How could a baby go missing during a flight? It sounds like a plot twist straight out of a thriller—oh wait, it is! Buckle up for an exhilarating journey with "Missing in Flight" by Audrey J. Cole, where this shocking scenario unfolds at 35,000 feet. The premise had me hooked, and I couldn't wait to see how the author would bring this seemingly impossible event to life.

For those of us with kids, especially first-time moms, we know how often we question our choices. Is it really safe to leave them alone in the house for a quick trip to the car? What about leaving them in the car while I dash back to the house for a forgotten item? The juggling act can be overwhelming, especially when they’re sleeping!

When Makayla asks a fellow passenger to keep an eye on little Liam while she steps to the restroom, her only worry is about waking him and disturbing those around her. Kidnapping? That thought couldn’t be further from her mind.

This is my second adventure with Cole’s work. If you haven’t picked up one of her books yet, you're missing out.

A big thank you to the author and Thomas & Mercer for providing me with this ARC via NetGalley. As always, all opinions are entirely my own.

How far is a mother willing to go, to find her missing son mid-flight.
Missing in flight follows four characters and each one is unique and has well developed characters. Of course my favorite ones were the parents. Being able to read what they’re thinking and how they’re reacting to the revelation of the baby missing mid flight was terrifying. I was on the edge of my seat reading and trying to figure out who was behind it and out of nowhere plot twist!! Omg, it was so good! This one kept me up late reading. It was insane and I didn’t see the plot twists coming at all!!

This book gets five resounding stars from me!

Do you want a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, has unreliable narrators and has you questioning what you think you know? Well, buckle-up for this thrilling page-turner surrounding a baby that goes missing on Pacific Air flight 7038.

With the FBI investigating from the ground and the flight crew and devastated mother investigating on board, a series of assumptions divert attention from a missing baby to a potentially, desperately mistaken mother.

The pace was perfect. The vivid descriptions and heart-racing scenes played out like a movie. I completely loved this one. I’m moving this author to my “must read” list.

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer and the author, Audrey J. Cole, for an early DRC of this amazing read.

This is an excellent, fast paced thriller.
Makayla is on a flight from Anchorage to New York with her infant son Liam. She was visiting her father, and now she’s returning home to her husband Jack. During the flight, she leaves her son sleeping in a bassinet, to visit the bathroom. Upon her return, her baby is gone! No one sitting around noticed him being taken. A full force search begins for the child, to no avail.
On top of it all, there are dangerous thunder storms brewing, which threaten the safety of the plane.
I enjoyed this book for the fast paced, heart pounding action!

Thanks toNetGalley and Thomas & Mercer publishers, for the ARC and the opportunity to write my unbiased review.

This was my first Audrey J. Cole read. I was immediately hooked by the premise, though I definitely gave myself some anxiety while reading it. Whoops.

I thought it was thrilling in a slow burn sort of way. There were times where it was slow going or a little repetitive, but I needed to know what was going to happen next! The switches in settings/POV broke up some of the tension, but I also loved how it added a few more pieces to the puzzle each time. There were a few storylines that I had a hard time with. I just couldn’t see their relevance to the story.

It was an enjoyable read overall, but there were some instances in the plot that I didn’t fully love.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was fine but nothing ground-breaking. I enjoyed it well enough, but I probably won’t go out of my way to recommend it.

Audrey J. Cole’s Missing In Flight is a gripping and suspenseful thriller that taps into every parent’s deepest fear: a child disappearing during a flight. The premise alone is enough to send chills down your spine, but it’s Cole’s execution of the story—filled with tension, twists, and raw emotion—that makes it impossible to put down.

The protagonist’s journey feels authentic, even if some readers might imagine themselves reacting differently in such a harrowing situation. The mother’s determination to uncover the truth and save her child drives the narrative forward, creating a relentless sense of urgency that keeps readers on edge. Cole’s writing captures the emotional intensity of the situation, making the stakes feel incredibly real.

The suspense builds steadily throughout the book, with layers of mystery and unexpected revelations keeping the plot dynamic and engaging. The story does an excellent job of keeping readers guessing about who is behind the disappearance and what their motives might be. As the pieces come together, the resolution feels satisfying and well-earned.

Missing In Flight is a standout thriller that combines emotional depth with edge-of-your-seat suspense. Audrey J. Cole has crafted a story that resonates with readers’ fears while delivering a compelling and unforgettable read. Perfect for fans of thrillers with high stakes and gripping mysteries.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Audrey J. Cole, and Thomas & Mercer for the ebook! I absolutely loved this thriller! It’s a fast-paced, gripping mystery that hooked me from the very first chapter. The suspense built with every page, leaving me wanting more. A must-read!

Makayla Rossi is on a flight back to New York from Anchorage. She only leaves her seat for a few minutes to use the bathroom, but when she returns her infant son Liam is no longer in his bassinet. The flight attendants search the plane, but no one actually remembers seeing Makayla’s baby, leading to questions about Makayla’s mental state. Makayla will stop at nothing to find her son before it’s too late.

Wow, Audrey J. Cole has done it again! She has delivered another twisty, unputdownable thriller. Clear your schedule for this one because once you start, you won’t be able to put it down. It’s so suspenseful and twisty that your jaw will drop multiple times. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys thrillers! I give it 5 stars.

this book had me sweating and so stressed. a woman's baby goes missing on an airplane and utter chaos ensues. great plot!!!

What a jam packed, wild ride this one! I found myself waking up in the middle of the night, not being able to fall back asleep, and reaching to read this just to see what happens next. I felt like I was watching an intense action movie the entire time!

