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WORK TITLE: Last Seen Alive
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
CITY: Bath
STATE:
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
NATIONALITY: British
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: two.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and journalist.
AWARDS:Marie Claire Debut Novel Award, 2013, for The Sisters.
WRITINGS
Author of the novella The Text, 2017.
SIDELIGHTS
Claire Douglas is a British writer and journalist. She has contributed feature articles to a number of women’s magazines and newspapers for fifteen years before she decided to turn her attention to writing novels. After winning Marie Claire’s Debut Novel Award, Douglas received enough encouragement to continue writing novels.
The Sisters and Local Girl Missing
Douglas published her first novel, The Sisters, in 2015. Abi Cavendish moves to Bath from London after the death of her twin sister, Lucy, where she attaches herself to Beatrice. Beatrice, who resembles Lucy, appreciates Abi’s friendship and brings her into her bohemian lifestyle of living in an old house full of artists. But when Abi becomes the object of the pranks of her new roommates and her sister’s letters go missing, she realizes this new life was not as good as she had imagined. A contributor to Publishers Weekly observed that the plot of the novel “sags at times, stretching credibility with a fast-arriving fleet of characters who look exactly like other characters.”
Douglas’s second novel is Local Girl Missing. Sophie Collier disappeared in 1997 at the age of twenty-one and is now presumed dead. In 2016, her brother, Daniel, reconnects with Sophie’s best friend, Frankie, and encourages her to return to Oldcliffe to help police piece together her last-known living moments. Reluctantly, Frankie returns, only to be haunted by a woman who resembles Sophie and starts receiving notes about the pair’s dark secret.
A contributor to Publishers Weekly suggested that “only a problematic portrayal of mental illness undercuts this atmospheric, twist-filled thriller.” A contributor reviewing the novel in the Book Mood Reviews website stated: “A well structured thriller which leaves you doubting everyone and everything, this book explores the effects of a disappearance and potential murder on the residents of a small seaside town. It demonstrates that even after twenty years the past can still catch up with you, and that such secrets can never stay hidden. With a somewhat unreliable narrator and an exciting series of plot twists, this is a thriller to put straight onto your reading pile.” The same reviewer pointed out that “all of the loose ends were tied up by close of play, making this a tightly structured thriller.”
Last Seen Alive
In the novel Last Seen Alive, Douglas centers on the newlywed couple Libby and Jamie and their troubles. Libby miscarries after a fire at her school. Added to their financial problems, this just adds to the tension in their relationship. Deciding to shake things up and leave London for a vacation, they agree to a house swap in Cornwall. There, however, Libby discovers surveillance equipment in the house and a stranger on the property. When Jamie falls ill and their dog digs up a bloody corset in the yard, they quickly return to London to discover that vengeance is the motive behind the house swap offer.
A contributor to Publishers Weekly reasoned that “with its forced twists and loosely drawn conclusions, this tale falls short of its potential.” Booklist contributor Henrietta Verma claimed that “readers will be rapidly and deeply drawn into the maelstrom of fear in which Libby feels trapped.” Writing on the Criminal Element website, Gabino Iglesias summarized that “Last Seen Alive is a psychological thriller that explores budding friendship, the nature of love when it’s built on lies, and the way things like vengeance or the desire to escape a bad situation can drive people to do despicable things. The beauty of this novel lies in Douglas’s talent for quick buildups and escalating reveals. The reader starts knowing almost everything and eventually realizes nothing is right, nothing is true, and all hints lead to deeper, darker, more complicated lies.” Iglesias called it a “taut, gripping novel.”
A contributor to the Jenny in Neverland website admitted: “I’ve not been completely and utterly and fully engrossed in a book to the point where I need to read it at ever spare second I have in a long time (probably since I read The Sisters actually!) This book is so exciting, so, so exciting; it takes hold and twists you and turns you until you have no idea who to believe, what to think or what on Earth might happen next. Because anything could.” A contributor to the Debbish Dotcom website shared: “I enjoyed this novel of suspense, but it also frustrated me. I think readers kinda guess what’s happened just before Douglas tells us. But the twist isn’t as simple as we initially expect so there are complications thrown in.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, May 1, 2018, Henrietta Verma, review of Last Seen Alive, p. 28.
