I've been waiting for this book since reading the last words of All Good People Here and I'm SO happy to say I was not disappointed at all. While the premise didn't grab me like AGPH this book is just as engaging and twisty, and I love how grounded and realistic it manages to stay. Really looking forward to using this for book clubs, as AGPH was a favorite among my mystery/thriller book club last year.

Ashley Flowers is fantastic! This was suspenseful and engaging. I think she brings a new and fresh perspective to mystery/thriller books.

Nic Monroe, a 24-year-old protagonist, has endured her fair share of hardship. Her life took a devastating turn seven years ago when her sister, Kasey, vanished without a trace. Kasey's car was discovered over a hundred miles away from home, but the only potential lead was the disappearance of another girl just weeks earlier under eerily similar circumstances. With no substantial evidence, both cases went cold. However, when the sister of the other missing girl unexpectedly enters Nic’s life, the two join forces to uncover the truth about their lost loved ones.

I appreciated how this book wasted no time diving straight into the action. As a thriller, it did exactly what I hoped—it thrilled! The pace was consistent and gripping, and I devoured the story eagerly. The characters were engaging to follow, even if they occasionally made some questionable or impractical decisions. While certain parts of the plot may have stretched believability, I found the writing enjoyable and the journey undeniably entertaining.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC!

I love Ashley Flowrs writing style and was so excited to get this as an advanced galley copy. This book was easy to follow and a quick read. I did not expect the ending!

All Good People Here was one of my favorite books of 2023, so I was really looking forward to reading The Missing Half, and it did not disappoint! The story follows Nic and Jenna, two women who both have had sister go missing. Is there a connection between the missing women? Did the police miss something?

With strong character development, well paced story, and a twist I didn't see coming, this was a great read!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for the ARC!

This is the story of Nic and Jenna who both have sisters that went missing seven years ago and their cases appeared to be linked. Nic's been trying to move on and live without her sister (and not doing so well at it) but when Jenna shows up and encourages her to do their own digging, Nic's thrown right back into the thick of it and things go from crazy to even crazier all the way to the very twisty endings that you don't see coming.

I read this in one swallow.

with gratitude to Random House Publishing Group and netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished reading this book, and I was deeply moved by Nicole "Nic" Monroe's story. From the very beginning, I felt her pain and frustration as she navigated her life in a rut. Living alone in a small apartment, dealing with a DWI, and working a dead-end job made me feel a profound sense of sympathy for her. I could truly relate to her desire to break free from the weight of her sister Kasey's disappearance, which had cast a shadow over her life for the past seven years.

The sense of loss and hopelessness that Nic experienced was palpable. I could feel her struggle to move on, even as she was haunted by the unsolved mystery of Kasey's disappearance. The way the book portrayed her emotions made me reflect on my own experiences with loss and the longing for closure.

When Jenna Connor entered Nic's life and offered her a glimmer of hope, I felt a surge of optimism. The bond between the two sisters, united by their shared grief and determination to find their missing halves, was incredibly powerful. I was captivated by their journey, feeling the tension and suspense as they faced the unknown together.

As Nic confronted her fears and uncertainties, I found myself rooting for her every step of the way. The emotional rollercoaster of their quest to uncover the truth kept me on the edge of my seat. The book beautifully captured the complexities of hope, fear, and resilience, making it a truly gripping read.

Overall, this book touched my heart and made me reflect on the strength of the human spirit. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for an emotionally charged and compelling story. It left me feeling inspired and hopeful, and I can't wait to see what the author comes up with next.

3.75 stars. This book held my attention and kept me guessing until the very end. I definitely did not see the ending coming, and I enjoyed it.

This story keeps you guessing and is hard to put down. Once I was done, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

AMAZING. I absolutely loved this book! I was hooked from the start! While reading this book I was able to connect with the characters and feel their feelings! The amount of times I said “Whaaaatttt, OMG”. Hope she continues to write mystery novels!

Ashley Flowers delivers a gripping mystery in The Missing Half, following Nic Monroe’s relentless search for answers after her sister’s disappearance seven years ago. When another woman with a missing sister approaches her, their pursuit of the truth leads to shocking revelations.

With strong character development, emotional depth, and well-paced suspense, Flowers keeps readers hooked until the final page. Fans of compelling mysteries and psychological thrillers won’t want to miss this one—it’s a page-turner that lingers long after the final twist.

