Publisher's Weekly Review
Hannah Monroe, the narrator of Torjussen's strong debut, is flush with the promise of a much-earned promotion at her accounting firm and eager to share the news with her live-in boyfriend of four years, Matt Stone. But when she returns to her house near Liverpool from a training course in Oxford, Matt isn't there, and all his belongings have disappeared with him. Bewildered and devastated, Hannah discovers that Matt's phone number has been deleted from her phone and that he's even left his job. She turns for comfort to her best friend, Katie, who tries to persuade her to move on, but all Hannah wants to do is find Matt and confront him. Soon she begins receiving strange texts and suspects that someone is entering her house. As Hannah falls apart and her work suffers, readers realize that not all is at it seems. The deliciously dark conclusion is perfect for this tale of all-consuming obsession, jealousy, and the secrets that lie beneath the most perfect of exteriors. Agent: Kate Burke, Diane Banks Associates (U.K.). (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Kirkus Review
When her boyfriend disappears, his belongings in tow, a Liverpool woman pulls out all the stops to find him, dismantling her own life in the process.Hannah Monroe's life couldn't be better. She has a great job as an accountant, with a possible promotion on the horizon, and an equally prized boyfriend, architect Matt Stone. But then it's gone, with Matt vanishing one night after work, taking everything he owns with him. Hannah, with her self-centered personality and lack of empathy, garners little if any sympathy from the reader. Torjussen tries to make Hannah's dual reactions of pining and searching aimlessly either resonant or nonrepetitive but fails. Matt's presence is not only wiped clean from the househe took everything from his jazz posters to his ugly mugsbut he erased himself from social media as well. While it's clear that a sense of foreboding should be building for the reader as it mounts for the frantic Hannah, instead what's kindled is a curious lack of emotional connection. Hannah's best friend, Katie, tries to tell Hannahwho's slowly losing it at work as she spends hours Googling Matt and possible leads regarding his whereaboutsto move on, but Hannah won't have it, especially when she starts receiving cryptic texts and is sure someone is lurking in the house. Sometimes a missing person should stay missing, for the benefit of the story and the reader. This is one of those times. The reveal, when it finally comes, is less revelatory than cheap, an attempt to breathe dramatic life into a story that sorely lacks it. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Imagine returning home from work to discover your partner missing along with every remnant of your time together. Hannah Monroe enjoys a successful career and shares her life with her boyfriend of four years. One day, she arrives home from a class to discover he has disappeared and every trace of him has been wiped out of her house, as if he never existed. Desperate for answers, Hannah searches every available avenue to find him, neglecting every other part of her life. Gradually, her no-nonsense, level-headed approach to things frays away as her work suffers, and she begins to question her sanity when confronted with evidence that someone has been in her house while she was away. Torjussen's debut will keep readers on the edges of their seats as they delve into Hannah's troubled mind, undertaking a painful journey through her past that leads up to a heartbreaking conclusion. Readers will be absorbed in this hard look at human nature and the lengths we will go to protect what we feel is ours.--Rasak, Carrie Copyright 2017 Booklist
Library Journal Review
[DEBUT] Hannah's on the fast track to success. She's about to be named director of the accounting firm where she works, and she can't wait to tell her boyfriend Matt. But when Hannah gets home, Matt isn't there and doesn't return that night. In fact, he seems to have vanished into thin air, and all traces of their life together have disappeared as well. Empty spots where photos used to hang on the wall, deleted text messages, scrubbed voice mails, and even his social media accounts have been erased. With her own hopes and dreams on the line, Hannah fights to make sense of her new reality even as the awful truth begins to unravel. Verdict Torjussen's debut novel combines tightly wound suspense with an unfolding surprise ending, making for a gripping page-turner from start to finish. Fans of Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl and Alafair Burke's If You Were Here will love this.-Cynthia Price, Francis Marion Univ. Lib., Florence, SC © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.