Grace Is Gone

By Emily Elgar, Sphere, £16.99

Truth is often stranger than fiction and once you’ve read Grace Is Gone, you will understand just how true this rings.

Grace Is Gone is inspired by the mind-boggling true case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard. If you don’t know the case then it’s best not to look into it before reading this but even if you are familiar with it, rest assured it doesn’t detract too much from the thrill of the story. Either way, this is a thriller worth investing time in.

Meg and her sick daughter, Grace, are at the centre of their community, so it horrifies the town of Ashford when Megan is found brutally murdered and Grace is missing.

Everybody is desperate to find Grace but none more so than Jon, a disgraced journalist, and Cara, Grace’s neighbour, who both think there may be more to the story than what people think. In a desperate bid to save Grace before it’s too late, Jon and Cara soon discover that seeking the truth comes with a cost.

Before you start Grace Is Gone, make sure you have a decent amount of time to devote to it, as it’s the type of book that is hard to put down. The novel delivers an intense, shocking plot which will leave you with more than a few ethical dilemmas to ponder.

The pace of the story is something Elgar excels in, as it moves along at the right speed to keep the reader hooked without being at the expense of the build up of tension. This is only Elgar’s second novel but one could be forgiven for mistaking her for a more seasoned writer, as there’s an impressive confidence and maturity to her writing.

It’s always tricky for any writer to handle work which has its premise borrowed from true events but Elgar expertly blends the line between fact and fiction.

The subject matter is emotionally charged so it is quite distressing, but Elgar handles everything respectfully, keeping the premise of the story similar to the case that inspired it without cheapening it in the process of creating a gripping read. In that sense, Elgar does very well although, having known the case beforehand, it would have been slightly more satisfying if there had been a few unexpected twists, as it does mirror the true story so closely.

Nonetheless, this is a great read which I hope will garner the attention it deserves.

Review by Emma Reekie. 8/10