Missing Daughter by Kiersten Modglin

Review. Okay, this was a tough read! Especially so, as I was reading it right at time that a little girl was kidnapped and thankfully found and reunited with her family after 18 days safe and well here in Australia.

I digress. The book. Written from multiple POV’s (which I love) and dual timelines, allows you to be privy to the inner workings of all the characters.

“Downstairs everything is totally quiet, and the front door is locked. Why didn’t I hear her scream? Who took our little girl?”

Ginny and Cameron wake up after their daughter’s 3rd birthday to find her missing. That in itself is heart-stopping. However, there’s more, much more! This thriller involves secrets and mistakes from all the characters. It’s fast-paced, twisty, clever and unputdownable.
My only let down is I was able to identify the kidnapper by about the halfway point, which let down the climax a little. Other than that, it really was a fabulous read and one I will be recommending.
This is the first of Kiersten Modglins novels I’ve read, but it won’t be the last.

📚 BOOK REVIEW 📚.
Missing Daughter by Kiersten Modglin - Publication Date 8th November 2021

Jen and her husband have a birthday party for their daughter Skylar. Jen has had ongoing mental health issues since have her daughter but tries the best she can.

The next day, they awake and Skylar is not in her bed!! Everything is still locked up, so where is she?!

The book starts at the birthday party and then goes back a couple of months to explain how things are making Jen feel on edge.

I thought Jen’s character was extremely relatable to a lot of us mums. Having a child can be both amazing and a struggle at times.
It’s nice to see Jen’s friendship blossom with Alex, she meets up with Jen and Skylar with her niece Raven. Alex is someone that Jen can confide in over time. But everything is not what it seems.

Definitely have a read of this and Kiersten’s other book ...... #punchy #greatread#keepsyouguessing #WTF 😱 right to the end!!




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I received a free review copy from the publisher/Netgalley
in exchange for my honest unedited feedback. #netgalley #bookouture #bookreviews #bookstagram #bookstagramshaz #kierstenmodglin

“𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆, 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏, 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒓𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉, 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔.”

Missing Daughter is told in alternating POVs, which is my favorite style in a book. It starts out with Ginny and Cameron realizing that their daughter Skylar is missing after just celebrating her 3rd birthday. It then takes us back 6 months and slowly leads up to the present time of trying to find Skylar 👉🏻 swipe for book description.

The beginning of this book was definitely a slow burn focusing on the relationship between Ginny and Cameron including the problems they have faced since Skylar’s birth. This book really portrays Postpartum Depression and how it not only affects the person diagnosed but others surrounding them.

The characters were not very likable but I still was so damn intrigued and loved that they all had faults. Everyone has secrets in this book. Everyone is unreliable. Who do you trust? I could have read an entire book on Alex because that’s how much I was invested in her character.

The book really picks up about half way through and that’s when I didn’t want to put it down. The ending is typical KMod AKA blow your damn mind and absolutely genius.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kiersten Modglin for proving me with this eARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Quickly becoming one of my favorites, Kiersten Modglin has written another shattering and tense thriller! There is a lot going on but all is given in stride making it easy to follow along and devour at pace.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

"Missing Daughter" is the second Kiersten Modglin book I've read (and loved), so I can officially say I'm a fan of her books now. Many of her fans refer to her as the Queen of Twists and I definitely agree with that!

At some point, I think I suspected every character. Kiersten does a great job of making everyone seem shady and giving all the characters motive, so it throws the reader off the trail. If you're a fan of domestic thrillers with plot twists that will shock you and enjoy books you can binge-read in a day or two, then this is the book for you.

*Trigger warnings: child abuse, trauma, depression.

Thank you to Netgalley, Kiersten Modglin, and Bookouture for the eBook ARC in exchange for leaving an honest review!

Title: Missing Daughter
Author: Kiersten Modglin
Rating: 4/5 Stars

When Ginny woke up to the sun in her eyes the day after her daughters birthday party, she knew something was wrong. Her fears were correct when she finds her daughters bed empty, and her daughter no where to be found. Her husband said she’s been struggling since Skylar was born, that she forgets things. But Ginny remembers the party, remembers the doors being locked, she would remember her daughter crying, wouldn’t she? But as the hours race by, Ginny realizes she thinks she put the past behind her but she was all wrong. And she’ll do whatever it takes to save her daughter.

