I love this slow burn of a thriller. Feels like a real life crime drama unfolding before your eyes. There are no sensationalized bits or superficial characters. This is so well developed and full of empathy. It challenges true-crime inspired thrillers by giving a voice to the central victims and their family. Flowers is an instant read author for me! EDIT: omg, I just finished this and my mind is BLOWN! Wow, well done. So many twists that I didn't see coming!!

I liked this mystery and didn’t see the end coming. The characters were not very likable (or even reliable in some cases) so I wasn’t always invested in the outcome, but the twists kept me interested. It kind of gave Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins vibes if set in the Midwest. Overall a great read for thriller/mystery fans.

Thank you Netgalley and Bantam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ashley Flowers returns with “The Missing Half,” a chilling and emotionally charged thriller that explores the haunting bonds of sisterhood and the pain of unresolved grief. With a heart-wrenching plot, razor-sharp twists, and complex characters, this book cements Flowers as a rising voice in the thriller genre—one who knows how to tap into emotional depths while keeping you on the edge of your seat.

In 2012, two teenage girls—Jules Connor and Kasey Monroe—vanished without a trace, just two weeks apart, in neighboring towns in Michigan and Indiana. Both girls’ cars were found on the side of the road, abandoned with their belongings still inside. The similarities were chilling, but with no suspects, no bodies, and no resources, the cases quickly went cold. Seven years later, the sisters they left behind—Jenna Connor and Nic Monroe—are still reeling. Nic, in particular, is stuck in a destructive loop: she's battling alcoholism, weighed down by guilt, and going through the motions of a life that stopped moving the day her sister disappeared. When Jenna shows up at Nic’s dead-end job with a new clue that could link their sisters’ cases, the two women join forces to seek the truth that the police never found. But their investigation unearths more than either expected—family secrets, dark connections, and painful truths that may be more devastating than not knowing at all.

“The Missing Half delivers” emotional weight and relentless suspense in equal measure. Flowers crafts characters who feel deeply real—flawed, vulnerable, and achingly human. Nic Monroe is particularly compelling: angry, broken, and self-sabotaging, yet deeply loyal and determined. Her grief is raw, her journey messy, and her growth hard-earned. Her chemistry with Jenna creates a compelling dynamic—a reluctant partnership that slowly builds into something rooted in empathy and shared trauma.

Flowers also excels at structure and pacing. Every chapter ends on a mini cliffhanger, making this an absolute page-turner. The twists are smartly placed—some shocking, some quietly devastating. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, another layer is pulled back. It’s a book that lingers long after the final page, especially once the full truth is revealed—gutting and unforgettable.

Despite the heavy subject matter, the book never feels overwhelming or gratuitous. Flowers handles themes of loss, addiction, and guilt with nuance and care. Readers who appreciate dark, emotionally complex mysteries with a strong emotional core will find “The Missing Half” deeply satisfying. While the final twist is powerful, I didn’t really find it jaw-dropping; it wasn’t as surprising as I was expecting, especially after reading other reviews.

Overall, “The Missing Half” is a stunning blend of psychological suspense and literary emotion. With memorable characters, heart-stopping twists, and a central mystery that pulls you in from the first page, you quickly learn that this is not just a thriller—it’s a story about grief, resilience, and the enduring bond between sisters. And by the final pages, you might just need to sit in silence for a moment.

Nic's sister went missing a few years ago. When Jenna contacts her, she proposes they work together as her sister also went missing at the same time. While Jenna has seemingly got her life together, Nic has no license due to a DWI and works at a job she hates for a family friend. Both of the remaining sisters want to find out what happened to the missing girls, but what are they willing to do to get answers?

I liked this fairly fast paced mystery. The characters were deeply flawed but kind of owned their mistakes so it didn't turn me off the book completely like it might sometimes. This isn't really a thriller, but it is an easy-to-read book that reminds me of Megan Miranda books, Listen for the Lie, or The Return of Ellie Black. I'm not sure it will stick with me, but it was enjoyable for what it is.

This is my second book by podcaster Ashley Flowers, and I was happy to see that her ghostwriter is created on this one (sort of, in very small wording on the cover). I hope that if she continues writing, she will fully credit her.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This story was a whirlwind! It started with two ordinary young women, Nic and Jenna. Both of them have sisters who have disappeared. They decide to get together and try to find out what happened to their sisters. I read this book quickly because I wanted to find out what happened. The end was somewhat a surprise. I encourage you to read this book if you like fast moving, twisty mysteries!

