Read this if you like:
•fast paced thrillers
•cold case
•captivating audiobook

I didn’t wanna stop reading this one! I wanted to figure out what happened. The ending is not vague which is nice and it wraps up quickly. I didn’t fully guess the ending so that’s a plus too!

An enthralling thriller with a few predictable plot points, but a surprising ending you won’t see coming.

This book is amazing! I absolutely devoured it! Ashley is one my favorite storytellers and I can't get enough. This was definitely a story that pulled me in and wouldn't let go. The characters were real and relatable (to an extent, of course) and I can't wait for more!

Flowers' writing is sharp and vivid, creating a strong sense of place that heightens the narrative's tension. The pacing is skillfully managed, with suspenseful moments interspersed with quieter, reflective scenes that allow for character development. The author's ability to build suspense keeps readers hooked, as unexpected twists and turns add layers of intrigue to the unfolding mystery.

I was engaged throughout this book! I really had no idea how it was going to end and I am so pleased with the execution of the big reveal.

This novel is very well written and full of suspense. I finished it in one day! I would have given 5 stars, but for the over use of the F-word. It became tiresome, over and over. Otherwise a great read.

Nic's life has been spiraling since her sister, Kasey, went missing seven years ago. When Jenna shows up at her working hoping she has some clues into Kasey's disappearance in hopes it can help her find her own sister, Jules, who went missing weeks before Kasey, Nic starts to learn everyone is hiding secrets and the truth about Kasey's disappearance is closer than she ever expected.

I liked this story! it was a slowburn, but by the end I was invested in figuring out what happened to Kasey. Some twists were a bit predictable, but they did not take away from the overall story.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This thriller earns a solid 4 out of 5 stars, thanks to its sharp detail, immersive storytelling, and a cast of morally murky characters that kept me hooked from start to finish. Ashley's background in true crime podcasting clearly shines through—her insider knowledge adds an authentic edge to the investigation, making the twists feel grounded and disturbingly plausible.

One of the most refreshing elements was the acknowledgement of "missing white woman syndrome" and how society prioritizes certain victims over others. The book also does a great job exploring the unreliability of eyewitness memory, adding layers of doubt and tension throughout. The dynamic between the two amateur sleuths—both nosy, flawed, and increasingly entangled—was both entertaining and unsettling, especially as it becomes clear that nearly everyone in the story is awful in their own special way. Not necessarily murderers... but not exactly innocent either. What a cast of vileness!

That said, I had to take off a star because of the ending. It left me disappointed—not because it wasn’t clever or plausible, but because of the choices the characters made. After all the buildup, their decisions felt unearned, frustrating, and a bit of a letdown.

Still, this is a compelling read for fans of dark character studies and twisty amateur investigations. Just be prepared: justice isn’t always clean, and neither are the people chasing it.

What a chilling thriller this was!!! I was a huge fan of Ashley’s debut novel so when I heard this was coming out, I knew i had to read it asap! The writing was insane! I felt like I couldn’t put down the book because it was an insane plot!

This book is about the story of two women whose sisters have both went missing seven years ago. Together they start re-investigsting both cases/trying to find clues that link the two together. There are so many plot twists that kept me intrigued the whole read. This story grabbed the true meaning of sisterhood, unconditional love, and what depths you would go for the ones you love. It was an easy read (inhaled this book in less than 24hrs). The twist at the end still has me pondering hours later.

"Two branches of the same tree, two pieces of a soul. Where one sister goes, the other will be, for she is but half of the whole".

I’m familiar with the author, Ashley Flowers, from her podcast Crime Junkies (which I love), although I hadn’t read any of her previous books. So I was so excited to be offered the chance to read an Advanced Reader Copy of THE MISSING HALF. Unfortunately, it wasn’t all I hoped it would be.

The MC, Nic, had a sister go missing who is presumed dead although has never been found. Her sister, Kasey becomes known as one of the two missing “Mishawaka Girls.” Nic is approached by Jenna, the sister of the other missing girl, Jules.

