This is a tough one for me to review without giving too much away but I’ll just say that I highly recommend it!

It’s such a quick and engaging read that I found incredibly captivating! Full of twists and turns, this one unravels so perfectly and the alternating POVs flawlessly drive the suspense and leave you constantly questioning where the story is going!

It’s definitely reminiscent of another popular thriller and I think everyone will enjoy it!

Thank you to Thomas and Mercer, Minka Kent, and Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Newlyweds Luca and Lydia have recently moved to Luca's hometown in Oregon. One day while Luca is out getting groceries, Lydia goes for a hike and never returns. Ten years after his first wife mysteriously disappeared, Luca is remarried to Merritt. Together they own a successful chain of restaurants, have a beautiful little girl, and another child on the way.

One night, the doorbell rings. When Merritt goes to answer the door she sees that it's Lydia, or someone who looks a lot like her. Merritt refuses to let Lydia in since Luca is away on business and shuts the door in her face. Since Lydia's missing persons story was national news, Merritt thinks it might be someone pulling a scam, though later she realizes it really is Lydia. Either way she's scared. Where has Lydia been? Why does she look so terrible? Why hasn't she gone to the police? What is going on?

Unmissing is Minka Kent's latest psychological thriller. This book went by super fast for me. I wasn't sure if I just sped through the book or if the book was shorter than I'm used to. The answer is both. Unmissing is one of Kent's shortest books, clocking in at 252 pages but spares none of the suspense of longer novels. The tension at some points had me breathless and kept me up all night reading "just one more chapter."

Nothing in this novel is what you think it is. From the very beginning, the reader knows something is going on, it's just not apparent what it is. There are two really insane twists in the book. The first came right out of left field and completely threw me, the second felt a little more expected after the first, though still somewhat surprising.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4
Recommended for fans of: psychological thrillers/suspense, mystery, women's fiction, missing persons, true crime stories, general fiction

Merritt and Luca have a beautiful house and wife. Then Lydia shows up. Lydia is Luca’s first wife who went missing 9 years ago and was declared dead and turns their world upside down.

The cover drew me in along with the title. What would you do if your spouse or husbands spouse turned up 9 years later when you are established in a new family? It reminds me of Tom Hanks coming back from the island. Where was Lydia all those years?

What I loved about the book was all the twists. No giveaways but they are good!

It turned out that this book wasn't a good fit for me. With two points of view - the current wife and the former wife - I became confused from the first chapter. Add to the fact that I couldn't get past the fact that logical actions were almost nonexistent. If anyone had picked up the phone and called the police, etc. this would have made more sense and, yes, a shorter book. But even calling the police and writing another story line, in my opinion, would have made a better thriller.
The characters were not very likable so even though I wanted to know what the first wife had been going through for ten years it wasn't enough to make me become engaged with the story. I ended up skipping towards the end to get answers, something I rarely do. The writing was good but that didn't make up for a story that just didn't work, at least for this reader.
My thanks to the publisher Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

📖BOOK REVIEW📖 🥾🥾🥾🥾
PUB DATE: Feb 15, 2022

Don’t miss this unnerving and suspenseful thriller!

After reading “The Stillwater Girls”, I purchased several other books by this author. It was so good and the writing was fantastic. But I have so many books to read, I haven’t read any yet. When I saw “Unmissing”, I was intrigued. I’m usually drawn to the book cover, but this time it was the author that pulled me in.

The first review I saw was awful, a one-star review, and I had a moment of regret. TW: The book does discuss sexual abuse, but not in detail. Once I began reading the book, I was hooked.

“Unmissing” is a fast and engrossing story that grabs your attention instantly and doesn’t let up! I read 80% the first night and then my eyes refused to stay open any longer. I was in bed much earlier than usual the next night so I could finish it. It may not be particularly believable, but it’s delightfully amusing, with scandalous revelations.

Luca’s first wife went missing and was never found. After she was legally declared dead, he married Merritt. They built their dream home, started several successful businesses, had a daughter and now have a son on the way.

Luca is out of town one night, when Merritt gets a late night visitor. She answers the door, and is horrified to see who is standing there.

Book Extract:
“This isn’t Lydia. It can’t be.
This is some kind of sick joke.
And this woman, I’m positive, is an opportunistic psychopath.”

Lydia tells her an unbelievable, grisly and disturbing story.

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for this complimentary book copy. All opinions are my own.

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I just finished reading The Unmissing by Minka Kent and what an amazing story this was! If only all books could grab my attention and hold me captive like this one did. If I’m being honest, I didn’t feel that the synopsis really did it justice. It led me to believe that the storyline was going to go one way when really it went the other. I thought I would be rooting for the husband and new wife but actually it was the returned wife that was my hero. You’re never going to believe the twist to this story! If you enjoy reading domestic thrillers then you don’t want to miss out on this one. I can’t recommend it enough and look forward to reading more of Minka Kent’s work in the future. I’d like to thank NetGalley for the arc that I obtained off the Read Now section and Minka Kent for writing such a fantastic story. This is a 5 star read but deserves so much more in my opinion!

