📚 Book Review 📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

My Wife Is Missing by D.J. Palmer

Imagine you’re on vacation, grabbing dinner for your family to eat in the hotel room but when you return, your spouse and kids are gone and all that’s left is your child’s favorite stuffed animal 🧸 That’s where we start and the secrets keep coming! Where did they go and why? What does the past have to do with this mystery!?!

Very tempted to give it 4 ⭐️ because the beginning starts off with a bang but the middle drags but the ending picks things back up with a great reveal! I read this last month and forgot to write my review and forgot a lot about the story if that tells you anything.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!!

This book has an interesting premise and some really entertaining twists and turns. However, it's too long and all the plot turns start making the plot too convoluted instead of twisty and fun. The timeline switches between before Natalie's disappearance and after and also alternames between Natalie and her husband, Michael's points of view. It's hard to know what to believe - Michael has secrets but Natalie is sometimes paranoid because of her severe, ongoing insomnia. Things go around in circles for a bit too long before things end in an unexpected way. I have read other books by the author with mixed results - I absolutely loved Saving Meghan but didn't care for The Perfect Daughter or The New Husband as much. This book is somewhere in between and I would rate it 3.5 stars.

I received this ebook from NetGalley through the courtesy of  St. Martin's Press. An advance copy was provided to me at no cost, but my review is voluntary and unbiased.

D.J. Palmer knows how to write thrillers and he does not disappoint with his latest My Wife Is Missing. This is another sitting on the edge of your seat heart throbbing work from The Master of Psychological Thrillers!! Palmer writes a fast paced story that you are unable to put down with very real and well developed characters. It is drenched with mystery and suspense. The twist and turns are beyond the normal twist and turns! You never know what to believe, he just dangles that bait out in front of you then pulls you in……hook, line and sinker. I was totally shocked by his very unexpected and unpredictable ending, I never saw it coming. I highly recommend this thriller, D.J. Palmer will not let you down!

My heartfelt Thank You to D.J. Palmer and St. Martin Press for an advanced copy of this exceptional book in exchange for my honest review.
#netgalley. #mywifeismissing. #djpalmer #stmartinpress. #arc. #psychologicalthriller

Talk about twisty! This was a great thriller that really kept me on my toes. Insomnia was used to drive the unreliable narrator storyline which I thought worked well. Natalie was an interesting character and I loved seeing her plans play out. The ending was well done, surprising and really took this book to a new level. I’m manifesting that we get another book with Kenneth because he was so smart and intuitive. I think this was a tad too long but overall was a solid story that kept me guessing.

WOW! There's so much going on, I kept changing my mind of who was right every other chapter when the character narrating would change!! There is a major twist at the end that I did not see coming. It was a great book, definitely recommending this one.

Thanks NetGalley, DJ Palmer, and St Martin's Press for this ARC

I have read and enjoyed all of D. J. Palmer’s books. This book hooked me from the start.

A marriage that is already on the rocks as Natalie suffers incurable insomnia that has lasted months leaving her drained, foggy and hallucinating. The husband Michael questioning if she is capable of taking care of their two kids. Michael plans a vacation to release some of the stress that Natalie is having. On his way back to the hotel from picking up a pizza, he discovers his son’s favorite teddy bear on the floor near the elevator. He finds his wife and kids missing and unable to reach her on her cellphone, he starts to wonder if they have been kidnapped.
The first quarter of this book was fast paced but then started getting repetitive and boring because nothing was happening. I found myself skimming through the last half.

A big thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC In exchange for my honest review.

This started off so well and dragged in the middle (just a tad) but the ending was fantastic!
I’d like to have seen the insomnia theme a bit more integrated and not just leaned upon. I think it could have produced some heavier tension. Since it was a large part of the synopsis I certainly expected more delusions and red herrings.
The transit parts, both when the wife was fleeing with the children, and when the husband was looking for her, got to be a bit tedious.
I loved the suspense and the suspicion on both sides of the fence, both husband and wife could have been guilty of so many things.
The end wrapped up perfectly for me. Will definitely be reading more by this author.