Two women, Nic and Jenna, come together to try to solve the cold cases of their sisters who both disappeared without a trace years ago. The further they dig to find the connections between the two disappearances, evidence comes up that neither women expected, and could tear them apart.
This one was a bit slow to start, and Nic and Jules both present as much younger than they are in the novel, which was a little weird. The ending was worth the wait with a double punch that I absolutely did not see coming!
Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam Publications for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up

i am insanely surprised by how much i enjoyed this one honestly!!! i got pretty hooked on this one after getting a few chapters in and it held my attention for the majority of it, i loved the idea of the two sisters teaming up to try and figure out what had gone wrong the nights of the girls disappearances. their investigating was pretty fun to follow along, i liked that there were valid reasons for every one they suspected!!


what i did not enjoy was the ending for the most part. this ending felt pretty mediocre to me, i felt a bit rushed and incomplete after just spending 200+ pages with the MCs trying to figure out whats going on the big “twist/reveal” at the end fell flat for me. it wasnt anything that made me go “oh my god thats insane” just more of a “really, thats it? thats what all this build up was for?”. part of the twist felt pretty obvious to me.

at the end of the day i had a good time reading this one!! but the ending kind of killed it for me and the big shock factors at the end of thrillers play a very big part in how i rate and view this book after im finished.

3.5 stars.

Nic Monroe's sister has been missing and presumed dead for seven years, and ever since, Nic's life has been hell. She'd like to try to move on, but can't. When Jenna Connor, sister to Jules, the other of the two Missing Mishawaka Girls, approaches Nic and suggests they look into the case, she reluctantly agrees. But as the two begin to peel back layers, they find secrets that were never revealed, and clues that might lead to the truth.

This is one of those books where, at least for me, you don't like the main character throughout the whole thing. Even at the end, there's no redemption. She's kind of a shit person.
I liked this book. It was pretty basic, with your expected red herrings and secrets. The twist at the end really took me surprise, which was nice. But it felt that it ended soon after. Like, "Plot twist! Ta-da! Then story resolution, and the end." It felt anticlimactic to me.

4 ⭐️

THE MISSING HALF by Ashley Flowers and Alex Kiester

Is this the most unique premise? Probably not, but I thought it was well-executed for what it was. Nicole is struggling with alcoholism after her big sister disappeared 7 years ago. Kasey’s body was never found, and when Jenna - whose sister also disappeared around the same time - asks Nicole to become an amateur sleuth with her, the sleuthing gives Nicole some purpose. Nicole is a messy character, which adds a wrinkle to the sleuthing.

➕ Quick, propulsive read
➕ I really liked the first person narration, and I liked our flawed main character Nicole.

➖ Not a unique premise
➖ Sometimes it felt like it got lost in the weeds, but even when it did, I was still invested.

This is an ideal book for the beach. Not too long, not a complicated plot, not too many characters, not high literature but still well-written, engaging story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

It publishes May 6, 2025.

The Missing Half ⭐️⭐️⭐️
(Suspense/Thriller)
A big thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. I was so excited to read this because it’s written by my favorite podcaster, Ashley Flowers (where my Crime Junkies at?). I really enjoyed her first book, All Good People Here. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this one was not nearly as good. Two women team up in search of information about their missing sisters who disappeared around the same time. Suspects emerge and chaos abounds as the story unfolds. I thought the first 80% or so of the book was slow. The twist appears, and I did not see it coming. While it did have an unexpected twist, I felt that the story left a lot to be desired. But no worries, I am forever and always still a Crime Junkie fan.

This was definitely a page turner - two sisters investigating their sisters related disappearances 11 years after the fact. They band together to follow new leads which leads to an unexpected ending. I enjoyed the twists and turns and especially the ending.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC

I truly enjoyed this book. The character development was phenomenal and the plot intrigued me throughout the book. And the ending! Talk about a twist!

This book grabbed my attention from the very start. It is definitely a page turner! I could hardly set it down. The main characters were very well developed so that I felt like I knew them. Just when I thought I knew where the story was going, it took a little twist. While I was still in shock of that new development, another major twist happened. I loved this story. I would recommend it to young adults and up. I do not think the language is appropriate for those who are younger than that. The drinking and sexual content is probably not appropriate for younger readers either. I would have liked to have had a little more insight into how Jenna learned new discovery that was really mind-blowing and how she knew where to go, but maybe knowing that would have blown one of the surprises!

I thought this was an entertaining read with good twists! I didn’t see the ending coming at all. The author definitely makes you suspect various people