The Missing

Loved this book and I'm sure I watched a series on tv based on the same storyline. Felt so sorry for the mum at all times

i really enjoyed this book from daisy pearce .it follows one womans quest to find out what happened to her daughter who went missing when she was 15 .it really tugs at your heart .

I know I’ll sound like a douche but I did not like Edie at all, like for me, she deserved what happened to her. I know I know, I’m evil.
But that’s the truth.
Thanks Net Galley for the ARC of this book.
It was okay.
It could’ve been so much better if the character is likeable.

15-year-old Edie Hudson goes missing.
Two decades later, her mother Samantha still doesn't know what happened to her daughter and can't find closure.
Meanwhile, Frances discovers that her husband William had known the missing girl.
When the two women meet accidentally, they quickly join forces to find out the truth behind Eddie's disappearance, but someone is not happy about it.

The story alternates between two different accounts, Samatha's and Frances'.
I found the two at first seemingly unconnected perspectives really intriguing, and as the story kept progressing, I was quickly drawn in.
This was a gripping read that had me madly turning the pages to find out what happened to Eddie.
The twist at the end was not so much shocking as it was surprising, but the story was fast-paced and suspenseful, and I didn't want to put it down. It was my first book from this author, but it definitely won't be my last.

This is the second book I've read by this author, and it's another great one! Told from alternating narratives of Samantha and Frances, it involves Edie, Samantha's daughter who disappeared 15 years ago, and Frances, who discovers this mystery and the surprising connection it has to her own life. She never heard about the missing girl before, due in part to the police and media writing Edie off as just another troubled runaway. Sure, she was a typical rebellious teenager, more so perhaps, but that doesn't mean her disappearance doesn't matter. And it soon begins to matter to Frances, also, when she discovers that her husband, William, was involved with Edie as a teen.

Frances and William revisit his childhood home due to his mother suffering a terrible fall while in the care of William's brother, Alex. It is while she looks through some old photos that Frances learns about Edie and how she disappeared one day in a graveyard and has never been found. She soon begins digging into the mystery, and meets Samantha along the way. Still heartbroken over her Edie's disappearance, she and Frances join together to discover the truth, whatever the cost. But will that only cause these women to lose more along the way?

I read this all in one sitting - I couldn't help it, I was unable to put it down! So many suspicious characters and motives, I just couldn't rest until I knew what really happened to Edie. It is definitely a mystery you will want to solve and you won't be disappointed!

Samantha seems to be the only person who still wants to find her missing daughter. It’s been twenty years after all, everyone assumes she either ran off or was killed. But Samantha is determined to uncover the truth and she finds help in an unlikely ally, Frances, a woman interested in what happened to Edie because Frances has found a photo of her husband with the missing girl

*** ARC provided by NetGalley via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ***

This book is told from the perspective of Samantha (now & then) and Frances. Samantha is the mother of Edie who went missing age 15 and was never heard of again. This happened 20 years ago and Frances is thrown into the middle of this decades old story by her own curiosity after seeing a photo of her husband with Edie as a teenager.

The problem with this story is that Edie wasn't the type of child that was missed when she disappeared, in short, Edie was no angel. This, for me, is what makes the book stand out. The story of a forgotten 'bad girl', the media that painted her as a runaway and the mother unsure of how to feel when the daughter who scared her goes.

Good book, would certainly make me keep an eye out for this author in the future

Complex mystery with lots of strands. Unfortunately didn't really get going for me. Loads of suspects,not much to go on,slow unravelling.

This book packs a punch, a book always rates highly if it can grab my intrigue in the first chapter. Its rare but this book had it. I read 46% in my first sitting. Daisy has a way of description that gave me goosebumps. The story is clearly guided and the jumps back to past are clear with chapter names.. Now and Then.
This was my first read of Daisy Pearce and it won't be my last, I can't describe the talents used to just sprinkle intrigue and anticipation throughout the book. Not knowing what's going to happen, where is this going... These talents are priceless and this book has them all and will keep you reading... Matchsticks should come with this book as they are needed to keep going. I will sleep after this chapter just does not work out... I had to keep reading just one more.
Samantha and Francis are characters who have been described perfectly and each chapter being written in 1st person gives a sense and insight of each lady and their desperation in the missing child and the straying husband, the link between these characters is well developed and is the most intriguing part of the book.
A well written gripping thriller.


#TheMissing #NetGalley #DaisyPearce #bookreview
#bonkersaboutbooks

This suspense-filled novel kept me guessing till the end. Engaging characters, great storylines and good setting make this a book to be read!!

Sadly, I wasn't super impressed with this book. I thought it had great potential, but in the end I was left feeling highly underwhelmed. The writing was fine, however, the characters were so unlikable. Not unlikeable in that way where you still love them and kind of question yourself for doing so. They were just boring and flat. The story really fell short for me too. It just wasn't blowing me away at any point. This one wasn't for me.

Told from two perspectives, then & now, about a missing girl. Samantha’s 15 year old daughter Edie goes missing, 18 years later Frances discovers her husbands connection to the missing girl. Very good book, kept me guessing til the end

Thank you NetGalley, publisher and author, for letting me have a copy of this book to read and review. Premise of this book was very interesting. A teenager disappeared years ago and her mom is still trying to find out what happened. Meanwhile a wife discovers her husband may be hiding secrets from her. Shockingly, the couples might have things in common. I was intrigued and excited to find out the possible link between the 2 couples. I wanted to like this book more than I did, sadly. I did not like the narration style of the author. I was so distracted by the use of, sometimes fancy, words to describe details about the characters and their surroundings. "slender curve of the moon", "her hair is a nebula about her drawn face".

From the beginning this one hooked me. I honestly didn’t want to put it down! I look forward to reading more by Daisy Pearce.

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Exceptional plot, in depth characters, and extremely well written. Just like Pearces first book this one was just as good if not better.

Psychological Thriller filled with thrills

This book is a testament to a mother's love and determination. Samantha has never gave up on her daughter, Edie, who went missing years ago. Although everyone else has forgotten, Samantha is a mama bear and will never forget. She will find a way to piece together and unravel the mystery of what happened to her daughter all those years ago.

What really happened to Edie? Is there someone who knows? Read to find out!

I enjoyed the pacing and the plot development in this story. I thought it was very rich in detail and the writing was excellent. What are you waiting for? Read this today!

The Missing is a story told in alternating perspectives by two women who’s lives are unknowingly intertwined. Samantha tells her story then and now, when her daughter went missing and 20 years later as she continues to search for answers. Frances lets her curiosity get the better of her when she finds out about a missing girl from her husbands past. In her search for answers, she encounters Samantha and the two become an unlikely pair. The final 1/3 of the book is filled with shocking twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

This book hooked me from page one. The plot was intriguing, the settings and the characters well developed. Edie is a character that stands out and makes the reader think about how people can have hidden faces or be misjudged by others. It was a great reading and I’d recommend this book.

