My Wife is Missing was humming along nicely. The reader can never be sure if one or both of the spouses is crazy. An ending is so important in every story, but especially in one with narrators like these. Unfortunately, the ending took this down a star. I felt let down.

D. J. Palmer cranks up the tension in his latest deliciously clever twisty game of cat and mouse with MY WIFE IS MISSING. This super domestic thriller with unreliable narrators will keep you guessing until the surprise-packed treat!

Written from POVs - Michael and Natalie Hart, married with two children, Allison and Bryce. Their marriage is strained, and in a last-minute effort to salvage it, they plan a trip to NYC with the family.

However, when Michael returns to the hotel room from the pizza run, his wife and children are gone. Nothing left but Teddy, Bryce's favorite bear.

They have a game they like to play, "Three Things." Could this have been a hint as to what was to come?

Natalie planned this escape carefully to get away from her husband, whom she believes is violet and their lives are at stake. She thinks he is a murderer. Natalie also has been suffering from insomnia resulting in hallucinations, paranoia, and anxiety.

However, each holds an abundance of secrets, and nothing is as it appears. Palmer carefully keeps you frantically guessing while turning the pages to determine which one is the cat and the mouse.

If you LOVE twisty suspense thrillers with an OMG ending, you did not see coming, this one is for YOU! A favorite author, one of Palmer's best; he just keeps getting better and better!

A well-crafted plot and strong characters drive a satisfying psychological thriller.

I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker for an outstanding performance and listening experience.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC to read, listen to, review, and enjoy.

Blog Review:
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pub Date: May 10, 2022

When Michael finds his wife and two children have disappeared from their New York hotel room shortly have check in, he is convinced it was a kidnapping.

Natalie on the other hand knew she had to flee. She planned their escape to the letter, or so she thought.

On the run with her two children from the man she thought she knew, she is bound and determined to not be found. The only thing standing between her and sta safety, is her debilitating insomnia that causes her to forget things and question whether or not what she is experiencing is even real.

Is she running from a dangerous man or has her sleep deprived mind made it all up?

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The ultimate domestic game of cat and mouse! This book was a fast paced thriller that will have you hooked from the very beginning and guessing until the end. I will forever be a @djpalmerauthor fan!

Natalie, Michael and their two children have just arrived in NYC for a week away. Michael runs out to go grab pizza for the family and returns to find his wife and children gone. As he begins his search for her, we learn all sorts of secrets in their marriage and in their past. The book alternates between Natalie and Michael's point of view which was really well done. It painted a good picture of the story. It also had me guessing literally up until the end. This book had so many twists and turns, I really never could've anticipated the ending at all. I felt that the narrator did an excellent job and overall, the audiobook really held my interest.
Thanks to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was my second D.J. Palmer book and let me tell you he is officially become an auto buy for me. Both books of his have blown me away.

I loved this book. It was such a wild ride. All the twists and turns were great. I was trying to figure out the pieces of the book while listening. There were so many characters with secrets. Natalie was having issues with her insomnia, it was hard to trust her at times. It felt like there was something underneath the surface of some of the characters that was just dying to come out. I had theories throughout the book. Some were close and some were completely off. I love it when an author can surprise me. I think the writing was great. If you like thrillers go ahead and preorder yourself a copy! It is worth it.

Listening to books has become more of a thing in my life. I love being able to listen, and sometimes follow along, to books. Especially thrillers, it sometimes makes it more intense. A narrator can make or break a book for me...and well this narrator was fantastic!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, D.J. Palmer for my advanced copy. along with Macmillan Audio for my audio. The review is my own.

I teetered between 3 and 4 stars on this one. I ended up giving it 4 because I don’t have the best attention span for audiobooks, so I decided that perhaps it was my fault that it just wasn’t doing it for me in some parts.

Husband and wife, David and Natalie, take a vacation to New York with their two children. David goes to fetch some pizza and upon his return his wife and children are missing.

Shortly after their disappearance we find out that Natalie left with the kids on her own accord.

Why did she run? For a long while, I was like, why not go with a traditional divorce rather than run away? She suspects he cheated. Why not just confront him and tell him to get the hell out? But there was much more to the story that unraveled that explained the answer to that.

It seems as though the author is drilling into our minds that Natalie has insomnia to make us question whether or not she is delusional or if her suspicions are true. (Side note: when she finally fell asleep to the sound of rain I thought— someone get this broad a sound machine!)

There were certainly twists I didn’t see coming. The end was all wrapped up in a bow and was not at all what I was expecting. I didn’t LOVE the ending but it wasn’t terrible.

Overall I enjoyed the book and had it been a physical book (vs. audiobook), I’d call it a page-turner.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to listen to an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

When Michael’s wife goes missing while on vacation in New York City, along with his two children, he is desperate to find them. Unfortunately the authorities' hands are tied and they are unable to help him. Thankfully one officer is willing to help Michael, and is even willing to travel halfway across the country to seek them out. Can Michael unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of his family?

