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A review by suspensethrill
And Now She's Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall
5.0
"That's us women: doing what we gotta do to survive. Anything to stay above ground for one more day."
I've sat here for days chewing on the meat of this story and appreciating all the ways that Rachel Howzell Hall didn't fall into the rut of today's mediocre crime fiction, and I still do not think I can do this book justice with my review. If you've been following my reviews here for awhile, then you know that I used to be a huge mystery/suspense/thriller junkie (hello, my name is The Suspense Is Thrilling Me), but over the past year I've consumed considerably less titles in those genres, mainly due to the watering down of plots and overly saturated market containing a multitude of look-alike tales. [b:And Now She's Gone|49247317|And Now She's Gone|Rachel Howzell Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585673162l/49247317._SY75_.jpg|71770048] is one of the most enjoyable, outstanding, and remarkable crime fiction novels I've devoured in quite some time, and if you enjoy character driven mysteries, I think you'll enjoy this one as well.
Alright, let's address the elephant in the room. "But Chelsea, this book is SO LONG." I hear you, except it's really not that long? Somehow, as a majority, we readers have steadily been losing the ability to focus on fiction longer than 300 pages. I'm not sure if it's the growing pressure of having to read ALL OF THE BOOKS and read them all immediately, or if we've been steadily conditioned by the shortening of novels and authors having to push out a book or two a year, but we tend to assume that long books are for fantasy readers and the birds. I'm here to tell you that it is ok to pick up long books in whatever vein you want, so hopefully you'll give this almost 400 page novel a chance. *Thank you for coming to my TED talk.*
Now, on to the book! Readers who enjoy changes between the present and past tense will love how complex [b:And Now She's Gone|49247317|And Now She's Gone|Rachel Howzell Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585673162l/49247317._SY75_.jpg|71770048]'s format is; we alter between Grayson Sykes in the present and her search for missing woman Isabel Lincoln and the past abusive relationship of Natalie Dixon by her husband Sean. To say anymore would delve into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say that both aspects are equally gripping and keep the story from having a stale feeling that can come with procedural type books. The beauty of this tale is that there is the added element of wondering whether or not Isabel wants to be found.
As we follow the trail alongside Gray, we discover many shocking twists, but we also develop a deep affinity for our main character and her group of friends/coworkers. I can honestly say that I had no clue how this book would end, and that I am itching to see this standalone turned into the first book in a series featuring Gray, Kick, and their office investigating various crimes. If you're looking for crime fiction with substance, excellent writing, and important thematic inclusions, such as a hard look at racial injustice and domestic abuse, [b:And Now She's Gone|49247317|And Now She's Gone|Rachel Howzell Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585673162l/49247317._SY75_.jpg|71770048] shouldn't just be on your TBR, it should be on your must read list. If you have financial means, I implore you to pre-order this one, or to go ahead and place your hold/request this title at your local library.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.
I've sat here for days chewing on the meat of this story and appreciating all the ways that Rachel Howzell Hall didn't fall into the rut of today's mediocre crime fiction, and I still do not think I can do this book justice with my review. If you've been following my reviews here for awhile, then you know that I used to be a huge mystery/suspense/thriller junkie (hello, my name is The Suspense Is Thrilling Me), but over the past year I've consumed considerably less titles in those genres, mainly due to the watering down of plots and overly saturated market containing a multitude of look-alike tales. [b:And Now She's Gone|49247317|And Now She's Gone|Rachel Howzell Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585673162l/49247317._SY75_.jpg|71770048] is one of the most enjoyable, outstanding, and remarkable crime fiction novels I've devoured in quite some time, and if you enjoy character driven mysteries, I think you'll enjoy this one as well.
Alright, let's address the elephant in the room. "But Chelsea, this book is SO LONG." I hear you, except it's really not that long? Somehow, as a majority, we readers have steadily been losing the ability to focus on fiction longer than 300 pages. I'm not sure if it's the growing pressure of having to read ALL OF THE BOOKS and read them all immediately, or if we've been steadily conditioned by the shortening of novels and authors having to push out a book or two a year, but we tend to assume that long books are for fantasy readers and the birds. I'm here to tell you that it is ok to pick up long books in whatever vein you want, so hopefully you'll give this almost 400 page novel a chance. *Thank you for coming to my TED talk.*
Now, on to the book! Readers who enjoy changes between the present and past tense will love how complex [b:And Now She's Gone|49247317|And Now She's Gone|Rachel Howzell Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585673162l/49247317._SY75_.jpg|71770048]'s format is; we alter between Grayson Sykes in the present and her search for missing woman Isabel Lincoln and the past abusive relationship of Natalie Dixon by her husband Sean. To say anymore would delve into spoiler territory, but suffice it to say that both aspects are equally gripping and keep the story from having a stale feeling that can come with procedural type books. The beauty of this tale is that there is the added element of wondering whether or not Isabel wants to be found.
As we follow the trail alongside Gray, we discover many shocking twists, but we also develop a deep affinity for our main character and her group of friends/coworkers. I can honestly say that I had no clue how this book would end, and that I am itching to see this standalone turned into the first book in a series featuring Gray, Kick, and their office investigating various crimes. If you're looking for crime fiction with substance, excellent writing, and important thematic inclusions, such as a hard look at racial injustice and domestic abuse, [b:And Now She's Gone|49247317|And Now She's Gone|Rachel Howzell Hall|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1585673162l/49247317._SY75_.jpg|71770048] shouldn't just be on your TBR, it should be on your must read list. If you have financial means, I implore you to pre-order this one, or to go ahead and place your hold/request this title at your local library.
*Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.