One of the best books I’ve read! Just absolutely incredible. Be prepared for every heartstring to be pulled. This book was marvelous from start to finish. It’s be a fantastic book club pick.

4.25 stars - I enjoyed this more than Flowers's previous book <i>All Good People Here</i> (which I thought was just fine, but not necessarily worth recommending). This book follows two women who are looking into the disappearances (/presumed deaths) of their sisters. I love a sisterly twist to a thriller! This was relatively short and kept my interest. Several twists I did not predict. Would definitely recommend this over <i>All Good People Here</i>.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an advance reader's copy in exchange for an honest review.

Expected date of publication: May 6, 2025.

Suspenseful, twisty, and paced incredibly
well- this book will have you hooked from the very first page. Nothing is what it seems- and finding out the truth could cost them everything.

Ashley Flowers weabves the story of two missing girls near the Indiana/Michigan border. Jules and Kacey each went missing weeks apart - seven years later there are still few leads. Jules' sister, Jenna, contacts Kacey's sister, Nic, who is basically a train wreck after her sister disappeared and now has a DWI. The girls start investigating the disappearances and try to piece together what was going on in each girls' life before she went missing. As Nic and Jenna retrace their sisters' deaths, they discover secrets and lies. The Missing Half is a thoughtful, suspense-filled book. Fans of family mysteries and thrillers will enjoy it. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for an advanced reader of this book. The opinions expressed are my own.

This is the first book I have read by Ashley Flowers but it is not going to be the last. I loved this book. It had just enough suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. Just when I thought I had it figured out I was wrong and I kept thinking where did these girls go?

Nic has lost her sister and for seven years she is a walking corpse. She drowns her sorrow in liquor and tries to remember the good times she had with her sister. Then one day she is leaving her job when a girl approaches her and tells her she has information about her sisters disappearance. Nic stops and tells her she is not interested in finding new evidence. But Jenna does not take no for an answer and Nic finally agrees to hear the girl out. See Jenna's sister went missing around the same time as Nic's sister went missing. So they have that in common.

As Nic and Jenna start to retrace their sisters death they find out a lot of secrets and the list of who killed the girls gets shorter by the minute. What happened to the girls who disappears? This is one book that had me on the edge of my seat.

The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers is a thrilling mystery about a woman named Ivy who investigates the disappearance of her sister. As she uncovers hidden truths, the story explores family secrets, loss, and the complex relationships that shape our lives.

The book is fast-paced, with plenty of twists that keep you guessing. Ivy is a strong, relatable protagonist whose determination drives the story. The emotional depth of the novel adds to its appeal, making it more than just a typical thriller.

While the ending may feel predictable for some, the journey is engaging and keeps you hooked. Overall, The Missing Half is a well-written, suspenseful novel, perfect for fans of family mysteries and thrillers.

The Missing Half is the second novel by true-crime podcaster Ashley Flowers. If you like listening to true crime, this is definitely a must read. It read like a true crime story. Two girls are both on a mission to find out what happened to each of their sisters, who had eerily similar disappearances years before. However, to be honest, Nic kind of irritated me with her attitude -- like girl, come on and stop feeling sorry for yourself and try to figure out what happened to your sister! And then -- Whoa. I did not see that ending coming!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for a review.

I didn’t expect this story to resonate with me as much as it did, but Nic’s journey felt incredibly real and gripping. She is such a great, flawed character, and her journey of grief and survival felt incredibly real. Her life is messy and complicated, and I appreciated how the story didn’t shy away from that. Watching her connect with Jenna, someone equally consumed by loss, made the story feel even more personal and heartfelt.

The pacing reminded me of what it might actually feel like to be wrapped up in a cold case—moments of frantic discovery and then stretches of quiet frustration. I’ll admit, the opening felt a little awkward, and there were a few moments where things felt too convenient to be believable. But honestly, I didn’t care much because the plot was so addictive, and the twists near the end totally delivered.

What I loved most was how the book balanced being fast-paced and suspenseful with real emotional depth. Nic’s grief, guilt, and resilience were portrayed so beautifully. The ending wasn’t tied up in a perfect bow, but it felt right for the story.

If you’re into thrillers with emotional stakes and complex characters, I’d definitely recommend this one. It’s a quick, intense read, and I’m already looking forward to what Ashley Flowers writes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Missing Half follows the disappearance of a woman and what may have happened to her from her sister’s point of view. The story follow the sister left behind and what her life has become years after her sister’s disappearance. A series of events bring her sister’s disappearance back with the possibility to find out what happened to her.

The story paces well using past and present to help the reader understand the relationship between the sisters. Additional characters and situations are offered to provide more context to what really happened.

This book has so many twists and turns on that you will not see the what happens until the end. A great book for sleuths who want to figure out what happens at the story unfolds.

This book hooked me from the start. I could not put this down. I finished in 2 days. Nic’s character had me struggling with her. Feeling all the feels. The twists and turns were great and had me guessing until the very end!! Well done!

The Missing Half is the latest book by true crime podcaster Ashley Flowers.

Nic’s whole life is a mess and has been since her sister disappeared 7 years ago. One day she’s confronted by Jenna, the sister of the girl who went missing first, right before Nic’s sister did. Jenna convinces Nic that there’s something the police missed and that they should team up to find out what happened to their sisters. But as clues start to come together, Jenna withdraws. Has someone scared her off the investigation? Is she just trying to protect Nic?

