Natalie and Michael Hart’s marriage is heading south, so they decide to take a vacation with their two children in New York City. Michael goes out for pizza, and when he returns to their hotel, his wife and kids are gone. Michael’s frantic search eventually leads him to believe that his wife has left on purpose, but where has she gone and why is she running away? Told in alternating chapters between Natalie before her disappearance, Natalie in the present and Michael, the story uncovers why she left and what Michael may be hiding from his past. This is a weak three star rating, the story seemed to meander for a long time, and when the action picked up, the details just seemed too predictable. And the ending came out of nowhere! My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this novel.

I'm a huge fan of D.J. Palmer and have read all of his books. His stories just keep getting better and better! My Wife is Missing is an exciting, drama-filled page-turner that you will not be able to put down. There is suspense and plenty of nail-biting scenes as Natalie tries to escape her husband, the father of her children. But nothing is ever as easy as it should be, or as it seems.

Your heart will race along with Natalie's as she runs away from the man she thought she loved and who she thought loved her. My Wife is Missing is the ultimate psychological thriller that will grab you and make you hold on for dear life. I highly recommend it for the ride of your life.

This fun new thriller totally threw me for a loop until the very end, I totally did not see those twists coming. Natalie and Michael plan a NYC get away with their two kids hoping to ease some of the tension in their marriage and help Natalie who has been struggling with insomnia. After checking in to their hotel room Michael goes out to grab some pizza for the gang, but when he comes back his whole family has gone missing, fearing that they have been kidnapped Michael sets off to find them. Little did he know his wife had other plans... The chapters were short and not hard to follow at all - I can't say much more because anything else might give some of it away!

This book is Soo good. I found this author from saving Meghan and I have been hooked on his books ever since! This one was a page turner since page 1! I would put it down on my nightstand to pick it back up for just one more chapter! Highly recommend!

My Wife is Missing was humming along nicely. The reader can never be sure if one or both of the spouses is crazy. An ending is so important in every story, but especially in one with narrators like these. Unfortunately, the ending took this down a star. I felt let down.

After reading The Perfect Daughter, I was so excited for another DJ Palmer book, and this did not disappoint! Sometimes books have a way of sucking me in, and then letting me down. This book actually got better as it went on! This one is action packed, and I promise you won’t want to put it down! Five stars, no doubt!

Five star beginning to My Wife is Missing. I can remember thinking it would take me less than a day to read as I was totally engrossed in Michael returning with pizza for his family to the hotel in New York City and finding Teddy in the hall. Next, he found that his two kids, Addie and Bryce, his wife, Natalie and all of the luggage missing. My heart was on the floor, and I could not turn the pages fast enough. After looking at hotel security tapes, talking to the police, it looked like his wife and kids left on their own. We hear from Natalie in some chapters from times before the trip to New York. Here is where the pace of the book came to an almost dead stop for me. One word “insomnia.” I started to roll my eyes how many times it was used in Natalie’s chapters. My pace of reading was a slow crawl. I finally finished the book one week later. I sort of rolled my eyes again for the ending of the book and the epilogue. Just too many unbelievable twists for me. I loved The New Husband, so I will come back and read another D.J. Palmer book in the future. My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

This is a fast paced psychological thriller that kept me invested and turning the pages the entire way through. I wasn't expecting any of the twists or the unpredictable surprise ending. Several times I thought I knew what was coming only to be proven wrong time after time. I also really enjoyed the dual POV's and dual timeline.

"𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆. 𝑬𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒅, 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒊𝒕? 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒊𝒇 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒎𝒆𝒅, 𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒃𝒍𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒕𝒉."

My Wife Is Missing is my first book by D.J. Palmer and I don't think it'll be my last. The premise alone had me hooked: Michael Hart walks into his hotel room to find that his wife, Natalie, and their kids are missing, which on further searching seems to be by Natalie's choice, the question is: why?!

