okay this one started off so so strong & then ultimately fell victim to the “let’s wrap everything up in five chapters or less” syndrome 😅

I was so into the initial plot of people disappearing while hiking yosemite & the SAR (search and rescue) team has to figure out what happened to them before it’s too late!! the FMC has her own secrets that she wants to keep hidden - from what really happened last time someone went missing to why she’s running away from home 😳😳😳

however, the answer to those questions was such a let-down for me. the “secret” that she desperately wanted to keep from her last SAR mission was her own guilt the entire time (even though she didn’t do anything wrong) ….

and that ending? I loved the chase of it all the most, so when the final reveal came, it was a complete letdown for me. it seemed to have come out of left field and wasn’t hinted or led up to at all, which confused me more than anything.

I think this falls victim to “I’ve read too many thrillers in my life and now have seen it all” - which yes, is a personal problem LOL 😅 if you’re new to the thriller genre, I’d definitely recommend it!

thank you to netgalley and atria books for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!!

rating: 3 stars
wine pairing: columbia valley pinot noir

Phew. In typical Catherine McKenzie style, Have You Seen Her was packed full of deeply hidden secrets, unexpected twists, and ever increasing tension. Starting with an explosive opening chapter that threw a grenade into the plot right from the get-go, I was uncertain how such a dramatic introduction could leave much hidden. But, boy, was I wrong as the storyline managed to deftly hide plenty until the altogether riveting climax.

Unfortunately, here’s where the teeny, tiny flaw came to light. After a thoroughly epic twist, the conclusion left me wanting. Not even remotely wrapped up, my only hope is that McKenzie is planning to follow up this book with a sequel as there is THAT much that was left hanging unresolved. Then again, the lack of a decisive bow on a storyline is my own personal pet peeve, so I’ll leave it up to you to decide how irritating this ending may be.

Now back to what I loved! Complete with truly outstanding female characters, I easily became wrapped up in their lives. From the fearful Cassie who starts to rediscover her confidence to the innocent and wide-eyed Petal, they were craftily created. Genuine and well-developed, I felt like I could picture them in real life. Even the setting felt fully-fleshed out, giving the ultimate environment for a psychological thriller.

Then there was the format. Told in dual timelines of then and now, I was kept on the back foot trying to work out how the two were going to meet. Even better, however, McKenzie worked in a smattering of journal entries, Instagram posts, and news articles. Taken as a whole, this one took me on quite the ride, with suspense gradually rising throughout.

Full of hairpin turns that revealed one surprise after another, I just could not get enough of this one. I know I should expect this from anything McKenzie writes, but, for some reason, I’m always surprised by how truly special they are. And this one was no different. Ultimately, I cannot rave about it enough and strongly recommend pre-ordering this puppy now! Rating of 4.5 stars.

Trigger warning: spousal abuse, being lost in the wilderness, controlling relationship, infidelity

Cassie Peters abandons her life in New York with just a bag of belongings and a burner phone as she sets off for her hometown of Mammoth Lakes, CA. Just as she had a decade ago, she takes a position with the Yosemite Search and Rescue that doesn’t carry the best of memories for her. Throughout the summer she meets Petal, a beautiful young woman who journals life in the park and Jade, an Instagram obsessed college grad on a cross-country road trip with her boyfriend.

Have You Seen Her is a fast paced yet, slow burn, eerie thriller set in a national park. The national park setting was perfect and played into the suspense; always waiting for something to happen in the wilderness. The story is told via Cassie and entries from Petal’s notebook which was an interesting concept and well executed; both characters I found were unreliable which kept things pretty exciting. The final twist and its big reveal? Brilliant, I didn’t see it coming and loved it.


Huge thank you to Netgalley and Atria books for this ARC.

Release date: 6/27/2023

Have You Seen Her follows Cassie Peters as she leaves her life behind and returns to her past, as a search and rescue worker in Yosemite National Park. Over the summer, she becomes familiar with campers and hikers staying in the park, and their paths continue to cross as Cassie tries to forget about what she's running from. When two hikers go missing, it brings up questions and suspicions about other people staying in the park, as well as similarities to a rescue mission Cassie was part of years prior.

This book took me quite a while to really get into, but the second half really picked up as more action started happening. It was definitely a slow burn of a story for me, which is not my favorite, but I'm glad I stuck with it, as I really got hooked by the end. I definitely did not predict how the story would play out, and I think it's a pretty unique story. I liked how it all came together in the end.

3 / 5 stars.

This was my second book from Catherine and I think I preferred Please Join Us over this one. It took me a bit to get through Have You Seen Her and I just found myself bored through about 80% of it. It picked up in the last 20% when the twist was uncovered, but by that time I just wasn't super invested anymore in it.