When I began this book, I thought "oh no here we go again", as I believed it was going to follow the formula of so many 'missing teenager' books available at the moment. However, I quickly learnt that I was incorrect, as it delved deeply into the pain of a mother, who lost a particularly difficult child, and posed some serious questions about the effects of this on how the mother and society dealt with this loss. As I work with teenagers, I can allude that kids with issues such as Edie certainly exist, but a spotlight is rarely shone on the mental and physical effects this can have on their primary caregivers. In my opinion this is an excellent book, and it should hold an important place in modern thrillers, whereby books should be written that are raw and real, rather than 'thriller by numbers'.

I loved this thriller! I was immediately hooked within the first few pages. This book is chalk full of subtle red herrings which will keep you guessing from the very start.

The chapters flip between Samantha and Frances, which I enjoyed as slowly their story lines start to meld together and more pieces of the mystery become clear. The mother character Samantha, is so relatable and you could feel her extreme emotional pain throughout this story. Highly recommend for those in need/want of a good thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for a chance to review this arc in exchange for an honest review.

The Missing is a captivating thriller that has you hooked from the start. The chapters flip between two women who are unexpectedly connected by a missing girl. Samantha is the mother of the missing girl, and you can emphasize with her as she experiences ongoing grief for years. Frances is a married women who is interested in what happened to the missing girl, Edie.

I really enjoyed this book and was curious about what truly happened to Edie and I wanted to know why. I liked that this story was told in first person because it was easy to understand what the characters were experiencing throughout the book. The ending of this book was not as predictable as some thrillers tend to be in my opinion, which really sets it apart from other stories. Another thing I really enjoyed about this book was the true aspect of how missing people can be overlooked depending on their backgrounds. Edie wasn't a "good girl" and her disappearance didn't get attention by the media the way that "good-girls" do.

This book was captivating, touching, and thrilling. I'm looking forward to reading more titles by this author.

spoiler alert ** 3.5 stars

A good mystery that had me guessing to very near the end as to what had happened to Edie.
I was willing to suspect everyone and no one,she might have just been a runaway.
Good levels of creepiness provided by the local caretaker and the witchcraft.
No surprises at the end,but it took me a fairly long time to get to the answer.

The Missing made me sad, not to say it isn’t an incredible story but the feeling of sadness lingered long after finishing.
The grief that flows through the pages , the wonderful writing, the twists (oh my god the twists!!). Pacing is per fctm actually everything’s perfect! Read The Missing!

A strong five out of five book.

This started off really well, with such a well written, heartbreaking description of a mother's experience following the disappearance of her daughter. Alongside this there is an equally well written synopsis of a marriage in trouble due to the apparent misdemeanours of the husband. So far, so good.
However, it then seemed to lose something and I struggled to finish it.
Finish it I did though and overall I found it a decently rounded drama / thriller - bit 'made for tv' but an OK read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

A multiple POV thriller set in two time periods which was exciting to read. The book is centred around the disappearance of Edie, and we see the story through the eyes of Frances and Samantha. I found the book to be well-paced, full of great macabre description, and interesting plot developments. There are some contrivances, as with any thriller, I didn't connect with Samantha as much as I felt I could have, and felt there were a couple of subplots which weren't fleshed out fully/didn't feel resolved but on the whole this was a great page turner and it was written wonderfully well.

The Missing by Daisy Pearce is a fast-paced, engrossing thriller that will have you questioning everything you think you know until the very end.

Fifteen year old Edie Hudson has always had a somewhat problematic relationship with her mother, Samantha. When she goes missing from their small community, the case seems to be quickly forgotten by everyone but Samantha. Twenty years on a local woman, Frances, also has an interest in the case, and it is a personal one. She has discovered a photograph of her husband with the long missing girl. Alternating between 'then' and 'now', and between the perspectives of the two women, Edie's disappearance becomes an all-consuming obsession for Frances, a wife who is seeking answers, and her involvement provides hope for Samantha, a mother who has been plagued by guilt for far too long.

This is a twisty tale that will sweep you up in a compelling and unpredictable journey. You will be racing to find out what happened to Edie Hudson so many years ago.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC.

This was a great read start to finish. A missing girl and a mother who never gave up. Edie was never the worlds darling, she was a bully with aggression problems, so when she vanishes into thin air she is written off as a run away with out much of an investigation. Frances has married Edies ex boyfriend and when they visit his hometown she meets Edies mom... together they try to unravel the past and how the past is a part of Frances present.
Great characters, great plot and fast paced with lots of suspense. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you for the ecopy of this book. I will be posting a full review on Goodreads, Amazon, and Instagram! Many thanks.

The Missing by Daisy Pearce was one of those stories that I wanted to love, but for me, it fell a little flat. The storylines were easy enough to follow, but I wanted the mom of the missing girl to be able to move on. She never accepted her new reality and I guess if one ever had a child go missing, it would be extremely difficult to do. She found an unlikely ally in the wife of the missing's friend/boyfriend from high school. Soon, they both become obsessed with knowing what happened.
I appreciated the flow of the writing. It kept me reading until the end. I just wanted the mom to finally have her closure and it seemed like it took forever to get. Thank you to #netgalley #amazonpublishinguk for this advanced copy. The book is set to be published on June 9, 2020.

A mother teenage daughter went missing two decades ago is desperate – understandably – for answers. But she’s not the only one who wonders about the case and a photograph could lead to a dangerous, life changing revelation. A tautly written read that made you empathise with Samantha, the missing girl’s mother.

Oh what an incredible book. An absolutely brilliant story. I totally devoured this. It’s hard to describe the plot without spoiling it, I loved the title and cover of the story, requesting for this reason. And I’m so glad I did. A brilliant psychological thriller. A stand out from the rest. Highly recommended xx

I really had high hopes for this book and unfortunately it did not deliver. The story did not seem to gel and in my opinion rather long winded. Saying that I am sure other readers will enjoy it more just not for me.
Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for the ARC.

This was an interesting mystery but reading it fell a little flat for me. Though the storyline was good, I just had trouble getting into it and I couldn't put my finger on why. It took me a while to finish it because I wasn't motivated to pick it back up. It centers on Samantha, whose 15-yr-old daughter Edie went missing 18 years ago. Samantha is still searching for answers, but doesn't get a ton of support from those around her. Enter Frances, the wife of the guy who was dating Edie at the time; Frances stumbles upon a picture of Edie and wants to find out more. Frances and Samantha end up forming an unlikely friendship, and eventually figure out what happened all those years ago.

I felt sorry for Samantha but was somewhat frustrated that after all of these years, she was still asking the same questions- I wanted her to either move on or at least find new ways to investigate what happened. There were also things that she never fully looked into until Frances came along, which seemed hard to believe when her entire being revolved around figuring out what happened to her daughter. Frances, on the other hand, was someone I never really felt like I got to know- I think I liked her but didn't feel like I understood her. .

