The Moon is Missing is the new release by author Jenni Ogden. I will admit I have never read any books by this author, and it was the cover that initially grabbed my attention. In this situation, judging a book by the cover worked out for me, because I absolutely loved the story as well!

Georgia Grayson lives in London, and works as a neurosurgeon. On the outside, she has the perfect life...a loving and supportive husband Adam, a fifteen year old daughter Lara, an eleven year old son Finbar, and she just might become the first female Director of Neurosurgery at the hospital she works at. However, on the inside, she suffers from panic attacks that only Adam knows about...and they are now affecting every part of her life.

One Sunday afternoon while gardening, Georgia is confronted by an angry Lara, and she wants answers about her biological father. Sixteen years ago, Georgia was in love with Danny, a jazz singer from New Orleans. They were supposed to get married, but Danny suddenly decided he was not ready for marriage. Of course, they had an argument that lead to Danny leaving, and later that day, Danny died. Georgia has no memory of the circumstances surrounding Danny's death, so when her daughter wants answers about her biological father, Georgia struggles to give them to her.

The story that unfolds is extremely well-written, with a storyline that will hold your attention from beginning to end. The characters are well-developed, and the author tells each character's story in a realistic manner that the reader is able to relate to. The setting of the story also changes throughout, and the author relays the events of Hurricane Katrina with vivid and heartbreaking detail. Overall, this was just a beautifully written story about secrets, family, love, and relationships. It was wonderful to see the changes between Georgia and Lara, and while on their search for answers to the past, their relationship blossoms.

I would like to thank Sea Dragon Press and NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read and review an ARC of The Moon is Missing. My views are my own, and are in no way influenced by anyone else.

I enjoyed Ogden’s A Drop in the Ocean and was excited to pick up this novel featuring a neurosurgeon in London forced to take a leave from her practice thanks to panic attacks related to events from her past. Her teenage daughter Lara wants to know about her birth father Danny, a blues singer from New Orleans who died before she was born. When Georgia is offered the chance to attend a neurosurgery conference in New Orleans she decides to take Lara with her hoping they might find some answers for Lara and some memories of her relationship with Danny. They arrive four days before Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans.

The opening chapters of this novel are interesting and necessary but I found them to be the most challenging to read. Georgia and her husband Adam, kids Lara and Finbar are leading busy lives in London. Georgia is struggling between her desire to take over as head of Neurosurgery and being present with her family. Her husband has been picking up the slack on her long days at the office and their relationship is straining. There is a lot of navel gazing and I found I was getting frustrated with Georgia and her issues which seems to be in a continuous loop of anxiety, uncertainty and regret.

Jump to their visit to New Orleans and the story springs to life. I’ve not read many stories featuring characters involved in such a devastating event as Hurricane Katrina and the author had me turning pages and fully engaged.. Hooray for authors who do their research. Georgia’s search for memories of what happened when Danny died eventually sends her back to a remote island off the coast of New Zealand. I was engaged and entertained wanting to understand all that Georgia had gone through as badly as she did.

This was an interesting look at the challenges faced by professional women everywhere, that fine balance between work and homelife. It also deals with family secrets and traumas which can affect even the strongest of men and women. Ogden writes with confidence and her books make for entertaining reads.

ARC received with thanks from publisher via NetGalley for review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest opinion. After recognizing the author, Jenny Ogden, from her previous title, A Drop in the Ocean, I knew I didn’t want to miss this one.

The Moon is Missing was broken up into three parts and I can say I thoroughly enjoyed each one. Personal conflicts, emotional conflicts, and physical conflicts are are all seamlessly woven together as Ogden moves from Part One to Part Three, while immersing the reader in perspective and interest. It’s a great read for bringing about resolution, friendships, family, and healing.

The Moon is Missing was story meant to tug on heartstrings. It was written with several story lines that flowed together beautifully. I was really moved by this book. I would love to read a "prequel" providing Savanah's story - she seemed like a character whose story needs to be told.

