Second in the Hester Thursby Mystery Series, which commenced with LITTLE COMFORT, THE MISSING ONES is primarily set on Maine's fictional Finisterre Island, accessible only by twice-daily ferry, but jam-packed in summer by holiday revelers. As an enclosed and insular environment, it's perhaps more of a showcase for human emotions and frailties than, say, a city like Boston. On the island, everybody knows everything and secrets are hard kept.


Hester and "not-husband" Morgan have been raising Morgan's niece Kate for a year now, and once independent Hester has come to terms with her fierce protectiveness for Kate. Then a text summons her to Finisterre Island to finally (she hopes) locate Kate's missing mother. But Finisterre has experienced the (temporary) misplacing of two young children already, and a rampant drug invasion. Is it safe to take Kate with her to the island?

The Missing Ones is my second Edwin Hill novel in the last 2 weeks and I loved them both. The setting of Finisterre Island was a wonderful choice - rugged, beautiful, both beachy and forested and best of all, the ferry only goes runs twice a day. You're either on it or you're not. What a great thing to use when your bad guy or good guy needs to hang around a bit longer!

The descriptions were wonderful, making it so I could easily picture the landscape, buildings and homes in my mind's eye. I really enjoy that. Of course Hester, Kate and Morgan are back, as is Angela, the police officer from Little Comfort. All my favorite characters ready to roll again.

The Missing Ones provides quite the story of Daphne, her homelessness (essentially) and a small town struggling with big city problems and an inadequate police presence. I very much enjoyed the details that came out, especially concerning one character I completely disliked. I was glad he turned out to be the type of person I thought he was.

The plot of this book has a lot going on so pay close attention and I think, like me, you'll find yourself reading faster wanting to find out what will happen. There is more to this seemingly peaceful little island than meets the eye and I think mystery/thriller fans will enjoy uncovering the rot that has infested the town. Edwin Hill has another winner on his hands in my opinion. Pick up The Missing Ones and if you haven't read Little Comfort, it would probably be good to do so first. They can stand alone, but the back stories are richer if you read both books.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I read the first book in this series, Little Comfort, and really liked Hester Thursby, the main character. That book ended with Hester recovering from some pretty awful things she suffered through so I was interested in finding out where the author would take Hester in her next case. He took her in a direction I don't like and it colored my entire thought process regarding this book. I don't like to read stories where adults put children in jeopardy or step away from their responsibility to their child and that's exactly what three women in this book did.

Hester's best friend Daphne simply walked out of the house one night and left her daughter Kate behind. It's been a year without communication from Daphne so when Hester gets an SOS text message she bundles up four year old Kate and takes off - without telling anyone where she is going and not answering any messages or phone calls. On purpose; it's not like she lost her phone or anything. Once Hester and Kate get to Finisterre Island, Maine, she becomes involved in murder, kidnapping, illegal drugs, arson; pretty much you name it and little girl Kate gets exposed to it. There is also the drug addict woman who has her four year old son with her in a drug house while she uses and sells drugs. There is another under five boy who is kidnapped but found, and later in the story his mother simply asks a stranger (Hester) to take care of him and disappears for an entire night.

This wasn't the right kind of mystery novel for me and there wasn't much chance I would enjoy it. I think Hester and I have parted ways for good.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-Galley of this novel.

This book was very well written. Nice and easy to read and flowed well. Had me on the edge of my seat. Wondering which way it was going to go. Great mystery can’t beat it.

Although this is the second book in the Hester Thursby Series and I haven't read the first book, it did not hinder my enjoyment of this book in the slightest. In fact, THE MISSING ONES works well as a standalone novel.

Hester Thursby is not your typical heroine. She is neurotic, she is hugely overprotective of her four year old niece, Kate, who has been left in her care. In fact, even though she has a valid reason for being overprotective, it is still over-the-top. In summary, she is a realistic character. She isn't perfect, not by a long shot, and that is why I like her.

This story is a timely one in that it addresses the Opiod Crisis that has infiltrated every aspect of life in North America. It showcases the fact that addiction crosses all socioeconomic boundaries and can (and does) happen to even the most law-abiding families.

There are multiple twists to this story and as soon as you think you know who the perpetrator is, you discover a new fact that makes you doubt your theory.

