Watch Me Disappear

Janelle Brown's gripping and emotional third novel, Watch Me Disappear, begins one year after California wife and mom Billie Flanagan has vanished. She had been taking a solo hike in the Desolation Wilderness, and only her deserted car and one hiking boot were found near the trail. Her husband, Jonathan, and 16-year-old daughter, Olive, have been left to cope with their loss and the uncertainty of whether Billie was killed, kidnapped or ran away. Jonathan manages by drinking, and Olive becomes distant and withdrawn.

As the one-year anniversary of the disappearance approaches, Olive starts to have visions or hallucinations of her mother, which convince her that her mother is alive and trying to communicate with her. Jonathan is anxiously awaiting his wife's death certificate and her life insurance that will bring the family some financial security. He has quit his job to write a memoir about his idyllic marriage and the family's grief after her disappearance. But as he delves into his research, he begins to uncover gaps and inconsistencies in Billie's past. How well did he know his wife, and how happy was she in their marriage? While Olive believes her mother wants to be found, Jonathan is beginning to think she may have intentionally deserted them. "Life is more complicated than that, there are endless shades of gray that compromise a human being," Jonathan ruminates.

Brown's Watch Me Disappear mixes elements of Gone Girl and Ordinary People to create an original, intriguing and compelling depiction of family secrets, lies and illusions. --Kevin Howell, independent reviewer and marketing consultant

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