I was really excited to get an arc of this book from Netgalley and I loved Ashley Flowers first book. This book was really fast flowing at first and then I just felt like it kind of dragged on a bit near the middle/end of the book. Overall, I do recommend this book because it did keep me guessing up till the end.

Two sisters are brought together by the disappearance of their sisters 7 years earlier . The girls are working together to try to solve a the case that the cops haven’t been able to solve.

Nic is just drifting through life. She’s had a troubled life, especially after her sister Kasey went missing 7 years ago. Nic and Jenna discover some secrets but the secrets might cause more trouble for them about they go confront people they think might be involved anyways.

Overall, if you’re a true crime junkie like I am I think you’ll enjoy this book. It definitely kept my interest.

Thanks netgalley and publisher for a chance to read this for free in return for my honest opinion.
Pub date: 5/6/25

So, after feeling very conflicted about All Good People Here (I stand firm in that the ending ruined what could have been a pretty good book) I wanted to give The Missing Half a chance.
I enjoyed the beginning of the book and was engaged with the mystery for the majority of it. The biggest issues I had were once again with the ending: a big bowl of nothing that made ZERO sense, and the fact that there was no character development - the MMC was flat and did not change in a dynamic way whatsoever by the end of the book. This was too much for my suspension of disbelief and I was honestly kind of surprised with the all of holes since there was a collaborator and the connections to true crime. Full of red herrings and not much else, this had potential but failed to reach it in my opinion. 2.5 stars.

An incredible follow up novel for Ashley Flowers. Definitely enjoyed the ride with this one, fast paced and twisty.

I enjoyed The Missing Half and moved through it very quickly. It was definitely a good book to break a slight reading slump. I thought the ending was a bit rushed and I didn't love it - it made me dislike Nic and Kasey both, in fact - but it definitely took me by surprise. I appreciated that I could never quite predict how the story would turn out. I'll look forward to Ashley's next book for sure.

Leave it to Ashley Flowers to write a classic murder mystery with an unseen twist at the end. The storyline mostly kept my attention but dragged in the middle. There was a little too much filler at some points for me. I didn't enjoy this plot as much as All Good People Here, but I was glad the ending came full circle. I hate open endings! Like, just tell me what happened! And this time, she finally did.

Nic's life has been on a downward spiral since her sister disappeared from a lonely road in the middle of the night. Her family split apart under the strain, and now she works the same job she had back then, cleaning up after kids at a pizza arcade, while struggling to deal with the repercussions of a DWI charge. When the sister of a woman who disappeared under similar circumstances shows up at her work, Nic has to decide whether joining forces to try to solve the disappearances will help or hurt her recovery. The relationships that unfold afterwards dig deep into family trauma, sisterhood, buried secrets among family and friends, and the overwhelming question of just how far you'd go for your family.

The characters of Nic and Jules were well-drawn, rich and complex. I was surprised by the depth in these characters: the complicated choices and growth they show throughout the book. While I picked up this book because of Ashley Flowers--I've listened to her podcasts and enjoy her storytelling approach there--I wasn't quite expecting this book to be quite so well-written. Paired with Alex Kister as a co-author, they made an excellent story together. The pacing is perfect: I never felt it was going too slow, even when they ran into blocks in their investigation. There were surprising plot elements throughout, but they always felt like they made sense for these characters and their world. And the overarching themes of sisterhood and sacrifice wove throughout every part of this book but were still restrained and refined.

Overall, this was a book I thoroughly enjoyed reading, and which sat with me for several days after I'd finished it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc and to PRH Audio for the alc.

Ashley Flowers has done it again!! I should probably start this review by saying that I read All Good People Here a couple of years ago and the ending made me want to literally vomit, it creeped me out so bad..especially the ending! With that being said, I still thought the ending of THIS book was unbelievable!!

I am happy to report that this book was much less creepy, but still managed to be a fantastic thriller. So this is one of those times where if you have certain feelings about one book by an author, it doesn't mean that you can't read and enjoy more by that author!

I also had the pleasure of reading the audiobook and I loved how Saskia Maarvelad narrated this book. If you are thinking of reading this book, I definitely recommend you check out the audiobook.

Overall, I really enjoyed this fast-paced thriller from Ashley Flowers and I am looking forward to her next book!

I really enjoyed Ashley Flowers' first book and was excited to check out this new one. It's another thoughtful and well-written story that incorporates Flowers' extensive work in the true crime genre but wrapped in a story that is unique with a twist that left me shocked. The characters felt real and messy but the grief was palatable. Flowers' also writes such beautiful prose! I definitely would recommend this book and I'm excited for her next book!

I really liked this book! There were a couple twists I didn’t expect, which I thought was impressive. I read a lot of this genre so it’s easier to pick up on patterns and clues and see the turns coming, but I didn’t with this one.

I did find some parts slow, but the ending moved quickly. I would have liked a more steady, even pace throughout, but it read nicely overall.

