I think I was reading a third of this book when I couldn't contain my curiosity and sought spoilers. What is interesting is, knowing the outcome never deterred me to finish reading the whole story. I believe it's the way it was written. It's a simple narration of the first and second wife's points of view yet somehow the nuggets that make this mysterious thriller is subtly incorporated which gives it a smooth flow without damaging the surprise factor. I'll be looking forward to the new books of this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Thomas and Mercer for this ARC! This review is made of my own accord, with no monetary compensation whatsoever from the names mentioned above and/or the rightful owners of this ARC.

First time I've read this author but it won't be my last. This was a dark twisty story. Just the kind I love with good character development. Highly recommend

📚 Book Review 📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unmissing by Minka Kent
(Book is not available for purchase till February)
Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy!! 🧡

Luca & Lydia are newly married when the unthinkable happens….Lydia disappears! 10 years later, Luca’s 2nd wife answers a knock at the door to find his 1st wife staring back at her 😳 Where has Lydia been…why is she there….so many questions. Merrick is terrified of what this means for her marriage now.

I really enjoyed how quick this was as there weren’t any dull or drug out moments. I have never read this author before and will definitely read her others!

This is an intense and intriguing mystery with several surprise twists along the way. No predictability in this story. It's not so much a mystery in the who done it sense, but rather the aftermath after the fact. How much of what is being said is truth and how much are lies. Lydia returns to her husband after being held captive for many years, to come face to face with his new wife... his much pregnant wife. After the shock wears off Merritt (the new wife) decides to help the girl. Partially to help her get the help she may need, but also to 'keep your enemies close' and all that after she starts to feel her marriage might be threatened. There are lots of lies. Lots of secrets. Lots of evil. It alternates between the two women's POV, which makes it all the more interesting as we are left to wonder what's going on in the husband's head. How does one deal with having his presumed dead wife come back after he's moved on and started a family with another? Who gets the loyalty? The characters are all unique and interesting, and somewhat relatable (to a certain extent,) keeping you interested in the plot and how all the things will play out. There is a small amount of violence, but there is suggestion of more cruelty have happening in the past, including rape (none take place in the pages,) so if this is a trigger for you, proceed with caution. It has a a heaviness, a darkness that runs through the book. Nothing uplifting here. Even the end has a heaviness about it, though not necessarily a sad ending.

*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

Wow! Another awesome Minka Kent book. I could not put it down. Highly recommend. Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to review this title.

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for this arc! I think this is the first book I havso long. e read by this author and it won't be my last! I really liked the writing and the character development. Lydia starts out being sympathetic and I felt bad for her and what she had gone through. I'm not sure how realistic it was that Delphine helped her out, but I was glad she did.
I really liked the story and I won't give spoilers, but the end was unexpected! 3.5 stars!

I’ve read several Minka Kent books and have enjoyed them all. I’m not sure “enjoyed” is the appropriate word, but it’s as close as I can come to describe some pretty dark and complicated thrillers. I would describe Unmissing as just that, “dark and complicated”.

Trust me, when I say trust no one you meet in this book. Without spoiling it for you, I will say it was a web of deceitful, greedy relationships. It truly demonstrated that money is the root of all evil - Luca, Merritt and Lydia all around.

There is a good share of physical violence depicted, be mindful of that. There is also a generous helping of blaming, of parents, poor upbringing and disadvantages. It helped to set a backdrop for the story, but might trigger some issues for those sensitive.

Minka Kent is a skilled craftsperson of a writer. I have rated her previous work highly and so too Unmissing - 4 stars.

Merritt is Luca’s second wife. She is pregnant with their second child when a knock at the door changes everything. It is a woman claiming to be Lydia, Luca’s long-missing and presumed dead first wife, and she has quite a story to tell.

The story is told from Lydia and Merritt’s perspectives. There is almost nothing to share that isn’t a spoiler, but let me just say there were some odd things in each narrative. I was flipping pages like the demons of hell were at my heels trying to figure out if my guess was right. It was and I was all proud until it wasn’t because there was more.

A friend on Bookstagram suggested that I move this to the top of my towering TBR pile, and she was absolutely right! I read the entire book last night and it had me scratching my head trying to figure out where the author was going more than once!

WHAT DID I JUST READ?! WOW! I can usually figure out a book, and I had a hunch as to what was going on, but I was truly surprised that the extent of the plot! One of the characters surprised the heck out of me! This is a fantastic read. I need to read more of Minka's books. WOW!

Solid 3 star read for me. The plot is intriguing: Missing first wife returns from being presumably dead to find her husband remarried with children. This was a very easy read, however it felt nothing really happened until roughly the 60% mark which was a bit disappointing. Once it did get going it was one reveal after the next. and didn't let up. I do have a pet peeve sometimes with nicknames being over used to the point they distract/irritate me. But that's just me and only something that's minor. If your looking for something that's more in depth this may not be for you but if your in the mood just to have a fun easy read this may be that book.

I received a gifted copy and am providing a review.