The premise of this book has everything I loved in a twisty thriller. Unfortunately, the actual book doesn’t. I get that Flowers is trying to show how much Kasey’s disappearance upended Nic’s life. But it’s to the point instead of making us sympathetic, it makes her completely unlikable. I literally couldn’t find one redeeming quality in her. She’s an alcoholic currently on a DWI suspension who still drinks too much, skips her court date, abuses the cat she rescued by not feeding it and then gives it back to the shelter, is irresponsible with her job, taking advantage of the fact that a family friend is her boss and won’t fire her, drives on a suspended license, doesn’t clean her apartment, shuts herself off from friends, is abrasive and rude and in general does nothing to try to better herself or her situation. Why would I want to root for her? Having something horrible happen in your life isn’t a free pass to behave this way for years.

While I actually did appreciate some of the red herrings thrown in, the ending (the “BIG TWIST”) felt ridiculous and made me dislike the MC and the book even more. So after all that happened, we as the reader are supposed to be okay with what it turns out initially happened to Jules? To me, this wasn’t an interesting twisty thriller, it was applause for terrible decision making with zero repercussions. And on top of that, what happened to Kasey seems absolutely unbelievable, and doesn’t even completely make sense.

Granted,I’m sure some will still love it. Im giving it a 3⭐️ since I do like the writing style.
Thank you to netgalley, the author and publisher for a chance to read this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review,

Two girls go missing two weeks apart in small towns of Indiana.
A dozen years later, Nic, is greeted by the other missing girl’s sister trying to connect the clues the police and others may have missed. Preferring to put all of her sister, Kasey’s, disappearance in the past, Nic decides to give it one last go. Will teaming up help solve the two missing girls’ case? Or will it just end as it began, ending in heartache?

Two women whose sisters disappeared in eerily similar situations team up to see if they can solve the cold case that police could not. This is great for fans of domestic suspense.

THE MISSING HALF
BY: ASHLEY FLOWERS

"Two branches of
the same tree,
two pieces of a
soul.
Where one sister
goes, the other
will be,
for she is but half
of the whole."

