Alana and Daniel, a schoolteacher and a Chef, live on a cul-de-sac in an affluent community. Their lives are good and only clouded by possible infertility until the house next door is unexpectedly sold with no prior warning. When they go to meet their new neighbors Alana learns they are Chloe and Ray, Alana’s best girlfriend from High School and her boyfriend with whom she broke up 11 years earlier who are now married to each other. All of this brings back her memories of those days. Then one of her students, Taylor, is kidnapped. Shortly thereafter Chloe disappears. Both Alana and Daniel are made into part of the investigation as is Ray. The plot is intricately laced together and very gripping. Thanks to Net Galley and Bookoutre for an ARC for an honest review.

If I Go Missing by Leslie Wolfe was a good story, and I was intrigued by how it was all going to play out. I would not hesitate to recommend it to those who enjoy true crime.

The title refers to a binder that people are encouraged to keep with all important emails, passwords, and pertinent details in case a person does go missing. Having everything in one place makes it easier for police to search for important information.

I have never heard of this before, even though I am into true crime podcasts and this story reminded me of one. The book combines past circumstances with secrets, and lies, and stirs them up with emotions as we see our main character, Alana, get put through the wringer when her former best friend moves in next door. But of course, all is not as it seems and the reader questions if they can even trust Alana, or is it the people around her that we cant trust?

Synopsis:

I close the binder I’ve been writing in, and walk into the living room. As I stare out of the window at your house next door, I think about all the things I stand to lose if someone comes for me. My handsome, loving husband, who has no idea what I’ve done. My family, who have supported me no matter what. This beautiful home near the ocean, where I thought I would be safe.

Everyone says that I’m paranoid, but I just think I’m prepared. My secrets have placed me in terrible danger.

So if the worst happens, this binder contains everything you’ll need to find me, hidden in a place only you could guess. You’ve always known me best of everyone, ever since we were girls. You’ll be able to put the pieces together and uncover the truth.

Only you can find me. But you’ll need to do it fast.

Because if you don’t, all your lies will come to light too…



Out on January 2.

If I go missing was a is an edge of your seat psychological thriller which I really enjoyed. It was a fast paced read with many twits and turns which definitely kept me gripped throughout. I loved the writing style and can’t wait to recommend this thriller. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy.

Fast paced drama, that I enjoyed reading.
The premise of the story is having your best friend end up not being who you though she was. The story moves quickly and keeps you on the edge of your seat. I really liked how the main character showed such strength throughout everything that was happening in her life.
The ending was crazy and worth the wait. Perfect read for fans of Freida McFadden.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the gifted ARC. All opinions are my own.

Chloe moves in next door to Alana, her old high school friend. Ray, Chloe’s husband, is Alana’s ex and the sexual tension comes flowing back like it never left. Suddenly, people close to Alana start to go missing. Can Alana get to the bottom of this mystery? And does she really know her neighbours as well as she thinks she does?

If I Go Missing is a fast paced psychological thriller full of lies and deceit. I felt like I really got behind Alana and was desperate for her to find out what was going on, especially with Taylor. I enjoyed the twists and turns and the ending with Stella had my heart in my mouth and adrenaline pumping.

“The funny thing about lies… they grow on you like a second skin, each new lie a patch stitched to other lies, while truth withers underneath, suffocated. And so, the truth dies smothered, making room for the new, shiny coat of lies to prevail, to grow stronger. But once someone or something rips off a piece, the entire web unravels, exposing the ugly, contorted nature of who we really are, who we were before we covered ourselves in pretence”

I’ve never read anything by Leslie Wolfe before, but definitely would again. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my advanced copy.

Excellent build up. Great story telling. The characters grew on you as the book continued. Detective work at its best. Several twists and turns to keep you guessing till the end. I definitely recommend this book to my friends. Thanks to the author for an arc which for all purposes my review is freely my own.

