Nina and Simon dated in high school and stayed together when he went away to college. After a weekend away together, Simon returns home without Nina, saying that she broke up with him, so he left her alone at his parents' cabin. But Nina's family knows that she would never disappear and suspects that there is more to Simon's story that he is telling them.

This mystery is part missing person's search, part family drama, and part police procedural. It feels very ripped from the headlines (in a good way) and even though it's revealed what happened to Nina slowly, it felt very fast paced and readable. I also loved the ending. If you like true crime-based mysteries, this one is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

What Happened to Nina was an incredibly gripping novel! From the first few pages, I was hooked into the mystery, the titular "What happened to Nina?" The book starts off with Nina's perspective as the prologue, before jumping between her parents' perspectives, her sister's, the parents of her boyfriend, and one of the detectives on the case. All perspectives were unique and necessary to get a full picture of the story, although I will say that Andy's (her father) could've used a bit more work. He has a regional dialect accent, and because he's the only one to have it, it would constantly throw me off to see things like "we wasn't" and I had to keep reminding myself that it was a purposeful grammatical error. It's a natural fault of the first person perspective, but because he was the only character that had that, it stood out, in a not so positive way.

That small negative quirk aside, I have nothing but positive feelings about this book. As a mother myself, the agony of Nina's mother living in the limbo of not knowing what happened to her daughter was soul-crushing and beautifully written. I, too, would presumably float around like a ghost, looking, but not being able to engage in anything. The not-knowing is the worse, as I've heard it described in all related true crime, and it was smartly captured throughout this novel.

Even her boyfriend and his parents were written believably, and with such depth that I felt sympathetic towards them, regardless of the doubt cast upon his story of not being involved in her disappearance. The detective's point of view was valuable in giving direct, concrete information to the reader, without the bias that the other characters involved would've had.

Thrillers can often be hit or miss by relying too much on plot twists, or insane behaviors of the characters involved, but this one really hit a sweet spot of having characters make sensible (or at least understandable) decisions, keeping the suspense going throughout the entire novel from the start to finish, and being unpredictable. Speaking of which, the ending was a banger through and through. I finished the book and had to take a deep breath just to recover from reading those last few lines.

Highly recommend for anyone interested in mysteries, thrillers, crime fiction, or all around suspenseful novels with well-written characters.

Many thanks to Net Galley for the advance reading copy of this fascinating eBook. This review may contain spoilers.

I think I would recommend this both to people who regularly read mystery-thrillers and people interested in reading more of them. I think the strongest element of this book is the depth of the characters and the unique storytelling balanced with a story that is, unfortunately, as old as the concept of true crime itself. The weakest is the opening, which didn’t line up with the quality of the rest of the book. I wish that the first 25% of the book were more cleanly edited and succinct in the way the end of the book is—this is one of the few times where the end has seemed more polished than the beginning of a book, at least to me. I think I would recommend this both to people who regularly read mystery-thrillers and people interested in reading more of them.

The narrative was very well-layered and put together with a lot of intention; you can tell the author knew the details of the story they were telling and wasn’t just making things up on the fly. Conflict was well-established and built up effectively, and pacing was consistently quick, but not really overrushed. I was surprised at certain story beats happening so quickly in the narrative, but the question of who did it and how isn’t the real driving force here: the actual question at the core of the narrative is which family will come out on top in the battle for their children. Characterization was incredibly potent and consistent, with each character feeling very distinct and easy to differentiate from. A lot of the cast wasn’t necessarily likeable, but they were memorable and compelling enough to make up for that. There wasn’t a whole lot of visual or sensory description, which made instances where it was utilized all the more impactful, especially in the scenes where Nina, and eventually Nina’s corpse, gets described.

The writing style was consistent, narratively appropriate, and very strong. For the most part, I don’t think over-/under-writing are an issue in this book, save for in the prologue, which may be rectified in the final copy; for example, the lobster-pot metaphor speaks for itself; the further explanation of what it means was unnecessary. Syntax was coherent, building relatively straightforward, linear sentences. While spelling and grammar were for the most part adequate, there were some things that brought me out of it, like putting a space in chainsaw (“chain saw”). Phrasing was clear and consistent, if not occasionally a little repetitive—lots of sentences starting with “Also,”—but, ultimately, it evens out by the end of the book. Dialogue was occasionally kind of sloppy, but not too detrimental overall.