When Natalie learns some of the secrets that her husband is desperate to keep buried, she feels the need to make a tough decision inorder to protect herself and her children. She is willing to do anything, believing that her best bet is to run to somewhere safe, somewhere where Michael cannot get to her or to their children. Can Natalie escape from those looking for her and protect her children from their father?

My Wife Is Missing is a fast-paced novel full of twists and turns. Natalie is a likable character who the reader can tell loves her family. The story unfolds along two timelines seen through the eyes of the two main characters. Michael and Natalie. I greatly enjoyed the style, not only because I could see the events from the two perspectives, but also because Palmer could reveal details about the past at the perfect times, creating suspense and causing me to question my perspectives and assumptions about the characters.

I didn’t really enjoy the audiobook as much as the novel. Karissa Vacker really grabbed my attention during the climax of the novel, but I honestly could not stand the voice she used for the dialogue of the men such as Michael. I wish a male narrator had been used for Michael’s chapters; I feel I would have enjoyed it more than way. That being said, opposite gender narration is the thing I dislike the most about audiobooks as a whole, so if that is something that does not bother you this is an audiobook you might enjoy.

I highly recommend My Wife Is Missing by D.J. Palmer to any reader of thrillers and suspense novels; it is sure to keep you guessing. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and D.J. Palmer for gifting to me an advanced copy of My Wife Is Missing, as well as NetGalley for gifting to me an advanced audiobook, given in exchange for an honest review; all opinions are my own.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest thriller by D.J. Palmer. Karissa Vacker is one of my favorite narrators and she did a wonderful job with this book. 5 twisty stars!

Michael and Natalie take their children on vacation to NYC. Michael goes out for pizza and comes back to an empty hotel room. His wife and children are gone. When he contacts the police and they find video, it's obvious Natalie left under her own control. Natalie has been suffering from insomnia and hasn't been herself - is that the reason she left? Or does Michael know the real reason?

This was another fabulous book by D.J. Palmer - the twists and turns just kept coming. I couldn't stop reading it and loved that I had no clue how it was all going to play out. Definitely a must read!

A great book! I didn't know if I should trust Natalie, Michael or neither of them. This book is easy to follow as it alternates timelines and narrators. I was hooked and wanted to know how this would all play out. The narrator did a very good job with the voices and tension in the book! Highly recommended!

I have never read a D.J. Palmer book before and now that I have read My Wife is Missing I am curious to see how the other novels by this author are written. To be honest, my thoughts about this one is still pretty “meh” but I am going to try to get some thoughts out today since this book comes out soon.

Publication Date: May 10, 2022

Synopsis:
When Michael and Natalie Hart head to New York City for a family vacation, Michael would never guess that it would turn into the worst time of his life. Coming back to the hotel after getting pizza, Michael realizes that Nataly and their two children are missing. The other thing left is his suitcase and his son’s teddy bear. Is it a kidnapping? Have they left willingly? Michael is against the clock to find out what happened to his family.

As the police get involved, Michael is face with the decision of giving away secrets from his past, secrets that he has kept hidden even from Natalie. Will these secrets help Natalie or be his undoing? Has Natalie been kidnapped or has she just left Michael? Natalie thinks that she knows everything about her husband, but how much is she unaware of? Who can she turn to? Who can she trust?

Thoughts:

I like the beginning of this story and I was really into it, but this feeling did not continue throughout the book.

Some slow parts in the middle and a lot of finger pointing at Natalie and her insomnia. I think I just may be over the unreliable female character trope.

A lot of twists and turns but took forever to get to the ending which ended up begin a surprise for me.

Overall, this was a 3.5 star read for me but I will up it to a 4 because of the narrator, Karissa Vacker. I really enjoy all the audiobooks she narrates. My Wife is Missing wasn’t terrible and it kept me guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this audio edition 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.

My Wife Is Missing was a great read by D.J. Palmer. Michael Hart was on vacation with his family that quickly turned into a nightmare. He discovered that his wife and two children disappeared from their New York City hotel room. He fears that they may have been kidnapped while he was getting dinner. He frantically searches for them and finds out that Natalie seemed to leave willingly with their children. In searching for the truth, Michael has to hide his past from the police. Michael knows that untangling his deceptions may be the key to locating Natalie, but it will also lead to his undoing. Natalie believes she knows everything and has made a great escape plan. But the lack of sleep seems to be the thing that may derail her efforts. The second she found out about her husband, her insomnia has worsened to where she suffers from delusions. I enjoyed reading this book and can’t wait to read more by the author.

This was my first D.J. Palmer's book, and won't be my last. Wow! This psychological thriller is excellent! I liked the mystery, the intrigue, and the unpredictable twists and turns. Natalie and Michael's story is suspenseful and captivating. Karissa Vacker did an outstanding job with the narration. I highly recommend it.

I would have loved this I think if the narrator and audio wasn’t so bad. I don’t think it was the narrator herself, but it was so whispery I could barely interpret it. Couldn’t finish and I was really looking forward to this one. Still going to grab the physical copy when I can, because I think it would be really good.