If you enjoy hiking and being in the woods you may enjoy this, but I felt it needed a little more excitement than just describing Cassie's time on the SAR team and the trails she hiked.

Thank you Atria Books and author Catherine McKenzie for the granted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Cassie, who grew up in Mammoth Lake, CA, rejoins her SAR team in Yosemite after being gone for so long. Ten years ago, she left the team and CA altogether after a friend of hers passed away tragically after missing for quite some time in the national park. Now Cassie returns to escape her marriage in NY, but it seems like no matter how she tries to forget her past, those horrific stories keep reminding her that there is no getting away from it. Not only that, the new circle that she is becoming a part of is creating a story that gets connected to her haunting past.

For the most part, I went in blindly when I requested for this ARC. What caught my attention? My two favorite things: suspense/mystery genre, with its setting being in Yosemite, one of my favorite national parks. This book is a slow burn with its pacing, where it kept me wondering how this is all going to come together and find out what is really going on. I was not expecting at all the twist and I like how the author kept the mystery, as each character's nature show its obscurity. Just when I thought the character is reliable, it isn't...and then some! I definitely enjoyed reading what the SAR teams do, I love hiking and used to backpack a lot, even dreamed of becoming a ranger (wishful thinking!); and it makes me appreciate those teams that day in and day out they help out and rescue people who get injured, lost, or have gone missing on the trail. The ending was very interesting, glad it was left it the way it was.

Have You Seen Her will be out on June 27th!

This seems like the type of book that would be right up my alley - hiking, thriller, nature, it hits all my favourite things. But something just didn’t feel right about this one the whole way through. It was hard to keep my interest, which is never a good thing for a thriller. It seems like I’m in the minority on that opinion, though!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Cassie Peters leaves her busy life behind in Manhattan to join the search and rescue team at Yosemite National park. Cassie is literally running from her life, which haunts her. Will her past resurface or will she be able to start anew? A twisty mystery that will have you questioning are people who they say they really are?

This fast-paced book will have you turning the pages as the secrets are revealed. With all the unexpected twists and turns, this book will keep you guessing until the end. A great book to pick for your book club as it will lead to many great discussions!

Thanks to Atria Books, I was provided an ARC of Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cassie has ditched her life in New York, including her cell phone, and headed back home to work at Yosemite search and rescue. Petal is traveling with her girlfriend and keeping a journal of the goings on at the park. Jada is using the airstream to travel the country with her boyfriend, and showing off every step of the way on her instagram. When these three women weirdly connect things get out of hand…

This one kept me on edge from the start. we start with Cassie running from her past, and it was clear there was a distinct reason she wants to leave. I enjoyed reading about the ins and outs of search and rescue, and of course loved when things started to get crazy. I certainly did not guess the twists, though I did figure out a few things along the way. Overall I really enjoyed this book!

This story is told in two timelines, 'the past' and 'now.' Cassie is a search and rescue worker in both times, in the present having recently returned to the job after moving away. She's in Yosemite, where hikers have started to go missing, and despite desperately searching the SAR team hasn't been able to find them. The missing women bring up past traumas for Cassie, who is hiding a dark past.

This story just never really did it for me. It's fine, I'm not saying it's BAD, but I'm also not saying i found it that GOOD. The storylines felt somewhat forced. Still, it's a solid read and looking at the other reviews it seems like I'm in the minority.

Thank you netgalley and Atria books for giving me an advanced review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Have You Seen Her – Catherine McKenzie

Star rating – 3.75

Thank you NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie, and Atria Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The book had a ton of moving parts, but the story was weaved together masterfully. The characters were so well written that I felt like I genuinely knew them only to be tricked as the story unfolded. Everyone in this book has a story, and everyone has a secret. I could not figure out this book. None of my guesses about the ending were correct. The book didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat, but it did entertain me. There was always so much going on in every chapter, but I felt it was easy to follow. This book has so many features I liked: unreliable narrators, mixed media (Instagram posts, diary entries, news articles, and YouTube comments), and a woman on the run. Overall, I definitely recommend this book. This is the second book I have read by this author, and she didn’t disappoint me.

