What a gripping story! I plowed through this book in a day and was kept guessing throughout. While the story is out of the realm of real life (hopefully!) you can’t help but get sucked in. This reminded me of TJ Newmans books split between action on plane and land. From the original description I was reminded of the movie Flightplan but this was very much its own story and totally different.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This was quite the ride! It had a lot happen in a pretty short book! I definitely didn't see the ending coming at all. Parts of it felt a little unrealistic and unreliable narrators are sometimes hard for me to get into. It felt a little like the book jumped around too much, but I did like the "have to keep reading to figure out what happened" feeling. Overall, a solid 4 star read for me.

This mystery had me on the edge of my seat many times. I loved all of the doubt the author created with the main character! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this ARC.

Unrealistic ending, the baby surviving a jump, ridiculous. Not all books need happy endings. While it was suspenseful, it was predictable.

An on the edge of your seat novel, Missing in Flight follows a long trip from Anchorage to La Guardia Airport. Makayla has spent a pleasant holiday with her dad and baby son Liam and is on her way home to husband Jack. She asks a fellow passenger to watch over Liam while she goes to the bathroom but on her return Liam is no longer in his crib. What follows is a nightmare for her, the plane is searched to no avail, the FBI are involved on the ground and are questioning her husband due to his work on Wall Street.
This novel has a panic room ideology, you'd imagine that Liam is on the plane but taking in Makayla's family potential health concerns you also wonder if it is all in her imagination, and of course where could he be on a plane. It is very easy to imagine that this
would be a great movie or TV show.
I'm grateful to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. I will leave my review on Goodreads, Bookmory and Storygraph now and Amazon on publication day

I definitely did not see that coming, nice twist. Not going to spoil it, so I will leave it at that. I enjoyed it

This story took a long time to get no where. The storyline was predictable however I did finish it and it did keep me entertained.

MISSING IN FLIGHT is a heart-pounding ride, and will make you reconsider all of your upcoming holiday travel plans. Great for fans of TJ Newman and thrillers that are doing something new and different.

3.5 stars

Audrey J. Cole’s MISSING IN FLIGHT brings the heart palpitations that come with a mom’s worst nightmare! Makayla boarded a plane in Anchorage with her 3 month old son Liam on her way home to New York City, and he is taken from his bassinet when she goes to the bathroom a few hours into the flight. This novel is extremely propulsive, and if you like TJ Newman’s novels, this one will make you turn the pages from the first chapter.

I really enjoyed the author’s writing. It was very accessible with incredible tension. There is a familiar trope of “Is the woman crazy, or is she speaking the truth?” Makayla’s mother had transient global amnesia before she died, and one theory is that maybe it’s inherited or more likely to happen because Makayla hit her head in Anchorage. Because the baby was so wrapped up, it is difficult to determine whether a live baby got into the plane. The co-captain on the plane desperately wants a child, so maybe she’s involved. Or the kidnapping could be due to her husband managing almost a billion dollars. There are a few theories at play, but I’d say the author leaned hard on one theory in particular.

There were many, many times that I had to suspend my disbelief. Most had to do with the crazy timeline of the narrative, and another had to do with the exit from the airplane (trying to be vague for fear of spoilers). In the novel, 2 hours into a roughly 7-8 hour flight, Makayla realizes her baby is missing. A whole cabin search takes place, and the FBI from NYC is pulled in, resulting in airport security footage analyzed and an in-person interview with each the baby’s father and the baby’s father’s employer by the time the airplane is over Minnesota! Oh, and search warrants in two different states are put in place after business hours with the searches commenced. Does the FBI really get involved and move that fast based on a missing baby on an airplane? And the investigator on the case had time to look up the history on every passenger on the plane too.

I really enjoyed the reading experience of this novel. It was an easy, light read as long as you don’t think too hard about the timeline and individual plot pieces. This novel publishes January 7, 2025.

At first glance, this book reminded me of the Jodie Foster film, Flightplan, where Foster’s character, flying home with the body of her husband who was killed in combat, wakes up from a short nap only to find that her daughter has disappeared from the plane, mid-flight, and no one has even seen her. But this book wasn’t a novelization, so I was curious to see how this one would turn out.

Makayla Rossi is flying from Hawaii, where her father lives, to New York, her home, when an hour or so into the flight, she returns from a trip to the bathroom to find her baby, Liam, missing from his crib.

