Two sisters and an unsolved murder! What else do you need. Thank you netgalley and the publishers for the ARC I read this in under 6 hours and loved it.

Both sisters suffer the loss of their sisters a mere two weeks apart, stricken with grief and needing answers we get a true thriller with twists I didn’t see coming.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review on my Goodreads page. This book is out May 6, 2025.

The premise of this thriller had real potential: years after one sister goes missing, another woman with a similar story steps forward, and together they begin to unravel the mystery of their long-lost siblings. It’s a setup that promises suspense and likely twists.

Unfortunately, the execution didn’t quite live up to the hype. The beginning felt rushed, making it hard to settle into the story or connect with the characters. As the plot progressed, I found myself hoping for surprising turns or jaw-dropping reveals (and admittedly, some readers may find them), but the narrative played out in a fairly predictable way in my opinion. The dialogue and overall writing style felt a bit flat, and the character development didn’t do enough to make me fully invested in the outcome.

While the concept was intriguing, this one just didn’t quite hit the mark for me. That said, readers who enjoy straightforward thrillers may find this one a great read I am sure.

This was a great who dunnit thriller! I didn’t see the ending coming! I really enjoyed the amateur sleuthing and the secrets uncovered. Thank you for the chance to read early!

This story centers around two sisters, Jenna and Nic, who come together to investigate the missing persons of their respective sisters after Jenna comes to believe that the disappearances are connected. This story is a bit muddy at first but it really starts to come together when Jenna and Nic dig in to their investigation and we are given several options of what could have happened to the sisters.

The ending comes quickly and in a twist that was a bit wild, almost too wild to the point of disbelief, but the author sold it well enough that with a bit of willing suspension of disbelief it was enjoyable.

The story starts simply enough with two women teaming up to identify the killer (killers?) or their sisters. This is only the outer-most layer of the onion and as more details are revealed multiple suspects are held under the spotlight.

First off I will say I’m a Crime Junkie that didn’t enjoys Flowers’ first book BUT LOVED THIS ONE!!! 5 beautiful stars that kept me guessing! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for a honest review.

A thriller needs to be interesting and it needs to have a twist that makes sense, and it needs to leave you satisfied. I would say this book was a little slow early on, but it made up for it with the twist and leaving me satisfied. Great writing and interesting story of a girl living in the aftermath of her sister's kidnapping 7 years earlier, and the havoc it wreaked on her family, and frankly her motivation to go on, as she stagnates in life. Enjoyable, a thriller done well.

Thank you NetGalley and Bantam for this ARC! This was another great book by Ashley Flowers! I was riveted all the way through. Love the fact that she has short chapters, so it's easy to zip through. This wasn't quite as gripping as her first book, but it was a fantastic read nevertheless. I highly recommend it!

The missing half review
The missing half is a murder mystery featuring two families struggling with the sudden disappearance of their young daughters and the fallout of their such in a small Midwest community. As the sisters of the missing girls attempt to uncover the parallels of their sisters’ cases they uncover an even more complex story.

The missing half takes place seven years after the disappearance of Kasey and Jules disappeared seemingly into thin air in August 2012. Jules’ sister Jenna seeks out Kasey’s sister Nicole to help uncover any new details into the cold cases surrounding their sisters’ disappearances.

The miss half moves through its plot and a wonderful pace as we work with the sisters to dredge up any old leads that could point the cases in a new direction. The story remains compelling and the twists are plentiful that made the book hard to put down. The growth and development of the characters felt authentic and you could genuinely feel the grief of the story members. The author also did a great job of setting up the location, as a native of the Michiana region I could vividly picture the locations described throughout. My only complains would be that the first half felt very generic until the story opened up a little more and the characters on the periphery of the story were given more time to breath. Additionally, one major talking point (the reveal of the rape of Jules) felt so sudden and unresolved that it took a few minutes after I finished the book to remember. Overall, Ashely flowers has a knack for writing cold case mystery novels, her ability to paint a vivid picture of small town life and the twists make the novels a great read.

4/5

This book held me in a vise grip!

