While on a family vacation, Michael discovers that his wife, Natalie, and their two children are missing. He is distraught as he frantically searches for them. But, there are secrets!

As the story unfolds in two different time periods, now and before, there are hints that there is more to Michael than has been revealed. And, is Natalie’s insomnia making her paranoid or is there something to fear?

This is one of those books that took a while to resonate with me. If I were a quitter, I might have put the book down as I initially didn’t connect with or feel any empathy for any of the characters and thought Natalie’s ruminations a bit tiresome.

Around 60% through the book, though, that changed and the story totally engaged me. There are twists, turns, surprises, and secrets unveiled.

Michael and Natalie Hart take off to NYC for a vacation with their kids. While Michael is out grabbing a pizza for dinner, Nat and the kids disappear, with only a teddy bear left behind. Is it a clue into their disappearance? Where did they go? Were they kidnapped? Who else knew they were in NYC?

Michael tries everything he can to track down his missing family. As Michael tries to find them, he learns that some of his secrets are also coming to light. Soon he will have to face his past in hopes of moving forward.

This is one of DJ Palmer's better novels. I really enjoyed this book, and it read incredibly fast. I had theories throughout the book about what was going on with Nat, what Michael's secrets were, and how the book would resolve. While I did guess very early on the "who-dun-it" part, I did not guess the reason why, and I was surprised. There were also a couple other twists that I didn't expect, and they also were pretty surprising.

4 stars, recommended to anyone who has read and enjoyed another DJ Palmer novel before, or who likes fast-paced thrillers.

My Wife is Missing read like three different books to me, the beginning was a bit slow- took awhile to hook me and I didn’t necessarily want to pick it back up, but then the middle got so good: I loved the middle and was so invested, compulsively reading, then I felt like the end just kept twisting every which way in an attempt to be so unpredictable but 2 or 3 times i thought it was over and it wasn’t. I didn’t love the ending, honestly.

Overall, I liked this book, but didn’t love it. And that’s okay we can’t love everything. I will definitely read more from this author though.

Published: May 10, 2022
St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 337
Genre: Thriller
KKECReads Rating: 5/5
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.

D.J. PALMER is the author of numerous critically acclaimed suspense novels. He received his master’s degree from Boston University, and after a career in e-commerce, he shifted gears to writing full time. He lives by the ocean in Massachusetts, where he is working on his current novel. Besides writing, DJ enjoys yoga, songwriting, and family time with his two children and his ever-faithful dog.

“And with that, the game got a whole lot more dangerous.”

Michael has a secret, one he has tried very hard to protect. His wife, Natalie, has had severe insomnia, doing her act differently. When Natalie and their children disappear while on vacation, Michael knows he’s racing the clock before something terrible happens- the truth comes to light.

Not since Gone Girl (by Gillian Flynn) have I read a novel that has delivered so many twists that I did not see coming. You will never see what is coming, despite the clues being left along the way.

I loved the imagery, themes, characters, and pacing of this novel. It was all so beautifully curated. The depth of the planning was done brilliantly, and the ending took my breath away.

The characters were well done, and their story arcs were so well played. Michael was such a complex character, and I spent so much of the book trying to decide whether I liked him. Natalie, and her insomnia, were delivered beautifully. You almost feel her slowly descending into madness and turning back at the last moment.

This was a story within a story, within a story. The twists turned, and revelations were terrifyingly shocking. Just when I thought I had, it figured out- surprise! The plot twisted and left me with whiplash.

Palmer did not hold back. This novel plays on your emotions. It tickles your mind and keeps you riveted. I could not put this book down. It starts out at a ten and maintains that level of intensity until the very end.

