FBI Detective Leigh Brody is back in The Vanishing Wife, the second book in the series. This time around she is on medical leave from her job, and ends up taking an unplanned trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama when a good friend leaves her a message saying she needs help. What she finds once she gets there is that her friend has gone missing, and local teenage girls have also been disappearing, and turning up dead.

I enjoyed this book. I thought it was well-paced, but there were a few twists in the plot that seemed to come out of nowhere and took the story in a totally different direction than the one I was anticipating. The story felt like it had already reached a climax with a lot of pages still to go. I enjoyed the ending, but didn't love it.

Thank you to NetGalley, Nichole Severn, and Storm Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It's been a really long time since I have read a detective type story and while they aren't my usual go to I am always up to broaden my horizons so when I was gifted this book by the publisher I decided to give it another try. If there was any downfall to this book it would have to be the fact that this was book two in a series where I haven't read anything before hand so to say I went in with a little bit of a disadvantage is an understatement. The good thing however is while I think reading the first book would have given me some more information I don't feel that it was necessary in order to fully enjoy and appreciate this story. This book is all about our main character Leah. Things are going pretty good for her until she learns that her good friend Elyse is missing. Unable to sit and do nothing Leah takes the case into her own hands and even though she is on medical leave she is determined to bring her friend home safely. I thought that this book was going to be more of a thriller book instead of a detective mystery which isn't my usual go to however I found the characters very compelling and I couldn't wait to see what or who was behind everything in the end. There was lots of twists in this story and just enough action to really pull me in as a reader. I loved our main character Leah. She was so determined to get to the bottom of things and she had so much depth to her character that I couldn't help but root for her. Really good job. I'm so glad that I was able to check this book out because I really enjoyed it and I don't think that I would have given it a chance because it is so out of my normal reading tastes. I do think I have to read the first one though but I can't wait to do that. Check out this book for sure you won't be disappointed.

FBI criminologist Leigh Body is back and, like with the first book where we learn the truth about her brother and father, this book is bonkers. I think the trick to reading this series is to realise it will have plot developments that are meant to be twists but are over-the-top to a point of incredulity.

While on medical leave Leigh is summoned to gulf shores Alabama by her only friend Elyse, the assistant at gynecologist's office who was her lifeline when she was diagnosed with cancer. Only Elyse is missing and there's bodies of young girls turning up. Of course Leigh can't help but be drawn in.

This was escapist, crime thriller fun with all sorts of developments. It seems Elyse is as bonkers as Leigh, whom in the last book we learned hid her brother and faked his death yet let her father be jailed for her brother's murder. Improbably Leigh and her brother have somehow managed to bypass all of FBI's strict screeaning process.

Yet despite my incredulity this is a highly addictive series. While I give it three because of the massive plot holes so I don't think its fair to rate it higher, I still absolutely cannot wait for the next book.

Thanks to Storm and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a super twisty crime story! I’m not the biggest fan of crime thrillers because of all the police and detective side of the story, I would prefer to watch shows like that vs reading them but this was still really good! The twist was a little easier to figure out but honestly it was still a great story! There was quite a lot of details and descriptions that I feel like the story could have gone without, but other than that it was good. If you love crime thrillers then this one is definitely for you!!

The basis for this story is the real truth young girls face with social media. Anybody can be whoever they want and prey on young girls. Leigh, FBI agent extraordinaire, actually made friends with the nurse in her OB’s office. She was caring and helpful during Leigh’s health issues. Elyse needed Leigh’s help, so as the dutiful friend she went to do what she could. The story is told in Elyse’s view from a few days before her disappearance and in current time as Leigh is investigating murders and missing teens. It’s gripping and terrifying, exceptional story telling. I’ve read Severn’s books for years and am always impressed, but this one is next level. This is the second book for Leigh but it’s not required to read the first. I was excited to receive an early copy and have provided my review voluntarily.

Another banger from Nichole Severn! I am really enjoying reading this author. This is the second installment of the Leigh Brody series. Leigh travels to Gulf Shores, AL to help her friend Elyse. It turns out Elyse’s daughter, Ava, along with Ava’s friends are being targeted by a child predator/killer. Elyse was out running one morning and came home with injuries and no memory of how it happened. She gets flashbacks when seeing a certain beach house. The local PD is not taking her seriously. And then she goes missing. That’s when Leigh enters the scene determined to find the cause of the missing children.

