Thank you Bantam for my gifted copy!

I knew after reading All Good People Here, I had to get my hands on Ashley Flowers’ latest. I am not a true crime podcast listener, but I loved that her first novel read like one. And The Missing Half was no different. It made me feel like I was watching Dateline lol.

I personally loved The Missing Half more than her first. The writing was so much more crisp. The plot was flawless and executed in a way that made this book entirely bingeable. It was a blast. The twist even got me, truly. I kept going over each scenario that could possibly happen, as over thinkers are wont to do, and I was still surprised.

This book cemented Ashley Flowers as an auto buy author for me. And maybe - maaaaybe - I’ll get into her true crime podcast one day.

I haven’t read a book that kept me engaged like this book did in a long time! This was a definite page turner and I just had to get thru it as soon as possible. It was engaging and riveting, the ending was sucking and I think I literally had my mouth wide open due at least the last three chapters. I didn’t see the ending coming from a mile away. Thoroughly enjoyed this book!

3.5 stars, rounded down.

I really liked this one… right up until the end. The story had me hooked, and I didn’t see the twist coming—which is a win in itself—but the direction it took just didn’t sit right with me. It felt a little too far-fetched, and while I’m usually fine with morally gray characters, here it seemed like everyone was a villain. That made the ending more frustrating than satisfying. It also felt a bit rushed, with some plot leaps that weren’t fully explained. That said, it was a fast, engaging read, which I appreciated.

Two women are haunted by their sisters’ unsolved disappearances. They team up to solve the two cases since they seem to be connected.
Ashley Flowers’ first book was a winner, and I knew I had to read this one. A perfect read for the summer. It will keep you turning pages until you find out what happened to these girls.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine | Bantam #TheMissingHalf #NetGalley

3.75 ✨

I love Ashley Flowers because of Crime Junkies and her debut book, which I enjoyed as well, so I was excited to read this book, and while I enjoyed the twists and the suspense of the story, I think I hated the main character, Nic. She is an absolute hot mess, and the way she acted through most of the book just irritated me. I also wish we got to know more about Jenna and Jules, considering they're a major part of the story as well, and I just feel like there were things uncovered and just never brought up again, and I would love to have uncovered more from them.

The story is instantly gripping, and while it did take me a few days to read, it was constantly on my mind until I managed to finally sit down and binge-read the last half of it. I can't wait to see what comes next from both Flowers and Kiester and will be eagerly waiting for the next book release.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

Ashley Flowers can do no wrong in my eyes… I adored her first book, but this second one was truly impressive. Every time I “guessed” in my head what the outcome would be, I was wrong. So many twists, with many relatable characters. Congrats on a job well done!! Loved it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is an awesome read! Nic’s sister has been missing for seven years. Same as Jenna’s sister. The two remaining sisters team up to find out who took their sisters. But the road to the truth isn’t an easy one. Many of the answers are not ones anyone would like to hear. I really enjoyed this one!

Oh boy I flew through this one! I love messy main characters and stories with endings that I truly didn’t see coming. I feel like a touch of the story seemed unrealistic, but not in a way where it completely took me out of the story. When words on paper can make you have a visceral reaction, you know it’s a winner.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 rounded up!

I really liked the other book I read from this author and I was excited to pick this one up. It sure didn't disappoint! This was a short, dark, and engaging read that I finished in less than 24 hours. It centers on Nic, whose life has been a mess since her sister Kasey disappeared 7 years ago. She meets Jenna, whose sister Jules also disappeared under similar circumstances, and (reluctantly) starts working with her to see if they can uncover any clues that would bring attention to reopening the case.

Most of the book focuses on their investigation into people that both Kasey and Jules knew and trying to build the connections. This was interesting and fast-paced, and gave us a good glimpse into the lives these women led while also providing a few good surprises. The book takes a surprise turn at the end that I couldn't have predicted in a million years (and can't say anything more about because I don't want to spoil). I really liked the way it ended and was floored by the surprise. Also, I felt these characters were built out very well, especially for a book that wasn't very long and didn't have a lot of space to commit to characterization. There were a couple loose ends that weren't tied up at the end- I think at least one of them was intentional but there was another one where I couldn't decide if I had just missed something.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and love when I am totally surprised. I would recommend to those who enjoy psychological thrillers and mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Yep! That was a twisty rollercoaster ride of a read! Well, at the end. But the reveals earlier in the book come slower as the story is built up and the characters are developed. At points the pace did lag a bit because of this but you could always feel the promise of things to come. And, with the book being so short, there wasn't too much time to lag. I think I would have preferred some extra pages and a deeper look at the four women involved, but was page turning and wondering the entire time! Made for a really good read!

Oh my goodness- this book was exactly what I needed to get out of my slump! After setting the story up this book was a non stop page clicker for me! Great storyline, multiple twist and I would have never guessed the ending!, Thank you @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book!

