What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan is a very strong thriller/mystery read. The book opens with 20 year old Nina narrating her current precarious personal situation with her boyfriend, Simon, and then we are left with a soul-crushing missing person mystery. Each chapter thereafter is narrated by a different character: Nina's father, Simon's mother, Nina's mother, a detective, etc. The author's depictions of each of them is believable and interesting. While the reader may not like one or more players, they are fleshed out and real. The author also spins the story out in enticing segments that poke at and support central themes. Which characters can be trusted? Who has a motive to hurt Nina? How strong is the parent/child relationship? One of the most frightening and honest parts of the novel is the role of technology and social media on the developing mystery. I highly recommend the book to those who love thrillers and mysteries. Thanks to Cindy Burnett with Thoughts from a Page, William Morrow Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy this ARC!

Inspired by the Gabby Petito story, Dervla McTiernan's standalone novel "What Happened to Nina?" is less a mystery and more a fictional story of how two different families handle the disappearance and aftermath of Nina Fraser, a twentysomething climber and outdoor enthusiast who goes missing after spending the week with her boyfriend in a Vermont cabin. The down-to-earth, middle class Fraser family scrambles to look for their daughter and deal with the onslaught of reporters and social media backlash, while the rich Jordan family hires lawyers and hides behind "no comment" responses. Secrets and revenge factor heavily into the plot.

This could have been an interesting take on the Petito/Laundrie case, but I found the writing style to be very distracting. It is very choppy and simple - not a lot of complex sentences in this book - and it is very narrative and overly descriptive with a lot of "tell" instead of "show."

I read this book in one sitting. No, I devoured it. Loved it.
It's a fictionalized adaptation of the Gaby Petito story. Nina is in a tumultuous relationship with her high school boyfriend Simon. They take off for a vacation to Stowe, Vermont to do some mountain climbing. When Nina falls in a freak rappelling accident with her boyfriend, she starts to consider it's not so much of an accident.

The rest of the story is told from the parents' point of views. Nina's parents as they frantically search for her and Simon's parents as they realize Simon's story might not be so true.

I had so much empathy for Nina's parents. I highly appreciated the story.

This book hooked me from the very beginning. Just when you think you know what is happening the ground shifts underneath you, and there is a new layer. I really wanted to like Nina's Mom and Dad, but they were not the most redeemable characters, so if you need the characters you root for to super people this might not be the book for you. However, why I didn't really like them as people I understood their actions and why they did what they did. It was a good lesson on how everyone reacts differently to trauma and we shouldn't judge each other because they do not react how we think they should react. This book is also a great commentary on being sure what you read online is accurate and not to believe everything. It was a look at what could happen to people with just a few clicks of the mouse. Overall this was great book, unlike any other I have read, and I will be recommending it to my thriller/mystery loving friends.

hard to put down and overall great read! i cant wait to reread this! from the moment i heard of this, i couldn't wait to read it and am very thankful for the opportunity to read the ARC!

A quick multi-POV novel that reminds me of the Gabby Petito case. When Nina goes missing her parents are desperate to find her. The last person to see her was her boyfriend, Simon. Armed behind money and headstrong father, Simon maintains his innocence while the days of Nina's missing go on. With points of view from Nina and Simon's parents along with the investigating officer, What Happened to Nina? is a quick paced mystery. With a prologue from Nina the reader is quick to guess what happened, but that didn't stop the pacing of the novel. I found it hard to put down.

Thank you to Harper Collins and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Quick pick reluctant reader recommendation! Read it March 26th!

What Happened to Nina?
by Dervla McTiernan
336 pages
@williammorrowbooks
will be released March 26, 2024

Content warnings: partner abuse, domestic violence, violence against women, murder

This book seemed to be inspired by the Gabby Petito case, and revealed how both the victim and perpetrator’s families reacted when Nina went “missing”. The story kept my attention even though I knew what had happened early on- though somewhat predictable in that regard, the families’ actions were not as predictable and this did have some insight into how the police follow procedures to find out the truth.
Even though I knew how this would end, it was interesting and kept me engaged. There were enough mini twists to keep me captivated.

Read this if
you follow true crime and court cases
are intrigued by investigations and police procedures
need a fast read on a rainy day or short flight
a quick pick for reluctant readers- this has appeal for the nonfiction reader who dabbles in realistic fiction

#crimethriller #truecrimereads #newbooks #arc #currentlyreading #quickpickforreluctantreaders

As desperate as I was to know what happened, I never wanted this one to end! The characters are SO enjoyable and the pace was absolute perfection! An absolute must-read no matter your favorite genre!

