The influencer and true crime world collide in Chloe Cates Is Missing. The book gets right into it very quickly which I really enjoyed, and then became a slow build as the curtain is pulled back on the "spectacular" Scarborough family. Alternating narrators, between the mom-ager Jen (who you dislike right away which adds to the whole plot), her husband Jackson, the police detective and Chloe's diary, the drama builds and everyone looks guilty. I thought for sure I knew who was responsible for everything, but McHugh pulled a twist that capped this story off perfectly. Domestic thriller fans, those who love true crime / missing persons should not sleep on this book. It publishes January 18, 2022 and needs to be added to your TBR.

Chloe Cates is Missing is a tense thriller that kept me on edge the entire time.

Jen Scarborough and her husband Jackson are the parents of two children. When Jen had their first, JJ, she struggled to find her place as a mom and housewife. When their daughter, Abigail came along, Jen began blogging as a way to share her experiences and connect with other moms. They decided to use a 'stage name' for the family, in the digital world becoming the Cates and Abigail being known as Chloe. The blog, CC and Me blew up and provided the Scarborough family with additional income and opportunities. As Abigail has gotten older, she starts to resent the blog and her mom's obsession with it and wants to be Abigail, not Chloe. One morning, Jen gets up to prepare for the day of a photoshoot with a new sponsor and finds Chloe missing from her room. The police are called and so begins the search. The detective on the case, Emilina Stone, has a past with Jen from childhood.

Jumping perspectives between Jen, Emilina, Jackson and Abigail's secret diary, we learn that the Scarborough/Cates family has a lot of secrets and things aren't always what they seem.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would love to talk to someone about the ending. It was left a little vague, with just a hint of insinuation where you can take it a few different ways. The book kept me guessing and was like a thread that kept unraveling. Every time you thought you figured it out, there would be another twist. You definitely had people you rooted for and rooted against, but then it was like, did you pick the right side?

Enjoyed this book. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Some unlikeable characters but that was intentional I think for the plot. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Many thanks , as always to NetGalley for the advance read of a fascinating thriller, a dark tour through the dysfunctional world of decidedly un-social media.
Suspense novelists arrived at the idea that many people, including myself, have long suspected.......that so-called social media 'influencers', instagrammers, tweeters, and assorted tik-tokkers are in fact deeply narcissistic, greedy sociopaths, addicted to their 15 minutes of unaccomplished infamy to the point of derangement.
So naturally we've got all the ingredients here of a thriller that kept us in rapt, up-all-night attention until the reveal of its final twist (inevitable, ironic but strangely satisfying)
The wildly popular teen influencer 'Chloe Cates' is in reality the miserably unhappy Abby Scarborough, dominated, dictated to, cruelly manipulated and micro-managed by her monstrous mother Jennifer.
This Momager From Hell operates like a suburban Lady Macbeth who's single-handedly created the utterly fictitious 'Chloe Cates' persona and universe she lives in, complete with fake friends and carefully staged events. And then her world turns upside down when her meal ticket Abby-Chloe disappears, the possible victim of a violent abduction.
Jennifer's further rattled and outraged by the Missing Children detective who's taken on the task of investigating the disappearance and bringing the teen back home........it's Emelina Stone, whose history with Jennifer goes back to a terrible secret they share from their early teen years, when both were mercilessly bullied by their school's resident mean girls.
That dark moment in the two women's past continues to torment and haunt Emilina........and sooner or later, you know that somehow it's going to link up in some way with the current events of whatever became of Abby-Chloe.
Twists abound and virtually all the multiple narrators, with one exception, are deceptive and completely unreliable.......and we wouldn't have it any other way, since that's the juicy fun of a read like this one.
It's a fast, riveting spin through a nightmare world of preening pseudo-celebrity where everyone lives or dies by the amounts of 'likes', endorsements and product swag......and overdue just desserts get properly handed out in the final pages. 4 stars.

I loved books that involves influencing and social media, because it's so much tied into things that we experience every day. So many people want to be "Insta-famous" or "TikTok-famous" but they don't really understand the negatives that can come with putting yourself out there for millions.

Which is why when 13-year-old influencer Chloe Cates disappears, everyone takes notice, most of all her fame-whore mother, who needs to get CC back before she disappoints a sponsor.

I absolutely LOVED this book because of how much I understood about it. The need to want to continue to up the ante, and the fear when thinks may not going exactly your way.

While it's really easy to dislike Chloe Cates's family, when you start delving into why Jen is the way she is, you start to wonder if there's more to this disappearance than meets the eyes.

If you're looking for a book that'll keep your jaw on the floor, this one is for you.

This book is truly a roller coaster ride in the best possible way. As a reader you are able to get an in depth view into the three main characters and at different times dislike each of them; however, you are never quite sure of the final outcome until the very end. I was truly engrossed with this book and highly recommend it.

