Member Reviews

Buckle up for this one as there are many twists & turns on this ride. D.J. Palmer doesn't let you go right from the beginning. This book was entertaining & I highly recommend picking it up. You won't want to put it down.
Thanks to the publisher & NetGalley for advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

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This is my first book by this author and I can't wait to read more! This book was a thrilling page turner. I was certain I knew what was going on, until the last few chapters and I was shocked with how it ended! I love it when I'm wrong lol.

Micheal discovers his wife Natalie & kids have gone missing from their hotel room that they just checked into while on a family vacation. I love the alternating chapters! You have chapters from Michaels point of view where he is searching for his wife. Chapters from Natalie's point of view from "before she disappeared" where she becomes suspicious that Michael is cheating on her, then chapters from Natalie's current point of view. Natalie is on the run with her kids, she's fearful of Michael and this book takes you through the before, current and after, until it all falls into place. This was a solid 4 ⭐️ thriller.

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My Wife is Missing by D.J. Palmer was a riveting book! I had to keep reading to see how it was going to play out, and I was on the edge of my seat. Right up until the last chapter. I felt like the author tidied it up a little too nicely, and I thought the ending kind of came out nowhere like it didn't flow with the rest of the book. It was almost a 5 star rating for me, but I had to take one star off due to the end. Overall, I enjoyed it!

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D.J. Palmer is a master of the twisty thriller, and his newest book “My Wife is Missing” may be his twistiest, turn-iest book yet! Michael and his family are on vacation in NYC when his wife Natalie and two small children go missing.

Usually I would write more of a synopsis, but this is one of those books where it’s better not to know too much going into it, as it makes the twists all the more satisfying. I absolutely love an unreliable narrator, and this story gives the reader not one, but TWO potentially unreliable narrators. Don’t pick up this compulsively readable book if you have plans or want to sleep that night, because you will not be able to put it down once you start – it’s just that good!

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me an advance copy of this book.

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WOW! I always think I know exactly how D.J. Palmer's books are going to go and I'm always just enough wrong to be wowed in the end! It took me a little longer to get invested in this story but once I did I couldn't put it down! Loved that the twists and turns were so believable too. Very good read!

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This is exactly what you would expect from DJ Palmer. Natalie and Michael take their family away to NYC for the weekend in hopes to reconnect. What Michael doesn't expect is for Natalie to take the kids and go "missing". You are in for one wild ride with this book. DJ Palmer had a knack at keeping you on the edge of your seat and keep you guessing.

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When Michael comes back from getting the family pizza, his wife Natalie and their two children are missing. He’s worried there is something nefarious at play because they’re on vacation in New York. But when he learns that she might not have been kidnapped as he first feared, he will stop at nothing to find his missing family, especially because Natalie has insomnia, and she might not be making the best decisions. Told in alternating viewpoints, My Wife is Missing is a fast-paced race to the finish to figure out who we can trust and who we can’t.

This was an enjoyable read. I liked the alternating viewpoints and Palmer’s attempt at creating unreliable narrators in everyone. Many things come to light, and I enjoyed how the story unfolds. Palmer keeps the reader flipping pages in their quest to uncover the truth. Overall, this is a fun, fast-paced, enjoyable read. Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for sending this along!

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Butter Me Up & Call Me Fresh, Warm Baby Muffins!! 😳😯🤯😳🤯🤯

HOLY CHOCOLATE CANNOLI!!! For the LOVE of all things chocolate, coffee & wine!! I've always found D. J. Palmer to be a genius and if I had any doubts before (which I assure you I did NOT) this would've cemented it. He's a true master at psychological thrillers! The secrets, the dark revelations just KEEP coming the further you go down this path. You think you'll know, you'll think early on it all makes sense but don't even try! It goes somewhere you can't imagine.
A much needed & decided vacation to New York City, Natalie, Michael & their two kids arrive to the hotel. On Michael's way back after picking up dinner he enters the room only to find Natalie & the kids have disappeared. Immediately getting the hotel manager and police involved, they come to realize she and the kids have left. But the question is, were they kidnapped? Coerced? Or if their own accord? Michael immediately panics and vows to find out what's happened to them. But could his secrets and Natalie's own be the reason? Can you love someone too much?
Palmer is genius! A psychological writer king in his own genre. He makes it dark, twisted, doubts & guesses and then hits you like a T-bone car crash without knowing where it came from. He clearly got his Dad's talent because holy fluff! The ENDING!!! FLUFF ME SIDEWAYS! I am absolutely gobsmacked, dumbfounded and completely speechless. His best yet! 😍 now excuse me.. I need to recharge heavily with an iced coffee & dog cuddles! What a mindbomb!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's press for this DARC.
Release Date: May 10, 2022

