⭐️⭐️⭐️ My Wife is Missing by DJ Palmer (narrated by Karissa Vacker)

Natalie is an insomniac who thinks her husband, Michael, is a dangerous cheater. So on a vacation to New York city she takes her 2 kids and runs. With no sleep, and the fear of her husband finding them, she takes off to Missouri to hide out. But Michael will do anything to find them.

There’s potential here. A wife running from her husband, the husband chasing…why? This could be good. And it was…until…the chase went on, and on, and on, and on, and on… By the time the multiple twists happened at the end, I was worn out from all the chasing. I felt like the insomnia storyline went nowhere, the background murder was resolved disjointedly, and the main twist at the end was forced.

This is the second time I’ve listened to a book narrated by Karissa Vicker. And both times I’ve had the same complaint -- don’t do a man’s voice or a child’s voice -- the man sounds like a smart-ass and the kids sound so whiny. I would much prefer her just use her regular voice.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I’m giving him another shot.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audiobook ARC of this title for review.

Too many twists and turns! There were so many, I was anticipating some that weren't even there. I really enjoyed this mystery. Why is Natalie missing? What is really going on? Told from both perspectives, it makes you wonder who really is the unreliable narrator- if anyone?
The narration was good and I would listen to the author and narrator again.

Thank you for this book My Wife is Missing in exchange for my honest review.
This book was very shocking and the author, DJ Palmer, knows exactly how to shock the readers.

Reading Between the Wines book review #36/135 for 2022:
Rating: 3 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book 📱 🎧: My Wife is Missing
Author: D.J. Palmer
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Available now!

Sipping thoughts: When insomnia not only takes your restful nights but also your peace could be quick blurb for this book. Natalie cannot shake the feeling that her husband, Michael, is a danger to her and her kids so she takes them and run. My favorite part was the cat and mouse game Natalie played with Michael. I could not determine if Michael really was a bad guy or of Natalie was just driven crazy by her sleep-deprived mind. The reveal of what happened in a whole new mystery created within the mystery of why Natalie ran left a little to be desired in my opinion. I like the method in which Palmer writes as it always has me wanting more. I cannot wait on the next book release.

Cheers and thank you to @MacmillanAudio and @NetGalley for an advanced copy of @MyWifeIsMissing.

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Right away you know there is more to this story. Natalie has taken her children and left her husband, but his infidelity can’t be the reason.
Natalie has not been sleeping. Is there merit to her paranoia ?

I loved how as the book goes on, as the story opens up you realize how deep and how far back this betrayal goes.

A nice mystery with lots of twists and turns.

This medium-paced thriller is told from two perspectives while also flashing back and forth from past to present. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't wait to find out how everything would work out for the Hart family. The different perspectives and timelines were well-written and connected in a way that had me questioning how all of the pieces would fit together!

Synopsis: When Michael returns to their hotel after picking up pizza, he finds his wife and children missing and only his son’s teddy bear has been left behind. With the help of Detective Kennett, he tries to figure out what prompted Natalie to run and where she could be. It seems the cause could be a secret from Michael’s past that he can’t tell the police. Natalie, who is suffering from insomnia and delusions, is trying to carry out her plan of escape to keep herself and her children safe while her husband is hot on her trail. What has Michael done and who will Natalie turn to when she runs out of energy and resources?

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to listen and review this book!

My Wife is Missing is a thriller with a great mystery. Once I started listening this one, I didn't stop. When the book opens, Natalie and Michael Hart have arrived in New York with their two children, Addie and Bryce. When Michael leaves to get pizza, Natalie and the children disappear. Michael is frantic, but no one wants to help as it appears she left of her own accord. The rest of the story has Natalie trying to get away, and we learn why. A police officer teams up with Michael to find her and the children. It is quite the chase, as well as a mystery as to what is true, and what is Michael's secret.

Natalie is one smart cookie. She has planned her escape well and is pretty good at anticipating when to make a change. She doesn't trust people with her plans, not even her parents, which almost derails everything. D.J. Palmer does a great job doling out information at just the right pace. It was like peeling an onion as we find out enough to lead us in one direction and then the next layer had me thinking something totally different. This was a crazy ride with so many twists and turns. And that ending blew me away! I am not going to say anything else as you have to read this one yourself. The audiobook was narrated by Karissa Vacker and she does a great job. I definitely recommend this book to those who enjoy a good thriller with a mystery thrown in.

This book started out super strong. It grabbed my interest immediately. This is a very fast paced story that will definitely keep you guessing and it is hard to keep up with all of the twists. I feel like the shocking twists stacked up to the point of ridiculousness, but I was certainly entertained. ⭐⭐⭐

Ok hello wild ride. So many twists and turns. I never knew who was the crazy one in this story. Well Done DJ Palmer. I did not figure this one out.

While I enjoy a good red herring, I feel like the unreliable female is way overplayed. But in this case, we couldn't tell if the wife was unreliable or the hubby. Perhaps he is gaslighting, perhaps she is having the insomnia cause delusions. Who knows? We don't find out until the end, and I don't give spoilers!!