This was a great thriller. Lots of twists and turns, and I did not see them all coming. Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Holy cow! About 3/4 of the book I was figuring this was a 3star book, so easy to figure out. I was SO very wrong! It went off in a direction I never even thought of. Excellent writing and story.
Thank to netgalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read the ARC.

When Nicole Monroe's sister Kelsy disappeared 7 years ago, her life spun out of control. Her parents split up and became even more detached from her than they were when she and her sister grew up as mostly neglected children. Now Nic is under court-ordered supervision as the result of a DWI charge. She's working at a restaurant owned by a family friend and continues to drink at night. Her only friend seems to be the one-eyed cat she sometimes sits with during her community service work at the animal shelter. Then one day a woman named Jenna comes to ask for Nic's help. Jenna's sister Jules disappeared just before Kelsy did, in identical circumstances -- their cars were found abandoned with no sign of the women. Nic has accepted that the police were not able to find out what happened to her sister, but Jenna is very convincing. Soon the two women are meeting up regularly to compare notes and track down leads in an attempt to identify the person who took their sisters. They quickly find connections between the two women that the police never discovered and begin to feel as if they're on the right track. Suddenly, Jenna becomes distant and says she doesn't want to continue with the investigation. Since she was the one who initially pushed Nic into getting into starting the whole thing, Nic is left wondering if Jenna has discovered something that will put them both in danger.

I really enjoyed the twists and turns in this case. There wasn't a lot to go on but it was interesting to follow the steps the women took in trying to retrace the steps that led to both women going missing. Plenty of twists and turns to keep readers hooked!

The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers is an absolutely gripping read that kept me hooked from start to finish. With its suspenseful twists, rich character dynamics, and unrelenting tension, it reminded me of the best of Karin Slaughter’s work—dark, thrilling, and deeply emotional. Flowers crafts a story that not only keeps you guessing but also builds to a jaw-dropping conclusion that’s as shocking as it is satisfying. The ending floored me in the best way, tying up loose ends while leaving me thinking about the story long after I closed the book. If you’re a fan of chilling mysteries with a pulse-pounding pace, this one is a must-read!

It was just ok to me! Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this in exchange for n honest review!?

This was a really good thriller. It kept me on my toes! I could NOT BELIEVE the ending!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc in exchange for an honest review!

🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆
𝐓𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: The Missing Half
𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫: Ashley Flowers & Alex Kiester
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: May 6, 2025

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝:
⇥ I appreciated the ending and how it was left open without over-explaining every detail.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐝:
⇥ There was a side plot that gave me the biggest ick.
⇥ I didn't connect with the main character, Nic.
⇥ The book had a lot of repetitive words and phrases, including one of my least favorite words: lurch. It was used 11 times!

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
★★★☆☆
It's a bit of a strange one... I didn't exactly like this book, but I also did. There were a lot of things working against it—the main character I couldn't stand, the unsettling side plot, and the behavior of a couple of characters. Even the ending wasn’t perfect, but I still found myself enjoying it. It didn’t feel entirely realistic, yet it wrapped up in the only way it knew how.

I'd recommend it to fans of the authors' first book (which, to be honest, I don’t remember loving, but I gave it 4 stars).

One last thing: I’m glad the main author finally credited the ghostwriter, Alex Kiester, this time around. That said, it's unfortunate she didn’t get a chance to include a dedication or acknowledgments because I bet she worked just as hard.

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

Another great book by Ashley Flowers. Flowers is known for her highly popular podcast, Crime Junkie and The Missing Half is her second fictional novel. It seems that she really found her footing with this novel and tells a really interesting story.

Sometimes, you read books that will sit in your skin for a long time. That will make you feel uncomfortable and wrong at your core, this was one of those books. I thought I had this book figured out 4 separate times and I could NOT have been more wrong. What seems like a rather straight forward thriller is actually filled with dark secrets and lies. I am actually struggling to form a review because I honestly can’t believe the last 50 pages just happened.

The Mishakawa girls have been missing for almost a decade when the sisters of the 2 missing girls decide to join forces and find out what happened to their sisters. What they uncover is lies, deceit, and secrets that the people in the town would like to keep buried. Who took these women and where are they now? As you read this you’ll find out everything is not what it seems.

I should probably be sleeping right now but I’m genuinely staring at my ceiling in disbelief like wow. I can’t believe this book. Fair warning it is slow at the beginning but you definitely need to stick with it you won’t regret it.

I loved Flowers’s debut and was so excited for this chance to dive into her sophomore novel. She certainly knows how to tell a story!

This story explores the impact of grief and the enduring bonds of sisterhood. I loved learning about Kasey through Nic’s flashbacks and the evolving sisterhood between Nic and Jenna. I always enjoy amateur sleuth stories, and I thought this was a great deep dive into a case gone cold in a town with minimal investigative resources.

After the ending in All Good People Here, I was expecting some sort of crazy twist/ending, and Flowers did not disappoint! While I guessed some of them, most I did not, especially towards the end. There are so many hints peppered throughout the novel that in hindsight seem obvious. I look forward to rereading the story again now that I am in the know!

This story scratches that true crime itch, and is perfect for lovers of mystery novels where everyone has a secret to hide.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.