I read The Arrangement earlier this year and quickly fell in love with Modglin’s style - the last 25% of so of the book was full of so many twists and surprises that I did not see coming at all, and I thought I may have found a new favorite thriller author! So I was obviously excited to read more from her.
Unfortunately, although this one was a solid read, it definitely didn’t pack as many twists and the ‘big reveal’ was much easier to predict. I feel like maybe this author thrives better with her shorter works - The Arrangement and the majority of her other books are ~200 pages while this one was a more standard thriller length, and I felt like this one definitely suffered from repetition, it felt like she was trying to meet a word count (or it could also be because she’s been churning out a book every 2-3 months). Like I said this one wasn’t bad by any means but a huge disappointment after The Arrangement. Hopefully this one was just a fluke miss for me and I still plan to read more of her books!

This book starts with Skylar's birthday party. Her mother, Ginny, struggles with the stress of people in her house, dealing with family and suppressing the need to cleanup while others play. The feel of constant judgement, scrutiny - only her friend Alex seems to a source of support.
The next morning, Ginny realizes Skylar didn't wake during the night. Going into her bedroom, Ginny finds an emtpy bed. Skylar is missing.
The plot moves back to six months before - narrators Cameron, her husband and Ginny taking turns to build up to the disappearance, introducing the suspects- including each other.
Great, fast paced read. I truly loved the brutal portrait of mothers and their struggles - the struggle to grieve their pregnancy and birth, the loss of self, the never ending soul crushing guilt of motherhood, self judgment, the struggle to connect with their children. Amazing.

What it’s like to be a new mother…
Picture it…you give birth to a little bundle of joy, stay a few days in the hospital and then bring said bundle of joy home. Everything is glorious…because you have the perfect new addition to your life right?

WRONG
WRONG
WRONG

Many mother’s like Ginny, in Missing Daughter develop postpartum depression when they have children and don’t know how to bond with their baby. Now that doesn’t mean that Ginny loves Skylar any less, right? It doesn’t mean that Ginny would do anything to harm her baby girl, right?

Cameron, Ginny’s husband and Skylar’s father has to believe she has nothing to do with her disappearance, right?

BUT

Does, Ginny really believe she has nothing to do with her daughters disappearance? Surely she locked every door that night after Skylar’s birthday party.

I never know what to expect with a Kiersten Modglin book. Her plots are always so varied as are the settings, but I know one thing will always be there and that’s a twist that shakes me to my core and makes me question my ability as not only an amateur sleuth but as a reader.

This time it’s a family setting and the protagonist is Ginny, whose daughter Skylar has gone missing the morning after her birthday party. From the start her reliability is brought into question as she appears to be suffering from post natal depression that has never left. She wants the connection or motherly bond that she expected and feels like an outsider in her own family. Her daughter choosing to bond with her husband Cameron instead.

On a day out to the park Ginny meets Alex who is there with her niece. Finding out she is a therapist she persuades her to take her on as a client. Crossing professional boundaries is never a good idea and this automatically had me shouting at my kindle “RED FLAG!!!”

Narrated by Ginny and Cameron we see both perspectives of their family life but I never quite trust what I’m reading with this author so my spidey senses are always on full alert for red herrings and unreliability. Never trust a con artist and Kiersten is Queen of the cons.

Ginny, especially her mindset was brilliantly written and I think a lot of mothers will resonate with her feelings towards her daughter. Cameron I wasn’t sure about from the offset but that may be because my emotions were already tied up with Ginny and making sure she had at least my support.

Although I did get the who, I think the author had planned it that way, it still left the why and this was, yet again, another clever book from an author who has now become an addiction.

First off thank you to Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. This was my second book by KMod and it absolutely did not disappoint!!! I love her writing style and how even though this book had some hard topics she made it seem so relatable and real. I am definitely a fan of her work and I can't wait to get my hands on another!!!

Missing Daughter kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Ginny & Cam have a 3 year old daughter Skylar who vanishes on her birthday. Nothing is broken or missing besides Skylar. In typical kmod fashion I loved the twist I guess part of it but the rest blew me away.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this digital arc. All opinions are my own.

This is the first book I have read by this author and it was quite good. I liked the idea behind it but it struggled to keep my attention in the first half. I found it a bit long drawn out and boring but it picked up about 50% in. I will be looking out for more by this author.