The ending was a surprise and was pretty action packed when the mystery is solved. The pace of the book picked up greatly at that point.

All in all, I like being surprised and thought the ending of this book was good, but didn't fully immerse myself in this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for sharing this book with me.
This book took me a while to get into the story. I found the beginning very confusing. It started to get interesting after half the book and then it was impossible to stop reading. Very interesting the development of the story.

While this dragged at times, I enjoyed it. It had me guessing right up to the end about who the killer was & why they did it.

Thanks to Amazon Publishing UK & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

With thanks to Netgalley and Amazon for this ARC in exchange for an open and honest review.

Divorced mother of one Samantha Hudson struggled to get on with her troubled teenage daughter Edie After a violent row with her mother. Edie mysteriously disappeared in a cemetery. Despite a police investigation Edie was never seen again.

Twenty years later therapist Frances Thorn found a picture of Edie and her husband William as teenagers. She became intrigued when William's brother begged her not to tell William she had seen the picture. Frances tracked down a school friend of Edie who mentioned that William was Edie`s ex boyfriend. She then described the night Edie vanished in the cemetery.

When Samantha found out Frances was asking about Edie she was initially suspicious. However she was soon won over when she discovered Frances was now married to William.

The plot were beautifully descriptive and I could imagine myself in that dark graveyard. The story was told from Samantha twenty years earlier and Samantha and Frances in the present.

The plot was a slow burner with a hint of menace at times. Although I enjoyed the story it left me with unanswered questions which annoyed me. For instance I don't want to reveal any spoilers but it was never revealed how Frances turned her life around and became a therapist.

I think this was a promising debut book and I look forward to reading more from Daisy Pearce in the future.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for an Advanced Release Copy in exchange for my unbiased review.

For the first few chapters I was turning the pages quickly and eagerly, both stories sounded so intriguing and promised a decent thriller that I was so excited to read and interested as to how the two stories will connect. I was really connected to the mothers experience and heartbreak and I thought the content was very relevant with the marriage troubles, I can imagine that this type of issue is becoming more common each day.

However I feel that it lost its way. Whilst the two stories did come together and in an interesting way, I felt that the novel became too heavily focused on the first story and the heat surrounding the marriage troubles fizzled away, which was I thought was quite exciting as the character began investigating to begin with. That could have been built up and held out for longer with more thoughts on her emotions, I thought. There were moments where I felt that this was becoming a bit of a YA story so far as the rattlesnakes were involved and it was never quite explored as to why these girls had the hold they did on their teachers and parents. It just sounded like kids getting away with what they wanted to without any consequence.

I found myself quite irritated at one characters comment about them being ‘lactose intolerant’ - it added absolutely nothing to the story and I didn’t understand (as someone that is) what it was meant to convey about the character and why the author put it there. The character was literally just arranging to meet for coffee.

The ending was unrealistic in line with the rest of the story in my opinion, I personally think the wrong characters were chosen. There were many red herrings in the novel and I didn’t expect the ending to be as it was (and the chase was a good element) but I didn’t believe that the people involved where to blame and I didn’t buy the reason why.

Overall, I felt it was a bit of an average read. It’s a shame because I felt it was on the right path but just took some turns that didn’t work.

Solid story. I liked this book a lot.

I don't want to give too much away, as to keep the suspense for future readers, but this had me riding a whirlwind of theories and still managed to shock me.

The narrative is told on Samantha's and Frances' "then and now" perspectives. Their paths cross over a comon subject: Edie's (Samantha's daughter) disappearance 20 years earlier.

We have a few unique characters, their distinct traits well explored enough to peak our interest and make us suspicious of each and everyone one of them. I think the author threw some misleading hints on there, to keep us guessing. Or maybe I was just reading too much into it.

I was soooo wrong about where this was going most of the time. A good mystery for sure.

Thanks NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK, for sending me this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Wow! It’s going to take me a while to recover from this book - in a really, really good way!!

This story was packed with a punch and a half! I devoured it and was thinking about the story even when I didn’t have the book in my hands... and when that happens, YOU KNOW IT’S GOOD! There were so many characters involved - suspicious, crazy, and vengeful ones, and twists and turns at every chapter.

The Missing is about a rebellious 15-year-old girl named Elizabeth (Edie), who leaves home one day and never returns. Her mom, Samantha, stops at nothing, even decades later after she goes missing, to figure out what happened to her. Is she dead? Is she missing? Is she living in another town with a new family?

Meanwhile, Francis, the wife of a man that supposedly has a connection to Edie is introduced.

When Francis and Samantha accidentally meet, the two stories collide, turning it into a whirlwind of psychological craziness!
Some of the characters in the story were not likable and that’s what made me like them more. I had a genuine hate for some of them but that was the whole point in my opinion!

It was a gripping page turner that was suspenseful and fast-paced. This was my first novel written by Daisy Pearce and it definitely won’t be my last!

If you like psychological thrillers, go get this book on pre-order ASAP!

This book just was not for me. From the beginning I just could not get into the story - it felt very flat and forced. It didn’t hold my attention and the characters were all pretty unlikable. There weren’t any real big surprises and the ending was pretty ho-hum. I really enjoy a good mystery/thriller but this one just didn’t pass muster.

Wow, I am speechless! Told in back and forth points of view of both Samantha and Frances and also in two time periods, The Missing does such a great job at portraying the feelings and emotions of two women in two different situations. The grief Samantha is feeling is perfectly coupled with the uncertainty that Frances feels in her marriage. Both women were strong and resilient in their own ways, and I loved it.

The use of imagery in this book had no business being as good as it was. I could read a whole novel just on Daisy Pearce describing a morning sunrise. It was absolutely stunning.

The twist at the end of the book didn’t WOW me, but I didn’t care. I really really enjoyed this book and hope you’ll all give it a go when it comes out!

I haven't read anything before by Daisy Pearce but I will start to after enjoying this book. The book was well written and intriguing. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy of The Missing.

Unfortunately, I agree with other reviewers who found this book a little jumpy and slow-moving. I just wasn't hooked, and that made it harder to continue reading. However, the premise of this book really intrigued me and I'd be open to reading something else by the author.

Thank You to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this ARC!!

Teenager Edie Hudson was nobody’s little darling, which made vanishing all too easy. Two decades later, she’s been forgotten by everyone except her mother, Samantha. When she meets Frances, she at last starts to hope for answers.

Because Frances is obsessed with the mystery too, after finding a photo of her husband with the girl who disappeared.

What really happened all those years ago? And just how dangerous could it be to find out?

Initially I found the book too dense but since premise of this book really intrigued me I went on reading. I just couldn't rest until I knew what really happened to Edie. The book gets better half way through since by then the author provides us with many suspicious characters and a sense of creepiness with witchcraft!!

While the ending did not have a wow factor, it was still surprising.