This was a different story but extremely interesting. Different in the first paragraphs as to how it was presented, actually brilliant. So many different layers, surprises and twists. I love a great, new mystery and this hit all the marks. My Kindle and I were up til 2 am as I just had to finish it. I appreciate a story that makes you think while reading but then after too. I love this author and this just might be the best book yet.
Well written and so very worth the read!
Thank you for allowing me to read this book prior to post date.

Really good! I found myself reading late into the night. This was twisty and turny. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC.

If I Go Missing by Leslie Wolfe is an edge-of-your-seat psychological thriller that will appeal to true crime junkies and thriller lovers alike. Alana, the main character, advocates for the If I Go Missing notebook - a place to compile facts about yourself that will enable the police to bypass legal hurdles to find you faster in the event of a kidnapping. When two people close to Alana - one a child - go missing, everything is called into question - her advocacy, her story, her husband - everything.

Told in the first person, I loved that Alana was a self-proclaimed unreliable narrator. She lies, and she admits it. This makes her just as much of a suspect as anyone else. I enjoyed having to dig to find the truths among the lies. That’s as much fun to me as finding the clues. And to my delight, there are plenty of both, along with distracting red herrings, in the story.

I also loved the pacing. It’s pretty fast from start to finish due to the narration style and the timeline change, as Alana lets us in on relevant scenes from her past. Luckily, she never stayed there too long, or the pace would have slowed. Instead, she tells the current and past timelines in robust bite-sized pieces that I thoroughly savored while trying to figure out who did what and why.

Of course, I can’t say much, but you will thank me for my brevity once you read the book - I guarantee it!

Description sounded so good but I really struggled with this book. I can see that I am in the minority here, but sadly this wasnt for me

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 stars

Alana has created a binder that holds all her personal items; such as hair DNA, fingerprints, and passwords. In case she goes missing, officers and investigators will have all her personal information in hopes of finding her faster. She conjured up this idea when she was younger and a girl from her school went missing. Alana has always felt like if her classmate had a binder, officers would’ve found her sooner and she would still be alive.

Alana agreed to an interview to talk about the benefits of her binder, but nobody sees the significance of how life saving they could be. The next day, one of her students goes missing, and soon afterward, her childhood best friend next door is also taken. Surprisingly her neighbor, Chloe, had been keeping her own binder which included incriminating information that pointed fingers at Alana being the abductor. Alana thought they were friends, why would Chloe voice these allegations against her?

I was drawn to this book by its cover and the author. I read The Surgeon earlier this year and loved it, but this one fell short for me. I struggled through this one and found the ending predictable and dreary.

"I'm on the brink of madness."
4.5 stars

This book is a true crime lovers DREAM. It has all of the workings of a Crime Junkies podcast episode and more! The set up for the story immediately grabbed me - hook, line and sinker. I could not put this book down. I cleared my schedule and read it in less than 4 hours (hence the quote I chose). Wolfe's writing allowed me to be fully immersed in the story and feel the emotions of the characters. The plot and major twists were well thought out and I did not see them coming at all. I knocked off half of a point because there was a character or two that were really unlikable to me and I felt that I couldn't connect with them. Otherwise, this book is phenomenal!

I really enjoyed If I Go Missing. It was well paced and had enough twists and turns to keep me interested. Some parts were slightly predictable but all in all it was a great solid read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for my ARC.

A Spellbinding Psycho thriller

The story centers around Alana, a somewhat shy and reserved high school girl. She chooses Chloe, a psychopath from a wealthy family, as her best friend. Add in a new (hot) transfer student and that sets up an intriguing course of events over the following years.

Alana has two problems - an inability to be open and honest with her husband about her past and, perhaps more importantly, a naivety that transcends the imagination. It turns into a wild ride that kept my attention throughout.

I can say that it takes an excellent author like Leslie Wolfe to pull this one off!

As teenagers, Alana and Chloe were best friends. Ray moved to town - Chloe has to have him, even if she has to cause their breakup.
Years later - Ray and Chole, happily married, move in next door. And the fun begins.