I’d recommend this for fans of Gillian Flynn and baby thrillers. It’s a 4/5 from me. Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this title. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

there’s something about solving a cold case that always gets me going - and I’m usually super invested in sleuthing along with the MCs!! and this one, combining two cold cases in one, was so addicting!

ashley flowers knows how to write mysteries so well, but more importantly, she knows how to write human stories and well-fleshed-out characters. the desperation that jenna and nic felt as they raced against the clock to discover new clues about their missing sisters was so well written!!!

I thought I pegged the whodunnit from the beginning, and was validated for a bit when it started to look to go in that direction - but I never would have suspected the ending!! I gasped so loud when I got to the finale!

what didn’t quite work for me was the way the story wrapped up itself. when the initial shock wore off, I found myself questioning the decisions of jenna and nic and how they handled the conclusion very differently than their characters in the beginning. it does drive home the emotion of desperation, but at the same time, jenna and nic were two sides of the same coin and it felt a little too abrupt and neat for the tragedy of the book…

a huge thank you to bantam and netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! may’s gonna be a good month!

rating: 3.5 stars
wine pairing: finger lakes cabernet franc

First and foremost, thank you to the publisher for providing an e-ARC of this title. I absolutely love this author—her storytelling always pulls me in, whether on the page or through her podcast. As a longtime fan of Crime Junkie, I was especially excited to dive into her written work, and it did not disappoint. Her knack for suspense, pacing, and building tension shines just as strongly here as it does in the episodes I’ve come to love. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next.

This wasn't my favorite. I didn't really like the characters, and i felt the mystery was a little slow, and the ending just was flat for me.

It’s a gripping read that will leave most people emotionally drained. The story focuses on two women who are bound together in the trauma of losing a sister. There are chilling twists, emotional weight of grief, and a self-destructing main character, all powerfully written.

I'm a sucker for stories about sisters. The Missing Half was sad, twisty, even humorous at times, and I had to finish in one evening.

Some of the writing was a little generic for me, or lacking, and at times it felt like two different people worked on it, which I realized later was the case.

I wish we had gotten a little more about Jenna and Jules for them to feel more real to me. (However, if the point was to make us forget about Jules at times, like Jenna tells Nic happened in the media, that was low-key brilliant and psychologically interesting to realize was happening for me as I read.)

All in all, a solid fast-paced thriller!

SO GOOD. Couldn’t stop listening!!!! Nearly immediately I was drawn into the story of Nic and Kasey. Nic’s pain and loss is palpable, jumping off the page. Once Jenna enters the picture I was flying through the book trying to inhale the story. I was not disappointed, in fact, I was very surprised by the twists in the story.

Advanced reader copy provided by Ballantine and NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

3.5 stars. The Missing Half follows two women searching for answers to the disappearances of their sisters. Not a ground breaking mystery, but it was entertaining. I think it would make a good weekend read. I did like it more than Ashley Flowers first novel but still would’ve liked more suspense.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced copy of The Missing Half. If you’re a fan of Crime Junkies then I recommend this book. It follows the story of Nic, she’s is a at a dead end job, has a crappy apartment and is lonely. Ever since she lost her sister Kasey 7 years earlier, her life has been a downward spiral. She’s given up hope in figuring out what happened to her sister . But then Jenna walks into her life. Jenna’s sister Jules went missing just a few weeks before Kasey. Jenna tells Nic that she has some new information that could lead them to solving the case of both sisters. Soon Nic realizes that there are things about her sister that she never knew. Can Jenna and Nic solve the case of both sisters? This book started slow, but still kept me interested. About halfway through it sped up, and I could not put it down.

The first thing potential readers should know about this book is that it has two INSANE twists. I think I said “woah… holy sh*t” a few times after reading the first one and the second nearly made my head explode. So, if you like twisty thrillers… YOU WILL WANT THIS BOOK. The lead up was a little slow. Not bad by any means but I didn’t find the majority of the novel to be too tense or suspenseful. However, the slow burn was worth it to get to those twists! There’s a bunch of breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout the novel too, but you won’t realize it until the end. It was really clever!

Overall, I really liked this one. While I prefer her debut, I still had a fun time with this one. It’s a slow burn thriller that will leave your head spinning!

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I feel like this would be a great choice if you’re in a book slump and you want something to pull you out of it. I raced through it, the pacing was fast and there were some twists and turns that kept me engaged. I found I didn’t want to put it down when I needed to, always a great sign! I absolutely loved the ending and I can be super picky about them, but this was just a really strong and solid read for me across the board. I enjoyed the authors previous release but I liked this one even more, it was more nuanced and complex and it really felt like she found her stride.

As a Crime Junkie- this author is already on my auto-buy list- but this book sealed the deal. The contemporary writing and relatable characters makes this a page turner. Just when you think you have the twist nailed down, Flowers throws you for a loop with an ending you never saw coming.