Thank you Netgalley for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The story is told from two different perspectives: Frances and Samantha. Frances is an unemployed woman who finds out her husband is cheating on her with a random woman on the internet. She is extremely disappointed that he is cheating, but more so, disappointed that the reality of her becoming a mother is slowly dwindling. Samantha's plot line takes place (mostly) about 20 years before Frances. She is the mother of a rebelious teenager, Edie. When Edie goes missing, Samantha's sanity begins to unravel. Little do Frances and Samantha know that they are both familiar with someone who can crack the case on Edie's disappearance, but it may cost them their lives.

If I'm being honest, that summary is probably more interesting than the actual book itself. I wanted to love this book so badly, but I struggled to consistently read it. I would go through spurts where I would read for 30 minutes to an hour and be totally immersed in the story line, but I never got excited to pick up the book and read it. I did enjoy Pearce's dark writing and how she was very descriptive, even grotesque at times, because it set the tone for the book. It definitely reminded me of a Lisa Jewell novel in this sense. The last 25% of the book I was totally invested and flipping pages quickly, and I was definitely shocked by the ending. The end of the novel felt the most put together.

I had difficulty with staying interested in the book because there were many time jumps and the chapters were extremely long. When my Kindle says it will take me 20 minutes to finish a chapter, I often only read one chapter, which is definitely a personal preference and not of fault of the author. The different time jumps did make it difficult to follow. There were a lot of time jumps which made it difficult to follow the plot, especially when I was unsure how Frances and Samantha were connected until about 30% of the book.

Unfortunately, because I really only liked the ending of this book, I have to give it a 2 or 2.5 out of 5 star rating.

The Missing centres around Samantha, whose daughter Edie went missing two decades earlier. The papers said 15 year old Edie was “no angel”, it made her disappearance all to easy to ignore. When a chance encounter with Frances occurs Samantha’s hope is reignited in finding her daughter.
Frances is also compelled to find answers too, after finding a photo of her husband with the girl who went missing.
I was totally engrossed by this. I was berating myself for not being able to stay up all night to get through it in one sitting. The characters were flawed and it made them that much more real. I felt like I was right there with them, feeling their desperation for the truth. I had so many theories going through this, none of them right. The pacing was perfect, the plot unfurled beautifully and all the little details enriched the writing. This was my first Daisy Pearce book and it most certainly won’t be my last.
The Missing is available from the 9th June.
Thank you Netgalley and Amazon Publishing for my copy to review!

This book was a bit too dense to be a "thriller"! Too much detail ... too much going on. If it were a bit less dense, it would have been a much more enjoyable read. All of the characters were unlikeable - including Edie who goes missing at age 15. The way it's written, you have absolutely zero empathy for her and her mother, who spends 20 years waiting for her daughter to come home.

The plot had a decent twist - but could have been so much more powerful with less verbosity.

Thank you to Daisy Pearce, Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. This review was also published on Goodreads.

A suspenseful whodunnit, told in alternating flashbacks and present day scenes. I really appreciated how Edie was portrayed as a difficult child and found all the main characters to be realistic and multi-faceted.

Thank you netgalley and publishers for the opportunity to read The Missing in exchange for my honest review.

This was a VERY good mystery. The author did a great job confusing the reader. This story is about a girl gone missing , and 20 years later had never been found. Is she dead? Did she run away? Who last saw her? These are all questions that we as the reader must ask ourselves. The story goes back and forth between two characters both past and present versions of themselves, which adds the the depth of the storyline.
Psychological thrillers always do a phenomenal job of misleading the reader over and over, and this story did just that. Her mother has been searching for her for twenty years with the hope that she is still alive, diffing up clues from her past and holding on to the hope that she is off somewhere living a new life. However, there are hints that she may actually have done something to her daughter that caused more than just a chip on her shoulder. I give this book high ratings, mainly because it was very well written and a difficult ending to uncover!

I really loved this novel, I love the idea of writing about a cold case. I enjoyed the flashback from past to present and found it simple to keep up with great read!

Frances opens a box of worms when she finds a photo of her husband William with Edie, a girl who went missing when she was 15. Was Edie William's girlfriend? What does he know? That's the question not only for Frances but also for Samantha, Edie's mom who has never gotten over the loss of her daughter. This goes back and forth in time and between Samantha and Frances, which adds to the story. You, like me, might guess some of the answers these women seek but not all of them. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A quick read.

The Missing is told in two points of view. Samantha - the mother of Edie Hudson, a teenager who disappeared years before and Frances - a woman who becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of Edie’s disappearance.

I felt like there was an awful lot of backstory at the beginning of this book. As I got further into the book, I understood why this was needed, however; it meant I found the book hard to get into.

The two points of view got confusing, especially at the start, I found it hard to remember which part was whose and it jolted me out of the story a lot. I also found it hard to distinguish between Samantha and Frances’s POV which got quite disorientating.

I loved the friendship Frances and Samantha struck up. Samantha seemed like she’d been lonely for so long, as everyone around her insists that she just needs to move on from her daughter. Frances seemed to get that that wasn’t possible for her, that she couldn’t move on until she knew what happened to her daughter.

The ending wasn’t much of a surprise - more of a ‘oh it all make sense now’ kind of ending. I wasn’t disappointed but neither was I crazy about it either. Saying that - the writing was what really shone about this book - lyrical and beautiful. It kept me reading until the end.

Marriages aren't always what they seem and neither are people. Who can you really trust? Who should you really trust?

This book is told from two points of view: Frances, who seems to have a deeply troubled past and is married to William who "rescued" her although might be having an affair now, and Samantha, whose 15-year-old deeply troubled daughter vanished without a trace 20 years earlier. Frances and William are in his hometown because his mother, who lives with his closeted brother, has a severe fall, and while there, Frances discovers that William was dating Edie when she disappeared. Can Frances help Samantha finally get some answers after all these years of purgatory?

I really liked the friendship that develops between Frances and Samantha. It's nice to see a friendship between two women that isn't torn apart because of a relationship with a man or because of jealousy. I also really liked that there was just enough backstory for us to understand the motives of most of the characters even if we lack full explanations.

This was definitely a quick, fun read to start off the summer, although maybe not as heart-pumping suspenseful as it could have been for a thriller. I would have liked a bit more teasing out the whodunnit, since most (but not all) was easily guessed very early on.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of the arc. It has not influenced my opinion.

3.5 starw rounded up to 4

Fifteen year old Edie Hudson disappears without trace. It's now twenty years later and Samantha (Edie's mother) still does not know what happened to her daughter. Frances is interested in what happened to Edie. She discovered that her husband, William knew Edie. Thrntwomwomen accidentally meet and join forces to try and find out what happened to Edie.

The story is told from Samantha and Frances's perspectives. There seemed to be quite a lot of backstory at the beginning of the book but the more you read the more you understand why this was necessary. The story flips between then and now. I liked the friendship that developed between the two women. The ending was a surprise. There's some good twists to keep you interested.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and the author Daisy Pearce for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Two women thrown together over the disappearance of fifteen year old Edie, The Missing is quite a slow-burner to start with but picks up pace towards the end.

