I was provided an advanced copy in return for an honest review of Unmissing. Minka Kent does it again! This page-turner had me thinking I had it all figured out, but then a single sentence, a single phrase would make me think again. I would tell myself, "one more chapter," before bed, and that would easily turn into five chapters. The dual narrative was easy to follow, and the characters were compelling. Kent is fast becoming one of my favorite authors thanks to her prose and her ability to spin a tale that keeps me guessing and keeps me reading well past my bedtime.

What happens when an expectant mother opens her front door to find her husband's first wife standing there, the wife who vanished a few months into their brief marriage and was declared legally dead almost a decade ago? Merritt Coletto sends the other woman packing. It's not important whether she believes the dirty, emaciated stranger. Her -- their? -- husband is busy with more urgent matters and can't be disturbed.

The idea of a dead character returning to their former life and trying to pick up whatever pieces are still left is one that fascinates me. It's been done before, but this thriller takes the idea in directions that surprised me and kept me holding my breath and turning pages until the end. I would've read it cover to cover in one sitting if life hadn't pulled me away once or twice.

Well, I didn’t see this coming! Very good story about a missing wife who comes back years later, finding her husband remarried with a family. Anyone would be angry, but why is Lydia so furious? What really happened when she disappeared?

Bravo, Minka Kent! Another winner. I just finished Unmissing and it was great. The story is of Lydia, Luca and Merritt. Luca’s first wife, Lydia goes missing after a short time of marriage. Her body never discovered. She and Luca were penniless, just trying to start their lives together. Flash forward 9 years and Luca is married to Merritt with one child, a successful restaurant business, and another child on the way, when a woman returns claiming to be Luca’s long lost wife. The story moves forward in one direction and then takes a sharp turn several times. I think I’ve read all Minka Kent’s books, but I’m going to make sure I haven’t missed any. I recommend this 100%. Thanks to #netgalley , #minkakent and #thomas&mercer for the advanced copy.

Man marries woman. Woman dies. Man remarries. 2nd wife answers knock on the door to find? First wife. Back from the dead? Stay tuned!!! I'm a fan of Minka Kent's writing and this is another out of the park book with many twists and WHAT's??? Easy to read and I finished this in a weekend. I don't want to give much away as I would ruin the suspense. Pick this one up!

Excellent, twisty thriller. Highly recommend for the plucky female lead, the setting, and the twist. Love the premise, too.

I have not read this author before and was pleasantly surprised. I love that it was told from different points of views and I suspected everyone at some point. The story was fast paced. I felt like there was a big build up and then it just kind of ended.

Yes. This was for sure everything I was looking for and ready to devour in such a short amount of time. This was insane? Absolutely. I love domestic thrillers. Especially those that really drag you back to a characters past and those that bring you back into a characters past. This was fun and had me on the edge of my seat and it was thrilling and absolutely exciting. 5 out of 5 stars!

Another great read from Minka Kent! Loved the creepy storyline and it was fascinating to watch the well crafted characters spring to life. Twists and turns abound. Did not see ‘THAT’ coming at all! Highly recommend.
Thank you net galley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the eARC.
Wow, this book had my head spinning! An excellent mystery that had some stunning twists.
Lydia, after only been married for a few months, is on a hike when she gets kidnapped and held hostage for years - tortured, raped and practically starved, then shot, left for dead. She survives and manages to find her way to her husband, who had her declared dead after a year, is now happily married and a successful restaurateur, living the good life.
What follows is Lydia's tortuous route to fashion a decent future for herself, hopefully with the help of her husband and his new wife. It's impossible to put this story down, you are so rooting for Lydia, feeling sorry for the new wife as well, but there are twists that will have you gasping for breath...Definitely recommended!

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The book is exciting and fast- paced, I was able to finish it in two days. I expected a story about the after math of when a missing wife comes out, to find the husband now has moved on with a new life. I got it, with a few big twists.

