Review: And Now She's Gone - Rachel Howzell Hall

Review: And Now She's Gone - Rachel Howzell Hall - September 2020

I love being a reviewer as I get to read books months before the public's release and recently I was in the mood for a mystery and I had previously enjoyed Rachel's debut novel, so I was looking forward to And Now She's Gone. The book starts suspenseful with a character being on the run and we have dark SUVs. In the next chapter, we meet a group of girlfriends/ work colleagues who are part of the same P.I firm Rader Consulting. One of them Grayson Sykes has been given her first-ever missing-persons case and is so excited. For her though, this case is a bit personal as she was once like Isabel Lincoln. We learn throughout the novel about Grayson's past and then near the end, it looks like it has finally caught up with her eight years later. Normally missing person cases can be straightforward, but Isabel doesn't want to be found and has gone too long lengths to stay hidden and for Isabel - changing her name, etc, and running is a common thread in her life, this is by far her first rodeo. Soon Grayson will be running for her own life as she tries to track down the complex web and untangle to find out who is Isabel and why is she hiding? This book had lots of twists and turns and when Isabel's story comes unraveling at the end of the book - I have to admit I didn't see that coming and was in two minds with how the story the finished as it had a bit of an ending that reminded me of The Departed starring Leonardo DiCaprio - which I hated that ending, it made me angry and like that movie - the ending made me feel unresolved. Also, this particular book has a strong black character focus as well which is timely for the current state of events happening in the world. For those wanting a good intricate mystery, then this is the read for you and come September, don't forget to check out "And Now She's Gone" by Rachel Howzell Hall.