This is a great read.
Stella has never got over the disappearance of her twin sister, Leila. She still puts up posters asking for any information many years on.
On the lead up to 25 years without her sister, Stella is approached by a production company to make a documentary about Leila.
It’s hard to go through it all again but Stella has to do something to find out what happened to Leila.
Stella meets Euan as part of the interview process and soon their friendship turns into something more.
Stella starts to receive emails addressed to ‘Dear Friend’ and it seems this person knows what happened to Leila.
After several exchanges between them, Stella eventually shows the emails to the Police to look into but they get nowhere.
She knows it’s in her hands so arranges to meet this person, with shocking results.
This is a great read that had me racing through the pages.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The Girl in the Missing Poster is the latest thriller from Copperthwaite and follows the case of a missing girl and the circumstances surrounding her disappearance. Nineteen-year-old probationary police Constable Leila Hawkins was last seen on 24 June, 1994 at her father's fiftieth birthday party on a stormy night in the coastal town of Mereford. Leila and identical twin sister, Stella, had the same red coat and had accidentally taken each other's by mistake; the coat that had the keys to her flat in the pocket with Stella not realising this until the next morning meaning Leila would've been unable to access her flat. There have been no sightings of her since and the police had begun to treat it as an abduction. Back to present day and it's the twenty-fifth anniversary of her sister's kidnapping and Stella is still struggling to come to terms with what happened and not knowing the details or whether Leila is alive or dead makes it difficult to have closure and move on. Stella has been putting up missing posters all over Mereford for years now in the hope that someone in the area may have seen her but no good leads come of it. The posters she has distributed recently have attracted the attention of Euan Vincent an investigative journalist who contacts her and asks her to take part in an interview for a documentary Netflix plans to make of the cold case. She hopes that the wider audience will bring her some answers so she can finally understand what happened to Leila that night and who was responsible.

However, Stella was unaware of the trouble the documentary would bring and as it stirred up many emotions both inside and outside of the Hawkins family, it becomes apparent that people know more than they have been letting on about that fateful evening. The perpetrator also begins to taunt Stella and she receives a letter from him claiming to be from Leila and addressing her by a nickname not known to the public - Fag Ash Lil. Can the decades old crime be solved or will the truth never be known? This is a compulsive, enthralling and captivating read, and although it takes a while to get going, once it does a thrilling and emotional story unfolds. Told exclusively from Stella's perspective it alternates between present day chapters and the transcripts for the documentary, which I found an interesting and unique way to set out the plot. No one can be trusted in this book and you really have no idea who could've taken her that night, so when it's revealed I was pretty gobsmacked, to say the least. Copperthwaite does a sterling job of creating a large suspect pool and keeps the real perpetrator under wraps right until the end. The tension and suspense build up slowly but surely with plenty of intriguing developments and a plethora of secrets end up being revealed. Stella is a dog behaviourist, which I found original, and feels so much guilt about the events of that day. It has followed her whole life and now in her forties she's still desperately searching for answers. This is a riveting, chilling and absorbing thriller. Highly recommended.

Strangely enough, I actually remember 24th June 1994 very well and twins are also the reason! It was the day my own twins turned a week old and we had the most awful storm that day that both they and myself cried all the way through! So the night of Leila’s disappearance felt quite truthfully and vividly described throughout this gripping mystery.

As you all know, I love a “twin book” as I’ve always found that twin bond completely fascinating and have done ever since I found out I was expecting twins myself. I’ve seen first hand the bond between them that seems to be there from day one and that feeling of wanting to be seen as an individual but also needing that other person like you need your arms and legs! The loss of a twin is unlike any other and can cause lifeline mental health problems and from the start of TGITMP I could see that Stella was a very different person from the one she would have been if she still had her twin sister in her life.

