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Annabel Kantaria
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The Disappearance Kindle Edition

by Annabel Kantaria (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 3,637 ratings

‘Utterly compelling.’ – Judy Finnigan

In a family built on lies, who can you trust?

Audrey Bailey will never forget the moment she met Ralph Templeton in the sweltering heat of a Bombay café. Her lonely life over, she was soon married with two small children. But things in the Templeton household were never quite what they seemed.

Now approaching 70, and increasingly a burden on the children she’s never felt close to, Audrey plans a once-in-a-lifetime cruise around the Greek isles. Forcing twins Lexi and John along for the ride, the Templetons set sail as a party of three – but only two will return.

On the night of her birthday, Audrey goes missing…hours after she breaks the news that the twins stand to inherit a fortune after her death. As the search of the ship widens, so does the list of suspects – and with dark clues emerging about Audrey’s early life, the twins begin to question if they can even trust one another…

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  1. Print length
    386 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    HQ
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    21 April 2016
  6. File size
    2.2 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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From the Publisher

bestselling women books;bestselling fiction books;women novels;top fiction books;fiction reads

bestselling women books;bestselling fiction books;women novels;top fiction books;fiction reads

bestselling women books;bestselling fiction books;women novels;top fiction books;fiction reads

bestselling women books;bestselling fiction books;women novels;top fiction books;fiction reads

Product description

Review

‘An utterly compelling story of loss and betrayal. I loved it’

Judy Finnigan

‘A clever, tense thriller’

Heat

‘A gripping debut. You won’t be able to put this down’

Bella

‘Compelling…fans of Jodi Picoult and Liane Moriarty will enjoy this’

Candis

About the Author

Annabel Kantaria is a British journalist who now lives in Dubai with her husband and children . She has edited and contributed to women’s magazines and publications throughout the Middle East and now writes the Expat blog for The Daily Telegraph. She returns regularly to the UK.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B013L2OHSO
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HQ
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 21 April 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.2 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 386 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1474044868
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 3,637 ratings

About the author

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Annabel Kantaria

Annabel Kantaria

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Hello! Thank you for visiting my Amazon author page! I became a published author after the manuscript for my first novel, ‘Coming Home’, won the Montegrappa Prize for First Fiction at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature in 2013. The book itself was published in 2015 and, since then, I’ve written three more novels in the ‘domestic noir’ genre: ‘The Disappearance’, ‘The One That Got Away’ and ‘I Know You’.

I like to set things up for my readers so you think you know what’s happening and then, very gently, I start to pull the carpet out from underneath so that you – and often the characters themselves - are never quite sure what’s really going on. Scratch the surface of my characters’ lives and you’ll always find something dark going on, as you can probably tell by the black covers.

My fifth book marks a bit of a step-change in my writing style so is written under the pseudonym ANNA KENT - it's called 'The House of Whispers' - if you've read it, I'd love you to leave a review letting me know what you thought!

I live in Dubai, UAE, with my husband, two children and a little Tonkinese rescue cat who has us all very well trained. I write every day while she sleeps alongside me on a pile of old manuscripts. Writing isn’t an easy job, but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I hope you enjoy my books!

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
3,637 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book an excellent read from start to finish, describing it as a clever mystery/thriller with unexpected twists and turns that kept them guessing until the end. They appreciate the believable characters and their perspectives, with one review highlighting the complex portrayal of human emotional sacrifice. The book's visual quality receives positive feedback, with one customer noting how it paints a vivid picture of the locations.

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232 customers mention ‘Readability’222 positive10 negative

Customers find the book to be an excellent read from start to finish, describing it as a brilliant page-turner that's easy to enjoy during holidays.

"...How/where/why becomes clear in this pacy, engaging tale of family, mystery, love and relationships...." Read more

"This was OK. A 70-year old woman disappears from a cruise, leaving her two children stunned as to where she could have gone...." Read more

"...I found the characters to be realistic and well thought out, if anything I would have liked to know more about their back stories which may have..." Read more

"...But it’s a reasonably interesting family drama. I quite liked Audrey’s character, although some of her actions are not plausible...." Read more

81 customers mention ‘Mystery content’57 positive24 negative

Customers enjoy the mystery content of the book, describing it as a clever thriller with unexpected twists and turns that kept them guessing until the end.