I received a complimentary copy of WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? by Dervla McTiernan from the publisher. Thank you to William Morrow Books!

Publication Date: 3/26/2024

WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? follows the aftermath of the relationship between the titular Nina and her boyfriend Simon. Childhood sweethearts, their relationship seems perfect until the distance of college separates them. Nina agrees to take time off from her family's business and use her holiday to spend time with Simon at his family's cabin. Simon comes home early, Nina does not.

Simon says that Nina broke up with him and planned to make her own way home. Her family is frantic for answers while Simon's family works desperately to protect him. The story rapid fire switches POV between both children's parents, Nina's sister, and the police officer tasked for getting the answers everyone needs.

I went into this book with the wrong expectations, so I didn't wind up enjoying this as much as I would have liked. It was a very easy read and the writing makes it very approachable, but I went into it expecting more mystery and intrigue. I would classify this book as more of a family drama with the disappearance of Nina at the center.

The book opens with Nina's POV and we quickly learn that things between Nina and Simon are less than ideal. No one in her immediate circle suspects... or at least they aren't willing to admit they think there's anything wrong. While we don't initially know what happened to keep Nina from coming home, the reader is quickly pointed in the right direction of what to expect and I felt like throughout the book the things that might have been reveals or twists were very heavily foreshadowed such that nothing especially surprised me. The characters are also not lovable (nor do I think they necessarily were meant to be), but I was left wanting someone to root for and didn't entirely find that.

Overall this did have some interesting discussions about the lengths parents will go to for their children and there was good representation for trauma and mental health, but it wasn't entirely a win for me. WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? is out on March 26!

Many thanks to the publisher, William Morrow Books and Cindy Burnett, Thoughts From a Page, for the advance electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! What a ride. This book gripped me from the start! It reminded me of a ripped from the headlines kind of story. It is very tense and atmospheric.

Nina and Simon have been a couple for over 4 years. They seem to be so in love. They leave on a trip to his family’s cabin in nearby Vermont. But only Simon returns and what he has to say doesn’t add up. It is a parent’s worst nightmare. A missing child.

This book examines many issues. The way social media, and the media in general can skew and even falsify situations. What would a parent do for their child? Would it be at any cost? This is a book I’ll be thinking about for some time! If you’re a fan of true crime, you’ve likely seen cases similar to this one. Gabby Petito, for example.

I raced through this one, wanting to know what would happen. It comes together a little more quickly in the end than I would have preferred, but it’s a solid suspense novel that I’d recommend.

4.25-4.5/5 stars

CW | Contains some strong profanity here and there throughout.

Chilling page-turner with echoes of a true story. Is Nina missing or just in hiding? Money and political power work to hide the truth. Can they defeat Nina’s loved ones? Well written with unexpected twists and turns.

A compelling and fast-paced thriller. I really enjoyed this and couldn’t put it down. I liked how the author focused on how the parents are affected in a missing young adult situation. Often these tales are told from the perpetrator or victim’s perspective, so it was an interesting difference to hear from the parents involved.

Thanks to the Thoughts from a Page podcast for the ARC as a Patreon perk! Thanks also to NetGalley and the publisher for my review copy.

McTiernan is such a skilled mystery writer. The Murder Rule was excellent, and this novel is as well, but in a very different way. I appreciate the ways she showed the impact of grief on every person in the story, but also the impact of social media and internet trolls on police investigations. The court of public opinion is so very dangerous and ruins the lives of every person impacted by a crime—the guilty and the innocent. I think this novel will sell very well for us.

Best book of 2024!
Show-Stopper! This book deserves more than five stars. Absolutely un-putdownable!
Anytime I stepped away, (dragged away!) from this book, it stayed with me. I could not stop thinking about it.

Nina has had the same boyfriend, Simon since high school. Growing up together, their friendship eventually grew into first love. But they are currently attending different Universities. Which makes it difficult to find time for each other.

But a weekend together suddenly turns into something sinister after only Simon returns home.

Nina’s parents are naturally frantic, wanting and hoping for answers. At the same time, Simon’s parents will do whatever it takes to protect their son.

A parent’s love for their child knows few boundaries. So how far would you go?

As the search for answers plays out in social media, the trolls surface like cockroaches. The ugliness was sickening.

Told from multiple points of view. Nina, both sets of parents, Nina’s younger sister Grace and the detectives assigned to the case.