This is a fantastic read! It is so beautiful written and we'll developed. I loved Georgia, a truly likeable and interesting main character. I was drawn to the lovely book cover and thought that reading about the life of a neurosurgeon would be exciting. My expectations we're not only met, but they were exceeded. I really enjoyed the different settings of New Orleans, London and Great Barrier. I highly recommend this book.

I would like to thank Jenni Ogden, Sea Dragon Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book is about a neurosurgeon, Georgia who is a prominent dr but has things from her past she has to deal with. She goes to New Orleans where she gets stuck during hurricane Katrina. I enjoyed the book overall. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

Georgia Grayson is a neurosurgeon and well-respected in her field. She is hoping to become Director of the unit at the hospital where she works. But a panic-attack mid operation precipitated by the death of another patient who reminded her of her former boyfriend and father of her eldest child Lara, leads her in a different direction.

The story is set in 3 parts and takes the reader from London to New Orleans when hurricane Katrina strikes to New Zealand where her parents live. Georgia is not just struggling to face her own demons but in keeping her marriage to Adam together and being a mother to young Finbar as well as the teenager Lara who wants to know more about her father.

I really enjoyed this book as it explores many issues including mental health and how workplaces handle it, work-life balance, gender inequity, identity, the unintended consequences of secrets, grief and loss. These issues are raised as an integrated part of the story and Ogden manages to expose them skilfully without hammering them home. There are excellent book club discussion questions at the end which enable the reader to think through these issues. Highly recommended for anyone who wants an involving story woven with complexity.

This cover is beautiful and I just had to read it, the blurb makes it even more interesting.

Georgia works as a neurosurgeon in a London hospital but hails from New Zealand. Georgia suffers from the occasional panic attack, When she has one mid surgery she covers it up and goes into therapy. The panic attacks have gotten worse now that her daughter Lara wants to know more about her biological father. Georgia has never really processed his death. When Georgia goes to a conference in New Orleans she has Lara tag along so she can discover her dad’s stomping grounds and maybe meet her great grandmother. When in New Orleans Katrina hits, is devastating, but they find a way to help others and themselves. While there Georgia discovers some secrets and sets of to New Zealand to confront her parents. In New Zealand all can finally be out to rest, if only everyone is willing to do so.

This book tells an interesting tale of family secrets, love and loss and devastation. Part 1 plays out in London and it’s my least favourite, I had a very hard time getting into it. I was reading on hoping it get better when Part 2 in New Orleans would come around, luckily it get a lot better. Part 2 was the best for me, 3 was ok but felt a little forced. There’s a lot of talk about anxiety and panic attacks in this book and although the main found her coping mechanism and triggers I am not entirely sure how I feel about how this is being dealt with. The description of New Orleans during Katrina and Great Barrier Island are very well done, I could picture all the details, that is the best of the writing. The story in part 2 is interesting, but the overal story is a bit flat for me. Georgia was bit too self absorbed for my liking of a character, even when she acknowledged this it did nothing to warm me to her. When a story like this is written from first person I think it’s important to like the main character, and I didn’t. The writing itself is good, but the book is just missing something for me.

This is an engaging, quietly complex novel in which kiwi Georgia, a high flying neurosurgeon in London, comes to terms with family secrets, her own fears around intimacy, and notions of home. The novel tackles those everyday issues we can all identify with; he daily struggle to keep a relationship alive, the challenge of teenagers, sibling rivalries, and the elusive work-life balance. It also takes seriously the issue of how lonely it is for a woman at the top of her career.

Georgia is gripped with a paralysing anxiety when she loses a patient who brings back painful memories of her first love Danny, and father of her daughter, and his death. As she enters therapy and delves into her past, her present life starts to crumble. Her marriage is under strain, and her daughter wants to know more about her father, and Georgia’s dream of being the first female Director of Neurosurgery, seems to be slipping away. A conference in New Orleans provides an opportunity to revisit the place she first met Danny, and with her daughter in tow, time to talk about her past.

