This is quite a twisty thriller! There were a couple of twists that I didn’t figure out…I LOVE that! Enjoyed the very different storyline.

Unmissing - Minka Kent

It took me a while to buy into the premise, but eventually I did, and I wasn't disappointed. Well-written, with several twists that I wasn't expecting.

I've read several other titles by the author, and I certainly will continue to do so -- I enjoyed this.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It’s been a while since I have read anything by Minka Kent and this did not disappoint! Merritt Coletto is living a dream life with her husband Luca, their young daughter Elsie, and a baby boy on the way. Then one night while Luca is out of town, a woman shows up on her doorstep claiming to be Luca’s first wife Lydia, who vanished ten years earlier and was later declared dead. Merritt, being the sweet and proper wife that she is, tries to befriend Lydia and help her all while fearing that Lydia is trying to destroy her marriage. Lucas basically does nothing, and Lydia starts seeming a little sinister.

This was so good! Unmissing had all the mystery/thriller elements that I love including unreliable narrators, plenty of seeds of doubt planted, and a roller coaster’s worth of twists and turns. Minka Kent has once again done a beautiful job of leading my mind in one direction only to shock the hell out of me further down the road (thank you very much). The characterization of both Merritt and Lydia was incredible, painting very different pictures of them from the beginning to end. I did feel that Luca’s characterization fell a little flat though. Maybe his POV could have been added to Merritt and Lydia’s to give the reader more insight into his thoughts and motivations? The only character that I struggled with was Delphine, finding her openness and kindness a bit too forthcoming, but it certainly didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the novel.

Although I think I could discuss this book for hours, that is about all I can say without spoilers. Unmissing is a mystery/suspense thriller that I highly recommend. It has all of the wonderful tidbits suspense thriller fans love, an imaginative plot, and well-developed characters. This was absolutely a 5-star read for me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book!! Full of twists and turns, an exciting thriller. I read this book in one morning, before I knew it, it was lunch time. Not often a book gets me that enthralled.
Thank you to #netgalley for giving me an ARC for an honest review. #Minka Kent never disappoints! Highly recommended this to all my fellow thriller readers.

Ok now this was a clever little thriller! A missing person returning years later may not be the most unique plot but that is just the tip of the iceberg here. It went in several completely unexpected directions that I definitely didn’t predict, and honestly half of what makes me enjoy a thriller is not being able to see what’s ahead too early. Bonus points for a very fast pace and enough twists to keep me engaged, yet not so many that it bordered on the ridiculous making this one very was fun. As usual with this author I can’t say much more without getting into spoilers but this was one of her best books for me and I always recommend them to anyone who likes short, bingeable reads where things always get a little crazy.

“Merritt Coletto and her husband, Luca, have the life they dreamed of: a coastal home, a promising future, and a growing family. That dream ends with a late-night knock on the door.
Weak, broken, and emaciated, it’s Luca’s first wife, Lydia. Missing for ten years, presumed dead, and very much alive, she has quite a story.”
With short chapters alternating between Merritt and Lydia’s POV, this was a fast paced thriller with some great twists! There’s so much I would like to say, but I really can’t say anything without giving away spoilers.
Unmissing releases on February 15, 2022, and I highly recommend it to any thriller fans looking for a quick, exciting read!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for sharing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The premise of this novel pulled me in. I’m all for a thriller that is different. In this book we’re following two points of view. Merritt and Lydia. Lydia was kidnapped 9 years ago and was presumed dead until she would up at her husband Luca’s front door. Merritt is Luca’s new wife and mother of his two children.
Towards the middle of this book I thought something was starting to feel off with both protagonists. I always look deep into character to see who’s lying or who is the one I can trust. I couldn’t decipher this quite yet, but I just had that feeling you know?
Then comes the last third of the book and the TWISTS!!! Excellent.

I was so intrigued from the blurb, it immediately grabbed my attention! A newlywed goes missing only to return nine years later on her husband's doorstep. Expecting her husband, his new wife answers the door. Wow! and this was before I realized I've also read The Stillwater Girls also by the same author (another great twisty read!).

