Before He Vanished

Before He Vanished was a phenomenal Intrigue! It had all the elements you look for in a book from the mystery, the tangled webs, family secrets, and sweet romance that is wove through the entire story like a fine thread.

Halle is back home after a failed marriage and flailing journalism career. Faced with the 25th anniversary of the kidnapping of her neighbor and best friend, she missed Andy more than ever. She decided convincing Andy’s mother to give her an exclusive about that fateful day might prop up her career, and find a lead on the missing boy.

Halle was right, the story went viral and suddenly, she was back in the spotlight again. The story also brought a mysterious stranger to her office demanding answers she couldn’t give him. She was willing to try, but the lengths they’d have to go to would be dangerous.

The twisted webs of deception and secrets make this book difficult to review past here without adding a spoiler. All I can say is, read this book! You won’t regret it. The twist at the end tells you Debra Webb is a master storyteller. I was sad to leave these characters when the book ended! I will definitely be reading the rest of the books in this series.

This is only the second book I’ve read in Debra Webb’s Winchester, Tennessee series, but I’m really enjoying these characters. Like the last book, this one does work as a standalone, as the author does give us any backstory we may need as this one progresses. I liked the mystery in this one, and while I had some guesses about some of it, I didn’t have it all figured out. I will say that the reveal was a bit convoluted, but not so much that I was put off by it. Halle and Liam were both likable characters and there was good chemistry between them from the beginning, and they were easy to root for. We also get some glimpses of Halle and Andy when they were children that were not only sweet, but they make these characters even more endearing. To sum it up, the romance is sweet, the mystery is – well, mysterious, and the story moves at a good pace for an entertaining read that has this series firmly on my radar.

BEFORE HE VANISHED (Winchester, Tennessee Book #6) by Debra Webb is a March 2020 Harlequin Intrigue romantic suspense that had me hooked from page one and that is why Debra Webb is an automatic buy for me when I see her name on a book cover. This book is a part of a series, but is easily read as a standalone novel.

What if your best friend disappeared 25 years ago and the feature article you write on the anniversary brings a man to your office who looks like the grown version of that friend, but goes by a different name and does not remember you?

When Halle Lane was seven years old, her best friend, Andy disappeared on his way home from school.

Now 25 years later, Halle has written a feature story for the paper she writes for about her missing friend. Halle is the only reporter to get an exclusive from Andy’s mother after all these years, but Halle feels she has not been told everything.

Liam Hart is a successful vineyard owner in California. He receives a copy of a newspaper article in the mail from Winchester, Tennessee about a missing boy from 25 years ago who looks just like his childhood photos. He feels compelled to go to Winchester.

Despite Liam’s belief he is not Halle’s friend, Andy, Halle is positive that he is her missing friend. As they search for the truth, people connected to Andy are being killed. Someone wants to keep this 25-year-old mystery a secret.

I could not put this book down! The mystery/suspense kept me turning the pages well into the night. You think you have it figured out and then Ms. Webb would throw in another surprise twist. The climax was a complete surprise and I did not even consider that scenario. I loved both Halle and Liam and how they worked through everything together. The slow unfolding of Liam’s memories and the increase in their mutual attraction was paced perfectly for a novel of this length.

I highly recommend this Intrigue for a great, fast-paced read that completely satisfies!

When Halle was a child, her best friend, Andy, never made it home from school one day. That was 25 years ago and she missed him every day since then.

On the other side of the country, Liam received a newspaper article with a picture of a young boy. He had no idea why it was sent to him so he went to see Halle, who had written the article, for answers.

When Halle met Liam, she was certain he was the friend she lost so many years ago. But Liam knew he was not that boy. He grew up in a wonderful home and with a loving family.

This was an intriguing story. Was Liam really Andy? As they searched for the truth, Liam began to wonder. It was impossible to ignore their budding feelings towards each other the more time they spent together, and keep their minds on the search. But it was dangerous not to.

This book has a wonderful mix of danger and suspense alongside heartache and love. I liked the chemistry between Liam and Halle. The suspense kept me turning the pages and glued to the book. And the ending blew me away!