The his is a fast read with so much suspense! I enjoyed the ended way more than I did with the first book in this series. I very much look forward to reading the next books in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this complimentary copy of the book!

While on leave from the FBI Leigh Brody decides to visit a friend at her vacation home. When she arrives she is surprised to see the police there and her friend missing. Disturbing facts come to light about what had happened to Elyse a couple of days before. Leigh is determined to find her friend even if it means losing her job.
This book starts with a bang and ends with one too. The pages fly by while the suspense build with so many twists. You'll never guess where this is heading, you might think you figured it out but then another twist hits. A very satisfying read.

Before reading this book, I caught up with the first one in the series, but actually, you don’t need to. You can jump right in here and read this as a brilliant standalone.

I really like the character of FBI Agent Leigh Brody, she’s feisty and determined with her heart in the right place.

Despite being on medical leave after a cancer op, when her friend, Elyse, messages needing help and then disappears, Leigh inserts herself into the case and won’t be deterred until Elyse is found.

The pace is fast and the writing drew me right in. I was fully absorbed as the plot unravelled and revealed the horrible truth.

I would have preferred some of the suspense to be held back until later in the story as the perp is revealed very early on, but the intense, action packed ending made up for it in spades!

4.5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Nichole Severn and Storm for an ARC in return for an honest review.

This book focus on a FBI agent who joins an investigation to find her missing friend. A lot happens during the search and the agent discovers a lot more than expected and anticipated. The book has a lot of great plot twists and while reading it, the book made me think of the series Criminal Minds.
After finishing this book, I’ve noticed the author has a previous book, part of the sequence which I’m definitely going to read now. Definitely recommend!!!!

i struggled too get into this book maybe because i hadn't read the first one i found it a bit slow too start

finally got into it amd thought it was good i like Leigh and Elyse the characters are intriguing and interesting and theres a few twost and turns that you didnt expect.

The vanishing wife was a really fun read. It follows the story of Leigh (an FBI agent on medical leave) receiving a voicemail from her friend Elyse who disappears shortly after the call was made.

The characters in the story and their relationships made this book and the twists unexpected and kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved that Leigh as the FMC was tough, resilient and determined to solve the case no matter what roadblocks came in her path.

A great book, definitely worth the read and rec for any suspense/thriller and mystery book lovers!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the advanced reader copy of The Vanishing Wife in exchange for my honest review.

Available to read/purchase 9/12/24

The Vanishing Wife is the second installment in the Leigh Brody FBI Mystery series. It follows FBI criminologist Leigh Brody who is on medical leave to beachfront Gulf Shores Alabama in search of her new missing friend who left a frantic voicemail for her asking for her help.
We find out a teenage girl is also missing, and this sends us on a face paced search to find who is responsible.

I really enjoyed this book - it was a fast paced thriller with loads of twists and turns. Some parts were predictable (but I don't mind that in a thriller), but the overall storyline was great and the character development throughout was great.

You can read this book as a standalone and not be confused with what is happening and who is who which is amazing. Definitely would love to read some more of the Leigh Brody series!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Vanishing Wife by Nichole Severn is the second book in Leigh Brody's FBI Mystery series. This is a fast-paced and thrilling story that will make you guess what is happening.

I read this as a stand-alone and it felt fine, I didn't feel I missed some information but I believe there would be a lot to learn about Leigh as the person she is here.
This would be such an amazing episode of Criminal Minds!!!

Leigh is currently on medical leave after having surgery but when she gets a troubling voicemail from her friend Elyse she can't say no and is ready to help! By the time she arrives in Gulf Shores, Elyse is missing and unexpectedly Leigh is dragged into the missing girl case.

There is so much happening and definitely keeps readers interested. I challenged myself with this book as I am not a fan of detective/FBI stories and not a fan of series but this book worked well.
I believe that fans of the FBI series will love this book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this copy!

The Vanishing Wife by Nichole Severn is highly addictive. I kept trying to close my book for the night, but the “one more chapter” motto that most readers live by kept hooking me lol. I had to stop in the middle of a scene just to take a break because of the author’s amazing cliffhangers at the end of each chapter.
Leigh and the missing wife, Elyse, had both gone through hell. I felt for them and wanted a good outcome for Elyse.
Minor grievances. First, the book wasn’t riddled with the cuss words, there were a few that I could live without.
Second, my only other complaint is the monologues at the end. Leigh and the person behind all the drama—lol no spoilers here—had long paragraphs of dialogue that sort of slowed down the climax.
This book is a second in a series. A standalone. But it intrigued me enough to go back to the start.
Lastly, I want to say the author knew her stuff when it came to cop/FBI procedures.

