This was my first read from this author but I am definitely going to have to pick up her first book. I can't say the characters were that likable but I still didn't want to put it down. I really wanted to find out what exactly happened and when you find out prepare to be blown away. The last few chapters in here were doozies. Didn't see that ending coming at all. I'd recommend.

Soo here's the thing; I did struggle a little with reading this because it seemed a little slow before finally starting to pick up. Two women have both been impacted by their sisters disappearance several years prior. One has been working diligently to find her younger sister or at least figure out what happened, the other has been slowly self destruction over losing her older sister. This is the culmination of their efforts to work together and figure it out.

Is it a good premise? Yes. Does it sometimes require you to suspend disbelief? Also, yes. It is another of those occasions where civilians are figuring out what cops could not. As far as some of the twists, a few of the earlier ones I did figure out, but the final ones were a surprise, never saw it coming. I don't want to say more than that to avoid messing up the surprise for others. It is a very quick read, not a long book at all. The writing style works for me, even if the way it was wrapped up is a bit unrealistic. I will try other books by the author to see how that goes.

"The Missing Half" was such a good read. Ashley Flowers kept me on the edge of my seat with so many twists and shocking turns. What an ending!!

Review of The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers

A big thank you to the publisher for approving my request to read this on netgalley as well as to @libro.fm for the audiobook.

I really enjoyed this one and it was a very quick read/listen for me. I definitely felt bad for the main character who was searching for the truth about what happened to her sister, and there were lots of really good twist in this one that I never saw coming. I enjoyed the storyline and writing style.

Synopsis:
Nicole “Nic” Monroe is in a rut. At twenty-four, she lives alone in a dinky apartment in her hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana, she’s just gotten a DWI, and she works the same dead-end job she’s been working since high school, a job she only has because her boss is a family friend and feels sorry for her. Everyone has felt sorry for her for the last seven years—since the day her older sister, Kasey, vanished without a trace.
On the night Kasey went missing, her car was found over a hundred miles from home. The driver’s door was open and her purse was untouched in the seat next to it. The only real clue in her disappearance was Jules Connor, another young woman from the same area who disappeared in the same way, two weeks earlier. But with so little for the police to go on, both cases eventually went cold.
Nic wants nothing more than to move on from her sister’s disappearance and the state it’s left her in. But then one day, Jules’s sister, Jenna Connor, walks into Nic’s life and offers her something she hasn’t felt in a long time: hope. What follows is a gripping tale of two sisters who will do anything to find their missing halves, even if it means destroying everything they’ve ever known.

Ballantine I think you love me and I will forever be grateful for that!

Ashley Flowers, host of the Crime Junkie podcast, wrote a second book and man! I liked this one better than book one. Only up from here for sure :) The thing I love about Ashley is she is a wonderful story teller. She has a way that brings you into the story and you want to know what happens next. Same thing here! I'm unsure if this book has snippets of a true crime like book 1, but I will say, I was amazed. I was amazed by how she drew me in and led me on a wild goose chase. Who she wants you to believe it is was so forth coming you know its not going to be that person. But the last 10% or so, wow. It'll get ya and you won't see it coming. Great great book.

This book gave me Stacy Willingham vibes for real. Alcoholic, messy female MC is her MO lol. But Ashley Flowers also did it. Honestly, that was a detractor from the story. But I did like this story. Not sure I agree with the ending and how I feel about it, it's a bit of a lesser of two evils kind of thing...Like, do I side with that ending or do I hate it because of what happened. Vague, yes lol. Overall, a quick, fascinating read that leaves you wondering what else?

Ashley Flowers delivers a gripping and emotional mystery in The Missing Half. The story dives deep into the complicated bonds between sisters and the haunting ripple effects of a long-buried trauma. With a strong sense of atmosphere and a narrative that kept me turning pages, this book was hard to put down.

The pacing was solid throughout, and I appreciated the emotional layers woven into the suspense. Flowers does a great job of balancing the mystery with heartfelt character development, making the story intense and personal.

While a few plot points felt slightly predictable, the journey was still engaging, and I found myself fully invested in the characters’ search for truth. The ending was satisfying and wrapped things up in a way that felt earned.

A compelling, well-written thriller with emotional depth—definitely a recommended read!

Thank you to NetGalley, Ashley Flowers, and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nic’s sister has been missing for 7 years. While Nic has accepted that Kelsey is likely dead, it hasn’t stopped her from imploding her own life in every way possible. When Jenna, sister of another missing woman, shows up to Ty and get Nic to look into the disappearances again it makes Nic angry. However, she gets sucked in by Jenna and before she knows it she is going down the rabbit hole of her sister’s disappearance all over again.

I thought I had this one all figured out and I was so wrong. There were some final chapter surprises I hadn’t prepared for! This was a great thriller and I will recommend to my book loving friends!

Ashley Flowers’ *The Missing Half* hooked me from the first page. I was deeply invested in Nic and Jenna's search for answers about their sisters' disappearance (and possibly murder?). Flowers captures the ache of unresolved grief with raw honesty, and the growing bond between Nic and Jenna felt authentic and powerful. I couldn’t stop reading — every chapter revealed just enough to keep me guessing. Unfortunately, the last 50 pages revealed a twist that did not match the compelling nature of the rest of the book. The twist felt forced, the characters suddenly felt OOC, and the conclusion left me with more questions than answers. I personally prefer endings that are a little more tightly wrapped up.

