McTiernan expertly crafts a story that is both gripping and emotionally resonant, drawing readers into the complex dynamics between Nina, Simon, and their respective families. As the investigation into Nina's disappearance unfolds, secrets are unearthed, alliances are tested, and the line between truth and deception becomes increasingly blurred.

Twenty year old Nina Fraser disappeared after spending a few days hiking and climbing with her boyfriend Simon Jordan at a property owned by his parents. It was the last week of summer break, before they both headed back to college and Nina had ditched working at her mother’s Inn so they could spend some time together. According to Simon, Nina told him that she had been seeing other guys and wanted to break up with him. Claiming to be heartbroken, he headed home leaving Nina alone at the house, saying she planned to go and stay with a friend in Boston. However, no one ever saw or heard from her again. So, what did happen to Nina?

This is a superbly written tale of two families pitted against each other, both desperate to protect their children. Nina’s parents don’t believe Nina would stay away without contacting them, while Simon’s parents are adamant that he would not have hurt her in any way. Simon and Nina have known each other since they were children and became sweethearts in high school and despite going away to different colleges, the relationship seemed to be as strong as ever.

Nina’s mother Leanne worked hard to renovate a dilapidated building into her successful inn, while raising Nina on her own. She later married landscaper Andrew when Nina was still young had a second daughter, Grace. Simon is an only child of wealthy parents, with a strong sense of entitlement, who never wanted for anything. As soon as the police look at him as a suspect in Nina’s disappearance, his father hired top lawyers and a PR company to support Simon’s innocence and spread rumours and misinformation about Nina and her family, encouraging toxic speculation to spread through social media.

The narrative unfolds through the voices of the family members as well as those of the detectives, each adding what they know or do to the plot. Although the reader learns quite early what happened to Nina, but there is still much to learn about how her disappearance eventuated. it’s the subsequent events, particularly the effect on family dynamics and interactions that generate the suspense and intrigue in the novel.

It all makes for a gripping tale that is hard to put down. With short punchy chapters, maintaining momentum, the pacing is excellent and the characters so well defined they feel like people we know. It’s hard not to empathise with what Nina’s parents are going through and feel angry at the way the Jordans and the community are treating them, while also understanding Simon’s mother’s desperation to do whatever it takes to clear her son’s name. The events and the way the investigation unfolds also feel totally plausible. The ending has a surprisingly unexpected twist that will delight many readers.

<i>With thanks to Harper Collins Au via Netgalley for a copy to read.</i>

I am not generally a crime fiction reader, nor do I particularly enjoy true crime either, but this book had me HOOKED until the very end.
As the title indicates, something has happened to Nina and we (the readers) are following Nina’s and Simon’s family on this harrowing journey to find out exactly that. It sounds like your standard murder/crime story where someone is accused, evidence is found, and charges are laid. But it’s not. Dervla has given us the heart-wrenching perspectives of the victim’s (Nina) family dealing with such tragedy in their lives, as well as the social media backlash and small town gossip that can lead from such an investigation.. She has also given us the perspective of the family on the other side of the investigation, the accused’s (Simon) mother and father, and the lengths they’ll go to in order to protect their son.
The families parts are written in first person that enables us to feel the raw emotions they feel, to help better put us in their lives as if it were our own. In amongst their views is the third-person perspective of the Detective on the case to lend us that ‘non-biased’ opinion on the events of the investigation.
Derval has not wasted her words on pointless descriptions of houses, environments or even weather. She gets straight to the point to keep the story moving along and to keep the readers brain active and interested. I thoroughly enjoyed how she focuses more on the families and their ways of processing such a horrible nightmare, and not so much on the ‘crime’ itself. I also like how she was able to so perfectly showcase how ‘trolls’ on social media can have such negative effects on the people involved in such investigations. We see it all the time when we open Facebook etc. and see on news pages how people are saying horrible things about the victims and their families, but we always just ignore. I don't think we ever fully realise the extent of how those comments can affect someone’s life completely, but Dervla clearly can, and she wanted us to see too.
This is a book I will highly recommend to anyone wanting to dip their toes into the Crime Fiction genre. I received a free reading copy courtesy of NetGalley but this review is 100% my opinion.

