Every Moment Since

All of it. Every emotion. So many feels. Invested in the story as though I was part of it. Every Moment Since will likely hold the title of favorite summer read of 2024 thanks to my advanced readers copy. Ya'll will be reading this in October so prepare for it to be on your Fall 2024 favorites list.

Centered on a missing child, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen penned a story where multiple main characters each share a single event and we witness the price each pays over the years. As an audiobook I am in awe of the casting - frequently a book has one narrator, occasionally two. This one has a full cast - six narrators, and this experience was like being inside a movie. Each of them knew the assignment and sold me on the emotions of each character.

I just cannot say enough about this book - I'm now gut punched will need days to recover.

And, also me.....running to the internet to discover (and start) another book by Whalen.

It’s 2006 in Wynotte, North Carolina and the jacket of Davy Malcor has just been discovered, reopening a twenty year old cold case; one of the biggest missing child cases in America. In 1985, Davy went missing while out playing with his friends and was never seen again.

In the present, we follow four timelines:
Thaddeus Malcor is Davy’s older brother who was left in charge of watching him the night he went missing. Now, he’s profiting off of the disappearance through his bestselling memoir about the event.
Tabitha Malcor is Davy’s mother who is living in the same house (albeit without the husband now) advocating for other victims.
Anissa Weaver is a Public Information Officer and acting as the family’s liaison but she is hiding her secret connection to the night Davy went missing.
And we have Gordon Swift. The man long suspected of being the one who took Davy but was never tried in court. He rumps around town with the shadow of the disappearance looming over him, trying to keep out of trouble.

Woven in to these present storylines is a past timeline from 1985 where readers get a third-person view of the events leading up to the disappearance. I realize now as I’m writing all of this down that it sounds like a lot to keep straight but I assure you that it never once felt like that as each one of these characters are complex, layered, and easy to distinguish between.

This book is as much of a character study and an intimate study on grief and hope as it is a mystery; an examination on how one tragedy can spread out and affect the lives of so many on a personal level. That said, there are no cheap thrills here. It’s very literary—beautiful really—foreboding, and it never failed to keep me on the edge of my seat.

You will have to rearrange the pieces of your heart after this book shatters it.

Full cast narration—ohhhhh how I LOVE full cast narration—by Cassandra Campbell, George Newbern, Kirby Heyborne, Jane Oppenheimer, MacLeod Andrews, Renata Friedman. They absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one and brought so much to the characters’ voices.

Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review! Available 10/01/2024! Posted to Goodreads.

THE PERFECT FALL READ!!!! I cannot wait to see people talk about this book. It is simply perfection. I felt like I was apart of the story that's how good the audiobook was.

I LOVE FULL CAST AUDIOBOOKS!!! I wish more books had this. This was absolutely fantastic. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this audiobook!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Wow. A lot to unpack here with this book. First, phenomenal performance by all of the narrators. They did an excellent job.
The beginning of the book was a little confusing with the different POV’s and also the different timelines. However all of it came together and you get to learn more about each character and the roll they played in Davey’s life and disappearance.
Phenomenal book though about family and friends and a town facing a tragic loss and coming together as one to solve what happened.
Some slight surprises at the end that you kind of expected but were unsure about. Really great book.

Every Moment Since by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is an extraordinary story about Davy, a boy who has been missing for many years, and the people who have been most affected by the tragedy. His brother Thaddeus is a bestselling author whose book detailing the events surrounding Davy’s disappearance has earned him a lot of attention but he hasn’t found peace. Their mother Tabitha makes weekly lists of her regrets but nothing on those lists will bring back her youngest son. Anissa is working on the case and cannot share the crucial information that she befriended Davy the night that he disappeared. Gordon has been accused by the police and the community but he maintains his innocence even after a new clue points to him once again.

This poignant, read-in-one-sitting masterpiece will rip your heart out and give you hope all at the same time. I’m grateful to NetGalley for allowing me to listen to the ARC because the narration was outstanding and I’m now officially a Marybeth Mayhew Whalen fan.

This book is about a terrifying story of a missing boy. What I liked most about the book was the format in which it is written. The story is written in the present day timeline. This is the second audio book that I have listened to, and I am glad I decided to give this one a try. Normally, I am not huge into audio books because they don't hold my attention as well as a physical book was. I get too distracted and easily find myself not paying attention.

This book had be captivated from the start. I really enjoyed the narration and the way this book was written. The way this author writes really makes you feel as though you are in the story with the characters, everything seems so real and it's almost like you can reach out and touch the things around you and physically speak with the characters.

What a breath of fresh air that this author is! Will be looking for this in a paperback version.

