I could not put this book down. I read all three in the series back to back because they were absolutely amazing.

Grisly dark crimes are happening on the gothic atmospheric asylum retreat and it will send you on edge. Who will be murdered next?

Oh Lisa Childs, what have you done to me!

This book is absolutely fantastic and will have your eyes wide open and glued to the page. I don't think I blinked once.

Pure thrill!

The Missing not only had a plot to devour but the writing style blew me away. The writing was fluid and each chapter built and prepared you for the next. I was captivated with the characters and felt personally connected to them. There were so many twists that I felt as though once I caught my breath it was instantly being taken away again.

This book right here is a sure to be bestseller, but then again, this is Lisa Childs we are talking about and I would not expect anything less.

Here is a little teaser :

Drawn to the former Bainesworth Manor in the wake of a murder, reporter Edie Stone wants answers. It’s been over forty years since the psychiatric hospital on Bane Island shut down, and the mystery of women vanishing there remains unsolved. But the exclusive retreat isn’t just protected by the dark pine forests and crashing waves of Maine’s rocky coast—it’s surrounded with silence. Everyone on the island is keeping secrets.

Especially Dr. Elijah Cooke, grandson of the man who headed Bainesworth Manor and the psychiatrist-proprietor of a new wellness resort on the same premises. His desire to help people seems at war with his fierce loyalty to his family. He’s sure the world is out to get him. And as the accidents and coincidences pile up, Edie becomes convinced someone is trying to kill them both. But if she’s close enough to be a threat, she must be close to the truth

It took me a while to understand what was going on. But once you start realizing what is happening, the reading just flows.

"The Missing" by Lisa Childs is a gripping and expertly crafted mystery novel that will keep you guessing until the very end. The author's writing style is both captivating and suspenseful, and the plot is filled with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The characters are well-developed and dynamic, making it easy to become fully invested in the story. The pacing is spot on, and the resolution is both satisfying and surprising. I highly recommend this book to all fans of mystery and crime fiction. It deserves a five-star rating for its thrilling and well-executed storytelling.

Once known as Bainesworth Manor, the psychiatric hospital on Bane Island shut down amidst a cloud of suspicion as women vanished and rumors of questionable practices swirled. Decades later, it has reopened as Halcyon Hall, an exclusive resort on the Maine coast. But murder has arrived on its doorstep once again.

Investigative reporter Edie Stone wants answers — both to what happened forty years ago and in the present day — and she’s determined to start with Dr. Elijah Cooke the new proprietor and the grandson of the former owner. She soon discovers that the hall’s secrets are almost as impenetrable as its walls. But when someone tries to kill her, Edie realizes she’s closer to the truth than she realizes.

Atmospheric, suspenseful, and gripping, Lisa Childs’ The Missing hooked me from the first page. For that matter, I devoured all three Bane Island Novels within a month and have suffered from withdrawal ever since. I desperately want to go back to that world and its characters.

The isolated spa and island delivered the perfect backdrop for a gothic mystery. The author masterfully created a setting as beautiful as it was dangerous, evoking in me a sense of being just as cut off from the world as the island and its inhabitants were from mainland in the dead of winter.

Each installment in the series has its own protagonists and mystery to solve, but it does contain on overarching thread. I would recommend reading all of them, and in sequence, to fully grasp the characters and story.

I especially loved the characters, the gothic setting, and the writing. My one concern is that I have seen it described as a trilogy, which would make this book the final chapter. If that is the case, too many threads and questions remain unresolved. As is, The Missing reads like a great installment within a series but not as a satisfying conclusion. I really hope this is not the end.

DNF @30%

My first DNF of the year. 😞 Even though I apparently read the previous book in this series (can't remember a single thing about it), I spent a good portion of the 30% I read of this one, just confused. Too many characters, too many mentions of previous books. Can't love them all, right?