Bookseller, January 19, 2017, Katherine Cowdrey, “Mushens Strikes First Six Figure Deal at New Agency for Claire Douglas.”
Publishers Weekly, March 21, 2016, review of The Sisters, p. 54; May 8, 2017, review of Local Girl Missing, p. 38; May 7, 2018, review of Last Seen Alive, p. 48.
ONLINE
Book Mood Reviews, http://bookmoodreviews.com/ (May 9, 2017), review of Local Girl Missing.
Criminal Element, https://www.criminalelement.com/ (June 24, 2018), Gabino Iglesias, review of Last Seen Alive.
Debbish Dotcom, https://www.debbish.com/ (July 24, 2017), review of Last Seen Alive.
Jenny in Neverland, https://jennyinneverland.com/ (July 30, 2017), review of Last Seen Alive.
Claire Douglas
Claire Douglas has worked as a journalist for fifteen years, writing features for women's magazines and newspapers, but she's dreamed of being a novelist since the age of seven. She finally got her wish after winning the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award for her first book, The Sisters, which became a bestseller. Local Girl Missing is her second novel. She lives in Bath with her husband and two children.
New Books
June 2018
(hardback)
Last Seen Alive
August 2018
(kindle)
Do Not Disturb
Novels
The Sisters (2015)
Local Girl Missing (2016)
Last Seen Alive (2017)
Do Not Disturb (2018)
Omnibus
The Grip Lit Collection (2016) (with Lili Anolik and Koren Zailckas)
Novellas
The Text (2017)
Claire Douglas has worked as a journalist for fifteen years, writing features for women’s magazines and newspapers, but she’s dreamed of being a novelist since the age of seven. She finally got her wish after winning Marie Claire’s Debut Novel Award for her first book, The Sisters, which became a bestseller. She lives in Bath, England, with her husband and two children.
Claire Douglas always wanted to write novels and, after many years of trying to get published, her dream came true when she won the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award in 2013 with THE SISTERS.
Her subsequent novels LOCAL GIRL MISSING and LAST SEEN ALIVE both reached the Sunday Times top ten bestsellers list and are published in over fifteen countries. Her fourth thriller, DO NOT DISTURB is due for release in August 2018.
You can find Claire on Twitter at @DougieClaire, instagram as clairedouglasauthor or visit her Facebook page clairedouglasauthor.
Mushens strikes first six figure deal at new agency for Claire Douglas
Published January 19, 2017 by Katherine Cowdrey
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Michael Joseph has acquired two new thrillers by Claire Douglas for six figures in what is also the first deal for Juliet Mushens at her new agency CaskieMushens.
Maxine Hitchcock, publishing director at Michael Joseph, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to The Perfect Guest and one other psychological thriller by Douglas from Mushens at CaskieMushens.
The Perfect Guest will be Douglas’s fourth book and will be published in summer 2018. The premise reads: "After the renovation of a guest house in the Brecon Beacons, Kirsty and her family open their doors to their first set of customers. But when one of the guests is found dead Kirsty's new way of life is threatened."
Douglas’s most recent title, Local Girl is Missing has sold over 100,000 copies in the UK, according to Mushens, and was a Sunday Times bestseller.
Mushens said: "Claire’s writing goes from strength to strength and I’ve been delighted by the success of Local Girl Missing: I’m confident that the Penguin team will build her even more with this new deal."
Hitchcock said: "We are utterly thrilled to have more Claire Douglas novels to look forward to. She is one of the most exciting authors to emerge in the psychological thriller genre and we believe will be one of the most enduring. Local Girl Missing was one of 2016's big success stories and we look forward to another bestseller this summer with Last Seen Alive, a truly addictive and heart-thumping read."
