In The Girl in the Missing Poster Leila Hawkins hasn't been seen since 1994 when she was at her father's birthday party. Her twin sister Stella still grieves for her and Leila's whereabouts remains a mystery. Stella has decorated their seaside hometown of Mereford with flowers every year for the last twenty-five years. Stella knows that continuing to hope for news of Leila is futile, but this year, a documentary could spark peoples' memories, especially of the guests who were at the party. What she never expects to receive is a response from the individual who abducted Leila...

Written with finesse and flair, Barbara Copperthwaite delighted me with this classy psychological thriller. The plot execution was tip-top, as was the characterisation. Though I didn't particularly like Stella she was a good fit for the story. There were no disappointments and I was completely gripped from the first chapter, loving the shock factor and twists.

Told in flashbacks exclusively from Stella's perspective, I was fascinated by the relationship between Stella and Leila. As occurrences manifested, the author certainly kept me on my toes in this immensely absorbing and chilling read, playing her cards really close to her chest, and partway through the story really picked up the pace. The Girl in the Missing Poster was everything I wanted in what was a stellar psychological thriller, and I enjoyed how things panned out in the unexpected finale. This was my second read by Barbara Copperthwaite and I enjoyed it immensely.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Bookouture via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

My Review
This is my very first time delving into a book by this author and I'm so surprised I haven't come across her before. Her book was such a treat and not at all what I was expecting.
I was pleasantly surprised and I now have a back catalogue of her books to look at.
In this story, I took to her main character Stella immediately. I would imagine it was her love of dogs that won me over.
Scamp, Buster, Buddy and Fifi definitely waggled their way into my heart.
The storyline is one that doesn't bear thinking about. Imagine your twin sister going missing without a trace..
Your life I don't think would ever be the same again. The not knowing what happened is what would drive you to distraction I think.
Stella was tormented searching for her sister, checking leads and wondering all the time what happened to her.
Her life I felt was on hold. She couldn't seem to live her life or get close to anyone for fear that she would lose them.
Then along comes lovely Euan with an opportunity to create a documentary about her missing sister.
With the 25th anniversary coming up, Stella feels this could be her one chance to find out what really happened on the night her sister disappeared.
Old secrets come to light, suspicions are aroused, while lives are very much in danger.
Jam packed with tension, suspicion and drama, this novel will keep you engrossed...
Well worth your time...

Thank you kindly to Barbara Copperthwaite, author and her publishers Bookouture for my copy of this book. Much appreciated.

As a huge fan of Barbara’s books and knowing how hard the road has been for her the last few years, I really wanted to love this book. But unfortunately, it didn’t quite work for me. I felt it was incredibly slow and I am not dealing well with slow-paced stories these days. The characters irritated me and not enough things were happening to keep me enthralled. There were some twists and turns but I felt the outcome was always going to be pretty obvious. All in all, I’m a bit disappointed but still a fan and I hope there will be more books from Barbara.

it was really slow but as I kept reading it got better and better.

The further I got into the story the more I wanted to know what happened.

It kept me on the edge of my seat and kept me guessing from the start to the finish.

Yay - The queen of the beautifully written,captivating psychological thriller returns with this thrilling tale of one woman's quest to uncover the truth behind her sister's disappearance. Twenty five years have passed since Stella's identical twin sister Leila ran away from their father's birthday party and disappeared,without a trace. Stella has campaigned tirelessly to raise awareness of Leila's disappearance and now her hopes of finally learning what happened on that fateful night are raised when she is contacted by a production company who want to do a documentary series investigating her sister's disappearance. Stella sees this as her chance to get the answers to all her unanswered questions but the renewed interest in the case will not only reopen old wounds but also place Stella's life in danger. Because someone knows what happened to Leila on that stormy night,many years ago,someone who is prepared to repeat history to prevent the truth from being revealed and their identity being uncovered.

The story is told almost entirely from the perspective of Stella, a dog trainer who was a strong willed individual who wasn't afraid to speak her mind and stand up to people who she felt were in the wrong. She had a serious stubborn streak and was determined to uncover the truth behind her sister's disappearance. I confess that I had mixed feelings about her character but I loved Her interactions with her two dogs Buddy and Fifi and I totally agreed with the comment that she made to another character about dogs being more trustworthy than humans. We learnt from the very beginning of the story that Stella was burdened with feelings of guilt about something that happened between the two sister's on that fateful night. And,there were times,as the story unfolded that I doubted the veracity of Stella's version of events in the past. Was there a possibility that she knew more about her sister's disappearance than she was letting on? Could she be using the documentary as a smoke screen, a way to bend the truth to cover up her own actions.

