Nina Fraser, twenty years old, has been a high school sweet heart with Simon Jordan since highschool. When they finished high school, they started a long distance relationship and Simon always manages to come for a visit every other weekend.
One day, Simon asked Nina to spend time at Stowe, his family's holiday house. Both of them supposedly to be back on Saturday, however Nina never comes back. Simon version of the story that Nina dumped him so he left Stowe house that night as Nina will be picked up by some other guy.
Nina's parents feel that is so out of character of Nina, and Simon's story just didn't make a lot of sense.
While they are hoping to get Nina back, her family also becomes a victim of internet and journalism.
This book will show you how far parents will do for their children. The characters and the plot are so believable.

It's an emotional yet suspenful story and will hook you from the first chapter. This is my first book from this author and I totally love her writing style.

Another gripping stand alone novel from Dervla. I was hooked from the conversational prologue and it was interesting getting to know Simon and Nina and it gave you a really good sense of things to come. Set in Vermont, the story explores a number of themes including toxic relationships, victim blaming, different socioeconomic status, the role of social media in high profile crime stories.

Told from multiple points of views, we get to know Nina and Simon’s parents, Nina’s sister and the detective working the case. I enjoyed seeing the different points of view and seeing how the story played out. I connected with both Nina’s mother and step- father. Both were hard working people who managed to make the most of their lives and provide a better future for their kids. Whilst at times their actions frustrated me I could see why there were driven to do what they did and was glad to see them get the justice they deserved.

In contrast, Simon’s parents came from a place of wealth and seeing how they manipulated the investigation and used their wealth and power to do the best for their son. I found father Rory in particular hard to connect with, however, Jamie, his mother despite the facade was a lot more down to earth. It was interesting to see how I felt about the two different sets of parents, given both just wanted to do the best for their child.

I enjoyed the police procedural component of the novel too. Whilst we did get main detective Matthew’s point of view, I was keen to learn more from rookie cop Sarah Jane. She seemed to have an interesting back story and brought about an interesting perspective. The story moved at a fast pace and I found it hard to put down. Dervla has made her way onto my autobuy author list.

I enjoyed this book and apart from being a murder mystery it is also a look at news reporting and social media’s ability to ruin lives.
Nina and Simon are high school, sweet hearts and have been going out for 4 years. Both good looking out doors people and both madly in love with each other. When Nina and Simon go on a tandem rope climb it doesn’t end how Nina imagined, on her descent her rope goes slack and she falls the last bit of the climb injuring herself. Back in the lodge she starts reflecting on how Simon has been treating her when they are alone, and how she knows he untied the rope so she would fall. Deciding to end it with Simon she goes down stairs to confront him. She is never seen again.
When Nina doesn’t come home and her parents cannot get in contact with her they call the police. Of course it looks like Simon had something to do with it being the last person to see her alive. He claims they had a fight and he left Nina at the cabin and drove home. Simons parents are wealthy and quickly lawyer up.
The case hits the headlines and the internet trolls come out, Andy, Nina’s father is accused of being a paedophile and starts losing clients in his landscaping business. Nina is painted as a drug addict and a girl who sleeps around.
About half way through the book we find out what happened to Nina but all is not straight forward. As some strive to cover things up Nina’s family take matters into their own hands.

#WhatHappenedToNina. #NetGalley

It took me a bit to get into this book but once I did, I couldn't put it down!! Really makes you think...what would you do??

An enchanting psychological tale, What Happened to Nina? (2024) by Dervla McTiernan is a suspenseful investigation into a young woman’s disappearance. Nina and her high school boyfriend end their relationship while away together rock climbing. When Simon returns earlier than expected from their holiday, he says he left Nina on her own at the property. When Nina fails to contact her parents and doesn’t return when expected, her parents are extremely concerned. With no sign of Nina, the police investigate and the increasingly publicized case become a social media frenzy with speculated suspicions. Narrated by multiple characters, the disappearance of Nina is an increasingly tense crime mystery of just how far two families will go to protect their child. It’s a gripping, psychological astute thriller with a five stars first-class thriller read rating. With thanks to Faber and Faber Ltd and the author, for an uncorrected advanced review copy for review purposes. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without inducement.