"...For this reason it has a whiff of mystery classics such as ‘Murder on the orient Express’ or ‘Death on the Nile’– loved it...." Read more

"...thoroughly recommend this book for an absorbing read with a brilliant twist at the end (not to give anything away)...." Read more

"...there is very little suspense or tension and the end is predictable from quite early on. But it’s a reasonably interesting family drama...." Read more

"...It is well written and cleverly structured. It kept me guessing til the end, and I was left wanting to read a sequel...." Read more

41 customers mention ‘Believable characters’37 positive4 negative

Customers find the characters in the book believable, particularly appreciating the perspectives of each character, with one customer noting how their personalities combined to make the story enjoyable.

"...The characters are incredibly real and there’s so much pathos, I laughed and cried and really engaged with each and every one...." Read more

"...I found the characters to be realistic and well thought out, if anything I would have liked to know more about their back stories which may have..." Read more

"...Easy reading, believable storyline and a pleasant main character to boot, so it deserves five stars :)" Read more

"...The characters are well fleshed-out and although I had guessed the ending, it was no less satisfying for that. A really good read." Read more

36 customers mention ‘Gripping’26 positive10 negative

Customers find the book gripping, keeping them enthralled until the final page.

"...and there’s so much pathos, I laughed and cried and really engaged with each and every one...." Read more

"What a masterful piece of writing. This book/author kept me enthralled until the end. Whilst not dynamic in it's approach to the grand finale...." Read more

"First book I've read in some months. Glad I did. Although not absolutely gripping, it was intriguing and I had to finish it to find out what..." Read more

"...The story is more mystery than thriller but it is totally captivating and incredibly clever...." Read more

11 customers mention ‘Emotional content’11 positive0 negative

Customers find the book emotionally engaging, with one review highlighting its complex portrayal of human sacrifice and another noting how it cleverly intertwines lives.

"...The characters are incredibly real and there’s so much pathos, I laughed and cried and really engaged with each and every one...." Read more

"...The Disappearance' is a steady piece of domestic melodrama...." Read more

"...It is a fascinating and at times complex portrayal of human emotional sacrifice...." Read more

"...of book I like gripping thrillers however this was well written and heartwarming although I did guess how it would end" Read more

7 customers mention ‘Visual quality’7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the visual quality of the book, with one mentioning how it paints a vivid picture of the locations, while another notes its beautiful scenic descriptions.

"...very well described, as were the Greek islands: the sunshine and vivid colours - you could almost feel you were there...." Read more

"The disappearance is a good read gets you involved in beautiful places like Cornwall ,India the story line is easty and flows well and keeps you..." Read more

"Brillant. Utterly brilliant...." Read more

"...day in Cornwall/the Greek islands and 1970s India, painting a vivid picture of the locations...." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Kelly Harvarde
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping from start to finish, loved every page
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 May 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I’d been waiting for Annabel’s latest book, The Disappearance, like an excited puppy. Pre-ordered it for the Kindle then hopefully checking on the download date every week in case it was coming sooner than I was expecting! My only worry was: would it be as good as her first? What if it was a disappointment?

    Happy to report that this was far from the case – if anything, I enjoyed this book more than her first.

    The premise of The Disappearance really appealed – a mystery, on a cruise ship, with all parties trapped in one location. For this reason it has a whiff of mystery classics such as ‘Murder on the orient Express’ or ‘Death on the Nile’– loved it.

    The story opens with the central premise: someone is missing. How/where/why becomes clear in this pacy, engaging tale of family, mystery, love and relationships. The characters are incredibly real and there’s so much pathos, I laughed and cried and really engaged with each and every one. I devoured this book in an afternoon and the only downside I would say is: it will make you want to book a cruise, beware!