Agreeing to do the documentary placed Stella back in the spotlight where she could be scrutinised,judged and found innocent or guilty by the armchair detectives sat at home in front of their tv screens as the public are prone to do. And yes,that does include me,the only difference is that I don't share my opinions all over social media.

Interspersed throughout the book was the documentary transcripts which included interviews with characters who knew the twins including Leila's friends and DCI Dave Burns who was a DS when Leila went missing and has kept in touch with Stella throughout the ensuing years. During these transcripts we are taken through the events of the past, people's opinions of the twins,what the witnesses remember seeing on the night of the party and who the suspects were during the investigation into Leila's disappearance. The documentary transcripts concluded with an account of the shocking truth of what happened to Leila on the night that changed Stella's life forever.

Omg,what more can I say but wow and wow again. I really,really loved this incredible,twist packed,intricately plotted thriller that had me captivated from the first page and glued to my kindle. It was perfectly paced,kept me guessing and the identity of the killer was a genuine mind blowing shocking twist. If I could I would give it far more than five stars. A very addictive,gripping read and very very highly recommended.

Twenty five years ago, Leila Hawkins left her father's birthday party in a hurry and was never seen again. Every year on the anniversary of the disappearance of her sister, Stella walks round the town they grew up in putting up missing posters in the hope it will jog someone's memory and they will remember what happened, and Stella is determined not to give up until she uncovers the truth, because Leila was not only her sister, she was her identical twin sister and Stella has lived the last twenty five years feeling like half a person. When she is approached by a production company to do a documentary about Leila's disappearance, Stella jumps at the chance, any exposure has to be good exposure doesn't it?

This story is told across two timelines; 1994 and the present day and from Stella's perspective. It's a well crafted plot with authentic characters, I adored Stella and her one woman mission to uncover the truth really got under my skin, enveloping me within her life and making me feel I was living this hell right there with her. The chapters alternate between the present and the past and include transcripts from the documentary too. The author knows how to draw the reader in, throwing in a few twists along the way, but that final one was the best, and even though I guessed who the perpetrator was, it was still a shock when it was revealed, I was so hoping to be wrong!

I'd like to thank Bookouture and Netgalley for the auto approval. I will post my review on Amazon and Goodreads.

The Girl In The Missing Poster by Barbara Copperthwaite is a psychological thriller that is, as I always find with Barbara Copperthwaite book, well written and fantastically paced.
Twenty five years ago Stella's identical twin sister left their dad's birthday party and never came back. Every single year Stella goes around putting missing posters up for her sister on the anniversary of her disappearance. This year, twenty five years later, Netflix is streaming a documentary on her disappearance and it has every possibility of bringing things up from the past.
Barbara Copperthwaite always brings a book worth reading. Her characters are always well developed so you feel like you are with them, there, by their side as you read through the book. This one was no different, I felt the danger that ran throughout, the personal safety issues I was at one point really worried for them! The story is told mainly from Stella's viewpoint so we are able to get to know her really well. The transcripts from the documentary are rather cleverly used also so we come to understand exactly what happened on that night twenty five years ago. I have to say with the amount of suspects we come ip against plenty of twists and red herrings too.
A story that is fiction but makes me feel like it coukd even be true crime, Barbara Copperthwaite has skilfully woven a story that I certainly could not put down, unless I was made to!
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the copy of the book and my place on the tour. I am eagerly looking forward to this authors next offering.

Brilliant read. It really draws you in to the story of the twin missing for 25 years. There are a good few suspects and some great characters especially Mary Bird. I thought i had it solved early on but I was wrong. Would definitely recommend it for a holiday read or whenever you have a lot of time to yourself.

Favorite Quotes:

I’m thrown by him, I admit. One minute he’s a gentleman coming to the rescue, the next he’s trying to sabotage me, then claiming he did it all for my good; he’s got more sides than a Rubik’s Cube.

It’s been a long time since anyone showed interest in me, and I’m not sure how to feel or how much to trust myself. Lately, there’s been a lot of blood rushing around neglected places, and lots of feelings churning around me that I thought I’d outgrown.