The first half of this book was a slow burn, really showing the dynamics of Ginny and her husband Cameron and their relationship. You get to see how the pain of postpartum depression can affect more than just the one suffering. About half way through, things really begin to pick up in a heart pounding race against time feel. It was at this point that I could not put this book down, I needed to know what was going to happen next.

Majority of the characters were very unlikable and/or unreliable leaving you to constantly question what exactly was the truth. I personally could not stand Alex, Ginny’s therapist from the start, she just seemed too sketchy for me; and then Cameron just seemed like a creep that was hiding something. Ginny herself was just so unreliable as a narrator as a result of her depression. To see how my thoughts and feelings of each of the characters changed (or not) throughout the book was interesting.

As per usual, Kiersten Modglin absolutely blew me away with yet another genius ending. Seriously, I loved this ending. Everything came together so perfectly, it all made sense and I’m happy that the book took the twists that it did. I was absolutely shocked and was not expecting it at all and love how open-ended it was. This could easily be left as a stand alone novel but I feel like it also could be explored further in a sequel.

I was lucky enough to be able to buddy read this with two of my favorite people which made this that much more enjoyable. I love having someone to talk to about the book I’m reading, to be able to throw off theories or ideas.

Missing Daughter will be released on 11/8, and it is one I highly recommend!

Special thanks to Netgalley for gifting me this Ebook in exchange for my honest review!

#buddyread #arcreview #advancedreaderscopy #fourstarbookreview #psychggologicalthriller #missingdaughter #kierstenmodglin #kmodforthewin

Ginny and Cameron’s daughter Skyler disappears from the house during the night after her third birthday party now the hunt begins, where is she? Who has her? Was it the parents? Can the couple get through it together or will it tear them apart?
Missing Daughter highlighted postpartum depression very well including the lack of a bond between mother and child, and how it affects the person who is suffering from it but it also shows the effects it had on loved ones too. But does it drive you to harm your own child?
I liked Ginny, Cameron, I wasn’t so sure of, and Alex who befriended Ginny quickly at the park one day seemed good for Ginny.
There are a lot of questions in this book, many people that could have taken Skyler and the reasons why are plausible as Kiersten Modglin set the book up brilliantly and it flowed at a fast pace.
This is the first book I have read by Kiersten Modglin and it won’t be the last. I love a book that keeps me guessing throughout and this one certainly did that.

Missing Daughter is the second book I have read by Kiersten Modglin and wow it was just as fantastic as the first. There were so many twists and turns throughout with the tension building and building right up to the ending that I did not see coming. I will definitely be reading more by Kiersten Modglin in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

Missing Daughter by Kiersten Modglin
Published: November 8, 2021
Bookouture
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave this review voluntarily.

Kiersten Modglin is an Amazon Top 30 bestselling author of psychological thrillers, a member of International Thriller Writers and the Alliance of Independent Authors, a KDP Select All-Star, and a ThrillerFix Best Psychological Thriller Award Recipient. Kiersten grew up in rural Western Kentucky with dreams of someday publishing a book or two. With more than twenty-five books published, Kiersten now lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband, daughter, and their two Boston Terriers: Cedric and Georgie. She is best known for her unpredictable psychological suspense.

“Everything is going to be all right.”

Ginny and Cameron’s daughter goes missing following her third birthday party, and they are the prime suspects. As their world spirals out of control, things for Ginny start to fall in place. And the truth is terrifying.

Whew. There is a lot to unpack in this book, so I’ll warn you now, this review will be lengthy. But in order to truly honor this novel and the talent of KMod, it has to be.

Something I’ve always loved about Kiersten is the fact that she is not afraid to write characters that readers will not like. It’s refreshing having an author who doesn’t feel compelled to write perfect characters.

Ginny was a beautiful character. She was complicated, conflicted, and struggling. Ginny had a difficult pregnancy, followed by a traumatic birth, and she is suffering from postpartum depression. Feelings of inadequacy and failure as a mother weigh Ginny down daily. And she finds little support, and the support offered that is offered often wrapped in condescending tones and pitiful looks. For most of this book, I just wanted to hug Ginny and tell her she’s doing her best.