Last Seen Alive
Publishers Weekly. 265.19 (May 7, 2018): p48+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Last Seen Alive
Claire Douglas. Harper, $15.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-06-284317-3
The first nine months of marriage haven't been easy for teacher Libby Hall, the unreliable narrator of this disappointing psychological suspense novel from British author Douglas (Local Girl Missing). She and her husband, Jamie, have money issues. After a fire at Libby's school, she miscarries, putting further strain on their relationship. When a leaflet offering a house swap in Cornwall comes through the front door of their London apartment, they seize the chance to take a vacation. At the isolated seaside estate, Libby and Jamie reconnect, and Libby finally relaxes--until she finds a stranger in the garden and hidden surveillance equipment in the house, leaving her wondering whether the couple who own the house are too good to be true. When Jamie gets mysteriously ill, and their dog uncovers a bloody corset in the yard, they flee back to their apartment. There, Libby learns the truth: someone from her secret past is back for revenge. With its forced twists and loosely drawn conclusions, this tale falls short of its potential. Agent: Juliet Mushens, Agency Group (U.K.). (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Last Seen Alive." Publishers Weekly, 7 May 2018, p. 48+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A538858671/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=fbe06c34. Accessed 22 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A538858671
Last Seen Alive
Henrietta Verma
Booklist. 114.17 (May 1, 2018): p28.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Last Seen Alive.
By Claire Douglas.
July 2018. 336p. Harper, paper, $15.99 (9780062843173).
In part one of this nail-biter, Douglas (Local Girl Missing, 2017) introduces Libby and Jamie, a couple going through difficulties-- they have just endured a miscarriage and a frightening fire at Libby's teaching job. Libby is understandably on edge, but she's tired of being told to get into therapy, and, when the chance comes to leave their poky apartment for a house swap in the English countryside, the couple jumps at it. From the start of the vacation, however, things are creepy, and Libby becomes increasingly paranoid that someone will cause them harm. In the second half of the book, which is less intense, the reasons for the sinister events come to light, with lies and deceit laid bare ahead of an unpredictable and satisfying conclusion. Readers will be rapidly and deeply drawn into the maelstrom of fear in which Libby feels trapped; Douglas also excels at turning everyday travails and family squabbles into compelling drama. The malevolent house swap makes this uniquely scary, so readalikes don't quickly suggest themselves, but try this with Gillian Flynn fans.--Henrietta Verma
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Verma, Henrietta. "Last Seen Alive." Booklist, 1 May 2018, p. 28. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A539647224/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5c98f384. Accessed 22 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A539647224
Local Girl Missing
Publishers Weekly. 264.19 (May 8, 2017): p38.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Local Girl Missing
Claire Douglas. Harper, $15.99 trade paper
(352p) ISBN 978-0-06-266115-9
Sophie Collier, the victim in British author Douglas's absorbing second novel (after 2016's The Sisters), vanished from a decrepit pier at Oldcliffe-on-Sea in 1997 at age 21 and is presumed dead. In 2016, Sophie's brother, Daniel, calls her best friend, Francesca "Frankie" Howe Bloom--now a successful hotelier in London--and says his sister's remains have been discovered. Suspecting murder, he persuades Frankie, despite her initial reluctance, to return to Oldcliffe and help him reconstruct Sophie's last night, when she fled from a local nightclub after a fight with her boyfriend. Back in the seaside town, Frankie becomes increasingly fearful when she keeps seeing a woman who resembles Sophie and comes across notes referencing a dark secret the two friends once shared. The suspense grows as Frankie in the present and Sophie in the past alternate sometimes conflicting first-person narratives. Only a problematic portrayal of mental illness undercuts this atmospheric, twist-filled thriller. Agent: Juliet Mushens, Agency Group (U.K.). (July)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Local Girl Missing." Publishers Weekly, 8 May 2017, p. 38. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A491949063/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=284d70dc. Accessed 22 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A491949063
The Sisters
Publishers Weekly. 263.12 (Mar. 21, 2016): p54.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
The Sisters
Claire Douglas. Harper, $15.99 trade paper (384p) ISBN 978-0-00-816331-0
British author Douglas's debut thriller, the winner of the Marie Claire Debut Novel Award, probes the complex emotional landscape of female friendship. Dazed with guilt and grief from the recent death of her twin sister, Lucy, Abi Cavendish moves from London to Bath and latches on to the charming, mercurial Beatrice, a stranger who resembles Lucy. Beatrice craves friendship as intensely as Abi does, quickly inviting her into the opulent Georgian house she shares with a flock of glamorous artists as well as her handsome brother, Ben. Yet the pleasures of this bohemian life--and a growing flirtation with Ben--sour for Abi when precious letters from her sister disappear and she becomes the target of vicious pranks. The reader flips between Bea's and Abi's perspective, each voice eliciting both sympathy and doubt. The plot sags at times, stretching credibility with a fast-arriving fleet of characters who look exactly like other characters (casting the movie will be easy), building toward a slightly overwrought ending leavened by the tang of psychological ambiguity. Agent: Juliet Mushens, Agency Group (U.K.). (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Sisters." Publishers Weekly, 21 Mar. 2016, p. 54. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A447932061/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=56723e02. Accessed 22 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A447932061
Review: Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas
By Gabino Iglesias
Last Seen Alive
Claire Douglas
June 24, 2018
Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas is a riveting novel of psychological suspense about one woman who is trapped in the death-grip of the past—and every one of its dark secrets.
