Then she was gone by Lisa Jewell

THEN
She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone. 

NOW 
It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter.

And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet. 

Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter. 

Poppy is precocious and pretty - and meeting her completely takes Laurel's breath away. 

Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back. 

What happened to Ellie? Where did she go? 

Who still has secrets to hide?

I really do like this authors style of writing. She really develops the characters quickly and gets on with the story. She is also great at jumping back and forwards in time without you losing track of what is going on. Yes, her books are somewhat formulaic, but if you want a simple but compelling psychologic thriller then she is a good pick.

In this particular story, it was easy to guess the main twist, although you couldn't guess the full details of it. The author threw down her usual little crumbs of information leading you in the main direction of the plot line but then inserted an extra twist that you couldn't see coming and which made the story more interesting.

Having a daughter going missing just chilled my heart as it is my worst nightmare. Not sure the significance of the hamsters or how they added to the story, apart from drawing attention to the basement room and hinting of something bizarre happening there.

I did just give it 3 stars because I wouldn't say you have to rush out immediately and read it. It would be a great read for vacation or while traveling where you don't want something too fluffy but don't want to have to follow an overly complex plot.