Librarian Hester Thursby, a diminutive young woman, has issues. We meet her as she’s escorting her niece Kate to daycare before going to work and praying that this morning would be different. But it wasn’t – at least not for them. They don’t end up where they were going.
Hester’s story alternates with that of Rory Dunbar, the only cop on a little island off the coast of Maine. Overwhelmed with his job and out-of-control brother, he wishes he could be the kind of hero that the unattainable Lydia would fall in love with.
Eventually their stories collide in a perfect storm of sympathetic characters striving against the odds to be better people even as doing the right thing comes instinctively to them. I like these guys.
This story defies categorization. Not really a murder mystery. Not really a psych thriller. Certainly not cozy. But it falls squarely into crime fiction with its fresh, intriguing and compelling plot born wholly from the author’s imagination. Looking forward to more.

Debut novel a nd knocked it out of the park. Dark and twisted. A thriller at it's best. Hoping this is the first of many for this author. I have a feeling there are many more thrillers on the way. #buythebook

In this, the second book in the Hester Thursby mysteries we find the diminutive, spunky Hester drawn to a little island off the coast of Maine. Here there are secrets, jealousies, drugs, missing children and murder. The many characters are well fleshed out, the plot twisty and complicated and the pace quick enough to keep you invested to the intriguing conclusion. For a better understanding of why Hester does some things she does and what caused her PTSD, I recommend reading the first book of the series, Little Comfort, first. That said, I really enjoyed this thrilling intricate novel and highly recommend it.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC to read, review and enjoy.

Having not read the first book in Hill's Hester Thursby mysteries it took me a bit to get into the novel trying to understand the dynamics of Hester's life and challenges and what she did for a living. When introduced to the island where the main story takes place I had to wonder where all the characters were leading. Once they connected and Hester's story filled in the plot grabs you and has you invested in finding out how Hester will solve her latest investigation. Hester has fear to deal with, her own fear after the danger of her previous missing persons case and along with fear for her boyfriend's niece safety. So off she goes to Finistere Island when texted by her friend and boyfriend's twin Daphne that she needs her. Daphne has been missing for a year hence Hester's care of her daughter. Hoping to reconnect with this long time friend, she is off and running with Daphne's daughter Kate in tow. Planning just a one day trip doesn't last long when murder happens, missing children happen, Daphne comes and goes, and the members of the island seem to have a problem on their hands.

A powerfully written second book by Edwin hill!!! His writing completely blows my mind and keeps me guessing right to the end!! I loved seeing Hester trying to overcome the most difficult of things many people suffer through after trauma. PTSD is a real issue and Hester is not alone as a ghost from her past comes back she must try to overcome some of her fears. She goes on a mission and finds herself in trouble once again. But Hester doesn't give up! I don't want to post spoilers but WOW !!!!!! This book was a perfect second book in the series. Filled with my now favorite characters and real life issues mixed with murder and even more mystery!!! Can't wait to read the next book!! Thank you Edwin Hill and Kensington publishing and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for my honest review! Already posted on good reads!

Little Comfort, the first in the Hester Thursby series, was one of my top 3 books of last year, and so I picked up Hill’s sophomore effort, The Missing Ones ,with slight trepidation. Would it be as good? I’m glad to report that in many ways it very much is- although in some ways it is not. Here’s my review:

First things first- the pace. There’s a fair amount of necessary world building and scene setting with the primary location of Finisterre Island. We’re given a brief glimpse of our protagonist, Hester at the start to see how she’s doing (answer: not well) before moving to the island for the first third or so of the novel. New characters are introduced- Rory, the local policeman, baker and innkeeper Lydia his long unrequited love and friend, her unpleasant husband detective Trey, grumpy Vaughan the fisherman and Annie, a down and out arrival to the island with little luggage but many secrets. Hill takes his time setting all this up and if you’re looking for a brisk police procedural, this is not it. For that matter, if you are squeamish about reading about child abduction, opioid abuse, murder, PTSD, and ugly dogs, this book probably is not for you. I like my reading material a little dark and gritty, thank you- and Hill obliges.