This book is so typical of our current times with social media affecting our everyday lives. The family in this story are dependent on the social media presence of the daughter. It is told from many points of view including the diary if Chloe, our missing character. It affects their lives both socially and economically. The mother is so involved in the media presence that she lets it control her every waking moment in her quest to be “the perfect family”.

Chloe Cates, along with her mom, is a social media influencer thanks to their blog “CC & Me.” It’s a mother/daughter blog that specializes in parenting and fashion. Jennifer is a stage mom on steroids. The things she makes Chloe does are unthinkable; Chloe isn’t even her real name, it’s Abby! Chloe isn’t allowed to attend school or have a social life of her own.

One morning, Chloe’s parents realize she is missing, and the book follows the story of the detective, Emilina Stone, Abby’s diary, and her parents, while they are trying to find her.

This was such a gripping novel. There were so many twists that I didn’t see coming, and I was engrossed the whole time. I found both of Abby’s parents, Jennifer and Jackson, to be awful. Jennifer was beyond selfish, and Jackson had no backbone to protect his children. I highly recommend this book!

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗲: January 18, 2022

Thank you Net Galley, Mandy McHugh & Scarlet Press for this ARC.

This was definitely an interesting read, thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and anticipating it all unravel.

Chloe Cate, a stage name for Abby Scarborough, the local social media superstar, has gone missing. Was she kidnapped or did she run away? Why does the girl who turned up dead look so much like her? Is her mother, Jennifer Scarborough, really concerned for daughter or does she really only care about going viral?

All the things that swarmed through my head for 4 hours straight. I could not. put. this. book. down. So many different uncontrollable ideas took hold of me.

I liked that the plot didn't follow the general mystery solving route of finding clues and instead focussed on Abby and what lead to her disappearance through her journal - it was also cool to see the narrative switch between different characters POV's, really gave them depth. Did not see the final plot twist coming one little bit - it seemed rather rushed but I suppose that was the point.

Huge thanks to Mandy McHugh, Penzler Publishers, Scarlet and NetGalley for sending me the ARC for an honest review.

Interesting but not really my cup of tea. Well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really loved this fast paced domestic thriller. Chloe, online star of CC and Me, is missing. In reality she's 13-year-old Abigail and she's been getting less and less enthusiastic about keeping up the online persona her mother created when she was four. Of courss Jennifer Scarborough is worried about her missing daughter -- but she's also determined to exploit the situation and generate as much publicity as possible. She's an absolutely awful person and the detective in charge of the case, who happened to be her best friend when the two of them were Chloe's age, knows exactly the sort of thing she's capable of.

The plot is a roller coaster with some truly heart stopping plunges and it kept me guessing until the end, which I wish hadn't been quite to abrupt.

How far would Jennifer Cates (influencer name) go to make a post on her blog, “CC and Me” go viral? She certainly has no qualms about exploiting her 13 year old daughter, Chloe Cates (real name-Abigail Scarborough) for money. She doesn’t care if the things that are captured on “live feed” embarrass her daughter. AT ALL !!

At what age, can a person decide that they no longer want to be a “social media celebrity”? How far would Chloe Cates go to escape the life her Mother won’t allow her to relinquish?

Is Chloe Cates missing? Or is this all a ruse for more clicks?

Detective Emilia Stone from the Children and Family Services Unit, in Albany, will have to piece together the evidence from Chloe’s journal entries and from what she knows about Jennifer from the past, when Jennifer was Jen Groff- her middle school best friend.

I requested this one because I am always drawn to stories which are told through multiple formats such as diaries, journals, Pod Casts and the like. But these journal entries give much of the book a YA feel, and I have outgrown my enjoyment of that.

If you haven’t, and you enjoy reality series about families or wives who enjoy the spotlight or Moms who push their children to be in Dance, or Cheer or perhaps to be Beauty Pageant contestants, you may enjoy the DRAMA that this book offers! Unfortunately for me, those things don’t interest me so I wasn’t a great fit for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. The story is told from multiple points of view: Abby (Chloe), Jen (her mother), Jackson (her father), and Emilina (the detective). The plot worked for me but the writing wasn't necessarily my writing style. I couldn't tell if it was the layout of the ARC or if the style just didn't flow.

Thanks again for the ARC.

This book started out strong and had such a new and refreshing yet captivating storyline but then went downhill. It became predictable and boring. I wouldn’t recommend

Thank you to Penzler Publishing for my free review copy.

I picked up Chloe Cates is Missing after seeing lots of buzz about it on #Bookstagram. I have been really into domestic thrillers this fall and so when I read the summary of Chloe Cates, I was immediately intrigued.

The story revolves about a 13 years old You Tube star and influencer who suddenly disappears. Little by little, secrets are exposed and this "perfect looking family" starts looking a less so...

This book had lots of twists and turns but also plenty of social commentary on the influencer world, especially when it involves children and "momagers". All the family members come into question and I loved the multiple view points that ultimately dded so much to this engaging storyline.

