I own many of this author's books, but I have always stopped myself from reading them for some reason. Maybe it's the hype. When a book or an author have so much hype around them, I tend to get let down. What was I thinking? After reading this one, I need to go back and read the backlog of French's books that are in my possession.

I don't even know what to say about this book. Those poor children. Between their mother disappearing and their father's indifference to just everything around him, I found myself entrenched in this family saga.

I think what really made this book so good was the format of the telling of the story. It bobbed and weaved from time period to time period so seamlessly, I can't see it having been told any other way.

And, really, that ending? I kind of saw it coming, but I didn't see it coming. It's one of those endings where you're afraid to know the truth because you know you'll never be the same after.

French, actually a husband and wife team who write together, has penned a long (544 pages), suspenseful and immersive read in this latest novel. It definitely kept me coming back on a regular basis to find out what happened.

Here is a domestic drama that is filled with suspense in its portrait of two families and the impact that Charlotte’s disappearance had in the past and also in the present day. What happened to Charlotte? Each of her four children has a take on her. Husband Alec, whose decade birthday she missed, initially seemed dismissive of her absence while Elizabeth/Etty (a daughter) was very worried.

Around the same time that Charlotte is missing in the past storyline, a body is found in a river. Is this death related to the disappearance of Charlotte? Readers will want to know.

The story moves forward thirty years when A LOT happens. There are secrets, murder, podcasts and a case that will challenge Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor. She is a terrific character and readers will hope that she gets a sequel.

Recommended for fans of domestic drama and crime stories.

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this title. All opinions are my own.

Twisty turny but with characters to root for. Would love to read more from this detective main character.

A complex mystery spanning multiple generations. A wife and mother goes missing from her husband’s 50th birthday party and is never to be seen again. Years later, old wounds are reopened when to podcasters investigate. What unfolds is shocking with a lot of secrets coming to light and families torn apart. For fans of Kate Morton.

The heart of this novel lies in the Salter siblings and the profound impact their mother's unsolved disappearance has on their lives. The narrative oscillates between two timelines: 1990, when the disappearance initially occurred, and 2022, when the case is reexamined through a podcast delving into the mysterious events and their aftermath.
Among the characters, Etty stands out. We first encounter her as a fifteen-year-old girl struggling with the uncertainty of her mother's fate. Later, we meet her again as a sardonic middle-aged lawyer, still bearing the scars of her past. This dual perspective on Etty's life is compelling, highlighting her development and resilience.
The novel is torn between two genres: the family saga of the Salter family and the detective narrative investigating the disappearance. While both aspects are intriguing, it’s my opinion that the story might have benefited from a deeper focus on literary fiction, exploring the emotional and psychological effects of the tragedy on the Salter siblings.
Though the ending ties up the plot neatly, it lacks the impactful payoff I had anticipated. Several intriguing loose ends remain unexplored, which could have offered a more satisfying and thought-provoking conclusion.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an E-arc in exchange for an honest review!

This will likely appeal to thriller readers, and it was fine. I had a lot of trouble connecting to any of the characters and I felt that the three parts of the book were so different in tone that they made the narrative disjointed. I subsequently learned that Nicci French is actually a husband and wife writing team--maybe they wrote the parts separately and then put them together? I felt they did not mesh well. I also did not love the resolution. I get frustrated when there is no way for me to have figured something out on my own, and I felt that's what happened here. There were also so many loose ends... 2 stars for me, but YMMV.

A decent book. Such a sad story. It you are looking for something to read, go for it. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Nicci French writes with authority and hidden clues. The characters are vivid and believable. I thought I knew who the killer was but couldn't figure out how it was done. I was wrong about both things. Good plot that never have anything away.

Really good! My first by French. An interesting approach, three parts in two timelines. The first in 1990 which resonated with my inner 19yo; the second in 2022; and the third (also 2022) that tied the two together. A decades long family drama spawn from deception and murder. The twists French took were great and the true story was hidden from me. Recommend!

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Nicci French

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and William Morrow and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: On the day of Alec Salter’s fiftieth birthday party, just before Christmas 1990, his wife Charlotte vanishes. Most of the small English village of Glensted is at the party for hours before anyone realizes Charlotte is missing. While Alec brushes off her disappearance, their four children—especially fifteen-year-old Etty—grow increasingly anxious as the cold winter hours become days and she doesn’t return. When Charlotte’s coat is found by the river, they fear the worst. Then the body of the Salters’ neighbor, Duncan Ackerley, is found floating in the river by his son Morgan and Etty. The police investigate and conclude that Duncan and Charlotte were having an affair before he killed her and committed suicide. Thirty years later, Morgan Ackerley, a successful documentarian, has returned to Glensted with his older brother Greg to make podcast based on their shared tragedy with the Salters. Alec, stricken with dementia, is entering an elder care facility while Etty helps put his affairs in order. But as the Ackerleys ask to interview the Salters, the entire town gets caught up in the unresolved cases. Allegations are made, secrets are revealed, and a suspicious fire leads to a murder. With the podcast making national news, London sends Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor to Glensted to take over the investigation. Resented by her mostly male colleagues, she has no tolerance for either their sexism or their incompetence. And she will stop at nothing to uncover the truth as a new and terrifying picture of what really happened to Charlotte Salter and Duncan Ackerley emerges.