Because Makayla’s mom, famous actor of the yesteryears, Lydia Banks, died in an accident caused after the sudden onset of Transient Global Amnesia, the FBI investigators, the crew and other passengers believe that Makayla is confused and that she might have contracted the same disease. Also, no one has seen her board with the infant. Nor has anyone seen or heard the infant.

The only person who believes Makayla is her brand-new best friend who is providing her support via text from New York.

Meanwhile, back in New York, Jack’s boss, Lionel, has trapped him into taking the fall for a lot of fraudulent activity on his own part. Lionel’s daughter, Sabrina, who is Jack’s childhood friend, is threatening to tell Makayla about a one-night-stand that never happened.



The book was written in the 1st person present tense PoV of Makayla, Anna, the co-pilot, Tina, the FBI officer, and Jack. Anna's story is completely unconnected with that of Makayla, and was unnecessary. Instead the PoV of another passenger on the flight might have been more helpful. Most of the action takes place aboard a flight from Hawaii to New York, and simultaneously at other locations during the same period.

The premise, a missing infant on a flight, is strong and tugs at our emotions, and the image on the cover, a frayed seat beat, is a nice touch, but the pace in this book flags with the many flashbacks and the constant repetition. For a large part of the book, not much seems to be happening. Some of the flashbacks, as when Makayla’s mother, Lydia, teaches her how to ski, were completely unnecessary. The fact that Lydia loved her daughter was completely irrelevant to the story of Liam’s disappearance.

Once the baby is taken, there is no escalation in the conflict, no call for ransom, nothing. The stakes just don’t get higher.

This was more women’s fiction than thriller. A big part of whatever thrill there was came from the weather conditions and the turbulence.

The resolution raised a number of questions and wasn’t properly explained.

The investigation lacked lustre.

Ultimately, this one didn’t hit the right spot for me.

It’s spooky season which means it’s time to whip out all the mystery and cozy vibe books. When I saw Missing in Flight on NetGalley, I needed to grab it while I could.

I really wanted to like this book. A baby going missing in flight? That drew me in. Unfortunately, for me the book fell short. A lot was happening but at the same time, nothing was happening. I didn’t care for any of the characters and the plot didn’t get interesting until the last part of the book. There were almost too many different directions the book could go.

I am glad I was able to see the book through.

*Missing in Flight* by Audrey J. Cole is an exhilarating and suspenseful novel set in the high-stakes environment of an aeroplane, which immediately piqued my interest as a fan of both planes and books set on them. The plot follows the mysterious disappearance of the protagonist Makayla’s baby, and the unraveling mystery kept me hooked.

The unique atmosphere of being on a plane brings its own claustrophobic tension. The story is fast-paced, and the twists and turns, while gripping, do verge on the farfetched at times. Some plot points felt a bit unrealistic. However, the entertainment factor and suspense more than make up for it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book despite its occasional leaps in logic. If you’re someone who loves planes and can suspend disbelief for the sake of an enjoyable, tension-filled read, *Missing in Flight* will definitely keep you entertained.

In summary, while the novel may not be grounded in realism, its thrills and plane-centered plot make it a fun and worthwhile read for aviation lovers and mystery fans alike.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer for the copy of Missing In Flight by Audrey J. Cole. This book captivated me from the very start. The claustrophobic setting of the plane added to the growing tension. If you love learning about flying and how pilots act during an incident you will adore this book. It was a little much for me because I couldn't visualize what was going on. There was a scene that didn’t feel realistic and a couple of plot holes. Everything slowed down when the story switched to the investigation on the ground and I missed the built-up suspense. This was a good, quick read but I wouldn’t recommend reading on a plane! 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

What a wild ride. Much of it felt unrealistic (Yes, I know this is fiction). I typically enjoy thrillers that feel more realistic because I can imagine it happening and those thoughts add to the feelings and emotions I experience. However, as a mom, there were still plenty of emotions felt while reading this book. The story was interesting and definitely worth reading.

Missing in Flight by Audrey J. Cole ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed this book. It was Unputdownable as I NEEDED to know if the baby was okay or even real?

On a flight back home, Makayla Rossi’s baby has gone missing. Not one passenger on the plane can confirm seeing the baby aboard but Makayla insists someone has taken her baby.

What a thrilling read!

Just suspend disbelief and buckle your seatbelt. This story was action packed from beginning to end. I loved following all of the side characters. It added a layer of mystery into wondering why they were included and if they could be trusted. There was a lot of reputation surrounding the grandmother and her condition, but otherwise I really enjoyed this little popcorn thriller!

Thank you to NetGalley,Audrey J. Cole, and Thomas and Mercer Publishing for this arc of Missing in Flight, out January 7, 2025!