Synopsis:
Cassie “disappears” and leaves her husband and her entire life behind, only to end up back in her home town, and working at search and rescue at Yosemite National Park the same job she had in her early 20s. While working here, she meets two young women, and now all their lives are intertwining.

first, i would like to share my deepest appreciation to netgalley & atria books for giving me the opportunity to read a copy of "have you seen her"! this is my first mckenzie book and i enjoyed reading it! however, i will rate it 3.5 ⭐, but will round to 3 ⭐!

i love a good mystery thriller with twists and turns, but the setting for the book was different for me. the setting was set in the wilderness/park/woods, which i love the outdoorsy and nature environment. however though, i would describe mckenzie's writing to be very slow-paced for my liking. i found myself putting down my kindle for hours until i got back to the next chapter, but i still wanted to finish the book nonetheless. for instance, if you told me what happened in the first 50% of the book, i would not have been able to tell you since it was fluff information but it was important fluff! i would say that i was half-corrrect by the twists because i was like ranking the characters on whether they were part of the twist, but i did not know what they did, but i was shocked lol! it was a fun read but the instagram posts, diary entries, and the content itself all in one chapter was a bit confusing. the chapter titles though, a1 chapter names...i wish more authors incorporated unique chapter names to their books/novels. i knew there was a taylor swift reference in the book by the chapter title! the ending was a bit confusing as i found myself asking questions on what the author meant, but i think reading it will make more sense. 🥾🏞️🏕🧗🚵⛰

overall, the book is more plot-driven than character-driven. that was when i wished that mckenzie could've focused more on the characters instead of the plot itself, or maybe focused on both! i also liked how mckenzie had a bit of a true crime-esque style to her writing and how she incorporated important issues into the book! i cannot complain about the book, but there was not the spark factor that i was looking for when reading a mystery-thriller book. 🏞️🧗🏽🚵

thank you netgalley and atria books for the electronic advanced readers copy and catherine mckenzie for writing a great book! "have you seen her" will be published on june 27th, 2023! 🗻🏜️🌏

In this story we follow Cassie, who runs away from her husband and life in New York to go back to her past and work for Search & Rescue in Yosemite National Park. Ten years ago Cassie aided in a rescue of her missing friend, which ended terribly and now another girl has gone missing in the park. Can Cassie stay hidden from her husband? Does she have the strength to aid in another missing person search? Is this linked to her friend ten years ago? What if another girl then goes missing….

I really enjoyed this book and found it to be an easy and quick read. I loved the setting and it was so neat to learn about the Search & Rescue team. The big twist had me shocked!! I enjoyed the social media aspect as well as the journal entries, as it allowed for more POVs. Overall, excellent thriller with multiple mysteries to be solved.


Thank you to @netgalley & @atriabooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a very slow burn. Despite the pacing, I was completely invested in Cassie’s story. I enjoyed the multiple POVs, and I thought that the multi-media (blogs, journal entries, Instagram posts) added entertaining variation to the story. My favorite part of the book was the Yosemite National Park setting and the Search and Rescue Team scenes. I don’t know a whole lot about the outdoors, but McKenzie’s writing was so descriptive I was easily able to imagine Cassie’s surroundings. I struggled to keep track of the dual "Then" and "Now" timeline, but overall I enjoyed this book!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this ARC!

I just love wilderness thrillers and this one was set in areas that I am familiar with which made it all the more interesting to me. Mammoth Lake, Lee Vining, and Yosemite are front and center in a game of cat and mouse hidden inside a missing person(s) story. Also, the new surge of thrillers featuring influencers has been tapped within Have You Seen Her as well. Two of my favs in one book.
When Cassie Peters returns to her old stomping grounds as a Search and Rescue (SAR) seasonal worker, unaddressed trauma from a couple of friends that went missing in her past continues to trouble her in her search for yet another missing couple.
There are nods to the problems associated with humans interreacting with wildlife, the physical toll it takes on a person to be involved in a SAR, and climate change. All these are real issues that play well into the plotline.
The story itself will keep you captivated as nothing is as it seems. All the characters have secrets and not everyone will make it out alive.
For what it's worth...I love a dark ending.

Thank you to Atria Books for access to an early copy. All opinions are my own.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie, and Atria Books for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

When it comes to Catherine McKenzie, I would not call myself an expert, but a fan of her work. McKenzie knows how to spin a tale and keep the reader in the middle of it all, injecting current trends whenever she can. This piece is no different, in that it takes the protagonist in a journey into her past, while peppering the story with some modern twists and provides the reader with a smorgasbord of events upon which to feast. Things flowed well and kept me connected as I made my through it. A definite winner for those who love McKenzie’s work.

Cassie Peters is ready to leave the hectic nature of her New York City life behind her and return to her roots, in a way. With a new job and basic phone in her pocket, Cassie returns to Mammoth Lakes, California and a life she has missed. Working Search and Rescue within Yosemite National Park, Cassie reconnects with other seasonal workers as she remembers an event that haunted her years ago.

Cassie is soon swept up in the summertime drama of her colleagues and finds herself feeling young again. She encounters Petal, a youth who lives in a trailer with an older partner. Petal has been keeping a meticulous diary of events within the park, which proves to be great reading. Cassie also finds Jada, a young and hip woman who has begun a cross-country adventure with her boyfriend and wants it all on social media for the world to see.

