Impressions
Gone Missing in One Night by Joan Borthwick is a sharp, unsettling psychological thriller that gripped me from the first page. It starts with a simple but haunting scene—Sarah sees a woman being led away against her will outside a bar, and no one else seems to notice or care. That moral unease drives the whole book, and I found myself pulled right into Sarah’s growing obsession and guilt.
What I enjoyed was how tight and focused the story felt. There’s no wasted space—every scene moves the plot forward, and the tension never really lets up. Sarah isn’t a perfect heroine; she’s anxious, impulsive, sometimes frustrating—but in a way that felt real. You understand why this one night won't let her go.
The pacing is fast but never rushed. I finished it in just under a day and appreciated how it didn’t drag or overcomplicate things. It reminded me a bit of the atmosphere in The Girl on the Train or Before I Go to Sleep—that creeping feeling that reality might be less reliable than it seems.
The ending worked for me, though it wasn't a massive twist—more a slow, disturbing reveal that ties everything together. Some readers might want more dramatic fireworks, but I thought the quieter payoff made it feel more grounded and disturbing. This was an excellent novel. Looking forward to reading more from this author.