Before we start out, I’m getting this out of the way because I will forget to do it if I don’t. I got a review copy from the publisher so I could do my read and review thing. In other words. Per FTC guidelines so I won’t get fined, I’m telling you, the reader, that I got a free book to read from the publisher so I could review it! This doesn’t influence me in any manner because I am an opinionated woman who doesn’t know how to not speak her mind. But I don’t feel like paying the government money for not mentioning the free book thing, so here we are, stuck in this never-ending cycle of having to mention this. I got a free book to read from the publisher so I could talk about whether I liked it or not. Shocking, I know.
We’re returning to Winchester, Tennessee once again today with Before He Vanished and I am actually pretty excited to tell you that Debra Webb delivers two of my favourite tropes to me on a silver platter and I enjoyed every page of it! I’m talking about best friends to lovers and traumatic forgotten childhoods. Oh, my gods, that sounds so bad, but honestly, it’s a “samesies” relatable thing, I swear. Halle Lane and Andy Clark were best friends attached at the hip their entire childhood until Andy disappeared one day when they were seven. Twenty-five years later, Halle is an investigative reporter at the Winchester Gazette and takes the opportunity to launch an investigative series of articles on the anniversary of her friend’s disappearance. And somebody (I love mysterious somebodies) sends her article to Liam Hart in Napa, California. Liam and his sister, Claire, are both surprised to see little Liam’s face in an article about a missing kid from Tennessee twenty-five years ago. Liam’s steadfast that it’s a joke, but Claire’s more open to the idea and suggests he go to Tennessee. I like Claires. They’re always so astute. I need a Claire in my life, please.
The thing that really rubbed. Halle and Liam vacillate between their past and present relationships, Halle likens Liam to Andy every time you turn a page, understandably, but I do wonder if the romance is between Halle and Liam or Halle and Andy. Yes, they’re the same guy, but does she love adult Liam because he’s Andy and she never got to see that childhood first love thing through or not? I don’t really see that explored in the book. The same goes for Liam. Halle was Andy’s #1 everything, and twenty-five years later, he has her in his face again and is he Andy or is he Liam? Does he like Halle or did Andy and he’s just seeing it through? And this really bothered me, okay?
Before He Vanished was a joy to read in that Webb spins the story in a way that you expect and then she hits you from behind with another twist and you sit there trying to figure out how you got there. I know I said in my previous Winchester review that I was a bit disappointed in the ending, but this time, Webb tied my ends up nice and neat for me, and she gave me cute childhood memories to boot! Before He Vanished has low-heat romance and a couple murders to be solved, oodles of intrigue, and just a splash predictability.
Now, as per usual, I have content warnings for you! If you feel that forewarned is forearmed, all you need to do is click the reveal button and you have the content and trigger warnings. As always, please practise care in your readings if any of these might be problematic for you, and if you have any questions about them, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about them, I’ll try my best to remember the details if I can’t look them up! Please note that these warnings do contain spoiler materials.
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This book contains the kidnapping of a child, murder, gun violence, a car accident involving a child (non-fatal), arson, and black market children
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Overall, I’m going to be giving Before He Vanished 4 stars and just 1 flame for heat. I’ve enjoyed finding Winchester, Tennessee and I’ve actually bought the The Undertaker’s Daughter series to read in my down-time so I’m obviously recommending this to y’all. This book is available wherever Harlequin romances are sold, so go check it out for yourself.
This has been a review from Once Upon a Time, I Read a Book, if you liked this, y’all should really check out my blog for more of my weirdness.

As reviewed at Roses Are Blue: https://wp.me/p3QRh4-1ay

Reporter Halle Lane has never forgotten her childhood best friend, Andy, who mysteriously disappeared twenty five years ago. In the intervening years, Andy’s parents have never given any interviews about their lost son. Andy’s father has since died, and Halle decides to approach his mother, who, surprisingly agrees to be interviewed. She makes a cryptic statement about finally telling the whole story, but before the interview takes place, she is murdered.

Meanwhile, across the country, Liam Hart receives an anonymous letter, which contains a copy of the newspaper article about Andy’s kidnapping. The pictures of the young boy show that he looks identical to Liam in his childhood photos. Ironically, Liam’s family have no pictures of him before he was seven years old, telling him that those photos were lost in a fire. With his father deceased, and his stepmother on an extended European trip, Liam impulsively decides to travel to Tennessee, to confront the reporter who wrote the story.

Almost as soon as Halle sees Liam, she is positive he is the little boy, Andy, she loved as a seven year old child. Liam is not convinced at all, and in fact, totally rejects the idea. He has no memories of this town, or of Halle. He does, however, agree to accompany her as they follow the trail of young Andy’s life. When the evidence begins to suggest the unthinkable, Liam struggles with the fact that his whole life, as he knows it, may be a lie.

This is my first book by Debra Webb, and I was genuinely wowed! Though it’s a suspense novel, it has such heart and emotion. The story alternates between the present and twenty five years ago, to the solid love between two seven year old best friends, who appeared to be true soul mates even back then. Their affection, closeness, and joy in each other was so honestly portrayed, that my heart broke at their cruel separation. Today, Liam can’t deny that he feels a strong pull toward Halle, even though his world is crumbling. Is what they’re both feeling for each other now just a continuation of that childhood love, or is it a whole new attraction? I love the kind and thoughtful person Liam is, and I love how Halle didn’t try to bulldoze him into accepting that he was Andy. She calmly presented her facts, and supported Liam as they worked their way through the layers of lies and deception to the shocking truth. BEFORE HE VANISHED is a shorter book, and flows along at a quick and exciting pace — one of those I didn’t want to end, yet couldn’t wait to get to the end. It’s so well written, and I believe it holds great appeal for readers who love tantalizing suspense as well as heartfelt romance.

Before He Vanished is book six in the Winchester, Tennessee Thriller series. This was another great story in this series. As always, I cannot put the book down until I’ve read to the end. A must-read!

The Sixth book in her A Winchester, Tennessee Thriller series, once again Debra Webb gives us an incredible story. A 25-year disappearance is once again brought to the forefront as a journalist writes the story of Adam, whom was her best friend until he disappearred. This book is so well written, action packed with lots of twists and turns. If you enjoy romantic suspense you definitely will want to read this amazing book.

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy from NetGalley and Harlequin and this is my fair and honest review of the book.

Love Debra her books are so excellent. She is a great author. Great book by a great author.

4.5 stars
This is another in the Winchester, Tennessee, series by Debra Webb and one of the best ones. Deb weaves a tale that draws you in until the very end. The plot has a surprise twist with a happy ending.