"Every Moment Since" is about the disappearance of a small-town boy. Davy played outside in the evening with friends when he lost his way in the local fields. A neighborhood friend last saw Davy and provided a disregarded account of the moments leading up to his disappearance. The book pivots between two timelines: before Davy's disappearance and twenty years later. The author focuses on the emotions of those closest to the case, the family members, friends, and suspects. The guilt experienced by each of the main characters is the novel's focus. Characters like TJ wonder what he could have done to prevent his brother's disappearance. Readers should expect the story to focus more on those emotional experiences. I thought the story was an exciting concept, focusing on emotions instead of the fine details in solving a mystery. However, there is one character whose emotions are less detailed, and they deserve a lot more development. Their role in the story and emotional journey could have been more explored. Overall, I wouldn't say the book was a thriller or a mystery but more about human emotions.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse and Harper Collins Focus for gifting me both a digital and ARC of the new novel by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, with the audio narrated by a wonderful cast. All opinions expressed in this review are my own – 5 stars!

Meet the Malcor family – dad Danny, mom Tabitha, TJ the older brother, and Davy the younger brother. This book begins on a summer night in 1985 – the parents anxious for a night away, TJ anxious to go out with his friends, and Davy wanting to tag along. But nothing will ever be the same after that night because Davy doesn’t come home.

This book slowly draws you in and makes you feel like part of this family going through decades of trauma. Told from multiple POV in different timelines, the reader gets to feel what a tragedy like this does to a family and community. It’s beautifully written, and my heart was in my throat so much of the time. The small-town setting was perfect, because families and lives were intertwined. It’s a wonderful family drama on dealing with grief, as well as a taut mystery to find out what happened with Davy. Highly recommended – the audiobook was done by a full cast and was perfection!

OMG what a tear jerker. I was captivated by the story of this missing little boy and the search for the answers of what happened to him. The guilt, the hurt, the sadness. I couldnt put this book down and look forward to another MaryBeth Mayhew Whalen book. Great narrator!

5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced reader copy!

Publish date: 10/01/2024

Every moment since…. I finished this book I’ve been thinking about it.

Often after listening or reading a book, I will forget the story line. This one will sit with me. Just as the Marybeth Mayhew Whalen explains in the authors note at the end of the book about the inspiration for this book.

There were a lot of characters introduced in this book. With a full cast performing the audiobook, it really helped to keep track of them. There were characters that I really liked… and others who I wanted to shake.

After the disappearance of Davy and years without any evidence of his whereabouts, his jacket is found. What follows is the exploration of the impact these years he’s been missing has had on his mother, brother, a man who was suspected of foul play and a girl who saw him that night and the responsibility they each feel in their involvement. Will the truth come out? Or is this return home a waste of time? Will Davy finally be found?

I didn’t want to stop listening. The narrators brought to life a captivating story told by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen.

Thank you to Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, Harper audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this ARC. I can’t wait to hear what others think!

A quiet, moving novel on loss and its aftermath.

4.5 stars rounded up.

More than twenty years ago, 11-year old Davy disappeared one night without a trace. In the present-day storyline, his older brother has just published a memoir about the still-unsolved mystery when a chance finding finally breaks the entire case wide open.

While what happened to Davy that night gets resolved eventually, the how and why of his disappearance is not the main focus of the book; rather, it‘s the aftermath, the brutal impact of his loss, the unanswered questions, and the people left behind whose life trajectories are forever changed by it.

Quietly moving, and haunting in its what ifs, „Every Moment Since“ reverberates in the absence of what we take for granted, the regrets we carry with us, and the sparks of hope that keep us afloat.

My only issue with the book was Anissa‘s role in the present-day storyline, which I did not find believable at all.

While the production of the audiobook was flawless, I didn‘t particularly care for the narrators, some of whom read the story at different speeds (which really threw me off) and whose narration sometimes felt flat. In this case, I think you‘re better off sticking to the physical book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus | Harper Muse for the complimentary copies. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

„Every Moment Since“ is slated to be released on October 1, 2024.

The premise of this story caught my attention right away. The storyline plays out from different POVs of those involved in a missing child case. There is a split past/present perspective and it covers the day of the abduction and then 20 years later. The story is very well written and well paced, but I did struggle with some of the narrators voice- a little dull and lacked fluctuation. Overall, I would list this story as a genera/literary fiction instead of thriller. I found this to be an enjoyable read and will recommend it to my audience.

