Gone by Rebecca Muddiman

Gone 
By Rebecca Muddiman
Published by Mulholland Books (27 August 2015)
ISBN: 978-1444791587

Publisher's description

250,000 people go missing in the UK every year.

91% of those reported to police are found within 48 hours.

99% of cases are solved within a year.

And 1% stay gone.

Troubled teenager Emma Thorley vanished without a trace eleven years ago.

But now a body has been found...

As news of the discovery travels, the past comes back to haunt all those involved, from the police to Emma's friends and enemies.

Because some secrets cannot be buried for ever...and some dangers never go away.

My verdict
Gone is a real page-turner and kept me intrigued all the way through.

The narrative switches between 11 years ago, when teenager Emma disappeared without a trace, and the present day, now that a body has been found. The book is realistic, gritty and tightly-plotted, with plenty of twists and turns and well-developed characters.

The book is packed full of social issues, such as prostitution, drugs, violence and teenage angst. It develops into a race between Lucas (a local drug dealer) and the police to put the jigsaw pieces together, to find out what happened to Emma all those years ago. But who is going to solve the puzzle first? This turned into an exciting cat and mouse game that I found difficult to put down.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through Bookbridgr in exchange for an honest review.