Now that I finished the book, there's still a bunch of plot holes I didn't understand, and I found the dynamic between husband- first wife, first and second wife, to be not believable. The characters did feel a bit flat at times, caricature- like.

Minka, Minka, Minka, can’t you see?
Sometimes your words just hypnotize me
I usually love your bookish ways
But this time, the ending didn’t pay

Any The Notorious B.I.G. fans in the house?

I usually don’t have to digress this early, but I digress…

Merritt Coletto is pregnant with her second child, and is living the life of luxury as the wife of restaurateur Luca. Things become tense when his first wife comes knocking at the door.

Lydia has been missing and presumed dead for ten years. She was kidnapped and held against her will by an emotionally and physically abusive man, and managed to escape.

Now, she shows up at the Coletto household and meets Merritt, wanting to let her husband know she is actually still alive.

Merritt is frightened of what this will do to the family dynamic, but she and Luca decide to help Lydia get back on her feet.

What could go wrong?!?

I absolutely love Minka Kent and her fabulous writing. I was anticipating this one as soon as I read the synopsis. Yet, while it’s an entertaining and speedy read, I can’t say that I loved it.

The characters are unique, and I was intrigued until about 75%. I thought I had the plot completely figured out. While a part of it surprised me, I have to admit that everything DID cross my mind at one point or another. At the end of the day, I think your enjoyment will depend on if you can suspend disbelief enough and embrace it all.

This reader didn’t fully embrace it, but I was entertained. I just expected a bit more oomph. I still recommend Kent’s books, and can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

BONUS POINTS: Minka gives thanks to her dogs in the acknowledgements.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for an ARC through NetGalley. Expected Publication Date: 2/15/22.

Review also posted at: https://bonkersforthebooks.wordpress.com

Loved this book. Minka Kent sends you on a twisty turny unexpected journey in this exceptional book

Minka Kent’s novels just keep getting better and better every-time. Her newest release Unmissing is full of twist you won’t see coming. It’s the perfect thriller to add to your tbr list for fall. 🍁

Likes: told in multiple POV from the missing wife and the current wife, good length for a thriller where it wasn’t too long and wasn’t too short, given enough backstory, storyline was unique, and good amount of twist for a thriller to keep you entertained.


Thank you to @Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read an early readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Holy s$!t, this book was amazing! Told in alternating points of view from Lydia, the wife before, and Merritt, the wife now, UNMISSING is a stark reminder that you never really know anyone.

In the opening scene, Lydia is on a hike when she is abducted. For nine years she is starved, raped, and horrifically abused until one day, her captor, whom she dubs The Monster, takes her out in the woods and shoots her. Lydia survives and lives off the grid until she can make her way back to her husband Luca...but he's moved on with Merritt and has started a family.

The lives of these three soon become intertwined in the most explosive way, and the monster twist that happened just past the halfway mark was insane. I hadn't recovered from that one when I was hit by another, and at that point I had NO clue what was going to happen.

This book is going to be the surprise hit of early 2022!

I could not put this book down! There were twists and turns that kept me on edge right to the end! I loved the alternating narrators - it gave readers insight into both sides of the same story.

Unmissing by Miinka Kent is a twisted domestic mystery. A pregnant wife's worst nightmare. Merritt has a loving husband, Luca and young daughter. Then his first wife, Lydia (who disappeared while hiking and was declared dead ten years ago) reappears. She doesn't go to the police first. Their story alternates between Merritt and Lydia's perspective.
Merritt and Luca were living a privileged life with a fancy home, cars and even a nanny, in Bent Creek, Oregon. However, their once thriving restaraunt business is failing. They're on the brink of bankruptcy.
Lydia was abducted and has just escaped from "the Monster" who had tortured, abused and nearly killed her. She's made her way back to Luca, only to discover he's moved on and has a perfect new life. She's dead to the world, no social security card, no drivers lisence, no identity. Lydia trades chores for room & board with a new age lady, Delphine, in order to stay near Luca.
Merritt tries to befriend Lydia, instead of reporting to police. She's trying to figure out what angle Lydia's playing. She's determined to save her perfect life and children.
Lydia wants her life back. So where was she for all those years, and who was "the Monster"? It's fast paced, disturbing, and creepy. A quick read that has many surprises and twists. I had not read anything by this author before.
Thanks to Netgalley, Miinka Kent and Thomas & Mercer for the advance digital copy. These are my thoughts and opinions, given voluntarily.

