The concept of this novel could have been five stars but the convoluted, contrived plot and cheesy, cliche writing made me roll my eyes so much I saw the inside of my own brain.
And the overwrought ending just made me feel like I'd tripped into a Hallmark movie, which would be okay if I'd been watching one instead of reading what I thought was a thriller/suspense novel.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Michael thinks the trip to New York will do his marriage to Natalie some good. She hasn’t been herself for the last several months as she’s been gripped by terrible insomnia that nothing seems to help—homeopathic or prescribed medicines, she can’t sleep and she seems to have lost all affection for her husband. But on their first night at a swanky hotel, he returns with pizza to find his wife and two children’s belongings gone, he first thinks they must have been kidnapped, because why on earth we she agree to this trip if what she in fact wanted to leave him?

This is fun enough, but I didn’t love it. You know that Michael is hiding something, but it can’t be exactly what Natalie thinks because then there would be no novel. I didn’t see the exact ending coming, but I also wasn’t shocked, which, in this kind of novel, I wanted to be.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this novel, which RELEASES MAY 10, 2022.

I thoroughly enjoyed My Wife is Missing. The characters were very well developed. I had no difficulty following the story line. And it had a twist ending, which I loved. I only wish I could have found out if Natalie and Michael/Joseph stayed together. I choose to believe that they did. It was noble of Michael to take the rap for Natalie. And then in the end the true killer was discovered. I was glad Michael was exonerated. I found it difficult to believe he was a killer. He'd never have killed the girl he loved. No way. Anyway, it was a very good story. I might read it again.

DNF @ 33%

i wanted to like this book, but i just couldn’t.

i could understand Natalie at first. the anxiety, the panic, the constant thoughts and need to figure things out. but chapter after chapter was just the same. her being kinda crazy. not being rational. the insomnia. it just got old really fast.

same with michael. if i had to read one more chapter about the awful things he did, but not actually know a thing abt the awful things he did, i was going to throw my kindle across the room. i understand wanting to create suspense, but it just seemed so juvenile. someone capable of REAL suspense doesn’t need to be so blunt abt the secrets of
the characters.

this will probably be my last attempt with this author as i’ve read The Perfect Daughter as well and while i was crazy about the premise, the execution fell so short.

thank you NetGalley for the advanced e-reader copy.

D.J. Palmer returns to his winning ways with My Wife is Missing. Mike and Natalie arrive in New York City with their children Addie and Bryce for a planned vacation, but when Mike returns from picking up dinner Natalie and the children are gone. In a state of panic Mike begins trying to find out why they disappeared and attracts the attention of a local cop, Kennett, who’s determined to help him find his family. But Kennett has ulterior motives, ones that have also caused Natalie to run away in the first place – Mike is not who he says he is, and he’s hiding multiple secrets. Natalie discovers that he’s been having an affair with one of her coworkers, and when she runs into an inconsolable young woman in the breakroom named Audrey, she’s convinced she’s found the other woman. Natalie begins to piece together a connection between Mike and Audrey, but Audrey’s murder leads her to put a plan into action to run away from her husband. Is Mike truly behind Audrey’s death? How much is Natalie imagining because of her insomnia? This book is full of twists and turns that allow the reader to come to the conclusion that there just may be a twist, but up until the very end leaves the reader constantly guessing who did what and with whom. I really enjoyed this one and felt it was a dramatic improvement over The Perfect Daughter, which was overly complicated and fell flat for me. A copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I absolutely love this author and enjoyed this book! As usual I couldn't put it down and raced through it. A couple of areas I thought were a bit much, and the ending not realistic but hey this is fiction, right! The author can wield the pen (or keyboard) as they see fit to tell the story. Lots of surprises and twists!

My Wife is Missing – D.J. Palmer

Michael Hart is heading back to his family’s NY City hotel room with a pizza for dinner when he spots his son’s favorite stuffed animal, Teddy, abandoned in the hallway. Presuming Teddy was dropped, he scoops him up and idly wonders how his son, Bryce, lost him when they are typically inseparable. He enters their hotel room, surprised by the silence, and wonders where his family has gone to when they knew he was fetching dinner. He texts his wife the let her know he's returned but receives no reply. It takes him a short while to realize that all his family’s belongings are gone – except his.