Claire Douglas’s Last Seen Alive is a unique thriller that stands above most other contemporary novels in that genre. While it plays within the constraints imposed by the genre, it also focuses on elements that make it a bit different. A couple of female narrators, a creepy first act that could easily be marketed as a horror novel, and antagonistic characters who cannot claim superior moral ground over each other are just three of the main elements that make this a must-read novel for fans of thrillers and for readers who like to see sharp explorations of the darkest corners of human behavior.
Libby Hall has taken a few hits recently and is in desperate need of a vacation, even if her financial situation won’t permit it. Luckily, she sees a note for a house swap, and the place sounds exactly like what she and her husband, Jamie, need after suffering through a miscarriage and surviving an incident at school where Libby had to save a child from a fire. The house they will swap with belongs to the Heywoods, a rich couple that urgently needs a place in Bath while their daughter is in the hospital. The swap turns out to be in favor of the Halls, as the place they get is isolated, huge, has panoramic views, and is full of the excesses their dull two-bedroom apartment lacks.
However, there is something off about the place. Mr. Heywood seems to be into taxidermy and surveillance equipment, there is a strange man that keeps crossing through the property, and the Heywoods are a tad evasive whenever Libby calls them on the phone. Despite those things—and Libby’s creeping discomfort—the couple tries to relax and reconnect. But their plans are thwarted when Jamie falls ill and ends up having to stay at the local hospital. Left alone, Libby’s paranoia runs wild—and it soon seems more than just paranoia. There is a man they keep seeing, a man who almost caused an accident as the couple was sightseeing. Could any of it have to do with Libby’s past? What follows is a tense, eerie, emotionally gritty narrative about how the past has a way of catching up to the present and how lies that refuse to stay buried can shatter anything that’s built on top of them.
As mentioned above, there are three main elements that make this novel stand out. The first is that Douglas nails atmosphere. The reader knows Libby has been through a lot, but things keep happening, and her mood affects everything, filters every occurrence. The end result is an oppressive, overwrought atmosphere that permeates the entire narrative and frames the events very well. In fact, the atmosphere is so omnipresent that the story sometimes brushes up against the supernatural:
I stand in the doorway, assessing the room, wondering about the couple who have slept in our bed. I feel violated somehow, knowing they have stayed here, feeling as though our lovely flat, our sanctuary, has been tainted by something unseen, almost as though an unsavoury spirit has provided the place, changing the energy.
Another crucial element of Last Seen Alive is the dual female narrators. This point can’t be discussed without giving too much away, but the main point is this: Libby did some awful things in her past, and that past did not end the way she thought it did. When you carry on with your life convinced of something that isn’t real, the consequences can be disastrous, and Libby finds that out the hard way.
The way she learns is what makes up the best, most creepy and visceral portions of the novel. There is evil at work, but when that evil is punishing other evil deeds of the past, then the equation balances out. This balance makes Last Seen Alive a bizarre book in the sense that no moral superiority can be pointed to, thus eliminating the sense that there is a victim here. As Libby’s past is revealed, the character becomes multilayered: victim, criminal, innocent escapee, murderer. Once this multiplicity is revealed, the character morphs and the reader is forced to constantly reassess their feelings toward her—even when she’s in distress, which she is throughout the entire narrative:
I hardly sleep. Evelyn’s words spin around and around in my head, refusing to be dislodged, like a wayward sock in a washing machine. Every time a shadow passes across our roman blind, or the sound of a bin clatters in the street, I wake up with a start, my heart pounding, my nightwear clinging to my sweaty skin.
