I love D. J. Palmer’s books. My Wife is Missing is not one of my favorites. It was way to long. As you know from the blurb what is the premise of this book.. Natalie is sleep deprived and suspects her husband Michael of cheating on her. There are twists and turns at the end of the book and all is revealed which does redeem the book. As I said before I loved all of D.J. Palmer’s but this was not or should I say I was disappointed. I was so happy to get an ARC off his latest book. If the author shortened the book I would have given it more stars. I received this book from Net galley and the publisher for this ARC for an honest review. (less)

What’s it about (in a nutshell):
My Wife Is Missing by D.J. Palmer is a jaw-dropping psychological thriller about the disappearance of Matt Hart’s wife and children and the secrets that led to that disappearance.

Initial Expectations:
Based on the book blurb and title, I’m expecting a fast-paced, intense read full of shocking twists and turns – my favorite type of thriller! I read The Perfect Daughter by D.J. Palmer last year, and if My Wife is Missing is anything like it, I anticipate picking my jaw up off the floor by the end.

Actual Reading Experience:
The opening scene sets up reader expectations perfectly. It made me feel all of the dread and intensity, then shock and surprise as I quickly made my way through the tale. My Wife Is Missing is a fast-paced roller coaster ride that held me in its grip literally from the first scene to the end. I loved how that first scene really reflected everything to come. It contained a glimpse of the perception vs. reality issues, the intensity, and the dread of uncovering things that I was not sure I wanted to discover while at the same time not being able to resist finding out more.

The narrator and timeline switches can get a little confusing at times. Still, the story flows perfectly between Matt and Natalie’s points of view and the past and the present stories. All are necessary, relevant, and endlessly fascinating. Plus, it takes all of these elements to uncover the truth behind what happened and who did it.

I loved the perfect amount of twists, turns, secrets, and misdirections. My head swam, trying to process it all. The point I started at was utterly different from the next moment and entirely different from the next point until the ride finally came to a stop. These sinfully delicious changes kept those pages flipping as I yearned to learn the truth behind it all.

And that ending! I loved that this spectacular ending, which I didn’t expect or even suspect, wrapped up the story in a satisfying way. I’m not sure how I felt about the epilogue, as it is disturbing, and I’m not convinced of its necessity. Still, I loved the revelations of all the secrets surrounding the main characters. Of course, I had to pick up my jaw off the floor, as I anticipated, and I loved that most of all.

Characters:
Natalie Hart is an accomplished young wife and mother who suffers from insomnia. The insomnia symptoms make it hard for her to tell reality from hallucinations, and all she knows for sure is that she and her kids are not safe.

Michael Hart is Natalie’s husband. He is beside himself when he returns from getting pizza, and his family is nowhere to be found. He will stop at nothing to get them back to the safety of their home.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you love psychological thrillers that keep you on your toes and satisfy your need to be surprised, My Wife Is Missing will delight you from start to finish.

I was excited to receive an advanced reader copy of D.J. Palmer's new book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press. This is the fourth book I've read by D.J. Palmer and the other three were all five star reviews. Unfortunately, this one just didn't do it for me. The characters were annoying and unlikable, the pacing was slow, and by the time of the big reveal, I really didn't care who had done what to whom. I will continue to read this author based on his past books. If you are new to D.J. Palmer, I recommend starting with Saving Meghan, The New Husband, or The Perfect Daughter. Not recommended

DJ Palmer will be an author I always request to read, buy and talk about. I love that he is local to the Boston area and am always entertained by his books. My Wife is Missing is no different. Michael and Natalie are husband and wife, and are having issues. Natalie is suffering from insomnia and thinks Michael is cheating. Chaos and twists ensue from there! I really enjoyed it overall, though there were a few things that frustrated me about Natalie and her friends (as far as choices that were made). I did not see a few of the twists coming and was pleasantly surprised by the ending.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

Michael and Natalie Hart arrive in New York City for a family vacation. They arrive at the hotel hungry, so Michael goes to get takeout and returns to find that his wife and children are missing. The story follows Michael and his wife Natalie in alternating timelines and perspectives leading up to their disappearance.

This had a good start and an exciting ending, but the middle was a little slow for me. I did enjoy it so I think it was just a result of what I had going on in my life at the time and being too busy to read. I thought this was a little different spin on a common story trope.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book is available on May 10, 2022.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. At first I was a bit worried this would turn into a DV narrative written by an abuser but thankfully it took a turn. The writing was simple but the story was full of twists. Having one of the narrators flip between timelines was at times confusing, but not enough to detract from the narrative. A great easy read thriller!

