⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.25/5)

One girl disappears, two weeks later another girl goes missing. Are they related? After seven years and still no answers from police, Nic and Jenna, the surviving sisters of each girl, team up to bring new life to the case. They uncover more than they bargain for.

This book did not disappoint. Strong character development, you couldn’t help but root for these amateur detectives with a strong sense of family. Twists I didn’t see coming throughout the book, along with quite a few red herrings. Story reeled me in from the beginning, moved quickly and was never boring. The ending worked perfectly with the storyline and left me in completely shocked. Trigger warning: grief, addiction, infidelity. I look forward to Ms. Flowers next book.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.

Nic and Jenna both had sisters that disappeared. When Jenna decides that Nic's missing sister case had similarities to her own missing sister they work together. I did not like any of the characters in this book, nor do I like reading about people involved in drunk driving situations. The book was a bit of a downer for me. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc without pressure for a positive review.

Well-crafted and articulate! I think it is an absolute Must-read! Drafted from the author's obsession with cold cases, which this one will chill you to the bones. I'll be thinking about this for awhile.
"But sometimes, the scariest stories aren't just about what happened. They're about who it happened to. They're about the people left behind, the ones forced to keep going while searching for answers that might never come."
In 2012, two families lives changed for the worst when Kacey and Jules went missing two weeks apart. Kacey vanished in Michigan with her car found 100 miles away with her purse in it. Her sister Nic has slowly declined and is working a dead-end job just to get by and learn how to live without her half. Jules's sister Jenna offers Nic some hope as they do some amateur sleuthing on their own for a cold case that is important to them. What they didn't expect in uncovering the truth is that it has been hidden in front of them all along.
With these cold cases, this thriller is chocked full of dark secrets. It becomes twisted, as they try to find solace in what they will know will crush them. The shocking ending left me chilled and a lot to ponder. It did slow down throughout, but it gave a lot of background to the victims that set the stage and why the sisters have dealt with such grief and obsession.
Thank you Ashley Flowers and Random House for my physical copy! Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Bantam for this outstanding ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Nic’s life stalled the night her sister Kasey disappeared, taken from her car on the side of the road. Seven years later, the sister of another young woman who disappeared under suspiciously similar circumstances, reaches out to Nic to team up and try to solve their sisters’ cold cases. Lies and betrayals come to light, and everyone looks like a suspect as the two surviving sisters begin to form a bond amidst the chaos. With a shocking ending and true crime vibes, fans of Ashley Flowers’ debut will enjoy this one, although I was left wanting more.

Pub Date: 5/6/25
Review Published: 5/6/25
eARC provided at no cost by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Ah, The Missing Half—a book that promised me gripping suspense, emotional stakes, and sisterly desperation…I wanted to care, really I did. I lit a candle, I made a hot beverage, I even put my phone down. But alas, emotional investment was not found, much like Kasey, the missing sister. (Too soon?)

You know that feeling when you finish a book and just sit there blinking like, Wait… that was it? I went in expecting a twisty, edge-of-your-seat mystery and instead got a confusing goose chase full of red herrings, plot holes, and characters I cared about as much as I care about expired yogurt.

We meet Nicole “Nic” Monroe, whose life is basically held together with duct tape and bad decisions. She’s stuck in a dead-end job, fresh off a DWI, and has been living in a constant cloud of “oh no, poor Nic” for seven years. Her sister vanished, and so did, apparently, any forward momentum in the plot. Enter Jenna, another girl with a conveniently missing sister. Together, they embark on a journey of… crying, brooding, and asking zero helpful questions.

Nic is supposed to be the hot mess you root for, but I never really connected with her—probably because she spends most of the book wandering through emotional fog and questionable decisions. And the rest of the cast? About as memorable as a beige wall. I kept reading, hoping the “aha!” moment would hit, but by the time the big twist showed up, I mostly just muttered, “Okay… but how does that make sense?” Spoiler: it doesn’t. Not really.

I get that it’s supposed to be one of those jaw-dropping endings that makes you rethink everything—but the only thing I was rethinking was why I didn’t DNF it 100 pages earlier.

Now to be fair, I fully acknowledge some readers will probably love this one—especially if they enjoy thrillers with lots of detours and dramatic reveals—but it just wasn’t for me. I need a little more logic with my whiplash.