Leila wouldn’t have touched him with a barge pole – not even someone else’s barge pole. She liked the quieter, more studious type. The kind you could settle down with and introduce to your parents without cringing.

That woman doesn’t grab life, she hugs it to her bosom, covers it with air kisses, then presses some diamonds into its hands as thanks…

My Review:

This busy tale was brilliantly plotted and shrewdly paced while it had more twists and curves than a rope factory. I found myself holding my breath while reading the intense and treacherous written exchanges between the murderer and obsessed sister of his long-ago victim. There were multiple suspects who were cleverly built-up and ever so slowly eliminated. I lost track of how many theories I had spun and cast aside. The writing was superb and kept me riveted to my Kindle all day. I was as obsessed and driven as the surviving twin to unravel this perplexing murder mystery and fear there may have actually been some growling and hissing when my reading was interrupted. Barbara Copperthwaite is an evil genius and master storyteller. I was utterly bamboozled.

One to keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. Stellas twin sister Leila went missing twenty five years ago. Stella is now a dog behaviourist and is putting up posters as it's close to the anniversary as nothing has ever been found about Leila. On encountering a man badly treating his dog she bumps into a man asking if she requires help with the abusive owner. Shortly afterwards she gets a phone call asking if she would like to do a documentary to cover Leilas disappearance and the man turns out to be the interviewer Euan. The documentary goes ahead and Stella starts getting emails and mysterious phone calls who know things that were never revealed. Will she ever find out what really happened that night? I really enjoyed this- I took to Stella early on. She has a tenacity and a well rounded character and being a behaviourist gives her insights into such things as body language etc. I loved this- a very clever and well thought out premise and a story well told. I suspected whom the perpetrator might be around 75% of the way through but then kept getting curveballs- something I enjoy to keep the grey matter alive. A brilliant read , one to keep you on your toes- highly recommended.

This is a new to me author, and I requested an ARC of this book as the premise sounded intriguing. The plot hooked me in, and the twists were inventive, but the characters just weren't likeable. A couple felt like they were thrown in for no reason - they didn't affect the story, so why were they introduced?

The story starts off a bit slow but soon heats up and is quite action-packed towards the end.

Overall, it's an enjoyable read but nothing I would run out to buy right away.

This the third book I have read from this author. The first book was a total hit and the 2nd book was a total miss. Unfortunately, this book was a miss for me. It was painstakingly slow and boring.

Stella's twin sister, Leila, disappeared when they were 19 years old. With no body, the police were at a lost. Twenty-five years later, Stella decides to do a Netflix true crime series to renew interests in her sister's disappearance. Alliances may have shifted over the years. Maybe there will be new information.

I found every single character in this book irritating and tiresome, especially Stella. There were twists that were thrown into the story that didn't do anything to the plot. I think the author just wanted to throw some surprises into the story. It was difficult for me to continue reading but I did want to know what happened to Leila.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and Barbara Copperthwaite for a copy of "The Girl in the Missing Poster" in exchange of an honest review.

TERRIFIC storyline, interesting characters including Stella's 3 dogs. & lots of intrigue to keep you glued to the pages until the grand finale. First time reading this author but have since purchased Flowers for the Dead.. Enjoyed & RECOMMEND totally. Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC in return for my honest review.

I really liked the premise of this book / and it was certainly an original take on an old faithful! Stella’s twin sister Leila has been missing for years and when a company come forward to do a documentary about that night, Stella jumps at the chance. I liked Stella for the most part - although I agree with other reviewers that the dog Behaviour stuff gets a bit much. I liked the format of the book with the reconstruction parts being enjoyable and different.

I loved Barbara’s last book The perfect friend so I was really looking forward to this one. She is an author that knows her characters inside and out and while both books start with a slow burn they always race towards the conclusions.

Stella had my attention standing up to an abusive dog owner in the park, while she was doing her annual distribution of missing posters on the anniversary of her twin sister Leila’s disappearance. Twenty five years on and she is still reminded of it every time she looks in the mirror. Desperately needing closure she agrees to take part in a documentary, hoping she will get some answers.

Told mainly from Stella’s perspective and the clever use of transcripts from the documentary we learn more about that fateful night. With a wide suspect pool there doesn’t seem to be even one character that avoids suspicion.