This is a book full of grief, regrets and redemption with a wonderfully engaging character in the form of Stella who I admired greatly for her bravery and determination but OMG did she make some really, REALLY stupid decisions! And although there are plenty of clues as to what happened to Leila the night she went missing there are also plenty of unexpected twists that flip everything you think you know like a pancake on Shrove Tuesday. There are some difficult themes uncovered as the truth about “that night” unfolds and I was often reading as quickly as I could to get beyond the horrific details of the emails Stella received, a truly awful experience for anyone to have to read.

I’ve always loved Barbara’s books and this one has proved no different! It’s an all consuming psychological thriller that grabbed me from page one and physically held onto me until the end. I do have to admit that I worked out very early on who was responsible for the events of that darkly stormy night but there was one twist that I didn’t see coming so I call this a draw!

100% recommended by me!

I loved this book , very tense all the way through. I loved the characters and didn’t guess at all whodunnit. I’m pleased it wasn’t the boyfriend though and that no dogs got killed in the story which is usually what happens in these books these days . Definitely recommend this , it’s a 5 star read

I have read a few of this authors books and loved them. Am gutted to say this just didn’t do it for me. It was good but didn’t live up to my expectations. It was good just not her best work and it left me a little flat. It doesn’t however put me of reading her next book and I still look forward to it.

I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Girl In The Missing Poster’ by Barbara Copperthwaite in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Stella’s twin sister Leila disappeared twenty-five years ago at the age of nineteen and for the past twenty-five years Stella has walked around their home town of Mereford putting up posters of the missing girl in the hope that someone somewhere has seen her. Stella’s contacted by Euan Vincent an investigative journalist and she agrees to be interviewed for a documentary to be made for Netflix about Leila’s disappearance. But showing the documentary stirs up a lot of emotions and prompts the person who took Leila to taunt Stella. Will she ever discover the whereabouts of her sister?

‘The Girl In The Missing Poster’ is a well-written and interesting novel with a plot that contains drama, suspense and twists and turns. The narrative is interspersed with sections of the Documentary Transcript and although it explains parts of the story in more detail I find that it generally reduces the build-up of excitement that keeps me reading a thriller. So when I reached the conclusion it was very exciting but then came the Documentary Transcript which went into every single detail of the case and left me feeling flat, any excitement I felt depleted. It’s a novel that’s easy to read but not in the style I prefer.

I always look forward to a book from Barbara Copperthwaite and was delighted to receive an arc copy from Bookouture and take part in the blog tour!

Twenty five years ago Leila Hawkins went missing after running from her father’s party wearing her twin sister Stella’s coat. Stella has struggled to come to terms with her sister’s disappearance, she feels like she is missing a part and every year on the anniversary she covers their home town in posters of Leila in the hope that someone will come forward with details. Up until now this has been a futile exercise but on the most recent occasion she is approached to do a Netflix documentary on the case and agrees. The documentary causes quite a stir amongst family and friends and a few (including Stella) are hiding secrets from the fateful night. Every single person was a suspect to me in this book; I loved the slow build up of events and the secrets being peeled back. Stella is a dog behaviourist and I found that a refreshing addition to the story, she “reads” those around her just as she does her clients. I really like that part of the story were told in the documentary style, it helped you to understand how things might be perceived outside the bubble of grief and loss that Stella was in.

Thanks to the red herrings within the book I was totally shocked by the ending and the last few chapters took my breath away! Highly recommend.

Well this has been one heck of a rollercoaster ride from start to finish, literally didn't know what to think at times.

It was a truly well written story plot, one that certainly kept me guessing, trying to figure out what had really happened to the missing Leila. The hardest part to this story was the characters, in trying to figure out who was telling the truth and who was lying, I just didn't know who to believe at times.

I did feel sorry for Stella but also a tad annoyed at her at times. Sorry for her in all that she had to go through etc, can't have been easy.

I loved that the story featured dogs and that they had there own major role to play throughout the story.

Well if your looking for a gripping thriller that has you sitting on the edge of your seat and biting your nails in anticipation of what will happen next, then be sure to give this book a go.