Nina and Simon are college students who have been dating for a while. They both set out for a weekend away at Simon’s parents lakefront property in Vermont. That same night, Simon returns home to his family … but Nina does not.

What ensures is finding Nina and discovering the truth of what actually happened. Simon is maintaining his innocence, and with his wealthy parents money behind him can hire the best legal representation and publicity firm to paint him in the best light. Meanwhile, Nina’s parents are dragged through some pretty horrific online trolling, stemming from the publicity campaign against them.

While the entire story is surrounded in mystery, what sets this one apart is McTiernan’s ability to create authenticity and humanity. The emotional exploration of what a parent wouldn’t do for their child. The behind the scene narrative of how and why relationships work and fall apart. The grief and helplessness a parent goes through when tragedy hits your child - either as the accused or the victim.

We’ve all heard and seen the all too tragic real life events of couples who go away, only for one of them to return. McTiernan very cleverly writes that tragic narrative with Nina. It honestly felt like I was reading a true crime account. From the palpable emotions of both sets of parents, to the relentless police investigation and media coverage - it was utterly addictive and unputdownable! This is one of the best fictional ‘true crime’ books I’ve read in a while. Do yourself a favour and grab this one!

Huge thanks to the wonderful team @harpercollins for sending this stunner my way 💌
Out now!

What Happened to Nina?
This is the central premise of the book, which begins the opening chapter from Ninas perspective and sets the scene for this novel. We are led to the conclusion early, that this character has been killed and we never hear from her again, as she fails to return home from a rock climbing trip away with her boyfriend Simon. The rest of the book is spent piecing together Nina’s disappearance and what happened to the missing girl? Told from the perspectives of her family, her boyfriend’s parents and the detective assigned to solving the case.

The book was powerful for a couple of reasons, particularly as it conveyed the raw anguish and pure ‘hell’ that the families of the missing girl were living. It was also a look into what parents in ‘real life’ go through in this situation of not knowing what happened and potentially never knowing what happens to their child. It definitely tugged at the heartstrings reading the parents accounts as their worst nightmares played out, and we ‘witnessed’ their struggles to cope and function through such heart wrenching and devastating loss.

We also see the other side, where parents ‘knew’ their child was guilty of such a horrendous crime and lengths people will go to, to protect a child. In this case using their extreme money and wealth to hide behind and influence the situation, and when ‘playing by the rules’ and acting ethically, lines become skewed and crossed.

What was also hard to read was the power of social media to influence rumours, lies and allowed online ‘trolls’ to paint the narrative of guilt or innocence before the investigation could solve the case. The flow on effects with the ability and potential to ruin people’s livelihoods and reputations. This was summed up perfectly in quote from the book on page 111, “Simons future and ours, was going to be decided on Facebook, Reddit, and YouTube. Opening arguments were already being made in the court of public opinion and there were no attorneys involved”.

Although most of the outcomes in the book were predictable, I wasn’t expecting one of the twists at the end. It may have felt a little unrealistic in my view, but overall, I highly enjoyed this read as it took you through all the emotions of a missing persons case. I have given it a 5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating. Thank you to Publishers Harper Collins and Netgalley for a digital copy to read and review.

I love this author's Cormac O'Reilly series so much but was not equally enthralled with The Murder Rule which is a standalone set in America. What Happened to Nina? is the same but I decided to give it a try anyway and I am so glad I did.

The book opens with a prologue which introduces Nina and her boyfriend Simon. Nina is considering dumping him due to his continuous cruelty. When the story begins Nina has been missing for 24 hours and Simon is the last person to have seen her. A major search begins, the media is involved, and then the internet goes crazy with people taking sides over what has occurred. It all becomes really unpleasant when Simon's father hires a PR company to create false messages about Nina's family in order to muddy the waters regarding Simon's possible involvement.