Michael then has hotel security call the police, to report his family’s disappearance. As the responding officers discuss the incident with Michael, hotel security personnel screen video footage from the various cameras. To Michael’s bewilderment, he sees his wife and children exiting the hotel through a back entrance, and climbing into a sedan, before they disappear from view. They’ve clearly left of their own accord…but why??

The book next cuts to Natalie, in her workplace, before her disappearance, as she’s worrying about the distance that’s growing between her and Michael, whom she suspects might be having an affair. With her worries, comes insomnia, and little incidents that have her questioning her sanity. Michael has been appropriately concerned… or has he? With this on her mind, she enters the staff kitchen and encounters a young woman crying. After a quick check to ensure she’s okay, the women strike up a conversation and head to lunch, with Natalie thinking perhaps she can use this young woman, who is quite beautiful, as bait to test her husband’s fidelity.

From this point on, the book alternates between Michael’s attempts to find and re-claim his family, and Natalie’s gradual discovery of events so startling, she feels the need to flee to safety, to protect her family. As Natalie desperately attempts to outrun the man she once loved, Michael is just as intent in reuniting his family. He gains some unexpected assistance from an off-duty NY Detective, who insists on accompanying him on his search - yet seems to know far more than he should about Michael, and a past he’d much rather forget.

As revelations about each character are revealed, and you think you finally have it all figured out…just know that you’re wrong! This book takes off running, and as each little reveal is made, you’ll find yourself just flipping the pages even faster as you try to guess the end game… A consummate psychological thriller from one of the best!!
I received this book as an Advance Reader Copy from Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an objective review. Do you love to read?? Visit netgalley.com and start reviewing books today!!

Readers will be chasing after the truth in D.J. Palmer's fast-paced and elusive novel 'My Wife Is Missing'. This book shares the point of view of both Natalie and Michael and my support wavered between the two of them through this book. Just as I became anxious to discover what was motivating Natalie to evade her husband with their two young children in tow, Michael's narrative suddenly had me considering that she could be acting dangerously irrational. And back and forth I went as more details emerged. Toward the end I felt that as the deeper secrets and truths were unveiled the events were strung together somewhat haphazardly; I enjoyed the outline of the plot but I didn't feel invested in some of the more farfetched details. Neither Michael nor Natalie won me over completely but, as a mother, it was Natalie's choices that shocked and disappointed me the most – with two children in the shadows of this story I couldn't relate to her recklessness and was surprised at her closing behavior in the end. The hidden facts and surprising revelations were clever and entertaining and still made for a rousing read. Palmer's writing definitely has me curious about her other books and I don't think readers should overlook this one.

I appreciate the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an electronic Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you for this ARC, NetGalley. Natalie and Michael, along with their two children go to NYC for a little vacation. Michael goes out for pizza and comes back to discover his wife and 3 children are gone,. They’ve taken all their belongings and left while Michael was getting the pizza.
All crazy thoughts ran through my head as Michael tries to find them.
Throughout the book, I learned so much about the characters and their motivations, or so I thought. The author did a fantastic job taking us through unseen plot twists and just when I think I’ve figured it all out, ANOTHER twist. I never saw the ending coming, heck, I couldn’t even trust myself to read the characters motivations. Great suspense - entertaining- I Will be reading more from this author!

A psychological thriller that keeps you guessing. Natalie and Michael have been married for many years, but something in their marriage has changed, and. Natalie thinks he is having an affair. This has caused her to have severe insomnia and her lack of sleep is affecting her work and home life. It's progressed to her possibly having hallucinations and a conviction of his infidelity. All the while Michael struggles to help her and make sure the children are safe. He tries to convince her he isn't unfaithful. Natalie gets desperate as secrets unfold that terrifies her and she flees with the two little children. With almost no sleep how can she safely get away from Michael and is any of it true? There Is murder, lies, and secrets, however, everything could be based on an even bigger untruth. This story is told from both Michael's and Natalie's perspectives. I highly recommend this book. All of the plot twists and turns keep you wondering. Thank you St. Martin’s Press, NetGalley, and author D. J. Palmer for this interesting eARC, my opinion is it's a great read with enough mystery with believable interactions and good characters.