I enjoyed reading about the insight into the connection between identical twins and
the lasting impact of unresolved grief. I liked the use of the netflix narrative and the ending was a surprise an easy read a slow burner for me.

Overall, there were parts of this book I really liked, but I felt the conclusion fell flat.

Twenty-five years ago, Stella's identical twin sister Leila disappeared on a stormy night after they accidentally switched jackets and Leila found herself locked out of her house. With the anniversary of her disappearance approaching, Stella agrees to take part in a Netflix documentary, hoping it will finally bring her answers.

I liked the author's writing style, and I really felt for Stella and (mostly) understood why she did what she did throughout. Her building relationship with Euan was fun and unexpected, too. And the dogs! I loved her relationship with them and how she created a real life out of not trusting people. The author chose the perfect profession for her character's personality!

However, it was very clear from early on who made Leila disappear. (I have a lot to say about why it was obvious, but I don't want to spoil anything.)

I also didn't think that last actual chapter (before the epilogue) was needed, and I it really ruined the book for me. Again, without giving it away, it just makes Stella and her family seem so stupid and easily manipulated, that I thought it really dismissed a lot of her strengths.

If I had edited this book, that chapter would have just been deleted, and I think the whole book would have benefited. But, I did like the author's style -- it really made me want to keep reading without taking a break -- so I'll definitely keep my eye out for future books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. It has not influenced my opinion.

Stella has spent years looking for her lost twin who went missing one night and although many people have a reason to be involved, only one did it and they have gone without prosecution for years. As the anniversary approaches, a documentary producer is into making a documentary that could put more eyes on this mystery and maybe bring some more clues to light.

For me pacing matters when it comes to mystery thrillers and this one slowed way down in the back half and I was ready for it to come to a conclusion a bit before it did. I could tell that I was waning in my reading as I was getting easily distracted 3/4 of the way in, but once the conclusion was in sight, the last bit was good.

I did enjoy the unveiling of the killer and although I may have guessed it early, the way the reader finds out about it was creative and unique. I also liked that once it was revealed there is a bit more to the book to find out the details from how and why Leila went missing.

I would try another by this author, but would definitely want the synopsis to be something that I would be into.

Nineteen year old Leila Hawkins was last seen on 24th June, 1994, when she left her parents' anniversary party early and ran into the stormy night wearing her twin sister Stella's coat. She was never seen again. This time every year Stella decorates the small seaside towm they grew up in with pictures of her missing twin. But after being missing for twenty five years, is it even worth hoping that someone will come forward.

This story is told from Stella's perspective. Stella agrees to take part in a documentary about Leila's disappearance. Tols in alternating chapters between the present day and the documentary transcripts. There's plenty of red herrings and it gets quite dark when the truth unfolds. The opace is slow for the first half of the book. I could not put this book down, desperate to find out what had happened. It's been a while since Barbara Copperthwaite has had a new book out. I hope we don't have to wait as long for the next one. Fantastic read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #Bookouture and the author #BarbaraCopperthwaite for my ARC #TheGirlIn
theMissingPoster in exchange for an honest review.

If there was an option for higher than 5 stars, this book would get it! Every year, Stella puts up missing posters of her identical twin sister, so see if anyone remembers anything about the night, 25 years ago, when Leila left their dad’s birthday party alone and was never seen again. This year is a little different, because Stella has agreed to taking part in a documentary about her twin’s disappearance, in the hope it will jog someone’s memory. This book is fast paced and exciting, with Stella making getting people’s backs up from the start. She believes her experience of dog psychology enables her to know who to trust, but ends up risking everything to find out what happened to her sister on that fateful night. I read the last few chapters having to cover each line, so that I didn’t race ahead, and even then had to reread several sections. Just brilliant!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC to read and review.

I really liked this book for the first half or so. The main character, Stella, is relentless and she really comes across from the page. I like a good murder mystery, but this is less a mystery and more like a dog gnawing on a bone. There are basically no clues until halfway through the book.

