Emma Healey

'Elizabeth is missing', reads the note in Maud's pocket in her own handwriting. Lately, Maud's been getting forgetful. She keeps buying peach slices when she has a cupboard full, forgets to drink the cups of tea she's made and writes notes to remind herself of things. But Maud is determined to discover what has happened to her friend, Elizabeth, and what it has to do with the unsolved disappearance of her sister Sukey, years back, just after the war.

Elizabeth is missing

In this darkly riveting debut novel, a sophisticated psychological mystery, one woman will stop at nothing to fiFInd her best friend, who seems to have gone missing. . . . Despite Maud's growing anxiety about Elizabeth's welfare, no one takes her concerns seriously—not her frustrated daughter, not her caretakers, not the police, and especially not Elizabeth's mercurial son—because Maud suffers from dementia. But even as her memory disintegrates and she becomes increasingly dependent on the trail of handwritten notes she leaves for herself in her pockets and around her house, Maud cannot forget her best friend. Armed with only an overwhelming feeling that Elizabeth needs her help, Maud resolves to discover the truth—no matter what it takes. As this singular obsession forms a cornerstone of Maud's rapidly dissolving present, the clues she uncovers lead her deeper into her past, to another unsolved disappearance: that of her sister, Sukey, who vanished shortly after World War II. As vivid memories of a tragedy that occurred more than fifty years ago come flooding back, Maud's search for Elizabeth develops a frantic momentum. Whom can she trust? Can she trust herself? A page-turning novel of suspense, Elizabeth Is Missing also hauntingly reminds us that we are all at the mercy of our memory. Always compelling, often poignant, and at times even blackly witty, this is an absolutely unforgettable novel.

Elizabeth Is Missing

Wilde

When I first noticed the use of present tense in this book I was a bit put off (I just can't get into books that use that style), but once I found out the context of the book it made complete sense. The jarring juxtaposition between Maud's present disarray and how crystal clear her past was as a child was very powerful. The characterisation of Helen and Katy is also very well done (though frustrating at times).

Not a book I'd have picked up but I'm very glad I did.

Emmm :p

I wasn’t really a fan. It took me soooo long to read and I didn’t even fully finish it. it was very disappointing for me and i tried but it was an ache to read.

Ed Kay

Excellent representation of a mind slowly losing touch with the present. Very well plotted, juxtaposing the past with the present and weaving two narratives together intriguingly. However, I just found it a bit dull.

Emotional story about Maud who's struggling with dementia. 

Leah Preston

Caroline Oestergaard

This started out so promising but quickly got very repetitive and boring. Didn’t really feel like the story went anywhere and I found Maud a bit annoying.

Amy Thibodeau

This is one of those magic books that left me wanting to take everything apart to try to understand how the author managed to create something so stunning.

I found this book terrifying, heartbreaking and beautifully nostalgic. It's also an exercise in empathy. I can hardly imagine a better way to understand the loss and confusion felt by someone suffering from dementia than through reading Elizabeth is Missing.

I can't recommend it enough. I loved this book even while it broke my heart a little.

Siya S

wow this is probably the most boring book I've read in a while. damn.

HOW DO YOU SOLVE A MYSTERY WHEN YOU CAN'T REMEMBER THE CLUES? In this darkly riveting debut novel—a sophisticated psychological mystery that is also an heartbreakingly honest meditation on memory, identity, and aging—an elderly woman descending into dementia embarks on a desperate quest to find the best friend she believes has disappeared, and her search for the truth will go back decades and have shattering consequences. Maud, an aging grandmother, is slowly losing her memory—and her grip on everyday life. Yet she refuses to forget her best friend Elizabeth, whom she is convinced is missing and in terrible danger. But no one will listen to Maud—not her frustrated daughter, Helen, not her caretakers, not the police, and especially not Elizabeth’s mercurial son, Peter. Armed with handwritten notes she leaves for herself and an overwhelming feeling that Elizabeth needs her help, Maud resolves to discover the truth and save her beloved friend. This singular obsession forms a cornerstone of Maud’s rapidly dissolving present. But the clues she discovers seem only to lead her deeper into her past, to another unsolved disappearance: her sister, Sukey, who vanished shortly after World War II. As vivid memories of a tragedy that occurred more fifty years ago come flooding back, Maud discovers new momentum in her search for her friend. Could the mystery of Sukey’s disappearance hold the key to finding Elizabeth?

