This is my first but certainly not my last read by this author.

Louisa is about to turn forty. She’s a new mum to Noah and has a teenage daughter Emily. Louisa’s friend Tiff decides to throw a 40th birthday party for her.

Louisa has all the struggles of being a mum to a newborn. With Louisa’s ex turning up at the party and Louisa drinking too much her nightmare is just about to begin as her ex’s wife disappears.

Great read from start to finish.

A brilliant, twisted ending!

Louisa is married to Brian. They have a teenage daughter Emily and a three-month-old son, Noah. Noah is a restless colicky baby and Louisa, almost forty is struggling with sleepless nights and a baby who never stops crying. She seems to have blackouts. Whole chunks of her day are lost and it worries her that she might once again, be suffering from dissociative amnesia. This had first occurred in her late teens. She knew something bad had happened, but the memory of the trauma remained buried. Could Noah’s birth and the sleepless nights be causing it to return?

Brian and her best friend, Tiffany organise a surprise 40th birthday party. Louisa is shocked to find her ex-boyfriend, Oliver, is one of the guests. It’s while she’s taking a quick break, in the outside garden of the pub where the party is being held, that the memories of the trauma of her teenage life start surfacing once again and these memories seem to be linked to Oliver. Louisa finds her life disintegrates as Oliver worms his way back into not only her life but her family’s life.

Sam Carrington certainly has a knack of writing a brilliant plot that leaves the reader hanging on to each word, trying to work out whether Louisa is genuine or a complete fraud. Could her memory be so badly affected by her lack of sleep and looking after the baby? And, more importantly, what happened when she was a teenager?

Strong characters make this an enjoyable read.

The ending is totally brilliant. It wasn’t what I was expecting.

Dietes

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

3 for negative. I tried on a few occasions to get into this book, but it just wouldn’t grab me. Will update at a later date, if able to get into it, as I am a moody reader.

Not my kind of a book. Too slow for me. It was hard to keep reading because I could not connect with any of the characters. Some of them were plain annoying. There was definitely an ominous vibe to the plot and that’s what made me keep reading. The whole stressed out sleep deprived mom is done to death now. Memory lapses don’t make for a good plot! All in all just an average read.

I only finished this book two days ago and I already forgot everything about it,

After a quick memory jog, I am good to go. I really enjoyed the beginning. It was ominous not knowing what was truly going on. Why was the main character missing some of here memory? What is going on? However, it took so long to get to the heart of the book ,that I lost interest half way through and blacked out the rest of my time reading this book.

This book needed to be 100 pages shorter. Too much repetitions of the same details and sluggish pacing.

Perfect psychological thriller! It moved at a fast pace with twists and turns throughout! I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommend!

Upon reading some of the reviews on this book, I think some people have been abit harsh.
I do believe the sleep deprived mother was overly mention but I genuinely enjoyed the book and was hooked from the start.

The Missing Wife was a book I was looking forward to reading but didn’t quite hit the mark for me, although the storyline was good it could have been better.
Louisa is always tired in this book, yes she is weeks off being forty and she has a teenager and a new born so I can relate to why she is I just felt it took a lot of pages of the book going on about how tired she was, yes the scene needed to be set but I think too much time was spent on that particular aspect.
It all starts with Louisa having a surprise party where her best friend has invited everyone who she is friends with on Facebook and has even joined a group that has her friends from years ago and some that she’d rather forget....enter ex boyfriend who is one to be forgotten, but why?
This is a twisty read and although the ending, I thought, wasn’t really believable it kind of worked in this book. I liked Louisa and her best friend but didn’t really care about any of the others including her husband.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not usually a fan of that kind of stories as style doesn't work with me or I can predict everything in almost half of the book. And I HATE that.
This is a story of Louise, a mother of an almost newborn baby and A teenage girl. With this kind of mix, you can never sleep. And here comes sleep depravity that sucks. Really. I can't even think of living with less than 7h of sleep per night! So Louise and other mothers are my heroes!
And here comes a party! For 40th bday of Louise... A BFF like Tiff would make even a dead move for a party! But what if this surprise party will go wrong and something happened? But really something happened? Or is it just imagination? Paranoia will be spreading mayhem in their life but is it paranoia or something more?
What buried secrets will raise after one innocent party? Can you avoid being a convict for crime or is it too late?
Join Louise in her way down the hell of a road after her 40th bday party!