I can only imagine the sheer amount of plotting the author had to do to bring this all together, using just the right amount of red herrings to steer the reader off course. I have an image in my head of the scene in Bruce Almighty with the over load of post it notes.

With the feel of true crime, conspiracy theories being brought to attention and documentaries being all the rage on Netflix I highly recommend giving this well executed book a read.

First, I want to thank Barbara Copperthwaite, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me this book so I may bring you this review.

Barbara Copperthwaite is a pure creative genius when she created The Girl In The Missing Poster storyline. If you are a true crime TV documentary fan like I am you must add this to your tbr list. This story will literally blow your mind repeatedly over and over again!

This book is dedicated to Julieanne, Barbara’s friend and life twin. It is also for all the missing and the ones who are left behind.

Instantly my heart went out to Stella who we find out her sister went missing without a trace 25 years ago. Not just her sister-her identical twin sister. I can’t even fathom the idea if one of my sisters went missing!

My favorite part of Barbara’s book was the documentary series investigating Lelia's disappearance on Netflix! What sets her book from the others is she had written in the documentary transcript. When you read this section you can mentally see this play out as a tv series in your mind. It was very clever how she did this.

Through this documentary that they are filming you get a better idea of the bond the two sisters shared, you learn about their parents, past loves, etc.

Dog lovers are in for a big treat with this storyline. Barbara gave Stella a very unique career path in being a dog behaviorist. It was not a profession I had ever heard about. However, I got to learn all about it.

There were a lot of powerful sayings in this book that hit close to home for me personally.

Barbara’s climatic ending basically left me speechless! It was one of the best endings I have ever read. It was one of the most powerful endings that came out of nowhere.

The Girl In The Missing Poster has a Netflix series written all over it! Oh what an amazing series that would make!

After reading Barbara’s book I totally fell in love with her writing style! She definitely gained a new fan in me! I would love to read and review more of her books.

4/5 :)

First of all, I would like to acknowledge the faithful dogs of Stella. They seriously sound so cute and I thought they were a great way to begin the novel too.

The characters were all really diverse and I felt they all had a purpose to the plot.

I loved how the chapters switch between from Stella’s POV to the documentary transcripts. Although this book does make filming a documentary sound fast and easy...

Unfortunately, this didn't grip me in as much as I hoped it would. This would definitely be the type of book you’d want to finish in one sitting so everything and every detail stays fresh in your memory.

Although the big mystery might seem obvious to a few, the side plots and twists, the diverse characters, and that ending would surely make up for it.

That epilogue and the way the ending connects with the beginning is so on point and flawless even. I just love a book with a good epilogue.

This would be the perfect cozy mystery for you.


02/22/21

I found that this book had an interesting storyline that kept me hooked for most of the book. At times the pace seemed to drag and I found myself losing interest but once it got going again I was hooked on trying to find out what happened to Leila.

I liked how dedicated Stella was to finding out what happened to her sister but sometimes it got really annoying especially when she was so stupidly naive when it came to a certain thing that happened. I didn’t really pay attention to how many years it had been since Leila went missing so I was shocked when it mentioned how old Stella was. This is because at times I found her to be very immature.

I absolutely loved the dogs and the way that Stella was so passionate about saving animals. I liked Euan although something inside me still finds him to be very shady. The ending was such a surprise and I never guessed who the villain was although there was a part that now makes me go hmmm makes sense.

I recieved an advanced copy for free, and this is my honest opinion.

Outstanding. I love this author - she always delivers and with this book she has raised the bad. Thrilling from start to finish. Absolutely absorbing. I was lost while reading and couldn't stay away. A brilliantly written standout book. Please read this one.

After enjoying "Flowers for the Dead" not once but twice, I jumped at the opportunity to read Barbara's newest thriller THE GIRL IN THE MISSING POSTER. I was intrigued by both the cover and the exciting premise that I just had to find out what happened. And boy, what a unique and twisty thriller it was! Unfortunately, it was very slow in parts that I felt some of the story could have been redacted to keep the pace moving steadily. But I still really enjoyed it in the end.

Nineteen year old Leila Hawkins disappeared without a trace on 24th June 1994 after leaving her father's 50th birthday party early, wearing her twin sister's red coat. Twenty five years later, Stella is still looking for answers hoping that her sister will return, albeit unlikely now. Since her sister's disappearance Stella's whole life has been about finding out what happened to Leila and laying her to rest.

