What is the title of your latest release?
THEN HE WAS GONE
What’s the “elevator pitch” for THEN HE WAS GONE?
It’s every parent’s worst nightmare. Six-year-old Henry goes missing at the end of a family hike in Rocky Mountain National Park. Is he lost in the park? Or has he been kidnapped? His parents don’t know which would be worse as they are pushed to their breaking point in a desperate search for their son.
How did you decide to write this book from multiple viewpoints?
Some years ago, I wrote a few paragraphs in a child’s voice describing a family hike in the mountains for an assignment in a writing class. Much later, I woke up in the middle of the night thinking that that story was about a child who goes missing at the end of the hike. So, I started with the child’s voice but knowing that the novel couldn’t be told entirely from his viewpoint, it seemed natural to switch to the mother in the next chapter. And it just went from there.
Would you hang out with any of your protagonists in real life? Which one are you most like? Elizabeth or Paul? Or Nick or Henry?
I raised two sons, so I would love to hang out with Nick and Henry. Elizabeth and I are alike in some ways. We’re both lawyers, devoted to family, and if my son were missing, I would do everything in my power to find him.
What are three words that describe each of the aforementioned characters?
Elizabeth: Smart. Fierce. Relentless.
Paul: Loving. Creative. Insecure.
Nick: Sad. Hurting. Hopeful.
Henry: Strong. Funny. Kindhearted.
What’s something unexpected you learned while researching and writing THEN HE WAS GONE?
There are theories floating around the internet that the devil or something supernatural is kidnapping and sometimes killing children in national parks. And the government is in a conspiracy to cover it up because they don’t want people to stop going to the parks. I don’t believe it, but it was interesting to read about it.
Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I usually read what I wrote the day before to get my head back into the novel. I might change a word or two, but I do the major editing when the book is finished.
Describe your writing space/office!
I have an office on the second floor of our house, with a writing desk, built-in credenza and bookshelves, and a long window seat where I can stretch out to read.
Who is an author you admire?
There are so many, but if I must pick one, I’d say Jane Austen. I have read PRIDE AND PREJUDICE several times and never grow tired of it.
Is there a book that changed your life?
THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. I took a Shakespeare course in college. We read all the plays and sonnets. The power of great literature really sunk in.
What’s your favorite genre to read?
I don’t have a favorite genre. If it’s a good book, the genre doesn’t matter – thrillers, mysteries, horror, literary fiction, historical fiction.
What other genres would you like to explore writing?
I wrote a historical novel, IN THE GARDEN OF SORROWS, about a woman who lost her son in World War I. I’d like to write a sequel to that, but for now I’m focusing on thrillers.
What’s your favorite movie?
I can narrow it down to four: Casablanca, The Sound of Music, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pride and Prejudice.
What is your favorite season?
Fall. It’s a welcome relief from the long hot summers in Houston, Texas, where I live. It’s also the time my husband and I like to travel internationally to avoid the summer crowds.
How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Quietly, with family.
What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
The Pitt. It’s intense and the cast is incredible.
What’s an upcoming tv show/movie/book/podcast you are anticipating?
Season 3 of Landman. It’s so Texan.
What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
French. Especially when I’m in France. In Paris you can stop at the neighborhood bistros on every corner and have an incredible meal.
What do you do when you have free time?
I read, travel, cook, and spend time with family and friends.
What can readers expect from you next?
I’m working on another thriller, very different from THEN HE WAS GONE. It’s darker and creepier.
Narrator: E.J. Lavery, Ryan Duncan, Ray Conley
Desperate parents search for their missing son in this tense thriller, perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell and Jennifer Hillier.
When attorney Elizabeth English and her husband, Paul, catch up to their energetic sons at the end of their hike, they expect to find the two boys waiting by their car. It’s been only minutes since Henry and Nick bolted ahead. But when Elizabeth and Paul emerge from the trail, Henry is gone, and all Nick says is that he saw a lone truck leaving the lot shortly after Henry went to the bathroom.
Gritty park ranger Hollis Monroe launches a massive search and teams up with a local detective to investigate the possibility that Henry was kidnapped. Elizabeth and Paul aren’t sure which is worse: their six-year-old lost in Rocky Mountain National Park or scared and bound in the back of a stranger’s pickup.
The search drives the couple to their breaking point, and secrets they have been keeping from each other are revealed for Henry’s sake. With every hour that passes, finding Henry becomes less likely, and Elizabeth becomes ferocious in her determination to make the impossible come true and find her son.
This nail-biting and unsettling thriller will leave readers breathlessly turning the page. Fans of Mary Kubica and Harlan Coben will love this new master of suspense.
Thriller Domestic | Thriller Crime [ Crooked Lane Books, On Sale: February 24, 2026, Paperback / e-Book / audiobook, ISBN: 9798892424691 / eISBN: 9798892424707 ]
A thrilling new voice in suspense.
Isabel Booth is the pen name of Karen Jewell, a former trial attorney and now a writer. She holds an undergraduate degree in English, a Master’s in Business Administration, and a Juris Doctorate degree. When she’s not writing she loves to read, travel, and cook dinner for friends. She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband.
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