My Wife is Missing by DJ Palmer is a fast paced thriller which will have you saying, "just one more chapter,' as you find yourself unable to put this book down. This is my first book by DJ Palmer but it won't be the last.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Meet Teddy.
This blue-ribboned bear is the first indication that something is awry in D.J. Palmer's My Wife Is Missing.
Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my gifted copy for review!
Michael, his wife Natalie and their two children have just checked in to a New York hotel, seemingly excited for the vacation ahead. Michael steps out to pick up supper and returns to an empty room.
His wife, son and daughter have vanished.
As is the case with thrillers, all is not as it seems.
Natalie has suffered for months with insomnia, which has become severe enough to render her unreliable and at risk of delusions. Michael's recent behaviors may be at the foundation of the sleep disturbance.
My Wife Is Missing unfolds slowly for the first half, bobbing between Natalie's and Michael's stories, before and after her disappearance. The pacing put me off until the second half when the twists and action hit hard.
For me, this book read like there were many different ideas that didn't quite mesh. The ending though, caught me quite by surprise.
Fans of the author will find this a thrill ride!
For release on May 10.

Michael, his wife Natalie, and their two young children are finally going on a family vacation together to New York City. It seems like it's going to be a wonderful trip...until Michael returns to the hotel from picking up pizza on their first night in town and finds Natalie and the kids missing. What Michael initially assumes must be a kidnapping (family-napping?) quickly appears to be something very different - it seems that Natalie and the children left the hotel willingly. Michael immediately assumes that Natalie's insomnia has resulted in irrational thinking and possible delusions. After all, she's been accusing him of an affair for months...but that can't be why she left...so what could she possibly be thinking?

Told in alternating timelines, this thriller is fast-paced and keeps you wondering where the next twist will take you. I enjoyed this read, but not as much as Palmer's previous book, The Perfect Daughter. I found myself easily frustrated with Natalie and her choices - which given her sleep deprivation, clearly weren't always well thought-out. There were definitely some reveals that I didn't see coming. If you like thrillers - you'll enjoy this one.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
"My Wife Is Missing" by D.J. Palmer
was a complicated, suspenseful & addictive thriller.
Twist after twist had me racing through this book to see how it would end.
I was wrong everytime & I never had any clue as to the final ending.
I can't wait to read what Mr. Palmer writes next.

Michael Hart has taken his family to New York City for vacation. But when he returns to their hotel room on the first night after picking up pizza, they are gone. Trying to find out where they have gone, and why, uncovers more secrets and lies than Michael expected.

I really enjoyed this book. I thought I knew what the story was going to be going in, but I was glad to find out I wasn't entirely correct. This kept me guessing and listening as I got closer and closer to the end. I found this to be a fast-paced, emotional story that was well written.

Thank you to NetGalley and McMillan Audio for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Available May 10, 2022.

I received an ARC of this book. Wow! This story held me captive until the very end. Each time I thought I knew what was going on and who to believe a new twist would appear. A thrilling roller-coaster of a story!

This is my first book from D.J. Palmer and I can’t wait to read more. He knows how to grab your attention from the beginning. It’s a rollercoaster of emotions filled with twists and turns. Buckle up for the wild ride.

Insomnia. A Family Vacation. Secrets. Missing.

Natalie and Michael Hart had a perfect marriage once upon a time. But now, Natalie suffers from Insomnia and Michael has his secrets. There is a wedge between them, and they decide to go away together. But Natalie decides that a family vacation like the perfect time for them to reconnect. That is until Michael goes out to get food and comes back to their hotel, to find his wife and children missing.

Naturally he is worried and begins to look for them...

There is a lot going on in this book. Of course, I couldn't help but think, 'Seriously, what cop goes on a road trip with you?' Why would you allow this? Even if you have secrets, come on! So, be ready to throw some things out the window such as believability and just go with it.

Even though there were some things that I thought would never happen, I enjoyed this one. I overlooked somethings and chalked this book up as a guilty pleasure. There are quite a few twists and turns along the way. The book jumps around a little and it kept me on my toes. I had my theories and felt I had things figured out and I was wrong! I liked not knowing who I could trust or what was going to happen next.

I had both the book and the audio book and was able to go back and forth between the two. I enjoyed the narrator and thought she did a fantastic job with the voices. So much so that I preferred the audiobook over the kindle version.


Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Loved this book by D.J. Palmer. I have read all of Palmer’s books and love them all although this might be my favorite. This is a twisty ride that keeps you guessing. I read it in one sitting. I couldn’t tear away from it. So intense!