Palmer creates a page-turning narrative, using both Michael and Natalie's points of view; Michael's in the present and Natalie's in both past and present. Sometimes multiple points of view can be convoluted, but I think it was essential to not only understand the motivation of both characters and seeing all the little pieces that had to come together. Palmer does a great job at casting doubt on both sides too; Natalie's insomnia and Michael's secrets make it a struggle to know who to believe, and both characters had their unlikeable moments. One thing I really liked was that some of the reveals played out how I expected them to in the first quarter or so of the book, but then those same reveals were twisted and turned on their heads in the last quarter, with some smartly placed red herrings. My only complaints were the constant mention of Natalie's insomnia (it got to be a bit much at times, and then didn't seem to have any real resolution at the end) and the length (it could've been a little shorter, as some parts felt dragged out). People will either love or hate the epilogue, however it did give some resolution to the last lingering plot point.

My Wife Is Missing is a suspenseful cat-and-mouse tale, leaving you wondering who is the hunter and who is being hunted. It would make for a great poolside summer read! Thank you to St. Martin's and NetGalley for the ARC!

D. J. Palmer cranks up the tension in his latest deliciously clever twisty game of cat and mouse with MY WIFE IS MISSING. This super domestic thriller with unreliable narrators will keep you guessing until the surprise-packed treat!

Written from POVs - Michael and Natalie Hart, married with two children, Allison and Bryce. Their marriage is strained, and in a last-minute effort to salvage it, they plan a trip to NYC with the family.

However, when Michael returns to the hotel room from the pizza run, his wife and children are gone. Nothing left but Teddy, Bryce's favorite bear.

They have a game they like to play, "Three Things." Could this have been a hint as to what was to come?

Natalie planned this escape carefully to get away from her husband, whom she believes is violet and their lives are at stake. She thinks he is a murderer. Natalie also has been suffering from insomnia resulting in hallucinations, paranoia, and anxiety.

However, each holds an abundance of secrets, and nothing is as it appears. Palmer carefully keeps you frantically guessing while turning the pages to determine which one is the cat and the mouse.

If you LOVE twisty suspense thrillers with an OMG ending, you did not see coming, this one is for YOU! A favorite author, one of Palmer's best; he just keeps getting better and better!

A well-crafted plot and strong characters drive a satisfying psychological thriller.

I read the e-book and listened to the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker for an outstanding performance and listening experience.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for an ARC to read, listen to, review, and enjoy.

Blog Review:
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Pub Date: May 10, 2022

It's no wonder that DJ Palmer has quickly become one of my favorite authors.

I'm not even sure how to begin expressing my feeling about this book. I knew from the second I saw it that I just had to read it....and I wasn't wrong.

It kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning and right up to the end. Each time I thought I had things figured out something else would happen that would take things in a completely different direction.

I never expected things to go down like they did, that ending came out of nowhere.

My Wife is Missing by DJ Palmer is a psychological thriller when a woman disappears with her two children and her husband desperate to find them will do everything he can- even reveal the secrets he’s been hiding. A family vacation to New York City turns into a nightmare when Michael Hart discovers his wife, Natalie and their two children, Addie and Bryce, missing from their hotel room. Fearing they’ve been kidnapped, he frantically searches the hotel and calls the police. When security footage reveals that Natalie left willingly, the question becomes why? Natalie thinks she has Michael figured out and has hatched a plan to escape him. But her insomnia makes it difficult to trust what she knows and even what she sees. Are her fears and concerns valid? Will she escape Michael? Or is there an even greater danger she doesn’t consider?
WOW! DJ Palmer has done it again! He has become a master of the psychological thriller. Stories that will keep the readers on their toes! With a man keeping secrets and a woman who suffers from hallucinations due to a lack of sleep, Michael and Natalie become characters readers won’t be sure who to trust and even ask what is real? Every character who crosses their paths may have agendas of their own but can they be trusted? My wife is Missing is a story that will keep readers guessing and even when you think you have it all figured out, DJ Palmer pulls the rug and reveals another twist. The beginning was a bit slow and reminded me of Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl (2012) but Mr. Palmer has a much exciting story to tell. If you are a fan of psychological thrillers, I highly recommend My Wife is Missing!

My Wife is Missing is available in hardcover, eBook and audiobook.

Michael Hart returns to his New York City hotel room with a pizza, to discover his wife, Natalie, and his two children missing. His son's abandoned teddy bear in the hallway makes him fear his family was kidnapped but the police soon disabuse him of that notion. Natalie is on the run with his children, and Michael fears if his full background story is known, the police will turn to him with suspicion.

