The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers
Publishing date - 05/06/25
Rating (5/5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I loved her debut, All Good People Here, and as soon as I saw this one available on netgalley I requested it immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine for thIs e-ARC.
The story follows Nic and Jenna, two women dealing with the unresolved disappearances of their sisters, Kasey and Jules. suspense-filled read that had me hooked from the very beginning. The mystery surrounding the disappearances of the two sisters kept me on edge, and just when I thought I had everything figured out … wow 😮 The twist at the end was a total shocker! 😳

Highly recommend this one when it releases on May 6th!

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine for the opportunity to read this book before release.

Ashley Flowers’ The Missing Half is a compelling, multi-layered mystery that combines suspense, emotion, and unforgettable characters. The story follows Nic and Jenna, two women dealing with the unresolved disappearances of their sisters, Kasey and Jules. Their shared pain and determination to uncover the truth drive the narrative, creating a heartfelt exploration of loss, sisterhood, and resilience.

As an older sister, I found myself deeply connected to both protagonists. Their struggles felt authentic and raw, adding an emotional depth that elevated the story beyond a typical mystery. Flowers balances this emotional core with a fast-paced, gripping plot that kept me glued to the pages. I devoured the book in a single day—it’s that addictive.

The twists in the story are nothing short of masterful. I never saw the first one coming, let alone the second, which completely redefined the story’s trajectory. These surprises, paired with the characters and a deeply emotional journey, make The Missing Half a standout novel.

More than just a mystery, this book is an emotional reflection on grief, healing, and the bonds of family. Ashley Flowers has delivered a 5-star masterpiece that will leave readers breathless and thinking long after the final page.

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓'𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌, 𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌, 𝒕𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑯𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒐𝒓 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒆𝒏. 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆."

Special thanks to @ashleyflowers @penguinrandomhouse , and @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I loved her debut, and as soon as i saw this available on netgalley I was more than excited.

This one has a true crime almost podcast/documentary feel to it.

The twist at the end threw me against a wall. I literally thought it was going to be pretty straight forward, but I feel like this one leaves so many questions. I'm not sure I like the open ending. But I don't know if there's enough to make another book.
Either way, I REALLY liked this one. Can't wait to get more from Ashley.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
May 6, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️
Do you follow true crime? Know any cold cases you're invested in?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #themissinghalf #ashleyflowers
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Not what I was expecting.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this e-ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley for the eARC!
I really enjoyed this book, and at no point did I guess what was going to happen next. Sometimes authors hit a sophomore slump, but I think Flowers' second book is even better than her first one. I read this book in one sitting because I had to know what happened. Flowers and her co-writer did a great job of building tension and laying out potential suspects - but then surprising you with a twist about them. But at no point did the twists feel unbelievable, even when they tilted your knowledge of the situation on its head.

Thank you so much for my advanced readers copy for an honest review ! I am so grateful. Solid five stars. Phenomenal! I enjoyed.

This book is such a good read. The twists and turns it takes you throughout the book keeps you on the edge of your seat. I love the story line and I think the ending really makes you think the burden the sister has carried all those years.

Ashley Flowers hits readers with so many plot twists in this novel! Crime Junkie fans and crime fiction fans will devour this novel!

This is my first book by this author, but it won't be the last!  I love finding new authors to love and I really enjoyed how this author presented this thriller.  I was captured right away and was invested throughout the entire story.  I loved the twists and turns, and the unexpected things that happened.  Overall, a great book.  Thanks to NetGalley for this complimentary copy, my comments are what I thought about this book.

this was a suspenseful, page-turner that explored the bonds between siblings as two sisters investigate what happened to their missing sisters. i flew through the second half of the book, needing to know what happened. the ending was tragic and a little emotional. all in all, a thriller where i can’t guess the outcome is one that i feel excited about, and this one definitely meets that mark. flowers’ second thriller is much better than her first in my opinion - well written, full of twists, and an unreliable narrator. a good pick if you liked alex north’s “the angel maker” i think! would definitely recommend this one!

I could not put this book down. Wow wow wow! One twist and turn after another. One gut wrenching emotion after another.