Shifts in point of view are made clear chapter to chapter, and very well-done. I was genuinely impressed at how well the author was able to juggle so many different character points of view, especially while maintaining a solid sense of voice for each character. The fact that the two characters we don’t really get perspective from are Nina and Simon (save for the prologue, which, frankly, I think people could skip or save until the end to get a better reading experience) was interesting and a cool way to play with a different perspective on this kind of story. I thought the use of first person for the family members, but third person for the police officer’s chapters, was very clever; as a result, the point of view and depth of perspective all felt very natural and appropriate.

One thing that did give me pause was the very random insertion of a man harrassing the Frasers having Borderline Personality Disorder; it felt irrelevant and stigmatizing, especially since the character had little screentime or influence on the plot. The specification of diagnosis was unnecessary. Similarly, I could’ve done without the use of “slow” as a pejorative, which I’ve discussed the ableist origins of in other reviews before and won’t rehash here, which occurred a couple of times, but otherwise the language used wasn’t inappropriate or offensive.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I like Dervla McTiernan novels and this one is by far my favorite! It is a well written tale of a family trying to figure out what happened to their daughter, Nina, who has disappeared. One weekend Nina and Simon go off rock climbing but only Simon comes home. Where is Nina? What happened to her? Simon's family is wealthy and begins a campaign to ensure that Simon survives the accusations and media circus while Nina's parents are busy trying to get help from the community and Simon's family in locating Nina.

I was amazed that the 5 or 6 different narrators did not take away from the story but really helped build up the plot. The gut wrenching anguish of the parents of both Nina and Simon was palpable. This is a very well written story and I loved the ending!

Highly recommend!

Dervla McTiernan is an auto-read for me and "What Happened to Nina?" has continued that reputation.

Different from most thrillers, I never thought I'd be so engrossed in a book where I knew from the beginning a character wasn't coming home. McTiernan's work, highlighting the plight of existing in the court of public opinion, has the reader asking themselves, How far would you go to protect your child?

Nina and Simon, struggling through a long-distance relationship at different colleges, decide to vacation to Simon's family's vacation home to reconnect, but when Nina never comes home her family and friends are asking #WhatHappenedToNina. Simon, and his affluent parents are immediately on the defensive (and offensive) refusing to let this situation ruin the life of their adult son.

I stayed up much too late NEEDING to know how this one was going to end. When the lives of two families are forever altered, will anyone be held accountable for their actions?

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the oppurtunity to read this wonderful book in exchange for an honest review.

This fictionalized version of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie, renamed to Nina and Simon, focuses on the fallout to the young couple’s parents. This is a rare true crime thriller that doesn’t focus on who the murderer is – Simon is clearly a villain through and through – but instead on grief, how far parents will go to protect their children, and the power of public opinion. Disturbing and fast-paced entertainment for those who like Alex Finlay or Lisa Unger.

I don’t recall reading anything by Dervla McTiernan, but I will probably check out some of her other books after spending much of the past couple of days engrossed in her novel What Happened to Nina? – which grabbed me from the start. Thanks to William Morrow and NetGalley, I received a copy in exchange for this honest review.

My husband and I have somewhat of a debate about books with multiple POVs and/or non-linear plots. He pretty much hates both, and I am less bothered by either than I am by books with a gazillion VERY SHORT chapters. This particular story has multiple viewpoints, all of which are characters who are central to the plot: Nina and her boyfriend Simon, her parents Andy and Leanne, his wealthy parents Rory and Jamie, and Detective Wright.

I admit I was less than 2% into the book when a HUGE red flag started waving: Nina and her boyfriend, together as friends since childhood and lovers since their mid-teens, have gone away to different colleges, and he gets VERY intense, wanting to know her every move, even to the point of expecting her to FaceTime him, then mute her phone and take it with her to classes, or prop the phone up next to her so he can – I don’t know, spy on her? Monitor her every move? It just creeped me out.

The couple goes to his family’s “cabin” in Stowe, Vermont, for a weekend getaway to go hiking, climbing, and just hanging out, but only Simon returns from the trip. Nina’s parents get busy pushing the police for hep and answers, while Simon’s parents hire PR people and expensive attorneys to manage the media campaign that they initiate to protect their son. The media frenzy that ensues brings a small army of “armchair investigators” to their small town, and soon conspiracy theories and accusations are flying. Reminiscent of the hoopla around the disappearance of Gabby Petito, the book provides a look at what happens to real people who get caught up in a real-life true crime drama. The characters are well developed, and I particuarly liked Jamie, likely because I related to her view that “Security and comfort are very, very attractive when you’ve never had either.”