While I respect all the world building, it does take patience and I did find it a little slow in places. The book really takes off when Hester takes centre stage. There’s something about this character that fascinates me- she’s not your typical hero but her many faults give her an appealing depth. I especially enjoyed learning more about her history with her boyfriend Morgan and gaining some insight into how Morgan’s twin sister and Hester’s former best friend, the missing Daphne fits into the equation (or doesn’t fit, as the case may be). Of course Hester does some dumb and highly questionable things, like bringing her young charge Kate (who is Daphne’s daughter) to the island to search for her and of course danger ensues at various turns.

As with its predecessor, Hill’s characters are for the most part complicated beings, marked with ambivalence. I feel that for some reason this didn’t quite work as well for me as the first book; Hester and Morgan aside, I didn’t like any of them very much and I found the motives of Annie quite baffling. While some things were explained the ending was ambiguous to the point of leaving me scratching my head, wondering if as a reader I’d been obtuse. But on the whole, these are minor issues in what is an extremely well written, entertaining read. I hope there is more Hester in the pipeline as I will be waiting eagerly for whatever comes next.

Topical and twisty this is the story of Hester's desperate search for her friend Daphne, who went missing, leaving behind her daughter Kate. Hester and her partner Morgan (Daphne's twin) have had to make some adjustments to their lives to care for a now 4 year old but they love her. Hester's research skills are awesome and if she's an unusual heroine in this type of novel, well, I'm ok with that because she's interesting. When she gets a text from Daphne, she takes Kate and heads for the mysterious island of Finisterre, off the coast of Maine. It's a bad bad place with some weird stuff going on, including murder. Who is Anne? How does she link into the story? No spoilers but know that Morgan is not happy about what Hester's done and they differ on what to do next. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Two thumbs up and a very good read.

Edwin Hill has done it again. The Missing Ones is the second Hester Thursby mystery and was as good as the first.
It did start a little slower than the first one that hooked me from the first page. This one had a much longer introduction to characters before Hester really made an appearance. I almost gave up but I'm glad I didn't. I look forward to the next installment.

Thank you NetGalley & Kensigton for and ARC.

Sometimes don't you want to shake a charachter until they understand that they are a hot mess and need to take on some responsibility?

Edwin Hill has done it again. The Missing Ones continues the Hester Thursby mysteries saga and is as enjoyable as the first. Hill has created a suspenseful, cat and mouse, will she find her won't she find her, can't put it down kind of book. His characters are well developed, the story moves at a great pace, and we're still wondering why Hester can put up with Daphne and her crazy. The well written story brings you in and leaves you not wanting to stop until you're finished.

Pick up a copy - you'll be happy you did!

The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill
Hester Thursby Mystery #2

Some words that I wrote down:
* obsession
* drugs
* sex
* endangerment
* murder
* tangled
* kidnapping
* crime
* thought provoking
* disturbing
* intense

Hester Thursby had a tough time in the previous book and has become obsessed with an almost irrational fear that Kate, a child she has cared for a year, will disappear or come to harm. She is really in a stew of her own making and doesn’t know how to get out of the hamster wheel she finds herself in. Her partner and friends are concerned but she is huffy and difficult to put it mildly.

When Kate’s’ mother, Daphne, sends a cry for help to Hester it is a central point in the book. Still unable to leave Kate she leaves in the night and heads to Finisterre Island, Maine. She does not find Daphne but does begin to find clues that may eventually lead to locating her.

As Hester looks she meets a number of people in the small island community, hears the stories of two boys that suddenly appeared a day or so after they strangely went missing, sees the dynamics of various relationships, searches for Daphne, stumbles across a dead body, encounters scary people and begins to come to terms with the obsessive fear that has hounded her for so long.

When Morgan, her partner, arrives they discuss loudly, come to an agreement on how to split up to find Daphne and head off to search some more.

When I started this book I thought it was slow and couldn’t understand why we met who we did and what parts the people on the island would play in Hester’s life. As I got further into the book I found myself tangled in the web the story was creating and kept reading till after 3am to find out what would happen.

I usually do a “what I liked” and “what I did not like” when doing a review but this book doesn’t lend itself as easily to that format. Why? All of the characters in the book were flawed and at times difficult to like. The plot was gritty, dark and troubling. The ending left me unsettled but hopeful for Hester, Morgan and another child but worried about Daphne and the direction she seemed to be heading. Many of the characters did what most would consider evil things or at least things I would not do and it worried me. At the same time I know that the people that were worrisome are believable and in character and thus even more disturbing as a result. This is a book that will linger with me. I am not sure where the next book will head but the way Hester seems to tangle with some very bad situations I do know that it will be a thought provoking story that I will gladly read when it is published.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington books for the ARC – This is my honest review.

