Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter is the twenty-fifth novel by bets-selling British writing duo, Nicci French. On December 22nd, 1990, East Anglia mother of four, Charlotte Salter failed to turn up at her husband, Alec’s 50th birthday party, and was never seen again. Everyone who knew her knew that Charlotte loved life, loved people and loved her children. She has a particular talent for making everybody with whom she interacted feel special.

The inexperience of the young constable who initially handled the report led to gross errors that hampered the investigation. Three days later, the body of her friend and neighbour, tree surgeon Duncan Ackerley was found in the river.

The DI sent to lead the investigation into both cases proved not only incompetent, but also disorganised, arrogant, ageist, and especially sexist when a smart female constable made some pertinent points. She saw that “There were too many strands, a mess of false leads and disconnected fragments, and no-one was keeping an eye on the big picture.”

After a lacklustre effort by that DI, it was concluded by police that Ackerley killed Charlotte, then committed suicide in remorse, and the press release vaguely implied this. Both families were left wondering.

Almost thirty-two years on, Morgan Ackerley, younger son of Duncan and now a famous TV personality, has come back to Glensted to interview those who were around at the time for a podcast about the two cases which he reasons is necessary because ”It’s the tragedy of two families, it’s the tragedy of a village, and it’s the tragedy of a system that failed us all.” Is he hoping to reveal what really happened, or just gain some closure?

Meanwhile, Etty Salter and her two surviving brothers are in Glensted to clear out the family home so that Alec, now demented, can go into a care facility. They engage the services of a local woman skilled at clearing homes in these circumstances, but perhaps a bit more careless about confidentiality than they might expect.

While plenty of locals do consent to take part, Etty declines to participate in the podcast, but when someone is murdered, it is quickly apparent that not everyone is happy that this long-buried topic is again being exposed to the light. Or, was it maybe getting too close to the truth?

Even though Hemingford Police have detained someone for this latest death, the Met sends DI Maud O’Connor from London to take over the case. She meets resentment and a lack of cooperation from most who are meant to be helping solve the case. When she brings in her very pregnant colleague, Carrie Kessler to look over the facts and share an opinion, she tells her: “I’d like to do what the ancient Romans did to their opponents. I’d like to get rid of the whole department, demolish the police station, plough the ground where it stood, put salt in the earth so that nothing will grow there and then start all over again.”

But Maud is determined, and soon has the unwilling team reviewing all three cases. When they start getting results, she gains the grudging respect of the Hemingford team.

Another cleverly-plotted piece of crime fiction in which, even if the astute reader works out early on where Charlotte might be, the who, how and why, and the occasional red herring, will keep the reader guessing and the pages turning right up to the final reveal. The writing talent of this duo is unmatched and they never disappoint.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Australia.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French is a captivating psychological thriller that delves into the depths of human secrets and the enduring impact of past traumas. The novel follows Maud O'Connor, a woman haunted by the disappearance of her mother, Charlotte Salter, thirty years earlier. As Maud investigates her mother's disappearance, she unravels a web of lies and deceit, uncovering a dark secret that threatens to destroy her family.

French's writing is both suspenseful and emotionally charged, drawing readers into the story and keeping them hooked until the very end. The characters are complex and well-developed, each with their own hidden agendas and motivations. The plot is intricate and full of twists and turns, keeping readers guessing until the final reveal.

Overall, Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? is a highly recommended read for fans of psychological thrillers and suspenseful mysteries. It is a gripping and thought-provoking novel that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.

The plot grabbed me straight away. Who doesn't love a plot involving a podcast. It was definitely a slow burner which unfortunately affected my rating. I failed to connect with the story, I'm disappointed as I had such high hopes.

My Rating: 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ build up was slow but good… ending was a let down!!!

The GoodReads synopsis gives a quite in-depth overview of this one so I recommend reading that before you go in… it will probably annoy a lot of people going in blind because this one is a slow burn.

I personally didn’t mind the slow burn… it was quite slow at times with a lot of Where is Charlotte talk as you can imagine but I don’t mind a build up. It was also split into three parts the 1990 section of when Charlotte disappeared, Thirty years later when Charlotte still hasn’t been found and part three is still in the present but from the police department’s perspective.

I found the split really interesting and I liked all three of the POV’s and timelines… it was interesting to see how different things were (in the story) thirty years prior and how poorly the police handled the storyline. The writing was quite good I didn’t really have any qualms with that.

Why you ask did I only give this three stars… well mostly it was because of two reasons, some red herrings were really laboured and leant on to steer you in the wrong direction way to heavily and the ending. The ending didn’t work for me.

I didn’t understand why it happened… I mean I do get it but after all those pages and all that backstory and history the reason behind the why Charlotte disappeared was breezed over in a matter of the last 10% and then see ya later we are done. There was no insights, no flashback to that night…after all the angst and sadness to just blast through it and wrap it up felt disrespectful to the reader.

I was also really sick and tired of all the red herrings… this person surely did it… and it became super obvious that they didn’t cause it was being shoved so far down our throats that it would be too obvious.

Overall it was good… but for a book that was highly anticipated for me it fell flat and it took me ages to read partially because I was busy, but mainly because it wasn’t grabbing my attention enough. If you have it on your list and you feel that you must read it… then definitely read it its not bad… its just not one of those novels that I will ever think about again unfortunately. I would like to try some of the authors other work. I do hope its a bit shorter because I feel like this could have been 100 pages shorter.

Thank you to William Morrow Paperbacks, NetGalley and Nicci French for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a great book and great writing from Nicci French. The story of a missing mother, never found and the search which begins again many years later. Etty is now a grown woman and has returned to her home town to settle her dad in a care home. But will this bring back the angst and heart-break of when her mother went missing all those years ago? Will Etty get the answers she is looking for?

This is a book that is a wonderful psychological thriller and one that will keep you wondering. What did happen all those years ago. So well written it gets into your mind and makes you think, you can feel the tension on the pages of this book.

This is a book full of great characters, the plot will keep you guessing and you will be scratching your head trying to work it out. A book not to be missed and not to be put down until you finish the final page!

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster (Australia) for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A nerve-tingling and atmospheric thriller from master of suspense Nicci French about two families shattered by tragedy and the secrets that have been waiting decades to be revealed. On the day of Alec Salter’s fiftieth birthday party, just before Christmas 1990, his wife Charlotte vanishes.

I have always enjoyed books by Nikki French and this one did not disappoint. Family dynamics that span over many years usually always provide a captivating read, books like this I really enjoy, I am sure we all have members of our own families that have their own inner secrets and truths that may remain hidden at times, this is quite often just a part of human nature as we are all can be such complicated beings. I found the book to be exceptionally emotive and got lost in the characters and revelations as the book progressed.

My only issue with the book is that it could have been condensed a bit, some of the plot was a bit drawn out and did drag at times, I still continued to read as I wanted to see how this would all pan out and am glad I did. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Another winner from Nicci French! This book spans decades and provides tragic insights into the lasting effects of family trauma. The town and the characters truly came alive for me in the descriptive language and the cleverly presented interactions. The use of the podcast as a plot device was perfect. I didn’t work out the solution until very close to the reveal, which made it such an exciting experience as a mystery reader.