**ARC Via NetGalley**

THE MISSING By Lisa Childs

Edie Stone is drawn to the former Bainesworth Manor that is now a wellness resort run by Dr. Elijah Cooke who is the grandson of the Man who had headed the Manor that was once a psychiatric hospital.

😊What i liked -

✔ Thriller/Locked Room Mystery.
✔ I liked Edie's character, she has a sad and complicated past that makes her want to search for the truth.
✔ I liked the banter between Edie and Evelyn. It added a bit of humour in a somewhat tense setting.
✔ The chemistry between Elijah and Edie was well written.

🤔What could have been better -

✔ I was quite a bit lost with connecting the dots with the characters and story. (but i guess that can be because i have not read the first two parts in the series)
✔ There were times the story just fell flat after a super high twist.


📚Who Should read :

👶Beginners
🕵Thriller Lovers

📈My Rating : 2.5/5

P.S- as i wrote above i jumped into the series with the third book, that's why experience may have not been good. That being said i am so going to go and start with the first book in the series soon.(Fingers Crossed)


Thank you, Lisa Childs and Kensington Books for a copy

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

Third in the Bane Island series, The Missing follows the happenings at Bainesworth Manor after the events of The Hunted and The Runaway. The Missing shifts the focus to reporter Edie Stone who is determined to crack the mystery of what happened at the manor all those years ago.

These books are interesting, a mashup of romance and thriller genres. The setting is creepy - Bane Island is isolated, especially when the weather turns, which is often. The secrets are revealed slowly, with more mystery layered in for books four through thirty eight. Childs can keep this going for a long time. This one took place over about a week (if I remember correctly the first two had longer time spans).

My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

When a reporter sets out to find out the truth about missing women, their babies, and the mystery of Bainsworth Manor, will it cost her, her life? Can the handsome doctor save her?

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

THE MISSING A Bane Island Novel #3 By Lisa Childs
This is such an addictive read. I received this as an arc and didn't realize it was the last of a trio. I read a couple of pages and decided it would be a mistake to not read the first two books and am I glad I did! I could not put any of the three books down.
This one highlights Dr. Elijah Cooke he is the psychiatrist and one of the three owners of the Hall, and Edie Stone, she is the reporter that is doing everything she can to investigate the old Bainesworth Manor which was a psychiatric/insane asylum is now Halcyon Hall the luxury resort.
It isn't long before Edie is threatened and barely escaping from multiple tries on her life. As much as Elijah doesn't want to be, he is very drawn to Edie.
This story is so very well written, fraught with emotion, murder, suspense, intrigue, has a gothic feel to it with plenty of twists and turns. I am looking forward to discovering more of Ms. Childs work. This is definitely a 5 star read.

The first two pages of this story are a MASSIVE info dump of characters and places and truly it was super confusing. From that point on, I didn’t know who anyone was. Are you referring to the sheriff’s daughter or the popstar staying at the hotel? I truly still don’t know. I read these pages like 3 times to grasp it and was just confused. With that being said, this was a good story. I love haunted abandoned places so that really appealed to me. I love the entire character of the reporter and was so excited what she would find out. But in the end, this one dragged for me because I had to read it slow due to my confusion. Since I was reading slowly, I felt like it was taking forever and I got bored with it (it’s really not that long of a story). Now this is the third of a trilogy so truly its on me for not working my way through them in chronological order, that’s probably why I felt it was so info dumpy and confusing. I really wish I knew it was a trilogy before starting but clearly I didn’t do my research on this one and that’s on me.

This review has been added to Goodreads, Literal and Storygraph, as well as Barnes & Noble and Amazon. This will be posted to my instagram (@busywithmybooks_) within the week.

Thank you for allowing me to listen to this story!!

This was a great read. It kept me on the edge of my seat! Loved it. I did not want to put it down so I read it in a day! Highly recommend.

Unfortunately, I didn't connect with this one as I should have, not realizing it was #3 in a series. I will have to go back and read the others.

