When Nina and Simon left for the weekend at his family's Vermont cabin, only Simon returned.

Nina's family are devastated and desperately seek answers. Simon's wealthy family will do anything to protect their son, hiring pricy lawyers and a PR firm that launches a nasty media campaign.

Readers wonder how either family will survive the aftermath.

Overall, What Happened to Nina? is a well-crafted and engaging psychological thriller. Dervla McTiernan's writing is masterful, and the characters are complex and believable. If you're looking for a suspenseful and thought-provoking read, this book is definitely worth checking out.

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. What Happened to Nina by Dervla McTiernan is a story about a missing woman told from multiple perspectives. You can tell that this story is heavily influenced by the Gabby Petito tragedy. I was excited about this book as the author is amazing but for me, it fell flat. I'm not sure if it was because I'm so familiar with the author's other works, which I think are far superior, or if it was the story itself, or a mixture of both. The premise was good but it just didn't quite deliver.

4.5 stars rounded down.

This story stayed with me and I even slowed my reading because I wasn’t ready for the ending.

Starts with Nina and her story. For such a brief pov from her, her character is developed so well throughout the book and just breaks your heart.

Simon, well smug little rich prick. He can play his “roles” so well.

Loved how perspectives of both sets of their parents were told, you could feel the story from all sides and did mess with your mind and give you that walk a mile in someone else’s shoes feel. Such strong writing. Also loved how the social media and its use to make everything so much worse was involved in the storyline.

Use of G****mn throughout, didn’t enjoy that…..other triggers, domestic/sexual abuse, grooming attempt.

Thanks to netgalley for my electronic advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a decent mystery that really reminded me of the real life crime of Gabby Petitto. It was pretty good at keeping my attention.

This book was absolutely amazing. I was hooked by the first page and didn't want to put it down. I was glued to the t.v. when Gabby Petito was missing, and this book reminded me so much of that story. Definitely recommending this to everyone. Loved the ending too!

Wow, fast moving and all engrossing. Loved the different POV and character development. Nina goes off with her boyfriend to his family’s cabin. He returns but she does not. A fast paced thriller that will pull you in and not let go

Thanks Netgalley for a copy in exchange for honest review. All thoughts are my own.

Such a good book about or that links to the true crime murder of a famous online influencer. I gobbled this up. The rating was superb. Thank you for the opportunity to review early.

This was pretty good. Not a stand-out, but a solidly put together story that did a good job of keeping you interested. Worth reading.

Once again I believe the book synopsis gives to much away. Although it becomes apparent in the first part of the book, what has happened to Nina.

So much more than a mystery, but an examination of a parents grief, when their child is missing. Parents who will do anything in the search for their daughter, FBI
assistance of not. What one would do when the truth is known.

Another question of morality, How far will you go to protect your child, accused of a horrific crime. I can't help but ask myself these same questions. What would I do? What could I do and still live with myself?

An absorbing tale of two parents on opposite sides, both mentally experiencing anguish and pain. Will justice prevail?

This was a great thriller that seemed to be based loosely on the Gabby Petito case but had enough differences to make it stand on its own as a great novel. It makes a person wonder how far a family would go to protect and/or revenge their child or young adult’s murder. In this case (spoiler alert) the parents on both sides close ranks — one side to protect their son who murdered his girlfriend and the other parents who sought revenge for their daughter’s murder. It was believable, a quick read and made me want to keep turning the pages to see how it would end. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review the book.

This is one of the best thrillers that I read this year. The multiple POVs were great! The way the story was told was so exciting. The ending was so twisted and awesome. Loved every minute of it!

Not your usual crime thriller! The missing girl trope has been done to death, yet this book not only executes it well but also puts an unconventional spin on it. I definitely wasn't expecting the revelations only halfway into the novel but...!

I loved the social commentary, the exploration of grief and loss, the fact that everything about this happens way too much in real life, and how this story is about the things we will do + the distance we will go for our loved ones. And of course, the ending and perfect last scene 💯

Absolutely enjoyed this propulsive and emotional page-turner!

I loved this story. We meet Nina and Simon - a seemingly perfect couple who go on a vacation together in Stowe, VT at Simon’s family vacation home and after the vacation, Simon returns home but Nina does not and the story takes off from there.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, mostly both pairs of parents and the detectives on the case. In this story we see the lengths parents go to love and protect their children and it made me think about the choices I would make as a parent going through this crazy ordeal.

I loved the perspectives and the overall story was written so much like a true crime that I kept reminding myself it was fiction. Overall I loved this one and highly recommend it for the true crime lover and for those who like a well told story from lots of perspectives.