I received this book through Net Galley and was not required to give a positive review.

4* Requires a fair bit of suspension of disbelief, and the end has a bit of a cliff hanger, but hey, not everyone in this tale is lily white, so...

This is the 2nd book in the Leigh Brody FBI series but works fine as a standalone, as there's enough info about events to clue readers in. It's well written, pacing is good, even though it's a tad unbelievable that someone who's just had major abdominal surgery can release themselves from care after 3 days (and only be meant to be recuperating for 3 weeks?? Thank goodness for the UK's NHS and sick pay rules) and have flown across the country to help out on a case. Hmm. But, the take works and is engrossing, though there are lies, untruths, truths withheld and the tale ends with a 'Uh oh, what happens now?/Fgs, now I have to wait until the next gets written to find out more?' moment. It is a good read and I definitely want to read books 1 and 3, especially as book 1 has hints of the Mercy Thompson series that I devour.

But, there's filler, too, and there's lots going on that could've been edited out, and there's LEOs keeping secrets and peacock posturing until they get a working relationship going. Rules are bent, evidence risks being deemed unusable, one LEO loses her focus on the main case because she's personally vested in another that's connected, and hasn't declared this, and there's some abrasiveness. Kind of realistic in parts, as they're human, but also not by the book. I think had Leigh's past with a serial killer and her 'dead'-but-not-really brother not been what it was, this tale could have exceeded my ability to suspend disbelief. It made her a shades-of-grey character, so the ending sets up book 3 nicely.

I got Elyse's desire for revenge and to protect her daughter and others, but the details bogged the tale down at times. Wesley's existence and actions could have been skipped entirely and wouldn't have affected the tale. The way in which he offed himself was convenient, glossed over - it should have resulted in an investigation - and no one seemed to mourn him, not even his daughter, but hey, apparently this was family vacation time and time to reconnect, so that didn't feel real. The details about cleaning products and cleaning were boring and unnecessary. What the tale needed more of was Ava's involvement in the before and the now, because she was the reason her mother did what she did. What was missing, too, was the timeframe for Elyse's plotting, as it was unclear if it was months, weeks or days - could it have been mere days, if this was their annual vacay?? Details matter and this was detail-lite in this aspect of the tale. Still, it was a decent read and I'm definitely up for the next.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure.

Great book loved it. Was hooked. But the Quantico in September having ice and snow doesn't fit. It doesn't rarely even snow in that area of Virginia. Definitely not in the end of summer early fall. And there's plenty of beaches nearby.

Leigh's friend Elyse is missing and Leigh will do everything she can to find her, but what she uncovers is a predator hiding in the shadows. This is a second book in this series and I absolutely love it! Lots of mystery and so many twists! Highly recommend this series and I hope there is a third book in this series!

This book got my attention right from the start, and detective/FBI novels aren't normally my thing. I didn't read the first Leigh Brody novel but I will now after reading The Vanishing Wife. The ending wasn't that shocking but I enjoyed the story getting there, and I liked the dual POVs.

To start with, I did not see that murderer coming. The investigation into the disappearance of teenage girls, added to her friend disappearing, leaving a pool of blood, left Leigh trying to investigate while on medical leave. I liked the way she interacted with the police officer in charge, despite the officer originally brushing off Elyse's claim of being attacked. Her being preoccupied by another case soon becomes clear. There were twists, a few things I saw coming (except a murderer). I will be looking for the next book

So happy to see the next installment (#2) of the Leigh Brody series!

After wrapping up all the loose ends from book #1 and a surgery, Leigh is on mandated leave from the FBI. While recovering, she learns her close friend Elyse is missing from her vacation home in a small Alabama coastal town. And, strangely, a teenager had just been murdered. Leigh being Leigh, she just can't leave it alone and jumps on a plane to see what she can find out.

Arriving to a bloody crime scene, Leigh knows things do not look good. Elyse's husband and teen daughter have no idea where she could be, and they seem to be at a dead end.

Every time I thought I had the storyline nailed, something happened to make me question that line of thinking. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Nichole Severn for the eARC.