Synopsis:
22 Northwood Drive has been all but empty since the disappearance of Eliza Phillips ten years ago.
Now Tessa Whiting and her 11-year-old son have moved in. And almost from day one, Tessa can tell something isn’t right. Noises in the night. Strange marks on the windows. An intruder who seems determined to get inside.
Surely these strange goings on can’t be linked to what happened to Eliza Phillips? Having upped and left her previous life so quickly, Tessa can think of other people – one person in particular – who might be very interested in where she is.
And yet… she can’t stop thinking about the fate of young Eliza. The more she delves into the mystery, the more she learns that the girl wasn’t safe.
And neither is Tessa…
An unsettling and addictive psychological thriller which will have you on the edge of your seat. Readers who like Frieda McFadden, Valerie Keogh and Keri Beevis will LOVE And Then She Was Gone.
Praise for J. A. Baker:
“A dark and twisting thrill ride that asks the question: how well do you really know your parents? It kept me hooked until the final page!” Bestselling author M.A. Hunter
“A dark and twisty thriller that keep you guessing at the truth, The Perfect Parents is an addictive read!” Bestselling author Alison Stockham
“This captivating pacy thriller sucks you in from the first page and spits you out at the last! I thought I’d worked it out, but no… the twists kept coming and the final reveal is a heartbreaker” Bestselling author Ruby Speechley
“Intensely compelling, with so many twists I didn’t see coming!’ Bestselling author, Alex Stone
Shop The Book: And Then She Was Gone
Shop The Author: J.A.Baker
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This book was creepy right from the beginning. We enter the story knowing that something terrible happened years ago, and that Tessa moving into this house is going to be tied to it. She’ll either uncover a big secret or get pulled into something very dangerous herself. The thriller vibes are there from the very first page.
If you moved into a house where a girl had disappeared ten years ago, would you dig into what happened or try your best not to know?
The Story
Ten years ago, Eliza Phillips disappeared, and 22 Northwood Drive has sat almost empty ever since. Now Tessa Whiting and her 11-year-old son have moved in. Almost immediately, Tessa senses something isn’t right: noises in the night, strange marks on the windows, and an intruder who seems determined to get inside. Having left her old life behind in a hurry, Tessa knows there’s one person in particular who might want to find her. But she can’t stop thinking about Eliza, and the more she digs, the more she learns that Eliza wasn’t safe. And neither is Tessa.
Reading Experience
It was such an interesting reading experience. Tessa is hoping for a fresh start in this new house, and that’s not even close to what she gets. Nothing about the house is comforting. It’s scary, strange things keep happening, and there’s a mystery hiding underneath it all.
Then we get flashbacks to Eliza ten years ago, and her disappearance slowly unfolds through them. That means we, the readers, get a firsthand look at what happened and know far more than Tessa, who is struggling to put the pieces together and figure out how her house is involved. I always find it fascinating when the reader knows more than the main character.
Writing Style
This is a dark, twisty psychological thriller, with lots of secrets and different people’s stories and paths all weaving together. For me, everyone felt just a little too connected, and the story started to wrap up a bit too neatly. That said, I think that’s J A Baker’s style. Her characters all have a role in the main plot rather than just existing on the sidelines.
Characters
Tessa is carrying a traumatic history, and even as she tries to leave it behind, she brings all of that fear and pain with her. In this house, she never feels safe, and she doesn’t really know anything. That uncertainty makes her such a tense character to follow.
Final Thoughts
This was a captivating, dark, and twisty read. There were definitely twists at the end I didn’t see coming. Just when the ending felt like it was getting a little too neat and tidy, one final twist salvaged it and left things messy and creepy in the best way.
ARC provided via Boldwood Books and NetGalley. All thoughts are my own.
J.A. BAKER was born and brought up on Teesside and has had a love of language for as long as she can remember.
After working in the education sector for over twenty five years, she retired to focus on writing and looking after her grandchildren. When she isn’t writing or doing the school run, she enjoys partaking in coffee and cake and reading many genres of books but especially enjoys psychological thrillers.
Her 23rd book is due out in October.
She has four grown-up children, five grandchildren, and lives in a village near Darlington in the UK with her husband and Border Collie, Theo.
You find out more about J.A.Baker by following her on social media. She welcomes hearing from readers.
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