Last Seen Alive is a psychological thriller that explores budding friendship, the nature of love when it’s built on lies, and the way things like vengeance or the desire to escape a bad situation can drive people to do despicable things. The beauty of this novel lies in Douglas’s talent for quick buildups and escalating reveals. The reader starts knowing almost everything and eventually realizes nothing is right, nothing is true, and all hints lead to deeper, darker, more complicated lies. Readers who enjoy clever plot twists and complicated characters who morph into different beings after each revelation would be remiss to skip this taut, gripping novel.
Book Review: Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas
July 30, 2017by jennyinneverland
Format: Paperback, ARC
Links: Goodreads | Amazon UK
Blurb: She can run
Libby Hall needs to hide, to escape from everything for a while. Which is why the house swap is a godsend. The chance for Libby and her husband Jamie to exchange their tiny Bath flat for a beautiful haven on the wild Cornish coast.
But she can’t hide
But before they can begin to heal their fragile marriage, Libby makes some disturbing discoveries about the house. And soon the peace and isolation begin to feel threatening. How alone are they? Why does she feel watched?
Because someone knows her secret
What is Jamie hiding? Is Libby being paranoid? And why does the house bring back such terrible memories? Memories Libby’s worked hard to bury. Memories of the night she last saw her best friend alive… and what she did.
Review: At the beginning o the year I read my first Claire Douglas book, ‘The Sisters’. I was completely blown away and I didn’t think any of her other books could beat it. I was wrong. I was lucky enough to be sent a copy of Last Seen Alive – after some pestering – for review and it’s now firmly a book that sits on my “favourites” shelf on my bookcase. Only very, very, very, good books go on there – trust me! Last Seen Alive is about Libby and Jamie, a young couple who have had their fair share of shit but they get asked to do a house swap for a couple who need their flat to be near their daughter, who is currently ill in hospital. Libby and Jamie agree to the swap; the house they’re staying in in Cornwall is huge and a whole world away from their small flat so they embrace the house swap; both being in need of a holiday.
But they’re magical Cornish getaway starts turning sinister when Jamie gets poisoned, a man starts following them and clothing covered in blood starts showing up in the garden. They return home, thankful to be out of the house and back to normality – or are they? Things continue to happen long after they return home; money is stolen and accounts are opened in their name and parcels are being delivered that they never ordered. Then a man shows up dead in their garden. Who is it? Which one of their dark pasts is coming back to mess with them? And which one of them is lying?
I don’t know where to bloody start with this book. I was hooked from the first page; being familiar with Claire’s writing style from The Sisters, I knew I was going to get along with that aspect of the book. It’s incredibly easy to read, the flow is continuous and the language is made for extensively long reading periods in mind. All of that was top notch, pucker, job well done. But what got me is that at face value, this seemed like an eerie, kinda weird story where someone was telling some lies or had irritated someone else. Or maybe the people who’s house they were staying in weren’t entirely who they say they were? Something pretty standard Mystery / Thriller like that.
Nooooooooo. Holy crap, this book gets deep. Really, really deep in twists and turns and lies and deceit coming at you left, right and bloody centre. There was a moment where I was staring blankly at the page because I was so stunned with the twist I didn’t know or believe what I was reading! That never happens to me because (as I’ve said a bajillion times), I’ve read so many Thrillers, it takes a lot to shock me. I honestly don’t know how Claire kept up with her own story. At first the twist was a little confusing; but I think it was meant to be. It did take me a good chapter or 2 to actually get my head around what was going on and I love a book that makes you question your own sanity!
I think Claire’s forte with writing is her endings. I bloody loved the abrupt, questionable ending that makes you continue turning the pages to find out where the next chapter starts only to find it doesn’t. It’s so annoying and frustrating but I love it. It was very similar in style to The Sisters; both books I was left reeling because I don’t know what’s going to happen next (unless Claire writes a sequel) and it’s very much left a lot of questions unanswered and for you to think about after you put the book down. Claire has such a knack for writing Thriller; she encompasses what it takes for a book to be a true Thriller with all the elements you need.