Thanks to Netgalley and Avon bks for a copy of Missing wife by Sam Carrington.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading “The Missing wife” and was hooked from the start.
At times I was frustrated by some of the main characters actions, and some parts were a little far fetched( I didn’t buy the self hypnosis!) but ,putting this to one side,, I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending this to anyone wanting a good psychological thriller, that keeps you guessing until the end.

Author: Sam Carrington

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

The Missing Wife was my latest ARC – thanks so much to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for early access in exchange for an honest review!

Louisa is happy with her small circle of close friends and family. She and her husband Brian are parents to Emily and newborn Noah, and Louisa’s best friend Tiff is a constant in her life. Which is why when Brian and Tiff scheme together to plan a surprise 40th birthday party for Louisa, she is not at all thrilled. She is exhausted from taking care of Noah at all hours of the day, and now she has to put on a face with people she hasn’t seen since high school or college…including her ex, Oliver, who broke her heart 20 years ago. Oliver is married now, to Melissa, who accompanies him to Louisa’s party.

But then Melissa turns up missing. Days go by after the party with no sign of her. Oliver re-inserts himself back into Louisa’s life, becoming friends with Brian and Tiff, and claiming that he needs their support now as the police search for Melissa. Louisa isn’t so sure about his return to her life though, and she has a lot of doubts about what really happened at her party…especially since she struggles to remember all of the night. Did she meet Melissa? Was she even really there? And why is she starting to have flashbacks of memories from college with Oliver? As more and more questions arise, Louisa starts to wonder if she can trust anyone – including herself. (dun dun dun)

I loved the structure of this book. Each chapter had a title, which is few and far between these days, but I enjoyed it – the titles provided a really nice bit of foreshadowing. I loved Louisa as a character. I read a lot of thrillers with the theme of gaslighting, and sometimes I just want to shake the main character and tell her to trust herself. In this book, for the most part, Louisa was great at not just taking everything others told her at face value. She doubts herself, for sure – and for good reason (ahem, memory lapses will do that I’m guessing), but she doesn’t just through all common sense out the window.

Actually for this reason, I knew throughout most of the book who were the “bad” characters. I never really questioned “whodunnit,” but I questioned why and how. This is what kept me going and why it was hard to put down – because I had to know how exactly everything was going to unfold and what everyone’s motives were. This is why I’d rate the book around a 3.5 or 4 stars – since I did have the ending mostly figured out.

BUT, this is also a book with a climax…and then another climax. And that I was not expecting. I knew I still had quite a bit of book to go when I reached the first big A-HA moment, so at that point I was like, “hmmmmm, now what??” (In a good way!)

I stayed up late reading this one several nights in a row – which is always a sign of a good book. If you love psychological thrillers and/or if you’re a newbie thriller reader, this is a great choice. I’ve started looking at more of Carrington’s books now and am excited to check out more of her work!

I was able to slip into this book comfortably and with ease. It was such a steady pace that when I eventually checked how far I had gotten I was surprised I was almost finished. Fantastic storyline and completely gripping.

This was my first book by this author and although some parts were predictable I still enjoyed his writing, the flow and the way it kept me wanting more - I look forward to more by this author

'The Missing Wife' left me conflicted and baffled with its predictable plot, flawed characters and small moments of surprise.

