This gripping novel centers on two girls who go missing from two different families, and the sisters they leave behind, who join forces to uncover what happened.

Ashley Flowers has a remarkable talent for storytelling, which she showcases brilliantly in this, her second book. I particularly admire how she crafts her narratives without adhering to conventional plot structures, bringing fresh twists that catch the reader off guard. Her attention to detail is meticulous, adding depth and authenticity to the suspense.

"The Missing Half" was a fantastic read, and I'm eagerly anticipating more innovative stories from Flowers. Her ability to weave such compelling tales is truly exceptional.

I am a huge fan of Ashley Flowers so of course I had to read her book. The book starts with Nicole, who goes by Nic, trying to live a normal life after the death of her sister, Kasey. The only clue that Nic and the detectives have in Kaseys murder is another girl from a couple towns over ends up going missing as well. This book brought me through a series of emotions with its twists and turns throughout the book. The last fourth of the book had me second guessing everything. I can not wait to what else Ashley Flowers comes up with next!
Thank you Netgalley and the Publishing Group-Ballantine-Bantam for allowing to me to read this book before it hits the shelves!

I started this in a reading slump and finished it in one day. I love a mystery featuring female leads (especially one about sisters) and NOT featuring cops. The women in this were fascinating, and the mystery was engaging. Obviously, this book gripped me all the way through, and I never saw the ending coming. Like most mysteries I read, I didn’t fund the prose in this to be my absolute favorite, which is why it’s getting 4 stars, but I really enjoyed it and would recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries.

I found this book to be literally quite satisfying. Nicole/Nic and Kasey were sisters. And Jenna and Jules were sisters. Jules disappeared without a trace. 4 weeks later, Kasey disappeared. 7 years later, the disappearances continue to be unsolved. Jenna sought out Nic in hopes that together they could solve the mystery. Jenna's whole premise was that the disappearances had to be connected somehow. So the two women went to work.

It turns out, both Kasey and Jules had worked around a perv named Steve who had several complaints by women against him. So at first they thought he was the culprit.

Nick worked at a place called Funland where her boss was Brad, a family friend. During their investigation, Nic learned that Kasey had had an affair with Brad. Also, Nic and Kasey's car had unexplained miles on it. Nic assumed that Kasey had gone out to Brad's summer home to be with him. With that in mind, she made the assumption that Brad had something to do with her sister 's disappearance. It turns out that wasn't true. Sandy, Brad's wife, had found out about the affair and she confronted Kasey. She told Kasey she had to break it off. Kasey said that she would but that Sandy had to pay her off $10,000. She gave her $7,000 and Kasey seemed to be okay with that. This still left the mystery of what happened to Kasey and Jules.

The twist ending really caught me by surprise. I absolutely did not see that coming. Throughout the book, the author kept me guessing. Steve, the perv, seemed to be the obvious perpetrator, and Nic and Jenna worked toward that end, until they no longer worked together. Jenna brought an end to their partnership without Nic having the slightest idea as to why.

All in all, I found this to be a book that tantalized my desire for a good whodunit. I thought the author did a fabulous job weaving the ins and outs of this saga. I'd like to read more by her. I gave it five stars.

Having read Ashley’s first book (and frankly - been a little disappointed by it) I was excited to see how her second book had shaped up. I enjoyed this story quite a bit! I didn’t see the end coming until the hair from the car was revealed, only then did I suspect Kasey could have been involved with the disappearance of Jules. I’d give this one a solid 3.5-4. I do have a complaint about the name of Steve McLean - it’s just too close to Steve McQueen for me. Also I would have liked to see more of the relationship between Kasey’s dad and Brad, to make that a little more complex. Would have loved to see the conversation between the two of them when the dad found out about their relationship. Also would love to know if Kasey ever saw her sister again, if she came back to join her in Tennessee, or if she lived out her life quietly without being known.

Two unsolved missing persons cases haunt the sisters left behind. Steadily ratcheting tension and well-developed characters make this a compelling read. I didn't see the twist coming, but I usually don't.

