I found myself struggling to be able to relate to the believability of the story. I thought the writing was pretty good but some of the emotional responses of the characters felt unrealistic to me. I found myself getting lost because I was losing focus

Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett
My rating:
4.5/5
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bree is staying with her boyfriend Ty at an air bnb in Jersey City, close to New York City. When Bree explores the neighborhood, she sees flyers for a local missing woman named Janelle Beckett. When Breanna wakes up one morning and Ty isn’t there, she goes to search the house and finds a woman dead at the bottom of the stairs and Ty nowhere to be found. With the police, local news and internet getting involved to solve the case, Bree is faced with many questions she can’t answer. In order to save herself, she must find out what really happened that morning.

This story was so good! I absolutely loved the pace and flew through this one! The author’s writing style was so addicting and I will be reading more of her books in the future!

I will say the reason I couldn’t give it a full 5 stars is the ending felt rushed to me. There was so much build up and then everything happened at once I had to go back and reread parts that I felt like I missed. Even with this, I absolutely loved this one and it got me out of my reading slump!

This was told in the perspective of a black woman and brought to light what can happen when the internet gets ahold of a case and instantly pins the crime on a person because of their skin color. I was on the edge of my seat and truly felt for the main characters and how easy it is for a person of color to be instantly viewed as a suspect in a crime when they are in the wrong place and wrong time.

I would definitely recommend this one! Thank you netgalley and Mulholland Books for the ARC! This is out now so go buy it!

What would you do if you wake up alone in the Airbnb that you and your boyfriend are renting just to find a dead woman in the living room? Even worse, your boyfriend is nowhere to be found. Missing White Woman follows Breanna as she tries to uncover where her boyfriend, Ty, has run off to and how he connects to Janelle Beckett, the stranger that she found in the living room. However, NOTHING is what it seems in this book and everyone is hiding secrets from their past. Although I enjoyed the premise of this book and how it showed the role social media plays in today’s world, the pacing was very slow at times. The story would pull you in at some moments and lose you a few pages later. It didn’t pick up fully until the last few chapters. I did enjoy the twists and quite a few of them I didn’t see coming. Overall, this was a good story and I look forward to reading more from this author.

This was an extremely quick read—the main character is perfectly awkward, at times naive, and is flawed, just like I prefer my main characters in thrillers. I am also glad I waited to read this one until I was closer to summer—this is about a mini vacation trip turned sour and the journey Breanna goes on for answers. The political commentary was poignant, precise, and added to the mystery of this story because you know what should/could happen, but the question remains…will it?

Thank you to Mulholland Books and NetGalley for providing an ARC!

I have been anticipating this book since I found out what the title was lol And yes, just for that reason lmao Because I wanted to know if it was going to be accurate or just accurate enough for it not to like make any “waves” But let me tell you, Ms. Garrett delivered. Because this was exactly what I would expect to happen if something like this happened in real life.

Ok so the main thing about this that I thought was weird was the audio experience. It had like special effects, but it was so fucking weird. Like it was only on certain words, like “the hair, the blood” and it was like cool when it first happened and even when it happened repeatedly, but there were no other like effects? Or any that I could tell. Idk if you’re going to put something like special effects, then have something like a difference on the Tiktok videos. Or like make a difference of when she goes to the police station. They could have made those into like audio recorded tapes. But I digress.

I DID like that this was believable tho. It wasn’t sugarcoating anything and I loved that. We know that the Black man is always going to be seen as the aggressor and the cops won’t look twice at anyone else. No matter how much they seem guilty. It’s always going to be up to US to make sure we keep them safe. And that’s always scary. Because most times, they trust us even less.

And that brings me to the characters. I HATED literally everyone lmao I’m not even going to try to lie. The main character was, I don’t even know how to explain it. Basically, I knew immediately who did the thing she got arrested for. I have no idea how she never knew. And the way she treated her mom was terrible. I don’t understand how all of this is happening to you and you don’t want to tell her. Damn being disappointed. You can explain that shit later. Idk it was so weird lol And then the boyfriend, Idc what kind of job you have, you need to tell me a little bit about what you’re doing. Or where you’re going. Because this shit can happen in real life. And it’s not fun to be told by the police that you might be going to jail for murder because you woke up in the wrong damn place.

The mystery was really what saved this for me. I kept changing my mind on who did it. The only thing I knew immediately was who didn’t do it. But if you tell me you knew from the beginning, I think you’re lying lol I did wish there were more red herrings tho. Or even if there was something more thrilling that happened. I’m not exactly sure I would call this a thriller. It was more like just a mystery. And, it was a bit repetitive. They basically like kept it going in a cycle, like find the thing, police come, give the info to the police, and then basically it starts again. It was ok, but I did catch on.