A new mother, Louisa life can be best known as a complaining mom who can barely get through the day because hew baby won't let her sleep. For the first few pages, we listen to go on and on about how all she wants is a break but is too concerned about her child to take one. We also find out that she suspects her husband of an affair, when in fact her husband is silently planning a big birthday party for her. A party where she finally comes face to face with Oliver Dunmore. But Oliver's wife is missing and no one has a clue because they barely remember the party, all thanks to copious amounts alcohol they all consumed.

As the details get blurred and blame game starts, we get to know the history between Oliver and Louise and the plot is further driven by obsession, murder, and mayhem.

The obvious problem with the story is that it lacks a distinct high and low. The pace is the same throughout, even when the plot thickens. The characters are messy, as with any psychological thriller and the anticipation for the big climax was lacking. The plot is decent, with most elements for an okayish psychological thriller.

'The Missing Wife' however, is a very forgettable book. Perfect for binge reading over the weekend

"Imagine turning up to your own party, and recognising no one. Your best friend has just created your worst nightmare. "

I knew I would enjoy that book just after reading that line!

A really well written and interesting read.
Good pace, interesting story and well developed characters.

Can the past ever stay in the past? I think not!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC of this book. This is my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Twisted psychological thriller. Louisa is an exhausted mother of an infant and is getting ready to turn 40. Louisa has always had memory problems, with gaps in her life that she has no recollection of. When a misguided friend plans an unwanted birthday party for Louisa she begins remembering things that may have happened to her previously. Memories that resurface are things Louisa wishes she hadn’t remembered, paired with the return of an ex boyfriend who may not be as trustworthy as he seems make this book an excellent mystery. Well written and fast moving book.

The Missing Wife is the first book I've ever read by Sam Carrington, and I would have to say I was drawn right in! The story was good and well written, however it felt a little familiar like something I've read before. It was a bit slow in parts and then fast in others....but overall I felt there was enough content that keep me hooked until the end. Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books UK for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 stars

The Missing Wife by Sam Carrington is a psychological thriller.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Avon Books, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

My Synopsis: (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
Louisa is tired. Perhaps having a second child at this age was a bad idea. When her husband Brian and her best friend Tiff throw her a 40th birthday party, Louisa is not happy. To make things worse, Tiff had gotten onto her facebook page, invited “acquaintances”, and people she barely remembers from college. The one person that she hoped never to see again shows up. Oliver Dunmore was her first love, and he left her. He seems thrilled to see her, and tells her he just got married. Louisa didn’t stick around to talk to his new wife. She just got drunk.

The next day, Oliver shows up at Louisa’s door. His wife Melissa is missing, and although she has a habit of going off on her own for a few days, Oliver is worried. Eventually the police are notified and the search is on. Oliver starts hanging around and making himself part of the family. Louisa’s husband thinks he’s great. So does Tiff. Oliver seems to get along with their daughter and the baby. So why is Louisa anxious? Why does Oliver keep implying that she should be willing to do anything for him because of what he did for her all those years ago. Why can’t Louisa remember that time in her past?



My Opinions:
This is the fourth book I’ve read by this author, and I have enjoyed the others a little more than this one.

The book was about lies, and guilt, and repercussions….

Unfortunately, I didn’t particularly like any of the characters (including Louisa), which makes for a long hard read, and the fact that nothing seemed to be happening didn’t help. This book seemed a little dis-jointed, and a lot slow. I found myself skimming. I hate that! The author, who has a really nice writing style, definitely picked up the pace in the last quarter, and it ended really differently than I was expecting, which for me is a good thing. Although I liked the unexpected ending, it felt rushed. However, that ending did move my rating from a 2 star book to a 3.5 star book.

So, although this one didn’t check all my boxes, it wasn’t bad, and I will definitely read more from Sam Carrington!

The Missing Wife is Ms Carrington's fifth psychological thriller and having fallen out of love with this author's books over her last few years I am pleased I picked this up as its a welcome return to form. It's an addictive read which is difficult to put down as the premise is a terrifying one. Louisa is an exhausted new mother who just wants a bit of peace, so when her best friend Tiff organises a surprise party inviting many people she hasn't seen for decades she is more than a little peeved. Her first love, heartbreaker Oliver Dunmore attends and this naturally makes Louisa uncomfortable. She wakes the next day with amnesia and no clue about what happened the night before so when Oliver turns up to tell her his wife has completely vanished and was last seen at the party, she realises how important retrieving the memories is. Will they come back to her?

