What is even happening! Elizabeth’s 9 year old daughter Hollie is missing. Apparently they had gotten into a fight and mom has some secrets. She says she will do anything to find her daughter, but proceeds to illogically blame everyone for her disappearance while trying to find Hollie herself. But, there is no reason she would create such chaos and not alert the police to help her.

Elizabeth’s sister Sasha is insane! I almost thought she was an Elizabeth’s split personality.

There is no backstory at all. The book just eludes to some mysterious nefarious past. But, nothing that connects to what would happen to Holly. The author provides no information to help the reader try to guess what is happening.

If this was not an ARC I would have DNFed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. It will be published April 16, 2025

Elizabeth's 9 year old daughter goes missing at the end of a school celebration event triggering a wild roller-coaster ride of twists, turns and sinister events.
Fast-paced, gripping and intriguing right until the very last twist.
Expertly narrated creating a truly immersive experience.
I am grateful to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced listener copy of this gripping psychological thriller.

Finished this book in one day! I kept trying to guess the ending and had all sorts of predictions on what the outcome would be. Lots of surprises along the way that I wasn’t expecting though. Great narration and phenomenal book that keeps you wondering what the ending will be.

Release: April 16, 2025
Author: JD Kirk
Publisher: Bookouture

Rating: 4.25 ★ 

When Christine arrives at school to pick up her nine-year-old daughter, Hollie, she is met with a nightmare—Hollie is gone. As panic sets in, the teacher offers to call the police, but Christine refuses. She knows she can’t involve them, because doing so might reveal secrets she’s kept buried for years.
Convinced that Hollie has been taken and that someone from her past is behind it, Christine embarks on a desperate search to get her daughter back. But with every step, the danger intensifies, and the truth about her past slowly unravels. As time runs out, Christine must confront her darkest fears and make impossible choices to save her daughter before it’s too late.

JD Kirk delivers a pulse-pounding psychological thriller with My Daughter Is Missing, blending heart-pounding suspense with emotional depth. The story hooks you right away—Hollie, a nine-year-old girl, disappears after school, and her mother makes the shocking decision not to call the police. From there, the tension only escalates as secrets unravel and the past comes crashing into the present.
The protagonist’s desperation and fear are palpable, making it impossible not to be drawn into her frantic search. The writing is sharp, the pacing relentless, and the twists keep coming. Kirk masterfully keeps the reader guessing—just when you think you have it figured out, the story takes another unexpected turn. The emotional weight of a mother’s worst nightmare is woven throughout, making this book not just a thriller but also an emotional rollercoaster.
Overall, this is a gripping, unputdownable read that will have you racing to the final page. If you love psychological thrillers with high stakes and shocking twists, this one is a must-read.

Favorite Quote:
"justice isn't always about punishment; sometimes it's about finding the truth."

I haven't read/listened to this author's books before and so had no idea on requesting this from NetGalley that he'd written so many!
His experience is clear though from the smooth way that this book flowed.
I could feel Elizabeth's anxiety grow as the book progressed and in the twisty way that the story has gripped me for the last few days.
I would have loved a bit more from the ending, I still have unanswered questions, but perhaps there's going to be a second book?
I really enjoyed the narrator chosen for the story, a great match.
Thanks very much to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for my thoughts.

Thank you NetGalley, the author JD Kirk and Bookouture Audio for this ALC.

Fast paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat. The narrator did a great job bringing this story to life. Highly recommend!

I loved this one! Very high suspense with nonstop action. So many twists and turns! I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was phenomenal!!

This is a great book filled with chaotic energy and a fast paced story that kept me on the edge of my seat. The narrator was great and helped me feel immersed in the story. Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC! Highly recommend!

I love when a Netgalley arc gives me not just a book to review, but a brand new author to stalk. I've never heard of J.D. Kirk, but requested this book based on the description: <i> My nine-year-old daughter Hollie should be leaving school smiling and laughing with all the other children but she’s not here. I run frantically, checking everywhere, my voice growing louder, but I can’t see her bright blue eyes and heart-shaped face anywhere. Pure panic washes over me. This is my worst nightmare.

Her teacher asks me if she should call the police. My heart stops. I shake my head and pretend I’ve made a mistake. I see a look of suspicion creep into the teacher’s eyes. But the police can’t know. No one can. My hands shake as I realise I’m completely on my own.

I know in my gut my daughter hasn’t just wandered off. She’s been taken. Someone must know the truth about my past…<i>

On audio my biggest meh was the narration, but that's entirely on the weaknesses of my aging brain - the accent was strong. It probably took an hour or more for the sync to occur so I could listen effortlessly, so if you suffer the same weakness as me, just keep going and you will adapt.

I *thought* I knew the twist and proved, once again, I'm a reader not a writer for a reason. I was so wrong.

Now I'm off to see what else Kirk has written.

I strongly suspected the big twist by about halfway through, but it’s a fun one I haven’t seen in this way before so I enjoyed it all the same!

Premise - When her sweet 9-year-old daughter, Hollie, disappears Elizabeth is desperate to find her, as any parent would be. But Elizabeth can't depend on the police for help, not when she's hiding critical information. She knows this isn't a random kidnapping, or Hollie wandering off -- not when there's someone from her past who'd love to make her suffer...

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Cathleen McCarron. She did such a great job! From the very start she delivers a read with a sinister edge, making me a little suspicious of our protagonist. It added the perfect tension when our protagonist found her past coming back to haunt her!

Thanks, NetGalley and Bookouture Audio, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 🌟

My Daughter Is Missing began at a frenzied pace with Holly missing after the school Halloween disco, how could she have walked right past mum Elizabeth at the tuck shop table? More importantly, why can’t Elizabeth involve the police.

What plays out is a gripping roller coaster of events that unfold over a weekend, skeletons are falling out of closets all over the place, the author has thrown in so many twists that I genuinely had no idea how the story would unfold.

I’d have liked a firmer conclusion for the ending. I felt I was guessing facts rather than being told them. To be honest I was a bit confused, I’m sure this was the authors intention rather than it being a flaw, so just personal preference.

The narration on the audiobook is excellent from Carhleen McCarron, she added to the frenzied pace and kept me invested.

Huge thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook 🎧

The question I am asking myself is, why haven’t I read any of JD Kirk’s books before?

I really really enjoyed this audiobook! It hade hooked from pretty early on! I had no idea where it was going and kept thinking I was on the right track but I really wasn’t! I was not expecting it at all!

Fantastic writing style, and the Scottish accents on the audio makes it a lot easier to relate to the characters! I would definitely recommend!