When You Disappeared

Book: When You Disappeared
Author: John Marrs

When Catherine wakes up alone one morning, she thinks her husband has gone for a run before work. But Simon never makes it to the office. His running shoes are by the front door. Nothing is missing—except him.

Catherine knows Simon must be in trouble. He wouldn’t just leave her. He wouldn’t leave the children.

But Simon knows the truth—about why he left and what he’s done. He knows things about his marriage that it would kill Catherine to find out. The memories she holds onto are lies.

While Catherine faces a dark new reality at home, Simon’s halfway around the world, alive and thriving. He’s doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the truth.

But he can’t hide forever, and when he reappears twenty-five years later, Catherine will finally learn who he is.

And wish she’d stayed in the dark.-Goodreads
Review: Have you ever read a book where you hated one of the characters so much, you had a visceral reaction even thinking about him or her? I have to hand it to John Marrs for creating such a character in this book. And that character is Simon-a man who walked out on his stay-at-home wife and their 3 young children without so much as a note. Instead, he decides to leave in the early morning and they are left thinking he may have died on a jog. We know immediately that Simon isn't dead as he shows up on Catherine's doorstep 25 years after leaving her. Why is he there and how can he possible explain his reasons for leaving? 

Told in alternating narratives, we follow Simon's wife Catherine as she struggles in the aftermath of his disappearance. She has to manage the kids, finances, her husband's disappearance as well and suspicions of people that she may have killed him. Meanwhile, Simon is on an absolutely unbelievable adventure that includes hostels, drugs, lots of sex, drug dealing and traveling. When I say 'unbelievable' I mean that literally. His sections really jumped the shark, especially when he arrives in Mexico and meets a women he supposedly falls in love with. I laughed right along with Catherine as he told her his story. 

I really cannot express how much I hate Simon. I finished this and told several people in a few days how horrible this character was. For that alone, I bumped this from a 3 star rating to 4 because a good writer can get under my skin. 

I'll def read more from this author!

Grade: 4/5