This story is told in the voices of Merritt and Lydia (Merritt being Luca’s now wife, Lydia being his “missing” wife). This tale is bound to keep the reader intrigued. It is such a different story line … one that won’t disappoint. Lydia has been missing, presumed dead, for the past nine years. Imagine Merritt’s surprise when she opens the door one evening and comes face-to-face with her “late” husband’s first wife, Lydia. At first, she didn’t believe it was Lydia. I mean, really, how could it be? Merritt closes the door in Lydia’s face, thinking she was a random stranger and feeling the need to protect her children, Luca being out of town. Lydia finds herself befriending Delphine, the owner of one of Bent Creek’s shops. As the story progresses, some deep-seated secrets come to light. But who really has the most to hide? Is it Luca, or is it Lydia? There is much going on within the pages of this tale.

There are a couple of twists contained within the pages of this story that happen unexpectedly and are sure to keep the reader turning pages. I found Merritt, Lydia, and Luca to be very well-developed characters that played well off of each other, exposing the others for who they truly are. Delphine is also an important character and not one to be discounted. What a tangled web of truths and untruths that unravel by the end of this tale. Get ready for this one to hit the shelves February 2022!

I'm a big Minka Kent fan and always enjoy her original mysteries .This book is about two main characters ; Merritt ,a young woman married to her dream man and mother of a young girl and expecting another child, and Lydia, a woman who had been held captive for nine years and was presumed dead. Oh, and Lydia was the first wife of Luca who is now married to Merritt. Lydia decides not to go immediately to the police once she is freed for reasons we learn later in book. With no where to go, she is taken in by a psychic woman who owns a store.. The woman's name is Delphine and she was my favorite character in the book as she was warm, motherly and not afraid to speak her mind.
There are some big twists here and the complicated relationships between the characters change in unexpected ways. I did wish Lydia was a little more likable but there is a certain 'fun'' element in having unlikable narrators. I didn't know where this story was going until the end but it was a fun ride.. I received free copy of this book for an honest review from the author Minka Kent, the publisher Thomas and Mercer and Netgalley.

⭐ BOOK / REVIEW ⭐

There are about a million reasons why I love #bookstagram, but finding new authors after I see a 5 star review is likely at the top of my list.

Thanks to @blondethrillerbooklover, I stumbled upon #unmissing by @minkakentauthor and y'all ... this book was SOO FREAKING GOOD. I was so surprised at how many shocking twists and turns this one took. I was truly captivated by this story. My heart went out to Lydia the entire time and I loved her relationship with Delphine. There is not much else to say without spoilers, but I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend this one!! 5+🌟

Thanks @netgalley for my #eArc. This one drops in February 2022, but snag an early copy of at all possible!!

I was so excited to get the eARC for Minka Kent's latest novel, as I've loved the previous books of hers that I've read! Sadly I did predict what was going on pretty early - at 36% - but there was another twist that I did NOT see coming! Despite predicting the first big twist early on, I still really enjoyed the story how the plot unfolded.

I really enjoyed this title. I liked the twists and turns and the writing style is nice and smooth. The story flows well and kept my attention. Thank you for the opportunity to read this title. I will be recommending this one to friends.

This was another great book by Minka Kent. I couldn’t put it down as I needed to find out what would happen with Luca (husband), Merritt (wife) and Lydia (ex-wife). I definitely recommend this thriller.

Merritt Coletto is happily married to Luca, they have a little girl Elsie and Merritt is eight months pregnant and excited with a new baby on the way.
Late one night while her husband is out of town on business there is a knock at the door. The woman seems to know Merritt however, she doesn’t recognize her. Soon find out and is shocked to discover Luca’s first wife Lydia who for ten years was missing and presumed dead. Yep she is now '‘unmissing’!

I read a lot of psychological thrillers so this plot is not a new one. I was curious which direction Ms. Kent was going to take. Glad I hung in there ~ as there is a twist that kept me reading.

My first Minka Kent but in reading her “About the Author” I saw she has several books that have me curious so I will surely read another.

Want to thank NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for February 15, 2022

Unmissing is a highly compelling, and completely unpredictable suspense thriller that I very much enjoyed bingeing!!

What would you do when your husband's ex wife who's long dead for over a decade, walks through your house and knocks on your door, especially when you're 8 months pregnant with your second child?

We have two ladies here - Merritt and Lydia who are also the narrators of the book. Merritt is the current wife of Luca and she'd do anything to save her marriage and her children, especially when Lydia has come alive and determined to stay in their town for whatever reasons unknown.

Meanwhile, Lydia has escaped her captivity and she's determined to stay alive and free close to her ex husband and his family. The tension between these two is so strong and dark and it takes a few chapters to learn more about Lydia's captivity.


The book started off SO well, and as I was about 50% into it, I thought I know everything and it's all a let down. But I was wrong. So wrong!! I was blown away by the twists thrown my way and did not see it coming.

Unmissing is fast paced and set in a breezy coastal town with some unreliable narrators and it's what you call a perfect popcorn read!!

I really enjoy Minka Kent’s writing. It reads effortlessly and is entertaining. The premise of the novel was fresh and — to my knowledge — new. I love suspense/thrillers/mysteries but plots seem to be recycled often. Not this one!

Uhm, excuse me! Say what?! 😱

This fast paced, not long book was absolutely fabulous! I adored how along the way you got reveals that Minka makes it as no big deal or "ka-boom" like most do, yet still leaves you bug-eyed and exclaiming "WAIIITTT! WHAT?!" 😳
This book was fantastic and I have to say out of all the thrillers I've read (which is A LOT!), I've never seen the premise of this one. Absolutely genius! So refreshing to come across a new angle & plots for a thriller! Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this!

I give this a wonderful 4.5 / 5 stars.