I have been looking forward to reading Author, Ashley Flowers newest novel called, "THE MISSING HALF," since I anticipated it would be an absorbing, and immersive reading experience, and it was that and more. I knew it would hook me from the beginning and that I would read it straight through in one sitting, just like her prior book. Having read both and loved them I knew I'd be in excellent hands since they both exceeded my expectations. Ashley Flowers did an excellent job making it easy to picture the setting where it takes place in my imagination. Yet, again she can create not only well developed characters, and still have a plot that intrigued me intensely. So much so, that I put off my trip to the grocery store until tomorrow which I will do first thing in the morning. I couldn't stop reading, so I told myself I'll go when it opens at 7:00 AM, we will be fine I didn't do it today. I must note that Nicole's character development, along with Jenna's was so well done, that I felt it was very realistic for Nicole who was having not moved on from her only sibling, which was her older sister's Kasey's mysterious disappearance had her stuck in time, back seven years when Kasey disappeared up to the present. Jenna was functioning much better, and the two of them were as different as night and day. Nicole being quicker to be unable to reign in her anger, versus Jenna who seemed more calm making them an excellent contrast even though they're both left without answers with much in common with both of their sisters being disappearances that police never solved having little to go on. The cases were linked as they had many similar aspects that they shared in common, but the cases have gone cold. To me that's tragic to be left without closure, and even more so when detectives stop investigating. I know how hard it is to lose your only sister, but my grief was more close to getting the shocking phone call from my father, which I was inconsolable with acute grief since it was unexpected. I had my husband, and my two kids who were young, so I was not able to stop moving forward, but understood the loss is huge, and I remember the second hardest part was telling my children, and I felt inconsolable that poured out of me that night. I was lucky to have my family to focus on surrounded me with love, and I felt that helped me since I had to since my children needed their mother, so unlike her, who had only her current boss Brad, and his wife Sandy who continued to remain a constant presence, when the support from their community dwindled. It's how different she was from me. I was lucky since I still had a purpose. After reading this, I imagined how I wouldn't choose to ever live like she did making us different since I coped with the early days being tough, but I tried to put myself in Nicole's shoes, and if I was isolated like her, I still couldn't connect to Nicole's depressing life. But I understood her predicament, since her parents were unemotionally available, but even though we both felt our sisters' were like best friends, I was surrounded by love, and my love for my family kept me functioning. Her sadness had seemed to stop her from going forward which I , wouldn't choose since I concentrate on healing. I ended up feeling tempted to want to stay home since I had too many losses in a short amount of time subsequently. I did things that made me happy, and focused on healing, and yet I empathized with her, and felt for her which I shouldn't be comparing myself to her since I had been blessed to have close friends who I spoke or saw often. Even though I still miss my sister, I feel grateful to have not let my life take a self destructive course that she has done by drinking to "numb" herself. I had lost some family members three and five years later which again my grief was all at once, when I heard the news, but I can understand how Nicole had not had closure as the novel begins. I felt empathy for her since it's easy to relate how if you had nobody, I still wouldn't let myself reach the level of her life going downhill as her's did. I couldn't live that way, by a dirty, small apartment, and depending on alcohol. I'm not judging believe me, and I feel that how her life was described would make me feel much worse, but I understand her. Her DWI, and having to lose her drivers license, and do community service which working with the animals, could have been therapeutic giving her an opportunity to make new friends. I've had additional losses, but I understand that "numbing" them by drinking would make it impossible to heal. I do know that by closing yourself off to not have family, and friends, and isolating like her would only keep me stuck which I do not think I could live her life which was the epitome of depressing. I was wasn't consciously aware of it while reading, but writing this review, and reflecting on her life circumstances made me feel so sad, which was maybe because when describing her actions, that I know its tempting to isolate, and it reminded me of my sisters first birthday how the grief came strong, and I remember spending the earlier parts of the day alone in my bedroom feeling hit with grief as if I had just learned the news, but the next day I was magically okay again, which I bounced back to normal which that seemed to be the last time I had such a return of fresh grief as the day before. I think since I had an hour of missing her that first Christmas and I think as I write this I didn't feel those memories of overwhelming first few days, and her birthday which I still miss my sister, and this book didn't feel as triggering as I read it, as it definitely felt while writing about Nicole. Now I usually can think of my sister by imagining the good times with missing her without the sadness. I know it is from trying to imagine that Nicole's grief lingered, and I'm grateful that I have had reasons not to get stuck. The sign of a talented author, like Ashley Flowers is to write such convincing realism to have written so powerfully, had me to be amazed that I shared as much as I did, but I think I did since I felt that I understood Nicole, and the author captured how powerful a loss of a sister feels when she's the best friend how Nicole and Kasey were resonated with me since it reminded me of how my sister, and I were the exactly just like them. I think such authenticity used to have me write it in my review, but I think it was hopeful to read about how having Jenna who went through the same thing resonated also, since it's healing to have someone else you know experienced what you did can help tremendously.

Nichole has an understanding Boss at her dead end job at Funland, named Brad who she ruminates that him, and his wife Sandy have been like family who remained a presence after her sister Kasey who was two years older than her disappeared from her life. The car door was left open with her things in the car, when her car was discovered on the side of the road. That was seven years ago which is so similar in circumstances regarding another young woman whose name was Jules disappeared that the cases were linked together, but no bodies were discovered. A young woman whose sudden appearance while Nichole was working at Funland who introduces herself towards the end of Nicole's shift. Her name is Jenna, and she is the sister of the other missing woman, who wants to team up with Nicole to work together to learn about what happened to both of their sisters. She wants to hear about what Nicole knows about her sister Kasey's case, and says to Nicole that doesn't want to talk, Jenna tricks her into it by saying that if Nicole shares details that she'll share new information about clues that she discovered by reading her sister Jule's diary.

