love a good twist and this sounds really good.
Ooo this sounds suspenseful and has me wanting to know more!
This totally sounds like my jam
Another lovely review, Nadene. I like a book with a lot of twists and turns