New Orleans welcomes them with open arms and they explore the city and Georgia starts to talk about Danny and her past, but within days their world is turned upside down as Hurricane Katerina hits the city with devastating consequences. Georgia has to leave her anxieties behind and starts work helping out at the local hospital. Inevitably, the experience changes both mother and daughter and each starts to revaluate what’s important.

It’s only then, that Georgia can really explore her past, her relationships and her connection to family. Her journey takes her back to New Zealand to a safe haven from which she starts to rebuild her life.

Missing the Moon reminds us of the burden of secrets, and the courage that is needed to face them. It’s also a timely reminder of how precious life is, and what it sometimes takes to make us understand what is really important, and what we need.

This book is full of rich landscapes, complex characters and has plenty of drama. I couldn’t put it down.

I absolutely loved this book! It is so beautifully written and Georgia’s character is so well-written. Personally, I found her likeable and interesting. I never thought that I would want to read about a life of a neurosurgeon but this book was so gripping! I loved how there were different locations New Orleans, London and Great Barrier. I highly recommend it.

New Zealander Georgia is a gifted neurosurgeon living with her family in London. They are a happy unit until 16 year old daughter Lara wants to find out about her real father Danny. Georgia has had trouble with her mental wellbeing and a panic attack at work puts everything on hold. Travelling to New Orleans the two of them search for clues to Danny’s family and why he committed suicide. Georgia has flashbacks to the event and wants to make sure she was not responsible for it.
Trapped in the disastrous storm Katrina adds a level of danger and heroic doctoring by Georgia. This gives her back her confidence for the two of them to return to New Zealand for the answers they both need.
This is an exciting adventure but so much more. It is wonderful that mental wellbeing is finally getting the attention it deserves. This story has it all, sadness, tragedy and finally a resolution for everyone involved.

The Moon is Missing by Jenni Ogden I have to admit drew me further and further in to the life of neurosurgeon - Georgia Grayson. Her life as a surgeon, her family and relationships with her son and daughter and husband. Then there are her anxiety attacks and the reason for them and the consequences that arise because of them.

The book is well written and its focus is Georgia. I liked her, she is talented yet haunted by her past. As she takes up with courage the journey back into her life, I the reader, feel like I am right there with her. The heartache that is happening in her family, the questions she holds, the answers hidden to her.

I really liked - if its okay to say that! - the part that tells of Georgia and Lara ( her daughter) in hurricane Katrina. It was both horrific and wondrous as medical staff and others worked to help each other.

The three settings of London, New Orleans and Great Barrier Island were all contrasts - yet each had their own fascination. I also loved where finally Georgia and her family truly find themselves at the end of the journey.

Some family secrets are gradually revealed. I really appreciated how they unfolded and finally came together. Forgiveness, acceptance and compassion eventually win through.

I found myself  slowly reading the story,  a few times I had to reach for a tissue for the times of sadness and beauty. A Moon is Missing touched my heart and was so worth spending time with it.

Rating: 4 hurricane-whipped stars

This is Jenni Odgen’s second novel, and it is a doozy of domestic suspense. Georgia Grayson and her husband live in London with two children. Georgia is the Director or Neurosurgery in a large hospital. However, she was on a leave of absence from actually operating. Increasingly she’s been unable to control her panic attacks. She is required to seek counseling before her privileges will be be reinstated. Georgia’s 15-year-old daughter, Lara, is escalating her demands to know who her father is. Danny, a musician from New Orleans was an early love of Georgia’s. He died after having a huge fight with Georgia, and there are some gaps in Georgia’s memory about the time surrounding those events. This is apparently the source of her psychological issues.