⭐️ 2.5/5 rounded up

A mom is traveling with her baby on a flight to New York and after she comes back from the bathroom on the flight, her baby is missing.

Sounds exciting but this was a less than average thriller. Though it was fast-paced, not much really happens. First 60% of the book is the mom just wanting to search the entire plane and once that’s done, she wants to go through everyone’s luggage again. It’s just the same thing over and over again.

The ending wasn’t believable and overall wasn’t exciting.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Take a mother’s worst nightmare and turn it into a novel and you’ve got a great thriller. This book stressed me out feeling like I was in her shoes, was a great read.

Missing in Flight
Audrey Cole
This was a mystery that will keep you guessing! It was told through multiple points of view with plenty of twists that kept me on edge!
Thank you to the author, Thomas & Mercer and net galley for this ARC

Wow, this book had me hooked from the very beginning! It was such a different plot from most of the thrillers I read, and I loved it! Such a page turner! Will definitely be reading more from this author.

If you want to start a book and be unable to stop, this is your book. Cancel your plans for the next 36 hours and buckle up.

One thing about me is that I love a child abduction story (I know, something is definitely wrong with me). But HOW can a baby go missing on a plane. This is the ultimate locked room mystery.

Readers will have to think a little outside of the box (especially at the end) because this takes some interesting turns and could never ever ever happen in a million years. But it is the ADVENTURE of a lifetime.

The author being a former NICU nurse and pilot's daughter makes so much sense and definitely adds layers to the details of this story.

🍿 FAR FETCHED BUT FUN!!

Makayla Rossi is traveling from Anchorage to New York, with her three month old son Liam. It’s a long flight, and when she needs to use the restroom she attempts to call a flight attendant to watch the baby who is asleep in his bassinet, but they are busy assisting an elderly passenger near the rest rooms.

Reluctantly, she asks the teenager across the aisle to keep an eye on him, and rushes to the lavatory.

But, when she returns, just minutes later, the bassinet is empty.

LIAM IS GONE!

How can he vanish at 30,000?

As a search for the baby is initiated, MaKayla becomes more and more combative and hysterical, and the FBI is brought in to coordinate a plan on the ground.

What they learn gives them more questions than answers, in this high octane, fast paced, entertaining thriller!

The story unfolds from multiple POV’s including those of Makayla and her husband, Jack, the First Officer flying the plane-Anna, and the FBI analyst investigating on the ground-Tina.

Author Audrey Cole is a Pilot’s Daughter so she gets ENOUGH of the details right, to make this wild flight seem plausible if you don’t work in the airline industry. But, as a 40 year flight attendant, I know that she DEFINITELY took some liberties for the sake of entertainment.

I won’t SPOIL anything for you, but I will say that commercial aircraft are NOT configured as described and MANY of the things that went on behind the locked cockpit door had me rolling my eyes or chuckling at times! Despite that, I can’t deny that I enjoyed the story!

AVAILABLE March 1, 2025- just in time for your SPRING BREAK flight! ✈️

Thank You to Thomas & Mercer for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley. As always, these are my candid thoughts.

Audrey’s best book yet!

I love a good in flight thriller, and this didn’t disappoint. Multiple POVs, intriguing backstory, the question of unreliable narrators lingering in the back of my mind. What more could I ask for?

Makayla is on a flight with her infant son, headed home from visiting her father. Her baby is safely asleep when she decides to make a quick trip to the bathroom. When she returns, she discovers only a pillow in his place. Surely it won’t be difficult to locate a baby on a plane?

Read this one in two sittings (and only two because the first time I couldn’t keep my eyes open past 1:30 AM) I would definitely recommend this read!

Thank you to the author & publisher for the gifted ARC

Stuck on a plane, Makayla's baby goes missing while she was using the facilities. Frantic and desperate for her baby to be found, she demands a search only to find out that no one seems to even remember her with a baby in the first place.

I found this one to be an addictive, emotional whirlwind of a story. As a mother, this is beyond fear inducing. That said, some of this I had to suspend disbelief for, but when I did search the possibility of certain events, some things were, in fact, plausible. This was written well, with good character development, descriptive writing, and a sense of unease throughout. For what some may deem a "popcorn thriller," I found this to be more deep than that. Overall, this was a great read, and I give it four stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Thomas and Mercer for this ARC.

I really enjoyed Audrey J. Cole's The Pilot's Daughter, The Final Hunt, The Last Hunt, and Only One Lie, but this one was disappointing. Cole's writing is very good and it's easy to get through her books quickly, but this story was just too far-fetched for me. Makayla Rossi's infant son goes missing on her flight home to New York City from visiting her Dad in Alaska. When she comes back from a quick bathroom break, Liam is no longer in his bassinet. She had looked for a flight attendant to keep an eye on him, but they were all busy. She asked a young girl seated near her to watch him, but she had headphones on and didn't even know what Makayla said to her. No one seems to have seen anyone take the baby. After an extensive search of the plane, Liam still hasn't been found. When passengers and crew find out that Makayla's famous mom suffered from an unusual memory disorder, they begin to question whether Makayla actually boarded with a baby or not. Makayla's high-profile investment banker husband Jack who had recently been featured in Forbes magazine is home in Manhattan. Could his visibility as someone with access to unlimited funds have put his son in danger? Many of the things that happen in this story were head-scratching and I kept thinking "this could never really happen." I hope Audrey J. Cole's next book is more realistic. Thanks to #netgalley and #Thomas&Mercer for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.