It all makes for fascinating reading and the lengths that the parents go to protect their children are amazing. Well worth reading. Five stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, Scene of the Crime/William Morrow and Dervla McTiernan for the chance to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

WOW. I really LOVED this. What Happened To Nina? It was full of suspense and drama.
The writing was superb, I was hooked from the first page, I devoured it in day.
It was full of intrigue and had real emotional depth, I felt fully invested in the characters, especially Nina and her parents.

This is definitely one of my favourites so far this year. It's my second book from Dervla McTiernan, the first being The Murder Rule, which I also loved.
I'm looking forward to reading her previous novels and I'll be waiting impatiently for her next.

I very highly recommend.

5 stars from me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I love Dervla McTiernan novels! This is another addictive and satisfying read. A perfect choice for those who enjoy murder mystery novels.

Wow, this was such a good book, read this in one day!

It was so interesting and had a completely different perspective to most books I’ve read. The way this book played on the public view of Nina, Simon and their families was really interesting and I thought it was very true with what we see from the media with a lot of similar scenarios in real life.

The idea that it’s the victim’s fault until proven otherwise I thought was done very well.

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Publishers Australia and the authors for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

What Happened to Nina? is a stand alone mystery from bestselling Irish born Australian based author, Dervla McTiernan.

When Leanne Foster discovers that her daughter’s boyfriend has returned home from a week’s getaway the couple took at his family’s rural retreat, she’s puzzled. Having not heard from Nina, Leanne and her husband try to speak with Simon Jordan, only to be stonewalled by his parents who advise them that the couple broke up and their son has no idea where where Nina could be, before shutting the door on them. It’s the same story, more or less, that Simon gives Detective Matthew Wright who is assigned to investigate after the Foster’s report their daughter as a missing person, but to Nina’s parents it just doesn’t make sense.

Unfolding from multiple points of view, it is the aftermath, rather than the crime itself that is the focus of What Happened to Nina? Desperate to find their missing daughter the Foster’s are willing to risk anything for answers. Meanwhile Simon’s wealthy parents go to extraordinary lengths to protect their son from any suggestion of wrongdoing. I really liked how McTiernan represented the perspectives of the parents, particularly the mother’s, both of whom are faced with the unthinkable.

To be honest though the plot as a whole feels sort of derivative. McTiernan seems to have been heavily inspired by the real-life case involving the murder of Gabby Petito, not only with regards to the facts of the crime, but also the involvement of social media and its impact on the investigation. Had I been less familiar with the case I think I would have found the story more absorbing. That said, the twist at the end was hugely redeeming.

Thought there were elements of What Happened to Nina? that I was impressed by, overall I found it underwhelming. A good read, just not a great read.

When Nina Fraser doesn’t come home after spending the week away with her boyfriend at his family’s holiday home, her parents raise the alarm and the search begins. What Happened To Nina is a slow burn story of suspense that highlights the inequities of those with money and those without when it comes to the law as well as the dangers of social media. It captures the frantic moments of disbelief and disquiet that any parent would be feeling as they call in the police and then face the media frenzy that soon follows.

Simon Jordan appears to have a plausible explanation for the fact that he returned from the holiday alone, leaving girlfriend Nina behind. His claim is that they had broken up and that Nina had chosen to be picked up by a friend rather than travel back with him. His assumption is that she chose to lift her spirits by partying with her friends before coming back.

Right from the first moments that Nina’s parents become aware she’s missing there’s a sense of desperation that propels the story forward. Leanne and Andy are desperate for answers but, when they take the reasonable route and knock on the Jordan’s door looking for Nina, the brushing off they get is nothing short of insulting. It has the effect of stoking their fears while also lighting a fire of outrage under them. The result is a powder keg of emotions just waiting for a spark to ignite the action.

The story is largely told from the points of view of the parents, giving us a deep understanding of the state of mind of each of them as the investigation progresses. There’s little doubt, once we get to know each of the parents innermost thoughts, who are to be painted as the villains of the piece. From there, it’s just a question as to what the final destination is going to be and how rocky the ride’s going to be.