Merritt and Luca are living the dream. He being a successful restauranteur allows Merritt to live in the lap of luxury. They have a lovely three year old daughter, a mansion by the sea, and Merritt is nine months pregnant with their son. The four of them will soon be the perfect family living the perfect dream.

Until.....

Luca's first wife, Lydia, appears on their doorstep. Bedraggled and malnourished she is a shock to see especially since she's supposed to be dead.

Lydia has been held in captivity for nine years and she is determined to get her life back one way or another. Let the games begin!

I had a lot of fun with this one. This is the type of easy breezy book where you can just tune out and let the author carry you away. Zippy short chapters keep the pacing on point. Is this the most plausible book? Nope, not at all but it has that *I can't look away* vibe where you just have to follow it through to the end. It also has a couple of twists, one that I saw coming and one that I didn't, which kept me on my toes. All in all this was a great way to spend the day and I'm a happy reader! 4 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy.

This review will go live on 14 February:

The second I learnt Minka Kent had a new novel coming out I rushed to NetGalley and hit that Read Now button. I’ve been a fan of this author ever since her debut and I know I can always count on her for a few hours of thriller fun.

Unmissing alternates between the POV of Merritt and Lydia, who have one thing in common: a husband. Ten years ago, Lydia went missing, presumed dead and after a while her husband moved on, married Merritt and fathered a daughter. Now, out of the blue, Lydia is back, clearly not dead at all, and she has a harrowing tale to tell and some catching up to do, leaving a heavily pregnant Merritt in a rather awkward position. What ensues is a thrilling tale that never lost my attention, which nowadays is saying something.

I cottoned on to a future reveal really early on, but that didn’t spoil my fun at all cos I really enjoyed the journey to the moment my hunch was confirmed. Moreover, Ms Kent had plenty more where that came from so I did get my WHAT?! moment as well. See, sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too.

Unmissing is the perfect popcorn thriller, and to be clear: I don’t mean that in a derogatory manner. It’s perhaps not entirely plausible, but it’s fast paced and suspenseful, it’s super entertaining and the short chapters alternating between the two women and hinting at secrets to be revealed keep you turning the pages. I blew through it in an afternoon and I had a great time doing so. If you’re in the market for a fun, quick thriller, then do check out Unmissing!

Unmissing will be out tomorrow in all digital formats, audio and paperback.

Massive thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Lydia, wife to Luca Coletto, went missing just months after their marriage and has been declared dead. Fast forward ten years and Luca is married to Merritt who is expecting their second child. They have opened a chain of restaurants but finances are strained and Luca is trying to sell the businesses. No spoiler here unless you haven't read the blurb but Lydia suddenly reappears and inserts herself into Luca and Merritt's lives.

This was an easy-to-read book and the pages went by pretty quickly but it's not one of my favourites in this genre. The writing was fine but the story itself was quite implausible and the characters were impossible for me to relate to. As you can see, the ratings for it are all over the map. I think there are many readers who will enjoy this book and just as many who won't but it's not a total waste of time IMO!

Thanks to Thomas & Mercer via Netgalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own.

Publication Date: February 15,2022

𝙋𝙪𝙗-𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚: 𝙁𝙚𝙗. 15𝙩𝙝 2022

This is my second book by Minka Kent, the first being The Watcher Girl, and I have to admit I liked this one much better.

It's a quick and easy read that will keep you hooked until the very end!

Merritt and Luca Colletto seem like the perfect couple, living the life of their dreams with a young daughter and another baby on the way. Until one night a skinny and bedraggled woman knocks on their door claiming to be Luca's first wife.

The same one who disappeared 10 years ago while jogging near their home. She was never seen again by and pronounced dead by the authorities!

Well, she’s back now and she has quite a story to tell them!

The premise was excellent! Just loved the tension and all the guessing! It is clear that something is wrong when Lydia, Luca's first wife, doesn't go straight to the police when she returns after all these years of being held captive by a sociopath.

The chapters are short and alternate between Lydia and Merritt. I was expecting a little more in-depth about what would happen to the perpetrator, because little is said in this regard ... But overall very enjoyable!

Thank you @netgalley for sending me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'm not a fan of thrillers that throw in senseless twists just for shock effect or stories that can be easily resolved if someone had just called the police, so this wasn't for me. Despite its promising premise, this book was super far-fetched even with a huge suspension of disbelief.

Told in the alternating POVs of two women, I kept yoyo-ing between whose team I was on until the middle when I was firmly rooting for one character. However, the ending was terribly disappointing for me.