Meanwhile, Natalie has been suffering from insomnia for months, and the lack of sleep makes her paranoid, but is she delusional? She questions whether she can trust herself and what she thinks she sees.

This story moves very quickly. Layers of the story are peeled back, like an onion, and we gradually learn more about Michael and Natalie's backstory. I found the reveals very interesting and this story kept me turning the pages. The author managed to surprise me at the end with an unexpected reveal.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and author D.J. Palmer for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

A Family Vacation Turns into a Nightmare

Michael and Natalie are having marital problems. She thinks he’s having an affair. He’s worried about her because of her severe insomnia. They see a counselor who suggests they go away together to reconnect. Michael is eager, but Natalie has a different idea. Why not take the children? They’d love New York City, and it would give them a chance to enjoy family time.

When they arrive at the hotel, Natalie sends Michael out for pizza because they’re all tired. When he returns the family and their suitcases are gone. Frantic, he looks for them. Suspecting foul play, he contacts the police, but it appears Natalie left of her own accord. Now Michael is frantic to find her and starts on a cross country road trip with a detective who drops hints about Michael’s past.

The story is fast paced, the plot interesting, and twist at the end unexpected. These are all good points, but there are other aspects that keep the book from being outstanding. The characters are not easy to relate to. Natalie seems completely out of control at times making bad decisions and having hallucinations and delusions. Michael is easier to like, but he is hidden behind his concern for his past.

The book is a bit long, but if you like psychological thrillers, you may enjoy it.

I received this book from St. Martin’s Press for this review.

MY WIFE IS MISSING by D. J. Palmer is a twisty and gripping domestic suspense novel that kept me flipping the pages from beginning to end. Natalie and Michael Hart plan a trip to New York City with their two children, Addie and Bryce. Michael hopes that this time away will help with their strained marriage. Natalie has been struggling with severe insomnia and it is affecting every aspect of her life. The extreme lack of sleep is causing her to have delusions and the stress is causing her work to suffer, too. The family vacation quickly becomes a nightmare when Michael returns to their hotel room with pizza and finds Natalie and the children and all their belongings missing. He fears they have been kidnapped until video surveillance shows they left willingly. Why would Natalie leave him and take the children? He doesn’t know that Natalie has uncovered secrets and lies from Michael’s past that have her on the run. So begins a thrilling cat and mouse game with twists and turns around every corner. Told from Natalie’s and Michael’s points of view and going between before and after the disappearance, the reader is taken on a wild ride leading up to the shocking conclusion. I enjoyed this riveting story and highly recommend it. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read and review an early copy.

𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? I have not, but usually it's a fear when you have little ones.  The sudden panic, heart racing, thoughts all over the place of what could happen?

This was Michael when his family ventures to NYC on a much need vacation. He leaves to grab a pizza, comes back, and his family is nowhere to be found.  At this point, I'm telling him call the police, call family, go looking, find a cop on the street, do something or all of the above. When I tell you everyone was suspect for me in this one-Michael, Natalie, Audrey, Tina, and the Dectective Kennett. I questioned every single event or thing that happened from the beginning; however, I must say I called it and was right about part of my theory. The twists that happens in this was mouth opening for sure.

𝑴𝒚 𝑾𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 is told from dual timelines and POVs, so it was literally putting pieces to the puzzle together while reading! I will say that the beginning was a little slow for me. Very different from his other fast-paced books I've read. I felt that the first half did seem drawn out a bit, but once I hit one of the twists, my mind was racing and all over the place, questioning trying to piece everything from the beginning together.

You know I can't tell you too much on the story so that I don't give you spoilery, but I will leave with this quote....

"love could be a twisted person's reason for murder, a punishment for rejection."

This is my 3rd book read by DJ Palmer, and I am not mad about how the story unfolded. He is definitely an auto read for me!

4.5 / 5 stars, rounding up here on NetGalley

THOUGHTS: So good! I loved the premise and the alternating POV. I also like having an unreliable narrator. This one kept me turning the pages, I wanted to find out the ending as quickly as possible. I did figure out one of the twists, I kept saying to myself “_____ is it!” and it went that way. There were other twists though, and I was truly shocked. I will definitely read this author again.

OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I finished the new book My Wife Is Missing by D. J. Palmer last night as I was trying to wind down for sleep. My mind kept whirling for a while after I shut the light off. What a brilliant book this is. I haven’t read anything quite like this one in a long time.

This book is so believably twisty! I loved every second of it. A husband and his wife take their two children to New York City for a vacation. They are so excited to share their special city with their children. While Michael is out picking up pizza for dinner the first night, Natalie packs up the children and they make a run for safety. Michael comes back to an empty hotel room with only his luggage left behind. He immediately thinks someone has abducted his family. Police are called and a look at the security cameras tell them that Natalie has left with the children of her own free will. Why?

There are several factors working here. One is that Natalie has been suffering from insomnia and she also thinks Michael has been having an affair. She has started to have visions and delusions. Has she imagined things or are they real? You have to read this book to find out. There is so much to this story that I want to tell you but, I can’t! That would be giving away all the fun stuff. It is really more fun to discover all of the ins and outs of this story on your own.

I have truly enjoyed the other books I’ve read by this author but, this one is simply genius. My mind went in so many directions and yet I did not see a lot of it happening. I was surprised and I am sure you will be too. This book is not predictable at all. Just the opposite. So many times I thought I knew what was coming only to be blindsided with reality.

If you like Psychological Suspense at it’s fnest or Domestic Thrillers, then this is a must read! D. J. Palmer is brilliant! I haven’t read all of his books but, this has to be his best to date. I started my blog on April 3, 2020 and The New Husband by D. J. Palmer was my very first review on my blog Phyllis Jones Pisanelli Reviews.

I recieved a complimentary copy of this book from the author, #Netgalley, and #St.MartinsPress. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Michael and Natalie Hart, plus their two children, son Bryce, 6, and daughter Addison, 10, are staying in a hotel in New York for a few days for a little vacation. Natalie has not been doing well lately and is unable to sleep. Michael has gone out to get pizza for them to eat in the room. When he returns, his family is gone.

Thinking someone may have taken them, he searches the hotel but when the hotel cameras show Natalie and the children leaving willingly, he realizes she has left him and taken the children. Why would she do that?

Natalie is afraid of Michael and is sure he has done something very bad. She fears for her life and the lives of her children.

Michael is determined to find them snd pairs up with a police detective who appears to have some free time and just wants to help him. Thus, the race is on. Will she escape or will Michael find them?

This is a tightly wound story that makes both parents appear to be guilty of murder, but are they? I kept going back and forth thinking that one or the other was guilty and ended up being shocked at the end. It’s a bit long and could probably have been edited more, but then the author couldn’t have made the reader dither back and forth about who the killer is. An interesting book that I believe readers will enjoy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Natalie Hart has disabling insomnia, and too many sleepless nights have left her exhausted and anxious. Her handsome husband, Michael, seems to be a devoted spouse and loving dad who dotes on their two adorable children, ten-year-old Addie and six-year-old Bryce. Unfortunately, the Harts' marriage is deteriorating. Nat suspects that Michael has been cheating on her, and she is tired of his secrets and lies. Furthermore, after finding the body of a murdered acquaintance, she decides–-for their own safety—to take her son and daughter to a place where Michael will not find them.

In "My Wife is Missing," D. J. Palmer offers Michael and Nat's perspectives in alternating chapters and, in a series of flashbacks, the author traces the history of their relationship. Most of the action is devoted to Michael's search and Nat's desperate attempt to keep Addie and Bryce calm during their journey. Michael believes that Nat's sleep-deprivation is warping her judgment, while Nat thinks that if Michael were to track her down, he might try to harm her.

Although Palmer attempts to mislead us with numerous red herrings, most readers will soon realize that there are hidden layers in this tale of infidelity, betrayal, and murder. It is too bad that the characters are so thinly drawn. Their behavior is irrational and impulsive (for example, Nat drives for hours with her children in the back seat of their rental car while her eyes are closing from fatigue), and the conclusion, in which Palmer bends over backwards to surprise us, is so contrived that it borders on the outlandish. "My Wife is Missing" is a disappointing novel that lacks cohesion and plausibility.