Loved it!! I would give the book 4.5 stars. I was excited to read this because I loved the author's previous books and this one definitely didn't disappoint. What is going on??!!! That was my first thought, then who do I believe- Michael or Natalie. I couldn't wait to get to the end, I needed to to know the truth about everything. Michael was definitely hiding something and keeping secrets. Natalie seemed a bit crazy at times, wasn't sleeping and not to mention the hallucinations. Throw in Detective Kennett, a couple dead girls, a mom on the run and more secrets. There were so many twists and turns. Every time I thought I had something figured out, I was wrong. When the truth was finally revealed, I was shocked. Never saw that coming. I knew there would be a twist at the end. Many of Natalie and Michael's problems might not have existed if they were actually truthful with each other and communicated. They never talked with each other. Michael probably should have told her about his past. Natalie should have seen a doctor about her insomnia. I was surprised Natalie was able to be on the run for as long as she was, especially with the mistakes she made. I was also surprised at how fast Mike was able to find her. Hopefully Bryce and Addie aren't traumatized with what their parents put them through. From start to finish I couldn't put the book down.

Definitely recommend the book. Loved the story, characters and writing style. Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Oh wow! I think I need to go see the doctor for this pain in my neck, I think I have whiplash caused by reading this book! What a twisty suspenseful thriller! The first half or so certainly had some twists, but once you get into the last half, get ready to be surprised and shocked over and over again. This author demonstrates true talent to pull off as many twists as he did. Most I didn’t see coming, or at least had earlier, but then had rejected them. I was on the edge of my seat reading as quickly as i could, eager to see what would happen next. Get ready to clear your schedule when reading this one. Real life will need to be put on hold, trust me. You will be experiencing insomnia just like Natalie…

This was another heck of a fantastic book by DJ Palmer, I have come to really enjoy the chills, twists and turns, strong characters and so much suspense that I have become accustomed to in his style of writing. This is definitely worth the read and highly recommended!

I suggest the newest book along with his other fantastic books like "The New Husband" and "The Perfect Daughter." I am definitely a DJ Palmer fan!

Thanks to Netgalley, DJ Palmer and St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 5/10/22

Ohhhh the theories! I had so many theories that kept changing and morphing and I was sooo confident (and annoyed) that I was so right! Riiight up until I was gloriously wrong! I loved this book! I loved every twist. I loved the writing. I loved the answers. And I loved being wrong!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My Wife Is Missing by D.J. Palmer is a domestic thriller that will keep you guessing until the end. Michael is on a relaxing family vacation with his wife and two children. When he discovers that they're missing, along with their suitcases, he immediately calls the police. Were they kidnapped? Is Natalie a battered wife running away from her abusive husband? Or is Michael a loving husband dealing with a crazy wife?

Here is a chilling excerpt from Chapter 1, which is from Michael's point of view:

"As Michael Hart rounded the corner to his hotel room, he saw a small, lifeless shape lying on the floor of the hallway.
It was Teddy.
Teddy’s arms were splayed open wide like the T-shape of a cross, legs straight as boards, feet pointed up at the ceiling. Still as stone, his two dark glassy eyes, black like onyx, gazed unblinking upwards, seeing nothing. Wrapped around Teddy’s neck was his familiar blue kerchief, frayed at the edges from time and touch."

Overall, My Wife Is Missing is a domestic thriller with nonstop twists. There was a nice surprise in the middle and even an exciting car chase. One highlight of this book is how it kept me guessing until the end. Is Michael reliable? Is Natalie crazy? I enjoyed making predictions and then watching as they were shattered. I did take off 1 star, because I didn't really connect with any of the characters. Maybe it was because I suspected both of them of lying, so I didn't feel like I could trust either of them. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of domestic thrillers, I recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in May!

Wow! Absolutely loved this one. From start to finish, i was completely hooked. I did not want to put this down!

I had to know who did it! And why? And who’s the crazy one?!

Such an intriguing plot! I love the anticipation & the adrenaline. Such a fast paced read and i had no idea how this was going to turn out. So suspenseful!

I think my only thing that didn’t rock my world was the epilogue. It gave final answers. But… i almost wish it wasn’t included but I’m glad it was? I’m torn on it.

This was a page turner and kept me guessing!

Natalie can't sleep. She's convinced her husband is having an affair and his denials only make it harder for her to shut her mind down and unwind. As Natalie digs deeper into her husband's life outside the family, she finds information that is disturbing enough to cause her to grab her children and flee.

When Michael realizes his wife and children are missing, he will do anything to find them. He and an investigator hit the road following leads as we slowly learn what Michael is hiding and why Natalie ran. But not everything is as it seems - is Natalie's insomnia affecting her judgment? Is Michael an adulterer or something more sinister?

I love how this one unfolded. It started with a bang and I couldn't put it down for the first fifty pages or so. Lately I feel like I've read several books about insomnia so my attention slightly wavered until about halfway through when the story really got going again.

I had suspicions from the beginning about where the story was going and I was pleased to be right on a couple points. There were twists I wasn't expecting though and that made it really fun! If you don't read a lot of thrillers, you may be easily fooled into taking this one at face value as the writing was just so well done to keep the reader on track for a singular outcome.