I enjoyed this debut novel so much and it was the perfect domestic thriller read from start to finish but with a totally unique take. I look forward to sharing more about it when it is published in January 2022.

Chloe Cates is missing....Or is she?

Jennifer Scarborough (AKA Jennifer Cates) has no problem exploiting her daughter on YouTube for internet fame. Abigail Scarborough (AKA Chloe Cates) wants out of the spotlight but, alas, her mother needs her to gain fame and fortune. And, at thirteen years old, there's unfortunately not a lot Chloe can do to about her controlling and domineering mother. But when Chloe suddenly does missing, everything chances for the Scarborough family.
But is Chloe really missing? Is this just a publicity stunt put on by her mother to garner more media attention and fame? Or has Chloe finally had enough of the spotlight and run away from it all?

This book makes you question the lengths a person will go to for fame, how psychologically damaging it can be for a child with fame-hungry parents and the after effects on a child star who has had to suffer this kind of manipulation and psychological abuse from his/her parents.
It's also a story that will make you angry because this stuff happens all the time and it's heartbreaking. (IE: Dance Moms, Keeping Up With the Kardashians, Macauley Culkin just to name a few examples).
While I was reading this, it reminded me of another book -Darling Rose Gold- as the situation in this book strongly resembled Munchausen by Proxy. This book definitely gives you a lot to think about.
If I could say one negative, this does read more like a YA novel. I didn't mind that as I'm a fan YA literature, but for those who don't care for the genre and want more of an adult mystery/thriller, I wanted to point that out. Otherwise, a great book with a great message and one that I recommend to fans of the mystery genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story is told from a multitude of perspectives and timelines. I appreciated how these different voices all revealed secrets about the others and aided in the reader uncovering secrets from both the present and the past. It was quickly realized that there were more than just Chloe Cates location to find out and the many mysteries were simultaneously focused on and worked through making this an intense and engaging read, all the way throughout.

The ending had me reeling! I did have my suspicions about the final twist, but the back-and-froth dialogue between the characters before this had me second and third-guessing myself, which proved, again, how cleverly McHugh manipulates her readers. This is definitely a writer I already trust to pen an scintillating thriller and an author I will be reading from again, in any genre.

This was a cracking, unputdownable book, and yet at times it shed a dark shadow of the power of social media and all that it entails.
Jen comes across as a crazy social media obsessed mother who will put her family's story on the internet no matter the cost.
Her childhood friend Emilina is given the task of finding Jen's celebrity daughter and what transpires of their history was so disturbing, yet I couldn't stop reading.
My one flaw with the book was Jen's 'fake swear words', like "fork me off", this really grated on me, especially when other characters' swearing wasn't censored. If McHugh didn't want to use those words for this character, couldn't she have just used a different phrase altogether?
All in all though, McHugh has written a fantastic thriller. She will go far!

Cིྀhིྀlིྀoིྀeིྀ Cིྀaིྀtིྀeིྀsིྀ Iིྀsིྀ Mིྀiིྀsིྀsིྀiིྀnིྀgིྀ
by Mandy Mchugh
Debut Book Release Date 01/18/2022

Jennifer and Jason are married and have a son named JJ. She’s a SAHM, dwindling, trying to just keep it together. Along comes her daughter Abby Scarborough AKA CC Spectacular, AKA Chloe Cates, AKA the blog “cc and me “, which all started when this poor girl was 4, and life hasn’t been the same since. This once semi-normal mom has now become a controlling, money-loving, monster momager.
Until one Saturday morning, at 7:21 am, Abby / Chloe is gone. The window is open, no trace of her left behind. (I’ll call her Chloe for the rest of my review 🤩).
Detective Stone is on the case who coincidentally was Jennifer’s BFF once upon a time. So this web starts to weave fast. And the cake topper is it’s told in everyone’s POV, which is my favorite type of book.
Chloe has no friends. Doesn’t go to school. Has never talked to a boy. Doesn’t go outside. Gets spray tans. Gel nails. Takes fake pictures. Has no access to any social media unless controlled by her mom. So Chloe is a living doll. That her mother plays with to make money. Her son is distraught, sick, angry and the father is just a punching bag. Spineless man.
And you know the strangest part of this book, is it is probably rings true to child stars.
As detective Stone uncovers this disastrous puzzle (please make her a series. I loved her character ) your jaw will remain on the floor. This book is fast-paced. Kickass. The author has knocked this one out of the park. ⚾️🏅⛳️🏟🏹
5 S̤̈T̤̈Ä̤R̤̈S̤̈



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This is such a great, quick read!
Full of drama about an online influencer/blogger and the impact that lifestyle has on the family. It’s one hell of an eye opener and very relevant to the world we live in.
I spent half the time desperate to find out what was going on and the other half mad at the terrible choices the parents make throughout the story.
Really well written with good twists and turns, I’d definitely recommend this one.