This enjoyable mystery/thriller is about mother daughter duo Charlie and Eva, who become internet celebrities for their Instagram account detailing their travels around the country in their RV, before stopping in Minnesota for a year so Eva can complete a traditional senior year of high school. When the book starts, they have taken a boat out on the lake - Charlie wakes up after drinking too much and finds Eva missing. As she becomes a suspect, she also is trying to investigate herself, and questioning whether she knew Eva as well as she thought she did.

A LOT more happens after that, but it’s definitely best to go into this one blind so I’ll say no lies about the plot! But what I will say is that I often guess what happened/is going to happen in mysteries and thrillers, but not in this one! Lots of great twists and turns I did not see coming!

I also enjoyed how the book was interspersed with non-traditional narrative pieces like their past Instagram posts and Eva’s college essays.

Mother Charlie and her daughter Eva are road tripping across the country and documenting it on social media. Their philosophy is to take the long way back. It looks really adventurous and fun until Eva decides she wants to return to school for her senior year, but Charlie doesn't.

They finally settle in to a small town in MN for Eva to finish high school and then go to college, but Charlie wants to get them back out on the road again. Just before graduation, Eva disappears and her mother is the number one suspect. Suspend your sense of reality and go with the story line! (a bit far-fetched with holes in the story)

The Long Way Back by Nicole Baart is a suspenseful blend of mystery and family drama centered on the complex relationship between a mother, Charlie, and her teenage daughter, Eva. The novel initially presents the duo as Instagram celebrities who have been documenting their adventurous road trip lifestyle, but things take a dark turn when Eva goes missing. As the mystery of her disappearance unfolds, Charlie is forced to confront painful truths about their relationship and the facade they maintained online. With its mix of emotional depth, family tension, and a gripping plot, the novel keeps readers engaged while exploring themes of love, trust, and identity in the age of social media.

The Long Way Back was an atmospheric mystery I really enjoyed. The author really knows how to craft likeable characters. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you for the opportunity to read this e-galley.

Such a great story of our times. At the center of everything is social media, with a mother and daughter team as Instagram stars. After a disturbing viral post, they decide to take a break from the drama, and for their own safety. And then Eva, the daughter goes missing and Charlie, her mom, is suspected of foul play.

Charlie knows she is innocent and makes it her mission to find her daughter. The more she digs, the more disturbing information she uncovers. Secrets and unsavory people make the situation interesting, and dangerous.

There are plenty of twists and turns in the story, along with the heartwarming relationship between Charlie and Eva. So much there to keep me interested in the story. It was nice to see a mother and daughter so close. The Long Way Back was a nice escape read that I enjoyed very much.

In "The Long Way Back" by Nicole Baart, the allure and dangers of social media fame take center stage as a mother grapples with the disappearance of her Instagram-famous daughter. Baart crafts a gripping narrative that delves into themes of parental responsibility, privacy, and the complexities of mother-daughter relationships.

At the heart of the story is Charlie, a single mother who embarks on a journey of fame and adventure with her teenage daughter, Eva, through their Instagram account, "The Sutton Girls." What begins as a way to document their travels soon spirals into a nightmare when Eva goes missing just before her high school graduation.

Baart skillfully explores the darker side of social media, highlighting the risks and consequences of sharing too much information online. Through Charlie's perspective, readers are forced to confront questions about parental boundaries and the potential dangers of exposing children to the spotlight of social media fame.

The novel's structure, incorporating social media comments, podcasts, and other multimedia elements, adds depth and authenticity to the narrative, immersing readers in Charlie and Eva's world. Baart's portrayal of their mother-daughter relationship is both tender and complex, capturing the nuances of their bond as well as the underlying tensions and conflicts that arise.

As the mystery of Eva's disappearance unfolds, the tension and suspense build to a satisfying climax, with unexpected twists and turns keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Baart's storytelling prowess shines through in the novel's thrilling conclusion, offering a sense of closure while leaving room for contemplation.

Overall, "The Long Way Back" is a riveting and thought-provoking read that explores the intersection of social media, motherhood, and the quest for fame. Baart's compelling narrative and well-drawn characters make it a must-read for fans of suspenseful thrillers with a contemporary twist.

Nicole Baart is one of my favorite authors. I was so excited to receive this book. I loved the premise and was sucked in from the first page until the end. I would definitely recommend!