Thriller • Mystery • Crime Fiction • Multi POV
Published 26 March 2024

OK, let’s be honest. The cover alone would not have gotten me to read this book. It leaves... much to be desired. Luckily, I did not judge the book by the cover [in this case] and grabbed this on libby when it became available. For the first half of the book, I wondered if I was reading a reimagined behind-the-scenes version of the true crime story of Gabby Petito. The story is so similar as to make you think maybe they just changed the names, although the ending ...well, you’ll have to read it to find out!

Nina and Simon were high school sweethearts, the vision of a perfectly beautiful young couple, each with social media followings, who like to hike and mountain climb and explore nature together — until one day Simon comes home early from a weekend getaway trip without Nina, and she disappears without a trace.

Told from at least 7 points of view, this starts with a bang and the case does not slow down until the final scenes. I appreciated the perspectives in particular of the two detectives assigned to the case. From the first chapter, the reader is clued into the fact that Simon is not who he seems, setting a sinister tone to the story. But how far will Simon’s parents go to protect their son, and likewise how far will Nina’s parents go to seek answers and retribution.

This was a quick read and I would recommend it to those who love true crime and fast paced thrillers or police procedurals.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #WilliamMorrow and Cindy Burnett at #ThoughtsFromAPage for a free copy of #WhatHappenedToNina by Dervla McTiernan. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s interesting, surprising, and it kept me turning pages.

Sometimes, parents will do everything in their power to protect or avenge their children. In this book, there are two sets of parents put into a horrific situation. When Simon Jordan and Nina Fraser went to his parents’ vacation home in Stowe, VT, one of them didn’t come back—Nina. The police are called in to investigate his disappearance, but Simon and his family aren’t being cooperative. Do they have something to hide?

I enjoyed the characters in this book. Most had a surprise or two in their repertoire. The writing was great, easy to read, and kept things moving. This book is a mystery, but you know from the beginning who was responsible. What I still am not quite sure I understand is why, that it was ever truly explained.

This book focuses on grief, the devastation of losing a child, depression, murder, cover-ups, physical abuse, lying, and how social media can take one bad incident and explode it, change it, introduce false narrative into it, and in the process, ruin lives. That those conspiracy theories and false claims are often foisted for entertainment is horrible and far too real, and often done for the sole purpose of getting clicks and making money off of others’ suffering.

This is such a good book. I highly recommend it.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. I thank all involved for their generosity, but it had no effect on this review. All opinions in this review reflect my true and honest reactions to reading this book.

This was my first experience with Dervla McTiernan, so I didn’t really know what to expect going in. I was far from disappointed. What Happened to Nina? is an engaging mystery surrounding a missing girl and the suspicion surrounding her boyfriend. While this book is clearly inspired by the Gabby Petito case, Dervla crafted a phenomenal story that explored the effects of Nina’s disappearance and later death without being disrespectful to the original case. You won’t want to put this one down.

A gripping mystery that delves into themes of wealth, power, and the impact of social media. The story is a mix of suspense, emotion, and complex characters which make a page turner.
Many thanks to William Morrow and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

The plot of "What Happened to Nina?" will be fairly familiar to anyone who remembers what happened to Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old American woman who went missing while on vacation in August 2021 and was subsequently found to have been murdered by her fiancé Brian Laundrie. When Brian returned to his parents' house without Gabby, her desperate parents pressed him and his parents for information about their daughter but the Laundries refused to provide any answers--even after Brian himself disappeared and was later found to have committed suicide. (A civil case filed by the Petitos against the Laundries was later settled out of court.) In Dervla McTiernan's riveting take on this case, Nina and her boyfriend Simon leave to spend a weekend at his family's Vermont cabin, and when only Simon returns home, his wealthy family circle the wagons to protect him, leaving Nina's parents to search for answers on their own. I'm a fan of all McTiernan's Cormac McCarthy books, so this story felt like a real departure for the author, with its Vermont setting, but she handles it brilliantly, nailing the social and political dynamics of small town American life in a way that felt completely authentic and that really sent the story in interesting directions. Nina's parents were compelling characters and I couldn't help but feel for them, but what really elevates the book is the way McTiernan also made me feel sympathetic towards Simon's mother--there is more than one victim in this story. This book clearly isn't going to have a happy ending, but when we finally find out what happened to Nina, it is no less shocking and devastating for being expected.

Thank you to NetGalley and to William Morrow for providing me with an ARC of this title in return for my honest review.