I liked this one more than Ashley Flowers' last novel, but I struggled with the slow pace and incredibly aggressive and dramatic MC. The way she handled herself when communicating with people was hard to read. Overall I liked the mystery and would recommend readers pick this up!

This incredible new book from Ashley Flowers is much better than her debut novel. The Missing Half has everything that thriller, mystery, and true crime fans want. Nicole and Jenna bond over their sisters' disappearances and since the cases have gone cold, decide to investigate together. Nicole learns more than she bargained for, including that she can't trust Jenna.

I absolutely loved this novel and devoured it. This is sure to be in every beach bag this summer.

This book fell a little flat for me. It started out really well but I was losing interest about half way through. I really prefer that my thrillers be a bit more thrilling. Not sure I would recommend this book to my friends.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

3.5⭐️. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the arc to this great, summer thriller! Full of a great plot and a couple of twists that you will have your jaw dropped. The last half of the book flys by. Recommend reading or finding the extra content in the Target version - the bonus content had me 🤯. Hope everyone takes the time to check out this great summer 2025 read — and under 300 pages. Ashley knows where it is at!

Content Warnings: grief, divorce, kidnapping, murder, substance abuse, DWI, AA, sexual assault, breaking and entering, death
Spice: none (outside of CW of sexual assault)
Tropes: Thriller, Mystery, Crime Podcast, Crime Junkie, Crime Thriller

Ashley Flowers has done it again! She had a lot to live up to after All Good People Here but I think The Missing Half came out superior!

I am a sucker for a thriller and this book did not disappoint. There was great character development on all sides where you really understood not only the main characters but also the supporting characters as well!

As someone with multiple sisters, I thought this was a really unique take on the idea of what the bond of sisterhood can withstand and just how far one sister is willing to go for another.

It’s not very often I don’t see a twist coming, but this book got me! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys mysteries and thrillers with the caveat that this book really is about the characters more than it is the crime

Ashley does it again...she has made a seamless transition from podcaster to author! This time fictitious (the first book was a complete Jon Benet tale). Good story and you'll love the ending (no spoiler!)

Reading challenge category - 2025 Flourish and Blotts: Shop Proprietor - Leaky Cauldron: Includes a bar/pub (Nic is an alcoholic and part of their investigation brings them to a bar)

Nic's sister Kasey disappeared 7 years ago and is presumed dead. Nic just got a DUI and had her licensed suspended and is working at her high school job at a local Chuck-E-Cheese-esque place while doing community service at an animal shelter. One evening, she is approached by Jenna - the sister of another girl (Jules) who disappeared 2 weeks before Kasey did. Jenna wants Nic to work with her to help figure out what happened because the cops have all but stopped. "Twists" ensue. Spoilers for people who don't want to read the book: (on Goodreads)

Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC of this. I probably won't be ready anything in the future by this author.

I devoured All Good People Here so I was excited for this one! It was good but not better than that, it got my attention and kept it through the whole read. Everyone always needs a solid thriller. Her writing and development of the story is really good and I loved the twistiness and the emotions put into it.

Ashley Flowers’ first book was enjoyable and as a fan of “Crime Junkies”, I knew I had to quickly read her follow-up, “The Missing Half.” It follows two sisters who are trying to figure out what happened to their older sisters who went missing around the same time several years earlier. This book was interesting, kept me on my toes, and was enjoyable. While I always appreciate a twist ending, it became slightly too unbelievable for a bit. I still r largely was a fan. 4 stars ⭐️. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley.

✨️Review✨️
The Missing Half By Ashley Flowers
6/5 🌙's

Overview: 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.

Thoughts: wow! This book was my favorite so far this year. From early in the book I was hooked. I couldn't put the book down. I never called the ending. The characters were believable and well rounded. The vibes were spot on. Every time I felt like I had reached the last twist there was another one right behind it. Ashley knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat and shock you with surprises.

I would recommend this to anyone one who loves twists and turns and an unpredictable ending.

I loved Flowers’s first book and definitely wanted to read this follow up.

Nic is a mess after the disappearance of her older sister 7 years ago, so when she’s approached by the sister of another missing woman who wants to investigate, she gets on board. They start going through the evidence, making new connections and discovering new pieces to help them locate their sisters.

Nic is a messy main character, which I actually really like in thriller novels. Give me someone unreliable! The pieces slowly come together in this one, and the ending was a surprise to me. I liked how this one is a thriller but it also explores the bonds of siblings and the things you would do to keep them safe. Definitely recommend!

Ashley Flowers is such a captivating storyteller, she always has me transfixed. The Missing Half was no exception. Just when I thought I had this book figured out I would be surprised!
All The Good People Here was a good book. The Missing Half did not disappoint!
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC!!

My first book of Ashley Flowers and I enjoyed it. It was a fast-paced read with some twists and turns.

We have some flawed but believable characters. I wasn't a big fan of the ending but this is one of those stories where anything goes and any ending is to be expected (minus an alien or other genre-bending stuff)

Overall, a decent, fast-paced read. Thanks to Netgalley & Random House for the e-copy!

3.5/5

In her sophomore thriller, Ashley Flowers’ background as the creator of the Crime Junkie podcast serves her well. Following two sisters seeking answers about their respective missing siblings, the story is intriguing and could easily fit in the annals of true crime. The story is well-paced and the characters are vulnerable with one another while seemingly withholding just enough to make the reader question each movement and motive.

The Missing Half is a suspenseful and twisty mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. Paul makes for a convincing red herring, and the tension is well-paced throughout. However, the relationship between Nic and Jenna could have been more developed, and the ending felt a bit rushed. Still, it's an engaging read for mystery lovers.
3.5 stars

This book started out really well, but as the plot progressed the treatment it and the characters got was really uneven. At times, Nic seemed really well developed. At others, she just didn't sound or feel believable as a protagonist. While the twist at the end was somewhat unexpected, its execution was kind of clumsy. The narration felt like it really had to work to give us the big reveal and the subsequent explanation that comes in this type of novel. Also, the ending...I understand the intention, but I don't think it was executed well. There were so many other ways the book could have gone, and that's where the book, I think, stumbled in the biggest way. If readers can find too many other plausible explanations/possibilities, that, to me, says the author should have gone a different way with what they ultimately picked.

Some of the thriller moments were great, but the novel could have been much better all the way around.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, this book started off strong and interesting, trying to find out what happened to the missing sister, but fell flat towards the end. At first, the chapters keep you engaged and are fast-paced, leading you wanting to know more. However, the story just became a little too convoluted in a way where things did not add up, and when we finally get to the ending, it was very lackluster. There are no likable characters throughout the book as well, which made it hard sometimes to keep engaged as we went along in the story.

This was such a good book. I had my thoughts and suspicions throughout but did not even dream that would be the ending!! Wow!

Wow Ashley did it again! I loved her first book so reading this one was an absolute must but oh man. It was better and wilder. I could not put it down. I read the whole thing in about 4 hours. I have not read a book this good in a long time. The characters development was great! Read it! You won’t be able to put it down. I had my jaw on the floor the whole book!

A twisty and chilling story of lost family and answers being found in mysterious ways. I couldn't put it down!