The story starts in 1985, 11 year old Davey goes missing while he was out with his brother TJ.
Their parents were going out, TJ was supposed to take his brother and watch him while they played some games in a nearby field, but that night, Davey goes missing and was never found.
Years later his brother writes a book about it, their parents are not the same people, and you can feel the grief of the everyone involved,
Then, the field where Davey went missing, was sold, and the new owner was doing a quick inspection of the outbuildings when he found the very distinctive jacket Davey was wearing that night, so he called the police and that is where the investigation is given new life.

It is a plot driven book, which I love, but the author made a great job exploring everyone’s identity, the mom that feels she made a mistake letting him go that night, and why, the parents relationship after Dave’s disappeared, the brother going by Thaddeus, and extremely out of control with his coping mechanism, late nights and lack of relationships. Again, plot driven, but enough character development to understand, and feel everyone’s pain.

Multiple POV’s, ( which I love) and is almost like, they are telling the story from their pov, but also makes you wonder if somebody is an unreliable narrator?

I enjoyed it, this is the first book I’ve read by this author but now, I will be checking out the backlist.

The audiobook features a full cast, and I loved every minute of it.

I received the audiobook from NetGalley, all opinions are my own. Thank you for the opportunity to read it and consider it for our own library collection.

A heartbreaking story of a young boy who goes missing and the impact his disappearance has on the lives of his family, friends and community.
Told in 2 time frames, present day and the day Davey went missing, the story flowed naturally with the events slowly unfolding allowing the reader to be fully immersed in the story and the emotions of the characters.
The audio narration was wonderful, with different voices for each character there was no confusion as to whose story I was listening to.
Although a slow burn, my interest was held the entire time, my first novel by this author but certainly won’t be my last.

With thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to listen to the audiobook for review.

4.5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨
Audiobook

This was my first novel by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and I really enjoyed it. I loved the full cast for the narration of the audiobook and though it took a few chapters to figure out who was who, I was soon able to differentiate between them.

This isn't a fast-paced book, but a slow uncovering of the past as we travel with the Malcor family whose son/brother went missing 20 years before as we discover what happened to Davey that night. Each member of the family has dealt with Davey's disappearance differently, though none of them are overly healthy, but how would you deal with or recover from such an event, especially not knowing what happened and always wondering, though never truly believing that he may still be alive.

The story is told from several POVs both in the present and the past; the night Davey goes missing. It's an emotional read, from all of the character's POVs there were times I felt for all of them. My heart broke most for Davey though, knowing even while we learn his story what his ending will be had me really sad.

This was a good, slow-burn read that deals with grief and loss and the damage that can be done to a family and the community, rewriting our story to hide from our choices and how easy it is to blame someone in order to have someone to blame.

I will definitely read or listen to more by this author.

This was very sad yet beautiful to read. A story about a family who’s lost their child and the after effects it has on them. From grief and loss, to moving on and healing.

11 year-old Davy goes missing one night while playing night games. 20 years later his case is reopened when his favorite jacket that he was wearing that night is discovered. A slow burn mystery, you’re slowly fed details of that night through the perspective of 4 people who may not realize just how connected they are in this case. Thaddeus, Davy’s older brother who has made himself a successful career by writing a memoir about his brother. Tabitha, his mother, who even after all these years is still coping with her grief and trying to avoid her regrets. Anissa, the PI assigned to the family who also happened to be with Davy back when she was a kid, the night he disappeared. And Gordon, the man long suspected of Davy’s disappearance. Each character had so much depth to their story. Gordon who’s just doing the best he can given his circumstances, Anissa who’s not only living on the land where Davy disappeared and honoring his memory but dedicating her life to advocating for victims, and the regret and grief exhibited by Tabitha for her lost child. Thaddeus is having a better time than the rest. Although he also deals with guilt of his own, for the most part he seems to be enjoying the success he’s achieved as well as life. Everyone process grief and loss differently and this book did a great job of showing that. This story was so emotional. It put me in a slight hauntingly nostalgic mood, with its small town vibes, the Marty McFly jacket, and as a child of the 90s I grew up playing night games with my friends around the neighborhood. I remember seeing uncensored news and media flashes on our living room tv anytime a child went missing back then, and the opening of this book starts with mentions of kids that have gone missing. The ending wasn’t anything big or over the top, as it should be in my opinion, but with just enough closure to leave a lasting impression.