5 Stars

The Missing Ones (Hester Thursby Mystery #2) by Edwin Hill

Sometimes I finish a book and I am stuck about how to review on it. The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill is one of those books. I read the entire book and felt obligated to keep reading and to finish it. Not because the book was from NetGalley, but because I really wanted to know who was doing what. That is the true hallmark of a good book, you just need to finish it to find the ending. Meanwhile, I did not like the long build up to the mystery. Once I finished up to about 40%, the rest of the book read very quickly. I liked the characters on the island. I liked how gossip moved around so quickly and how interesting the storyline was.

Edwin Hill’s book is a twisted story of happenings on a small island on the coast of Maine. Children missing, drugs coming in to a small community and Hester looking for her best friend/ soon to be sister-in-law. How that all twists up into a mystery with an island, DEA, and state police is what makes this book very interesting. I did try to read the previous book, but was not as invested in the characters as I was in this book.

The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill is the second book in the Hester Thursby Mystery series. The story twines with various elements around and slowly drags you to questions and then speeds up to help you find a conclusion. The Missing Ones was an interesting read.

The Missing Ones is equally as good as Little Comfort. Edwin Hill continues to be a gifted writer to watch!

The first time I put down The Missing Ones, I noticed I was at the 42% mark. Uh-oh. How did that happen? I checked the clock and wondered if I could function on 4 hours of sleep. I managed and it was worth it. The next time I picked it, I finished it. It’s that kind of book. Hill skillfully weaves a mystery with threads that twist and turn but ultimately take you in the only possible direction—start reading and you’re lost to the story and to the characters, all of whom are a little messed up. Make sure you have a bit of time on your hands because you won’t want to put this book down.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC of this book. Love the twists and turns in this intriguing book. Enjoyed that the author made the book including the importance of family. Enjoying this series.

Linda's Book Obsession Reviews "The Missing Ones" by Edwin Hill, Kensington, August 2019

Edwin Hill, Author has written an intriguing, captivating, and suspenseful novel. This is the second book in the Hester Thursby Mysteries. In my opinion, one would benefit from reading both books, but it can be a stand-alone. The Genres for this novel are Mystery and Suspense and Psychological Thriller. There is a dash of romance. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes back only when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The author describes his dramatic characters as complex, complicated, and quirky.

Librarian Hester Thursby has stopped looking for people that didn't want to be found. She also has stopped going to the Library, and keeps her 4-year-old niece home, instead of sending her to school. She is keeping this a secret from her partner Morgan. Hester and Morgan have been taking care of Katy, for about a year, since Morgan's sister just left the child in their care. Morgan's sister was Hester's best friend, and Hester has ambivalent feelings of when her friend returns. Taking care of a four-year-old does have a tremendous amount of responsibility attached.

Hester gets an emergency text to come and help at an isolated island off the coast of Maine.  Hester takes the child, goes on the ferry and hopes to help the "Person" who sent the text. On this island two children have disappeared, there are contaminated drugs being distributed and sold, people being hurt and threatened and murder. There also was a terrible storm with much damage. Hester finds herself in a dangerous position again. There are twists and turns, questionable characters, and deep secrets.

I appreciate that the author discusses the importance of family, friendship, communication, love, and hope. I would recommend this intriguing story.

After all of the awful things that happened with Hester in Little Comfort, I was hoping she wasn't going to be jumping into the fray again!

Hester is a librarian. With a side gig finding missing people. But after the last one, she almost died and is now out of that game. We think. Probably not.

Hester and Morgan are caring for four-year-old Kate, the daughter of Morgan's twin sister, Daphne. Daphne left a post-it saying she would be right back, but that was a long time ago and no one knows where she is.

Meanwhile, on Finisterre Island, off the coast of Maine, children are missing and mysteriously returned unharmed. We meet Annie, who looks like a homeless drug addict and is holed up in an abandoned Victorian that is now just an eyesore and a place for junkies. 