Cameron adores his daughter. She is number one in his life. And because his wife frequently struggles with bad days, he has to pull parental double duty more often than not. He wants Ginny to be better for Skylar, but also he misses who Ginny used to be. I was not too fond of Cameron at any point in this novel. He’s a great dad but a terrible husband.

Alex is mysterious and weirdly invasive. She is also the only person who makes Ginny feel “normal” and like she can be a good mother. Alex takes her friendship with Ginny to the next level by taking Ginny on as a client. Depression is accurate, and Alex is determined to help Ginny, no matter what.

A few of the biggest things in this book that really need to be talked about is mental health, societal norms being forced upon mothers, and that support is so important.

Ginny had a difficult pregnancy, which completely shattered what she thought she would feel carrying her child. And when her delivery led to an emergency c section, this further shattered Ginny’s idea of motherhood. Ginny feels that she has struggled to bond with her daughter and that Skylar prefers Cameron.

Ginny had postpartum depression, and with that comes the lowest of the lows. Racing thoughts, constant insecurity, and the fear of failure plague Ginny’s every thought. And of course, this weighs heavily on her relationship with her daughter and her husband.

Ginny feels judged. She doesn’t have a tribe to support her, and her husband’s passive-aggressive comments don’t help. It is reported that 5% of women reported persistently high levels of postpartum depression symptoms for three years after giving birth.

To make matters worse, Cameron voiced his disappointment in Ginny frequently. Ginny’s mother casts a heavy weight on Ginny. It’s expected that after carrying and delivering a human, women should bounce right back to “normal” and be able to do everything. But the hormonal changes involved with pregnancy, delivery, and motherhood, in general, can be heavy.

Kiersten did an incredible job presenting Ginny’s symptoms and struggles while being empathetic and fair. KMod discussed something that isn’t widely discussed, and it should be. To normalize and further understanding and help those who have postpartum depression know that there are options available, and to help the immediate people around the mom suffering know the healthy ways to offer help and support.

While Ginny struggles with daily activities, when her daughter goes missing, Ginny struggles in a new way. While internally she wants to crumble and retreat to her bed, she knows she can’t. If she doesn’t fight for her daughter, who will? Ginny is stronger than she realizes, and she is willing to fight to save Skylar, no matter what the cost.

In classic KMod fashion, as the plot thickens and the plot pace speeds up, readers won’t know which way to look. The old razzle-dazzle in this novel will come with quite the punches. With enough twists to give you whiplash and an ending that you’ll never see coming, Missing Daughter is the emotional, mental, and momma-motivated thriller we all need.

This is yet another amazing book by this author. Wow! I dont think she can do any wrong. I absolutely loved the way this was written. There were so many twists and turns. I will forever be reading this authors works in the future.

Thank you to @netgalley and @bookouture for an early copy of this!  I'd give this 3.5 stars.

Synopsis: Ginny and Cameron wake up the morning after their daughter Skylar's third birthday party to find her missing. As they try to find her, they end up suspecting everyone they know, as well as each other. 

This was a good, solid thriller, with some interesting twists. Some were predictable, but one took me completely by surprise!  It was overall a quick read and I enjoyed it, but I thought some parts were a bit redundant, so it ended up lagging in some spots. 

At times I found it hard to connect with, because I just hated Cameron so much! Seriously, he's absolutely awful, the way he treats his wife suffering from postpartum depression. It made it tough to root for them as a family. I also really didn't like Alex --Ginny's best friend and therapist--and found her behavior extremely unprofessional, although that ended up making sense eventually. 

The epilogue also had another really fun twist, but it was a bit far-fetched, so I'm not sure it was totally worth it. 
Overall, I enjoyed it, but it's not necessarily a stand-out among the thrillers I've read this year.

This is a totally twisted domestic chiller that had me waiting with bated breath for the next twist that would appear in the story. Ginny and Cameron have a totally adorably daughter named Skyler who just had a big birthday party to celebrate her third birthday. The day after her party, Skyler disappears. Ginny and Cameron panic and don’t know where to begin looking for her. The twists start with the backstory of Ginny having difficulty bonding with her daughter after a difficult delivery and Cameron having to take over most of the tasks related to her care. Once she is gone, they have to find a way to unite in finding her or tear each other apart, losing all hope of ever seeing her again. Ginny has tried therapy with a woman named Alex and so both of them seek help from her. The story has red herrings, lots of action and is filled with emotion. Fans of domestic thrillers will devour this book as it has everything that one could ever want to read in this genre.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher Bookouture via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

An interesting premise, the novel is slow paced in the beginning and evolves into a windy pattern of twists that are not overly well executed. I enjoy a good twist as long as they're executed well and the author convinces me that they're well placed. It was a quick entertaining read but didn't knock my socks off.