I liked this and thought it was a lot of fun. I did want a little more in some places, but it wasn’t anything that made me want to DNF it. I’m definitely going to go back and see if there’s anything else that Kellye Garrett wrote! I need to see her progression!


Real Rating 3.5

I really enjoyed this book! This was my first book by Kellye Garrett and it did not disappoint. I will definitely be interested in reading her backlist. The book was propulsive and kept me interested. I was reading it during a busy time but found time to read it whenever possible. The book follows Bree who is on a trip with her boyfriend Ty in Jersey City. On her last morning she wakes up to find the body of a missing white woman who has been all over the news on the ground floor of her rental and her boyfriend gone. The story moves from there. The author weaves in the narrative of a viral social media account who is following the story or the missing woman. The story brings together the effects of being a Black woman involved in a story of a missing white woman. A must read for all fans of mystery and suspense!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books for the eARC of this title.**

I am a bit past publication getting this review out as I kept picking up other books when I was meant to be finishing this one. The pacing wasn't horrible but I couldn't connect with the characters or find them believable in the least. I felt that too much information was given away in the synopsis, and what should have been twists were already laid out for me.

I will give this author another try for sure, but this one wasn't for me.

I wanted to love this book but it was just okay. The premise was promising—a couple on vacation with a death on their hands in their Airbnb—but alas, Bree, the main character,is so annoying. Also, the storyline seemed to loop endlessly, repeatedly emphasizing trivial details like Bree checking into hotels. It left me feeling a bit deflated, to be honest

I loved this book! 4.5/5 stars.
I loved seeing this from the perspective of a Black woman and what they have to deal with on a daily basis.
I did not see the ending coming at all.
I would be interested in Kellye Garrett continuing Bree’s story.

I loved Kelly’s Garrett’s previous book, Like a Sister, so I have been so excited for this one and I had such a great time reading. The main character, Bree, is dynamic and interesting. The reader really gets to know her and understand her while she tries to navigate the situation she’s been thrown into. This is a great thriller that also gets into race and the justice system and brings up a lot that could and should be discussed in real life. I love Garrett’s writing and story telling, I can’t wait to see what she does next.

I love the fact that Kellye Garrett can take you by the hand and lead you into the story. Able to see everything through the eyes of the characters. Feel the excitement, tension, fear, heartbreak, and anxiety rushing through their body. The ability to walk a few miles in someone else's shoes is always an eye-opening experience. To understand what is truly going on in their lives. Missing White Woman is an intense read that will have you at the edge of your seat until the very end. The twists and turns multiply as fast as you turn the pages.

Bree is ecstatic for her romantic getaway to NYC with her boyfriend Ty. It is their first trip together and she is getting nervous butterflies just thinking about it. Ty could not have nailed the Airbnb in Jersey City any better. It is luxurious, spacious, and the number of rooms it has in it makes Bree's mouth drop. This all changes when she finds a dead woman sprawled inside the entryway. Ty nowhere in the house, cannot be reached on his phone, or at work. Where could he be and what happened to this blonde woman, with so much blood. When social media takes hold of this story and sends the internet sleuths in, everything is turned upside down. Bree is barely holding it together, as someone from her past walks back into her life...

I absolutely loved this book. It is a perfect weekend read. That makes you stay up way to late trying to figure out who did it. I mean it is always the boyfriend, am I right? This is my second book by Garrett and I cannot wait to read what she comes up with next. Little Brown was amazing enough to send out copies to my book club, the Book Bandits. I cannot wait for the discussion this book will spark.

Reviewed this for the Boston Globe.
Here’s the beginning.
With her 2022 Edgar- and Lefty-award winning mystery, “Like a Sister,” Kellye Garrett established a knack for mining the zeitgeist for anxiety and suspense. In her new social thriller, Garrett probes the phenomenon known as “missing white woman syndrome,” in which, as the late PBS news anchor Gwen Ifill noted, “If there is a missing white woman, you’re going to cover that every day” — and deftly updates it for the digital age. With humor and pathos, Garrett’s writing exposes the dynamics of race as media narratives careen out of control. The mystery is intriguing, but slower to unfold, with provocative twists that I wished I had encountered earlier ... Garrett’s mastery of character and wry social observation shine bright in the eye of this storm, even if her protagonist is both sympathetic and deeply frustrating.