This was a twisty domestic thriller that kept me guessing from the start to the end! Told in multiple POVs from a husband and a wife and in a dual timeline narrative. The story starts with a husband coming back from an errand to find his wife and kids missing. We slowly learn what happened and why. Full of secrets, lies, infidelity and murder, this book has it all and will leave your head spinning with a great shocking twist at the end. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advance review copy!

Michael Hart, his wife Natalie and their two children Bryce and Addison take a trip to New York to see the sights. Michael goes out to get pizza and when he returns his wife and children are missing. With all the cameras in place today, it does not take long for him and the police to come to the conclusion that they willingly left on their own. It soon becomes a game of cat and mouse as Michael and Detective Amos Kennett try to track Natalie and the kids down. This book is exciting, suspenseful and full of surprises. I really enjoyed it and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The only thing I did not like about it was the drawn out insomnia complaint of Natalie and the much mentioned secret that Michael was hiding.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very exciting book.

I've read and loved D.J. Palmer's previous books, especially The Perfect Daughter, so I was excited by My Wife is Missing....but it, unfortunately, missed the mark after starting off with a bang.

Natalie is missing with Addie and Bryce, their two kids, and Michael is desperate to find his wife and children. Were they kidnapped? Or did she run away with the kids? And if so, what made her leave? Nat has been fighting terrible insomnia that has caused her mood to change, her to act differently, and she's just not herself because of the anxiety from not sleeping--could she have snapped? The story is a roller coaster as it begins with Nat and the kids' disappearance and dark secrets unfold that portray Michael in a not so flattering light. The two POVs tell the story from the past to the present and both POVs are incredibly unreliable narrators as well as incredibly unlikeable, which was part of the problem I had with the book. I couldn't connect with either character or find myself caring about them by the halfway point in the book. Sure, it was a thriller with drama, secrets, lies, and some great twists (and some not so great), but it took way too long and was so repetitive with her insomnia. We get it already, we really do!

I know that I'm an outlier with not loving it and I DID enjoy it just not as much as I had hoped to. I still am a huge fan of the author and encourage you to check this one out for yourself.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

-Review posted to Goodreads and Twitter on 4/28/22 and on Amazon and B&N on publication

I really wanted to love this book, but that wasn't the case. First of all, the pace was too slow for the genre, and I found that I didn't really like, or connect with, the characters. Some descriptive elements were very repetitive (such as Natalie's insomnia and the fact that Michael had a secret). A tighter edit may have helped, as some plot points were too drawn out, creating a lull in the action. I see that I'm in the minority, but this book just wasn't for me.

Overall I enjoyed this story. The narrator is great and helped me get through the slower parts. It was a quick start with a woman leaving her husband for an unknow reason. The story unfolds to figure out what that reason is. I think it went on for a lot longer than needed at times. I definitely did not see the ending coming and that ending saved it for me.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for access to this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book! I haven’t read a thriller in years and this was definitely one that makes me want to get back into the genre!

I went into this pretty much blind which I feel like is the best way. I didn’t see anything that happened coming at all!!

It was full of twists and turns and I was shocked several times throughout the book!

I will definitely read more from this author as I was very impressed with the writing! This book definitely makes me want to read more thrillers and I will for sure be reading more from this author!

Natalie, Michael, and their two kids take a little family trip to NYC. They take a family photo outside their hotel which appears to show a happy family. However, Michael goes out to get a pizza for dinner, and when he returns, his wife and children are gone.

Natalie suffers from severe insomnia and is certain Michael is having an affair, and quite possibly that he wants to kill her. Michael thinks she's losing it and feels no love in the marriage and doesn't know what to do. Then she goes on the run with the kids, he frantic to find them and the pursuit begins.

We then embark on a whirlwind ride, told through dual points of view of both Michael and Natalie.
I am not sure I particularly liked either of them, and they were both unreliable narrators. So many secrets, lies and shocking information is uncovered along the way.

I did feel that the fact that Natalie had insomnia was somewhat overstated. We got it - she has insomnia. But this book was suspenseful and their dualing points of view made me question every single thing. The ending was unpredictable and I love that!

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for allowing me an audio advance copy in exchange for an honest review!