With scenes in London, New Orleans, and New Zealand the plot moves along showing how easily a family can start to disintegrate. While this is set in several locations, the section set in New Orleans was most riveting. Lara convinces her Mom to let her accompany her to a medical conference in New Orleans in the hope of finding out more about Danny. What they ran smack dab into was the full force of hurricane Katrina. This is where Odgen’s writing skills really flourished in this book. The sights, the smells, the personal peril of enduring this natural disaster were viscerally depicted. The immediacy of these scenes pulled me into the middle of the chaos.

Everyone in this book had issues. In the final analysis, this is a family drama. Ms. Odgen skillfully writes about psychological issues. She shows how a trained psychologist can help unravel some deep-seated problems. I enjoyed the scenes between Georgia and her therapist Sarah. In some ways, Hurricane Katrina was a metaphor for the storm raging within and amongst these family members. It was action packed, and heartfelt.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy an engaging family drama that has intelligent characters and believable scenes. The drama isn’t over the top, and the various locations in the book add to the enjoyment of the story. Oh that hurricane!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Sea Dragon Press via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Moon is Missing” by Jenni Ogden, Sea Dragon Press, August 25, 2020 for Suzy Approved Book Tours
Jenni Ogden, the author of “The Moon is Missing” has written a memorable and thought-provoking novel. The genres for this novel are literary fiction, family drama, women’s fiction, and fiction. The timeline of the story takes place in the present and goes to the past when it pertains to the characters or events in the story. The story takes place in New Zealand, and New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. The author describes her dramatic characters as complex and complicated. I appreciate that the author discusses the topic of panic attacks. I love how the author vividly describes her characters, scenery and events. This is also a coming of age story. It is a story of discovering the truth, communication, family, love and faith. This a story that shows one how dangerous secrets can be.

Georgia Grayson is a brilliant neurosurgeon, and a wife and mother. Her teenage daughter brings up the topic of her deceased father, and Georgia finds that she is having panic attacks while in the operating room. Georgia really can’t remember all the details surrounding her first husband’s death. She knows she has to discover what is so deeply buried inside her to be able to live freely.

Georgia is lucky she has the support of her family. I would highly recommend this memorable, and thought-provoking story to other readers.

To be honest the title drew me but the story wrapped itself around me and didn't let go. Beautifully written and poignant it's a story that will linger in your mind long after the last page. A must read. Happy reading!

Family tragedy and long held family secrets propel this novel into the settings of New Orleans during the horrific Hurricane Katrina and the beautiful New Zealand coast line. The protagonist of this story is a strong woman, Georgia, who is a prominent neurosurgeon in London. She works very hard to keep her life as a physician as well as a wife and mother functioning at a high level. But she is haunted by events of her past and suffers from anxiety and panic attacks. She realizes that the only way to eradicate her anxiety is to uncover the truth about the death of her first love. He died under suspicious circumstances before their daughter was born. Her now 15 year old daughter, Lara, desperately wants to learn about her father and his side of her family. These factors compel Georgia and Lara into the past and the gripping scenes of New Orleans and New Zealand. It is a harrowing ride. Well-written with well developed characters and striking settings - it is hard to put down and an enjoyable read!

Thank you to Sea Dragon Press for providing me with an eARC of The Moon is Missing on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Content warnings: death, first-person descriptions of mental health difficulties (PTSD, panic attacks, depression), infidelity

I was drawn to The Moon is Missing by its cover and title, and knew that I wanted to read it as soon as I read the blurb. This book is told from the perspective of Georgia, a half-Maori neurosurgeon from New Zealand living in London with her husband (Adam) and two children (Lara and Finbar). Despite excelling at her work and being on track for a promotion to Director of Neurosurgery, Georgia is struggling. She has had occasional anxiety attacks since Lara's father (Danny) died 16 years earlier, but when several events come together to trigger her trauma into more regular panic attacks which begin to affect her work, she is forced to return to therapy and try to recover the memories surrounding Danny's death.