Every character was presented with such intense depth. You could feel the gripping anguish of Nina’s parents and the stark fear of the Simon’s. The emotions were real, palpable.

I was so scared the ending would let me down but not to worry! The ending dove-tailed flawlessly!

This read will stay with me for a very long time. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow.

This was a great book… intriguing, suspenseful, engaging, and brilliant! I believe it had kind of a slow start, but after a few chapters it kicked off and never stopped… I highly recommend for an interesting, compelling read!

4.5⭐️
This is a gripping, emotional mystery/suspense. Nina and her boyfriend Simon seem like the perfect young couple. But when Nina doesn’t return from the couple’s hiking trip, the truth about their relationship comes to light. I’m not sure if it was intentional or not but the premise sounds exactly like the true crime story of Gabby Petito.

I loved how McTiernan explores the aftermath of Nina’s disappearance including the huge role of social media in public perception and the reactions of each set of parents to the tragedy. This book is gut wrenching and will make you feel all the emotions- sadness, anger, even empathy. I could not put this down because I needed to see how it all would end. And the ending does not disappoint.

This is a must read for true crime fans and those who don’t mind unlikeable characters and emotional stories.

Thank you to Cindy Burnett from Thoughts From a Page podcast, NetGalley , and William Morrow for an advanced reader’s copy.

First of all, WOW. This book sunk its teeth in me from the very first page and didn't let go until the end. Even now as I write this, I'm still reeling.

Second (and I'd be remiss not to mention it), the startling similarities between this book and the Gabby Petito case are...well, they're there. I don't want to highlight too many of the similarities or differences but it's something that immediately struck me and likely will for anyone familiar with the case.

This book had everything I want in a thriller and more. Beyond the thrills, it was a portrait of the lives of two very different families that, at the core of it all, really love their kids. Everything else that happens is a by-product of that love. And this book does answer the question of how far would you go for the ones you love?

Much as I miss the Cormac Reilly books, I'm enjoying seeing McTiernan show how well she can handle other genres. In this case, we've got more of a thriller than a mystery, since we know (at least in a general sense at first) what happened to Nina. Nina vanished after traveling to a cabin with her boyfriend Simon, and as it becomes pretty clear that Simon wasn't as sweet as some people might have thought, the reader can be pretty sure of things. But it's the four parents -- Nina's and Simon's -- who are the ones trying to figure out what happened, each set with different motives and a desire to protect their kids at all costs.

One of the things that McTiernan does really well here is have people do stupid things for good reasons. Nina's parents are grieving and desperate, so when they break into the cabin to search for evidence, or confront Simon's (very rich and powerful) parents without evidence, it's understandable. And of course, it's the actions and mistakes of all four parents (often independent of their partners) that keep the plot moving, All four of them desperately love their respective children, and are willing to do whatever it takes.

This almost feels like a Laura Lippman novel, a high complement, as the characters are all compelling, sometimes have hidden agendas (there's a subplot in which Simon's mother just assumes her super-rich husband will eventually trade her in for a younger model, so has been selling her assorted purses/shoes online to set aside money and replacing them with knockoffs), and feel real and lived-in. We also have some good local police characters (enough that there's some series potential here -- think how Harbinder Kaur has become the connective tissue for recent Ellie Griffiths books).

I've tried to avoid spoilers here, since the twists are kind of the point in a novel like this, but I really liked the denouement and ending, and would not mind seeing more in the genre from McTiernan (but at this point, I'm happy to see whatever she tries next).

Not a fan of the cover (which feels like a straight-to-Kindle thing done in five minutes), but that's not on her, obviously.

This is what I think of as a “ripped from the headlines” book where we get an alternative look and ending to a famous case like the Gabby Petito murder.


The book was pretty solid, I wish we had a little more from the murder’s mom, her selling her old clothes and stashing the money was clever but then I felt like was dropped at the end of the book. I never got a good feeling for the father.

I did notice that the victim’s mom fake watched football as an albi for her husband and then told her husband today he was watching a basketball game but that never came up.

Solid book for a quick vacation read.

Out on March 25, this fictional crime thriller reads like true crime, but in real time. Well written, the mystery is fast paced and hard to put down, I stayed up way past my bedtime to finish. There were a couple of great twisty surprises too. Not for the faint of heart, this doesn‘t shy away from the ugliness of violence. I don‘t like the cover, but everything else is satisfying. I will read more from McTiernan.