Another winner from the queen of the twisty domestic thriller! Cameron and Ginny throw a big party for their daughter Skylar's third birthday. Since Skylar's birth she has been Daddy's girl. Ginny had some postpartum issues and never really bonded with her daughter. But she loves her dearly. They had a little to drink at the party and afterward but not that much. Did they? The next morning when they awaken Skylar is gone and a parent's worst nightmare begins. The story is told in alternating chapters mostly by Ginny and Cameron. Ginny details her therapy with Alex, a woman she met at the park with her daughter who became her best friend. The characters are well developed. I felt sorry for Ginny with her depression and her self-doubt. I wasn't sure about Cameron. At one point he said he would stand by her forever but in the next moment it seemed that he was ready to leave. Alex was an enigma. It's never a good idea for your best friend to be your counselor. The book twists its way to a thrilling climax with some surprises along the way. Thanks to Net Galley for allowing me to read an early copy. Kiersten Modglin, please keep them coming. You have me addicted!

If you are looking for a psychological thriller you won’t be able to put down, then I suggest you pick up Missing Daughter by Kiersten Modglin on November 8, 2021. I have seen that some readers have called Modglin the “Queen of Thrillers” and after reading this one I highly agree! I was a little hesitant to read about this one, being a Mother myself I think it’s one of worst nightmares a mother can imagine. She talks about postpartum depression and the kidnapping of a child, two highly emotional topics! Along with that there is family drama, secrets, lies and infidelities to keep you reading way past your bedtime. She will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride from beginning to end. It is highly intense and I was on the edge of my seat all the up to that explosive ending that left my jaw on the floor! I cannot recommend this devious author enough if you like a well written psychological thriller!

Thank you NetGalley, Kiersten Modglin and Bookouture for an advanced copy of this thrilling book in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley #missing daughter. #kierstenmodglin. #bookouture #arc

I enjoyed this book a lot- it started off easily, however then the twist in the plot had became more and more intriguing. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

I am a huge fan of Kiersten Modglin and this book was no exception. I was able to figure it out pretty early on which is pretty unusual with her books but the storyline was excellent. For the predictableness I gave this book a 4 but it does not really take away for Kiersten's incredible talent.

Kiersten Modglin is by far one of my favorite authors. However, I hate to admit this was my least favorite book of hers. I enjoy the twists she so often brings to every book and Missing Daughter had it’s fair share, but I was unable to really connect with the characters. The ending was great, but it was a slow start for me.

This was enjoyable read. The first part of the book was a rather slow read that dragged on but improved as the story continued. A good mystery but not a lot of suspense. Overall this is a book most would enjoy.

Thank you so much for my ARC!
Summary:
Bonding with her little daughter Skylar was hard for Ginny. But her new friend and therapist Alex helped her get better. She's even improving her marriage with Cameron. Everything's fine, until after the party for her third birthday, Skylar has been taken from her bed. Cameron seems to blame Ginny. But she didn't do anything - or did she? Why is she so damn tired all the time? Who's the woman she heard laughing inside of her house at night? Is Cameron cheating on her? Or is he not so innocent after all?

My opinion:
I was expecting a regular missing child thriller, but I was positively surprised. This book was so much more than I thought it would be - it is a perfect domestic and psychological thriller. Kiersten Modglin's suspenseful writing got me hooked right from the beginning. I did guess what happened to Skylar, but I loved accompanying Ginny along the way. Also, the last page had me gasping for air. I liked her as a main character since she is vulnerable, what makes her human and relatable. This book also delivers an important message: that parents aren't perfect, and it's normal that they make mistakes - but they should never talk badly about their children in front of them.

This was my second book by Kiersten Modglin, and it's my favorite so far.

Parts of this book reminded me of:
- Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
- The Therapist by B.A. Paris
- The Housewarming by S.E. Lynes