Suffice to say, the ride’s not a comfortable one.

Dervla McTiernan has done a tremendous job of giving her characters rich and complete descriptions, making it possible to love, admire, hate or abhor them as each is deemed appropriate. Once again, the modern influence of social media makes its presence felt, much to the dismay of many, I’d hazard a guess. Used carefully, some might say deceitfully, social media can be a powerful tool, capable of swaying the opinions of thousands.

From very early on there is a decidedly adversarial tone to the story which makes for some uncomfortable moments. But it’s these moments that are so fascinating and serve to build a foundation upon which poor decisions are made leading us inevitably down a dark alley in which it’s difficult to spot any winners at all. I felt that there were elements to the final few chapters that evoked some of the finest noir crime novels of the modern era.

What Happened To Nina? is a thought provoking family drama that I found to be gripping for its true to life situation and the realistic reactions of the main players. Readers who enjoy a domestic drama will find themselves quickly picking sides and sympathising with the predicament that both families find themselves in.

My thanks to HarperCollins Australia via NetGalley for my digital ARC that allowed me to read, enjoy and review this book.

Nina Fraser goes missing. The last person to spend time with her is her boyfriend, Simon Jordan.
I loved the way Nina describes her life and relationships with her boyfriend and family. Nina is a climber and loves spending time out of doors.
This was easy to read with short chapters told by told by Nina’s family and Simon’s family.
Full of twists and turns as Nina’s family try to find out where Nina is. Set mostly in Waitsfield, Vermont.
Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for a chance to read and review this E-Book.

It’s petty clear that this book was likely inspired by the Gabby Petito/Brian Laundrie case. The base elements are similar in that both cases a young couple go away (for a long term trip in Petito/Laundrie’s case, only for weekend or short break in the case of Nina and Simon in the book) and only one of the couple returns. In both cases there are confusing details around what happened, why the woman was left on her own and when they were last seen as well. And in both cases, the parents of the returning person go to great lengths to protect them including obstructing justice.

But there are also a lot of differences in the story. Although some of the set up is the same, the author takes that publicly known case and reshapes it into something new here. It’s not really about the investigation – the reader knows what has happened to Nina, just not really the how. It’s more about the aftermath. The desperation of Nina’s parents in trying to get even a shred of information out of Simon and his family. And from Simon’s family’s perspective, the fact that they won’t let this be his downfall. In the beginning, they are determined not to have this pinned on him and they are willing to reshape the narrative in any way they can.

There is a discrepancy in wealth and status between Simon’s family and Nina’s family and it’s clear that it had an impact on the opinion of both sets of parents on the relationship, which began when they were in early high school. Simon is wealthy and privileged and his mother in particular, doesn’t seem to see Nina as good enough, despite her beauty and intelligence. Nina’s parents have struggled more and her mother in turn, sees a bit of an entitlement in Simon and doesn’t like the intensity of the relationship especially as they’re still very young. When Simon reappears and Nina does not, Simon’s father swings into action, with lawyers and threats but also carefully curated public offers of assistance. The place where Nina and Simon were staying over the weekend belongs to Simon’s parents. So of course they want to be helpful……..

This book also delves into the role the public plays in these high profile cases – in ways that are not at all helpful. Online trolls and people who who latch onto the faintest of rumours or even professional media spinners, hired to start an alternative narrative in order to deflect attention…. it’s all in here. In Nina’s case, her parents find themselves not the victims but under the microscope with all aspects of their lives picked over. Nina’s father in particular, finds himself the subject of a rumour that is completely untrue and yet people who have known him all his life basically, believe it without question. He finds the school unhelpful – because Simon’s parents were wealthy donors. It’s easy to imagine this happening, read the comments on pretty much any news story online and you’ll see how this begins to spiral out of control.

I probably shouldn’t, but I have to admit, I did find elements of this story quite….satisfying, in a way? That the actions of some people came back upon them in the worst way and that the actions of others…..served a purpose for them, I guess. I definitely found one or two things to be unexpected in the story and I felt like it worked well. The last third of book felt so high stakes with the search for answers and if there’d ever be ‘justice’.