When the first twist came around 60-65%of the way through, I was thinking "eh, ok. Guess we can work with this" but then the second twist! Boom! didn't see that coming and it made it all worth it! A good unsuspecting twist just sends me spiraling and I love it!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and Minka Kelly for the early copy!

The synopsis for this book sounded right up my alley, a wife missing for ten years suddenly shows up at the house of her husband and his new family one night ... how could this not be a psychological read? The book got off to a quick start but as soon as Lydia shows up, the storyline stalled for me. The plot became slow and bogged down in details that didn't seem to matter in the bigger picture (end of the story). Things picked back up a little towards the end, but not enough to be redeeming and the ending seemed farfetched. It appears I'm in the minority on my feelings towards this book so please take this review with a grain of salt, as I hope most readers enjoy it more than I did.

I was soo absorbed in this book! For me, it was a fast, couldn't put it down until I finished kinda book. Some twists and turns were predictable but some weren't which made it more engaging for me. Told in dual points of view between Lydia and Merritt. Lydia, kidnapped and missing for years, long enough to be declared dead, but shows up at her husbands home where he has moved on with a family of his own. Surprise indeed. I really enjoyed reading this book, chapters really flowed well. I wanted more!

Love love loved it! What would you do if someone you used to love came back from the dead? Especially if you've already moved on with your life? This thrilling tales explores these questions, and was a delight to read!

A woman shows up ten years later and upends her husband's new life in this new psychological thriller from Minka Kent.

Out on a hike one day, Lydia is kidnapped by a sadistic man who uses her as his personal torture toy. for many years before shooting her and leaving her for dead.

Lydia survives and manages to find her way back to her husband only to find that he had her declared dead and has a new wife, daughter and another baby on the way.

Lydia becomes determined to reclaim everything she had lost. Secrets and hidden skeletons are quickly revealed and the reader will quickly learn that nothing is as it seems in this thrilling novel.

I have loved previous Minka Kent novels but unfortunately I was unable to finish this book - I was about 20% in and was just shaking my head at some choices being made. I hope everyone else who reads this book has a different experience and I appreciate the effort and time the author put into this story it unfortunately just didn’t hit the mark for me. This book was not for me but will definitely give this author another chance in the future.

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer, Minka Kent, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Previously published at https://www.mysteryandsuspense.com/unmissing/

What would you do if your husband’s late wife, who was declared dead a decade ago, suddenly appears on your doorstep one night, asking to speak to your husband? And so begins the much buzzed about new book by Minka Kent, Unmissing. This is the 2nd book I have read by this author, and it does not disappoint!

Unmissing is narrated from the viewpoints of three people: Luca, his pregnant wife, Merritt, and Luca’s ex-wife, Lydia. One evening there is a knock at the door and when Merritt opens it, she finds Lydia, very much alive but in awful shape. Ten years ago, Lydia went for a hike and never returned. She was kept in a remote cabin where “the monster”, as she calls him, kept her alive, but barely. She was beaten, starved, raped, burned, and shot until one day, he shoots her and leaves her for dead. But she is not dead. She has come right back to Luca and wants what is rightfully hers, her husband, and his success.

When Lydia’s body is not found, Luca has had her legally declared dead, so he can move on. Now he is happily married to Merritt, and they have a beautiful little girl and a baby due any time. He has been successful in the little town they live in, with a popular restaurant and a coffee shop. But all is not what it seems. Who is Luca really and what does Lydia want? Merritt sees Lydia as someone who may destroy her idyllic life but befriends her in the chance that she can get Lydia to leave them alone, but also to find out what Lydia really wants. But we soon find out that Lydia is not going anywhere until she gets what she wants.

You know it is a proper thriller when you don’t figure out the twist until it actually happens. This was one twist that literally made me gasp out loud. The entire book is amazing. Why is it amazing? Minka Kent has kept the page count to a very acceptable level, but not only that, she managed to tell a story in under 300 words that had two plot twists, several outstanding characters and a “photo” finish. I also loved that most of the characters in her book had enormous secrets that came out at the perfect time, giving us the simple message that you never really know who people are. I can’t wait to see what this author does next.