During a family vacation to New York, Michael Hart's wife and two children disappear. Frantic, he contacts the police, but when it appears that she left willingly, he's determined to find her. What made her run? Could she have discovered his darkest secret?
The story alternates chapters between Michael, Natalie in the past, and Natalie now on the run. The story starts out fast paced and exciting, but then drags a little in the middle until the plot twists at the end. And just when you think the story is winding down...bam! Another twist at the very end. It's hard to say more without spoilers, so I'll just say overall it was an enjoyable read with an exciting end.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

A family vacation turns into a nightmare for Michael Hart when he discovers his wife and two children have disappeared from their New York City hotel room. Michael’s frantic search to find them takes a shocking turn after he views security footage from the the hotel where they were staying only to discover that his wife, Natalie, appears to have left quite willingly, taking their children with her. Michael is afraid to involve the police, because he has some secrets from his past that he is hiding.... but those same secrets may be the reason his wife ran in the first place.
This book was so good. It was non-stop action from start to finish. Because Natalie has been suffering from a severe case of insomnia and experiencing delusions as a result, you don't know which of the narrators to believe - Michael or Natalie. Then it is topped off with a couple of shockers at the end for good measure. If you are a fan of thrillers, then you are definitely going to want to check this one out.

My Wife Is Missing by D.J. Palmer is one of those books that combines family drama with psychological thriller. The novel starts with Michael returning with dinner to the family hotel room in New York City, only to find his wife and two young children have disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a cherished teddy bear. Telling you what happens after that would be impossible due to a plot that has so many subplots that you must read this book for yourself. My Wife Is Missing will take you on a thoroughly unpredictable ride. Each chapter brings something new. Just when the reader thinks they are beginning to figure things out, off on another tangent the story goes. D.J. Palmer has a winner here: the plot is original and challenging, the characters are interesting and sometimes deceiving. I have immensely enjoyed this novel and would not hesitate to read many more books from this author. If you like your books to surprise and excite you, pick this one up. You will be glad you did. Highly recommended. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A thriller at its best! This novel is fast-paced and exciting. The twists are unexpected and the reveals are well timed. The narrators are both unreliable and the characters are realistic and relatable. An “unputdownable” must read!

On a family vacation to New York City Michael Hart ventures out for pizza. When he returns to the hotel his wife Natalie and their two children are gone. After a frantic search he views the hotel security tape and sees Natalie and the children leaving the hotel with their suitcases. In chapters that alternate between Michael’s search and Natalie’s escape from a husband she believes is a murderer, D. J. Palmer’s story offers twist after twist. Natalie suffers from insomnia. Between her long work hours and lack of sleep, their marriage is suffering and she believes that Michael is having an affair. She is desperate to prove that she is right and in the process she makes a disturbing discovery about his past. When the woman she suspects that Michael has been seeing is murdered, she fears for her life and begins to plan her escape.

Detective Amos Kennett is with the NYPD. He interviewed Michael when he first reported Natalie missing. When he shows up at Michael’s home to offer his help to find Natalie and the children, Michael is reluctant to accept. There are events in Michael’s past that he has kept hidden and he suspects Kennett’s willingness to take the time off to help but Kennett has resources that may help find his family. Natalie is not only struggling with the fear that Michael will find her but also with a lack of sleep and the demands of two young children who want their father. Is Michael the loving husband trying to regain his family or the murderer that Natalie believes him to be? The final solution is not revealed until the very last pages and it will leave you stunned. I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for my review.

“My Wife is Missing” is the second psychological thriller I have read by author, D. J. Palmer. The book is a domestic thriller written in alternating chapters from the perspective of the husband, Michael and his wife, Natalie. The couple have two children, Addie and Bryce who join them on a family getaway to the Big Apple…until Natalie and the children go missing! What ensues is a chase to find Natalie and the children, but whose perspective is right?! Is Natalie delusional from the insomnia she has been experiencing for months or is Michael not the person he has everyone believing he is? They both portray convincing evidence of what is happening and the reader is left going back and forth deciding who to believe and what is really happening?!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

(The first novel I read by D. J. Palmer was “The New Husband” in 2020 and my review can be found on either NetGalley or GOODREADS.)

Natalie is pretty convinced her husband is having an affair. As it turns out Michael may be responsible for much worse things that infidelity. Natalie takes off with the kids in fear for her life and Michael will do anything to find her and bring her home where he believes she belongs.
I have enjoyed all of Palmer’s previous books, but this just took the place of my favorite one. There were several twists I didn’t see coming AT ALL! This one is hard to put down!