The last several chapters were really well executed. I don't like when an author does an information dump to explain all the potential loose ends and Palmer is a master at avoiding exactly that. The epilogue was excellent and not at all expected and really just added a cherry on top to the story. It gave me a flashbulb moment to a line earlier in the story where I remember thinking "huh, weird" and then not giving it another thought!

If you love a thriller that keeps you guessing, this is one for you.

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

This was such an entertaining and addictive read that I was totally invested in! It had such an intriguing game of cat and mouse with alternating POVs of Michael and Natalie and I relished in the way that Palmer had me constantly questioning who I should be rooting for and who I should trust. We have a deceptive husband with a secret past and a wife with insomnia and paranoia which just makes for such compelling protagonists.

I found it incredibly fast paced and suspenseful and all around a fantastically twisty domestic thriller!

My only downside comes from the ending and without giving anything away, it was a solid ending that totally worked for the story but just a general pet peeve of mine!

WOW.. what a thrilling ride! A high-octane adrenaline fueled rush! I loved Natalie’s strong character as she continually faced intense situations and there’s SO MANY twisty turns you’ll get whiplash! You think you know, then next.. it’s ripped right out from under you. This is the third D.J. Palmer book I’ve read and his absolute best yet. Phenomenal book, very entertaining! 5 stars

*I received an arc from St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Well paced, fun twists, and great details— the elements of a near perfect suspense. I just have a small issue with the way male authors write about women sometimes.

This book started off with a bang and the suspense kept on coming. The chase was thrilling and had me rooting for a certain outcome even though I had no idea why yet. The reveals were surprising and well-placed and I thought everything flowed together well.

The ending though...it was going great for me up until the epilogue. The final reveal there seemed to come out of nowhere. Maybe I missed something there, but it really threw me for a loop and not in a good way. I can think of a few other people that would have fit this better. If you've read this let me know what you thought of that epilogue!

I started this as an e-arc and switched to audio when I was approved for that. The narrator was awesome. She had tension in her voice in all the right places, distinguishable voices, and even did the male voices well. I would definitely recommend this as an audiobook if you enjoy that format.

Thank you to #netgalley @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for the advanced copies of this book in exchange for an honest review!

She glanced in the rearview mirror, trying to maintain safe driving while her adrenaline was spiking. The kids were content watching their iPads, smiles on their faces. Their innocence was making her heart ache, but she had to protect them at all costs. A killer was on their trail. She turned her eyes back to the road in front of her, urging the car to go faster. They had to get away and she couldn’t leave a trail.

My Wife is Missing is a domestic/psychological thriller about a husband and wife struggling with their marriage. She can’t sleep and he’s having an affair… but is there more going on than what seems to be on the surface?

At first I was struggling with this book… I love DJ Palmer’s books, but this one seemed to be going the “wife is crazy” route and I was getting annoyed. Then halfway through I thought everything had been clearly spelled out so what could possibly happen for another half of this book. I was seriously thinking this book was a dud. And then Palmer threw a twist that smacked me in the face…

Friends, this book may have started slow and rocky… but wow… didn’t see it unraveling the way it did. Definitely upped the rating and my overall opinion of this book and I recommend it for those who love psychological suspense.

Michael Hart returns to the hotel in New York where his family is staying for a trip, to find his wife Natalie and their two children missing. At first, he thinks they are exploring but when he finds their luggage also gone, he thinks Natalie was kidnapped. As he tries to find out who possibly could have taken his family, he starts to think maybe Natalie ran away. He thinks he knows why, but he really has no clue.

This book was very exciting and engaging from the very first page! Michael’s fears (and later, Natalie’s concerns) were palpable and I couldn’t put the book down. Dual viewpoints from Michael and Natalie allow us to see what led up to this disappearance from both of their perspectives. Just when I thought I knew what was happening, the author threw in another twist. I love a book where I can’t guess the outcome and this was definitely that! One thing after the other, yet not in a way that would be too far-fetched. This was the first book I read by DJ Palmer but it definitely will not be the last! Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan and DJ Palmer for the ARC!

My Wife is Missing releases May 10th!

This review will be shaded to my Instagram blog books_by_the_bottle shortly.

Thanks to @stmartinspress for my gifted copy of My Wife is Missing, by DJ Palmer! This exciting thriller comes out on May 10th, and isn’t one to be missed for thriller lovers. In this book, a mother disappears with her two children, and her husband will do anything to find them.

I couldn’t put this book down. It was perfect to read on a long airplane ride, and kept me entertained the entire flight. I could predict some twists and how some events were going to play out, but it was all so well written, that that didn’t matter. My Wife is Missing is probably my favorite out of DJ Palmer’s books so far!

In this book, we start out in New York City. Have you been to NYC? Or, have you read any great thrillers recently?