I enjoy books with unreliable narrators, and this one definitely delivered. I thought I knew where it was going the entire time, and there were just enough red herrings to convince the reader they understood what the plot really was. But the ending surprised me, and considering how many stories I consume (both reading and watching) that is impressive. I would definitely recommend to someone looking for a less predictable mystery/thriller and they are all Freida McFadden-ed out.

I liked Ashley’s previous book too, but this one was a standout! Other authors in the women’s suspense genre should take note! This is how you do it. Twists were believable and I didn’t see them coming. Can’t wait for her next one! Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine for the review copy!

4.5

Two young women whose sisters went missing seven years ago, meet and decide they would work better together than on their own trying to find out what happened to their sisters. Their sisters seem to have gone missing in the same set of circumstances. Could this have been done by the same person?

I paired this book with audio and ended up connecting quickly with the two sisters stories and staying with the twists and turns along the way. My mind kept changing on what was going on but the reader has to wait until the end, which made total sense but I didn't suspect. That last sentence is staying with me!!

A personal note - I appreciate the lack of graphic foul language, sex, and murder descriptions. Finding good clean books that are well-written are getting harder and harder to find. My thanks to the authors and publisher.

My thanks to Net Galley and Bantam for an advanced copy of this e-book.

I'm a fan of Ashley Flowers and Crime Junkies so I know that she can tell a good story. But this particular story just fell flat to me. Or rather it didn't seem to get off the ground very quickly and I never felt very engaged with the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. Though not for me, I hope others will enjoy it.

4.5 stars

Oh those final twists were insane!!

Ashley Flowers can for sure write amazing thrillers. Loved the plot of this one and all the twists and turns. I really liked Nic as a character and main protagonist, she was easy to root for and I really wanted her to solve her sister’s disappearance.

The book itself was a bit slow in the beginning but it sure got me in the second half 👀 I’m still on the fence on how I feel with the ending but I’ve got to admit, it wasn’t what I was expecting AT ALL

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to SMP and NetGalley for the arc of this book. All opinions are my own.

I have loved Ashley’s debut, as well as crime junkie so I was excited to get my hands on this and it did not disappoint. I really enjoyed this one. It was suspenseful and gripping. I loved the way Ashley told the story. It was easy to get lost and I enjoyed it immensely!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for the eARC of The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers, in exchange for an honest review.

Seven years ago, Nic’s older sister vanished from the side of the road, leaving Nic’s life in shambles. She still works at the same dead-end job she only keeps because it’s owned by her dad’s best friend, after losing her license in a drunk driving accident. But everything changes when a stranger named Jenna approaches Nic, seeking her help. Seven years ago, Jenna’s younger sister went missing in the same way as Nic’s sister, Kasey, just a week before. Together, these two women embark on a journey to unravel the mystery behind their sister’s disappearances.

Ashley Flowers’ writing is so immersive that you feel like you’re listening to a true crime podcast, which is no surprise. The story is filled with twists and turns that keep you guessing, with brilliantly placed misdirections that will make you roll your eyes at what appears to be predictable moments, only to be proven wrong a few chapters later. This is a must-read for true crime enthusiasts who enjoy the thrill of sleuthing, but with Flowers’ signature plot twists and unpredictable endings that keep you on the edge of your seat.

This was definitely an enjoyable and engrossing mystery for me. I was invested in both Nic and Jenna's character arcs and I wanted to find out what happened to their sisters. There were lots of twists and they were a bit wild but still interesting. I think if you read this book without expecting realism you will enjoy it so much more. I really loved how the author ended the story, it surprised me in a great way! Thanks to Ashley Flowers, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

It's been seven years since Nic's older sister Kasey vanished from her car without a trace. Nic's life has been on hold since that moment. She works the same dead-end job she's had since high school, she's stuck in a crappy apartment in her hometown, and she's on probation for getting a DWI. One night, a woman named Jenna tracks Nic down and convinces her to start investigating the disappearance because Jenna's younger sister Jules went missing in a similar manner the week before Kasey did. The two women begin to pick apart the cold cases, finding connections that the police never looked into and secrets from the past.

This was an enjoyable mystery to read. I appreciated that there was some actual investigation going on, rather than clues just dropping out of the sky. I thought the characters were all interesting and had depth to them. It was hard to watch Nic make terrible decision after terrible decision, but I enjoyed how Kasey's character was slowly revealed over the course of the book. The pacing started out a bit slow, but then it really ramped up. I think to fully enjoy the ending you have to suspend your disbelief a little bit, but it was a twisty road to get there. This will be a good one for readers looking for a classic cold case and people who enjoy stories about sisters.

More like 3.75/5.

Nic and Jenna were interesting protagonists to follow, both wanting answers to their sisters’ disappearances after the police have seemingly given up. As is often the case, they are unprepared for some of the answers they find and how it will impact their ability to work together.

Well that was a wild ride. And very unexpected. Since Nic’s sister disappeared, nothing has been the same and she is barely keeping it together (if you can call getting a DWI and working at Funland doing kids birthday parties keeping it together). When the sister of another girl who disappeared approaches her about trying to solve the cases, Nic is hesitant. But as Nic and Jenna start looking into their sisters’ disappearances, Nic realizes a lot more was going on that summer than she remembers and perhaps this new information could help her find out what really happened to her sister.

This started out relatively promising, but the farther I got, the less I enjoyed it. While I didn’t see the twists coming per se, they were over the top. This definitely did not live up to All Good People Here for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for providing a digital ARC of this title!