Ashley Flowers totally nailed it with The Missing Half. It’s dark, twisty, emotional, and kept me guessing the whole time. The characters felt so real, and the ending hit hard. If you love a good psychological thriller, definitely add this one to your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I LOVED this book at the start of it. I felt pretty connected to the MC and really appreciated her tough approach. The MC has clearly been through a lot after her sister went missing. She began drinking and struggled with addiction, that process is recognized throughout the book. The book sort of has the nostalgic feeling to solving crimes like discussing places of work (a record store and a restaurant) I'm not sure how to describe it but it felt nostalgic in a good way. I felt the way the MC and her side kick were going about trying to find their missing sisters was fun, reckless at times and gave me the feeling of reading about armchair detectives which I love.

All that to say, the ending turned out to be a let down. I don't think everyone will feel that way. There were aspects of it I did enjoy, especially the last scene. Unfortunately you do have to suspend a significant amount of disbelief. I go back and forth with books requiring me to suspend a significant amount of disbelief. In some ways it's fiction so I expect and actually enjoy that, it allows you to explore the what- ifs but also it can really throw you out of the story and that happened to me here.

I'm not mad I read it, I especially loved the beginning. THe writing is good, it's fast paced but also takes time to build characters and meaningful moments which I appreciated.

This was so damn good..and chilling! Loved it so much!!!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The novel,The Missing Half, was written by Ashley Flowers and published by Random House/Ballentine Books,was surprisingly good. The premise is that two young women go missing in a small town,a few years apart.Their cases are never solved causing grief for their family members for years to come. Out of the blue,the sister of one missing girl finds and compels the sister of the other missing girl to work together and find out what happened because the police didn’t seem to put much effort to investigate their disappearance. We are introduced to several characters that live in the town to find out if any of them were responsible.The story seems to meander for a good portion of it but I didn’t give up reading. I was interested enough to find out what happened at the end.Ater about 80% of reading,it all started to fall into place and……wow!,what an outcome,didn’t see it coming after all the guessing I did.It certainly deserved five stars just for the outcome.
Thank you NetGalley,for the arc ebook as well as author and publisher.
On sale May 06,2025.

Thank you so much to Random House for the gifted copy!

Title: The Missing Half
Author: Ashley Flowers
Pub Date: May 6, 2025

Wow, did I ever fly through this one! At just about 250 pages, this was such an easy read to get lost in and fly through! I read it in two sittings!

I still wasn't over the ending of All Good People Here when I started this one, but Ashley Flowers showed no mercy and left me in shock at the end of this book too!

The setting in this book was so fun (literally a lot of it took place at Funland, say less)! Nicole is just trying to work her shift at Funland (sorry, I'll never get over that this takes place there) and go home when she's stopped by a woman, Jenna Conner, in the parking lot claiming to have new information on the disappearance of both of their sisters. Nicole and Jenna decide to work together to get to bottom of the mysteries of their missing sisters. From there, everything goes CRAZY!

The pace was fast, the plot twists were unpredictable, and of course, the ending was BONKERS! Was it believable? Who's to say, honestly; crazier things have probably happened! If you're looking for a book to instantly snap you out of a reading slump, let this book be your cure! You won't be able to put it down and you won't see the ending coming a mile away!

I started listening to the Crime Junkie podcast waaaay back in 2017 (true crime has been my friend for years – when I worked in a public library, I could frequently be found in the 364.1523 section. I have mostly enjoyed it (due to Ashley more than Brit, TBH) except for that period when the plagiarism thing was rampant (although admittedly when I taught research, the section on attribution and citing one’s sources went over many people’s heads, in all honesty). So I would say I’m about 60% positively inclined toward things that are “Crime Junkie adjacent.” I received a copy of Ashley’s second book The Missing Half from Random House-Ballantine and NetGalley in exchange for this honest review, and I was happy to see that Ashley’s “co-author” Alex Kiester is acknowledged prominently on the cover..

I’ve seen this referred to as a true crime story, and while it’s been awhile since I read it, to meit was fiction…not even “faction,” as is the weird term sometimes applied t fictionalized versions of real events. Whatever – in this book, the protagonist is Nicole “Nic” Monroe. She is twenty-four, living in what sounds like a terrible place in a terrible state. As if that’s not enough, she has a pity job (family friend is her boss) that is going nowhere and she lives alone in…well, you get the idea. Oh, and she just got a DUI. She is a mess, having “...learned years ago that numbness is better than pain.” Seven years ago, her sister Kasey vanished and she has been an object of pity and sympathy ever since. She isn’t lacking in self-awareness: “I can’t keep living like this. I can’t keep avoiding my pain by drinking myself to sleep and hoping someone else will come along and clean up after me.”

