From the first chapter, Garrett had me engrossed and gripped by this twisty but intimate murder mystery. Bree is a strong willed Black woman caught up in a mess decidedly not of her making, but sadly this is not the first time that has happened to her. Overcoming her past and figuring out how to navigate her way out of this current mess forms the bulk of the story. While Garrett created a terrific back story for her protagonist, she keeps the tension and the mystery pulsing. Highly recommend for mystery readers. Thanks NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the e-ARC.

I loved this book. The slow burn, the whodunnit mystery/thriller vibes. The many questionable characters add to the story.
Great set up with the plot and hands down my favorite Kellye Garrett book to date.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I enjoyed this book for the most part, with its twists and turns through a well-plotted social commentary. However, I often found Bre frustrating, particularly some of the decisions she made. You can probably chalk that up to her being somewhat stunted emotionally and developmentally because of earlier circumstances in her life, though. As such, I gave her the benefit of the doubt, because gals like her don't always get that.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy. This book kept me guessing until the end but ran a bit too long for me.

Missing White Woman was one of my most anticipated releases for the year but it sadly fell very, very flat for me. The only reason I didn’t throw in the towel was because I told so many people how excited I was about this book and I refused to believe it would be a total flop.

I love crime novels and thrillers and this synopsis had me so excited. The fact that the book explores the “missing white woman syndrome” through the eyes of a Black woman was exactly what sold me.

I think the most intriguing part of this book is the way it looks at how differently crimes involving women of different races are handled. I also appreciated the themes of social media and how the internet can be both helpful and harmful when it comes to crime.

The main thing that I struggled with was the writing style. I am far from a sophisticated literary critic and this might work for a lot of people, but it felt way too casual and disjointed for me. The dialogue is incredibly choppy and odd. I can’t stand to hear every detail of what a character ordered from a food truck, and observed while waiting in line, or over-explaining the most basic statements (for example, the character will say “no one is out on Sunday nights” and then there will be an entire paragraph explaining exactly what people do on Sunday nights).

To me, it felt like the book was so full of unnecessary details that the intriguing parts of the book were overshadowed. This also messed with the pacing in my opinion. Most of the action is saved for last 10% of the book and then it ended pretty abruptly.

Maybe this would have been better for me as an audiobook? It’s entirely possible that the casual writing would be much easier to enjoy in that format.

I thought Missing White Woman was an engaging thriller, and I especially appreciated the way it commented on internet culture and how influencers can create both buzz about what is happening and also put others in danger with little cause. It shown a light on how racist assumptions can drive public opinion while also creating a plot that kept me engaged and guessing. I thought the writing was okay, though sometimes the character-building was a bit repetitive and flat. All in all, this is a strong but not stellar thriller.

When Breanna heads out to a getaway weekend with her boyfriend, Ty, her only thoughts were enjoying a romantic getaway. Her boyfriend's workaholic tendencies leave her time to follow the missing woman case happening all around her. When she wakes up to a women's body in the bottom floor of their Air BNB, things take a turn and she finds herself in the center of a murder investigation. This is such a necessary commentary of how the media, particularly self identified social media influencers, are unreliable narrators in current events.

In this twisty thriller and "compulsive page-turner" (Harlan Coben) from the award-winning author of Like a Sister, a woman thinks she’s waking up to a romantic vacation—only to find a body in her rental home and her boyfriend gone.

Super suspenseful and well-written, this book deals with some heavy themes while continuing to be entertaining. A near perfect book.

I enjoyed this book so much I wrote directly to the author to tell her. Great pacing, vivid setting, well-developed characters—I was caught up in the story from page one and it never let go. Kellye Garrett writes contemporary mysteries better than anyone I know.

I was so excited to get this ARC for “Missing White Woman” from the fabulous author Kellye Garrett. I highly recommend this story - I was such a fan!

This book was a nice little thriller! I liked the aspect of Billie on Tik-Tok as a semi-narrator, it was very clever! I appreciated the little plot twists too and the ending. I do wish there was more depth to some of the characters, including Adore and Lori. They both felt a little incomplete, but it’s also just a quick thriller so I get it. Will be recommending to my followers!

Thank you NetGalley.

4.5 - What a ride! This book was definitely a good thriller/mystery. So smart with twist and turns. Had me eyeing everyone. You’re reading a movie because it played out in my head. I couldn’t imagine waking up at home but especially vacation to body. I would probably try to get out there asap like Bre. She could have went back home so many times but she wasn’t giving up.

-Bre’s faith in a man she hasn’t known that long was strong. I’m not putting nothing pass anyone.
-I thought a few of the neighbors were in on it. I just had the wrong ones.
-Billy never sat right me. And Bre had me wanting to pluck her towards the ends. “Like ma’am how can you not see what she’s doing here?!”
-I wish Ty would have been open with Bre but he was smart about that snack bag.
-On the train when that lady’s smile dropped. Hahahaha. That’s what you get.
-Bre was working better than the police. When the twist/plot hit my jaw dropped.
-Adore was so messed up for what she did. Selfish.
-Nothing worst than adult that shouldn’t be parents. Mind as well be another random on the street.