I read this in a single sitting – from the very beginning I was hooked. I think it helped that it seemed to be inspired by a very high profile case, the sort that everyone was familiar with. This is a very different take on it even with the bare bones of it being a similar kind of thing. I wanted to see just how different it would be (and the answer is very) and the family dynamics sucked me in. I especially found the relationship between Simon’s parents to be interesting. It’s clear that Simon’s father believes that money buys you the sort of privilege that means you shouldn’t be treated like the regular folks and he’s willing to do a lot to protect Simon. It definitely asks the question of….what would you do? How far would you go to protect your child, which I think was also asked in the wake of the actions of Brian Laundrie’s parents. And on the flip side……how far will Nina’s parents to go to get justice for what they know has occurred?

Clever and engrossing.

8/10

Dervla has that knack of capturing a reader from the beginning & maintaining engagement with short chapters that keep you reading just one more. At times it felt like watching a true crime documentary, the scenes portrayed being so vivid. When Nina goes missing her ex-boyfriend’s story doesn’t quite add up & both Nina & Simon’s families are both drawn into the mystery. Events unfurl & with Simon being an unlikeable character from the outset suspicions immediately surround him. Nina’s family are convinced he is guilty whilst Simon’s parents are prepared to do anything to protect him. A very relevant novel which covers the way in which social media can impact investigations & even cast doubt & muddy the waters. I devoured the book & enjoyed it thoroughly, not predicting the ending. I think however I would have preferred it to have been set in Australia, but that’s just my own opinion.

Wow! I got sucked into What Happened To Nina right away with the prologue. The rest of the book had no trouble at all keeping me hooked. The characters are all so believable and their emotions in the search for Nina and answers as to what happened are entirely convincing. I didn’t like Simon’s parents Jamie and Rory but boy, could I understand their feelings andactions, even if I didn’t agree with them. Icould completely understand Nina’s parents Leanne and Andy. I’d be just as distraught as Leanne in the same circumstances. Nina’s younger sister Grace was also well presented as a teenager unable to see the full picture. Simon, Nina’s boyfriend was a monster. Sorry to those people who haen’t read the book, but what a manipulative creep! Needless to say, this book kept me on my toes throughout. It is a gripping and enthralling read.

This is my first McTiernan novel and I thought it was tremendous especially when we the reader find out what happens to Nina relatively early in the book. Besides some wonderful character development, McTiernan is especially keen to give us a sense of what role media and social media play in such significant crime cases. It's given me a wake up call to now be very careful in my discernment when consuming media/social media as it involves high profile crime cases.

McTiernan tells us the story through the eyes of a number of characters: Nina (initially), Simon's parents, Jamie and Rory, Matthew Wright the lead detective, Nina's parents, Leanne and Andy and her sister Grace. It was fascinating seeing each of their reactions and responses.

It's also a fascinating insight into how fragile we are when shocking events occur. All four parents respond in ways that both surprise them and we as readers. Matthew Wright, the detective, provides a calm outsider's perspective, even though it's intriguing that we know more than he does. I really like Matthew and his junior cop, Sarah Jane. They're a good team that work the various angles and even though hit many roadblocks have the wherewithall to deviate to alternative actions.

The impact social media played really surprised me. How it could blow apart an innocent family's lives seemed incredible and frightening. It was both a good warning to the reader to be very careful in participating in 'muddying the waters' as well as taking everything you read with a grain of salt until there's some external confirmation.

The role of family and raising children is another observation. Simon's family are wealthy, he's a single child, with parents who are in a loveless marriage. Rory, his father, is a powerful man who has plenty of money to 'muddy the waters' and we see the impact the wealthy can have in changing the conversation around such cases. Jamie, Simon's mum, plays the dutiful wife and mother. Simon has grown up with a detached father, a mum that will look after his every whim, and an ability to mask his true emotions and the truth. We're told repeatedly that Simon and Nina's love for each other is strong even though we don't see enough of them together to witness it.