During that fateful summer, Cassie crosses paths with these two women and the past comes crashing into the present, where horrors and memories rule them all. As the story unfolds, Cassie will have to come to terms with the past, while Petal and Jada hold keys to helping her and the ability to trigger her even more. This is sure to be one summer job that Cassie will never forget. A stunning thriller that will keep readers up and guessing well into the night. Catherine McKenzie at her best!

For those who have not read Catherine McKenzie’s work before, this may be a great starting point. A strong standalone novel, McKenzie offers up a solid narrative foundation to guide the reader along the way. The story branches off at various points, but stays true to its core and the narrative leads the reader along the intended path. Decent characters provide some interesting flavouring to a piece that is full of moments of suspense. Plot twists emerge and kept me wanting to know more, even when things were developing in front of me. Mckenzie’s use of ‘modern spins on the fiction novel’ proves somewhat effective, though I am more a traditionalist than trying to cobble together perspectives through Instagram posts. All the same, it added a unique spin on things and enriched the final product. Catherine McKenzie is one to watch and I am happy to have read many of her books to date.

Kudos, Madam McKenzie, for a great thriller that is sure to impress many.

Catherine McKenzie is an auto-read author for me. I devour her books in no time at all, and I’m always eager for the next one. Have You Seen Her is an interesting read with characters who have secrets. Part of the fun in reading it is that we, the readers, don’t know what those secrets are. However, while the mystery of the story kept me plowing on, it wasn’t quite as exciting or shocking as previous novels by the author. There is a great twist towards the end, but I can’t help but think it’s a bit deceiving to the reader based on how it all plays out. Still, I would recommend this book to others. It held my attention, it was written wonderfully and with rich atmosphere, and the last 15% was pretty unputdownable.

3.5 stars.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Expected Publication Date: 6/27/23.

Cassie is running from New York and finds herself in her hometown, Mammoth Lakes, California. Safe from her previous life, she settles into life around Yosemite. She encounters two more women who have troubles of their own. Cassie didn't realize how being back home would turn up old feelings and memories. She can't stop thinking about her past life here in Yosemite and hopes her New York life is never uncovered.
Have You Seen Her by Catherine McKenzie is a suspenseful read that keeps you guessing what is going to happen next. I will admit, I didn't see the ending coming. The back and forth from past to present had me very confused. I had a hard time following this story line and had to re-read chapters to get where I was. I liked the setting in Yosemite. McKenzie did her research there and has me wanting to visit! I have read a few of McKenzie's past work and I enjoyed them. While I did enjoy this book at the end, I spent a lot of time confused. Special thanks to NetGalley, Catherine McKenzie, and Atria Books for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 3.5 stars

Don’t miss out on this amazing read this summer! It’s got a perfect setting for a person or two to get lost in, suspense, and elements of a classic whodunit.

Cassie Peters has something to hide as she flees her prestigious life in New York City for Yosemite, joining back up with the SAR Team. Ten years ago she was here when a local couple went missing and it’s haunted her ever since.

Jada and Jim have been travelling across the country and ended up in Yosemite, itching for that challenge and adventure and documenting it all on Instagram. Petal and her much older partner Sandy are not too far from Yosemite, and she’s befriended by Jada, keeping a detailed account of the goings ons in the park.

When Jada and Jim go missing is it possible that history is repeating itself? Is it a coincidence that Cassie is here at the same time another well known couple has disappeared into the woods? What drove Cassie to return to the place that’s haunted her for years?

Check trigger warnings prior to reading! (DV, Domestic Abuse, Missing Persons, Death)

Thank you so much Netgalley, Catherine McKenzie and Atria book for the privilege to enjoy reading the gripping thriller of "Have you seen her" by Catherine McKenzie. This book stood out with a intriguing title and beautiful vibrant cover.

This book intertwines the lives of three women: Cassie, Jade and Pearl in the beautiful location of Yosemite Park in California. Cassie is the narrator of the book, recently reemployed as a search and Rescue (SAR ) employee hoping to escape and restart her life. But, can her past truly be left behind? Jade is obsessed with social media documenting her trip through Instagram post scattered throughout the novel and Pearl is a girl discovering her self through journal entries.
I really enjoyed how each character had their different ways to express themselves throught the book. I thought that was a clever way to decipher the differnt women. I felt the beginning of the book was slightly hard to grasp but once I started turning the pages and getting into the later chapters it had me wanting to know what would happen next. I was shockingly surprised about the ending of the book and definitely did not see that outcome. Also it was interesting to learn about hiking a different topic that I personally don't know anything about.

I was truly so excited to be selected for this opportunity as my first book of this beloved author and now I can't wait to read another book by her. REMEBER to MARK your calender on June 27,2023, readers will be able to purchase this twisted thriller. Thank you again Netgalley, Atria Books and Catherine McKenzie for my advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review :)