Nic Monroe is a hot mess. She and her older sister, Kasey, were inseparable while growing up in a dysfunctional family. So when Kasey goes missing without a trace, Nic has lost her lifeline. She spends seven years trying to ignore the pain, she mutes it with alcohol until she can’t after a DWI. Still working at her dead end job, one night a mysterious woman approaches her with an important proposition. You see this woman is Jenna, the sister of another girl named Jules who went missing around the same time as Kasey. No one has ever cracked the case of the missing girls that summer. Jenna and Nic join forces to figure out what happened to their ‘missing halves’. But their investigation is going to dig up dark secrets neither woman could have predicted.

This story was a slow burn and I was never bored. Every chapter is filled with dread and suspense and kept me glued to the pages. I never could have guessed how this would end, it literally knocked my fuzzy socks off! I can’t wait for this one to get into thriller readers hands, it’s going to be an instant best seller.

Thank you Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and the author for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. This book will be available for purchase on May 6, 2025

I love this slow burn of a thriller. Feels like a real life crime drama unfolding before your eyes. There are no sensationalized bits or superficial characters. This is so well developed and full of empathy. It challenges true-crime inspired thrillers by giving a voice to the central victims and their family. Flowers is an instant read author for me! EDIT: omg, I just finished this and my mind is BLOWN! Wow, well done. So many twists that I didn't see coming!!

I liked this mystery and didn’t see the end coming. The characters were not very likable (or even reliable in some cases) so I wasn’t always invested in the outcome, but the twists kept me interested. It kind of gave Gillian Flynn or Paula Hawkins vibes if set in the Midwest. Overall a great read for thriller/mystery fans.

Thank you Netgalley and Bantam for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ashley Flowers returns with “The Missing Half,” a chilling and emotionally charged thriller that explores the haunting bonds of sisterhood and the pain of unresolved grief. With a heart-wrenching plot, razor-sharp twists, and complex characters, this book cements Flowers as a rising voice in the thriller genre—one who knows how to tap into emotional depths while keeping you on the edge of your seat.

In 2012, two teenage girls—Jules Connor and Kasey Monroe—vanished without a trace, just two weeks apart, in neighboring towns in Michigan and Indiana. Both girls’ cars were found on the side of the road, abandoned with their belongings still inside. The similarities were chilling, but with no suspects, no bodies, and no resources, the cases quickly went cold. Seven years later, the sisters they left behind—Jenna Connor and Nic Monroe—are still reeling. Nic, in particular, is stuck in a destructive loop: she's battling alcoholism, weighed down by guilt, and going through the motions of a life that stopped moving the day her sister disappeared. When Jenna shows up at Nic’s dead-end job with a new clue that could link their sisters’ cases, the two women join forces to seek the truth that the police never found. But their investigation unearths more than either expected—family secrets, dark connections, and painful truths that may be more devastating than not knowing at all.

“The Missing Half delivers” emotional weight and relentless suspense in equal measure. Flowers crafts characters who feel deeply real—flawed, vulnerable, and achingly human. Nic Monroe is particularly compelling: angry, broken, and self-sabotaging, yet deeply loyal and determined. Her grief is raw, her journey messy, and her growth hard-earned. Her chemistry with Jenna creates a compelling dynamic—a reluctant partnership that slowly builds into something rooted in empathy and shared trauma.

Flowers also excels at structure and pacing. Every chapter ends on a mini cliffhanger, making this an absolute page-turner. The twists are smartly placed—some shocking, some quietly devastating. Just when you think you’ve figured things out, another layer is pulled back. It’s a book that lingers long after the final page, especially once the full truth is revealed—gutting and unforgettable.

Despite the heavy subject matter, the book never feels overwhelming or gratuitous. Flowers handles themes of loss, addiction, and guilt with nuance and care. Readers who appreciate dark, emotionally complex mysteries with a strong emotional core will find “The Missing Half” deeply satisfying. While the final twist is powerful, I didn’t really find it jaw-dropping; it wasn’t as surprising as I was expecting, especially after reading other reviews.

Overall, “The Missing Half” is a stunning blend of psychological suspense and literary emotion. With memorable characters, heart-stopping twists, and a central mystery that pulls you in from the first page, you quickly learn that this is not just a thriller—it’s a story about grief, resilience, and the enduring bond between sisters. And by the final pages, you might just need to sit in silence for a moment.