This is the second book in as many days that begins with an absolute cracker of a prologue and it soon descends into a chilling, sinister and very dark read. The characters are superbly developed with most of them having skeletons in their closet; you therefore never know who can be trusted or who is reliable. This is one of the best uses of the unreliable narrator I've seen adding to how unpredictable the story becomes. Louisa is a complex character who slowly loses her sanity and is quite frustrating. Oliver, on the other hand, is also complicated personality-wise but he is manipulative, detestable and rather creepy. Even though I did predict some of the reveals before they happened there were still plenty of twists that caught me off guard. Recommended. Many thanks to Avon for an ARC.

“It was because she was almost forty. The thought of reaching the milestone was an overwhelming one...She was too old to be doing all this again.”

Louisa Cullen is about to turn forty. She’s not handling it well, especially as she’s found herself unexpectedly dealing with sleepless nights and nappies again following the birth of baby Noah. Her husband Brian is keeping secrets, their teenage daughter Emily is sullen and distant, and her best friend Tiff seems to be keeping secrets too.

When she discovers that Brian and Tiff’s secret was a surprise fortieth birthday party she’s far from happy. In fact, it’s her worst nightmare. She doesn’t know most of the people and there is one particular person from her past there that she never wanted to see again. Oliver Dunmore was Louisa’s first love who broke her heart when he left her. She wakes the next morning hungover and unable to remember clearly what happened the night before. When Oliver turns up on her doorstep the next day saying his wife Melissa is missing and was last seen at the party her memories become more important than ever. But she can’t retrieve them and as she searches for answers Louisa finds her life is increasingly spiraling out of control.

"Her mind had been allowing her these brief visions...it was like trying to do a dot-to-dot in the dark with half the dots missing."

The author filled this book with great characters that were filled with moral ambiguity and everyone seemed to be hiding something. I didn’t fully trust any of them! I loved that as it meant I could never be sure of my suspicions or conclusions and was always looking for the bear behind the trees. I liked Louisa and related to her in many ways, but I also liked that she was an unreliable narrator. When her first love left and broke her heart and she began noticing gaps in her memory, having flashbacks of things in snippets, nightmares and panic attacks. She was diagnosed with dissociative amnesia which is usually brought on by a traumatic event. She was obsessed with remembering and had therapy to try to help but it made things worse so she stopped. Now it’s happening again. It felt like everything she said was questionable, to both the reader and the other characters, adding an extra layer of tension and unpredictability.

Oliver was also unreliable but not at all likeable. I found him smarmy, creepy, manipulative and didn’t trust him from the moment he turned up at Louisa’s house. He always seemed more concerned with the fact the police suspected him in his wife’s disappearance than actually finding her and the way he inserted himself into Louisa’s life was suspicious to me, especially as time wore on and his actions became increasingly dubious and even cruel.

“Darkness. Blood. A body - crumpled and still, lying on the ground. A figure looming above it.”

The book begins with an eerie and ominous prologue, then becomes a more simple, but interesting, story and is quickly transformed into a riveting, mesmerising and sinister tale that makes you question even your own memories. I devoured it within a day as I needed the answers to my questions and the tense and dramatic final twist had me on the edge of my seat. I loved the little detail of each chapter having a title. That is so rare these days and whenever I see it it makes me happy. The Missing Wife is a fantastic thriller that I highly recommend to fans of this genre.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon books and Sam Carrington for the chance to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

On a personal note: Louisa’s surprise 40th birthday party occurs of Friday, March 15th, which was my own fortieth birthday. I am happy to say that my small celebration of a meal with my family was much calmer and joyous, exactly what I wanted and nobody went missing.