I was almost ready to give up on this author having had a few misses but I now feel that her books are best enjoyed by physically reading them rather than listening to the audiobook, as the two I've physically read have been great. I really enjoyed this one, being a mother myself this is one of the worst situations we could possibly face. It was very fast-paced and kept me guessing right until the end, all the twists were enjoyable and shocking to me. None of the characters were particularly likeable but I think that was the point so we were constantly second guessing them all.

*Thanks to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kiersten Modglin for the copy of this book. All views are my own.*

I enjoyed this book immensely, although felt it had a fairly slow start.

Although the disappearance of Skylar, Ginny and Cam's young daughter, initially seems to be the heart of the book, there is much more to the story than there first appears. The plot skilfully twists and turns and no one is quite who they seem.

Some of the characters were definitely more likeable than others, but I felt they were all cleverly constructed and the continuing themes of postnatal depression and therapy have obviously been very well researched.

Once the plot began to pick up pace, I was caught up in the many dark secrets and lies that became uncovered and couldn't stop reading. Whilst I did guess the identity of the kidnapper, I didn't figure out the reasons behind their crime.

This is a well written tense story and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys psychological thrillers.

Thanks to the author Kiersten Modglin, publishers Bookouture and Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When Ginny's daughter goes missing, the search is on to find her. As the search continues, secrets are revealed about Ginny's life, husband and therapist, ultimately pointing the finger to Ginny herself. But did Ginny do it?

Another gem by Kiersten Modglin but I have to admit, I guessed the ending of this one! That never happens to me either so does that mean I've read too many thrillers?! I still enjoyed this book though and highly recommend it to all my thriller fans.

Missing Daughter was a thought provoking book for me. Lucky enough to never have experienced postpartum depression, I thought Kiersten Modglin made it more relatable through the eyes of her main character, Ginny. While her husband, Cameron, forms a very tight bond with their daughter, Skylar, she struggles through each day… until Alex enters the tale. Skylar disappearance the night of her 3rd birthday party and Ginny is suspect #1. Ginny comes alive and emerges from the dark depression as a much stronger woman.
Although many of the paths the author takes are somewhat predictable it was a fun ride. A few red herrings along the trail caused me to second guess my predictions. An interesting enjoyable read. Many many thanks to Kiersten Modglin, Bookouture, and NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read an arc of this just published book. 3 1/2 stars.

Wow, Kiersten has outdone herself. Great story, really good storyline. Great topics, postpartum depression, marital stress, but wow really pull you in, have to read on and find out how it end....

As always Kiersten Modglin doesn't disappoint! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time! I just don't know how she gets these wonderful stories out so fast. To spend a day in her mind I tell ya!

Thank you to Netgalley for my advance copy!

Missing Daughter by Kiersten Modglin was my first read from this author, and I am immediately adding all of the others to my TBR. After a bit of a slow start, this one really picks up in intensity and will propel you along for a thrilling and breathless ride.

Ginny has struggled with postpartum depression following the birth of her daughter Skylar. Luckily, husband Cam is there to pick up the slack, but it leaves Ginny feeling like a bit of an outsider to the close relationship between her husband and daughter. When the unthinkable happens and Skylar goes missing, it is the worst nightmare of any parent realized, and the race is on to find the precious three year old, while the secrets of those closest to her are revealed. A gripping read from start to finish. 4.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC.

Ginny had a tough pregnancy and labor. It seems it caused a lot of mental health issues and it is hard for her to get close to her daughter, Skylar. Her husband Cameron seems to find it easy to love Skylar. But so much is on him since Ginny can't seem to function. He has a full time job, does housework and takes care of Skylar.
Ginny starts taking Skylar to the park and they end up meeting Alex and her niece. Alex and Ginny become good friends and we find out Alex is a therapist and Ginny starts talking to her. That's when I started having doubts about what was really going on.
I thought Cameron had a lot on his plate plus trying to cope with Ginny. I know she was getting help but sometimes it didn't feel like it was helping.
Skylar's birthday party is really where the book started and then went months back up until Skylar went missing. Ginny and Cameron come together to find Skylar but we also find out more things about the parents.
I did not have post partem depression after my kids were born so I couldn't relate but I could sympathize with Ginny. I felt glad that I didn't go through that but at the same time felt bad that I felt that way.
I received this book from Bookouture and NetGalley to review.

Ginny has had to make a lot of adjustments after becoming a mother. Finding a new friend who ends up becoming her therapist has had mixed results. Her husband Cameron seems a bit different and before long their marriage starts becoming off-center. When their daughter Skylar goes missing, quite naturally they are both in a state of panic.