Told from the perspective of both women from both then; when Edie first went missing, and now, The Missing is well written but I found it quite flat. It's not that I disliked it, I just didn't find it particularly enjoyable and I wasn't really intrigued as to what had happened to Edie.

Single mum Samantha is a chain-smoking loner with her own anger issues making her account unreliable. She is clearly disillusioned against the truth of her daughter's behaviour and personality, trying time and time again to quiet the voice in her own head which tells her how she really felt about Edie and her disappearance. Her behaviour is erratic and obsessive as she claws for the truth.

Frances has a past we don't really learn about in anything more than brief snippets of details or memories. There's no real explanation of her past and I didn't feel it really added much to her character. I felt like she was the character I liked the most but unfortunately her story isn't nearly as detailed as Samantha's.

There are a few different "suspects" in this book and it feels very slow as Samantha works her way through each of them to try and figure out what people know.

I wasn't a fan of the long chapters in this book. I personally felt quite frustrated to turn the page to a new chapter only for my kindle to tell me "time left in chapter: 52 minutes"! I think they made the book feel more of a slog and given the breaks in each chapter, could definitely have been chopped down to smaller chapters. The book is quite a heavy read with desperate, depressed Samantha's accounts taking up the majority of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Daisy Pearce and Amazon Publishing UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A really good read. I felt so sorry for Samantha the whole way through. I did not like Edie but I can empathise with Sam. The thought of your daughter going missing is unbearable. The twists in the plot were really well written and well thought out.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Samantha’s daughter Edie went missing 18 years ago. Edie was 15 years old troubled child. But did she not deserve to be found? For the neighbours and the authorities, the answer was yes. She was never found.
Frances is married to William and lives Swindon. They go to Lewes to look after Mimi, William’s mother, who had an accident. She meets Samantha and feels for her missing daughter. Frances feels drawn about Edie’s missing and starts asking questions. But some mysteries are better left buried because some of them are precious than life!

This is my first book by the author and I loved how she portrayed how as a society judge people based on their social and economic status. Edie’s disappearance did not raise any eyebrows. Even the police said “Girls like Edie… come back after some stint on road”. There was no help from the authorities or the neighbours.

The author vividly painted the picture of a mother who lived in hope. She did not just lose her daughter but everything along with it. She appears distraught, lost friends and job. We can see a lot about Samantha but not so much about Frances.

The book is a slow burner. It takes time to build upon the story and the mystery.

The Missing is a dark tale of judgement, lies and being cocooned in hope forever only to drain the life force out you.

My rating 3.5 stars.

Thank you, NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Edie Hudson was no angel, so when she goes missing, nobody really seems to care except for her mother, Samantha. 20 years after Edie disappeared, Samantha has still not given up hope in finding her daughter. One day she meets Frances, who just happens to now be married to William, the boy Edie had been dating when she disappeared. When Frances discovers a photo of her husband and Edie, she is intrigued by the story of this missing girl who nobody seems to miss. What happens next is a much too long, drawn out story that could have been so much better.

The surprise twist ending, honestly didn't even surprise me, it was almost expected. I didn't care for any of the characters, they were all a bit uninteresting and dull. Not sure if this book was meant to be a thriller, nothing really seemed to happen til the end. Most of Samantha's chapters dealt with the past, but gave no real information or details into what may have happened to Edie. Frances' chapters were a tad more interesting, but it felt like the beginning really had nothing to do with the end of the book.

I always appreciate when things wrap up at the end of a book and I'm not left hanging, so that was one thing this book did deliver on for the most part.

Thank you to Netgalley and Amazon Publishing UK for the ARC of this book.

Along with my love of the Investigation Discovery show, Disappeared, I am instantly drawn to any synopsis like this one - the mystery of a missing young woman. Edie, at fifteen, was a handful, raised along by her young single mother, Samantha. Though Samantha readily admits she's hardly a model mother, she loved her daughter, Her story comes in then and now segments, alongside Frances; story of an imperfect marriage. As their stories converge, they are drawn to one another.

The plot progresses a little too slowly, and while it's easy to feel sympathy for both women, I never really felt connected to either one. The book relies too heavily on telling rather than showing and this only further slows the pace. I will say, the very end of the book does pick up the speed quite a bit and the plot does hold surprises, but they never really felt like the foundation was really there because the side characters are not very deeply developed. Still, the premise of Edie's disappearance drove me to continue on and though it wasn't the gripping read that I wanted it to be, but I never hated it either.

Tense. Full of suspense. Well paced and written. Twisty enough to keep you reading from the first page until the last. A definite must read.. Pick up this winner of a book. Happy reading!

I received an advance reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is about a teenage girl (Edie) who goes missing and the search for what has happened to her.
The main protagonist's are Edies mother Samantha and Edies (then) boyfriend Williams wife - Frances.

Samantha has never given up hope of finding her daughter again and Frances becomes fascinated in the mystery of what happened to Edie when she comes to stay in the village with her husbands mother.

This book pulled me in a few different directions - did she run away, was she abducted, is she alive or dead? I couldn't stop reading to find out what had happened to troubled Edie.

Another strong book from Daisy Pearce. It tells the story of Frances, married to William, who both have secrets to hide, and Samantha, searching for her missing daughter, Edie. All of the characters were well drawn and believable in their actions. The pain of Samantha's loss comes through time and time again. The missing children of those without the fancy house or perfect childhood are often overlooked in the media, by the police. This book really conveys this message in many subtle ways - Samantha is portrayed as an inattentive mother, someone who likes a drink and is to be avoided. The author does a great job of showing the flipside to the coin - the frustration of being ignored that leads to seemingly unhinged behaviour, the loneliness and pain of being ignored. A thought-provoking read that the acknowledgement brought home - the list of children who were, in the author's words "were overlooked and underreported" just because they didn't fit a media-perfect demographic. I am ashamed to say I had to Google many of the names. A recommended and worthwhile read.

This was such a good book. A teenager disappeared without a trace, but is she dead or alive.? There were lots of twists along the way, and a very exciting ending. I just kept wanting to read more.

Great story! I was engaged the entire time. A real page turner. Looking forward to reading more books from this author! Highly recommend!

I was expecting more of a thriller than this book delivered. I enjoyed the alternating of the POV on every chapter but that didn’t do anything to make the story more dynamic. Overall it was a good idea but for me just didn’t deliver.