This was the fastest book I’ve read probably all year and will definitely be in my top 10, top 5 books I’ve read in 2017. Which is a huge feat because this year for books has been incredible. I’ve not been completely and utterly and fully engrossed in a book to the point where I need to read it at ever spare second I have in a long time (probably since I read The Sisters actually!) This book is so exciting, so, so exciting; it takes hold and twists you and turns you until you have no idea who to believe, what to think or what on Earth might happen next. Because anything could. Claire knows what makes a good Thriller, she knows what keeps people holding on and Last Seen Alive has all of those elements. Cracking job Claire.
Book review: Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas
Monday, July 24, 2017 Permalink
Interestingly I thought this book was going to be about macabre domicile-related happenings when Libby and Jamie arrive in Cornwall for a house swap. And it is. Kinda. But though there’s a sense of menace around the amazing house they’ve briefly traded for their small flat, we soon learn their problems have little to do with where they’re living. Rather, they’re a result of who they are and what they’ve done. Cue dramatic music….
Last Seen Alive
by Claire Douglas
Published by Penguin
on July 13th 2017
Source: Penguin Random House Australia
Buy on Amazon
Buy iBook
Genres: Psychological Thriller, Thriller / Suspense
ISBN: 1405926422, 9781405926423
Pages: 400
Goodreads
Libby Hall never really wanted to be noticed. But after she saves the children in her care from a fire, she finds herself headline news. And horrified by the attention. It all reminds her of what happened nine years ago. The last time she saw her best friend alive.
Which is why the house swap is such a godsend. Libby and her husband Jamie exchange their flat in Bath for a beautiful, secluded house in Cornwall. It's a chance to heal their marriage - to stop its secrets tearing them apart.
But this stylish Cornish home isn't the getaway they'd hoped for. They make odd, even disturbing, discoveries in the house. It's so isolated-yet Libby doesn't feel entirely alone. As if she's being watched.
Is Libby being paranoid? What is her husband hiding? And. As the secrets and lies come tumbling out, is the past about to catch up with them?
I liked Libby. The Libby we know for most of this novel is a good person. She loves her husband but hides a lack of confidence and uncertainty she struggles to contain.
Jamie seems devoted but annoyingly oblivious to the way he exacerbates Libby’s insecurities. We learn that she’s now survived a couple of major incidents in her life and Jamie tries to be understanding but his patience is thinning and Libby feels unable to keep her fears under control.
This is another novel offering characters in many MANY shades of grey. Like I said, I liked Libby but, even early on, we’re privy to some contrasting behaviour… and the candle incident (for anyone who’s read the book) left me a little conflicted. And then there’s Jamie and his family and their ongoing relationship with Jamie’s ex-girlfriend who practically lives with them.
On top of that, there’s the whole messy history between Libby and the friend who perished in a fire in Thailand almost a decade earlier.
It’s hard to say too much about the characters and the types of people they are because it’ll reveal some of the books major twists.
There’s an interesting dilemma put forward in this book when it comes to sharing our secrets and telling the truth. I think most of us have a natural tendency to lie or abbreviate the truth: if it reflects badly on us; if it’s not hurting anyone else; and if it’s unlikely we’ll be found out. But that backfires spectacularly in this book and I can’t help but wonder if the person involved SHOULD have learned a lesson the first time around.
I enjoyed this novel of suspense, but it also frustrated me. I think readers kinda guess what’s happened just before Douglas tells us. But the twist isn’t as simple as we initially expect so there are complications thrown in and, though we later think things are resolved we’re never really sure justice is served or if – ultimately – karma lands where it should.
Last Seen Alive by Claire Douglas was published in Australia by Penguin Random House and is now available.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes.
BOOK REVIEW: Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas
May 9, 2017Rebecca
Local Girl Missing
By: Claire Douglas
Publisher: Penguin
Publication Date: 18 June 2016
Format: Ebook, 368 pages
Twenty years ago
21-year-old Sophie Collier vanishes one night.
She leaves nothing behind but a trainer on the old pier –
and a hole in the heart of her best friend Francesca.
Now
A body’s been found.
And Francesca’s drawn back to the seaside town she’s tried to forget.
Perhaps the truth of what happened to Sophie will finally come out.
Yet Francesca is beginning to wish she hadn’t returned.
Everywhere she turns are ghosts from her past.
The same old faces and familiar haunts of her youth.