2.75. First, thank you NetGalley and Thomas, and mercer for sending me a digital copy of this book.

I was really curious to read it. And I didn’t really like it. Sure the story is interesting, there are good plot twists and mysteries, some can be surprising. But I think it wasn’t for me.

Lydia is a good character, Merritt too, I guess in her own way. But something was off and I didn’t grow an affection for them.

I’m sure a lot of people would like this story. It just wasn’t for me

Unmissing is full of suspense that will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions! Expect the unexpected and be prepared to be shocked by the time you finish the book. Highly recommended!

Luca is happily married to Merritt. They have one girl with a baby boy on the way. One night, while Luca is away on business, there's a knock on the front door. Merritt opens it to find Luca's first wife, Lydia who has been missing for 10 years, presumed dead. Lydia recounts her years of torture with her kidnapper but both Luca and Merritt wonder why she hasn't gone to the police. What is she hiding?⁣
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I guarantee that once you start this book, you won't want to put it down! With twists aplenty (you'll be wowed at the end!) and superb writing, this one is absolutely thrilling. I've never read a Minka Kent book but after finishing Unmissing, I need to check out her entire backlist!

This new mystery/thriller from Ms. Kent is going to keep you guessing until the very end!

This is the story of Lydia. Newlywed and wanting to start a new life with her husband. Until tragedy strikes and she goes missing for 9 years. Nine years of torture and abuse. Nine years of torment and cruelty. This character was strength in spades and I wanted to see her need for justice!

She gets free of her captor and goes back to where it all started, home to see her husband married again. 

This is a story of vengeance and justice. This is a story that is so twisted it kept me riveted. When all the missing pieces come together and the mystery unfolds, you are going to be absolutely shocked. I know I was! 

This is definitely a story I will read again in the future. Now knowing the outcome and seeing it with the blinders off.

Ms. Kent never fails to amaze me with her amazing stories! This newest one is just another gem!

"Unmissing" is a crazy, creepy story, much darker and more twisted than I expected. Once you start reading, you will not want to stop. Newlyweds Lydia and Luca Coletto moved to his hometown of Bent Creek, Oregon and were working on getting their new life together started, with Luca pursuing his dream of owning and operating a restaurant. One summer evening, while Luca was shopping, Lydia decided to go for a hike, a habit of hers, but she never returned. She was kidnapped by a "Monster", who would keep her imprisoned for nine-and-a-half years, torturing and abusing her. Ten years after her disappearance, and long since she was declared dead, Lydia has returned to Bent Creek with plans to confront her husband. She knows that since her "death", he has remarried and opened a series of successful restaurants, living the high life. She has nothing against his second wife, Merritt, and has no desire to make things difficult for her, but she needs assistance from Luca in order to get her new life started in a more comfortable fashion than her old life. However, Luca and Merritt's life is not as golden as it appears -- they are expecting their second child very soon, a glorious event, but they are struggling financially, having to lay off staff and close some of their restaurants, and are trying to sell their remaining restaurants to a franchise, so they can remain financially secure and start over. Merritt is determined to not let anything disrupt the life she has built, even if that means befriending Lydia and assisting her in getting her new start. However, Luca is becoming more distant and secretive, and is unwilling to discuss Lydia. Luca, Merritt, and Lydia all have plans for how to deal with the situation they find themselves in, but each one has secrets they are hiding that will disrupt the plans of the others.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PUBLICATION DAY: February 15, 2022

SUMMARY:
This is the story of Lydia and Merritt - Luca’s former wife and his new wife. Merritt and Luca have the perfect marriage and family - until his former wife Lydia, who has been missing for 10 years and presumed dead, shows up at their front door. Obviously in need of help, Merritt and Luca agree to do so…but what truths will be told when they learn of her story? Will they be able to return to their young family and their beloved way of life? Or will hidden secrets threaten to destroy them all…

PROS and CONS:
Ooh - this is a good one! Twists, turns, alternating POV’s - I loved it all!! Great characters in Merritt and Lydia, a lightning quick story with a clear and concise plot - well done!!!

READ IT?
Yes definitely - the new year is off to a great start with a fun little thriller like this one!

4 Stars