When Hester receives a text from Daphne, telling her she needs her, Hester is once again lying to Morgan and taking Kate with her to the island. When she gets there she finds a small town with some big-city problems. Like drugs, people with their own agendas, and a missing Daphne and another little boy. Along with the dead body of a dirty cop.

Will she find Daphne and reunite her with her daughter? Can she save all of them?

This was a twisty, suspenseful tale! At times Hester irritates me, but she has reasons for the things she does. We just don't understand them. Will this be the end of Morgan and Hester? Will Kate be returned to Daphne? Will Hester ever let go of the guilt and fear she is holding on to so tight?  I hope so.


Another well-done work by Mr. Hill

August 27th, 2019 by Kensington  NetGalley Reads

Edwin Hill takes the reader on a non-stop, heart-pounding, roller coaster of. a journey in The Missing Ones. This was one book I could not figure out the end. Each and every time I thought ah-hah I would be wrong. This is a cannot put it down book with strong emotional twists and turns.

Second in the Hester Thursby Mystery Series, which commenced with LITTLE COMFORT, THE MISSING ONES is primarily set on Maine's fictional Finisterre Island, accessible only by twice-daily ferry, but jam-packed in summer by holiday revelers. As an enclosed and insular environment, it's perhaps more of a showcase for human emotions and frailties than, say, a city like Boston. On the island, everybody knows everything and secrets are hard kept.


Hester and "not-husband" Morgan have been raising Morgan's niece Kate for a year now, and once independent Hester has come to terms with her fierce protectiveness for Kate. Then a text summons her to Finisterre Island to finally (she hopes) locate Kate's missing mother. But Finisterre has experienced the (temporary) misplacing of two young children already, and a rampant drug invasion. Is it safe to take Kate with her to the island?

The Missing Ones is my second Edwin Hill novel in the last 2 weeks and I loved them both. The setting of Finisterre Island was a wonderful choice - rugged, beautiful, both beachy and forested and best of all, the ferry only goes runs twice a day. You're either on it or you're not. What a great thing to use when your bad guy or good guy needs to hang around a bit longer!

The descriptions were wonderful, making it so I could easily picture the landscape, buildings and homes in my mind's eye. I really enjoy that. Of course Hester, Kate and Morgan are back, as is Angela, the police officer from Little Comfort. All my favorite characters ready to roll again.

The Missing Ones provides quite the story of Daphne, her homelessness (essentially) and a small town struggling with big city problems and an inadequate police presence. I very much enjoyed the details that came out, especially concerning one character I completely disliked. I was glad he turned out to be the type of person I thought he was.

The plot of this book has a lot going on so pay close attention and I think, like me, you'll find yourself reading faster wanting to find out what will happen. There is more to this seemingly peaceful little island than meets the eye and I think mystery/thriller fans will enjoy uncovering the rot that has infested the town. Edwin Hill has another winner on his hands in my opinion. Pick up The Missing Ones and if you haven't read Little Comfort, it would probably be good to do so first. They can stand alone, but the back stories are richer if you read both books.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I read the first book in this series, Little Comfort, and really liked Hester Thursby, the main character. That book ended with Hester recovering from some pretty awful things she suffered through so I was interested in finding out where the author would take Hester in her next case. He took her in a direction I don't like and it colored my entire thought process regarding this book. I don't like to read stories where adults put children in jeopardy or step away from their responsibility to their child and that's exactly what three women in this book did.

Hester's best friend Daphne simply walked out of the house one night and left her daughter Kate behind. It's been a year without communication from Daphne so when Hester gets an SOS text message she bundles up four year old Kate and takes off - without telling anyone where she is going and not answering any messages or phone calls. On purpose; it's not like she lost her phone or anything. Once Hester and Kate get to Finisterre Island, Maine, she becomes involved in murder, kidnapping, illegal drugs, arson; pretty much you name it and little girl Kate gets exposed to it. There is also the drug addict woman who has her four year old son with her in a drug house while she uses and sells drugs. There is another under five boy who is kidnapped but found, and later in the story his mother simply asks a stranger (Hester) to take care of him and disappears for an entire night.

This wasn't the right kind of mystery novel for me and there wasn't much chance I would enjoy it. I think Hester and I have parted ways for good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-Galley of this novel.