Ashley Flowers has written a book that has it all. We meet Nic who is a a shell of herself after her sister Kasey disappeared, and is presumed dead, 7 years ago. Nic seems to be hanging on by a thread when Jenna walks into her life. Just two weeks before Kasey’s disappearance, Jenna’s sister Jules disappeared in the same eerie way. The police have never found answers and Jenna and Nic team up to finally find out for themselves what happened. They bond over their horrific loss, but the deeper they dig the more confusing it gets and they come to realize how little they really knew about their sisters and the lives of those around them.

The Missing Half is a thriller, mystery, women’s fiction book that has it all from love and loyalty to lies and loathing. It delves into grief and despair and hope and growth. It is well written, poignant and powerful. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballentine for this ARC!

A huge thank you to the publisher for sending me an ARC of The Missing Half! This was a fantastic, suspense-filled read that had me hooked from the very beginning. The mystery surrounding the disappearances of the two sisters kept me on edge, and just when I thought I had everything figured out, the last few chapters completely threw me for a loop. I literally fell off my chair in shock! If you're looking for a gripping story that builds tension with every page, this one’s for you. Highly recommend! #TheMissingHalf #NetGalley

~4.5~

Two sets of sisters: Kasey and Nic. Jenna and Jules.

Jules disappears one night on a wooded country road, her car, purse, phone, left behind. Two weeks later, Kasey goes missing in the same way. Abandoned car. No signs of a struggle. No body.

In the months and years following Kasey's disappearance, Nic, whose POV filters the story, continues on a path of self-destruction - drinking too much and working a dead-end job. Then comes the driving under the influence, the cat she couldn't take care of, the missed court appointments. Nic is a mess.

Until one day Jenna shows up and asks Nic to help her look for their sisters. Nic resists; she's numbed herself for seven long years and doesn't want to peel back the scabs, but Jenna is persuasive.

The women uncover things their sisters were hiding, but the discoveries aren't adding up. So many secrets. So many lies. So many broken pieces.

The Missing Half grabbed my attention from the very first chapter. I read it in two settings. The writing (even in my uncorrected proof copy) is sharp and accessible.

Sometimes a great book is ruined by a terrible ending, but that wasn't the case here. I did not see the twists coming! The ending was at once tragic and inevitable, the last sentence a punch to the gut.

This is an excellent, complex, emotional story that begs the question: How far would you go to save someone you love?

I enjoyed this book. I found the characters intriguing and worth reading more about. It slowed down for me by the end but I was still able to enjoy it through the end, I would read another book by this author.

This was the first book I read from this author, and I would definitely look for more of her work.
The story of Nic and Jenna who team up to try and resolve their sister's disappearance if full of twists and turns. Several times I was taken by surprise at things revealed, however I never would have seen the last twist of the story.

I could have stayed up all night reading this. Nic and jenna are two girls, whose sisters both disappear in the way. They decide to work together to see what the cops might have missed.

Wow wow wow!! My head is spinning! There wasn’t a second I wasn’t on the edge of my seat. I didn’t know who to trust. I just wanted Nic to get the answers she deserves about her sister. I couldn’t put this book down. My heart was racing the entire time!

There was so much going on! There were a few characters I didn’t care for but I liked Nic. Her relationship with her Dad made me sad. She definitely deserved more from him as a parent. Omg the ending!! Truly shocking!! I had no idea it would end the way it did.

This has to be one of the best thrillers I’ve read in a long time! I loved the writing style. I think the author did a great job.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Ashley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the E-ARC!

Publication Date: May 6th 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This review will be posted on Instagram! @thehomebodybooknook

#NetGalley #TheMissingHalf

4-4.5 What a wild ride! This story of two sisters, one of whom is missing, captivated me from page one. Ultimately, this one fell a little flat for me by the end, but I did enjoy the ride!

I did not love this book. That won't deter any Crime Junkies (I am a fan!), since Ashley Flowers can do no wrong. To me, there were too many twists and turns, as though too many true crime plots were all thrown into one story. The characters were kindof one-note, because it's all told from the one sister's point of view, and she's a very unreliable narrator! It's a quick, fast-moving story and perhaps if I had read it in a few sittings I would have rated it higher. I had to put it down a few times & had trouble convincing myself to pick it up again and get through it. That said, I will read her next one!
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

Really enjoyed this book! I found it to be a bit formulaic at the start and had a bit of a slow beginning establishing the scene, but once that was set I was fully locked in. I thought this book was so entertaining and shocking!

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.