In the beginning pages I was awe struck, thinking this was going to be an all-nighter. This story is definitely worth reading, however somewhere along the way, it hit a brick wall and I started losing interest. Imagine thinking you’re going on a great jaunt with your boyfriend, the accommodations are 4 star just like he is, and it turns into the vacation from hell.
It teaches that content creators can be full of themselves, and creat a narrative to fit their agenda.
There’s not one female character I really liked here and the MC made me squeal in pain regarding her actions and lack of mental stability. She was overly concerned about the boyfriend’ whereabouts, more than the predicament she was facing. This same lack of self awareness helped with her trouble with the law whilst in college.
The intensity is all over the title, ”Missing White Woman” because we know how news media treats this type of story, and especially if the person of interest happens to be a person of color.
This is a well written story, and I wanted to like it more than I did, wishing I could give more than a 3 star rating, however I recommend others to read this book.
Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for my honest review.
Happy Reading Everyone!

3.5 stars

I thought this was a solid thriller and it was a fairly quick read. I really appreciated the themes of true crime sensationalism and social media 'activism' that can actually get in the way of finding out the truth. Along with ever present undertones of racial stereotyping, it was nice that this book had more to say than simply solving the mystery.

While some of the twists and turns, I could see coming or partially predict, I was still invested in the story and kept turning the pages for one more chapter. The characters are flawed and sometimes completely unlikeable, but in ways that felt genuine.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. While the book was slow in spots, it picked up the pace when it counted. However, when I tell you this book had me on the edge of my seat in the last third of the book would be an understatement. Garrett did a great job of setting up the atmosphere of the book. As a Black woman, Bree’s actions and thoughts were relatable. There were parts where I felt aligned with Bree’s decisions and felt seen because they were things, I would have considered myself. I will say I liked Garrett’s approach to Bree’s predicament. While there were questions about her involvement in the crime, it wasn’t a literal witch hunt. That paired well with other plot devices within the story because it made it that much more believable/relatable. I have been a fan of Kellye Garrett for quite some time, and this book affirmed why that was the case. Looking forward to her next book!

I really really enjoyed this book. I liked the TikTok aspect of it as we are living in a social media era right now. I also liked how justice was equally served on all parties. I wished Ty would have been fully honest with Bree and really told her what he was sorry for during his call. I’m glad that Bree was able to walk away unscathed and with her head held high. I enjoyed this book. I seen a lot of myself in Bree and Adore.

I really enjoyed this book's initial premise and the overall commentary it's making on the sensationalism behind missing white women cases (especially in the age of social media) and villainization of black suspects and/or victims. I think those elements alone make this book worth a read, because it's a topic not often explored in literature and especially in the mystery/thriller genre. For me, this book's pace stayed pretty slow and as a result my entertainment waned a lot over the course of it, and I think I was less invested by the point of the major reveals than I should have been. I'd still recommend this to anyone who thinks the premise or message sound interesting or important, and I'll be following everything this author continues to write in the future.

Firstly, I must admit that I found every character in this book frustrating. Each one stirred up feelings of annoyance or anger, and I couldn't relate to any of them. This usually affects my enjoyment of a book. However, this wasn't the case with "Missing White Woman: A Novel" by Kellye Garrett. Despite my irritation towards each character, the story was well-executed.

As a frequent reader of thrillers, I often anticipate plot twists. However, this was one of the few stories where all my predictions were either wrong or partially right. Recognizing all the characters was straightforward, but assembling the narrative puzzle was more challenging than I expected. The author succeeded in keeping me engaged until the end, consistently surprising me with unexpected yet plausible twists.

The book skillfully addressed the issue of race, the stereotyping of black men, the portrayal of the missing white woman as a paragon of virtue, and the depiction of the black woman as a deserving drug addict. Although this was a theme in the story, it did not detract from the overall mystery. The characters' annoyance, rather than outrage, over this issue was notable.

As my first encounter with Kellye Garrett's work, "Missing White Woman: A Novel" serves as a good introduction. If possible, I recommend listening to the audiobook version. The vocalization and characterization were excellent. Even though I didn't like any of the characters, it helped me better understand them.

Yes!! This is how I like my thrillers. A woman goes on what supposed to be a romantic getaway with her boyfriend. Until she wakes up to find a dead white woman at the bottom of the staircase of their Airbnb. I love how this was a play on the missing white woman syndrome, and how the author use that to craft a compelling psychological thriller that had me rushing to turn the pages. loved the inclusion of the social media expert and overall really enjoyed the ride. There were one or two threads that were not fully realized but Bree was a fully flushed out character and I will definitely read this author again.

The premise of the book was very intriguing. This was a page turner and kept me guessing throughout on what was happening and why. I do feel the storyline was dragged out a little bit and some parts were a little predictable. Overall it was a decent mystery.