Wow! This is a credit to the suspense domestic thriller genre!
Head-slapping twists succeeded a fast-paced suspense narrative about a twisted triangle of marriage partners, none of whom are who they seem to be to the reader, nor to each other.
Written in first-person, multiple-point-of-view short chapters, the character development was addictive and highly entertaining, especially when the bombshell reveals came.
Minka Kent is one of my favorite authors in this genre and I will read anything she comes out with. Thank you to her and to NetGalley for this compulsive read!
Five stars.

3.5 stars
Unmissing is the newest standalone novel by author Minka Kent. This is my first book by this author.

The story follows Merritt Coletto who is shocked to find her husband's deceased first wife on her doorstep one evening. Missing and presumed dead, Lydia Coletto is back. She says she was held prisoner for the past 10 years by someone she calls 'the monster'. But what is the truth, is she really Lydia and if so why is she really back?

The book is told in first person POV with dual narrators. Each chapter alternates between Merritt and Lydia. I liked the dual narratives, it allowed you to get into the head of both characters while still wondering whether either is telling the truth.

The chapters are short and easy to read. The pace is really fast and overall it was quite a short read. It gets into the story straight away, without unnecessary filler and build up.

The story has a few twists and turns which keep it exciting. The first twist I didn't expect and had me flicking back to make sure i'd read correctly. The other twists were a little predictable after that but that didn't take away from the enjoyment of seeing it unfold. The end wrapped things up nicely and no cliffhanger.

Overall, this was a quick fun read that I thoroughly enjoyed. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes suspenseful mysteries and domestic dramas.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic book! This is the first time I’ve read this author, and I’m quite impressed. If this is standard for her books, I definitely want to read more.

This story is about, and narrated from the points of, three people: Luca, father of one (soon to be two), his pregnant wife, Merritt, and Luca’s ex-wife, Lydia. One evening while Luca is out of town, there is a knock at the door. When Merritt opens it, she finds an emaciated and disheveled woman claiming to be Lydia.

There’s a reason why Luca and Lydia didn’t work out - she died. Presumably. She went for a hike and never came back, and there was a search effort that was unsuccessful. After her body was never found, she was legally declared dead and eventually, Luca moved on. He had some business success, married Merritt and was about to become a father for the second time when Lydia came into his new life and turned things upside down.

Lydia has quite the tale to tell them - for almost ten years after being abducted on a hiking trail, she was kept in a literal torture chamber where a man she refers to as “The Monster” kept her alive, but barely. She was beaten, starved, raped, burned and shot, but one day, she managed to escape. She came straight back to Luca, and thus into the family he now has.

Merritt doesn’t know what to think of this situation, nor does Luca. There isn’t a handbook for etiquette on what to do when your husband’s dead ex-wife is back in his life (and yours). Merritt sees a woman who may ruin her ‘perfect family’. All Lydia sees is the huge house, the beautiful kids, and the life she missed out on having. She wants that life; she knows she deserves that life.

I figured out a part of the story pretty early on, but when it was revealed only about halfway through the book, I knew that I was in for some crazy twists…and I was correct. I literally gasped a few times, and I thought the ending was fantastic. I thought the whole thing was fantastic, actually. It was a quick and fast-paced read that I didn’t put down until the end. A definite recommendation for thriller and mystery fans, and a definite five stars.

(Thank you to the publisher, author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)