Of course this is a sad story, at least on the surface. How couldn’t it be? A child goes missing. A family lives without closure for over 20 years. Then his coat is found.

So, yes, it’s pure tragedy. The nightmare parents hope to avoid. The reality some are forced to live with.

But the emotional component of Every Moment Since felt rather stale. The content is utterly devastating, and that did stir some emotion in me, but I cannot credit the writing for that. Had this been a news article, I would have shed the same tears. Looking at the impact of this terrible loss on this family made me feel like I was being held at arm’s length. I don’t think the author successfully probed at the profound complications of this particular experience. The interior world of these characters was shallowly explored and, truth be told, they did not come alive as authentic individuals to me.

The storytelling was largely a practice in playing it safe. Whalen didn’t really poke the hive, and ultimately delivered the most simplistic ending possible. While it wasn’t completely tidy, given the circumstances, it did take on quite a few conveniences, regarding both the mystery and the structure of certain relationships in the novel.

I know, despite the synthetic neatness of that ending, the author was aiming to give characters who had lost so much a glimmer of hope. As much as I appreciate the objective in that, and in the story as a whole, I don’t care for saccharine implausibilities that almost insult the true suffering of life altering traumas.

I am immensely grateful to Harper Collins Focus and NetGalley for my copy. All opinions are my own.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Thank you, NetGalley, Marybeth Mayhem Whalen, and Harper Muse, for providing an early copy of ‘Every Moment Since’ in exchange for an unbiased review.

A haunting and gripping tale that delves into every parent's worst nightmare, exploring the profound impact a child’s disappearance has—not only on the parents, their marriage, and their family—but also on how it alters their view of the world and how others perceive them.

On a Saturday night in October 1985, in a small town in North Carolina, 11-year-old Davy Malcor vanishes without a trace. All that remains are the photos and videos shared with the police and media, redistributed over the years, as if time itself conspires to keep him forever 11 years old.

Twenty-one years later, Davy’s jacket is discovered in an abandoned farm building near where he was last seen. As the case unfolds, we are drawn into the perspectives of four key individuals, shifting between 1985 and 2006.

Tabitha, Davy’s mother, now divorced and an advocate for missing children, fights to keep the media from forgetting her son. She is consumed by her weekly regret lists, but despite her efforts to convince herself otherwise, she cannot overcome her greatest regret: leaving Davy the night he disappeared.

Thaddeus (TJ), Davy’s older brother, who was present when Davy vanished, has written a memoir about the event. However, he seems to have been selective in recounting the details leading up to that fateful night, raising the question: what is he hiding? Struggling with unresolved emotions and fearing the public's judgment, he cuts his book tour short to return home and support his parents.

Anissa, the Public Information Officer for the local police department, serves as the liaison between the Malcor family and the media. She harbors her own memories and regrets from the night Davy disappeared. Although she was new in town when they met that fateful evening, she felt an inexplicable bond with Davy—one that, if revealed, could cost her the case.

Gordon, the prime suspect, is tormented by regret. Although it is unclear what he knows about the night Davy disappeared, it is evident that he is hiding something. Hounded by the media, his life was never the same. He now lives in isolation, focusing on his art. But it seems the past refuses to stay buried, especially now that the discovery of the jacket has once again drawn the media’s relentless attention…

From the very first page, I knew this book was going to be something special. The characters are so well developed that as a reader, you feel like you truly know them.

You can sense Tabitha’s pain, understand what drives her as a victims' advocate, and feel the weight of her regrets and the reasons behind her resignation. Her need to write her weekly regret list, and the realization that despite trying to convince herself otherwise, the past 20 years have been filled with regrets she cannot shake, shows how deeply she struggles to move forward. She cannot accept that Davy is gone, and her inability to move on with her life is palpable as long as there is still a glimmer of hope.

Her relationships with her ex-husband and children are portrayed with such depth that, even though I have not experienced anything like their pain, I can grasp the unique ways they each struggle with guilt and regret.

There is so much more I could delve into, but I do not want to spoil the book. Instead, I highly recommend you check it out and form your own opinion. I, for one, will be exploring Marybeth Mayhew Whalen’s previous releases!

🎧 I highly recommend this on audio if you enjoy audiobooks. It features a full cast of narrators who do an excellent job bringing each character to life.

And of course, how stunning 🍁 is this cover?

Audio Read. This was such a well done story and the full cast of voices led to a full experience of the story. It’s such a heartbreaking topic that no parent ever wants to be apart of and Marybeth told it so well.