I have always been told insomnia is caused by a guilty soul. Natalie is an incredible insomniac. And Micheal and the children are feeling the stress. IN an effort to relax ---things go terribly wrong. There is a fine line between giving this novel high praise and NOT giving too much information. Where is Natalie? Where are the kids? and why are they gone today of all days? Why this city.
D.J. Palmer never fails at the twist. The twist you get comfortable with THEN BOOM another twist.
It will be hard to stop halfway so give yourself time to read and devour, while you make audible gasps.

My Wife is Missing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Thriller
Format: eBook/Kindle
Date Published: 5/10/22
Author: D.J. Palmer
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 384
Goodreads Rating: 4.32

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this novel early for my honest opinion.

Synopsis: Family vacation turns into a nightmare for Michael Hart when he discovers his wife and two children have disappeared from their New York City Hotel room. He fears they’ve been kidnapped. He shockingly discovered that his wife, Natalie, appears to have left quite willingly, taking the children. She may have ran because of his past, which he cannot tell the police. Since escaping, her insomnia worsens causing delusions. Who can Natalie trust when she can’t trust herself?

My Thoughts: The chapters are short, under ten minutes each. The story is told from the POV of the two MCs, Natalie and Michael. Natalie’s POV is told from two different time periods. The characters are were extremely well-developed, relaying the information exactly when needed. The story was creatively written and was amazing. The writing was mind blowing, as the twists kept coming, even when you thought they were done. This was a page turner for sure, kept me engaged and would be a bingable book. I finished in just a few days. I really enjoyed this book. This is released on Tuesday, 5/10/22, make sure you preorder your copy if you have not done so yet!!!!

Good plot and premise for the story. I thought that DJ Palmer did a great job telling the story in alternating POVs between the husband and the wife, and also using present and past tense to fill in the story so that over the course of the book the entire story is revealed. I also thought that the writing was great in that the reader gets snippets and then fills in their own imagination only to later get fed the truth.

It was well written. I found myself going back and forth on liking the characters and rooting for them. They are a flawed couple, which was refreshing because that’s real.there were several twists along the way, with a whopper at the end. Without saying much, I will say that the ending left me satisfied.

I received an advanced eBook copy from the publisher in exchange for my thoughts and opinions.

My Wife Is Missing kept me guessing. As I continued reading, I knew things weren't adding up or something wasn't as it seemed but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. Natalie has insomnia and is convinced her husband is having an affair. Eventually, as she tries to keep it together, she discovers something that causes her to fear for her life and the lives of her children. Her husband Michael will do anything to find Natalie and the children. He goes on the road to try to find them. But why did Natalie leave? What did she discover? How much of it is true? What pieces of the story are impacted by Natalie's severe insomnia? Who's lying? Who's covering up their lies? This one came together in a way I wasn't expecting, but it still ended up in a believable story.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the electronic advanced copy.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC of My Wife is Missing by D.J. Palmer.

Michael and Natalie are on a long needed vacation is NYC. Natalie suffers from chronic insomnia which has made her forgetful and mentally clumsy, so an escape is just what the doctor ordered. But when Michael returns to their hotel room, hot pizzas in hand, he finds his family, and their luggage, completely gone. Convinced that there was a mix-up, or miscommunication, Michael doesn't truly start to panic until he sees footage of his family fleeing. Why on earth would they disappear in NYC, and even more pressing, why?

Natalie is desperately trying to find happiness and function despite her lack of sleep. But she's convinced that Michael is having an affair, especially after meeting a young new employee who has all of the attributes her husband would like. But there is something way more sinister lurking in Michael's past, something that makes Natalie want to run for her life.

This was pretty good. Maybe a bit overdone? It probably could have been cut down to three fourths of what it was to it's benefit. It was also a little anti climatic, but it was still a story that had me interested and guessing the whole time.

I've been a big fan of Palmer since the first book I read so I was excited to read this ARC. Unfortunately, this wasn't my favorite book. It started out well but I didn't believe or fully understand the ending. The story jumped between viewpoints and timelines which kept it moving. I understand how the epilogue gave closure to one of the murder plots but it didn't seem well connected. I was also confused about what was going on between Michael and Aubrey.

The story is about a husband, Michael, who discovers his wife and 2 children missing, after just beginning a family vacation. Michael and his wife, Natalie, are keeping secrets and it's only a matter of time until they catch up to them.