Thank you NetGalley for ARC

4 Stars

This is a sad story that is told so well. I loved the writing style and was hanging on to every word. The narrators did a wonderful job telling this story. This book is haunting and I will be thinking about poor Davie for a while.

Thank you to Harper Collins Focus and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

I really enjoyed this full cast audio. It's a very emotional read and definitely not for everyone because of the premise.
Maybe that's why it hit my so hard however, I do reccomend to those who like raw emotional books that make you wonder. |

This audio book hit home, the introduction of it started by naming Jacob Wetterling - a boy from my home state of Minnesota that went missing in 1989, and his body was discovered many years later in 2016.

The introduction alone hand me wanting to read more - the book started off the discovery of a jacket from an 11 year old boy that had been missing nearly 20 years.

This book follows two timelines - the night of the disappearance and current time. This book does not disappoint, it is one of those slow burns, that you don’t want to end.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this book prior to publication in exchange for an honest review.

EVERY MOMENT SINCE
Pub Day October 1, 2024
New Book Review

Simply put, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen demonstrates great talent for expression through written words in EVERY MOMENT SINCE.

Thus, this work produced a fantastic audiobook-and the performers do an exquisite job!

EVERY MOMENT SINCE is a tragic yet, profoundly compelling story about the loss of a young boy (Davy) that rocked a whole community. Whalen masterfully weaves the story into dual timelines. This gives readers the ability to witness the events leading up to Davy's disappearance. It also provides a glimpse, 20 years into "the future."

In the future storyline, the Davy's Back to the Future inspired, one-of-a-kind, Marty McFly jacket is found. This discovery is made just as his older brother's book about “moving on from loss" is published. His older brother is on the book tour when he gets the call.

Although it is a slow-burn mystery, the pace adjusts appropriately as needed. Despite there not being a super complex or intricate plot, it is a commanding tale.

I found it impossible to put down once I started!

Audiobook presented BEAUTIFULLY by a talented, well-selected cast of voice actors. Each performer brings an element of depth to this heartrending tale. Exquisite work by Cassandra Campbell, George Newbern, Kirby Heyborne, Jane Oppenheimer, Macleod Andrews, and Renata Friedman

#EveryMomentSince #womensfiction
#newnovel #southernfiction
#thebooktide #preorder #ncauthor #mystery #nostalgia #toberead #comingsoon @harpermusebooks @utapublishing @marybethwhalen @bookshell_f|

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I really enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The story follows several characters as a cold case unfolds. It was interesting to see the different points of view, and how perspectives can be changed and lives changed in a moment. I enjoyed the flashbacks and trying to put together the story before it was given to us. The pacing was pretty good, and the mystery intriguing and kept me wanting to figure it out. I think some of the emotional personal growth needed a bit more time on the page to make more sense, but it was an enjoyable read nonetheless. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

I thought the synopsis sounding interesting and I was very impressed with the audiobook production. The full case of narrators really added a great depth to the story and helped manage the dual timelines we deal with. I was not able to solve the mystery. I also appreciated that we got to see how one boy's disappearance impacted so many different peoples lives. I will be going back and reading some other titles by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen.

This was a great read for somebody born and raised in North Carolina. The various povs and the familial guilt felt so raw and well done. I loved the various narrators and would highly recommend this on audio.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the chance to read this ARC

This is my kind of mystery read. I was invested in this bittersweet story right from the beginning and couldn’t stop listening. Toing and froing though time this was beautifully written with love and empathy. I felt all the complex feelings of family and friends who have lost a loved one in this way. I’m pretty good at guessing the outcome of books like this but this hard me guessing till the very last moment. Perfect!

Credit to the narrators also for a wonderful performance.

I enjoyed the audio version of Every Moment Since by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen. The full cast narration was well paced and very entertaining. There were many plot twists that I didn’t see coming. I felt this novel would be great for a book club because there were some great talking points regarding coming of age and handling loss within a family dynamic. Thank you to NetGalley for the early release of the audiobook. This was a great listen.

As a child of the 80s, I distinctly remember the abductions of the early 80s, especially Adam Walsh. Instead of focusing purely on what happen to the missing child, this book does a deep dive into those left behind and how the event has shaped their lives. From the siblings, to the friends, law enforcement, suspect and larger community. it shapes everyone in a different way and a few have secrets. I didn't see the ending coming, but it really made me think, especially as the actual outcome isn't necessarily the presumed outcome. This one will stick with me for.a while.