“Every Moment Since” by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is a poignant exploration of grief, hope, and the indelible impact of a single event on a small community. Set against the backdrop of Wynotte, North Carolina, this novel delves into the life of Davy Malcor, a boy whose disappearance over two decades ago continues to haunt the town. Through Whalen’s masterful storytelling, readers are invited to witness the reopening of this cold case when Davy’s iconic Marty McFly jacket is found, stirring up old memories and unresolved questions.
The narrative weaves together the perspectives of four individuals intimately connected to Davy’s story. Thaddeus Malcor, the older brother, has crafted a successful memoir from his family’s tragedy, yet he grapples with the weight of untold truths. Tabitha Malcor, Davy’s mother, lives a solitary life marked by advocacy for victims’ rights while privately chronicling her regrets. Anissa Weaver, once a child herself when Davy vanished, now serves as the Public Information Officer for the Malcor family, harboring a secret link to the boy. Lastly, Gordon Swift, long suspected in the disappearance, struggles to maintain anonymity as the renewed attention threatens to expose his past.
Whalen’s prose is hauntingly vivid, pulling readers into the emotional vortex experienced by those left behind. The characters are endearing, each one intricately drawn and compelling in their complexity. The full cast narration, featuring the talents of Cassandra Campbell among others, brings an added layer of depth to the story, making it one of my favorite listening experiences of the year.
The novel is not only suspenseful but also heartfelt, striking a delicate balance that keeps you invested in the outcome. It touches on profound themes such as the essence of motherhood and the agony of losing a child, offering an examination that is both raw and tender. This book stands out as a really special work, resonating with anyone who has ever faced loss or sought closure.
In conclusion, “Every Moment Since” is a beautifully crafted tale that captures the complexities of human emotions and the relentless pursuit of truth. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community in the face of adversity. Marybeth Mayhew Whalen has created a memorable and moving novel that deserves a place on any reader’s shelf, especially those who appreciate stories that are as suspenseful as they are soul-stirring.

I was really interested in this one, but truly this story dragged so much. Honestly, nothing happens. It's just people talking.. no action. It truly was very dull for me, I only finished this one since it was an audiobook, if not it would've definitely been added to my DNF. I truly did not enjoy this one.

I went into this expecting a bit of a murder mystery but what I got was an emotional story about the fall out of losing someone you love and how everyone picks up the pieces. This was moving and at times so wholesome. The narration was wonderful and it was such an easy audio book to listen to, I couldn’t put it down.

Thank you for the ARC

I love this book! I really felt for the characters, sadness, dislike, hope…all the things that a great book that is well developed makes you feel. I want everyone to read this book! I did figure it out about 70% of the way through, but still wanted to continue to see if I was correct and what would happen to the other characters in the book who I was enjoying getting to know. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

The author was inspired by two movies about the disappearance of Adam Walsh that she watched growing up. I vividly remember those movies myself. This book didn’t have quite as much suspense and tension as I would have expected from a story about a missing child, and the ending felt somewhat anticlimactic. The writing was good, as was the narration. I would try another book by this author.

𝐀𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
3 ☆
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The premise of this story caught my attention. "A small Southern town. An ordinary Saturday night. A little boy disappears without a trace." Now, that line drew me in and hooked me because I wanted to know what happened to the little boy. Unfortunately, this book really DRAGGED a lot. It was a lot of talking and nothing getting done. It just fell flat for me. I think it was because we got four different POVs with different timelines.
The audiobook production was great because each character had their own narrator, so you could tell the characters apart. So, if I'm rating just the audiobook and not the storyline, the audiobook alone would be a 3-3.5☆.
𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 Oct.1
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Thank you, Netgalley, and Harper Muse Audio for the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this expecting a bit of a murder mystery but what I got was an emotional story about the fall out of losing someone you love and how everyone picks up the pieces. This was moving and at times so wholesome. The narration was wonderful and it was such an easy audio book to listen to, I couldn’t put it down.

Many thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins Focus, and the author, for the ALC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Every moment since is a multiple POV book that switches between 2 time periods, the current one where the cold case of the missing Davy Malcour has been reopened and the past 21 years ago where Davy is out with his brother to play not knowing that it might the last time he may be playing with his brother.

This book is very heavy on the emotions, from yearning, loss, trauma, guilt, there is so much dealt by so many characters. I was apprehensive about listening to it after I realized that there are a lot of POVs, but narrators did such a great job, bring together the story with all the emotions and drama, and a good bit of the suspense. The full cast added so much more flair to the audiobook.

