Schoolgirl Missing is the new book by Sue Fortin; having read several of this author’s books I was looking forward to this one.

Neve is so desperate for a baby that she will do anything to have one. She is stepmother to 14 year old Poppy but wants her own child. When her husband Kit says no, she puts a plan into action which results in Poppy going missing.

A story of manipulation, secrets and lies with rather unpleasant characters. I’m sitting on the fence with this one.

Read a few of Sue's books and enjoyed them all, this was no exception and I was hooked from the beginning.

I really enjoy the way this author writes, it held my interest throughout with good characters although not all likeable and I really enjoyed the ending too.

I look forward to Sue's next masterpiece and thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins for giving me the opportunity to read this excellent book.

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed a couple of books by this author so I had high hopes going into this one. Sadly, although it ticked along nicely for the most part, it started to lose its way a bit towards the end so, for me, it didn't quite hit the spot.
The story is centred around the disappearance of Poppy who vanished on a family boat trip leaving dad Kit and step-mum Neve devastated and very worried. Prior to this incident, we get a glimpse into the life of our family and it soon becomes evident that not all is rosy in their garden. Not at all. Neve has troubles of her own stemming from her past, more details of which come forward as the story progresses, and Kit doesn't really help matters with his flat out refusal to have a second child which makes Neve spiral further, even though he told her this from the off. Neve then turns to another for support which drives the wedge in further. And then a face from her past returns to haunt her, reminding her of the frailties of life and of an event she is desperate to keep behind her. All this gives the reader multiple suspects with many reasons for wanting Poppy out of the picture but who really did it and why? The truth when it comes out will be shocking.
I say shocking, I have to add a bit implausible to the mix although, as the true characters of some of our cast started to appear, maybe it wasn't as unlikely give what became known. Sorry, I'm trying to be as spoiler free as possible but it's hard to explain my issues with the book fully without going down that road and I don't want to. Suffice to say that it all became a bit much for me towards the end and I started rolling my eyes as I began to count the dysfunctions and, dare I say, cliches, involved in the truth when it eventually came out. I am not wholly convinced of the way that a certain someone spiralled so far out of control so quickly without any warning signs whatsoever. But then again, I'm not a specialist in these matters but, for me, it didn't quite ring true or match up to expectations and I can only say it as I see it.
It probably also didn't help that I didn't really like any of the characters and, to be honest, didn't much care who did it or why or even whether Poppy was still alive or not! But I got so far through the book before it all went so weird for me that I didn't have too far to go to finish rather than abandoning it.
All in all, not the author's best work in my opinion but, with two other books that I have enjoyed immensely, I am not about to jump ship just yet. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I went into this story with a little apprehension as the few reviews I’d seen weren’t exactly great 😏 however I actually really enjoyed it!

Neve is one of our main characters and clearly has a few skeletons in her closet. She is not necessarily a “nice” character but I feel that’s part of the story’s charm? None of the characters are particularly “nice” but I did find them engaging and the story itself was fairly fast paced.

I read this in a day and while The characters weren’t people you grow to love as people (if you know what I mean? ) I really enjoyed how everything came together and the characters deserved each other in the end.

I did persist to the end (hence 2* rather than 1*) but it was a chore, not a pleasure. The characters were thoroughly detestable, unsympathetic, narcissistic, self indulgent manipulative creatures and quite frankly, the missing child was better off missing.

I tried very hard to like this book but I just was not able to.
I did not care at all about the characters or the story line.. I would not recommend this.

Schoolgirl Missing by Sue Fortin
A fourteen year old girl with special needs has gone missing during the night from her fathers boat. Her parents are desperate to to find her.
This story is packed with unlikeable people, secrets, lies and manipulation.
I enjoyed the first part of the book but it got very confusing and unbelievable towards the end.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review

I really didn't care if all these unlikable people killed each other.

A low point for this author