Kasey’s car was found 100+ miles from home, with the door open and her purse on the seat – untouched, apparently. Weirdly, another young woman from the same area disappeared in the same way two weeks before Kasey. Both quickly became ice cold cases. The other woman who disappeared also had a sister, and one day that sister shows up and together the two of them go on an adventure, each one wanting to find their “missing half.”

It’s a fun read, and I didn’t guess the mystery (not unusual for me) but in all honesty it was gone from my brain almost instantly and I couldn’t tell you what happened. I recommend it for fans of vanished woman stories, fans of Ashley Flowers, and fans of one-night-stands (as I sometimes call the mysteries I binge read in a day or so). As my friend would say, it is what it is, and there should be copies available at your public library, since there will be lots of interest as the book tour gets rolling. Four stars, rounded down to three based on how memorable it was(n’t).

This was a super fast true crime read about two missing girls and their sisters who team up to try to find them! Great story! Lots of twist! Super fast read. Definitely for lovers of dateline!

I’ll be honest, this book is not as good as her first. I enjoyed the majority of the book but felt it ended abruptly and didn’t have the ending it should’ve

Thank you Ashley Flowers and Valentine Random House for this ARC! Available at retail stores May 6 2025!

At no point did I have the predictions in this book right. I usually tell my husband before I get halfway who I think did it. I've never changed my mind so many times. And all of them were wrong. And then surprise twist! Wrong again!

Nic & Jenna's journey to find out what happened to their sisters was a wild rollercoaster of a ride. While a short book at under 300 pages, I didn't feel the story lacked any depth. Ashley managed to pack it all in and twist up my brain and my feels at the same time.

I honestly don't know how to describe all that this made me feel without spoilers. I feel hurt, betrayed, surprised, sad, angry, and just all around a "wtf" vibe.

4.5 ⭐

The twists and turns in this book really left my jaw on the floor. I was so surprised. I thought I had the twist figured out halfway through and I was not even close. Nic has been dragging through life every since her sister Kacey went missing in 2012. Working a dead end job, receiving a recent DWI, and is stuck volunteering at the local animal shelter each week for community service she is stuck in anger in grief over Kacey's disappearance.. One day at work Jenna Conner shows up and tells Nic that she is the sister of another missing girl from 2012 and their cases are linked. They start to work together to try and solve their missing sister's cases. What they find is definitely not what they bargained for. I did grow up where this book takes place and graduated with Ashley Flowers so this was also a big hit of nostalgia for my hometown. I would definitely recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for this ARC.

I enjoyed my experience of reading The Missing Half and I think it will be very popular with Library patrons. It was a quick, easy read and didn’t make me do much deep thinking. It was sort of mysterious, but not scary or really, very unsettling at all. I think people will enjoy it as entertainment.

3.5 stars
This book really jumped right into the action and never stopped. I was easily engrossed, and the fast pace kept me flipping the pages.

The characters weren’t really likeable for me, so it was difficult for me to connect with them, but the thrills kept coming nevertheless.

This was a fun and entertaining read.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Gripping Tale of Sisterhood and Suspense

Ashley Flowers’ The Missing Half is an enthralling mystery that delves deep into the bonds of sisterhood and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth. The story follows Nic and Jenna, two women whose sisters vanished under eerily similar circumstances seven years apart. Their quest to find answers is both heart-wrenching and suspenseful, keeping readers on the edge of their seats. Flowers masterfully crafts a narrative filled with unexpected twists and a climax that leaves you breathless. A must-read for fans of psychological thrillers!

Incredibly atmospheric, this book will grab hold of your heart and keep you on the edge of your seat.

Two women who are desperate for answers about what really happened to their sisters, the “missing Mishawaka girls.” Seven years ago, Vic’s older sister and Jenna’s younger sister went missing weeks apart, under very similar circumstances, but their bodies were never recovered, their cases never solved.

United by their common goal, the truth, Jenna and Vic form a strong bond. Neither of them realize that the path of discovery is going to be so devastating. This was intense, this was heartbreaking, this was GREAT! I had such a good time reading this!

This was a super twisty, well developed mystery that had me right on the razor’s edge from beginning to end.

The Missing Half reads like an extended, more immersive Crime Junkie episode and I am HERE for it! Another go-to recommendation for my fellow CJs looking for their next thriller/suspense read! Thank you, NetGalley!