Another great domestic thriller by D. J. Palmer. While most of his books are predictable, this one was better.

Secrets, lies, deceit, cover-ups!

Michael discovers his wife and children are missing from their hotel in New York City. He launches into overdrive trying to find them. Many dark secrets from Michael’s past start to come to light as police ask questions about why his family would be missing.

Natalie is on the run. She questions her every move because maybe insomnia induced hallucinations have clouded her judgement. The women in her past and present try to “help” her as they see fit throughout her journey.

Not a moment in this faced-paced suspense is without a twist. So many wrenches were thrown into my theories and I was kept guessing the whole time!

I LIVE for a book that sinks its teeth into you, grips you so tightly you simply cannot put it down. This was the case with My Wife is MIssing.

So many twists, turns, character building, ups and downs - I never saw "it" coming and loved the ride I was taken on!

I am so grateful for the opportunity to read this one early.

Wow! I enjoyed this twisty ride! A husband is desperate to find his missing wife and children. Why is his wife missing? Did she run? Was she kidnapped? Read this thriller to find out.

His family goes on a mini vacation to NY, and things change from there. Were they taken? Did she leave? How and why?!
There are a lot of twists and turns as he enlists help to search for his wife and kids. The story is told from both of their POV to detail the issues they’ve run into along the way. You’ll never guess the surprise twist at the end!

Wow. Many thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC. What a great read. It kept me guessing right up until the very end, and then there was another completely unexpected twist! I had not read this author before, but will be searching for all her books.

DJ Palmer is a 'must read' when it comes to psychological thrillers. This novel is no exception, it might be my favorite to date. I went in for a twisty, upside down roller coaster ride and Palmer delivered!
Natalie and Michael have two kids and a marriage on the rocks. Natalie is an insomniac and can't find any relief. This causes a lot of side effects, naturally, including making her irritable, memory issues and vision problems. She and her husband see a marriage counselor that recommends a nice little trip together to save the marriage.
After a long drive to the hotel, Natalie suggests Michael head out and pick up dinner for the family. When he returns he finds his entire family...GONE! Michael calls the police but it appears that Natalie and the kids left on their own, Michael is floored. He must investigate!
Natalie is scared of Michael, she knows he has secrets and guilt but is she paranoid? The story is entertaining, confusing and kept me flipping the pages with a stomach full of dread! Who can be trusted?
Palmer for the win here again! 4 stars loved it and would recommend. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for this exciting ARC.

Thoroughly engaging from the very first page! This fast-paced psychological thriller was hard to put down. It kept me turning pages late into the night. Some well-placed twists and turns kept me entertained and guessing until the end. If you are looking for an exciting page-turner, this one is for you. I highly recommend My Wife is Missing by D.J. Palmer. You won't be disappointed!

Make sure you have a day free to read this book because you will want to finish it in one sitting. If you are looking for a book full of secrets, lies, along with a few twist then this is it. The characters are well-written, the plot grabs you and keeps you in it's hold for the whole ride, and it is quite the thrill. There were some things that I had figured out as I read but there was still some mystery. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

Natalie and Michael had been having some problems in their marriage and she encourages a family trip to NY so they can all spend time together. When she and the children disappear he sets off to find them.

I love how DJ Palmer writes a story that has so many twists and turns that you are surprised at every turn. The suspense will keep you turning the pages. Really enjoyed the way the story was presented with chapters from the past. Natalie had my sympathy as she was struggling to figure out if Michael was cheating on her. She was trying to find answers while protecting her kids. Always anxiously awaiting the authors next book.