Two women haunted by their sisters' unsolved disappearances band together in this captivating mystery!! Good read!! I’m just not too sure about that ending?! What the heck? Kind of weird or just up in the air a bit?! But besides that it was a great read! Very interesting storyline! It had suspense, intriguing, murder, mystery, a sort of who done it and some huge crazy twists!! The twist is wild! lol I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this book with me!

I loved reading a book that’s based in my state!! It has intrigue, twists and turns, and unlikely friendship. The book was fast paced and had my shocked at some parts!! Love the way the author writes mystery!

Oh my goodness! You need a drink after reading the last chapters of this book! My blood runs cold! I didn't see some twists coming, and I still feel flabbergasted, sad, and numb all at once! It feels like broken glass tearing through your skin! This is one of those books that will stay with you forever, and each time you remember how everything concludes, you oscillate between crying aloud and sighing heavily. It truly broke my heart! I think I'll need at least three days to gather myself or start reading anything new after the effects of this story slowly dissipate.

If you're tough enough to embrace darkness and raw sadness, read this meaningful sisterhood saga. It's one of the most thought-provoking stories I've read lately, and I'm certain it's one of the best women's fiction meets dark thriller/mystery novels of 2025!

The main story revolves around two women with one common thread: both of their sisters were taken two weeks apart in 2012. Their bodies were never found, but their families are already broken, having said goodbye without closure.

Nicole "Nic" Monroe hit rock bottom at age 24. Losing her sister was like losing her best friend, real mother, guardian, and anchor to survival! Their alcoholic mother left the house, and their father lives in denial, refusing to discuss the tragedy or support Nic. After getting a DWI, Nic starts community service at a shelter, attending AA meetings, and working as a waitress at Funland, her family friends' business, for eight years. She hasn't progressed in life, still living in a dinky apartment in her hometown of Mishawaka, numbing her pain with alcohol. She didn't go to college, make friends, or look for better jobs. She's locked herself in a purgatory that prevents her from moving on, stuck at the moment her sister vanished, leaving only her car and purse behind. Losing Kasey feels like losing a limb. Deep in her gut, she knows somebody took her sister and she'll never return!

When Jenna Connor, sister of another missing girl Jules who disappeared two weeks before Kasey, appears at Nic's workplace with a clue connecting the two cases, Nic can't resist listening – even though it might drag her into dangerous circumstances while investigating both Mishawaka girls' disappearances.

As they team up, secrets from Nic's inner circle begin to surface, and she realizes Jenna might be the only person she can fully trust when everyone else has left her to spiral. Learning the truth might open a can of worms, and Nic will discover that sometimes ignorance is bliss, though it's time for her to confront harsh realities instead of numbing herself. What she doesn't know is that truth comes with a hefty price she may barely handle!
Overall: This is great literature – heart-wrenching, extremely emotional, shocking, well-executed mystery with layered, perfectly developed characterization made me love this book so much! I couldn't recommend it more! I liked it even better than "All Good People Here"!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine-Bantam for sharing this well-executed thriller's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers is a gripping psychological thriller that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. The novel follows a woman who becomes entangled in a chilling mystery after the sudden disappearance of her sister. Flowers expertly builds suspense through well-crafted twists, intricate characters, and a plot that delves into themes of trust, secrets, and the search for truth. The pacing is fast and taut, with plenty of surprises along the way. While some elements might feel familiar to thriller fans, Flowers' writing and ability to maintain tension make The Missing Half a compelling and thrilling read for those who enjoy suspenseful, page-turning mysteries.

So I had been waiting a long time to be approved for this arc and when I finally was I read it in one day. I could not put it down! I had to know what really happened to Kasey and Jules. There were lots of twists in this book and I did not see them coming. I do not have a sister but the bonds between sisters and the love they have really was felt throughout the story. The last line of the book was the best. 4.5 stars.