So, if anyone needs me, I’ll be over here reading something else and possibly adopting a new fictional sibling to care about.

A fun, fast-paced ride with a twist I didn’t see coming. Real, relatable characters and classic family dynamics are my makings of a great suspense book.

At first it feels like your average teenage drama. Siblings butting heads, parents trying (and failing) to keep it together, the kind of everyday tension we all recognize. But as the story unfolds, you realize things aren’t what they seem. It’s not solid ground at all. It’s a marsh—quiet and familiar on the surface, but full of hidden depths. What seems simple gets more tangled and murky with every chapter.

This one stuck with me, and honestly, I think my favorite line in the whole book is the very last sentence.

4.5 ⭐
The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers kept me on the edge of my seat for two sittings! It was a very engaging read with all the twists and turns. The characters were well developed and the writing was excellent. I will be thinking about this book for a while. Highly recommend!

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 their 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 her life and offers Nic something she hasn’t felt in a long 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.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bantam for the advanced digital copy of the book.

I devoured Ashley Flowers' 2022 release All Good People Here and I've been keeping an eye out for another book from this author since then! I always love books written about sisters and their relationships and Ashley Flowers perfectly incorporated those themes into this darker thriller. I really could not predict where this book was going, every time I thought I knew - I was wrong! This is going to be a must-read of the summer! Perfect for fans of Megan Miranda and Lisa Jewell!

Seven years have passed since Nicole Monroe’s sister, Kasey, vanished without a trace. Though she’s tried to move on, the weight of unanswered questions still haunts her. Life hasn’t been easy. After a DWI and losing her license, Nic is still working her dead-end job at Funland, clinging to what little stability she has left. She knows it’s because her boss is a friend of her family, that she still has this job.

Then a woman named Jenna Conor appears, and yanks Nic right back into the past, when Jenna claims her own sister, Jules, also went missing under eerily similar circumstances, just two weeks after Kasey, in a nearby town. Both cases share chilling parallels: abandoned cars, no evidence of foul play, and the same dismissive conclusion from authorities, “they simply walked away.” But what if they didn’t? What if there are others?

This is a slow-burn mystery that gradually builds into a gripping, emotional ride. The characters are flawed and deeply human, and once the story picks up, it’s hard to put down. I found myself pulled in, racing through chapters late into the night. The ending left me stunned.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam/Random House for the opportunity to read this uncorrected eBook copy in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars
I was excited to read/listen to the new Ashley Flowers book. I enjoyed the set up of two women looking for their missing sisters. We went through possible suspects and unreliable narrators over the course of the book until the shocking twists at the end. On the plus side, I didn’t guess what happened but, on the minus side, I wasn’t particularly behind the twists/reveals. I’m sure this will be popular with the book clubs as we head into beach read season. Hands down the best thing about this book for me was Saskia’s narration!

I thought this book was really well written and it kept my interest throughout. It kept me in suspense and I didn't see the ending coming. I must say I wasn't thrilled with the ending, but more in the way that I wished things had turned out differently, rather than that I thought it wasn't well done, because it was. Many thanks to Random House Publishing/Ballantine and to NetGalley for an e-ARC of this book.

The Missing Half is the sophomore novel from Ashley Flowers. I enjoyed her first one and was looking forward to this one. Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhousepublishing for this #gifted copy.

The story starts with Nic, she's 24 and her life is pretty much a mess. She lives in a ratty apartment, works a dead end job she's had since high school and recently got a DWI. Her life pretty much fell apart 7 years ago when her sister, Kasey, disappeared without a trace. Her car was found about 100 miles away with her purse untouched inside. The only real clue is another missing girl from the same time, Jules. Out of the blue one day, Jules sister, Jenna shows up. She wants them to team up to see if they can finally solve the mystery of both of their sisters' disappearances. What follows is a pretty wild ride with some definite surprises that I didn't see coming. These two are willing to do whatever it takes to get to the truth. I was very surprised by the ending, but I do think you have to suspend a bit of disbelief with it. But overall, a fun mystery that really takes off and doesn't let up until the end.

Releases today, May 6, 2025. Perfect for a Summer read. I look forward to whatever this author puts out next!