This book really tugged at my heartstrings. As someone who has a tremendously close relationship with their mother but had their disagreements growing up, I related to the two main characters. I though the author did a wonderful job of describing exactly what it was like to be a teenager growing up with the frustrations of public high school, pressure from protective parents, and it was all compounded by the addition of the social media angle (and made all the more interesting!)

This could've been your typical serial killer/kidnapping thriller, but the religious extremist cult was a fascinating twist that made this book stand out. I will continue to recommend this one to anyone looking for a unique but thrilling take on mother-daughter relationships in the age of social media!

This novel started with an intriguing premise – Charlie, the single mother of Eva, a young adolescent girl who’s being bullied at school, decides to take her daughter on an extended road trip that turns into a way of life for several years. A random photo becomes a media post that goes viral and the two of them inadvertently become social influencers, representing brand names and achieving a kind of internet fame. But once Eva is a senior in high school, she begs for a more normal life and the two of them settle down in one place and start putting down roots.

The first part of the novel kept my attention. I was invested in how this mother and daughter were going to adjust to normal everyday life. But then the story takes a turn. Charlie and Eva are out sailing, Charlie takes a nap below deck, and when she comes back up, Eva has disappeared into thin air. This is when, for me, the story, went off the rails. Charlie is suspected of knowing more than she lets on about where Eva is and readers ae also clueless. I won’t say more since it’s a plot twist that gets more and more convoluted, only that the second half of the novel for me was too over-the-top and unrealistic to really fit with the story I’d been reading.

For me, the most interesting aspect was the mother-daughter relationship, so caring yet fragile, and how the two of them coped with both their new-found fame and then trying to re-build a normal life. I would have liked to see more of that.

A mother and daughter team have been around the world in an air streamer documenting life and places on an Instagram account. The daughter comes up missing and the Mom is the suspect until further investigation begins. They realize the daughter is in real trouble and the Mom fights to get to the end of things. The daughter is eventually found and life returns to a new normal with the daughter leaving for college. A really good and interesting read.

The description of the book seemed interesting, so I wanted to check the story out. Unfortunately, it is not working for me right now. It is nothing against the story or the author, but I couldn't get into the story/characters. I may try and find a physical copy to add the my library when it is released, though, because I think my readers could like it!

This was an enjoyable read and one that I got through quickly because the pace moved fast and crazy things happened on almost every page. Some of the things were a little far fetched and the ending resolved too easily for my liking but an overall enjoyable read.

The Long Way Back is the story of a mother’s devotion to rescue her missing runaway daughter, and the struggles parents face regarding use of social media and its effects on kids. Ms. Baart delves into the horrible reality of bullying, as well as the tragic implications of catfishing criminals who use social media to target their victims. The story takes an unexpected turn and reveals another side of the argument of political unrest. The Long Way Back is an enjoyable read and offered, intelligent, thought-provoking questions and contemplations. I felt for the mother trying to raise her daughter in a difficult time, and for the young woman desperately wanting to separate herself from the plaguing, thoughts, and actions of others.

This mystery sneaks up on you and works its way in. Social media influences everything today but do we know how to live with it? There were many twists to this story.
Many thanks to Atria and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Baart always delivers us the best books. She is a go to author for me. Thank you go Netgalley for the advanced copy and look forward to her next one.

Thank you Net Galley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I truly enjoyed this book from beginning to end.
It had me hooked and alot of twists and turns.

Great read! I really liked the suspense in this book because I really wasn’t sure what had happened until the ending.. The mother and daughter road tripping was a unique way of life but the social media aspect was very relevant for today. This book is for many readers, those who love travel, relational storylines, or suspense.

I got on a Nicole Baart role recently, reading (and rereading) pretty much her entire backlist. So to say I was looking forward to The Long Way Back is obviously an understatement. The plot kept me glued to the page and whoa, it went some places I definitely wasn't expecting. A fun ride!

I must say, I really enjoyed this book! It kept me at the edge of my seat throughout. I found myself immersed in the delicate relationship between mother and daughter. How easy it is in this digital age to reveal just enough to give someone an opportunity. Would definitely recommend! Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A huge fan of all her previous books I have to say I think this one is a new favorite. This is one you won’t put down.