I couldn't help but empathise with Georgia and her family. I have several loved ones with PTSD and dissociative amnesia (a type of episodic memory loss which is caused by trauma), and would definitely say that Georgia's experiences reflect theirs. I did find it strange that the author chose not to use the label PTSD at any point in this book, instead only labelling Georgia's symptoms (anxiety attacks, panic attacks, repressed memories), given that several characters have a background in psychology and/or medicine. However, I did feel that this was a well-researched and reasonably accurate depiction of how trauma can affect somebody - I was definitely not surprised when I later read the author's bio and saw that she has a PhD in Neuropsychology! Ogden was obviously also well-read in the field of anyeurisms and neurosurgery; being written from the first-person perspective of an expert neurosurgeon, the narrative would have suffered without this research.

Overall, I am glad that I read The Moon is Missing. In terms of the plot itself, I found it engaging. I wanted to keep reading, not just to find out what had happened in Georgia's past but in the hopes that I would get to see Georgia begin to recover. There were some parts of the plot which I think could have benefitted from a little extra depth, and others which I wasn't sure were necessary, but it all balanced out in the end. There were plot twists I wouldn't have expected, and I found the ending satisfying in a way I was worried it wouldn't be.

Jenni's first title, A Drop in the Ocean, was a book I very much enjoyed reading and therefore, was looking forward to her next story. Once again Jenni has written an engaging tale, this time revolving around a range of themes such as family, with some mysterious past secrets, to create that curiosity factor. However, at its heart this is a tale of love and forgiveness, from moving on and lessons learned.

‘... sometimes toxic memories are best kept firmly in a box ...’

In many ways this reads like three separate tales and I am still undecided if it all gelled together sufficiently. Part 1 sets the scene obviously in terms of Georgia’s past secret and really delves into family dynamics and the fallout of a debilitating anxiety disorder. Part 2 finds Georgia and her daughter in New Orleans at the time of Hurricane Katrina. Whilst I appreciate the significance of this event to the characters journey, to me, it reads like a separate novel with tenable links to the overall mystery. That aside, the writing is incredible in the descriptions of what living through such an event must feel like, sound like - you were there when the waters were rising and could feel the palpable angst. The final Part 3, then transfers to both New Zealand and Australian’s Great Barrier Reef. In some ways, it's like Jenni wanted all these locales to fit her story. Here we return to Georgia’s specific crisis and steps taken to bring about her healing through confrontation and resolution.

“Nothing will ever sink New Orleans. She’ll come through this horror and be even stronger than before.” Even as the placatory words come out of my mouth, I knew I was talking bullshit. It was hard to see how any city could recover from this - especially one built in such a crazy place.’

The writing is well researched and it is clear how much Jenni has called upon her experience from her time involving psychology. She provides a twist on the traditional reading group discussion questions at the conclusion of the novel - preferring instead for her readers to contemplate reflection on the book’s overall themes of work-family balance, anxiety disorders, mother-teenager relationships and family secrets.

‘I suddenly wanted to be home, right now, with my normal healthy family. At least a day at the office put our trivial problems into perspective.’

The Moon is Missing is a book about the many types of relationships, from spousal, family and professional to the relationship one has with oneself. The themes are relevant and real, providing good social commentary - with the added mysterious twist to engage readers.





This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Thanks to Netgalley and the editor for my digital copy in exchange for an honest opinion.

I liked this book, very much! The cover is very beautiful and the story is a family drama very well developed. I like the way the characters are built and Georgia and Lara are great! I want to read other books by the author, her writing is incredible.

This novel tells a tale within a tale. For the most part it’s a mystery involving the death of a young blues singer (Danny), the possible involvement of his girlfriend (Georgia) who is now a successful Neurosurgeon, wife, and mother of two who is searching for answers of her memory’s missing past. Now, the tale within the tale, takes place in New Orleans during Katrina and the experiences she has there with her daughter, Lara. Georgia takes us on a journey to restore her memories through London, New Zealand, and New Orleans. Jenni Ogden is a marvelous writer, keen on capturing emotion as well as environment. Thanks so much to Sea Dragon Press & Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.