Written more as a suspense or even general fiction, the book highlights the unfortunate circumstance that socioeconomic status can play in crime. Unfortunately, the plot focuses too much on the events and not enough on character development. Readers are offered a pretty familiar trope and not much in the way of originality. For those accustom to the genre, the big reveal is easily picked up on in earlier chapters. Just an okay read. 2 stars

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC of #TheMissing which was read and reviewed voluntarily by @wayward_readers

This is told from the perspective of Samantha and Frances but sadly I just found it to be uninteresting. I did not gel to the characters and found nothing about them to root for. A book such as this needs people to root for and that was fundamentally missing which was a real disappointment.
Everything about this read was just fine. There was nothing electrifying about it and the plot and characters are forgettable. There is a lot of action at the end of the book but it is all lumped in one place and could have done with being spread throughout the whole book.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Unfortunately The Missing fell flat for me and I felt it was going nowhere. Having read other reviews it seems as there’s no resolution or result to the story and I DNF by 50% and am glad I didn’t continue.

I didn’t like a single character, couldn’t relate to anything or anyone and while it was fast paced and gripping at the beginning few chapters it dragged for the remainder of what I did read.

This book broke my heart into a thousand little pieces. Being a mother is the hardest responsibility on this planet and loosing a child must be the most earth shattering, and for our main character Samantha, it is doubly heart breaking since no one remembers her little girl. This book is a mystery but it is such a heartbreaking one, and i recommend everyone reads this book!!!

Another book that I found myself struggling to connect with. It took me a while to get into it. I felt like I was reading forever but just not moving forward in the story.
It started picking up around 80%. I only continued reading because I wanted to know what happened to Edie.
This one wasn't for me, I'm afraid.

Thank you @NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

This story is so sad and so touching. Both characters have a really intriguing story and I loved seeing are they relate with one another. As it's a thriller, I highly recommend going into it without knowing anything. I felt a lot of compassion for both women and I was eager to discover more about them as the story unfolded.

The Missing is a slow-burning suspenseful mystery that began years ago when Edie Hudson is reported missing from her village in the U.K. Most people have forgotten her...except for her mother Samantha and the person responsible for her disappearance.

Miles away Frances Thorn is unraveling a mystery of her own-determining where her husband is spending their money or on whom. When Frances discovers her husband is lying fate intervenes with a call from William's brother who tells him their mother has had a bad fall and he needs to come home. Frances misses the opportunity to tell him she knows what he's been doing as she plays the role of the dutiful daughter-in-law and returns to William's childhood home to help take care of his mom.

Once home she comes across photos of William as a teenager....along with photos of Edie. What unfolds is a a dangerous game of cat and mouse with some twists along the way!

This is my first Daisy Pearce novel and while it started out a bit slower in the beginning does deliver. Told from multiple perspectives and different timelines there is significant time spent in the past that did drag a bit but definitely pays off in the end-solid 3.5 stars!

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

*5 Stars*

Copy kindly received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very interesting and I liked the ending. Would recommend.

This was a pretty quick read. The chapters are short and the book is really hard to put down. I’d give this a solid 3 stars mainly because it was a tad predictable. Even though the author tries to throw you off I was about halfway when I figured out who had done it.

Edie Hudson was 15 when she went missing. She never made it to school that day and she's never been seen or heard from since. Her mother, Samantha, has lived with grief on a daily basis for 18 years.

Frances is married to William ... has been for 2 years. It's been a good union until recently. He's become quiet ... money is missing from their accounts ... and why does he have a picture of a very young woman on his computer .... holding a very expensive purse that he obviously paid for since he left the receipt out in the open.

And then she finds a picture of a much younger William with the missing girl.

Frances becomes obsessed with the missing girl and meeting with Edie's mother doesn't answer all the questions she has. The two women begin a journey looking for Samantha's daughter.

What really happened all those years ago? And just how dangerous could it be to find out?Someone knows exactly what happened and will do anything to keep it hidden ... anything at all.

Well written, it kept me intrigued from start to finish. The plot is a good one with plenty of characters ... potential suspects. I found it to be a quick read and I couldn't wait to get to the amazing, surprising ending.

Many thanks to the author / Amazon Publishing UK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this domestic thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.

This was a well written psychological thriller. I liked that it was written from two perspectives and I liked both Frances and Samantha. The book certainly made me think about how we make judgements about victims and how more effort is put into some investigations. How often do we hear people say, “She was such a nice/pretty girl she didn’t deserve to die.” Does that mean that the disappearance of a girl like Eide , who wasn’t a very nice, isn’t as important? This book certainly made me think.
Thank you Daisy Pearce, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to give my unbiased opinion.

As an avid reader of mystery/thrillers and some horror novels, this is by far one of the best combinations of both I have read for quite some time. Eighteen years ago, Samantha's daughter Edie disappears without a trace in the local, creepy graveyard where the legend of Quiet Mary, a local girl who drowned in the 1800's lives on through the seances of Edie and her friends the Rattlesnakes. This book goes back and forth between two lead characters, Samantha and Frances, wife of William, the last boy Edie dated before she disappeared. As Samantha spends these last eighteen years grieving, feeling guilty of not being a better mother, but never really giving up hope of finding her daughter, Frances finds a photo of Edie, William, William's brother Alex, and the Rattlesnakes and starts questioning what happened to the missing girl. Samantha and Frances cross paths in the graveyard and quickly become unlikely friends. Many questions are raised, is Edie somewhere near the old abandoned well which William's father closed off to the public? Why was William's father's car at the graveyard the night Eddie disappeared?
These characters were very well developed. Edie was a particularly difficult child who caused fights at school and liked to scare her mother. Samantha starts carrying around mace and a knife for protection from her own daughter! The reader finds themselves feeling sorry for Samantha because although she feared for her life, she really did love Edie. The local police were really of no help, saying "These girls run away all the time, they always come back when they run out of resources" and never really did help Samantha search.
Meanwhile, Frances has her own personal problems with William as he starts acting strangely and spending money on girls to send him nude or nearly nude photos. Edie is a very touchy subject with him and his family, which she quickly finds out. Although I won't spoil it for the reader in this review, it is kind of easy to figure out who is responsible, but you never really quite figure out why until the very end. The ending ties together perfectly and I found myself staying up late to finish this book. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for another great read.

The first i noticed was the cover of the book, it's intriguing..
The book it's self is a clever and compulsive psychological thriller with a lot of twists and little crazy plot. The chapters ware short so that make the reading fast, but in some parts it was predictable.
I enjoyed it very much 😊

Thank you Daisy Pearce, Amazon Publishing UK and Netgalley.

Kind thanks to @netgalley and @amazonpublishing for the arc🥰

This was a novel outside of my usual genre pickings but I’m glad that I requested it. The premise intrigued me and once I started reading, it hooked me right in.

Edie Hudson, 15 years old and quite the tear away, goes missing. Her mother, Samantha, a single parent, knows Edie isn’t a perfect child but refuses to give up on her as the media and police slowly but surely, relax their search for Edie.

Frances Thorn, has also had her fair share of a wild life. However, now married to William, she has left that life behind and becomes suspicious after seeing a picture of William and Edie together as teenagers, shortly before Edie goes missing. Why has William never mentioned Edie before and what does he know about her disappearance?