Deep Questions: 'What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan

Irish-born Australian author Dervla McTiernan writes gripping crime fiction with well drawn characters and vivid settings. What Happened to Nina? is set in a snowy Vermont winter, and centres around the main character, twenty year old Nina.

The prologue tells us much of what we need to know about the story. Nina lives with her mum, stepfather and younger sister Grace. She has a boyfriend, Simon Jordan, and they both love rock climbing.

One weekend they go away to stay at Simon’s family holiday cabin to climb and spend time together. Only one of the pair returns from that weekend away.

So, what did happen to Nina?

The narrative takes the reader into the aftermath of crime: the devastation wreaked on a victim and their family, as well as on the perpetrator’s. To a certain extent, the novel keeps us guessing, as both Nina and Simon’s families have different versions of the events that played out that weekend.

In essence, it is a story of the awful acts that people can commit, and the lies they can tell to avoid responsibility. As readers we are invited to step into the shoes of the main people involved: Nina’s parents and sister, and Simon, his mother and father. How do you move on from tragedy? How can justice be best served? What lengths would a parent go to, to protect their child?

It also touches on the power of social media to work both for and against victims of crime and their loved ones.

It’s the kind of crime fiction I enjoy, raising deep questions about human behaviour and asking the reader to reflect on those questions. I found it compelling, the characters believable and in some respects, the events all too familiar.

What Happened to Nina? is published by HarperCollins in March 2024.
My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This was my first time picking up a Dervla McTiernan book so I was interested to see the approach to what is, strictly speaking, a fairly run-of-the-mill premise for a crime thriller.
Very briefly, Nina goes missing after spending a week hiking and climbing with her boyfriend, Simon who may or may not have done something untoward in the early chapters. I’m fairly sure there isn’t meant to be any ambiguity in those early chapters, this is not so much a ‘whodunnit’ as a ‘whydunnit’ and even at that, we don’t really find that out other than to come to our own conclusions.
Usually these stories are told from the point of view of a grieving parent or the investigating cop but McTiernan has changed things up a little to give us the points-of-view of all four parents, the investigating cop and two other characters whom I won’t spoil. Presenting them all in first-person narrative is an impressive approach and, for the most part, pays off.
The two mothers are well formulated characters – Jamie, in particular, goes on a journey throughout the book as she comes to terms with nagging realisations about her child. McTiernan taps into the notion of the ‘rich and privileged’ very well through Jamie, and also through some other secondary characters like the abhorrent school principal.
The two, almost mirror exchanges between the two mothers, at the beginning and end of the book respectively, showcase a kind of cruel symmetry – an element of the ‘biter shall be bitten’, that makes the reader really consider how they would act in a similar situation.
All in, this is a thought-provoking drama that, while not shocking the reader with its twists, solidly explores the aspects around these types of cases. I felt like the case’s conclusion wasn’t particularly strong and was a bit tagged on at the end, although I did like t he character interactions that resulted in said conclusion.
3.5 stars, rounded up.
Thank you to HarperCollins Australia, via NetGalley, for the ARC of this book.

Nina and Simon are a young couple who spend a weekend at his family’s cabin but only Simon comes home. Soon after, Nina’s parents report her missing and continue to push the police for answers. Meanwhile, Simon’s parents hire expensive lawyers and a PR firm to protect him as it becomes increasingly clear that his story doesn’t add up.

This novel takes us on along twisty and plausible paths as we try to discover what really did happen to Nina. Layers are stripped from both sets of parents as their reactions all become more and more emotional and irrational. Everyone’s focus is on protecting their children, no matter what the outcome.

What Happened to Nina? is a story that shows us that, when our families are under threat, anything goes.

The title of this novel also acts as a summary of the driving force in this compelling and thoughtful mystery.
Nina Fraser is young, beautiful, bright and happy. She has a loving family, an adoring boyfriend, and her life is just starting.