Andy and Leanne Fraser, Nina's parents, are quite different. They're working class, Leanne runs an inn which she'd built from the ground up. She too is detached to some extent and it's so sad how Nina's disappearance affects her. Andy, though not Nina's biological father, loves her dearly and their youngest, Grace. Andy understandably struggles with how Leanne struggles with the disappearance.

There are a number of twists in the last fifty pages which surprised me and it was interesting how McTiernan leaves it at the end which left me a little unsettled.

I received early access to the book from the publisher via Net Galley but this has had no bearing on my review. I suspect I might go back and read one of the Cormac Reilly series as they appear extremely popular with McTiernan's readers.

EXCERPT: I switched on the TV but the conference was already over, and I had to wait for an hour before the edited news report came on the channel's Facebook feed. By then I'd finished one glass of wine and started on my second. When the post finally came up, I clicked play and watched as Leanne and Andrew Fraser took to the podium. There was a poster-sized still of Nina on a screen behind them. She was laughing and looked extremely pretty. Leanne looked like hell. Like she hadn't slept in a week, like she'd never been introduced to a hairdresser or the concept of makeup. They talked about Nina. It was hard to watch. Leanne came across badly. She was robotic and unnatural. I think I was actually starting to feel sorry for her, until right before the end, when she all but said straight out that our family was hiding something. That we were preventing a search of our land, which was utter bullshit but was exactly the kind of thing that would supercharge the gossip engine. She also made it clear that she thought Simon was lying.

ABOUT 'WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA?': Nina and Simon are the perfect couple. Young, fun and deeply in love. Until they leave for a weekend at his family's cabin in Vermont, and only Simon comes home.

WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA?

Nobody knows. Simon's explanation about what happened in their last hours together doesn't add up. Nina's parents push the police for answers, and Simon's parents rush to protect him. They hire expensive lawyers and a PR firm that quickly ramps up a vicious, nothing-is-off-limits media campaign.

HOW FAR WILL HIS FAMILY GO TO KEEP HIM SAFE?

Soon, facts are lost in a swirl of accusation and counter-accusation. Everyone chooses a side, and the story goes viral, fuelled by armchair investigators and wild conspiracy theories and illustrated with pretty pictures taken from Nina's social media accounts. Journalists descend on their small Vermont town, followed by a few obsessive 'fans.'

HOW FAR WILL HER FAMILY GO TO GET TO THE TRUTH?

Nina's family is under siege, but they never lose sight of the only thing that really matters - finding their daughter. Out-gunned by Simon's wealthy, powerful family, Nina's parents recognize that if playing by the rules won't get them anywhere, it's time to break them.

MY THOUGHTS: This is the first book I have read by Dervla McTiernan that I haven't absolutely ravaged. Don't get me wrong - I liked it. I didn't love it.

The story is told from multiple points of view: that of Nina's parents, her sister Grace, Simon's parents and the lead detective on the case.

It starts out well, recounting Nina and Simon's hiking trip, but without revealing the outcome so, initially, we don't know what has happened to Nina. There is a flurry of activity which keeps the suspense running high at the onset of the investigation, but then there is a kind of flat period where there seems to be a lot of filler material which doesn't contribute a lot to the story.

McTiernan has drawn some brilliant characters. Simon comes across as smarmy and entitled. His mother Jamie is a first wife who knows her days are numbered as more and more of her husband's friends and associates trade their first wives in for younger models. Jamie is not stupid - she has a plan. Rory her husband comes across as cold and autocratic. He makes the money, so his word is law. Nina's parents are more ordinary folk. Leanne runs the family inn while Andrew is a landscaper.

Much will be made of the fact that Andrew is not Nina's biological father and questions are raised on social media about what actually happened to her father. There are also some rather awful aspersions cast against Andrew's character. Thus is the power of social media. I was rather appalled by the lengths Simon's parents went to in 'managing' the content.

The ending was the redeeming factor for me. All of a sudden the plot took off like a bullet train and it became unputdownable.