I give this 5 / 5 Bouquets! 💐

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My Wife is Missing" follows married couple Michael and Natalie Hart. The two of them and their children go to New York City for a vacation. Michael and Natalie have been rocky for months and Michael hopes this vacation gets them back to where they were. After returning to the hotel room with a pizza, Michael realizes that his wife and children are gone. Not only that, their suitcases are missing too. Michael initially hopes that his family has moved rooms, but after bringing in hotel security and the local police it's apparent that Natalie has fled the hotel with their children. But why? The book seesaws back and forth between Michael searching for Natalie and getting assistance from a New York City detective to Natalie on the run with the kids and then Natalie before she was on the run and what led her to start to distrust Michael.
We learn a lot from both Natalie and Michael’s points-of-view – both present and past – leading to twist and turns in this thriller.
I really enjoyed the multiple points of view that alternates between Michael and Natalie with a dual timeline of before and after they go missing.
The twists keep coming and when you think you have it figured out, but then more secrets and deceptions that are revealed.
This thriller is perfectly plotted and cleverly paced with surprises at every turn.
The characters are complex, flawed and well thought out. Are they reliable narrators? I will leave that to you to discover.
I enjoyed the story, characters and plot – finishing the book quickly.
*Thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press (@stmartinspress) for this e-book copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Expected Pub Date: May 10, 2022

Michael and Natalie Hart have been married for years with two kids. With a rocky marriage they decide to take a family vacation. Michael returns to the hotel with food to find his wife and kids missing, except his sons teddy is laying on the floor. Thinking the worst mike starts to frantically search for his missing family only to discover through security video they left willingly.
The Book bounces around from Natalie (present day), Natalie (before she disappeared) and Micheal (present day). As Natalie Is on the run, and Michael is trying to track her down.
With all the lies and secrets from the past how much is Michael willing to tell to find his wife and kids before they can disappear for good.

I really enjoyed the way this book is told, with alternating timelines and points of view.
I enjoyed the writing, it was fast-paced and kept me wanting more
Lots of twists throughout the book that I didn’t see coming.
The end was just a little off for me, but It was still okay.
Also, I wish it went a little deeper with the insomnia aspect.

I received an advance review copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Natalie and Michael Hart are having major martial problems – Natalie’s been diagnosed with Insomnia which just adds more stress to her marriage AND her work environment. Michael is spending more time at the gym than ever before in all the years they have been together. Natalie begins to assume her husband is having an affair.

When Natalie suggests a trip to New York to show their young children where they spent the early years of their marriage, Michael jumps on the opportunity, hoping this might be the key to repairing their broken relationship – and keep a lifelong secret at bay.

While Michael goes out to pick up a NYC staple – pizza. Natalie takes the kids and disappears.

Michael is completely thrown off guard, and immediately begins to panic. Where have his wife and kids gone?

Told in dual POV’s – we learn what lead up to Natalie’s disappearance and how things looks from the outside can be utterly deceiving.

This book had me on the edge of my seat! I loved how we got to acquire both sides of the story and make our own inferences as to what Michael did that forced Natalie to walk away from their vows.

This thriller was not predictable AT ALL and made reading it THAT much more enjoyable!

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Fast paced thrill ride. Just when you think you know who it was and why, there’s a perfectly timed twist.

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DJ Palmer doesn't disappoint. Another twisty & dark story. I was unsure about this book from the start, but not sure why I doubted it. It quickly picks up and gives great backstory into the relationship of Michael & Natalie. I didn't want to stop reading each time I picked it up. I'd easily recommend this one.

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Much thanks as always to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the Arc on this can't-put-it-down thriller.
Since I had one of those "up all night for just one more chapter'" experiences reading D.J. Palmer's "The Perfect Daughter", I couldn't wait to inhale this one.
Sure enough, it was yet another up-all-nighter.
This domestic dysfunction, twist-filled tale doesn't sit still for a moment and starts off with a premise guaranteed to keep a reader glued to it for the whole journey, till the very last secret makes your jaw drop.
How could anyone pass up a compelling set-up like this - Michael and Natalie, in the throes of a troubled marriage take their two young kids, Bryce and Addie on a New York City excursion. When Michael returns from bringing a pizza back to their hotel room, Natalie and the kids are gone.....with no explanation. But how? To where? And why?
From that point on, this book is literally off and running.......with many, many secrets and startling twists to be uncovered along the way. Flashbacks from Natalie's point-of-view unfold some of the motives and backstories, but multiple surprises still await all of major players here - Michael, Natalie and a strangely chummy police detective, who for some reason takes it upon himself to join an uneasy Michael in the hunt for his missing family.
I wouldn't dream of going into any further details that would spoil the near unbearable suspense and the "well, I didn't see THAT coming" moments in the final chapters. That's all part of what makes a book like this an absolute blast to read.
Simply a superb nail-biter and by now, all psychological thriller lovers should put D.J. Palmer high on their "must read" list of authors.