‘The Missing’ is a good psychological thriller that gets under your skin. It’s chapters are short and snappy and the characters are all somewhat suspicious so you’re never quite sure who is guilty of what. I did predict the culprit somewhat but I wouldn’t let that put you off. It’s intense, packed filled to the brim with suspense and hard to leave down. This would be a good easy read if you’re on holidays and not looking for anything too taxing.

This book had me hooked from the beginning. I really enjoyed the in-depth stories of the characters, how you get a full sense of what is going on between the past and present. This what beautifully written and kept me intrigued and guessing till the end.

I have received an advanced reader's copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review by NetGalley.

Unfortunately, due to being busy I have missed the opportunity to read this mystery novel. By the time I went to open the ebook, it had expired sadly. I did try to go and redownload it but it was already archived. :(

I will look for a copy in my local book store. So bummed I missed out, I'm sure I would have enjoyed it.

3.5 stars

This story was definitely a ride. I read it in one sitting because it captivated me from the beginning and there’s so much happening here that I needed to see how and where everything goes and unfolds.
I had my suspicions about the actual ending but I am still surprised to read it because I honestly didn’t expect that.
While it was a fast paced read, it was also predictable in many parts of the story for me hence the lower star review.


Thanks to the publisher for my review copy.

A well-paced thriller that would be easy to devour in one single session given the right reading circumstances. Having read many similar novels I had a pretty clear idea of where I thought this was heading, but was not correct in many of my assumptions, so it was a refreshing change.

Tackling my galley backlog now that I’m back in a reading groove and The Missing got me off to a great start. The story revolves around Edie, a troubled girl who went missing as a teen, and is told from two perspectives: that of her mother, Samantha, who loved and feared her in equal measure, and Frances, whose husband knew Edie when they were young. As they both work to solve the mystery of her disappearance, neither could guess how much danger stands between them and the answer.

I was captivated by Pearce’s writing within the first few pages. It has such an easy flow that is beautifully descriptive without being overwrought. All of the characters were so distinct and compelling; I honestly wished I could have perspectives and backstories for every single one. Edie, particularly seen through Samantha’s eyes, evoked such a range of emotions for me—I wanted to hug her and shake her, sometimes both at once. The story itself had a great pace—quick without feeling rushed. I thought I had the ending figured out shortly before the reveal, but even though I had worked out the killer, the motive was totally different than I thought, giving the end a nice mix of satisfying and surprising. I’m definitely putting Daisy Pearce on my list of authors to follow.

Unfortunately, I was slow in downloading this story and it was archived before I had the chance. I'm sure it is a wonderful read.

Edie was a teenager on the way to school when she suddenly disappeared and now, eighteen years later, her mother Samantha has never moved past the devastating day when her world stopped and the grieving hasn’t stopped. Anger is also a daily ritual. Another woman Frances finds a old photo of her husband with Edie. Together can they finally find justice or is it too late? Novel moves quickly, with a few good twists and turns.

Edie Hudson has been given a bad rap, but she isn't there to defend herself. Frances finds a an old picture of her husband with Edie. The problem? Edie vanished 20 years ago. Her mother maintains that Edie was taken. The police won't look for her and mark it up as a runaway case. Frances is left with more questions with answers as she digs into this mystery. Where did Edie go and did her husband play a part?

The Missing kept me on the tips of my toes and eager to devour.

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-missing-daisy-pearce/1134930446

This was a very good read for me. It was well written, the plot was intriguing, the characters were realistic, and there were surprises. I highly recommend.
Many thanks to Amazon Publishing UK and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley. This was a very intense book to read, all the characters were very deep, Frances, Samantha and William. When it starts you have no idea how it is going to move along and what connects Samantha's desperate search for her daughter in Lewes with Frances and William living in Swindon. There are so many books around at the moment with alternating chapters between the past and the present, so many in fact that this now puts me off reading these books, it's becoming a bit old hat, but in this case it worked brilliantly and flowed effortlessly. I can't imagine how long it took the author to work out each chapter, they were a drama in their own right and the enlightening truth is one you might have suspected but never really believed. The characters were all so real and easily came to life in your imagination, although I found William the hardest to do this with. It was a shame that the character of Frances had been through some pretty appalling life experiences before marrying William but maybe these put her in good stead when she needed to be strong. Tony, the policeman was a wonderful inclusion, I was only sorry that he didn't finallymanage to discover the cause of Edie's disappearnce.. An excellent read.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Pretty good book, liked the other book from this author too and the easter egg in reference to the other book too! kinda figured the ending would be similar to that tho ngl did think it was someone else who did it but pretty good

The story revolves around 15 year old Edie who went missing almost 20 years ago. With a gripping plot and well developed characters the story flows really well. It has surprising twists that will keep you guessing, and a strong ending.

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't what I had expected from reading the description. But I enjoyed the twists and turns.

I received this book from NetGalley.

This book was wonderful. With a brilliant plot, and full of twists and turns, this story truly captured my attention from beginning to end.
The authors unique writing style brought the book to life, and I truly found it impossible le to put down.

Fifteen year old Edie walked out of her home one morning and never returned. Twenty years later her mother Samantha is still none the wiser about what happened to her wild child. Of course she’s never going to stop looking! A chance look at a photo by Frances brings the two ladies together as they try once and for all to solve the mystery. I loved this book straightaway despite some rather weird characters and wanted Samantha to find the peace she so desperately needed. It was a gritty story of deceit, lies and loss. Lewes is a lovely little town so it was nice to see it featured rather than the usual places. I would have no hesitation in recommending this and look forward to Daisy’s next book!

A missing child and nobody but her mother cared. Twenty years later, the mother met Francis who was interested in knowing about the missing child as she found her husband's pic with the child.

That started the mystery going. My first book by this author, the going was slow. There was a sense of darkness with an eerie atmosphere, but the book didn't read like a fast thriller.

Overall, it was interesting as I too wanted to know what happened to the missing child.

I really liked this author and this book did not disappoint, it was an appropriately paced, page-turner that will have me hooked throughout the story.

Edie Hudson was only 15 when she went missing. She never made back to her or home, never been heard or seen by someone and never been found. For the past 18 years Edie's mother Samantha had been grieving over her and still wandering to find any clue or answer regarding her girl.

On the other hand Frances 2yrs of married life with her husband William had been great going until now as she suspects he is being more quiet, trying to hide something from her & all of a sudden high amount of money is missing from their account. She finds a picture of very young woman on his computer who is holding a very expensive purse, the exact price amount of the purse had been missing recently from their account.
Further she finds a picture of very young version of William with a girl who'd been missing since years.

Frances becomes obsessed with the missing girl. Suddenly one day William gets a call that his mother had slipped down the stairs is very badly hurt. They both had to travel to Williams hometown to give a visit to his mother.

And the miracle happens on day that by accident she mets Samantha but that doesn't completely answers both of their questions.