They go to Nicole's dingy, and small apartment, and Nicole is coerced into providing details about her older sister Kasey's disappearance only to have opened up a fresh wound, and poking a stick at it to learn that she was lied to which angers Nicole. This woman's name is Jenna, and it wasn't nice for her to lie about clues in Jule's diary, but the two of them start working as if they're investigators is actually a positive thing. Since Jenna has her life together, and at first helps give Nicole ideas of how to search for Nicole's sister's best friend through Facebook. She remembered a woman named Lauren who worked together with Kasey at Rosies Records. But right before that Nichole looks up a Barbecue restaurant that she rides her bike to the address, and discovers their sister's former employment shared the same wall with Jenna's sister Jules. When they track down Lauren, and start asking questions by deliberately attending church, Lauren is now married with two young children, who they tried messaging on Facebook, but Lauren never responded back. You can tell Lauren doesn't want to talk but the two new friends are persistent, and although she holds back on crucial details, she does give a name of her former employer who is their first lead. They try speaking with the detective who worked Kasey's missing persons case, but he doesn't have the case anymore, and his only helpful lead at the time is he thought she was abducted by a male with a lot of land, who might have noticed Kasey, but not someone Kasey was aware of.

When they find out about the name of the man who was her former boss at a Mesquite restaurant they go out to dinner, and they find out he still works there as a bartender. Jenna had found out prior to the two girls deciding to have dinner at the same restaurant that his record has some incriminating things that make them think he could be the one involved. He had some restraining orders against him from his ex-wife, and some domestic violence, and possibly rape. Lauren had already said that he was known to be the only one she could think of who when the women took out the trash to empty it in the dumpster they never did it alone. They waited for him in Jenna's truck to follow him, and they followed him into a bar, and I couldn't believe they somehow sat down in his booth, and talked to him. These two women who suspected him were brave, since if I was them I wouldn't have dared to do what they did. He mentioned Lauren, and Kasey being frenemies which is new information. When they went to the police who was Kasey's detective he had gotten promoted, and when they brought up that man's name the detective didn't think he was involved since he didn't fit the profile since he was already ruled out since he thought who they thought was the person the detective didn't think he acted in the way a of thinking ahead to have planned an act out ahead of time, such as what it would involve what happened with Kasey.

WOW, was this ever a spectacularly written mystery-thriller whose well developed characters along with a pulse pounding plot that kept my attention so gripping to have finished it within one day. I loved the very short chapters that always leave cliff hangers that you can't resist stopping from reading it. It has so much more to the story that I haven't even begun to include in this review. It got better and better with never a point where you felt a lull in reading as a chance to stop. I really loved this, and I loved the friendship that Nicole formed with Jenna. I wish I hadn't read this so fast, and let it last longer that feeling of an intensity this had the more that I read the more I knew it would be at neglecting my errands, but the Publication Date was the day I read it, that same day, and attempted to write a review, but I was too tired to get it done. I had to rewrite it, and since this is available I would put it in my TBR list, and read it since this really was another great novel by Ashley Flowers that I was eager to get to. Both books that I read by her were top notch excellent. I highly, highly recommend this to all of those readers who like to get so involved that you just keep reading even when you know you need to get other things done. I thought that there are so many twists, and turns which added so much to this mystery that really made the plot fresh, and I thought I figured out who, and what happened. All I'll say is I feel confident that this has a final reveal that I never saw coming, and I guarantee that it will be a shocker making it impossible to guess. I also think it's a genius, and innovative original novel, that I loved it enough to think you will, as well. HAUNTING! FLAWLESS! Five, Plus Plus Stars!

Publication Date: May 6, 2025! AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE NOW. AN ELECTRIFYING & SUSPENSEFUL FAVORITE THAT IS AMAZING HOW YOU WON'T WANT TO STOP READING AS IT BUILDS WITH MORE INTENSITY WITH EACH CHAPTER!