I rate THE MISSING ONES as 5 OUT OF 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

** Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book.**

I loved Hill’s first Hester Thisby mystery and I hoped it would start a great series. Well, if we can go by this book, it certainly has. Hester is obsessed with Kate, a four year old left in her care by her partner Morgan’s twin. Daphne has mysteriously disappeared and left Kate to be cared for by Hester and and Morgan. The catalyst for this story is a text that brings Hester to a small island off the coast of Maine.

Daphne has been living there under an alias and mysterious and frightening things have been happening there. Despite Hester’s insistence that she never wanted children, she is thrust into the role of caregiver for 2 other island youngsters as she tries to unravel the disappearance of Morgan’s sister.

There is a great deal going on and Hester winds up involved with a murderous drug ring. I don’t want to be a spoiler, but the author ties up all the loose ends. Hester and Morgan are incredibly likable characters and the plot never stalls.

I really enjoyed this again. So, keep Hester safe and keep the books coming. Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this new series.

Here’s how I know Edwin Hill writes good crime fiction. He does things that I normally dislike in mysteries, but when I read his books I don’t care. There are small children, something I usually avoid at all costs. His heroine does thoughtless and risky things on impulse, something that usually makes me roll my eyes until they feel like they might fall out. And in this book, Hill features an opioids plot, something I think has been way too much of a bandwagon topic with crime fiction writers these days.

Despite all those things I don’t like, I spent most of a gorgeous summer weekend reading this book. I couldn’t tear myself away to do anything else. I think it’s because Edwin Hill, like Louise Penny, makes the characters so real, with all their charms but especially their imperfections. And he writes about relationships, as they really are. When bad things happen, they’re for very human reasons, not because of some cartoonish psycho on the loose. It makes it easy to become immersed in the story, its characters, time and place.

It was particularly easy to put myself in the time and place here, because most of it takes place in my home state of Maine, on the fictional Finisterre Island, which resembles Monhegan. It’s late September, getting to the end of tourist season, a particularly interesting time in Maine’s coastal areas. Most tourists have left, but not all. The lobster shacks are still open and on many days you can still sit out with a beer and enjoy the view and the salt tang in the air. But the nights are becoming chilly and the natives are thinking about preparing for the long winter and going back to when it’s just the few year-rounders relying on each other.

Hester Thursby, our short stack of a librarian and lead character, is in a bad way when we start the book. She’s keeping up a false front for her friends, her live-in boyfriend Morgan and his four-year-old niece Kate, who they take care of since Daphne (Morgan’s sister and Kate’s mother) took off over a year ago. But after the terrors of the last book, when she and Kate were in mortal danger, the truth is she sees catastrophe looming everywhere and doesn’t want to let Kate out of her sight.

Only one thing can change that, and it’s a text from Daphne telling her she needs her. In a flash, Hester and Kate are on their way from Cambridge (Mass.) to Maine, all without telling Morgan. (See what I mean about those bad decisions?)

On the island, nobody knows Daphne, but they do know a vagrant named Annie who looks like Daphne’s photo on Hester’s phone. And that’s the start of a plot involving people on the island who have known each other all their lives, plus others who have come to the island for the summer or maybe to get up to no good. They say on the island that people know what you’ve been doing before you do, but as Hester tries to locate Daphne, she learns secrets and lies about the islanders. Will uncovering them help her find Daphne or just put her in danger?

Clear some time in your schedule for this one. Do you have to read the first book, Little Comfort, first? No, you don’t have to, but it would add to your appreciation of this book if you do. As for me, I guess I just have to settle in and hope there’s another Hester Thursby book about this time next year.

I will leave review on Amazon on Aug 27, 2019

I received a copy of The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill from NetGalley and Kensington Publishers in exchange for my fair and honest review.

This was the second book in the Hester Thursby series, I really enjoyed the first book, and now in the second it helps to find out some of the answers surrounding why Daphne left her daughter with Hester and Morgan. After the last book Hester is dealing with a major case of PTSD, yet when text by Daphne she takes off determined to help. I did find this book a little harder to follow along with due to moving back and forward between places and characters in the book. Children missing, drugs, homeless people this book has a lot going on. I believe those that have read the first book, will enjoy the second book of the series also.