Then one day Nina doesn’t return from a weekend away with her boyfriend, Simon. He says they broke up and he returned alone, but there’s plenty about his story which doesn’t make sense. It’s not long before Nina’s family begins to entertain the darkest of suspicions: Simon has done something to Nina.

But Simon’s family is wealthy and influential. Simon can hide behind that wealth and what it buys: lawyers, publicists, the ability to dodge questions. Nina’s family turn to ever more desperate ways of trying to find Nina – or answers.

McTiernan is a fine writer of crime novels, and a fine observer of human nature. The result is a crime novel with a lot of emotional depth. McTiernan creates strong and nuanced characters, and then takes us deep into their emotional turmoil.

So far as the crime plot goes, most readers will see the major strands fairly early on. However, McTiernan creates just enough doubt to keep you unsure – do you really know what happened? Even when the reader has some answers, there’s a lot of residual tension around the question of who else will figure things out, and when and how.

The plot is relatively straightforward, and it’s not really a mystery, though definitely a crime. I found this unputdownable, but it was the tension around the characters and their discoveries which held me.

I particularly delighted in the portrayals of Nina’s mother, Leanne, and Simon’s mother Jamie. Both women have the same ultimate goal – to protect their child – but this shared goal puts them at odds. McTiernan skillfully has them mirroring each other in ways that encourage the reader to empathise with both. Neither are perfect, but most will feel some sympathy for both.

This is smoothly written in multiple voices. It gives us a sense that we know the situation far better than any character, but also builds tension as we see events through a different person’s eyes.

I flat out enjoyed this. It’s a really strong crime novel, but also a really strong portrayal of multiple characters in a horrifically challenging situation. The final pages will stay with me for some time.

I WILL PUBLISH THIS REVIEW CLOSER TO PUBLICATION DATE AND WILL RETURN TO ADD LINKS THEN

As always, Dervla McTiernan has delivered a riveting page-turner! What Happened to Nina is a portrayal of tragic events in a small community, and the ripple effect felt by the families involved. The plot is engrossing and the characters well-developed and believable. Highly recommended. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is another amazing book by Dervla McTiernan. I think she’s done a marvelous job with characters Nina and Simon, and a storyline that really grabbed me. I love a book that keeps me guessing, and I found myself reading faster and faster wanting to find out what happened. That’s certainly a sign of a great book. From start to finish this is a novel well worth reading. 5/5 Star Rating

I’ve enjoyed Dervla McTiernan’s previous books so was really looking forward to this one and it didn’t disappoint. This was a real page turner that I had to keep reading to see what was going to happen.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

Dervla McTiernan has a way of hooking the reader from the get go and making sure you can’t put the book down. I devoured this one in less than 12 hours. Each chapter ending just had me needing more and before I knew it the book was over.

A missing girl, a boyfriend with a story that doesn’t quite add up, 2 families in distress as police investigate and the story goes viral, bringing the armchair detectives to life. It is always the boyfriend right… well this boyfriend is just vile. What Nina saw in him is beyond me. His family will do anything to protect him while Nina’s family are convinced that he is guilty.

This is an emotional story as the families try to deal with the public, the lies that are being told about them, and the rumours about Nina and Simon. Some characters you will feel for more than others. It made me sad, it made me angry.

Thanks to Harper Collins for the advanced copy of this book to read. Publishes in Australia on February 28th

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for this ARC.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Dervla McTiernan is such an underrated author. What Happened to Nina? was no exception. I was hooked from the first chapter and couldn’t stop until I finished it. I loved the writing style and the characters and would recommend this book time and time again!

A terrific mystery with Dervla McTiernan bringing her usual ability to draw the reader in and create a world where everything seems to be right there.

Interesting premise and I definitely want to read this. I will rate 5 stars for fairness but Harper Collins Australia needs to stop making it so we cannot read these books on our kindle. It is unrealistic to expect people to read these on the stupid NetGalley shelf. I will read this once published.