📜Quick Summary: Makayla is on a flight with her baby boy, Liam, traveling home to her husband after a great visit with her father. It’s been two years but things haven’t been the same since her mother’s untimely death. During the flight, Makayla realizes that she needs to use the restroom and asks a young girl next to her to keep an eye out for her child. When she returns from the lavatory, she sees that Liam is missing. The crew members don't’ recall seeing a baby, and now everyone around her is questioning her. With a fellow passenger making the realization that Makayla’s mother died from a memory issue, everyone around her; including the FBI and her husband on the ground; start to question if she truly ever had Liam to begin with.

❣️Initial Feels: Right from the start, the cover had me in ALL my feelings. I have a fear of flying, and just the belt buckle (and title) shot up my anxiety. I knew I was in for a ride!

👀Trigger Warnings: missing child, extreme turbulence (for those with fear of flying)

🙋🏼‍♀️Moving Character: For me, Derek showed some growth! In the start of the investigation and dealing with Makayla, he wasn’t the kindest. After some new discoveries, he turned a corner in showing her some sympathy.

📖Read if you want: multiple point of views, slow burn mystery, short chapters

💡Final Sentiments: I enjoyed this novel…even though I couldn’t sleep until I finished it because I had to “get off the plane” too! I have a very, awful fear of flying, and for most of this novel I could feel the anxiety and nerves in my body. As a mother, I also was feeling allllll the feelings for Makayla. This was a super fast read, and because of the short chapters, really made it fly by! A great introduction to thrillers!

🌟Overall Rating: 4 stars


This novel was provided by the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for my honest review.

3.5⭐️I just can't imagine something like this happening while stuck on an airplane. Missing in Flight was full of suspense. It definitely had me guessing throughout so I rounded up!

This was such a suspenseful ride! I really enjoyed every twist and turn. I was nervous going in it wouldn’t be able to pack enough thrill but it did!

4.5 rounded up.
Had me hooked from the start – fast-paced and fascinating (grab the popcorn).

Energy: Gripping. Bold. Calamitous.

🐕 Howls:
The reasoning behind the plot was ridiculous in an action-adventure movie type of way…the entire scheme relied too much on everything lining up perfectly and was unnecessarily dangerous and complicated, but I had so much fun reading it I didn't rly mind.

🐩 Tail Wags:
Action scenes that read like an action movie because they unfolded quickly as I imagined them happening. Direct, snappy, cinematic writing style that's easy to visualize. Rapidly shifting POVs giving us hints, reveals, and insights. Well-paced, never dragged, everything is relevant to the story. Short chapters and skipping between the three main scenes. Whenever I had a question, one of the characters would ask it too. Near the end there were moments of suspended disbelief, but I didn’t have to turn off my brain entirely.

Scene: 🇺🇸 ✈️ Set on a flight from Anchorage to LaGuardia, and on the ground in the NYC area.
Perspectives (4): The mother of a newborn with a family history. The father of a newborn who works at an investment firm. A co-pilot reconsidering their marriage. An FBI intelligence agent assigned to the case.
Timeline: Current (2010s/before Face ID).
🔥 Fuel: Cliffhangers. Interlocking reveals. Escalating stakes race against time. Did someone take the baby? If so, who and why? How did they manage to do it undetected? Where is it?
📖 Cred: Suspended disbelief realism

Mood Reading Match-Up:
Seatbelt sign. Airplane ambient noise. Turbulence. Laptop. Lightning. Helicopter blades. Warning alarms.
• Psychological action-adventure popcorn thriller
• Locked room mysteries
• Short chapters
• Punchy, cinematic writing
• “Go big or go home” Big Bads
• What-happened whodunnits
• Law & Order style FBI investigation digging up the tea
• Potential unreliable narrator
• Fly-on-the-wall reader gets to know more than the characters
• Fast-paced action and plot driven stories
• Who-took-my-baby parenting horrors

Content Heads-Up: Infertility. Early menopause. Stalking, home invasion (celeb; brief recall off page). Memory loss, confusion (Alzheimers; transient global amnesia). Loss of parent (as child). Abduction. Death. Fraud. Parental abandonment (as child; very brief recall). Migraines. Sexual harassment (workplace; of male). False accusations. Depression, mental illness (brief recall). Plane stuff (see my StoryGraph for more info if needed).

Rep: American. Cis. Hetero. Ambiguous skin tones.

📚 Format: Advance Reader’s Copy from Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley

My musings 💖 powered by puppy snuggles 🐶