As the 25th anniversary of her disappearance looms ever near, Stella puts up missing posters hoping for a positive response in the unlikely event that someone will remember something. What she doesn't expect is to be approached by a production company looking to film a documentary series about Leila's disappearance set to air on the anniversary. Stella agrees thinking it will be great exposure and hoping the renewed interest might help solve the case once and for all. She meets Euan Vincent, an investigative journalist, who conducts the interviews for the documentary series and exploring the possibility of what may have happened to Leila. The interviews reopen old wounds for Stella as she attempts to maintain her composure throughout whilst keeping some secrets to herself at least.

When the documentary airs, Stella binge watches it in its entirety for the first time, but the theories Euan explored brought trouble to her door when certain people would have preferred to leave the past behind. And then...Stella begins to receive emails from the person who claims to be responsible for Leila's death. She should pass them on to the police and let them investigate. But...what if this is her only chance to find out what really happened to her sister? Shouldn't she take it? Should she throw caution to the wind and play their game?

Since the disappearance of her "other half", her identical twin, Stella has never felt completely whole again. She feels incredibly guilty about that night and has carried it for 25 years, blaming herself in part for Leila's disappearance. Once a bit of a wild child, Stella is now a loner. She lives with her three dogs who are her world and has never given up on her search for Leila. As a dog behaviourist and an animal advocate, Stella recognises the cry of a terrified animal and thus rescues her fourth addition to her family...a French bulldog she later names Fifi.

Although the story centres on Stella and her search for Leila, there is the underlying theme of dogs running throughout as well. It's this undercurrent that had me on edge for most of the book, anticipating something awful happening to one of the dogs. Or to any dog. As it was, Stella rescued Fifi from her owner who was kicking her and dragging her along the ground as the animal yelped in pain and fear. This scene, which is near the beginning, had me in tears. And then she took Fifi off to the vet only to witness a man having to say goodbye to his beloved staffy and by then I was bawling. Stella's friend is vet Farrah who checks Fifi saying she was extremely malnourished, emaciated and had recently had pups. My thought was - puppy farm.

As a dog lover and staffymum myself, I cannot bear anything happening to any animal, particularly dogs, in a book...and have been known to stop reading immediately if there is any graphic abuse or death of our beloved canine friends. So I felt like I was keeping one eye on the story and another on the lookout for something happening to the dogs. But, without giving any spoilers I will happily say that nothing happens to the dogs...thankfully.

THE GIRL IN THE MISSING POSTER is an addictive mix of suspense filled thriller and heartwrenching drama with a palpable tension throughout. There is an eerie undercurrent as Stella has the feeling of being watched and suspicion is cast on even the most likeable of characters. Slow throughout the first half of the book, the pace does pick up in the second half, filling you with unease and shocking truths are uncovered. The final twists will leave you breathless.

The story itself alternates between Stella's first person narrative and the documentary transcript which draws you in and reveals bit by bit, the events that took place on the night of Leila's disappearance. It's hard not to empathise with Stella, who can't even look in the mirror without seeing an aging Leila's face, though she remains strong and stoic throughout. Yet at the same time she feels like an unreliable narrator at times as she struggles with herself and the journey on which she now finds herself. I found that I could identify with Stella with her love for her dogs and the implicit trust she has in them, as they in her. She understands dogs and appreciates the fact that they never judge, they never lie and they love wholly and unconditionally...unlike humans. For this reason, her world consists mainly of her dogs and that I can relate to. The documentary transcript is an excellent addition to the story, providing the much needed backstory to Leila's disappearance as well as insight into some of the other characters.

Throughout the story, I changed my mind several times as to who the main suspects were...but nothing prepared me for that final reveal! I so did NOT see that coming! In fact, there were several aspects Barbara had me well and truly hoodwinked on. She threw in so many red herrings and twists that she was able to successfully fool the reader on more than one occasion. The cat mouse game she put before us threw us off completely as we focused elsewhere while she lay in wait with us unsuspecting readers falling into her trap. The pace in the second half gained so much momentum that it was a race to the end filled with twist after shocking twist.

I have to say that THE GIRL IN THE MISSING POSTER is most definitely original, compelling and completely addictive...with the second half of the book being one hell of a thrill ride!!

I would like to thank #BarbaraCopperthwaite, #NetGalley, #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheGirlInTheMissingPoster in exchange for an honest review.