Ginny might have been experiencing postpartum depression and had attachment issues to Skylar, but the pain she feels when she cannot locate her daughter is bone deep. Meanwhile, with Cameron having sketchy behavior, things certainly are not easy.

In this story we see several issues. Aside from the kidnapping and the marital issues between Ginny and Cameron, there is the important issue that many women can relate to - postpartum depression. As this story progresses, more about Ginny's emotions after having Skylar are expressed, making this story quite relatable.

In addition to that, Ginny's relationship with Alex as they shift from friends to client and therapist, we see their relationship change and the intensity of Ginny's issues is brought to the fore. The question that begs answering is, does Skylar's kidnapping have anything to do with the therapy sessions, especially since the therapy sessions take on a life of their own.

What a well-written multi-layered story. On the one hand, guessing the kidnapper may seem apparent - don't let that deter you for one minute - as the motive certainly blew everything apart. As far as the characterization in this story went, it was easy to be drawn to Ginny, as her behavior could definitely be related to hormones. Then there was Cameron. And Alex. What tied the three together in this story beyond the apparent relationships and how did they relate to Skylar? This thrilling story will both grab your attention and keep you guessing.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I've read a lot of this author's books and I always look forward to a new release from her! I was very lucky to receive an early copy of this book and I started it as soon as I did! After reading, I can say that there was a lot in this book! It dealt with different issues and then the plot started to change and secrets and some suspense were added in! There was a bit of romance too! The plot also developed at the perfect pace and it kept me wanting to read on! I thought that I knew where the plot was going to go, but then secrets started being revealed and they shook the whole plot and made me re-evaluate everything! I will admit that I was able to guess some of the plot, but not the overall plot! The characters were also amazing and added a lot to the plot! Ginny was the main female character, and I felt for her in this book because she struggled with postpartum depression after having her daughter and she spent a lot of time blaming herself for everything that went wrong! Was Ginny perfect? No. But she tried her best and she wanted to do better! Ginny also came a long way in this book! Cameron 'Cam' was the main male character and husband of Ginny! At the beginning of this book I actually had a lot of respect for Cam because he wanted to help Ginny and support her as best he could! Secrets were then revealed that made me dislike Cam and I actually thought that Ginny could do better! I still wasn't sure how I felt about Cam at the end of the book! I could see that he loved Ginny, but he did do some unforgivable things! Alex was also an important character in the plot that played a big role! I really wasn't sure what to think about Alex because I knew she was hiding something big, but was she really? I definitely won't spoil anything lol! This book was mainly written from Ginny and Cameron's point of views, but a few chapters were written from Alex's point of view as well! It made sense for this book to be written this way and the synopsis gives the impression that it's only going to be written from the female character's point of view, so I'm really happy that it was written from a few more point of views! It allowed for more things to happen in the plot and it helped me connect more with all the characters and see how they were dealing with everything! I can also completely understand why this book is a standalone! Everything in the plot was wrapped up and all the questions raised were answered! The ending was also left at an insane place and actually made me want more lol! I now can't wait to see what this author is going to release next! I always look forward to her next release and I know that I'll love it! The cover for this book is absolutely perfect for the book and also the title of the book! It suits the feel of the book as well and it would draw me to the book! I love it a lot!

There are aspects of this book which are excellent. I enjoyed the characterisation especially of Alex. If I say more I will give too much away. However this book is slow. At around 45% after pages of repetitive dialogue I nearly gave up. Things picked up in the last third of the book but the endings were somewhat predictable with a couple of rather unrealistic coincidences and scenes which were there to make them work. Overall an OK read but not a favourite for me.

Missing Daughter.
It was a bit of a slow burner to start off with, but this was due to setting the foundations of the story and the characters. But boy when it kicked it, it sure got my attention. Lots of twists, keeping me captivated until the end. I could not put this down and wanted answers and I was not disappointed.
I would definitely read more books by this author.

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

• alternating POVs and timelines
• couldn't put it down!
• all of the emotions

Helloooo, family secrets and troubled relationships! This book took a minute for me to get into (this is most likely just a "me" problem 😂) but I love Kiersten's writing and fast pace.

🗣️ Thank you so much to NetGalley, Bookouture and Kiersten Modglin for the opportunity to read and review this book via eARC. All opinions are honest and my own.