My Thoughts: This is the first book in the Maud O’Connor series. We get a sneak peek at Detective O’Connor in this atmospheric psychological thriller. The story opens up in 1990 with a birthday party for Alec Salter. It is soon discovered that his wife has gone missing. Etty becomes more and more anxious on where her mother has gone. First Charlotte’s coat is found by the river and soon thereafter, the Salters’ neighbor, Duncan Ackerley is found floating in the river. Fast forward 30 years, Alec has dementia and the children have returned home to get him placed in a home and settle the house affairs. Morgan Ackerley and his brother has returned to Glensted to do a podcast on the disappearance. As things begin to heat up, London sends Detective O’Connor down to take over the investigation, she is a woman detective that is highly resented by almost every male colleague. Will she finally get to the bottom of what happened 30 years ago?

This story is told in three parts: 1990, 2022, and Part 3 doesn’t have a title. The initial police investigation was lack luster, it was shut before they really ever investigated, which infuriated Etty. She knew her mother and knew her mother was not capable of the presumptions of the investigation. When secrets start to bubble to the top and another tragedy strikes that makes it too much of a coincidence for it to not be related. The first two parts went slow but the third part was fast-paced, could’t put down. French does an amazing job at describing a beautiful woman who would do anything for her children. Etty struggles the most with her mother’s disappearance. I can understand her anger, her grief, and her snarky attitude. I think my favorite character was Detective O’Connor, I loved her no nonsense approach to not taking any crap by the male colleagues. I was pulled into her aurora. The characters were well developed with depth, mystery, secretive, and creatively curated, setting up a brilliant detective going into the next book. The author’s writing style was complex, twisty, unpredictable, thought-provoking, soul reaching, and just brilliant.

This atmospheric psychological thriller has everything you want. It was compelling, captivating, twisty, gripping, unpredictable, and kept you on the edge of your seat. In French typical fashion, the plot was built in twisty layers enriching the unpredictability. This is not my first French book and I always throughly enjoy anything I read by the writing duo. Nicci French is a pen name for a husband and wife writing team that writes incredible heart wrenching narrative where families have someone missing that really shakes me to my core, right through my soul. i highly recommend picking this book up!

I just reviewed Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French.
Absolutely brilliant!! Starts as a bit of a slow burn, but I was totally hooked about 30% in. Some of the chapters were very sad, but worth the heartache. I hope we have more of DI Maud in the pipeline!! Thank you NetGalley for the complimentary ebook

Nicci French books are hit or miss for me, but this was a hit! Read at Christmastime, and the mystery starts then as well. Interesting and quite the page-turner.

This book was told in 3 sections and it was so detailed and kept me reading to find out what exactly happened. I enjoyed that it finished everything up and answered all questions at the end. Charlotte Salter goes missing on the day of her husband's 50th birthday party right before Christmas. Her poor kids are left wondering what happened and why their mother abandoned them. Etty is a strong female character and if it weren't for her they would have never found out the shocking truth of what happened.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. The storyline in this book follows a podcast. It is a trope that has been overdone in recent books but this was well done. The story was suspenseful and interesting.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? She was supposed to be at her husbands birthday party but never showed up….

What your favorite show right now?

Told in a dual timeline.

1990- Wife and mother Charlotte Slater doesn’t turn up to her husband’s 50th birthday party.
People of the small town East Anglia have gathered to celebrate Alec Saltzer's 50th birthday, this his four children: three sons and a daughter, but his wife Charlotte never shows up.
When the body of a close friend and neighbour, Duncan Ackerley, is found a few days after Charlotte’s disappearance the police conclude this is a murder/suicide and close the case. The only remaining question is where is Charlotte or her body?
Her vanishing marks the beginning of a series of tragic events that haunts the lives of both families and the town for over three decades.
Thirty years later, the children of Charlotte Salter and Duncan Ackerley arrive back in the small town. The Salter children have returned to help their father Alec move into a care home he suffering from dementia, and the Ackerley boys are back to make a podcast, they hope to clear their father’s name and find out what really did happen to Charlotte Salter? They never believed their father as a murderer and that he committed suicide. As the Ackerley brothers begin to investigate and make their podcast, their investigation uncovers a Pandora's box of intertwined lives, and dark secrets of their small town.
An outsider detective arrives in their town, soon bringing the potential of a possible closure and answers that have eluded both families for decades, will she be able to figure out what happened to Charlotte?

Thnk you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed this one very much and can definately see this one as a movie. I was very surprised by the ended.

Great book Nicci French!

Thank you NetGalley for ARC. This story is told in 3 parts about a remarkable women names Charlotte Salter who goes missing. This book left my heart pounding and had me guessing until the very end.

I just finished reading Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French and I would highly recommend! This is the first book I have read by this author and I am now a fan! I am looking forward to more of her titles.

Sometimes I feel like mysteries are too bloated, and this was one. I tend to prefer shorter books in the genre, maybe because I like to read them lo at once?

A gripping family drama unfolds as Charlotte Salter disappears on her husband's birthday, leaving her children shattered. Three decades later, the brothers delve into the mystery, igniting a podcast to uncover the truth. The intricate plot, filled with red herrings, kept me guessing until the surprising conclusion. Good reading experience, while Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor's character intrigued me for potential future stories. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the advance copies.