Review: And Then You Were Gone by R.J. Jacobs

Title:  And Then You Were Gone  R.J. Jacobs

Author:  R.J. Jacobs
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Publishing Date:  March 13th, 2019

Pages: 288
Genre: Mystery Thriller

Series:  Stand Alone
Source:  Audio

 

After years of learning how to manage her bipolar disorder, Emily Firestone finally has it under control. Even better, her life is coming together: she’s got a great job, her own place, and a boyfriend, Paolo, who adores her. So when Paolo suggests a weekend sailing trip, Emily agrees—wine, water, and the man she loves? What could be better? But when Emily wakes the morning after they set sail, the boat is still adrift…and Paolo is gone.

A strong swimmer, there’s no way Paolo drowned, but Emily is at a loss for any other explanation. Where else could he have gone? And why? As the hours and days pass by, each moment marking Paolo’s disappearance, Emily’s hard-won stability begins to slip.

But when Emily uncovers evidence suggesting Paolo was murdered, the investigation throws her mania into overdrive, even as she becomes a person of interest in her own personal tragedy. To clear her name, Emily must find the truth—but can she hold onto her own sanity in the process?

Oh I liked this book. This book was good. I found it while roaming around Goodreads or audible. I can't remember. What drew me into this book was the fact that the main character is bipolar and also its a mystery thriller. So I knew I had to have it. I am so glad that I found this book. I truly enjoyed it.  I feel that was so much good with this book. 


Emily and her boyfriend Paulo go on a trip across the waters on a boat. They are having a good time, they drink a little, play around a little, then they go to sleep. In the morning Emily wakes up not feeling so great and finds that Paulo is gone. No trace. Emily calls the police and investigation is started. Something fishy is going on and it is confirmed when a co-worker of Paulo's is found dead. Suddenly Emily is the main suspect in the murder and the disappearance of Paulo. She teams up with Paulo's best friend to try and figure it all out. Who by the way... really doesn't like Emily. 

So to start. I love that the main character is bipolar. I love when books highlight this mental illness. I have a special p lace in my heart for this illness because I have a loved one that lives with it daily. So I do love it when there is a main character that suffers from bipolar. It also makes a mystery suspense thriller read much more since the narrator is a bit unreliable if their mania or depression is not under control. 

The main character in this book just rocked. I adored her so much. She was was very aware of her illness, her mental states, and how it effects her life. She was a strong independent woman and really just good. I loved her. 

I also fell in love with Cal. He is the boyfriends best friend and he was just great. I have to admit at first he was quite an asshole but the reasons why come out and make sense and he does change his tune quickly...well slowly but it happens. And I just adored him too. 

The entire book really surprised me. The mystery was good, the suspense was good. They story was good. The mystery did take a different route than I thought it would, but the entire story behind what was going on was just so interesting. 

The book did a great job of exploring bi-polar and other things as in PSTD. The wonderful thing was the issues that were packed into this book were done so seamlessly and effortlessly they felt natural. 

I really enjoyed this entire book. Great characters, a little bit of romance, a great plot, it was all good. The narrator was great too. It was full package for me. I will for sure be watching out for more from this author. 

A really great mystery read! 

R. J. Jacobs lives in Nashville where he maintains a private practice as a psychologist. After completing a post-doctoral residency at Vanderbilt, he has taught Abnormal Psychology, presented at numerous conferences, and routinely performs PTSD evaluations for veterans.