THE MISSING ONES by Edwin Hill is the second in his Hester Thursby series. While it has an independent mystery of its own, much like the first book in the series, there are many questions that arise in the first book which are answered in the second. In order to fully understand what is happening, the reader will be best served to read these books in order.
Although I had read the first book in the series, I still found this book difficult to follow in the beginning. Some of the difficulty was created by the multiple points of view that were presented, and my confusion regarding who these particular people were in relationship to Hester. About a third of the way into the novel, it began to be easier for me to follow and my interest increased from that point to the end. I read the first book a bit over a year ago, and it might have been easier for me to follow from one to the other if I had read them closer together.
This book is filled with broken and challenged people, and that makes it a bit of a sad read. The effects of what happened in the first book have left Hester struggling with everyday activities, and those who love her struggling with how to help her move forward. As she is carrying all this emotional baggage she is compelled to travel to an island off the shore of Massachusetts. The island's inhabitants are also experiencing their own struggles including missing children, infidelity, and an influx of drugs.
The book is well written with good descriptions of both the characters and the surroundings. Each character has their own distinct “voice” and it is easy to see both the people and the surroundings as they are presented. It is difficult to find a character or characters to “pull” for as they all seem so deeply damaged.
While the end of the book is not exactly a cliff-hanger, there is little doubt there is more to be told about the life of Hester and her friends. Even more than the first novel, this one seems to call out for a continuation of the story. My thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced digital read copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill

Thank you #netgalley for the advanced readers copy for an honest review.

This was a fast paced mystery about a lady named Hester who is taking care of her bestfriends daughter as if it was her own. Daphne is Hester's boyfriend's twin sister and her missing bestfriend.

Daphne goes by (Anne) now, is in trouble, she's been staying on a island Finisterre in Maine. She's homeless and finds herself in the mix of drug smuggling, kidnapping, murder, arson and so much more. Hester goes to find Daphne when she receives a text from her the she needs help.

I loved the character development and the descriptions of the island, it felt like I was there. I really wish I would've read book one, but hey sometimes you don't find a good series until you've read a book out of order. Now I'll be reading book 1 and waiting for a 3rd.
#themissingones #netgalley
Release date scheduled for August 27 2019

Children go missing on a small island. This book had a lot, drugs, lies, adultery, missing children and a dead body. Who is behind it all? Hester goes looking for her friend and finds a big mystery. I have to be honest and say that this book started out very slowly and I didn’t really get into it until about halfway. Once Hester showed up in the island I really got hooked but not before then. I give it 3 stars, for being slow at the beginning but was I really i good read afterwards. And a shocking ending. I received a digital copy of this through Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this book. A great series which I found hard to put down. I will be looking forward to more about Hester and Co.

I stayed up entirely too late sitting by the campfire engrossed in this book. I’m going to need a ton of coffee today and it was totally worth it. The Missing Ones is page turning and amazing. Highly recommend.

This is the second book in the Hester Thursby Mystery Series and can be read as a stand-alone, though it does play off an ongoing plot and character arc. Edwin Hill decisively takes a stand as the skillful author he is with dynamic characterization and a creative story line. Hill brings our main character, Hester Thursby, to a beautiful setting only to unravel ugly truths. The book is a cacophony of suspense, devastation, and psychological mayhem. A great read. 5 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of #TheMissingOnes from #NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! I loved the first book--Little Comfort--and was waiting for the next in the story of Hester Thursby. The Missing Ones exceeded my expectations, and I couldn't put it down. Hester Thursby, the diminutive librarian with a side gig in finding people, is dealing with PTSD after her last case, and can't let her niece Kate out of her sight--even to go to preschool. Hester is drawn to Finisterre Island where drugs are causing trouble and 4-year-old children seem prone to disappearing, and must confront her greatest fears in order to move forward with her life. Terrific books and characters--you may not always like Hester, but she is believably written--that are worth your time.

The Missing Ones is a great thriller that hard me hooked from the first chapter. The storyline and characters are interesting.

After receiving a mysterious text, Hester Thursby heads to Finisterre Island off the coast of Maine. Hester no longer wants to track down people who don’t want to be found after her last case nearly ended in disaster, but she can’t deny her interest has been raised by the text. On the island, Hester is caught up in the story of an old house, angry locals and a case involving missing children and murder