3.5 stars! Scheduled pub: Mar 1! This is also a First Reads pick so go grab it if you haven't grabbed yours yet!

Audrey J. Cole is an auto-request/ auto-buy author for me so I was excited to read her newest.

Would recommend if you love:
-Locked room thriller
-Multi-POV
-TOTALLY Bingeable story
-OTT ending

This was a good locked room (doesn't get much more locked room than an airplane in flight) thriller that kept me reading in a rush to find out what would happen. HOW does a baby go MISSING during a flight? The emotion of Makayla was easy to understand. And with Jack (the husband) at home, it was so easy to see how the mind could spiral thinking of all the possible reasons or explanations for the situation. Neither one could really do anything so the feeling of helplessness was overarching for both their POV.

I love that the author cleverly places details about each character so it's impossible to know who to trust. The red herrings felt all too plausible so it was fun guessing right alongside the characters. (Okay, the characters wouldn't have been having "fun" but y'know what I mean).

Around 62% things started to get wild and it gets a little OTT by the end but if you can, suspend your disbelief and hang in there.

All in all, would recommend as this is a good, quick thriller that kept me reading and kept me guessing.

I could not put this book down! A thriller that will keep you bouncing between different scenarios until the surprising twist conclusion.

OH MY GOSH.

I am a huge fan of traveling and I go on planes often but this book had my heart beating so fast in nervousness!!

I cannot even imagine a situation like this - a baby goes missing onboard a flight. Combine this with turbulence due to the raging storm outside, the flight not being able to land due to the unsafe weather conditions, the constant search for the baby and some shady passengers on board all wrapped up this intense thriller that had me flying through the pages at rapid speed. I really couldn't put this book down. It was so heart stoppingly addictive with its short chapters and multiple POVs.

Grab the popcorn and get comfy for this doozy of a trip!!

Audrey J. Cole is one of my go-to authors. Her thrillers are unique and tense and she writes with hints of empathy and knowledge, presumably partially due to her nursing and pilot father background. I see her name on a book; I read it. It's that simple.

Makayla is on a flight from Anchorage to New York with the apple of her eye, three-month-old Liam. When the call of nature comes, the only alternative is to leave her sleeping baby in his bassinet for a whisper of a second. To her horror, when she returns he is gone. Her desperate search takes her up and down aisles and anywhere a person can physically get to... or can't. A few staff try to help but it's not enough. They begin questioning her mental state. There's her bump on her head from the day before and her famous late mom's issue niggles. Her husband is a banker with high-profile clients and is going through stress at work but there is only so much he and the FBI can do on terre firma. Basically, her life is a mess at the moment. But her intense love and worry for her son drive her to move heaven and earth.

As always, Audrey's writing and snappy pace grab my attention. However, the characters in this novel are a bit on the one dimensional side and much of the premise is implausible. I set the latter aside and flew by the seat of my pants, immersing myself in suspended reality and enjoyed the zippy story for what it was...an unrealistic escapist adventure. Why do I seem to read high altitude books when I'm about to embark on long uncomfortable flights?

My sincere thank you to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing me with an early digital copy of this captivating novel..

This is a frantic, adrenaline fueled, fast paced popcorn thriller!

Makayla Rossi is flying home to New York with her 3 month old baby, Liam, after visiting her father in Alaska. She has to use the bathroom while her fussy baby is sound asleep in a bassinet and all the flight attendants are busy. She asks the girl across the aisle to keep an eye on her baby for a few minutes. But that young woman is wearing headphones and is deeply engrossed with an in-flight movie. When she returns from the bathroom, no more than 2 minutes gone, her baby has vanished and there is a pillow left in his place. Every mother’s nightmare! The plane is searched and no baby is found. Makayla is going to have to keep her wits about her to get her baby back; a baby no one can recall seeing with her.

I read this in under 24 hours, it was so gripping!

Thank you Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on March 1, 2025

This book was hard for me because I read about a fourth of it and then stopped reading and set it aside. I came back weeks later to try it again and was hooked until the end!!

So I would say that you have to let it build up for a while and then ride out the awesome ride of frayed nerves and trying to decipher if your narrators are reliable or not.

I ended up really enjoying this book even though it didn’t grab me from the first page. I felt the story was pretty original. If you like the movie flight plan you’d probably really enjoy this book.