Thank you to Net Galley, Ashley Flowers, and Random House Publishing Group--Ballantine Bantam for generously providing me with my electrifying ARC, in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own, as always.

#TheMissingHalf #AshleyFlowers #RandomHousePublishingGroupBallantineBantam #NetGalley

The Missing Half is full of twists, turns, and a mystery that keeps you guessing.
Both Nicole and Jenna's sisters have gone missing under suspicious circumstances, and the scenes left behind are eerily similar, enough that police believe whatever happened to them was done by the same person. Fast forward 12 years, nd Nicole is working at Funland just trying to make it through the day when Jenna approaches Nicole wanting to work with her to reinvestigate the sisters' case.

Seeing Nicole walk through her sister's last days is heartfelt and emotional, along with those twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I had no idea where this was going to go, and the ending was a surprise!

I will definitely pick up more from this author

Oooo this book hooked me immediately and didn’t let go a few hours after I finished it.

Nic and Jenna both had their sisters disappear without a trace. Years later; they come together to try to figure out how their sisters disappearances were linked.

When I tell you I did NOT see that twist coming. 🤯 and the ending blew my mind. This was SO good! Just a good, solid thriller that’ll have you flipping the pages as fast as you can.

Thank you to Net Galley for this ARC!

Going into books blind is my favorite pastime.

There’s a reason Ashley Flowers runs the Crime Junkie Podcast—and it’s because she truly understands crime stories. So going into this book blind was an absolute gift and I enjoyed every moment of this audiobook (narrator Saskia Maarleveld did a phenomenal job)!

I felt for Nic and every step of her grief. She lost her sister, she’s struggling with her own alcoholism after getting a DWI, and she’s working a job she hates simply because she’s lost all motivation to do something with her life since losing her sister, Kasey.

But Kasey wasn’t the only girl who went missing in Mishawaka. Another girl, Jules Connor, has also been missing—for two weeks longer than Kasey. So when Jules’ sister, Jenna, reaches out to Nic to try to get to the bottom of their sisters’ disappearances, the truths they uncover are most definitely the LAST thing they ever expect. Or at least… the last thing Nic expects!

The twists and turns were completely unexpected for me, and while this entire story was both suspenseful and thrilling, it also gave off a calming vibe that was eerily pleasant.

I cannot recommend this one enough—it’s a quick and suspenseful mystery and thriller that will have your heart pulling for Nic, for Jenna, and for the two missing sisters…and it’ll keep your mind racing to figure out the truth behind it all.

This was a bit too much of a slow burn for me. The plot itself was interesting, but none of the characters were likeable and the pacing was really, really slow. There were a decent amount of suspects, each with their own reasons for wanting at least one of the girls gone, but I did see most of the ending coming and it really wasn’t the big plot twist you would hope for. That being said, I think it stays pretty similar with the writing style for All Good People Here so if you liked that one, this will be good for you too! Thanks to Bantam for my eARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the free e_ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nic Monroe and Jenna Connor both had sisters that disappeared within weeks of each other in 2012. Though their bodies were never found, the emotional toll on both families has been devastating. What unfolds is not only a gripping mystery but also a poignant portrait of grief, addiction, and resilience.

This is a well written book with developed characters and a steady pace. There are a lot of difficult themes addressed by the author including grief, family dysfunction, unresolved trauma, and addiction. This is a dark, twisty thriller of a mystery that any psychological thriller reader will devour!

It's not always the case that one who was left behind is the right one or wronged one. Sometimes the one who was gone had to go to make it right and protect the one left behind.

I knew that Jenna did not have all the answers and try to use Nic to get more information. After all there wasn't anything she wouldn't do for her sister. Just like Nic. Just like Kasey.

But damn, I did not expect half of the twists and turns happened especially in the last bit of this book. Fine Ashley, fine! You know how to keep me on my toes.