Thank you so much for my advanced readers copy for an honest review ! I am so grateful. Solid five stars. Phenomenal! I enjoyed. Well that was one CRAZY, TWISTED, ride with an ending I didn’t see coming! Flowers once again captivated from the first page to the very last! This fast paced mystery had it all! The sisterly bound had me jealous and wishing I had family that cared for one another!! The writing was superior!! I would definitely recommend this book and her other as well! Bravo 👏🏻 well done! LOVED!!

I loved this book! "The Missing Half" is a bingeworthy and gripping thriller. I've had "All Good People Here" on my TBR forever, so I was really excited to get this ARC. I dropped everything I was doing to read it, and it did not disappoint. I was in desperate need of a good thriller, and this definitely fit the bill. The story moves quickly with its intriguing characters, short chapters, and clever plot. The twists were well-executed, and I did not see them coming. I'll admit that I'm not quite sure how to feel about the ending, but my jaw is still on the floor. This was such a quick and easy read that I binged it in a few sittings. I was so lost in the story that I couldn't believe it when it was already over. Such a great thriller, and I can't wait to read more from Ashley Flowers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Nic’s life is a mess, she never got over her sister Kasey’s disappearance - she has a DUI, still works at a dead end job and is basically estranged from her now divorced parents. With no real clues to help find Kasey, the police clung to the fact that another girl, Jules, disappeared the week before (and Jules’ case was basically ignored until Kasey was connected to it). Now years later Jules’ sister, Jenna comes to Nic asking for the two of them to team up in order to solve their sisters’ disappearances. Through their investigation Nic uncovers secrets about Kasey and the summer she disappeared - can the two connect their cases, catch the killer and will they will be able to deal with what they find out about their sisters, their families and each other.

Since I really enjoyed the last book by Flowers, All Good People Here, I was very excited for this one and it did not disappoint. I did not predict the twists or turns and really enjoyed how the story slowly unfolded. Even with all of Nic’s terrible decisioning, I never really got that frustrated with her character; and I liked the dynamic of the two sleuths. The story included the concept of sellability of the victim - how some crime stories are picked up and everywhere while others languish because the victim isn’t the right race, religion or even just attractive enough. As usual, the narrator Saskia Maarleveld was amazing; I listened to a lot of this one because I was getting over the flu and reading wasn’t working for me.

4.25 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Bantam for the ARC to review

I enjoyed 'All good people here' by Ashley Flowers so I was excited when I was granted an ARC of 'The Missing Half' and I was not disappointed. The book had a lot of twists and turns, just when you think you figured it out, you haven't. The book was hard to put down.... I needed to know who took the girls!!! I can't say I honestly liked the main characters and usually that is a big deal breaker for me, but Ashley Flowers has a way of writing that it didn't bother me as much, I think because I was so into the mystery of the missing girls. No spoilers, so I can't go into more details than the summary the book gave. I am looking forward to her next book.

This was an engrossing mystery thriller packed full of emotional turmoil. Nic and Jenna join forces to investigate the 7 year old disappearance of their sisters. Acting as amateur sleuths, they face challenges at every turn, even with each other.
Both characters, particularly Nic, have been struggling with the challenges of life in the absence of their sisters. During their investigation, they quickly develop a friendship, finding support in each other.
I read through this book in just a few hours and the ending took me completely by surprise! WOW‼️
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Suspense readers will love this book. Two sisters, each have a missing sister set out to find out what happened to them after seven years of waiting for the case to be solved. This hard to put down book will have readers eagerly anticipating the truth. The ending was truly a shock. Highly recommended!

The Missing Half is a fast-paced, twisty read that kept me engaged from the start. I definitely didn’t see the big twists coming- which I appreciated. That said, some of the plot points felt a bit farfetched and required a suspension of disbelief. Still, it was an entertaining ride and a solid pick if you're in the mood for a quick, gripping thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the eARC.

Everyone in this book felt so selfish. I thought I had the plot figured out twice and didn’t, actually I didnt see the first twist at all. Then here comes the second and…. Well. Idk. It was just over then. The ending was far too rushed for me. And left me with too many questions.

It was a fast read, binge worthy for sure. Just needed something more.