I had a hard time getting into this book. It might be the mood I am currently experiencing. As I have written with other reviews, I am a major mood reader.. I may give this book another shot when I am in the mood for a good thriller.

"Missing in Flight" by Audrey J. Cole is a heart-pounding, twist-filled thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Makayla Rossi is on a flight from Anchorage to LaGuardia with her 3-month-old son Liam. When she asks a young girl to watch her baby while she steps away to use the restroom, she returns to find the bassinet completely empty. Where is baby Liam??

The mystery unravels from there, sending readers on a wild, unpredictable ride.
This story is one of those books that gets under your skin. As the suspense builds, I found myself coming up with all kinds of wild theories, suspecting just about everyone, even Makayla herself! Could she be suffering from the same memory disorder her famous mother had? The twists keep coming, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, another layer is revealed.

While the premise may seem extremely unbelievable at times (hole in bathroom lol), if you’re able to turn off your brain, this is an absolute page turner. For fans of locked-room mysteries and psychological whodunnits, Missing in Flight is a must-read. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good, mind-bending thriller.

What really stood out to me, though, was how well researched this book was. Audrey J. Cole clearly put in a lot of effort to make the story feel authentic. She consulted real life FBI agents and detectives to ensure the procedural elements were accurate, and even asked her dad (who’s a pilot?) for insight into the world of aviation. That kind of attention to detail really elevated the experience and made the plot feel even more immersive. Thank you NetGalley!

4.5 stars. This books was so good I couldn’t stop reading. Some things did seem a little far fetched and dramatic but I still really enjoyed it.
Thank you Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Edge of your seat thriller, set in an airplane flying from Alaska to New York! This one was every parent's nightmare. Makayla was flying home from visiting her father with her three month old son, Liam. The flight was nearly empty and she asks a young woman to watch him for a few. minutes while she uses the bathroom; when she comes back, Liam is gone. Told in various viewpoints between Makayla, one of the co-pilots on the plane, the baby's father Jack and an investigator from the FBI, this was a quick and suspenseful read. I felt for Makayla as the flight crew were quick to believe she was lying about having a baby, and as she begged them to search the passengers luggage, the crew became more and more convinced, Makayla didn't have a baby with her at all.

On the ground, the FBI was tearing into everything from Makayla and Jack's social media to issuing a warrant to search her father's home in Anchorage. It turns out that Makayla's mother who was a famous movie star had died in an accident caused by temporary amnesia and now the FBI wonder if Makayla has it too. Then they switch their attention to her husband Jack who manages million dollar funds for an investment company. It turns out that some fraud might be going on at his company; could this be connected to Liam disappearing? Then there is the new "mom" friend she recently met; could she know something about the missing baby?

The author did a good job of showing the exhaustion and sheer terror Makayla felt as the flight crew grew more upset with her insistence on doing more searching. On top of that, severe storms were causing turbulence and the pilot and co-pilot were struggling with some mechanical issues. A couple of things were a bit unbelievable but that is to be expected in a thriller, and I really enjoyed this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book for review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This book was a little slow to start but once it kicked off I couldn’t put it down. I read this in one sitting and it was a very quick read. Aviation thrillers are a niche love for me and initially I was a little disappointed that it just took place on a plane but that disappeared pretty quickly.

Makayla was a little hysterical and over the top as a character but the other POVs helped her from dominating the story too much. The narrative did lean towards a little unbelievable towards the end but by then I was so invested in how it would play out so I didn’t mind.

All in all, another great aviation thriller from Audrey J. Cole!

"𝑵𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒍𝒔 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍."

Special thanks to @amanzonpublishing @audreyjcole & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Makayla starts out being the character you're dying for a good outcome but then part way through she turns annoying.

Even with that development, I still super enjoyed this story. It's "locked room" of sorts and VERY tense and suspenseful. You can't turn the pages fast enough to find out where he baby is.

I don't want to spoil anything, but I highly recommend this high octane thriller!
This is my first by Audrey and certainly not my last.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
March 1, 2025


ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Do you enjoy flying? Where's the last place you went? Or do you have a vacation/trip coming up?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #audreyjcole #missinginflight
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Missing In Flight follows Makayla who is on a long flight back home to New York and is living every parent’s worst nightmare. Her baby is missing while they’re aboard the plane.

This genuinely had me scratching my head trying to figure out WHAT was going on. I thought I had it figured it out but I in fact, did not.

I loved the pacing and the overall tension of this book.

I would definitely check out more works by this author!