Now both women together go on the final journey of finding all the answers. What happened all those years ago? Someone knows all the answer and will try his/her best to keep it hidden.

There was very mixed review for this book but it was kind of good for me. Except for the fact that many times story was very slow.

Thanks @netgalley for e-arc

This is my first Daisy Pearce novel & I have to say it kept me absolutely hooked from the start. I found myself thinking about the characters even when I wasn't reading, which for me is always the sign of an excellent story. The plot is gripping and the characters beautifully drawn but the real joy of this book is the poetic writing style. A definite page turner which I highly recommend. I'll be looking to read her debut 'The Silence' next!

A missing girl. A loving mother who never gave up. A betrayed wife who doesn’t know who to trust.

Fifteen year old Edie Hudson disappeared 18 years ago without a trace. She never made it to school one day and has never been seen or heard from since. Her mother Samantha still lives with grief on a daily basis of losing her only child and wondering what became of her.

Frances has been married to William Thorn for two years but as Frances approaches 33, she is aware of her biological clock ticking and yearns to fill their lives with children. The box room upstairs is where she envisions the cot, the toybox and her nursing her baby whilst the morning sun beams through the window. But alas, that room has become William's home office and where he stores his files and keeps his computer. Recently, Frances has become suspicious of William's behaviour. Money they have saved together for their "baby fund" has gone missing from their account and he appears to be more withdrawn. And then Frances discovers a USB stick taped to the back of his computer. On it are some very revealing photos of a very young woman, in her underwear and clutching an expensive purse William paid for. Is he having an affair?

Then his mother has a fall and he and Frances make the three hour drive to the Sussex Downs to be with her. But his mother's memory appears affected and she gets names and people muddled up. The doctors assure them this is normal after a fall resulting in a head injury and she should regain her normal memory soon. But she doesn't...instead she starts to make some wild noises that don't appear to make a great deal of sense. William's younger brother Alex brings in some old photographs to help kickstart her memory...

...and that's when Frances discovers a photo of a much younger William with the missing girl. Frances then becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to Edie Hudson as she and Samantha begin to search for answers.

What really happened 18 years ago? The answer is, I didn't much care by this point. Edie was a selfish horrible girl who I didn't much care for and really wasn't invested in finding out what happened to her. All her mother Samantha to do was drone on and on monologuing about life with and without Edie. Frances' story was far more engaging but the chapters were far too long, everything far too descriptive and far too wordy that I just gave up. I ended up skipping to the final chapters to find out what happened and honestly...while it was surprising, I still didn't much care. Edie was hateful. A mean girl who treated her mother like crap. There was something seriously wrong with that girl, a borderline personality disorder maybe.

Told from both Samantha and Frances' perspectives, I was not intrigued in the slightest, but rather I was bored. From start to...well, where I finished. I was disappointed as the premise sounded so promising but the delivery just failed.

I would like to thank #DaisyPearce, #NetGalley and #AmazonPublishingUK for an ARC of #TheMissing in exchange for an honest review.

This one is interesting, swift thriller with darker undertones (and some interesting thoughts as food for thought to mull over).

Edie Hudson is missing for 20 years. Wild teenager whom nobody is missing - except of her mother, Samantha, who is hoping against all hope.
Wife Frances realizes that her marriage is in trouble - there are telling signs. And the hidden photos of a girl in provocative poses.

Fast pace, interesting subplots and the darkness in some scenes make for compelling, fast-paced read. Dark cemetery, psychological revelations, possible causes...all of this make for a swift ride.

And I'm glad for the undertone of "nobody cares about the problematic teenagers gone missing". We very much should care. And yes, our past is not our present and definitely should not set our future.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "The Missing" and all opinions expressed are my own. What happened 18 years ago? I wanted to find out but unfortunately the story wasn't that interesting. It was slow going for me and I barely made it to the end. I didn't look forward to reading it each day.

The concept of this book was much better than the execution in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I read this in 2 days. It kept my interest, but I guessed every plot twist. I’m still interested in reading from this author though. They come up with very interesting plot lines, would definitely recommend for a novice thriller reader.

I had big hopes for this book but the fundamental flaw was the naivety of Freya’s character. I wanted to be rooting for her but the backstory her character was given didn’t match how the story was unfolding. I found it difficult to get past this. The ending left too much unsaid, but not in a good way. I love K.L. Slaters work but this one wasn’t up to scratch.

Really enjoyed this well written thriller. Solid plot that kept me hooked throughout. Will definitely read this author again.

Omg omg omg .......... this book was amazing I could not put it down I read every word on the edge of my seat I loved the story line, i loved the way the story just kept us guessing all the way threw I loved all the twists and turns and would defiantly recommend this book it was so believable and kept the reader engaged I love it

I love classic missing girls / whodunnit thrillers. They always bring me back to the books I read when I discovered thrillers. You could feel all of the characters’ emotions throughout which made the ending even better! Once you start you will have to continue to find out the ending. And it was a good twist!

The Missing is a story about a girl who goes missing and people don't seem that upset about it. Her mother is the only one who remains dedicated to finding her, and when she meets a woman who is looking for her missing husband, that woman has a picture of the missing husband and the missing girl. Switching back and forth through timelines and perspectives, this is a quick-moving thriller. The characters weren't remarkable or likable, and I struggled to be concerned for the daughter or empathize with the mother because they weren't fleshed-out characters that I really got to know. As far as thrillers go, it's not a horrible choice, but it also wasn't a favorite.

3.5stars

Edie Hudson, a rebellious teenager goes missing but no one really cares except her mom Samantha who still believes that Edie must have run away and no harm has come to her.

Frances is married to William who was also Edie's boyfriend during his teenage days. Their marriage has been a good union until money starts to go missing from their account, and William is becoming quieter day by day. When William rushes back to his hometown as his mom has a fall down the stairs, Frances finds herself getting pulled into the mysterious vanishing teenager Edie and meets her mom Samantha.

Samantha and Frances together have to find out what happened so many years ago.
Thanks to Netgalley, Amazon Publishing UK & Daisy Pearce for this ARC

Thank you #netgalley #daisypearce and #amazonpublishinguk for a copy of this book.

Edie Hudson was just 15 when she vanished one day without a trace. No one but her grieving mother Samantha particularly cared that Edie was never heard from again.

Frances has been married to William for a couple of years now. Things has been going well and she had wanted to start a family as she felt it was time, until William started to get quiet and hide things from her. She finds a picture of a young woman on his computer and after some more snooping, finds a picture of a much younger William with the missing teenager.

Travelling back to William's hometown to care for his injured mother, she meets Samantha and the two try to figure out what happened to Edie.
Someone knows what happened all those years ago though and will do anything in their power to keep their secret hidden.

This book was just ok. While the ending was a pleasant surprise, it was a slog to get through. I did like the alternating chapters and I liked Frances chapters but they were just too long.
A great premise but a not so great execution.