I just wanted it to be better. Loved the plot and concept - very creative, lots of tension. Not a fan of Daniel - he was not very likable. I really hoped he was the next victim.

If you’re reading this, I’ve gone missing.
I close the binder I’ve been writing in, and walk into the living room. As I stare out of the window at your house next door, I think about all the things I stand to lose if someone comes for me. My handsome, loving husband, who has no idea what I’ve done. My family, who have supported me no matter what. This beautiful home near the ocean, where I thought I would be safe.
Everyone says that I’m paranoid, but I just think I’m prepared. My secrets have placed me in terrible danger.

An opening line like this usually always takes me in and set up this story beautifully. A great group of characters that ensure that this book will take you in and make you become a top sleuth looking for clues as to what has really happened. I especially liked Alana's character and was hoping all the way through that she would be vindicated in her pursuit of the truth. Chloe added to the drama with red herrings being placed before us leading you to try to work out what has happened to her and if she contributed to her own dire circumstances.. Overall a very enjoyable read and hats off to the author for keeping me engaged throughout.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

Fourth grade teacher Alana, loves Daniel, loves their marriage, their life. But just the thought of fertility treatments strikes terror in her heart - even though she has promised him. What could possibly be the reason Alana is so very reluctant to follow through, have a baby, build a family with this man she loves? This reluctance, this fear, puts Alana on a path of deceit, telling lie after lie. She knows the fear stems from her high school experience, more than ten years ago; when beautiful Chloe was her best friend. Chloe, who was the desire of all the boys. Chloe, who never hesitated to share her sexual exploits, kiss by kiss, caress by caress … and more. Chloe, who was a manipulator, schemer, boyfriend-stealer? When Alana is the girl chosen by dreamboat new student, Ray, Chloe can hardly believe it! Alana’s heart is shattered when Ray begins dating Chloe. But that isn’t all that shatters her heart, and Alana is forced to leave home and make the most difficult decision of her life. That’s when today’s fear began. But there is so much more to this story! Leslie Wolfe has woven a tale that is layered in seemingly unrelated circumstances and events, all of which lead Alana to deepen her deception of Daniel - because these mysteries must have solutions. Why, after more than ten years, do Chloe and Ray show up, married to each other, and now living next door to Alana? Why does Alana sit in her car, watching her student, Taylor, playing at home? Why does it seem Ray is still in love with her? How does Ray’s mother, Stella, look like a well-to-do socialite? Will Daniel stay with Alana if he finds out about the lies? So many layers, so many questions, my mind was busy seeking new answers every chapter! I’ve read many of Leslie Wolfe’s books - “If I Go Missing” is one of the very best!

I really enjoyed this book overall, there were points where the pace dipped but it still managed to keep me hooked.

Ooo I loved this book so much I’m a true crime girl and mannnn this hit the spot. It did get kind of slow midway in so I took the rating down for myself but it picked right back up and I kept guessing wrong about what happened in the end. Such a good book and really kept people’s attention

FIRSTLY, a big thank you to Bookouture for providing me with the wonderful opportunity at an early ARC of this book! Leslie Wolfe did not miss with this book and while it is a work of fiction, it shows how your past can quickly destroy everything in your present because of lies and deceit that can eventually catch up to you. Please add to your TBR, you will not regret it!!


If you’re reading this, I’ve gone missing.
I close the binder I’ve been writing in, and walk into the living room. As I stare out of the window at your house next door, I think about all the things I stand to lose if someone comes for me. My handsome, loving husband, who has no idea what I’ve done. My family, who have supported me no matter what. This beautiful home near the ocean, where I thought I would be safe.
Everyone says that I’m paranoid, but I just think I’m prepared. My secrets have placed me in terrible danger.
So if the worst happens, this binder contains everything you’ll need to find me, hidden in a place only you could guess. You’ve always known me best of everyone, ever since we were girls. You’ll be able to put the pieces together and uncover the truth.
Only you can find me. But you’ll need to do it fast.
Because if you don’t, all your lies will come to light too…