For fans of All Good People Here & Wrong Place, Wrong Time comes Marybeth Mayhew Whalen's newest suspense, Every Moment Since. This book is a slow-burn mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. The characters are well-developed and your heart aches for those affected by this tragedy. With a full cast of audiobook narrators, it really feels like a true crime podcast.

I loved how we had the opportunity to feel all the feels of those affected by Davey's tragedy. Whalen also introduces several characters that will keep you questioning your whodunnit hypotheses as the book progresses.

Each narrator does an exceptional job with the task at hand—bringing these characters to life.

I highly, highly recommend.

This book is such a gem. Beautifully written and full of intelligence and empathy. Each character is vivid and complex and real. Great plot, artfully executed. Really loved this novel.

Thank you to #netgalley and Harper Collins for the chance to read this ARC and give my honest opinion.

Four lives are changed forever when a little boy goes missing. Two decades later they come back together as a discovery may lead to the truth of what happened to Davey Malcor. This book follows his mother, Tabitha. His brother, Thaddeus who has since written a memoir about Davey's disappearance. Gordon Swift the man who has been accused and acquitted for being the one to kidnap him. And Anissa, the little girl who met her new best friend and lost him in the same day. She was the last person to see him alive twenty years ago and now she's the public information officer on his case as it gets reopened.

This book was hauntingly beautiful. It not only changes point of views but goes back and forth between now and what happened when Davey goes missing. Marybeth Whalen had me on the hook throughout the book waiting for answers like I was a part of Davey's family. Though this book is fiction, in the beginning the author notes that this book is dedicated to a handful of people who actually went missing. You could tell she really did her best to do it justice and make the story real. The narrators were fantastic and switched between female and male and you could clearly tell who was speaking in the chapter based on the voices they did for each character.

Even though the subject is tough this was a quick and easy read/listen and I highly recommend this for anyone who loves a mystery. According to my netgalley this releases September 30th.

This is a sad and heavy story about how profoundly the character’s lives are all changed by the disappearance of Davy. The story grabbed me right from the beginning and was gripping all the way through. The characters are well developed and the performance on audio by a full cast is excellent. I thought the author did a great job with the conclusion of Davy’s disappearance and there were some bittersweet yet hopeful changes for the characters. I highly recommend this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The setting of this book felt like my hometown. I grew up playing night games in corn fields like the young boy in this book who goes missing. Twenty years later a new piece of evidence is found and everyone is taken back to that horrible night.

I enjoyed the multiple points of view and different narrators for each. I consumed this audiobook in one day. I couldn’t stop. It is that good!

Thank you NetGalley, HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse, and Marybeth Mayhew Whalen for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"Every Moment Since" is a poignant exploration into the different and distinct ways members of a family and a community deal with a tragic situation. When a little boy goes missing one night less than a mile from his home, an entire small town must come to grips with the disappearance and its aftermath. It's now 20 years later, and the little boy is still missing, but a man who has recently purchased some property close to where the boy was last seen finds his jacket in an outbuilding. An investigation long cold suddenly has new life.

If you're looking for a police procedural, though, or a classic whodunit, that's not what you'll find here. This story is so much more personal than that. We follow several characters connected with that night: Thaddeus, the brother of the missing boy who has written a bestselling memoir about the disappearance, Tabitha, the mother who still lives in the house her family occupied at the time; Gordan Swift, the local artist who was the prime suspect in the case; and Anissa, who now works for the police but was present on the night of the disappearance. In amongst these chapters, we get flashbacks to that night 20 years ago and also excerpts from Thaddeus's book, and it's all blended together to create a seamless narrative of the upheaval and tragedy that this event brings to the entire community.

This is an excellent look at guilt and grief from so many different angles. Although we do want to know what happened, that's not really the point. Rather, we get to know each individual involved, and we get a clear glimpse into how their lives continue to be affected by a long ago tragedy. It's heartbreaking at times, but also uplifting and hopeful to watch as people move through the tragedy and find ways to go forward. This book will appeal to mystery fans, but it will also appeal to those looking for a book about family, small town community, and how we all need to come together when life is hard.

I enjoyed each character and their connection to Davies disappearance. It kept you on the edge of your seat, questioning what truly happened. I did not expect the plot twist at the end.

I definitely need a physical copy of this to save my favorite quotes and to reread every year

Story about the aftermath of a little boy’s disappearance. Initially I thought I was going to have a hard time being invested in this book as it’s told by multiple POVs, narrators. However, it ended up being very easy to follow and captured my interest. Describes so well how such devastation can alter the lives of surviving family members and friends. I listened to the audio version and narration was perfect.

