I have taken to never rating any book less than three stars, and that's what this story gets from me.
3 stars, for me at least, means 'just not for me'. And simply put, this book was just that- Promising, just not for me. :)

I want to start by saying thank you to Netgalley and Sue Fortin for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC!
I did have a lot of fun venturing into a genre I don't normally read, and the suspense of this one definitely opened my horizons to seeking out this genre in the future! So thank you for that. :)

Thanks Storm Publishing, Sue Fortin, and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this eARC! Overall, this was a nice, quick read that had me guessing up until the end.

This thriller is about Siobhan, who comes home to Ireland, 6 months after her sister Kathleen went missing. This takes us through the web of secrets that some one of these locals have that involved the disappearance of Kathleen, which they aren’t too happy about Siobhan stirring the pot with her investigation. While Siobhan uncovers more of the truth, her daughter goes missing and she fears the worst.

I did enjoy the twists and turns of what happened to Kathleen and the secrets that people were keeping. As a mom to my daughter, I felt for Siobhan when her daughter went missing. I was not expecting what happened to Kathleen and I’m glad we had a happy ending. I also enjoyed the back and forth between present day and leading up to when Kathleen went missing.

I do wish we got more of a POV from Kathleen throughout the book. It was also sometimes confusing when the chapter focused on a different side character. I don’t think the title was the best choice for this story though since it was more about Siobhan/her immediate family over Kathleen. This was a bit of a slow start for me but overall, it was a good thriller!

3/5 ⭐️

You think you know how this one goes but you really have no idea. Sue does a great job of taking you through not just the present and dealing with a missing woman but also what led up to it and how her sister can ultimately save her. Great Read!

I read a prepublication version of this novel. It was very enjoyable - well structured and sequenced - and peopled with interesting characters. The interplay between the characters, the red herrings thrown into the mystery, and the sister relationships were fascinating and kept me reading to sort out the multiple mysteries within the primary one.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this advanced readers copy!

This is my first review, as well as my first read from Sue Fortin! I am giving it a 3.5 star review.

Little bit of a slow burn, but the flashback chapters keep you motivated. I enjoy the true details of the story related to the setting and characters.

The style reminded me a little bit of Shari Lapena or BA Paris.

There was one review mentioning about words used that were difficult to decipher. That’s the Irish. I’m glad the author kept the authentic names and spellings. I wouldn’t let that affect your review if yourself having the same thought.

This was a wild ride and I was totally here for it! I love me a happy ending and this book did not disappoint. This was my 1st book by Sue Fortin but will not be my last, I am adding all of her books to my TBR. I can't wait to see what she puts out next!

#TheMissingWife
#NetGalley

Siobhan returns to her home town of Dingle in Ireland 6 months after her sister went missing and starts to dig up the past to find out what really happened to Kathleen, uncovering dangerous secrets along her way and really causing a stir in the village.

This started off great for me. I loved that i was almost reading it in an Irish accent, too. However, i got to 40/50% in, and it was OK, but once i put this down, I had absolutely no desire to ever pick it back up again. There was nothing drawing me in or having me eager to want to read on. I tried a few times but always just put it down after one chapter. I don't have any desire to finish this or care to know how it ends. Sadly, i DNF. Which is a shame as the beginning was really fast-paced, and I started off thinking this would be 5* for me.

Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing, and Sue Fortin for a copy of this in exchange for my hobest review.

This was an easy read. The urgency of the characters felt genuine and it was compelling enough to make me finish it in one sitting.

I did think the plot was a little predictable at times but I really enjoyed the premise that sat behind the plot.

This gripping mystery unravels in the tight-knit Irish community, where the disappearance of Kathleen Walsh becomes a haunting enigma. The tension between Kathleen and her sister, Siobhan, adds layers to the narrative, as the search for answers takes unexpected turns.

The discovery of Kathleen's purse on the rocky cliffs sets off a chain of events, with a desperate message inside. Siobhan sees it as a chance to rectify past mistakes and find her sister, but the community's reluctance to cooperate adds to the suspense. As Siobhan faces threats and chilling warnings, the stakes escalate, revealing the darkness hidden within the close community.

The author masterfully explores themes of family, loyalty, and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth. The relentless search for Kathleen intertwines with the urgency of finding Siobhan's missing daughter, creating a thrilling and emotional rollercoaster. A must-read for mystery enthusiasts who appreciate a blend of suspense, family drama, and atmospheric storytelling.

Thank you NetGalley for sending me this advanced reader copy.

This book dragged so horribly, I found myself dozing multiple times while reading it. At one point, I even forgot the premise of the book.

There’s no character development, though there was definite opportunity. The MC was very frustrating in her lack of situational awareness. The big reveal about the missing wife fell very flat.