But if someone knows what really happened to Sophie that night then now’s the time to find out – isn’t it? (Goodreads)
A novel about the limits you’d go to if your best friend had vanished, Local Girl Missing by Claire Douglas aims to explore how a small community is affected by the disappearance of one of its own.
Sophie Collier disappeared twenty years ago, with the local community believing that she fell off the old pier after trespassing one night. All that was found of her was a trainer and now, all these years later, a foot has washed up on the beach which is believed to be hers. This new discovery has led her brother, Daniel, to call our protagonist, Francesca. Frankie has moved on with her life and gone into the family hotel business, taking on a chief executive role following her father’s recent stroke. She has made something of her career, but her private life is in tatters as her husband left her for another woman when they struggled to conceive.
Frankie is reluctant to come back to the town, being uncomfortable with everyone knowing her business and tying her to the past she has tried to forget. However, she feels like she owes Daniel and packs a bag, wanting to honour the memory of her best friend. She tells him upfront that she will only stay for one week, knowing full well that he always harboured a crush on her when they were younger. Not that she is planning to take advantage, but Frankie would rather not be interviewing faces from the past, and also wants to keep her own secrets hidden.
Together, they consider who might have had a motive to harm Sophie and who might know something about her last movements. Of course, the police have already covered these lines of investigation when she first disappeared, so Frankie does not hold out much hope of finding any leads, and thinks Dan is chasing shadows. However, when Frankie becomes a victim of hateful messages and her car being egged, she becomes convinced that someone is following her and doesn’t want her to discover the truth. Could there actually be more to this mystery than Frankie had anticipated?
I enjoyed how this book explores the effects of the disappearance so many years down the line, as it reminds you that for those affected it can never be forgotten. This is particularly true of Daniel’s vehement desire to find the truth, frequently trying to encourage Frankie to stay in town and help him. She is hesitant to see old faces more than anything else, with everyone having judged her for coming from a wealthy family and believing her to be stuck up and spoilt. Even Daniel often refers to her as Lady Frankie, and it is a constant reminder that even after twenty years there are still those that know her past and that she can’t escape it, as much as she can’t escape the memory of Sophie.
I thought that Frankie was a somewhat contradictory character from the off, as she is always on the fence about whether or not they should be poking around in Sophie’s case or leaving well alone. If she loved her best friend as much as we are led to believe, shouldn’t she be more determined to find out the truth? It was elements like this that led me to be very unsure about Frankie’s narration and how much we could trust her, as she is more preoccupied with her own life and keeping her own secrets than she is about helping Daniel. At heart, she is incredibly selfish and manipulative, even if she doesn’t necessarily mean to be. For example, she has always known about Daniel’s crush on her, but it is only when he announces that he has someone that she takes more of an interest. It is as if the world can only revolve around her, and she cannot handle all this attention being dedicated to Sophie.
In dealing with Frankie and her mood swings, I thought Daniel had the patience of a saint and gave her a lot more credit than she really deserved. He is convinced that retracing their steps on that fateful night will lead them to the truth, and at the same time is prepared to protect Frankie from whoever has it out for her with the cryptic messages and vandalism. Even though he claims to have someone of his own, he still comes running whenever Frankie asks him to, and tries to pretend that he doesn’t feel anything for her anymore. However, even Daniel’s perfect brother routine grows suspicious, as Frankie starts doubting him and wondering whether he might also have some skeletons in his closet.
As this book continued I found that I started to doubt every character and saw lies and secrets everywhere, not knowing whose perspective to trust. This worked well in building up tension, but it was hard not having any sense of stability, especially when Frankie was quite a shaky narrator. I did think that the actual mystery was concealed very well up until the end, as I had not fully come to a conclusion about what had happened, and could not have anticipated the depth of events that occurred in the past. All of the loose ends were tied up by close of play, making this a tightly structured thriller from an author whose works I can’t wait to read more of.
VERDICT
A well structured thriller which leaves you doubting everyone and everything, this book explores the effects of a disappearance and potential murder on the residents of a small seaside town. It demonstrates that even after twenty years the past can still catch up with you, and that such secrets can never stay hidden. With a somewhat unreliable narrator and an exciting series of plot twists, this is a thriller to put straight onto your reading pile.