First read by this author and i already added her other books to my tbr.

This is a fascinating look at a murder investigation and all the things that go into it, complicate it, and often derail it. Boyfriend Ty has swept girlfriend Bree away for some time at an airbnb in New York City. But when Bree awakens the next morning to discover Ty gone and a dead woman on the stairs, all hell breaks loose. Throw in an old jail stay for Bree, a popular TikTok podcast, an old friend, and investigators who are determined to find the truth...and away we go! This one had my head spinning as it shatters expectations and exposes how crimes involving white and black women are treated so differently.. I will surely check out more of Garrett's novels now!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!

Me: "A girlfriend is staying with her boyfriend at an AirBnB, and she wakes up one morning and finds a dead lady at the bottom of the stairs. And the boyfriend is missing!"
7 yo: "The boyfriend did it."
Me: "Seems that way but authors like to trick you in mystery books."
7 yo: "They're allowed to do that!?"

Yes, yes they are allowed.

This started off slightly rough for me-- some of the phrasing felt a little clunky and it took a hot minute to really get everything going. But things ramped up and I got sucked into the plot. I loved the shades of complicated female friendships, internet mob mentality, and toxic influencer culture tackled in this story. I'm definitely going to pick up her previous novel sometime soon. 4 stars.

Early copy recieved via NetGalley.

This was an easy 5⭐️ book for me! It started off as a simple romantic weekend away for Bree and Ty, but then Bree wakes up and discovers her boyfriend is missing and a woman is dead in their AirBnB. Strong plot and characters and an even better ending.

Thank you, NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the copy of Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett.
If you love a surprise reveal, this one is the book for you. The last few books I read were light on story and character development and relied on a shocking ending to ‘carry’ the book, but this book was well-plotted and paced so it was a joy to read, which paired a substantial story and well-drawn characters with some mild commentary about social media. And then there was that reveal! Wow, it seems I missed some clues, but was glad to find it all made perfect sense. Don’t miss this book!

a romantic getaway weekend turns into a murder investigation.

bree and ty are staying in an airbnb, excited to spend some much needed time together. however, after ty goes to work, bree wakes up to find a dead, white, blonde woman. bree finds herself, and her boyfriend, as primary suspects as the media builds a narrative surrounding a "scary" black man stalking and killing a white woman. a beauty influencer's tiktok blows up, and bree feels trapped and pinned into a corner. where is ty? could he possibly have killed someone?

this book has great social commentary about how the media prioritizes missing white women over missing black women. a white woman's story generates more buzz and in a systemically racist society, it is easy for the media to pin the crime on a black person.

however, the beginning is rather slow. the pacing is completely thrown off near the end. bree seems a bit flat at times, like her character wasn't very fleshed out. still, it's a very enjoyable read.

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Breanna thinks she will have a great weekend staying in a beautiful Airbnb with her boyfriend Ty. Her life changed dramatically in college, and she has never regained her footing or sense of self. She is starting to have feelings for Ty and looks forward to a terrific weekend. But Ty, unlike Bree is a workaholic and something or someone keeps interrupting their plans.Bree seems to understand, but when Ty vanishes and she finds a dead body in the rental, her life quickly spins out of control.
The story tackled a lot of real-world problems. The power and negativity of social media, a black man seen as the number one suspect in a murder, and Bree’s past, making her somehow look guilty too. While she desperately tries to find Ty, she also learned that her past had hidden layers that changed her life.
I loved Bree, went back-and-forth between believing Ty could not have murdered someone, and then thinking, well, I hardly knew him (just like Bree). There was one character (only one!) who I wished Bree had never met. No spoilers but I bet you will know who I mean after you read Missing White Woman. I just couldn’t flip the pages fast enough.

I've read and loved all of Kellye Garrett's books. I get excited for any new title from her, but when I saw this cover, with a Black woman pictured and the title Missing White Woman, I started reading it immediately. Garrett, as usual, delivers both a page-turning thriller and biting social commentary. She nails true crime Internet sleuths across social media platforms. I loved how she set this book during the pandemic and integrated it into the plot. Missing White Woman kept me guessing throughout and kept me thinking after I finished.

It was supposed to be a romantic getaway weekend in New York City....

Kellye Garrett has taken the missing person story and turned it upside down! Breanna, a black woman, is excited to meet her new boyfriend in NYC for her first get away, first Airbnb stay, first of many things. Ty ends up wrapped up with work most days and on the last night, Breanna discovers a current missing person, a white woman who is featured in multiple media circuits dead, at the foot of the stairs. The story takes off like a rocket and Breanna is constantly believed to a suspect, Ty is missing and a horde of TikTok followers and neighborhood vigilantes want to bring justice for the newly found person.

But what really happened? Is Ty guilty? Who can Breanna trust?
I loved this book - surprises all around. I especially appreciated Garrett's point of view as a woman of color regarding how much interest the MIA white woman received as compared to others in the story. Fantastic ! Gobble it up!
#mullhollandbooks #missingwhitewomen #Kellyegarrett