It's interesting and I definitely wanted to know what happens and who the killer was; the problem was, I think it's just my unending curiosity. I don't know that the book was written in such a way as to really draw the reader in.

I feel absolutely awful about this, as the author included a letter at the end of the novel that is just heart-wrenching.

If the story were a bit more ... believable? realistic? Maybe I would have like this just a but more. The final twists and turns were so disappointing. I won't reveal anything as I don't like to spoil, but I just felt this turned down a road I did not want to follow. I had no trouble finishing and it was pretty well written; nothing too overtly flowery or anything. I just didn't like the plot.

I had a very similar feeling when reading Gone Girl; which I really disliked. Perhaps, if you liked that, you'll like this too.

I really enjoyed The Girl in the Missing Poster. It was a bit of a slow starter but once it got going it was a definite page turner. I didn't see the twists coming and didn't work out the plot. I would definitely recommend it and will be looking to read more books by Barbara Copperthwaite in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

I was gripped immediately by the intriguing premise: Stella’s identical twin sister disappears off the face of the earth one rainy night when they’re 19. She’s now in her forties, and still searching for answers. When documentary makers contact her close to the 25th anniversary of Leila’s disappearance, Stella leaps at the chance, hoping that Netflix’s reach may possibly solve the mystery the police have never managed to.
Intriguing right? And author Barbara Copperthwaite really delivers after this fascinating start. The Girl in the Missing Poster is packed with interesting characters, humour, horror, enormous secrets, and even romance. Stella is interesting, obviously scarred by the loss of her other half. An animal behaviourist, even though she works mainly with dogs. she’s able to use her fine-tuned skills at reading body language when it comes to humans as well. Apart from that, however, her social interaction skills are a little wanting—as are some of the decisions she makes.
I raced through The Girl in the Missing Poster, finding it really compelling. Copperthwaite adds interest by interspersing the story with the transcript of the documentary, as well as the mysterious emails that start when the documentary is aired.

This was my first Barbara Copperthwaite book and not my last! 👍
The Girl in the Missing Poster is a unique and twisty psychological thriller that kept me guessing until the end! A little slow to start with, but when it picked up the pace I didn't want to put it down! It was well written, the chapters alternating between the present time and documentary transcripts which also delved into the past. I recommend this one for the thriller lovers out there!

Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for this copy to review.

I was intrigued by the title and the cover of the book and immediately wanted to know more. Unfortunately that was the high point of this book as I felt it never really turned into the book I was hoping for. I managed to anticipate most of the twists and turns which didn’t spoil it for me just made me think it was probably a little predictable.

Nineteen-year-old Leila Hawkins went missing on 24 June, 1994, when she left her parents’ anniversary party early wearing her twin sister Stella’s red coat. Twenty five years later Stella is still hoping that her sister will return and puts missing posters up hoping for a positive response a ever expects is but doesn’t expect a response from the person who abducted her. Stella holds a secret from the night Leila went missing and is full of guilt and still feels completely alone without her twin. Stela receives a letter off a person stating to be the abductor and agrees to his strange request to share private, intimate details of her life in return for answers.

I really expected more from this given the author and the premise and even though there were some decent characters the book still felt slow and forgetful. An ok read but not the authors best work.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for receiving a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

When your twin sister goes missing 25 years ago ... you just want closure. At least Stella does! This book drew me in from the very first page and although it got a little slow for me midway, All of a sudden it picked up speed at about 60% and I couldn’t wait to see how the ending was going to play out. Did I guess it? Nope. Not even close. I recommend this book along with this authors other book The Perfect Friend. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Firstly a big thank you to Bookoutre for my copy to read on netgalley. This is only the second book of this authors that ive read. This was a twisty tense and suspenseful thriller. Unpredictable and keeps you on your toes.

Great format in which there is a mix of emails and a transcript for a television documentary. This was fresh idea for a thriller especially as i watch a lot of documentaries. Dark and compelling this is another fantsdrug psychological thriller from Bookoutre .

Highly recommend and i will definitely be reading more from Barbara

Published 23rd February