There was *one* twist that I really liked though, so this wasn't a total flop. This is my third Minka Kent novel and also my least favourite 😞

I found myself flying through the pages and wondering WHAT NEXT? I thought I understood what was happening, then BAM! Another twist... A wife goes missing then shows up at her late husband's house only to have the door answered by his new wife. I mean, what can go wrong? What an amazing thriller. I was trying to put the pieces together, but it didn't start to add up towards the beginning of the end. It isn't the type to leave you at the edge of your seat, more so the book that has you second-guessing and thinking hmm... where are the characters going with this plan.I will be recommending this to my friends once it comes out as a physical copy! The chapters were written from Lydia and Merritt's point of view, and I wish there was a little excerpt at the end for the husband. (Although sometimes you need to let your brain do a little imagining) Not everyone is who they appear to be, and this book makes that very clear. I was VERY pleased with the ending and happy it went the way it did. It should be known there are a few trigger warnings with abuse and kidnapping. I'll be checking out other books written by this author.

Thank you to the publishers at Thomas & Mercer and Netgalley for this e-ARC of Unmissing.

Unmissing is a thriller told from Lydia and Merritt’s POVs. Lydia, finally free after being kidnapped nearly 10 years prior, has come back to town to finally reunite with her husband, but Merritt, the new wife of Luca, has other plans in mind. Refusing to call Luca and upset him with the news of his “dead” wife’s return, she instead decides to scout Lydia and prove she is without a doubt who she claims to be. Lydia, on the other hand, will stop at nothing to see Luca’s face again and tell him all about the monster and his abuse. But not everything is what or who they seem to be, and the monster may be closer than we think.

This started on such a high note for me, what with a strange woman showing up at Merritt’s doorstep at 8 at night on a cold day in January/February. But I quickly guessed most of the twists, which I was hoping to get wrong. The story was still pretty interesting, and I liked the back and forth between the two women. Also, the final twist definitely had me surprised. I really loved her book, The Stillwater Girls, and this was somewhat in tune with that one.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

Unmissing releases February 15th!

Unmissing tells the story of Lydia, kidnapped nine years ago, and finally escaped. She returns home to find her husband has remarried and her life is not what she envisioned it to be. She shows up at the house, and finds Merritt, her husband's new wife, eight months pregnant with their second child. Merritt attempts to befriend Lydia, to figure out what her angle is. What follows is truly a surprising tale of greed and more...

This story is full of twists and turns, the biggest of which I would have NEVER seen coming! This books is told in alternating points of view, seeing the story from both Lydia and Merritt's perspective. That is important, but even with those "insider" thoughts, the twists are incredibly surprising. The book is fast paced and addicting. I literally did not want to put this book down! Minka Kent has not disappointed in the past, and this book is certainly to the caliber we would expect from her.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of this book, the return of a first wife from "presumed dead" after 10 years, standing on the pregnant second wife's doorstep, is ... wow. While I liked the writing, this is one of those books where no one acts in any way normally. Rational thought is overrated as far as these people are concerned, or at least as far as this plot is concerned. After a bit, this got tiresome and I found myself not at all surprised at the turn that events took. Having said that, I will look out for other books by this author, because I did enjoy her writing - even if I found this book more than a little meh.

Imagine answering your door and your husbands first wife is standing there. The wife that has been missing for the last ten years. Eyes sunken, unwashed, clothes that do not fit, eyes haunted. Do you invite her in out of the cold or do you shut the door in her face? Your mind must be swirling, knowing that it cannot be her and it has to be someone else playing a cruel trick. It cannot be Lydia! Merritt is petrified that Lydia wants her husband back, destroying everything they have built.

I do not want to go into any more details in fear that I will give something away. You deserve to read this and be as shocked as I was by the ending! Whoa, the ending is everything. I sat down with this book and ripped through it. Needing to know what was going on. Minka Kent has set up a perfect domestic thriller, which will send chills down your spine, leaving you unable to trust anyone. The characters are layered and richly created. Darkness will spill from every direction leaving you in awe! Thank you to Minka Kent, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley for this captivating thriller.

I was surprised at how much I actually liked this novel. I gave it 3.5 stars, slightly above my midline 3 stars. I think that parts of this book were ridiculous (um, hello? Why did no one call the cops at any point?!), but I was pleasantly surprised by other plot twists. So all in all, I would recommend this book and would read more by this author.

Great author who's books pull you right in.
Love twists and this one did not disappoint.
Are the characters loveable not really but doesn't take away from how well written the story is.

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

my first 5⭐️ read of 2022!!!

I flew through this. I was hooked from the first line. it made my heart race. the story was SO well written, that I could watch it play out as a movie in my head.

READ THIS IF: you are in dire need of a good thriller (like I was). you love a good revenge plot. you love a good twist or two.

This was an anxiety inducing, page flipping, and twisty story! Thank you Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Minka Kent for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.