Fast paced 4 stars from me. I have read others and enjoyed them as well.

This was a surprisingly good book. I was hooked immediately and honestly didn't know who to believe until the very end of the book. That's quite a feat, since I'm an avid suspense reader. Fast paced, riveting, extremely readable!

D.J Palmer gets better and better with every book! Such an engaging domestic thriller, a page-turner about a wife who leaves her husband on a vacation. I recommend it to anyone who likes the premise. Dual POV. It was very good. Only, not 5 stars because the ending was not where I wanted the story to go but I respect it! Very good!

I was provided a print and audio arc of this book via Netgalley. The audio narration was good, the narrator did a good job with the alternating perspectives and gave the different characters their own voices and personalities so you knew who was speaking when there was dialogue. I did think that the alternating timeline felt a bit disjointed, but if you have read any of my reviews before you know that I am not a fan of timeline jumping. This alternates between Michael and Natalie in the present, and jumps to Natalie in the past before she goes missing. It almost feels like there are 3 points of view instead of 2.

I've been a DJ Palmer fan for quite some time, and I was really looking forward to this book. I think I'm in the minority when I say this isn't my favorite of Palmer's works. It was a decent read, but I found it a little slow paced and repetitive for my taste. I never got that suspenseful feeling as if any single one of the characters was in peril of any sort. If anything Natalie was a danger to herself and the kids.

This follows Michael and his wife Natalie, a couple who are having issues stemming from Nat's insomnia. Anyone who has suffered from insomnia knows that it is miserable. It is so much more than "I didn't sleep well last night" Because of her insomnia and other life stress from work and the kids, Natalie and Michael have hit a rough patch in their marriage. Nat begins to suspect Michael of being unfaithful which only puts more distance between them. Determined to find proof of his affair to protect herself and her kids, Natalie begins her own investigation into her husband and finds more than she bargained for. She hatches a plan to run away and protect her kids while on vacation in NYC, but Michael loves his family and he wants to make sure they are safe. Natalie's insomnia itself almost becomes a suspect in this as she begins to hallucinate and is almost delusional at times. Michael is no angel either as he harbors secrets, making him a convenient suspect and easy target. All of the characters were unlikable, and they were all up to something. You could tell they all hiding something.

While I found some of this book to be formulaic and predictable, I certainly didn't see the final reveal coming. That was a nice twist. I love it when I don't see the ending coming! There were a few red herrings to mislead you and quite a few twists and turns along the way to keep you on your toes. While I didn't enjoy this one as much as I have enjoyed some of Palmer's other works, I would still recommend it. If you like car chases, and domestic thrillers in general I say check this out.

This was an amazing audiobook. One of those where you found things to do around the house so you could keep listening!
Superb narration from Karissa Vacker. I have enjoyed other performances by her and this was no exception. She evokes tension, emotion and I couldn't stop listening. Her portrayal of the characters were excellent, so I always knew who was speaking.
The plot was fantastic, and the ending was *chef's kiss* There was one of the reveals that completely threw me, to the point where I had to keep rewinding to really get it. I think this could have been explained a little better.
But I loved this, and I look forward to reading more from Palmer.

As Michael and Natalie Hart unsuccessfully try to balance their marriage, careers and family - their worlds just seem to fall apart. Natalie's insomnia has gotten out of control and she is barely functioning. The family decides to take a much needed family vacation to New York City to recharge. Things take a turn for the worst when Natalie disappears with the couples two young children. Michael will stop at nothing to find his wife and children. The book will keep you guessing until the end.

D.J Palmer has done it again. I have yet to read anything from this author that was not a 5 star review. I love the way that the story line was laid out and that there were short chapters that made it a quick and easy read. The book was full of twist and turns making the ending one that you did not see coming. Thank you to Netgalley for the early release.

I requested this one because it might be an upcoming title I would like to review on my Youtube Channel. However, after reading the first several chapters I have determined that this book does not suit my tastes. So I decided to DNF this one.

Fantastic audiobook. The narrator was great, kept me fully engaged. Easy to understand and exciting. My full review can be found below:

**4.5-stars**

On the first day of their NYC-vacation, Michael and Natalie Hart split up for what is expected to be a brief period of time. While Michael runs out to pick up take-out pizza for the family, Natalie stays back at the hotel with their two children, Addie and Bryce, to get settled in.

When he returns, Michael spots Bryce's teddy bear just outside the door to their room. That's certainly strange as the young boy is beyond attached to the stuffed toy. Entering the room, Michael is surprised his family isn't there. Surprise turns to confusion when he notices the only bag in the room is his own. Where is his family?

Michael raises the alarm to hotel staff and then the police. As he is unable to reach Natalie by phone and has no other explanation, Michael fears they've been kidnapped. After viewing hotel camera footage though, it appears Natalie left quite willing, of her own volition; just her and the kids. Michael is so confused, why would she do this?

These opening scenes set the tone for the entire novel. It's intense and fast paced. Through alternating perspectives, as well as past and present timelines, the full depth of Michael and Natalie's relationship is revealed. It's clear that the couple were having problems prior to their ill-fated trip to NYC. Natalie doesn't trust her husband at all and Michael, well, he has his issues.