TBH, I read this a couple of weeks ago, and I had already forgotten many of the details, but the feeling I had reading it remains vivid in my mind. As someone who tends to consume a lot of “crime entertainment,” I can easily get lost in stories in both the true crime and the mystery/thriller genres, and I tend to appreciate what I think of as “faction” – novels based on real people/events. This one shouts Gabby Petito from the get-go, and readers will likely find themselves thinking “GET AWAY FROM HIM – NOW!!!” Maybe it’s not literature, but it sure is entertainment. Four stars.

Dervla McTiernan has another winner. This is a very plot driven book and the action keeps this moving. Fast paced, suspenseful and feels like a completely real situation, What Happened to Nina could be ripped from the headlines. The inclusion of social media added to the realism. A very enjoyable read.

Wow! This book was incredible! It had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. It is told from several points of view and I loved seeing the story from them all. It was perfect for the story. The characters felt real and you could feel their emotions. There were several twists and turns that I did not see coming. This is the first book I have read from Dervla McTiernan, but I look forward to reading more from her.

Publication date: March 26 2024


Many thanks to Netgalley and William Morrow for the digital arc.

Nina and Simon are seemingly a happy couple. They decide to vacation at his family's cabin in Vermont. However, he returns without Nina and a vague explanation. Both sets of parents are stunned. Simon's parents use their wealth and power to protect him. Nina's parents, less affluent or powerful are struggling to find where their daughter might be. The two families become antagonistic in a short time. Social media interferes with the case. Arm chair detectives try to solve the mystery. Trolls harass Nina's family. The police seem less than skilled during the investigation. Who will solve the mystery of Nina's disappearance? This book will keep you turning the pages until its stunning twist of an ending. Another winner of a novel from Dervla McTiernan you don't want to miss.

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow Books for my chance to read the novel prior to publication.

I am of two minds about this book.

Here’s what I liked a lot:

This book reads really really fast. It is interesting from the beginning and hold up that interest all the way through. The pacing is good here.

I also really like the premise. I followed the Gabby Petito story closely and I felt like there were a lot of interesting pieces of that case. And this book handles those pieces really well. Because we get so many different points of view, we get to see what’s going on not just with the police but with Nina‘s family and also her boyfriend Simon‘s family. Those different points of view bring you into the story in a really interesting way.

Also, like the Gabby Petito case, we get a look into how amateur sleuths and the Internet come to play in any missing person‘s case that happens at this point. And, here, we see that it can both be incredibly helpful but also incredibly distracting. It can take up a lot of resources that don’t end up panning out.

I also was interested the whole time and how closely the author was going to hew to the actual real life story of what happened to Gabby.

But, I have a problem with the book and that is namely that it is not very well written. This book is all plot. The writing is clumsy and clunky a lot of the time. The different points of view also go back-and-forth between in first and third person and I found that to be really clunky. It kept taking me out of the story. Well there was some real emotion happening that you could feel on the part of the parents, the kludgy writing just kept making me want to roll my eyes instead of give my full heart.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

4.5 hearts

What Happened to Nina? was an absorbing read which had me emotionally connected from the start. Nina and Simon go to his parent's vacation home near Stowe to do hiking and climbing. They have dated since high school and now are in college. They are both active, experienced outdoorspeople. Simon comes home early without Nina.

There are many points of view here, even a brief prologue of Nina. They include Leanne (Nina's mother), Jamie (Simon's mother), Matthew (the state police detective), Andy (Nina's father), Rory (Simon's father), Grace (Nina's sister). These thoughts and perspectives give us plenty of information and emotions with the hunt for Nina.

Simon and his family are wealthy but not very likable. They aren't very helpful to Nina's family and in fact, start with social media stories to muddy the water to protect Simon. But it puts more pressure and attention on Nina's family.

The detective really was trying to do a good job. He has trouble with Simon's family not cooperating, and because they are wealthy, others protect them a bit also. But gradually he is able to get information and warrants to provide more evidence.