A Novel

Clodagh Nolan-Smith

Elizabeth Is Missing

A sweet but sad tale that will echo familiarities to anyone who has encountered the heart wrenching illness that is dementia. Funny in places as sometimes with dementia and Alzheimer's sufferers, if you didn't laugh you'd cry. Definitely worth a read.

Sonja H

Ich war etwas zögerlich, dieses Buch zu lesen. Meine Oma hatte in ihren letztenJahren Demenz und für ihr Umfeld war es keine schöne Erfahrung. Die Autorin dieser Geschichte geht jedoch sehr behutsam und liebevoll mit diesem Thema um. Die Protagonistin ist sympathisch, man lacht mit ihr, man weint mit ihr und sie tut einem leid, wie sie nach und nach immer stärker den Bezug zum Hier und Jetzt verliert, von der Vergangenheit heimgesucht wird, zwei Begebenheiten ineinander verwebt und indem sie die eine auflöst auch die andere entwirrt - aber das nicht mehr bewusst wahrnimmt.
Ein schönes und emotionales Buch, das ich jedem ans Herz legen kann.

erica

prima di iniziare questo libro avevo letto una marea di recensioni, perchè, lo dico sinceramente, è stato uno di quei libri che si comprano senza nemmeno leggere la trama attentamente. ero spaventata, perchè la maggior parte delle recensioni erano negative e ora ne capisco il motivo, ma mi trovo completamente in disaccordo. è un libro originale, nuovo, ed è vero, in alcuni punti forse si dilunga un po' troppo, anche io l'avrei fatto leggermente più corto, ma.. non avevo mai letto un libro scritto in prima persona in cui questa prima persona fosse affetta da alzheimer. mi ha toccata davvero questo fatto, tanto che ho pianto per le prime 30/40 pagine, perchè davvero ti fa sentire confuso come se fossi tu stesso la persona affetta da malattia.

Caitlin Dignan

Much like all the other reviews, I love Maud!! She is an elderly woman who is a bit confused about everything.

I also quite liked the past and present tense in the book.

The ending was somewhat predictable. I wish they had intertwined the two stories to match off however overall it was an alright read

Nadine 

I can’t imagine how hard and frustrating it must be to be on either side of dementia- patient or caregiver/relative this book brings a lot to light and I think is peripherally a murder/mystery.

cygnoir

This is a beautifully-written and altogether upsetting book. At no point did I feel "good" reading it, but it was important that I read it. The unreliable narrator has memory issues and in a plot that requires her to remember things to find resolution, these issues were only assuaged by the deft hand of the author who refuses to abandon her characters in melodrama or hopelessness. I wish I could say I liked it, but it isn't a likeable book for me. I respected it, and at times was in awe of it, and it will stay with me for a long time.

Lysh (She/Her)

I started this during the term 3 school holidays of 2019, then didn't pick it up again until the end of the year. I'd seen this everywhere. There were copies in book shops, op shops, and garage sales. It seemed to be there every time I went to buy a book, like some mad woman keeping me in check, so I took it as a sign and finally purchased a copy. Maud is an elderly mother, living with worsening dementia. But there is one thing she remembers; her old friend Elizabeth, from next door, is missing. Healey beautifully blends memories from post war life together with the present day. We watch through Maud's eyes as not one, but two mysteries slowly unravel before us. I was impressed by how I could feel both completely secure in knowing what was going on and then lost as Maud forgot where she was. Events transformed with ease and I could feel Maud's frustration and upset as she struggled to hang on to reality. It really was a slow burn and drawn out somewhat, but I enjoyed it all the same.

Elizabeth is missing

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