Rating: 
Summary: Lots of Substance Here
Review: McBride's book is a thoughtful and adeptly written mystery that hits readers in the heart with modern-day issues and an absorbing story that seems all too real. Detective Maggie Ryan is a well-drawn character whose life experiences and seven years on the job have made her re-think what she's doing. The character is hardly cliche. Neither is that of her partner, John Phillips. Lifetime would be lucky to make a movie of this book. First rate and highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Unrelenting mystery and suspense
Review: One moment four-year-old Carrie Spencer is playing happily in Litchfield Park while her mother is chatting with a neighbor, the next moment Carrie is no longer in sight. And with that disappearance, suspicion, fear and indiscriminate accusations spread through the middle class suburb where crime had seemed so remote, something that could only happen elsewhere. Susan McBride in AND THEN SHE WAS GONE tells a frightening story of a lost child and Detective Maggie Ryan's desperate attempts to find her, as she battles to find herself and to solve the nightmares of her own childhood. Even after the child's body is found in a dumpster and the police have arrested and charged a suspect, Ryan's own memories force her to continue the search for the one she feels must have been Carrie's murderer. Detective Ryan's relentless investigation finds lightly stitched up seams in the town's façade. Pets have been mutilated and killed, a man with a long record of child molestation is a coach at the local Y, and Carrie's own father has left his previous occupation under a cloud. In addition, Ryan has to contend with Carrie's older brother, who not only refuses to help the police but is openly hostile and almost expresses relief at Carrie's death. AND THEN SHE WAS GONE is Susan McBride's first novel, yet it reveals a writer in the best storytelling tradition. It is a masterful piece of suspense writing that includes the underlying and crucial theme of Maggie Ryan's self-examination, whereby she discovers the killer and in the process discovers much about herself. The reader will not only share in the grief of the mother whose child has been killed, but also in the poignant unraveling of Margaret Ryan's inner secrets. John A. Broussard, PhD for The Charlotte Austin Review charlotteaustinreview.com
Rating:
Summary: A promising author in the making...
Review: Susan McBride has done a tremendous work with her debut mystery. I say this for two reasons: one being, it's a good mystery, and two, her superb handling of a sensitive subject matter. In the mystery, Ellen and her daughter Carrie go to the park. Suddenly Carrie disappears. Litchfield is a small town in Texas and nothing like this has happened before. Maggie Ryan and her partner are put on the case, volunteers help out, and the dogs are brought in. Ellen, her husband, and her son, each have their own way of dealing with the tragedy. In life I have found tragedy to be the key to Pandora's box, exposing unspoken or unwanted truths that we would have never faced, and in this case, it proves true for all those involved in Carrie's disappearance. While reading, I felt emotional from time to time because as we all know in this day and age that no one goes untouched when it comes to child abuse or abductions, but Maggie Ryan's feelings -- her words for the situation were so true and honest that they seem to speak for me as well; I found this comforting. If you are thinking of turning away from this one because of the subject matter, DON'T. You have to experience the gift this writer has in conveying human emotions, her talent in building strong characters, and presenting us with a gripping, suspenseful story. AND THEN SHE WAS GONE is the beginning of a mystery series I recommend readers follow.
Rating:
Summary: Talented Author, Unforgettable Book
Review: Susan McBride really delivers the goods in AND THEN SHE WAS GONE: an absorbing mystery, three-dimensional characters and words that flow so that you won't want to stop at any chapter's end. There's an emotional depth to the writing that you don't often see with first novels, and I think that frightens off some readers. But don't let it stop you from buying this fine book.
Rating: 
Summary: Psychological suspense left me breathless
Review: Susan McBride snares the reader from the first line of "And Then She Was Gone," and she tightens the tourniquet a little at a time, until you discover your breath is shallow and your pulse is racing. McBride shows a great deal of skill and deep understanding of a woman's fear and love in this fine psychological suspense. Detective Maggie Ryan's strength comes through, and I am eager to see her in McBride's next book.
Rating:
Summary: Psychological suspense left me breathless
Review: Susan McBride snares the reader from the first line of "And Then She Was Gone," and she tightens the tourniquet a little at a time, until you discover your breath is shallow and your pulse is racing. McBride shows a great deal of skill and deep understanding of a woman's fear and love in this fine psychological suspense. Detective Maggie Ryan's strength comes through, and I am eager to see her in McBride's next book.
Rating:
Summary: But can she repeat?
Review: This author is loaded with story-telling talent and has the fictional skills to match. She knows how to unfold a plot. AND THEN SHE WAS GONE is a well-crafted, one-sitting read. But can she repeat? I'd buy her next book just to see. Dr. Bryson, Chattanooga, TN
Rating:
Summary: But can she repeat?
Review: This author is loaded with story-telling talent and has the fictional skills to match. She knows how to unfold a plot. AND THEN SHE WAS GONE is a well-crafted, one-sitting read. But can she repeat? I'd buy her next book just to see. Dr. Bryson, Chattanooga, TN
Rating:
Summary: Written so well, I had no trouble imagining it true!
Review: This book is so well written, I had no trouble keeping characters and events clear in my mind. I feel the content is very up to date with society today. I would not hesitate to let my teenager read this book, because the material was presented tastefully. Maggie Ryan is a woman with lots to tell us--I look forward to hearing more about her in the very near future. I highly recommend this book to all types of readers, even those of us who can't devote as much time to this hobby as we want--it reads very quickly.
Rating: 
Summary: little of substance here
Review: This book reads like it was written by a 20-year-old who has watched too many "Lifetime" movies. It features a burned-out (at age 27) female cop with a traumatic secret in her past and a mother slipping into senility. Her senior partner is older and gruff but underneath it all a good guy. How many more cliches do you need? This book has an abundant supply of them. The writing style is puerile. The book won something called the Mayhaven Award. I'd hate to see the losers.
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