There are some infuriating moments and shocking twists. The emotional ride has quite a range. I loved reading and highly recommend this one!

Sigh. What Happened To Nina?

Honestly, this story is a bit of a mess. All of the characters are unlikeable, and really you should be able to like the parents of a missing woman- but you just don’t. The dad is too passive, the mom is a crazy person that’s insinuated to have deep, dark secrets that never really come to the surface.

And that in and of itself is the problem with What Happened To Nina. There’s a lot of holes opened up that are never closed off, and really in the end- we’re still left with What Happened To Nina?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Readers will want to put aside a few hours when starting Australian crime writer Dervla McTiernan’s engrossing, taunt new release. The details of this mystery take a back seat to the power of social media and the longstanding effects it can have on true crime cases and those close to the tragedy.

One morning, Nina and Simon, high school sweethearts who come from very different upbringings, decide to go rock climbing. When Simon returns home and Nina doesn’t, all signs point to the boyfriend. And it doesn’t help that his alibi is a little less-than-believable. However, Simon’s parents would do anything to protect their son, hiring a PR firm to flood the internet with fake news about Nina’s parents and stories of Nina and Simon’s “perfect couplehood.” While “What Happened to Nina?” isn’t what one would expect to find in a typical thriller, McTiernan’s character-driven story building and exceptional emotional execution leave readers with more to think about than a conventional novel in the genre.

DAMN that ending though!
This is not just your basic thriller - this is based on the Gabby Petito story from a few years ago, so the “mystery” of what happened to Nina is laid out pretty early in the book. the book focuses more on the parents of Nina and her boyfriend who is accused of killing her, and the depths both groups of parents will go to protect their kids. McTiernan writes with such conviction for the parents, and each one has a few real gut-wrenching, raw scenes that make you really feel for these characters and the grief and stress the case is putting them through.
if you liked books like <i>Playing Nice </i> or <i>Defending Jacob</i> this one is a great and emotional addition.

This was another excellent book from Dervla McTiernan. I loved all the different viewpoints - Nina's parents, Andy and Leanne, Simon's parents, Rory and Jamie and Detective Wright. The behavior of both sets of parents was very realistic. It was very suspenseful and had a great ending. Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.

Nina and Simon are young adults and appear to have a solid relationship. But after they break-up and Nina disappears, questions start to arise about how perfect a couple they actually were.

What Happens to Nina? takes us through Nina's disappearance, the search for her, and the way different people from her life perceive and respond to the circumstances. The story is told from multiple people's perspectives, mainly Nina and Simon's parents and the lead detective investigating the case.

The author did a good job of keeping the feeling of suspense and tension throughout the story, as well as maintaining hope that Nina will be found. It held my attention and kept me turning the pages all the way through.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy. When Nina goes missing you are taken into the families as they cope with the fear and uncertainty. The story is told from the perspective of each of Nina’s parents and the parents of Simon, Nina’s boyfriend and the last person known to have seen her. You also hear from the lead detective, Matthew Wright. It makes you feel just what it could be like for families dealing with the a situation like this and what they are willing to do to protect each other and get to the truth. The suspense is heightened by the constant presence of the press, the trolling on the internet, and the feeling that nothing the police do can be done fast enough. What happened to Nina is a really good read.

Thank you @williammorrowbooks and @netgalley for this advance copy. True crime enthusiasts - this one is for you! This is a fictional account of a missing girl, but told from the POVs of her parents, her boyfriend’s parents, and the detective. The story unfolds like a true crime documentary and we see how far these parents are willing to go in the name of their children. McTiernan also highlights how social media and online conspiracy theories impact the investigation and the people involved. I really enjoyed this one!

I was so excited to see this book available to request as I am a huge fan of the author's Cormac Reilly series. This book was such a fun read and the pacing kept you going throughout. Simon and Nina are high school sweethearts who stay together long distance once they go to college. Everything appears to be great, though they appear to come from very different upbringings, until one weekend Simon and Nina go to his family's cabin in Stowe for a small getaway and only Simon returns leaving those around them to ask, what happened to Nina? The families want to know what happens but find themselves at odds with everything going on in the media.

It definitely felt like something we've possibly seen happen in real life and kept the thriller mood going for me. This was such a fun and fast read and will definitely recommend it to others who enjoy thrillers and crime novels!

Thank you NetGalley and William Marrow books for the ARC!