The Temple House Vanishing

The Temple House Vanishing is a beautifully atmospheric and involving novel, written in a lyrical literary style with a mysteriously compelling story.

Louisa and her art teacher disappeared one night many years ago. In a case that engaged the nation, neither of them were ever found.

Through the voices of Louisa and a journalist writing a case study 25 years later, we learn about Temple House school, the cliques and the friendships, the social divide and the slow burn of an obsessive relationship.

This is the sort of story I fall into, the past haunting the present in this case almost literally. The truth about what happened back then is revealed in slow, delicious detail where you can almost see what’s coming, a book where at several points you stop and consider, wishing different choices were being made. The author allows you to see her characters with their flaws in full view, their own personality affecting how they interpret words and actions.

Really thought this was terrific. It’s just the kind of literary mystery I look for these days and highly recommend you consider adding it to your 2020 reading lists.

Intelligent, insightful and intriguing.

The Temple House Vanishing is a one in a million book that takes you right into the story, you can visualise the setting so well. It’s absolutely magical and I haven’t read a story this fantastic in a long time!

Completed in one sitting so make sure you don’t start reading when you have plans! (I did and I cancelled them since I couldn’t tear away).

The writing style is poetic, romantic and you get a real feel for the characters. Throw in some darkness and this is my kind of read!

Don’t bother wasting your time reading anymore reviews just get it bought and read ASAP!

This is a beautiful book. It has a compelling storyline with elements of mystery within it
This book is filled with detailed details which adds to the story
An excellent read

This is everything I love in a book. Campus novels and thrillers are my favourite genres so to have both wrapped up in one, written by a new female voice, is basically my dream come true! I loved this - it's a mixture of Donna Tartt, Tana French and Kate Atkinson (probably my three favourite writers). Really atmospheric, immediately drawn into the story, plenty of threads and twists to keep you hooked and just gorgeously evocative of life at a girls' boarding school back in the 90s. Really enjoyed it, hope we hear a lot more from Rachel Donohue in the future.

I absolutely loved this book! Really not an enormous plot! But beautifully written and the characters were so colourfully described that I could envision them as if they were real! Wonderful read!

Compelling mystery.

Teenaged schoolgirl, Louisa, disappears with her charismatic teacher, Mr Lovelle, from Temple House, the catholic girls’ boarding school. They are never seen again. Twenty-five years on, a journalist attempts to unlock the mystery.

Donohoe writes with an understated style that captures the intensity of adolescent passion and jealousy, the darkness of the bullying, Hitleresque ‘Vestal Virgin’ prefects, and the desperation of the outsider wanting to belong in a world of privilege. Her characterisation fully engages the reader: Louisa, the scholarship girl; Victoria, privileged and not entirely in touch with reality; Mr Lovelle, the art teacher with movie-star glamour; Helen, the bitchy, scheming head girl.

With two narratives in the first person, the early pages are a little confusing.

Keeps the reader guessing to the end. You will not want to put this book down.

My thanks to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for the advance reader copy.

It's nearing the 25th Anniversary of when a pupil and teacher disappeared from their elite Catholic Boarding school.. A journalist with vague links to the sixteen year old Louisa feels there is more mystery to unravel and seeks to research and write about the main players including Louisa's best friend Victoria, now a high flyer in the City and former Head Girl, the flinty and obnoxious Helen.

Louisa is a scholarship girl who finds the rules and regulations difficult and bonds almost instantly with gorgeous rich girl Victoria. They quickly form a deep friendship and spend most of their free time together. Victoria believes their dashing Art Teacher, Edward Lavelle is her destiny and she's head over heels in love and he with her. It's a tale of unrequited love and teenage angst set in the drafty old school and amongst the overgrown and rambling grounds.

It's a exquisite debut with interesting characters, twisty storylines, secrets, lies, love, friendship and that twist left me absolutely reeling! I absolutely adored the story and would highly recommend.