The Missing Wife by Sue Fortin: I was charmed by the characters , intrigued by all the secrets & wowed by the twists and turns. Five stars! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher

Siobhan, a journalist, returns home to a small town in Ireland to try to find out what happened to her older sister, Kathleen. She is shunned by the local community and finds it difficult to find anyone who will help her. As she begins to uncover stray threads that may help her, we begin to find out a little of what led up to Kathleen's disappearance.
I read this in two sittings as I found myself invested in finding out what had happened too. There were several red herrings that led me down unexpected paths as Siobhan uncovers the truth at great cost to herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!

When Siobhan goes back to her hometown of Ireland to investigate her sister’s disappearance, we’re led down a web of lies and cover ups!! I struggled to get into the book for the first little bit but it definitely picked up towards the end!

I liked this book about secrets and powerful family relationships. The location was great too!

I felt the book posed a lot of questions and insights about the pressures that can be subtly employed by those in authority to control behaviour. Cooperation to achieve self interest is surprisingly easy to relate to.

I turned the pages faster and faster to find out more as the plot evolved. The outcome was a relief!

I must also say that a few of the reviews I read were disappointing and harsh. The author, Sue Fortin, deserves more consideration and appreciation for this examination of circumstances that are clearly very “real”!

#TheMissingWife #NetGalley

I never DNF a book and although I came close a couple of times, I am happy I finished it. Gosh….this was a slow read, especially the first half of the book. It just dragged on and it didn’t keep my attention and when that happens I start speed reading instead of fully enjoying the story. I was intrigued by the title and blurb, but even though John’s wife Kathleen goes missing, the story is more about Siobhan who tries to find her sister. So the Title already gave me a wrong idea about the story, but that’s a minor issue. The characters were not likeable at all, which made it worse for me to get through the story. Siobhan was really annoying me and I missed Kathleen her backstory. There were a lot of characters, but it wasn't confusing. I loved the scene setting of the small town of Dingle in Ireland. I enjoyed the descriptions and could easily imagine the Irish town. The second half of the book was better and I enjoyed unravelling the clues. The ‘then’ chapters were the chapters that kept me engaged. The ending was predictable and I wasn't impressed by the twists, but on the other hand, I still enjoyed putting clues together. The attention weaved in the story for sex trafficking and child grooming was well done. If you, however, are sensitive to this, you might want to skip this book. Even tho I wasn't totally impressed with the book, there were some interesting parts that I enjoyed.

Sisters share a special bond and the Regan sisters are no exception, especially when one of them goes missing. Kathleen disappeared after a disastrous birthday dinner with her sisters. Her sister Siobhan misses a late night call from Kathleen pleading for help, but there is no sign of her until her purse turns up in a remote area near her home in Ireland months later. Siobhan races to Ireland with her teenage daughter, Freya, to search for more clues. Unfortunately, there seem to be more people in Dingle that don't want Kathleen found and Siobhan may unwittingly be putting her own daughter in terrible danger.

Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity. Nothing like small town drama to reel you into a story. This book has it all corrupt people, family issues, secrets, etc. You'll want to dive right to find out what happened to The Missing Wife

I truly enjoyed this book! I did find it hard to believe that everyone in the town would be so against Siobhan, but aside from that part, I loved everything else!

really enjoyed this thriller. It was well-written, well thought out and the characters were written with great personalities. I hadn’t guessed the twists at all.

Only thing I struggled to understand entirely was how the title matches the plot. I feel that it could have been given a better title, such as ‘The missing sister’ as the book focuses on Siobhan’s point of view mainly. I feel that the title would work much better in this way. After only reading the title, I initially thought that the book would be from her husband’s point of view. This is only a slight observation, and did not affect my enjoyment of the book.

I would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to read a ‘palate cleanser thriller’. Overall a solid 4 star read. I would certainly be interested in reading more of Fortin’s work. I was impressed with how the story developed, from a low-scale search for the missing sister, Kathleen, into a deeply personal man-hunt for the truth.

I honestly had mixed feelings when I started this book. It seemed to start out a little bit slow and took a little bit to get to the start of the backstory of Kathleen and her disappearance. It all starts with one phone call that Siobhan has been hoping for, someone has found a ourse belonging to her sister Kathleen that has been missing. She quickly packs up her daughter and rushes back to her family home in Dingle in hopes of finally having a break in her disappearance. Not everyone is happy she's back, and even less are happy she's digging for answers and the truth about what happened to her sister. Little does she know she's about to uncover a secret involving high ranking townspeople all while finally solving Kathleen's disappearance. I was a but disappointed how much the storyline seemed to focus more on Siobhan than Kathleen, who was the one who disappeared. The ending I felt was a realistic and happy ending, didn't really leave things unanswered. But again it felt like the ending focused more on Siobhan than it did a few paragraphs to Kathleen. Definitely a good read, just a bit conflicting on the main character versus the title.