The Man Who Disappeared

Written by Clare Morrall

Narrated by Julia Franklin

When Felix Kendall vanishes, his wife Kate is left in turmoil. As she and their children adjust to a hand-to-mouth existence, she looks back on their marriage and Felix's orphaned upbringing in search of clues, confronting the possibility that she has badly misread him. And as Kate gradually discovers strengths she never knew she had, Felix is coming to terms with just what he has lost.

• Language: English
• Publisher: W. F. Howes Ltd
• Release date: Aug 1, 2010
• ISBN: 9781407423227

Clare Morrall

Clare Morrall's first novel, Astonishing Splashes of Colour, was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize. She is a music teacher with two grown children. She lives in Birmingham, England.

Reviews for The Man Who Disappeared

[oldblack-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is not Booker-shortlist material (unlike her first work, "Astonishing Splashes of Colour"), but I really enjoyed reading it. It's a fun book, with enough serious undertones to hold my interest. Sadly, I think Morrall was let down by her publisher who should have told her to axe the last 40 pages or so and terminate it with a decent ending. I found the main characters to be entirely believable even though some of the plot aspects stretched the realms of coincidence nearly to breaking point.

[jessicariddoch · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"When Reliable, respectable Felix Kendall vanishes, his wife Kate is left reeling. As she and their children cope with the shocking impact on their comfortable lives, Kate realises that, if Felix is guilty, she never truly knew the man she loved. But as she faces the possability that he might never return, she also discovers strengths she never knew she had."an oddly compelling book. I loved the portions where felix is trying without breaking the law to live under the radar. that he was so attached to the idea of family. The story is realy about how a good man can be led astray by things dome in his youth, and the isecurity of a proper family.

[coolmama_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really enjoyed this character story of Kate and Felix Kendall.They have been happily married with three children, and one day Felix just doesn't show up home....what's going on? He is accused of money laundering and has no contact with his family, who think him dead.I like the strength that Kate (before a bored housewife) found within her self and how her family survived their fall from upper class to council estate life.Always enjoy Clare's novels. Really good writer.

[daisydaisydaisy_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It took me a few chapters to get into this, but I ended up really enjoying it. I liked seeing the different perspectives of the people involved in the plot- Felix (the man who disappears), his wife, their children and how gradually the whole picture is pieced together.

[nocto_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I found this quite an odd story, but, like the rest of Clare Morrall's books, really enjoyed it.

[mumfie_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This was an entertaining light read about a father and husband who does a runner as he is being sought for fraud. It deals with the practical and emotional upheaval his wife and children go through as they deal with their change in financial and emotional circumstances and their gradual adaptation of a new life, interspersed with his own attempts to forge a temporary life.

[jayne_charles_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Man who Disappeared is about a man who....erm....disappeared. it's a book that does exactly what it says on the tin.Provided you can cope with the idea of international fraud being committed in Budleigh Salterton (quite a feat but I managed it), this is a fantastic read. Smoothly and confidently written, full of characters you can believe in, and with a storyline that's simple but gripping. The blurb on the back wisely takes the line 'What if this happened to you...?' and throughout the book there is the nagging sensation that this is something that could happen to a 'normal' family.I liked the way the author controlled her past and present plot-lines and changed perspective from character to character. She has, in pariticular, a keen appreciation of the idiosyncracies of 9 year old boys. Quite simply one of the best books I have read this year.

[bhowell_35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked this book up at the Hatchard book store in London, intrigued by the plot outlined on the back. It is a lively escapist read about an English upper middle class woman whose husband disappears. Shortly thereafter, she learns of serious improprieties at his accounting firm and he is accused of laundering money from criminal activities. As the police conduct a man hunt for her husband , Kate and her children must cope with intense media scrutiny and wonder if they ever really knew their much loved husband and father.Ms Morrall's previous novels include the Booker -shortlisted "Astonishing Splashes of Colour" which I have but had never gotten around to reading. now, I look forward to it. Highly recommended.