“Sara Foster has a unique ability to combine complicated, vulnerable, fascinating characters with riveting plots, and she excels at this in When She Was Gone. It’s a thrilling race-against-the-clock mystery about the disappearance of two girls and their nanny—but it turns out that those investigating the case have secrets they’d rather keep hidden too. Masterfully told, the stakes are high in this emotionally gripping and utterly unforgettable story. Don’t plan on getting anything else done once you start reading!” Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress
Description
Was she taken … or did she run?
The pulse-pounding new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of You Don’t Know Me
Rose was torn away from her daughter. Now she may be the only one who can save her.
Former London police officer Rose Campbell has been estranged from her daughter, Lou, for almost a decade. But when Lou disappears from a remote beach in Western Australia—and the police suspect her of kidnapping the two young children in her care—Rose is asked to help bring Lou home.
This is the final case in DSS Mal Blackwood’s illustrious career—and there’s a lot riding on it. The missing children are heirs to the Fisher property empire, and while their multimillionaire grandfather is breathing down Blackwood’s neck, the media storm is intensifying. Faced with a deluge of evidence and accusations, Blackwood doesn’t know who he can trust.
Rose arrives in Australia intent on proving her daughter’s innocence, but how can she be sure of that when she’s no longer part of Lou’s life? Meanwhile, as Blackwood begins to expose the Fishers’ secrets, the investigation takes a dark turn. Shadows of the past gather around the Fishers—and Rose—and soon it’s clear that every hour is critical. What has happened to Lou and the children? And can Rose and Blackwood find them in time?
Praise
“Sara Foster has a unique ability to combine complicated, vulnerable, fascinating characters with riveting plots, and she excels at this in When She Was Gone. It’s a thrilling race-against-the-clock mystery about the disappearance of two girls and their nanny—but it turns out that those investigating the case have secrets they’d rather keep hidden too. Masterfully told, the stakes are high in this emotionally gripping and utterly unforgettable story. Don’t plan on getting anything else done once you start reading!” Natasha Lester, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Seamstress
“Foster is back! When She Was Gone is a master class of suspense, an edge-of-your-seat story that kept me up all night.” Dervla McTiernan, bestselling author of What Happened to Nina? and The Ruin
“I was hooked from the first chapter: the characters were compelling, the pace was perfect, and the ending was satisfying, with a few twists I didn’t see coming. It’s a read-in-one-gulp story (my favorite kind) that kept me guessing until the end.” Kayte Nunn, bestselling author of The Only Child
“A chilling family saga about power, privilege, and revenge. Sara Foster at her spine-tingling best.” Tim Ayliffe, author of Killer Traitor Spy and The Enemy Within
“This was an incredibly fast-paced read. I felt like I was perched on the edge of a boat during a swift-water rescue, watching events unfold before my eyes in quick succession…Simple, unencumbered writing style. Nothing needless between the pages…Also: some heavy themes, handled with exquisite touch.” Lisa Kusel, author of The Widow on Dwyer Court
Details
| Language | English |
|---|---|
| Release Day | Mar 31, 2025 |
| Release Date | April 1, 2025 |
| Release Date Machine | 1743465600 |
| Imprint | Blackstone Publishing |
| Provider | Blackstone Publishing |
| Categories | Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Literature & Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Suspense, Crime Thrillers, Psychological |
Author Bio
Sara Foster was born and raised in England and moved to Australia in 2004. She has published six other novels: Come Back to Me, Beneath the Shadows, Shallow Breath, All That Is Lost Between Us, You Don’t Know Me, and The Hidden Hours. She lives near Perth, Western Australia, with her husband and two daughters, and is a doctoral candidate at Curtin University.
Overview
Was she taken … or did she run?
The pulse-pounding new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of You Don’t Know Me
Rose was torn away from her daughter. Now she may be the only one who can save her.
Former London police officer Rose Campbell has been estranged from her daughter, Lou, for almost a decade. But when Lou disappears from a remote beach in Western Australia—and the police suspect her of kidnapping the two young children in her care—Rose is asked to help bring Lou home.
This is the final case in DSS Mal Blackwood’s illustrious career—and there’s a lot riding on it. The missing children are heirs to the Fisher property empire, and while their multimillionaire grandfather is breathing down Blackwood’s neck, the media storm is intensifying. Faced with a deluge of evidence and accusations, Blackwood doesn’t know who he can trust.
Rose arrives in Australia intent on proving her daughter’s innocence, but how can she be sure of that when she’s no longer part of Lou’s life? Meanwhile, as Blackwood begins to expose the Fishers’ secrets, the investigation takes a dark turn. Shadows of the past gather around the Fishers—and Rose—and soon it’s clear that every hour is critical. What has happened to Lou and the children? And can Rose and Blackwood find them in time?