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What can a husband do when he is on vacation with his wife and children and they go missing. Such begins the story of Michael and Natalie Hart. Natalie agrees to go to New York for a short vacation with Michel and the 2 children. When they get to the hotel everyone is hungry so Natalie sends Michael out to get pizza as she says it will be faster that way. When Michael gets back with the pizza Natalie and the children are gone. Michael searches the hotel frantically and is desperate to find them. When his search is not fruitful he decides he must contact the police. Such begins a thrilling ride that twists and turns and keeps you guessing until the end. I have not read any books by D. J. Palmer but if this novel is as good as the other books then I will have to give them a look at. Pick up this book and you will be glad you did.

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Another great thriller by D. J. Palmer! Michael takes his family to New York City for a vacation While he runs out to grab pizza, his family disappears! Where is his family? Why did they leave? This is a fast paced thriller that you will read in one day because you need answers!!! So many secrets and twists you will not see coming! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

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So D.J. Palmer is hit or miss with me. This one was such a miss. I think the issue was not only the three points of view (showing Michael Hart and then Natalie Hart before and then in the present) just didn't work. I also rolled my eyes at how things got resolved. There's no real DUN DUN DUN for me. I just guessed at one of the plot points early on and was so disappointed to be right. I didn't care for Michael and I got real tired of Natalie too. The only reason why I gave this 2 stars honestly was that it was interesting to see how hard it really is for anyone to just "disappear" in this country. And I liked the resolution of one of the mysteries, kind of. I just wish the insomnia plot point actually had been leaned into more than it was. That was the main reason why I selected this book since I suffer from it and thought it interesting to read about a woman who hasn't slept who starts to hallucinate things. I thought this be more of a what is really real type of book and it was not. I felt things got overly explained as I read the book.

"My Wife is Missing" follows married couple Michael and Natalie Hart. The two of them and their two children go to New York City for a vacation. Michael and Natalie have been rocky for months and Michael hopes this vacation gets them back to where they were. After returning to the hotel room with a pizza, Michael realizes that his wife and children are gone. Not only that, their suitcases are missing too. Michael initially hopes that his family has moved rooms, but after bringing in hotel security and the local police it's apparent that Natalie has fled the hotel with their children. And the police won't become involved since legally Natalie is allowed to take their children. The book seesaws back and forth between Michael searching for Natalie and getting assistance from a New York City detective to Natalie on the run with the kids and then Natalie before she was on the run and what led her to start to distrust Michael.

Michael I didn't really care for. Palmer writes him inconsistently. On one hand we are supposed to believe he loves his wife and wants to find her but there's some big dark secret that he's hiding (of course). Natalie acts irrationally through most of the book and I just shook my head. I can't say more than that. Things wrap up way too neatly I thought.

The writing was just okay. I just once again didn't buy all of the ins/outs that we get and the look at certain character's past.

The flow was pretty bad. I think it would have made more sense to follow Michael in the present and Natalie in the past and then do a whole "linking" up so to speak for that final act. The book dragged so badly.

The ending wraps up every plot point so there's no last mystery that is left unsolved. I wish that Palmer had went a different way with things though. I am not all thrillers should have some random twists, but this one just kind of meandered along and threw stuff at you as you read it. It just didn't feel realistic as I read along.

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Natalie and Michael’s marriage was already on the rocks before Natalie deals with some insomnia – leaving her drained and in a slightly-hallucinating state.

So, a trip to New York for the family – except Michael goes out to pick up pizza, and returns to an empty hotel room.

We learn a lot from both Natalie and Michael’s points-of-view – both present and past – leading to twist and turns in this thriller.

I enjoyed the story, characters and plot – finishing the book quickly.

*Thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press (@stmartinspress) for this e-book copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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When Michel comes back to the hotel room after getting pizza, he finds his wife and children are missing. He is willing to get them back no matter what, to hide his secrets.
What I enjoyed the most about this book is the multiple point of views because it allowed the reader to get the full picture of what is going on in pieces through the eyes of all the characters. It was an entertaining story for the most part. The problem with the book is that it is mostly just trying to throw the reader off which normal great but in this case, it did not come naturally to the book. I was also able to see the twist coming. Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a chance to read this book.

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My Wife Is Missing was my first read by D.J. Palmer and certainly won't be my last! I really enjoyed the alternating points of view in this story. I personally felt like the story dragged a bit in the middle, but the end picked up and gave me whiplash! There are so many missing person thriller and suspense reads, that it can be hard to set the books apart from one another. Palmer threw in the perfect amount of twists to make this one memorable.

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