I felt that the characters were portrayed particularly in an unlikeable way with the 'hurt people, hurt people' in forefront. The way the grief spreads its talons and sinks into people making it sometime impossible to breather and about how closure and answers are required to start the healing process.

The mystery in itself was pretty good, as it did keep me guessing till atleast 75% which in my opinion is a successful mystery. Overall a good mystery with some depth of emotion. Fair warning though it does take off slow.

TW: Loss of child/ sibling, parental abandonment/ separation, etc.

This is a sad and heavy story about how profoundly lives are impacted and changed by the disappearance of a young boy. As a mother, I can't imagine living life day after day not knowing where my child is or whether they're alive or dead and/or being well taken care of. The lack of answers and grief would probably drive me to insanity. Overall, this story was very slow to build up and the ending was, I don't know, realistic but unsatisfying? There are a lot of POVs to sort through but the audiobook narration was very well done.

Wow! This book totally took me by surprise and in a good way. Young Davey disappears on a kids game night with his older brother. 20 plus years later, everyone from that dreadful night is still haunted from this event. Everyone has a different side to tell, and with a number of kids from that night and those in town; still no answers on what happened to Davey came to light. Until his beloved jacket is found. His family is again spotlight of the press as his older brother struggles with his continuous guilt. This book I had no clue what happened to him till the very end. Great suspense book with a strong tie of family and effects of a traumatic event can do to it.

Tragedy changes people. It ripples outward, affecting more than just the usual suspects. It captures the families with the biggest waves, the friends and acquaintances, and still others, too, as reality struggles back into equilibrium. Simply bearing witness to something is enough, sometimes, to change someone. And for anyone involved, it can calcify even the most innocent things into something to be held close like a secret. Words muttered by instinct; others unspoken. Guilt somehow osmotically bleeds into everyone surrounding tragedy. Because it's not just one story, is it? Everyone has their own. Every Moment Since is a brilliant and compelling crime suspense novel that captures these truths, and others, so well through an emotional character driven narrative.

Eleven-year-old Back to the Future obsessed Davy Malcor disappeared one night over twenty years ago. Now, his iconic jacket has been found, and the case is no longer cold. His brother, who now makes a living off of his tell (almost) all book, comes back to town to be with his family as the investigation ramps back up. It is the formative unsolved case for the town of Wynotte North Carolina. There was never any evidence for conviction, but rumor has power too, and the town has its suspect, who never did leave town.

This story was so profound for me. It is not about the solving of a decades-old cold case, it is about the repercussions the disappearance of one little boy had on a whole community of people. The father who could not let go of hope to a level of personal detriment, the mother in denial of deep-rooted resentments, the brother, parading around behind a facade of the truth for a living. The sculptor, the girl next door, the young girl who was the last to see Davy alive...it is such a rich and compelling story with layers that resound through time. It is a study, in some sense (as I suppose all novels are), of human nature.

I loved the jumping perspective. Getting into the heads of so many characters was so interesting, as each one seemed to focus on a different aspect of the tragedy. It also kept the pacing and suspense wound tight. I was lucky to be granted an advanced listening copy by the publisher and netgalley, and the full cast did an excellent job giving life to each of the characters. I couldn't stop listening!

I have been enjoying reading suspense novels more and more as the days grow shorter, and this one is one of the best I've read. If you are a fan of the genre at all, you'll want to get your hands on a copy. I can't wait to read more from Marybeth Mayhew Whalen.

The audio narration is superb with unique voices for the full cast of characters. This novel will appeal to fans of William Kent Krueger and Chris Whittaker. It is about how a family moves on with life after a tragedy. For years they have stayed hopeful that Davy was still out there somewhere, so is getting closure better than not knowing where he’s been all along?

Everyone that was there in Wynotte, NC, felt some guilt about what they should have done or not done. There is an artist trying to clear his tarnished name, a brother who has written a memoir of a partial remembrance of his side of the story, the girl next door who questions what might have been, and the Police Public Relations officer who was secretly the last person to see Davy before he disappeared.

Every Friday for over a decade, Davy’s mother, Tabitha, writes down her regrets of the week; her list of “Je ne regrette rien". Its an attempt to live by the French saying "I regret nothing.” But it is not until she consciously realizes how to love the people in her life who are still living, that the number of regrets start to dwindle.