Nicole “Nic” Monroe is a twenty-four year old who lives in alone in a small apartment in the hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana. Nic is facing some challenges. She cannot drive her car because she go a DWI so she has to boke to her dead-end job on her bike. Nic is stuck. She can’t move forward after the sudden disappearance of her sister. Nic blames her situation on sister’s sudden disappearance. What if her sister had never gone missing? Nic is not entirely alone. Another young woman by the name of Jenna Connor has also lost her sister. Jenna reaches out to Nic order to attempt to solve the mystery of their sisters disappearance. After all, if the police are not doing anything then it is up to them to find answers.

I admit I was hesitant about Ashley Flower’s writing. Can a podcaster also be an amazing author? Ashley proved me wrong. I was highly impressed by the plot and writing. This book is a must read in one day type of book. I couldn’t put it down. I just needed to know what happen with these two girls that mysteriously went missing.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Bantam for sending me an ARC in exchange of an honest review of the book received.

I felt like this was a fast read because I was immediately immersed in reading to find out what happened with the missing sisters. I thought I had predicted the ending but I was dead wrong. A decent twist, not at all where I thought this was going.

This was a great thriller that really hooked me quickly. I thought i was able to guess the ending but I was very wrong. I did like the ending and I feel like all the answers were all tied up. I enjoy Ashley Flowers writing.

Could NOT stop turning the pages! The problem with current thrillers, however, is that you KNOW there has to be at LEAST one twist. So you're constantly waiting for it, and then wondering... that can't be the only one, right? Ashley Flowers definitely gives us plenty of suspects, clues, twists, jaw-dropping surprises in this one--it will keep you tearing through it, wondering where this ride will end up! Okay I might also be biased because MY name is Casey and my little sister is also named NICOLE. I mean, what are the chances-I was obviously hooked from the start. But honestly, I really enjoyed this solid mystery about two sisters trying to solve the mysteries of their sisters' disappearances--two cold cases that would otherwise have gone unsolved. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy!!

Enjoyable, bingeable thriller, about 2 woman who connect through their own personal tragedies of their sisters who were both kidnapped 3 weeks apart. The concept is really good and the twist.

I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of this one! It was extremely readable and I was definitely hooked.

I really appreciate the way the main character was written. She was not a hero but a very flawed and damaged woman. I can’t imagine being the younger sister of a kidnapped/murdered family member. I didn’t see the ending coming at all l, I thought I figured out how the book was going to end several times and all my guesses were wrong!

Really enjoyed this book and loved one of the twists!! I was really excited about this one and it didn’t disappoint!

read if you like:
👩🏻 missing people
🥶 cold cases re-opened
👧🏻 thrillers about sisters

summary:
Full disclosure, I love Ashley Flowers’ podcast Crime Junkie and once I saw this ARC I knew I wanted to read it. The story revolves around Nic, a 24 year old living in her hometown in Indiana, working at Funland and doing community service as a result of a DWI. Nic still lives with the trauma of her sister, Kasey’s disappearance seven years ago, when she left work and was never seen again. Nic is approached by Jenna, who lives with the same guilt — her own sister, Jules, disappeared two weeks before Kasey in a similar way, and Jenna is looking to do her own detective work to find out what really happened. Initially hesitant, Nic agrees to join forces, finding a friend who understands how she feels and who wants the same justice for her lost sister.

This story moves quickly! The author does a great job of developing Nic, and I found myself sharing in her disappointment and hope when she meets Jenna, who wants to relive their past in her quest to find answers. I love a good thriller that isn’t too long and packs in the action and drama, and this one delivers. At first it seems like the answer is going to be obvious, but I promise, you will NOT see the end coming. I loved the twists, turns and the quick writing style. I also love a story where you can’t tell what side everyone is on, and this one will keep you guessing. My only reason for not rating it higher is the trope of an alcoholic lead who forgets things — it works in this story, but it just feels like it’s a little overdone.

If you like stories about sisters and what we’ll do for those we love, check out this book when it releases on May 5. Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC. I can’t wait to go back and read Ashley Flowers’ first book!