#netgalleyarc I really enjoy this author but I wish I had realized it’s #3 in a series before I read the book, The author does a decent job of filling you in with the backstory but I always felt like I was missing something. Overall this was a great thriller/mystery that really kept my attention. Now I’ll have to find the other titles and add them to my TBR.

BOOK REVIEW: The Missing by Lisa Childs
Series: Bane Island Trilogy | Book 3
2022 Publication Date: October 25

⭐️⭐️

CONNECT WITH A BOOK | T.I.M.E. SIMPLE LIVING TIP
When things are going from bad to worse, sometimes it is best to just leave...

T.I.M.E. BOOK REVIEW:
This is a cumulative series… Unfortunately, I jumped into this series with Book 3 — which I am certain influenced my reading experience and T.I.M.E. Book Review Rating.

I struggled to gain my footing with the characters and story since I had not read the first two books in the series... That's on me...

So, I highly recommend starting with Book 1 for an optimal reading experience.

Lisa Childs is a well-reviewed author (as well as this particular series) and popular amongst thriller book fans. I feel confident you will be in good hands...

As for me, I fully intend to follow that plan in the future and look forward to giving Lisa another go beginning with Book 1 of her next series... ✨😎✨

Pages: 320
Genre: Thriller
Sub-Genre: Locked Room Mystery
T.I.M.E. Jalapeno Rating:️ 🌶 (Mild Spicy)
Time Period: Present Day
Location: Maine (US)

IF YOU LIKE THIS BOOK THEN TRY…
Book: The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
Movie: And Then There Were None

PUBLISHER BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Laden with Gothic atmosphere, Halcyon Hall, a former insane asylum-turned-luxury resort on a remote island off the coast of Maine, becomes the setting for a rash of grisly crimes…

Drawn to the former Bainesworth Manor in the wake of a murder, reporter Edie Stone wants answers. It’s been over forty years since the psychiatric hospital on Bane Island shut down, and the mystery of women vanishing there remains unsolved. But the exclusive retreat isn’t just protected by the dark pine forests and crashing waves of Maine’s rocky coast — it’s surrounded with silence.  Everyone on the island is keeping secrets.

Especially Dr. Elijah Cooke, grandson of the man who headed Bainesworth Manor and the psychiatrist-proprietor of a new wellness resort on the same premises. His desire to help people seems at war with his fierce loyalty to his family. He’s sure the world is out to get him. And as the accidents and coincidences pile up, Edie becomes convinced someone is trying to kill them both. But if she’s close enough to be a threat, she must be close to the truth...

--------------------

All my book reviews can be seen at This Is My Everybody | Simple Living | Denise Wilbanks at thisismyeverybody.com/blog/what-book-should-i-read

♡ Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

This book was an interesting mix of situations and people. Some of the characters didn't honestly turn out to be the people I expected. Overall, I thought the mystery was a good one, but there is another book in this series, so it ends with some unanswered questions.

The sexual tension/attraction scenes didn't pan out all that well for me. I honestly just felt it could have been done a good bit better. and the fact that three different people plus who knows how many more were the murderers--it was a bit too much. But having said it was still a reasonably good story.

The Missing is the third book in the Bane Island Trilogy. This was not a stand alone read. I felt lost having not read the prior two books. There are many references to the previous but not enough for me to feel connected to the present book.

Reporter Edie Stone has been investigating women who have vanished from Bainesworth Manor a former psychiatric hospital now Halcyon Hall a spa and a wellness retreat. She is also investigating the present-day murder of Erica Korlinsky with owner Elijah Cooke at Halcyon Hall

In spite of this being the third book of the trilogy, I felt the ending alluded to another book to follow which left me hanging. I am not a fan of cliff hanger endings. The ending just didn't feel complete especially if this is a trilogy.

A very creepy story about a former asylum on a remote island in Maine. Though it is now known as a “wellness” center, it still has a dark history to overcome. But, can it?????
Secrets, murder, lies and romance.
Overall, a ok read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.