This was a really good book. A wonderful thriller with so many twists and turns. I couldn’t put the book down.

When a child goes missing and isn't found...this affects so many people in so many ways. In this case it affects four the most profoundly. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC/audiobooks.

Tragedy changes people. It ripples outward, affecting more than just the usual suspects. It captures the families with the biggest waves, the friends and acquaintances, and still others, too, as reality struggles back into equilibrium. Simply bearing witness to something is enough, sometimes, to change someone. And for anyone involved, it can calcify even the most innocent things into something to be held close like a secret. Words muttered by instinct; others unspoken. Guilt somehow osmotically bleeds into everyone surrounding tragedy. Because it's not just one story, is it? Everyone has their own. Every Moment Since is a brilliant and compelling crime suspense novel that captures these truths, and others, so well through an emotional character driven narrative.

Eleven-year-old Back to the Future obsessed Davy Malcor disappeared one night over twenty years ago. Now, his iconic jacket has been found, and the case is no longer cold. His brother, who now makes a living off of his tell (almost) all book, comes back to town to be with his family as the investigation ramps back up. It is the formative unsolved case for the town of Wynotte North Carolina. There was never any evidence for conviction, but rumor has power too, and the town has its suspect, who never did leave town.

This story was so profound for me. It is not about the solving of a decades-old cold case, it is about the repercussions the disappearance of one little boy had on a whole community of people. The father who could not let go of hope to a level of personal detriment, the mother in denial of deep-rooted resentments, the brother, parading around behind a facade of the truth for a living. The sculptor, the girl next door, the young girl who was the last to see Davy alive...it is such a rich and compelling story with layers that resound through time. It is a study, in some sense (as I suppose all novels are), of human nature.

I loved the jumping perspective. Getting into the heads of so many characters was so interesting, as each one seemed to focus on a different aspect of the tragedy. It also kept the pacing and suspense wound tight. I was lucky to be granted an advanced listening copy by the publisher and netgalley, and the full cast did an excellent job giving life to each of the characters. I couldn't stop listening!

I have been enjoying reading suspense novels more and more as the days grow shorter, and this one is one of the best I've read. If you are a fan of the genre at all, you'll want to get your hands on a copy. I can't wait to read more from Marybeth Mayhew Whalen.

Wow! This book totally took me by surprise and in a good way. Young Davey disappears on a kids game night with his older brother. 20 plus years later, everyone from that dreadful night is still haunted from this event. Everyone has a different side to tell, and with a number of kids from that night and those in town; still no answers on what happened to Davey came to light. Until his beloved jacket is found. His family is again spotlight of the press as his older brother struggles with his continuous guilt. This book I had no clue what happened to him till the very end. Great suspense book with a strong tie of family and effects of a traumatic event can do to it.

I love this book! I really felt for the characters, sadness, dislike, hope…all the things that a great book that is well developed makes you feel. I want everyone to read this book! I did figure it out about 70% of the way through, but still wanted to continue to see if I was correct and what would happen to the other characters in the book who I was enjoying getting to know. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

“Every Moment Since” by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is a poignant exploration of grief, hope, and the indelible impact of a single event on a small community. Set against the backdrop of Wynotte, North Carolina, this novel delves into the life of Davy Malcor, a boy whose disappearance over two decades ago continues to haunt the town. Through Whalen’s masterful storytelling, readers are invited to witness the reopening of this cold case when Davy’s iconic Marty McFly jacket is found, stirring up old memories and unresolved questions.
The narrative weaves together the perspectives of four individuals intimately connected to Davy’s story. Thaddeus Malcor, the older brother, has crafted a successful memoir from his family’s tragedy, yet he grapples with the weight of untold truths. Tabitha Malcor, Davy’s mother, lives a solitary life marked by advocacy for victims’ rights while privately chronicling her regrets. Anissa Weaver, once a child herself when Davy vanished, now serves as the Public Information Officer for the Malcor family, harboring a secret link to the boy. Lastly, Gordon Swift, long suspected in the disappearance, struggles to maintain anonymity as the renewed attention threatens to expose his past.
Whalen’s prose is hauntingly vivid, pulling readers into the emotional vortex experienced by those left behind. The characters are endearing, each one intricately drawn and compelling in their complexity. The full cast narration, featuring the talents of Cassandra Campbell among others, brings an added layer of depth to the story, making it one of my favorite listening experiences of the year.
The novel is not only suspenseful but also heartfelt, striking a delicate balance that keeps you invested in the outcome. It touches on profound themes such as the essence of motherhood and the agony of losing a child, offering an examination that is both raw and tender. This book stands out as a really special work, resonating with anyone who has ever faced loss or sought closure.
In conclusion, “Every Moment Since” is a beautifully crafted tale that captures the complexities of human emotions and the relentless pursuit of truth. It is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of community in the face of adversity. Marybeth Mayhew Whalen has created a memorable and moving novel that deserves a place on any reader’s shelf, especially those who appreciate stories that are as suspenseful as they are soul-stirring.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Thank you, NetGalley, Marybeth Mayhem Whalen, and Harper Muse, for providing an early copy of ‘Every Moment Since’ in exchange for an unbiased review.

