One Night Gone - By Tara Laskowski ( Paperback )

About the Book

A dual-narrative suspense novel about a recent divorcee housesitting in a wealthy beach town who becomes obsessed with the mysterious disappearance of a teenage girl there decades before--but the truth might not be the most shocking part of all. all.

Book Synopsis

Winner of the Agatha Award, Macavity Award, and Anthony Award
Finalist for the Mary Higgins Clark Award, Left Coast Crime Award, Strand Critics Award, and Library of Virginia Literary Award

"A subtly but relentlessly unsettling novel." --TANA FRENCH, author of The Witch Elm

It was the perfect place to disappear...

One sultry summer, Maureen Haddaway arrives in the wealthy town of Opal Beach to start her life anew--to achieve her destiny. There, she finds herself lured by the promise of friendship, love, starry skies, and wild parties. But Maureen's new life just might be too good to be true, and before the summer is up, she vanishes.

Decades later, when Allison Simpson is offered the opportunity to house-sit in Opal Beach during the off-season, it seems like the perfect chance to begin fresh after a messy divorce. But when she becomes drawn into the mysterious disappearance of a girl thirty years before, Allison realizes the gorgeous homes of Opal Beach hide dark secrets. And the truth of that long-ago summer is not even the most shocking part of all...

"A heart-wrenching and suspenseful novel of betrayal and revenge. Stunning!" --Carol Goodman, award-winning author of The Night Visitors

"Featuring a brilliantly executed dual timeline with two unforgettable narrators, One Night Gone is a timely and timeless mystery that will keep you obsessively reading well past your bedtime." --Paul Tremblay, author of The Cabin at the End of the World

*Don't miss The Mother Next Door, Tara Laskowski's next novel of suspense. On sale October 12, 2021 and available to preorder now!

Review Quotes

ACCLAIM FOR ONE NIGHT GONE

"[A]n evocative and beautifully crafted tale of suspense." --Publishers Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)

"One Night Gone's strength lies in its all-pervading sense of precariousness: everything is fragile, unstable and under threat, from Maureen's prized freedom and Allison's hard-won recovery to the intricate framework of relationships and hierarchies that underpins life in the small seaside town. It makes for a subtly but relentlessly unsettling book."
--TANA FRENCH, author of The Witch Elm

"A heart-wrenching and suspenseful novel of betrayal and revenge. A stunning debut!"
--CAROL GOODMAN, Mary Higgins Clark Award-winning author of The Night Visitors

"One Night Gone heralds a lyrical new voice in the world of gothic storytelling and suspense." --CrimeReads, October's Best Debut Novels

"Featuring a brilliantly executed dual timeline with two unforgettable narrators, Tara Laskowski's One Night Gone is a timely and timeless mystery, one that will keep you obsessively reading well past your bedtime."
--PAUL TREMBLAY, author of The Cabin at the End of the World and A Head Full of Ghosts

"Absolutely gripping. This multi-layered and gorgeously structured tale of betrayal, murder, and redemption will haunt you long after the book is over. The talented Tara Laskowski, with her confident hand, beautifully drawn characters and unique style, is sure to be a major voice in crime fiction."
--HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN, bestselling and award-winning author of Trust Me

"There is so much to love in Tara Laskowski's One Night Gone. At its core, it's a mystery, and a perfectly paced, well-plotted one at that. But it's also a beautifully lyrical coming-of-age story that depicts the socioeconomic divide of small beach town life, with all the 1980s flavor to go with it. Laskowski is a truly gifted storyteller with that 'X-factor' you look for--but rarely find--in a debut author. Spectacular."
--JENNIFER HILLIER, author of Jar of Hearts

"With evocative prose, One Night Gone feels like a journey through a sinister hall of mirrors, bringing to life the off-season menace of a beachfront refuge for the wealthy, still haunted by the disappearance of a teenaged girl thirty years ago."
--HALLIE EPHRON, New York Times bestselling author of Careful What You Wish For