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.75 stars

As if flying these days isn't chaotic enough, the one thing you assume is most unlikely to happen - someone going missing on the plane - does in this most recent thriller from Audrey J. Cole!

While on a flight home to New York from visiting her father in Anchorage, nature calls, and Makayla heeds this with great concern for and attention to her baby, Liam. She asks a fellow passenger to listen for any crying and takes off to quickly take care of business. When she returns to her seat, her worst nightmare has become a reality: little Liam is missing!

From the outset, I was fascinated by how Cole was going to construct an entire narrative around a baby "missing" in such a small space, but this comes together in a satisfying way. The best thing to know about this book before reading is as little as possible, so I'll just say that I enjoyed the read and am - as is always the case for this genre - so glad I get to be entertained by the events from a safe distance instead of living them myself!

Missing in Flight is a thrill a minute story of a missing child in flight when a mother runs to the restroom on a flight from Anchorage to La Guardia.

Makayla Rossi needs to use the restroom but does not want to wake her child to go nor does she want to leave him alone. Asking a nearby seat mate to keep an eye on him. She goes and returns quickly only to find her son missing. The search is on to find him.

I really enjoyed this story. It was thrilling and made me hold my breath while trying to solve the mystery of missing Liam.

How could a baby go missing during a flight? It sounds like a plot twist straight out of a thriller—oh wait, it is! Buckle up for an exhilarating journey with "Missing in Flight" by Audrey J. Cole, where this shocking scenario unfolds at 35,000 feet. The premise had me hooked, and I couldn't wait to see how the author would bring this seemingly impossible event to life.

For those of us with kids, especially first-time moms, we know how often we question our choices. Is it really safe to leave them alone in the house for a quick trip to the car? What about leaving them in the car while I dash back to the house for a forgotten item? The juggling act can be overwhelming, especially when they’re sleeping!

When Makayla asks a fellow passenger to keep an eye on little Liam while she steps to the restroom, her only worry is about waking him and disturbing those around her. Kidnapping? That thought couldn’t be further from her mind.

This is my second adventure with Cole’s work. If you haven’t picked up one of her books yet, you're missing out.

A big thank you to the author and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this ARC via NetGalley. As always, all opinions are entirely my own.

How far is a mother willing to go, to find her missing son mid-flight.
Missing in flight follows four characters and each one is unique and has well developed characters. Of course my favorite ones were the parents. Being able to read what they’re thinking and how they’re reacting to the revelation of the baby missing mid flight was terrifying. I was on the edge of my seat reading and trying to figure out who was behind it and out of nowhere plot twist!! Omg, it was so good! This one kept me up late reading. It was insane and I didn’t see the plot twists coming at all!!

This book gets five resounding stars from me!

Do you want a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, has unreliable narrators and has you questioning what you think you know? Well, buckle-up for this thrilling page-turner surrounding a baby that goes missing on Pacific Air flight 7038.

With the FBI investigating from the ground and the flight crew and devastated mother investigating on board, a series of assumptions divert attention from a missing baby to a potentially, desperately mistaken mother.

The pace was perfect. The vivid descriptions and heart-racing scenes played out like a movie. I completely loved this one. I’m moving this author to my “must read” list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author, Audrey J. Cole, for an early DRC of this amazing read.

This is an excellent, fast paced thriller.
Makayla is on a flight from Anchorage to New York with her infant son Liam. She was visiting her father, and now she’s returning home to her husband Jack. During the flight, she leaves her son sleeping in a bassinet, to visit the bathroom. Upon her return, her baby is gone! No one sitting around noticed him being taken. A full force search begins for the child, to no avail.
On top of it all, there are dangerous thunder storms brewing, which threaten the safety of the plane.
I enjoyed this book for the fast paced, heart pounding action!

Thanks toNetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishers, for the ARC and the opportunity to write my unbiased review.

This was my first Audrey J. Cole read. I was immediately hooked by the premise, though I definitely gave myself some anxiety while reading it. Whoops.

I thought it was thrilling in a slow burn sort of way. There were times where it was slow going or a little repetitive, but I needed to know what was going to happen next! The switches in settings/POV broke up some of the tension, but I also loved how it added a few more pieces to the puzzle each time. There were a few storylines that I had a hard time with. I just couldn’t see their relevance to the story.

It was an enjoyable read overall, but there were some instances in the plot that I didn’t fully love.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.