The Vanished Girl

By Kathleen McGurl

‘Hugely enjoyable and compelling’ LOUISE DOUGLAS

‘Full of friendship, grief, love and loss … a stunning read’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A rollercoaster of a novel, full of twists and turns … an immersive read that I cannot recommend enough. I inhaled it in two days!’ RACHEL BURTON

‘This really is a tragic tale … one of my favourite books to date’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Atmospheric and captivating’ JANE BETTANY

The memories of that summer won’t stay buried forever…

1976. It’s a long, hot summer, and all Jo Salway wants is to bask in the freedom of the holidays with her life-long friends. But when little Pippa Jenkins suddenly vanishes without a trace, the friends must close ranks to protect themselves. And in doing so, change the course of their futures forever …

2024. Haunted by the events of fifty years ago, Jo has never returned to her childhood home of Hareton Wick. But in the aftermath of trauma and with her only respite found at the bottom of a bottle, Jo knows that the only way to start afresh is to unravel the secrets of her past. But when the tangled web of Pippa’s disappearance starts to lead closer to home, who will Jo be able to trust, and who will she betray …

Readers are HOOKED by The Vanished Girl

‘Kathleen McGurl is the undisputed queen of dual timeline historical fiction’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Very addictive’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘It will tug on your heart, make you shed a few tears and appreciate the love and support of others when you need it most’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Plenty of twists to keep me guessing. Couldn’t put the book down’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘What a great read!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘A heart-tugging and addictive journey’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Powerful and heartbreaking’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Atmospheric, nostalgic and utterly unputdownable!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perfect for fans of:

🕰️ Dual timeline

🔍 Gripping mysteries

🫨 Shocking twists

Format: E-book
Release Date: 12 Mar 2026
ISBN: 978-0-00-859171-7

Kathleen McGurl lives in Bournemouth with her husband. She has two sons who have both now left home. She always wanted to write, and for many years was waiting until she had the time. Eventually she came to the bitter realisation that no one would pay her for a year off work to write a book, so she sat down and started to write one anyway. Since then she has published several novels with HQ and self-published another. She has also sold dozens of short stories to women\'s magazines, and written three How To books for writers. After a long career in the IT industry she became a full-time writer in 2019. When she\'s not writing, she\'s often out running, slowly.

PRAISE FOR THE VANISHED GIRL: -

'Hugely enjoyable and compelling' LOUISE DOUGLAS -

'A rollercoaster of a novel, full of twists and turns, taking the reader on a journey from the infamous hot summer of 1976 and the present day to solve a mystery that has haunted a village for generations. An immersive read that I cannot recommend enough. I inhaled it in two days' RACHEL BURTON -

'Atmospheric and captivating…A well-paced and gripping story with a satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended' JANE BETTANY -

'A captivating tale with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing right to the end! Loved it!’ AMANDA JAMES -

PRAISE FOR KATHLEEN MCGURL -

'Captivating … a sparkling gem of a story' DAISY WOOD -

'A richly textured, poignant story that swept me away' ADRIENNE CHINN -

'A gem of a mystery'SUNDAY MAIL -

‘I LOVED this book!… I was totally engrossed… I'd highly recommend it!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW -

‘An absolute page turner, it had me gripped and in its spell… From the first page I was absolutely hooked on this book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW -

‘A brilliant book’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ READER REVIEW -

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