Due to stress and struggles within their relationship, Natalie has been suffering severe insomnia. Michael uses that fact against her, claiming she is not in her right mind. Frankly, it's not entirely clear if she is or not. I love an unreliable narrator and I would say that Natalie falls into that category. In spite of her insomnia though, it's really through Natalie's perspective that the truth of this story begins to be revealed.

I really enjoyed my time reading My Wife is Missing. Palmer has a signature over-the-top style. His books are always a wild ride, never failing to keep me engaged.

I loved how quickly this one kicked off and it really never let up. Towards the end I was flying through, I had to know what the conclusion was going to be. It turned into this sort of intense cat and mouse scenario, although at times it was hard to determine who was the cat and who was the mouse.

I have read all of Palmer's novels, in order, as they've been released and in my opinion each one has been stronger than the last. We love to see that sort of upward trajectory with an author's work. He always keeps me guessing, that's for sure. I can't wait to see what sort of insanity he throws at us next!!

Thank you so much to the publisher, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for providing me with copies to read and review. I appreciate it so much!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book! This book started off with such a bang- I had to know what happened. A family of 4 goes to NYC, dad goes out to get pizza for dinner and comes back to the hotel and his family is gone. We get Michael (the dad's perspective) as well as his wife (Natalie)'s perspective now and before the trip. Michael thinks his family was taken so he makes it his mission to find them. He gets the cops to help him and they go searching, but it appears as though his wife has intentionally run. There are a ton of secrets about Michael's past as well as the couple's past and watching them all unfold was interesting. However, I felt like the running and chasing got repetitive and I started to lose interest. I also felt like the detective involved was SO unrealistic. Natalie suffers from insomnia that is brought on by her paranoia about her husband cheating and things she believes to be true about him. Yet in the end, still not knowing all the answers, she completely flips her feelings toward him. Does she have any opinions of her own? I really was intrigued by this story, but most of the characters just weren't likable or very realistic. I didn't see the twist coming and thought it was great. The epilogue is simply to give you answers. Overall, this was a good read but not a new favorite.

SPOILERS AHEAD:
Natalie ran because she thought her husband was cheating and killed his mistress. She went to the woman's house to try to find information and found her dead body with her husband's shirt, etc. As she's running she finds out that he changed his name at 19 because his girlfriend (who is the sister of the current woman that died) was murdered and he was the main suspect but couldn't be charged because there wasn't enough evidence. Natalie finds his mom (who I guess just stayed away because she wanted to protect him) and finds all this out and she assumes that he killed both women. Long story short, it was actually natalie's best friend who killed Aubrie or whatever the current woman's name is. They were having an affair and she killed her. The person who killed the sister many years ago was a teacher she was sleeping with then he killed himself. Michael and Natalie live happily ever after.

Thank you to NetGalley and DJ Palmer for this E-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback and review.

Michael and Natalie appear to have it all, successful careers, beautiful children, gorgeous home, and great friends. When they take a trip to NYC Natalie and the children suddenly disappear. Michael is desperate to find them. Natalie hasn't been sleeping well. She has insomnia and hasn't been thinking clearly. Or is she thinking clearly? Michael seems to be hiding an affair and Natalie is determined to find the truth.

I really enjoyed the first half of this novel. I was hooked right away but as I continued to read further I got really bogged down by the receptiveness. Natalie was a very frustrating character to me. She could have saved herself a lot of trouble by doing the right thing instead of trying to sneak and catch her husband. Michael was completely unlikeable from the beginning. I figured out the "twist" way too early in the book to enjoy the last half. This is my first DJ Palmer book and possibly my last.

The king of domestic thrillers is back with another page-turner of a story. If you love the unreliable narrator trope then this is the book for you as My Wife is Missing has not one but two unreliable narrators. Truly, you don't know who is fully telling the truth or is just telling their version of the truth.

Natalie and Michael Hart, along with their two young children, take a family vacation to New York City. Michael went out to pick up pizza for dinner and when he returns to the hotel room his wife and children are gone. All that is left behind is his son's favorite teddy bear.

From this opening, we are sent on a story that twists this way and then turns that way as we get glimpses of what happened before Natalie's disappearance and the present search.

We know upfront that Natalie isn't going to be a reliable narrator as she is suffering from severe insomnia which has gotten to the point of hallucinations. A fact that Michael stresses in a play for sympathy and support in getting his wife back.

This story is like an old painting being restored. Each chapter strips away a little of the reader's impressions revealing a bit more of the truth. The pacing of the story is perfect. We are given just enough time to solidify our own ideas about why Natalie ran to feel the shock when another piece of the puzzle is revealed.

I loved this book. The characters are great. While I sided more with Natalie, I did feel for Michael at times. He is as much of a puzzle as is why Natalie disappeared. I did not want to put the book down and the audiobook would make a great listen for a long road trip.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Sunday, May 15 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/05/two-terrific-thrillers-to-move-to-top.html