A haunting and gripping tale that delves into every parent's worst nightmare, exploring the profound impact a child’s disappearance has—not only on the parents, their marriage, and their family—but also on how it alters their view of the world and how others perceive them.

On a Saturday night in October 1985, in a small town in North Carolina, 11-year-old Davy Malcor vanishes without a trace. All that remains are the photos and videos shared with the police and media, redistributed over the years, as if time itself conspires to keep him forever 11 years old.

Twenty-one years later, Davy’s jacket is discovered in an abandoned farm building near where he was last seen. As the case unfolds, we are drawn into the perspectives of four key individuals, shifting between 1985 and 2006.

Tabitha, Davy’s mother, now divorced and an advocate for missing children, fights to keep the media from forgetting her son. She is consumed by her weekly regret lists, but despite her efforts to convince herself otherwise, she cannot overcome her greatest regret: leaving Davy the night he disappeared.

Thaddeus (TJ), Davy’s older brother, who was present when Davy vanished, has written a memoir about the event. However, he seems to have been selective in recounting the details leading up to that fateful night, raising the question: what is he hiding? Struggling with unresolved emotions and fearing the public's judgment, he cuts his book tour short to return home and support his parents.

Anissa, the Public Information Officer for the local police department, serves as the liaison between the Malcor family and the media. She harbors her own memories and regrets from the night Davy disappeared. Although she was new in town when they met that fateful evening, she felt an inexplicable bond with Davy—one that, if revealed, could cost her the case.

Gordon, the prime suspect, is tormented by regret. Although it is unclear what he knows about the night Davy disappeared, it is evident that he is hiding something. Hounded by the media, his life was never the same. He now lives in isolation, focusing on his art. But it seems the past refuses to stay buried, especially now that the discovery of the jacket has once again drawn the media’s relentless attention…

From the very first page, I knew this book was going to be something special. The characters are so well developed that as a reader, you feel like you truly know them.

You can sense Tabitha’s pain, understand what drives her as a victims' advocate, and feel the weight of her regrets and the reasons behind her resignation. Her need to write her weekly regret list, and the realization that despite trying to convince herself otherwise, the past 20 years have been filled with regrets she cannot shake, shows how deeply she struggles to move forward. She cannot accept that Davy is gone, and her inability to move on with her life is palpable as long as there is still a glimmer of hope.

Her relationships with her ex-husband and children are portrayed with such depth that, even though I have not experienced anything like their pain, I can grasp the unique ways they each struggle with guilt and regret.

There is so much more I could delve into, but I do not want to spoil the book. Instead, I highly recommend you check it out and form your own opinion. I, for one, will be exploring Marybeth Mayhew Whalen’s previous releases!

🎧 I highly recommend this on audio if you enjoy audiobooks. It features a full cast of narrators who do an excellent job bringing each character to life.

And of course, how stunning 🍁 is this cover?

Long held small town secrets lurk in Marybeth Whalen's southern fiction thriller surrounding a child's mysterious disappearance and the broken threads of a family grappling with the past... A true family saga story with subtle hints of mystery woven throughout. Whalen’s prose shines in this incredibly moving yet suspenseful novel. Sure to capture book club attention, EVERY MOMENT SINCE is a novel that will keep people talking! The audiobook is the definitive way to read this novel; narrated by a full cast, it is immersive and a breathtaking experience. I loved listening to the story!

What a beautifully written story about moving forward in life after the unimaginable happens. I was completely enthralled by this novel. Losing a child is every parent's worst nightmare, and this novel that looks at that kind of loss decades later brings forward mystery, grief, complex relationships, and the impact it all has on the family and community left behind. I was kind of stunned by how much I enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading more by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen!

This audiobook gave me all the feels and it was for sure a binge-listen. The narrators did an excellent job with the distinct points of view. There are lots of missing-person stories but I thought this one had a unique spin with unexpected turns and beautiful writing. It was the kind of story that made me want to give my kids a hug and try to be more present before it's too late.