I believe this was based on a real crime that occurred in America, but of which we heard little or nothing here in the antipodes. I didn't find this out until after I had finished reading, but I doubt the knowledge would have increased my enjoyment. On the other hand, I may have looked up the case to familiarize myself with it before I started. Who knows?

And the cover - having read the book, I can't see that the cover is relevant. Perhaps the backdrop shot of Nina used for the press conference, or a still of her pushing Simon into the pool may have been more appropriate.

What Happened to Nina? is due for publication 28th February 2024.

⭐⭐⭐.8

#WhatHappenedtoNina #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Dervla spent twelve years working as a lawyer. Following the global financial crisis, she moved from Ireland to Western Australia and turned her hand to writing. Dervla lives in Perth, with her husband, two children and far too many pets.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Harper Collins Publishers Australia via NetGalley for providing an ARC of What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I was a huge fan of Dervla’s Cormac Reilly series, but haven’t yet read the Murder Rule that was released a couple of years ago now. I had high hopes going into this because of the Cormac Reilly series and while I did enjoy it, I wish Dervla would write another police procedural focused series because in my opinion that’s where her writing shines. Disclaimer for this review is that when I realised this was yet another story about a young girl domestically abused and possibly killed by her boyfriend I lost interest. Am I the only one thinking this subject matter has been done again and again recently? Whilst these issues are hugely prevalent and truly horrifying, there are only so many times I want to read about it.
Overall I think this story was good, but nothing about it felt unusual or unique unfortunately which is why I’m rating the book 3 stars. I was in two minds wanting to rate the book 4 stars, particularly as I’ve been a fan of the author in the past, but when I think about how much I have loved other books that I’ve given 4 stars to, it didn't feel right. The characters were developed really well and I think the story progression flowed well and kept me interested right to the end. I didn’t have any sense of tension or eeriness that I often feel with a good mystery or thriller but it was still very readable. I’m looking forward to seeing what the author writes next and fingers crossed for a police procedural. Thank you NetGalley for providing this eARC for review, all opinions are my own.

As the title suggests, Nina is missing. Her boyfriend, Simon, claims that Nina was alive and waiting for a friend to pick her up from his family’s vacation property when he saw her last. Nina’s parents are not quite so sure, and nor is the police detective assigned to the case.

Most reviewers have mentioned that McTiernan has used the real life case of Gabby Petito as her inspiration for What Happened to Nina. I do see the similarities, but there’s enough differences for readers to still be surprised by some of the events in the book. One of the main similarities McTiernan included between the real life case and her fictional one is social media scrutiny. It’s quite scary to think how easily people can be influenced by a couple of Facebook posts.

The story is told from multiple points of view and McTiernan’s writing style made this a very fast read, I finished it in only a couple of days. It’s definitely a standalone tale but, I will admit, I wouldn’t be adverse to McTiernan giving Detective Matthew Wright another outing some time.

Recommended and it wouldn’t surprise me if this was one day turned into a tv series.

5 out of 5

This book drew me in SO quickly and I found it very hard to put down. You meet Nina in the prologue where she is starting to see her boyfriend Simon as controlling and somewhat arrogant. She makes a decision that she is going to break up with him the next morning and go her own way. At the present moment they are hiking and rock climbing on his parents rural property.
When the story starts, Nina has been missing for 24 hours. Her mother and step-father are growing concerned. Simon is back with his parents Jamie and Rory and tells them Nina and he had an argument, she was fine when he left and confessed to having cheated on him.
A chain of events unfurls, in which Leanne and Andy, the parents of Nina, who work hard and are very middle class, lock horns with Jamie and Rory, a couple who are wealthy, privileged and well connected. Social media also becomes involved with trolls weighing in on what could have possibly happened to Nina. Both sides become their worst selves.
There are a couple of twists in the story and one in particular near the end left me with a very sour taste in my mouth. However, the story is very well written, believable and unfortunately a reflection of our present world.
Thank you Harper Collins Australia and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this digital ARC.