    Annabel has really hit her stride with this book and I’m now an eager puppy waiting for her third.
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  • NJL1974
    4.0 out of 5 stars Superior domestic mystery
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 September 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This was OK. A 70-year old woman disappears from a cruise, leaving her two children stunned as to where she could have gone. In flash back, we learn that this is Audrey, whose life changed when she met a rich but controlling man in India in the 1970s. Her two kids, both of whom are somewhat implausible, have been struggling with her needs as she gets older - weirdly, Audrey is described as 70 but is treated as if she is 90.

    'The Disappearance' is a steady piece of domestic melodrama. If someone had described the plot to me before I started reading it, I would have assumed that I I would hate it. In fact, I found myself walking along a pavement reading the last few pages. Not because the plot is 'utterly compelling' - sorry Judy Finnegan, not sure you read this one yourself, did you? - but because there is enough skill in the crafting of the story to draw one in. Two strand, flashback narrative structures are now so common that it appears to be against most publishers' rules to write a novel in any other format, but here it really heightens the story.

    There is a twist. It is, of course, utterly absurd.

    And cruises in fiction always come across as hideous. Not even Rob Brydon would enjoy them.
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  • Pink_Lady13
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loose yourself in this brilliant family saga
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 April 2017
    Verified Purchase
    An absolutely brilliant, absorbing novel which kept me turning the pages to the end. Although it wasn't the thriller I had expected, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish. The author paints a vivid picture of sights, sounds and smells without long wordy descriptions or rambling passages, keeping the reader immersed in the story right through the book. As the time frame changes from 1970's to present day and back again, I didn't have any trouble keeping up or knowing which time frame we were in, nor did I find myself loosing track of the storyline from one time frame to another, as sometimes happens.

    I found the characters to be realistic and well thought out, if anything I would have liked to know more about their back stories which may have helped some reviewers who did not warm to Lexi and John, the twins. However I thoroughly recommend this book for an absorbing read with a brilliant twist at the end (not to give anything away). Having read the book I really don't feel the amazon blurb does it any justice, it feels sterile and almost misleading, not conveying any of the warmth or the mystery which fills its pages. Give this a go, its a brilliant family saga to loose yourself in.
    One person found this helpful
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  • johannas
    3.0 out of 5 stars Decent family drama but no thriller
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 June 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I quite enjoyed this book. It’s not a thriller though, there is very little suspense or tension and the end is predictable from quite early on.

    But it’s a reasonably interesting family drama. I quite liked Audrey’s character, although some of her actions are not plausible. For instance why she has to disappear is not really clear to me, surely she could have just given her fortune to the kids and told them what she was planning to do with the rest of her life rather that put the children through the heartbreak of their mother drowning.

    I like the writing for the most part. It’s an easy read with both the past and the present stories easy to follow. Lovely settings in India and Mediterranean make it a very entertaining holiday read. It would have been much improved is Audrey had been given more balls, she's a bit of a pushover, and also making the totally unlikeable male chracters John and Ralph more complex with some redeaming features.
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  • dragonsmama
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gets better as you read it!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 August 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I wasn't too sure in the earlier parts of this book, I thought it was just be 'good'. But, as the plot became more involved, I liked it more and more.
    I think a trick may have been missed with the Italian police and John, but I guess that was the bit at which the plot could have gone one of two ways. No more shall I say!
    I did wonder about the birth certificates, but there was a comment later that made me realise what may have been done.
    I found the controlling husband and the behaviour of the adult children to be, unfortunately, quite possible and well written, and by the end I thought this was a pretty good book indeed!
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  • Flojo2
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 June 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I found this book both intriguing and compelling. It is well written and cleverly structured. It kept me guessing til the end, and I was left wanting to read a sequel. What happened to the characters and relationships afterwards? I did feel a bit frustrated by the frequent typos, and some unanswered questions (e.g. how/when did Ralph die?). I was also left questioning how the twins appear to have never had sight of their birth certificates, which would have been necessary to obtain passports etc. They would have known about their birth mother if they had seen these.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United States on 15 January 2018
    Verified Purchase
    GOOD READ
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