I loved this so much that I read the book and then had to go back and listen to the audio. Both are absolutely wonderful!

Auhors synopsis: "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. Horrified, he fears they’ve been kidnapped. Michael’s frantic search to find them takes a shocking turn when he discovers that his wife, Natalie, appears to have left quite willingly, taking their children with her. The police want to know why, and so does Michael. But there may be a reason why Natalie ran, something Michael can’t tell the police—the truth about his past."

And so I was hooked. The audio is amazing. Karissa Vacker is the perfect narrator. Her voice lends itself to the perfect tone of this book. I felt her fear when she was Natalie and her desperation when she was Michael.
This audio is something you wont want to push, pause. It will keep you listening and searching for the truth. Did someone kidnap Micheal's family? Is Natalie an abused woman? Or is there something much deeper that explains the nightmare this family is living?

My Wife is Missing is absolute wild and twisty ride. I went back and forth over who was the villian. And I changed my mind several times as I kept listening. This is my first D.J. Palmer book. What rock have I been under? The writing, the suspense and twists....a total WOW! With 20 years of secrets and lies from Michael and many other characters, this is a must read / or listen for those who love twisty psychological thrillers. Run away, but you cannot escape the past. It always catches up with you!

Many thanks to NetGalley, D.J. Palmer, and McMillan Audio for this twisty race to uncover the truth. I absolutely loved ever word!

My Wife is Missing by DJ Palmer.
Okay this book had me from the first page. This writer certainly knows how to get a story started. My heart was thumping, blood pressure ⬆️. Lots of twists in this one.
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. Terrifying he fears they’ve been kidnapped. Michael’s frantic search to find them takes a shocking turn when he discovers that his wife, Natalie, appears to have left quite willingly, taking their children with her.
This was a great audiobook, excellent narrator. I could visualize this as a great movie, it really pulled me in.
Those that love the thrillers, will love this one.

Honestly, like, what did I just read/listen to. This book was wild.

Alternating pov, a small dual timeline, and two unreliable narrators! I was making guesses the entire time and I wasn't even near the truth. Maybe pieces of it but WOW, Palmer really knows how to layer the deceit and then blast everything you think you know in the end.

This one you need to be sort of blind going into. I will say it wasn't a 5 star for me because of one subject matter, cheating. Gah, why does that always have to be the go to lately for drama? It really was the driving force behind some actions and gave me pause several times, so I really had to push through to get to the better parts.

If that doesn't bug you and even if it does, I would still recommend for a thrilling read.

The narrator for the audio did a wonderful job in my opinion. It added to the reading experience.

Thank you SO much to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio and D.J. Palmer for the gifted copies of this book for review.

Let me preface this by saying that this is my first D.J. Palmer novel so I went into this audiobook blindly. Now that that is out of the way...

What did I just read? Genuinely, as I finished up the 11 hour audiobook all I can think is, "What did I just read?"

Natalie Hart, fearing her husband after unraveling a series of lies and a dark past, goes on the run with her two children in an effort to escape. Plagued with insomnia we immediately hit the mentally unwell female trope that I have come to loathe in the mystery genre. Hearing Natalie, because I listened to this as an audiobook, continually questioning her sanity and what she is and isn't seeing, as a women isn't entertaining. It's overdone and I wish the trope would just go away. Also, I understand this would be jarring for any child to experience, the Hart children were written in a way that I just wanted them to shut up. If I had to listen to, "I miss daddy" cries one more time I may have lost it.

Michael Hart, who actually had a different name at birth, is painted as an unfaithful husband and maybe a murderer. When an NYC Detective shows up at his door and offers to drive all over the country (literally) to help find Michael's missing family, Michael accepts the help. Eventually the listeners learns why this detective is so interested in the case because I'll be honest, I spent most of the time wondering why he was even there. Along the way Michael reveals more and more about his past and the listener starts to understand who Michael is and what he has done.

The opening was strong, the middle was incredibly slow and the ending made me want to throw my phone out of a window. I can take turns and twists, because that is what makes a story entertaining but the ending of My Wife is Missing was just...ridiculous. The listener really spends 10 hours invested in a book for the last hour to blow up everything the last 10 hours spent telling them. It just wasn't fitting. What I think was written as a major ah ha was met by a, "Are you serious right now?" from me.

Overall I can't recommend this book. I don't generally DNF as a rule, but I wish I had.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio and author, D.J. Palmer for access to this audiobook. This review is my own personal opinion.

Wow! You won’t see all the twists come at you like a speeding train! The shifts between paranoia and guilt, violence and safety and hero vs heroine will keep you listening well into the night. The female narrator makes the protagonist’s emotions so heartfelt and deep. I recommend this audiobook when you have a stretch of time to listen without interruption. You’ll be so caught up in the story that you’ll hate to pause it for any distractions!

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.

I loved the narrator as well and the different inflection used with the different characters.