When She Was Gone

‘I absolutely LOVED this book.’ Marian Keyes

Was she taken … or did she run? The pulse-pounding new psychological thriller from the bestselling author of You Don’t Know Me

Rose was torn away from her daughter. Now, is she the only one who can save her?

Former London police officer Rose Campbell has been estranged from her daughter, Lou, for almost a decade. But when Lou disappears from a remote Western Australian beach, and the police suspect her of kidnapping the two young children in her care, Rose is asked to help bring Lou home. The police think Rose’s insights will lead them to Lou, but they don’t realise that Rose hardly knows her daughter anymore.

This is the final case in DSS Mal Blackwood’s illustrious career, and there’s a lot riding on it. The missing children are heirs to the Fisher property empire, and as their multimillionaire grandfather breathes down Blackwood’s neck for results, the media storm is intensifying. Faced with a deluge of evidence and accusations, Blackwood doesn’t know who he can trust.

Rose arrives in Australia intent on proving her daughter’s innocence, but how can she be sure of that when she’s no longer part of Lou’s life? Meanwhile, as Blackwood begins to expose the Fishers’ secrets, the investigation takes a much darker turn. Shadows of the past gather around the Fishers and Rose, and soon it’s clear that every hour is critical. What has happened to Lou and the children? And can Rose and Blackwood find them in time?

‘I was gripped by When She Was Gone, I couldn’t bear being away from it. The characterisation is top-notch: such interesting, flawed, nuanced people. And the plotting is excellent – I was guessing and guessing and getting it wrong. I absolutely LOVED this book.’ Marian Keyes

‘This assured, utterly absorbing novel will have you up late into the night, still turning pages. Sara Foster sensitively and persuasively renders both the banality and unique horror of violence against women and asks, how far would you be willing to go to save someone you love? This was an absolute highlight of my reading year.’ Hayley Scrivenor

‘Masterfully told, the stakes are high in this emotionally gripping and utterly unforgettable story. Don’t plan on getting anything else done once you start reading!’ Natasha Lester

‘I was hooked from the first chapter: the characters were compelling, the pace was perfect and the ending was satisfying, with a few twists I didn’t see coming. It’s a read-in-one-gulp story (my favourite kind) that kept me guessing until the end.’ Kayte Nunn

‘When She Was Gone is a masterclass of suspense, an edge of your seat story that kept me up all night.’ Dervla McTiernan

‘A chilling family saga about power, privilege and revenge. Sara Foster at her spine-tingling best.’ Tim Ayliffe

‘I loved the premise before I even opened the book, and from then on, I was hooked. Sharp, compelling and clever, Sara’s story of rich people behaving badly had me captivated until the final pages. Put it on your to-read list!’ Ali Lowe, author of The Trivia Night

‘The most propulsive thriller of the year. I challenge anyone to put it down once you’ve read the first page.’ Tess Woods, author of The Venice Hotel

Praise for Sara Foster and her novels:

‘Gripping and chilling all at once’ Australian Women’s Weekly

‘A twisty, well-crafted thriller’ West Australian

Author Biography

Sara Foster writes page-turning psychological suspense thrillers with strong female leads. Her latest novel, When She Was Gone (2025), begins when an au pair and two small children vanish from a remote Australian beach, and is a race-against-time thriller, exploring themes around misogyny, wealth, power and control.

Sara is also the author of the acclaimed dystopian thriller The Hush and seven more bestselling psychological suspense stories: The Deceit (novella), You Don’t Know Me, The Hidden Hours, All That is Lost Between Us, Shallow Breath, Beneath the Shadows and Come Back to Me. Two of her novels have been optioned for television, and You Don’t Know Me was adapted into a chart-topping drama podcast series by Listnr. Sara has a PhD in creative writing (studying maternal representations in fiction) and lives in Perth, Western Australia, with her husband, two daughters, three cats, Luna the cavoodle and Sunny the bearded dragon. Find out more and follow Sara: www.sarafoster.com.au Substack for readers: Story Matters Substack for writers: The Resilient Author Facebook (/sarafosterauthor) Instagram (@sarafosterauthor) LinkedIn (sarafosterauthor)