4.5 stars

A quick read - easy to follow the characters and plot. I loved the multiple points of view. It brought to light some of the hardships and emotions that come with losing a loved one - particularly a child. A very tough and dark topic but the author did an excellent job of approaching it with the seriousness and respect it deserves. The pace of the plot was steady - there were never any dull moments. I enjoyed the entire unfolding. I had ideas throughout as to what I suspected happened but none of my predictions were correct. I was completely shocked by the twist at the end and I love when a book can give me that. At many times the emotions felt so raw and genuine that I forgot I was listening to a fictional story as it felt more like a documentary of a true crime case.
I did listen to the audiobook and the narration was 5 stars! Multiple narrators for the points of view which I absolutely love. I feel like this is such a crucial detail with an audiobook that makes distinguishing characters so effortless. The tone and speed of the narrators were steady and easy to listen to. One of the male narrators reminded me of the narrators from many of my favorite 90s movies like The Sandlot and it gave that book this nostalgic feel that I loved. Annunciation was perfect. No complaints at all with the narration.
Thanks to NetGalley, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, Harper Muse Publishing, and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the ARC and ALC and the chance to give my honest feedback!

✨Book Review✨

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Format: Audiobook
Speed: 1.25 - 1.5x

Our story begins after the disappearance of 11-year-old Davy Malcor, who was last seen by his brother, TJ, and Anissa in an abandoned field with kids playing at night. When Davy’s jacket is found 20 years later, the once cold case is reopened. Davy’s older brother, TJ, is now a bestselling memoir author, while Anissa is a public information officer for the police on the case. Chapters are told from the past and present from both protagonists, as well as Tabitha Weaver, Davy and TJ’s mother, and Gordon Swift, the man suspected of hurting Davy. Readers are taken on a twisty rollercoaster ride to uncover the truth and bring Davy home, all while experiencing the aftermath of a missing child, the emotions playing behind the scenes, and the secrets that each character holds to their heart.

Highlights:
⭐️ Dual POV chapters from multiple protagonists from the past and present
⭐️ Engaging, developing plot that gets more intricate while listening
⭐️ Emotional connection with protagonists
⭐️ Different perspective than other thrillers. As a listener/reader, we experience the aftermath of the family missing a child as well as what the person accused experienced.
⭐️ The twist. I was shocked!

Pitfalls:
❌ It was a bit slow in the beginning but picked up about 25% through.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

*Social media post will be posted closer to pub date

I enjoyed the idea of this book, but all together I think it didn't work very well.

This book had a really slow pacing and the ending was a big no for me.

I still can't accept the lack of info and details of what happened. It seems like something is missing.

3* rounded up.

A mystery book that revolves around Davy Malcor's disappearance more than 20 years ago and the aftermath. The book focuses more on family dynamics, showing the aftermath of Davy's disappearance and how it affected all the members of his family and their relationships with each other. Especially that of his mom, Tabitha, and his older brother, TJ — both narrators of the story.

The 2 other narrators are Anissa — she has a connection to Davy when they were kids and to his family now that the case has been reopened, and Gordon — the man who was suspected of the crime.

I loved that this was a full cast audio and enjoyed listening to the POV from each of the main characters, both past and present.

It was a bit predictable and I had guessed early on in the book who was responsible for Davey's death, so it wasn't much of a thriller in my opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ALC.

This book is about the tragic disappearance of an 11-year-old boy named Davy. The 20 year old cold case is reopened when someone finds Davy's old jacket. What follows is a character-driven novel about how Davy's disappearance affected various people in his community. The story is told from multiple POV with current characters remembering their experience of that night. It's explores their grief and emotions as well as how the aftermath shaped them into the people they are present day. It's a haunting, powerful narrative about child disappearance.

I found the ending pretty underwhelming. It wasn't a big reveal or the height of suspense. However, after reflection, this book was never really a whodunnit. It's more an exploration of grief and emotion amid tragedy. The specific circumstances around Davy's disappearance weren't critical to that narrative. However, I felt there were other elements and secrets introduced for the sake of suspense which weren't necessary if it wasn't a thriller. Specifically along Anissa's storyline. Either give readers a bigger, more dramatic ending or leave out suspense devices altogether.

I received an ARC of the Audiobook from NetGalley. It was great! I always love a book read by a cast and this was especially impactful since there were multiple POV. Initially I really disliked the Thaddeus narrator but as the book progressed I found the character to be unlikeable and often intolerable and so the voice fit IMO.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. #EveryMomentSince #NetGalley