“And Now She’s Gone”

“And Now She’s Gone”

Rachel Howzell Hall

Reviewed by Diana Iozzia

For many years, I have gravitated towards psychological thrillers that have a female lead, because frankly, we do not get many female protagonists unless they’re in perilous situations. Am I enabling the genre for not expecting more from its authors, or am I embracing any chance at a female lead? Either way, the newest debut from Rachel Howzell Hall is presented to us in two perspectives: of Grayson Sykes and Mrs. Dyson. We soon find out how the two are connected, and how the connection will lead to the disappearance and search for Isabel Lincoln. Gray is hired by Isabel’s partner, Ian, but it soon becomes suspect that Isabel has fled on purpose, hoping to not be found.

Hall creates a dark abyss of deceit that Gray falls into, as she searches for the elusive Isabel. Furtive characters come out of the woodworks and reveal interesting clues about who Isabel may be and what her choices might mean. Eventually, we are led to an appealing and challenging climax that made the book worthwhile.

 

However, I felt that the execution of its plot, characters, prose, and dialogue did a disservice to those elements. Hall uses long-winded descriptions, common dialogue, far too large an ensemble, and many filler scenes that do not reveal enough detail about the story. I felt that the two major plots: Isabel’s disappearance and the truth behind Mrs. Dyson were too different and unnecessary to have both. I could see how the Mrs. Dyson plotline could tie into the backstory of Grayson, but it did not feel necessary to set it up as half of the plot. Two major plotlines with two major villains turned the book into a tiring reading experience for me.

 

One of the best things about this story is that it is written by a woman of color. Although the psychological thriller genre is dominated by white men and women, I was so grateful to spend more time reading from perspectives and experiences of black characters. In today’s climate, we have an obligation to read more diverse books and encourage budding black writers, so let’s start here. I fully plan to read other works by Hall that have been already written and more to come.

 

Due to my dislike for much of the writing style, I give this a three out of five stars. I still enjoyed the book for the most part, and I recommend it.

Thank you to Forge Reads at Tor Publicity for sending along a complimentary copy to read and review.