Imagine hopping next door one day to deliver a package of used clothing to your neighbours, only to find one of them brutally murdered and her teenage, disabled daughter missing. That’s the premise of the new novel by Emily Elgar, Grace Is Gone, and it’s a page-turner that will keep your imagination running from start to finish.

Grace Is Gone is told from three perspectives. The first is from the viewpoint of Cara, a young woman who discovers the brutal crime. She met her neighbours when she was younger, and even befriended Grace, a young, disabled girl who is taken care of by her mother Meg. While the age difference between her and Grace caused them to grow apart, Cara still looks at her as a younger sister she never had. Cara becomes determined to solve the case and find Grace before it’s too late, which leads her to Jon. Jon is a disgraced journalist who wants nothing more than to reclaim his career and his family, yet his obsession with Meg and Grace may cloud his judgement and prevent him from doing either. Jon and Cara have Grace’s journal however, and by reading her point of view they hope to get some insight into who has taken her and where she has gone. 

When you start reading Grace is Gone you quickly feel like you’ve read the same thing plenty of times before, and most likely you have. After all it has a murder, a kidnapping, a nosey, down-on-their-luck character and an optimistic young character who will do anything to save their friend. That’s where the similarities end though. Grace is Gone gives you the impression very early on that things aren’t what they seem, and it drives you to keep reading. As each clue drops you want to find out what comes next. While neither of the main characters are very unique or interesting, the story is complex and entertaining. It’s by far a very plot driven novel, which makes sense considering it is based on a real-life story. The only thing that is disappointing about the novel is the epilogue, which wasn’t needed. The story could very easily have ended after the final chapter, which would have been more satisfying than Elgar attempting to wrap everything up the way she did. 

Grace is Gone is a fun, thrilling, entertaining read, and one you won’t be disappointed picking up. It’s available today at bookstores everywhere.