Wow, I absolutely loved this book. The Missing Half completely pulled me in from the very first page and didn’t let go.
The story follows two women who share a heartbreaking connection: both of their sisters went missing just two weeks apart back in 2012. Their bodies were never found, and the disappearances left their families shattered. Years later, the two surviving sisters finally decide to team up and find out the truth for themselves.

I honestly thought I had it all figured out so many times — but Ashley Flowers kept surprising me, twist after twist. Every time I got comfortable, something else would happen, and I was right back on the edge of my seat.
The characters felt so real, and the emotions throughout the story really hit me. It’s the kind of book you stay up late reading because you have to know what happens next.

If you’re looking for a mystery that’s full of heart, packed with surprises, and impossible to put down, The Missing Half is absolutely worth picking up.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine for letting me read and review this one early!

The Missing Half is a quick, page-turning mystery that will definitely keep you guessing! Nic Monroe's life has been a disaster since her sister, Kasey, disappeared seven years ago. Nic is working a dead-end job and dealing with a suspended license and alcohol abuse. When Jenna Connor, whose sister also disappeared around the time Kasey went missing, approaches her about that summer, Nic agrees to launch an investigation into the vanishing of their sisters. Together, Nic and Jenna dig deep until they uncover multiple family secrets. I thought I knew where things were headed, but I was still surprised by the ending; I really enjoyed the journey to the big reveal, and the writing is top-notch. Recommended for fans of slow-burn mysteries about dysfunctional families. Thanks to Netgalley, Random House, and author Ashley Flowers for the librarian preview copy.

Two missing women, their sisters connect and work to solve the disappearances.
This was a quick thriller with a twist, but ended a bit abruptly. Overall a good read!
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Having loved her debut, I think my expectations were set too high for this one. There were a couple of times I had to remind myself that this is just a story and not reality. Putting that aside, I was pulled right into this and raced through it to see the outcome. I would have liked more development in the sisters and exploring their past as a family. This was a four star for me until the ending. It's one of those endings that I think readers will either love or hate. It was unexpected, and I enjoyed it to a point. Still worth the read and highly intriguing as I was reading it, I give this one three and a half stars.

Thank you, Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC.

I had to have this one. I really liked Ashley’s first book and this one sounded so good. The audio was done well, the narrator did a great job with this one! The story grabbed my attention right away as the book’s intensity ramped up. It was definitely twisty, and some reveals surprised me while other parts were predictable. Overall, I enjoyed it but the ending left me wanting more. I will still look forward to reading this author in the future!

Very pleasantly surprised by this book. It was fast paced, and the short chapters kept you coming back for more and more. I thought the author did an excellent job with the characters and loved the “amateur” detective plot line throughout the book. The twists were also well done, and while I did see some of them coming, I was still surprised at the ending and how everything came together. Would recommend this to all! Thanks to NetGalley for early access. 4.25/5 Stars

"The Missing Half" by Ashley Flowers follows the deeply flawed Nic Monroe as she moves through her life in despair after her sister goes missing. Nic is angry and has managed the last seven years with alcohol and isolation. She works a dead end job and is truly struggling after a DUI when Jenna Connor comes into her life. Like Nic, Jenna's sister also mysteriously disappeared seven years ago under similar circumstances and Jenna is determined to find out what happened. Together they work to uncover what their sister's were hiding, retracing the last weeks before they disappeared. However, the town and the families involved have dark secrets and they aren't too keen on all the digging...

Flowers has a true knack for writing unique stories that catch the reader's attention and keep it the whole novel. Nic is a deeply flawed character and her relationship with Jenna is fragile. Uncovering both their family histories and what they would do to protect each other was a true journey. I never suspected the ending and it strung me along until the last page.

This book hooked me from the very beginning. Just when I thought I had it figured out, there was another twist then another turn-and holy moly the ending!

3.5 stars

Two girls from the same area disappearing within just weeks of each other. Police did searches but the cases went cold. Years later, their sisters dive into their disappearances, hoping to find new evidence that the police missed initially.

The storyline was good. The main character Nic’s life fell apart after her older sister Kasey disappeared years before. She’s struggling to get her life together. And when Jenna, the sister of another missing girl, approaches her with the idea of joining teams to look for new evidence on both missing girls, she was hesitant to open that door to the past up. Throughout the story, you see her struggle to get her footing, to try to be better than she had been. You see her character start to grow, but I felt like in the end, it was a letdown with the growth.

The story contains so many twists and turns. Just when you think you know who did it, you discover that you’re wrong.

But the last couple chapters left me shocked. I did not see that coming. It was unexpected and a little disappointing. I could see the story building and building and then it seemed to wrap up so quickly. And Nic who was not very likable to me at the beginning started to grow on me. Only for me to be disappointed with her character with the choices she makes.

It’s definitely a good read with unexpected twists but the ending was not my favorite.