Nic's sister went missing a few years ago. When Jenna contacts her, she proposes they work together as her sister also went missing at the same time. While Jenna has seemingly got her life together, Nic has no license due to a DWI and works at a job she hates for a family friend. Both of the remaining sisters want to find out what happened to the missing girls, but what are they willing to do to get answers?

I liked this fairly fast paced mystery. The characters were deeply flawed but kind of owned their mistakes so it didn't turn me off the book completely like it might sometimes. This isn't really a thriller, but it is an easy-to-read book that reminds me of Megan Miranda books, Listen for the Lie, or The Return of Ellie Black. I'm not sure it will stick with me, but it was enjoyable for what it is.

This is my second book by podcaster Ashley Flowers, and I was happy to see that her ghostwriter is created on this one (sort of, in very small wording on the cover). I hope that if she continues writing, she will fully credit her.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
This story was a whirlwind! It started with two ordinary young women, Nic and Jenna. Both of them have sisters who have disappeared. They decide to get together and try to find out what happened to their sisters. I read this book quickly because I wanted to find out what happened. The end was somewhat a surprise. I encourage you to read this book if you like fast moving, twisty mysteries!

Ashley Flowers totally nailed it with The Missing Half. It’s dark, twisty, emotional, and kept me guessing the whole time. The characters felt so real, and the ending hit hard. If you love a good psychological thriller, definitely add this one to your list!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review: I LOVED this book at the start of it. I felt pretty connected to the MC and really appreciated her tough approach. The MC has clearly been through a lot after her sister went missing. She began drinking and struggled with addiction, that process is recognized throughout the book. The book sort of has the nostalgic feeling to solving crimes like discussing places of work (a record store and a restaurant) I'm not sure how to describe it but it felt nostalgic in a good way. I felt the way the MC and her side kick were going about trying to find their missing sisters was fun, reckless at times and gave me the feeling of reading about armchair detectives which I love.

All that to say, the ending turned out to be a let down. I don't think everyone will feel that way. There were aspects of it I did enjoy, especially the last scene. Unfortunately you do have to suspend a significant amount of disbelief. I go back and forth with books requiring me to suspend a significant amount of disbelief. In some ways it's fiction so I expect and actually enjoy that, it allows you to explore the what- ifs but also it can really throw you out of the story and that happened to me here.

I'm not mad I read it, I especially loved the beginning. THe writing is good, it's fast paced but also takes time to build characters and meaningful moments which I appreciated.

This was so damn good..and chilling! Loved it so much!!!
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

The novel,The Missing Half, was written by Ashley Flowers and published by Random House/Ballentine Books,was surprisingly good. The premise is that two young women go missing in a small town,a few years apart.Their cases are never solved causing grief for their family members for years to come. Out of the blue,the sister of one missing girl finds and compels the sister of the other missing girl to work together and find out what happened because the police didn’t seem to put much effort to investigate their disappearance. We are introduced to several characters that live in the town to find out if any of them were responsible.The story seems to meander for a good portion of it but I didn’t give up reading. I was interested enough to find out what happened at the end.Ater about 80% of reading,it all started to fall into place and……wow!,what an outcome,didn’t see it coming after all the guessing I did.It certainly deserved five stars just for the outcome.
Thank you NetGalley,for the arc ebook as well as author and publisher.
On sale May 06,2025.

Thank you so much to Random House for the gifted copy!

Title: The Missing Half
Author: Ashley Flowers
Pub Date: May 6, 2025

Wow, did I ever fly through this one! At just about 250 pages, this was such an easy read to get lost in and fly through! I read it in two sittings!

I still wasn't over the ending of All Good People Here when I started this one, but Ashley Flowers showed no mercy and left me in shock at the end of this book too!

The setting in this book was so fun (literally a lot of it took place at Funland, say less)! Nicole is just trying to work her shift at Funland (sorry, I'll never get over that this takes place there) and go home when she's stopped by a woman, Jenna Conner, in the parking lot claiming to have new information on the disappearance of both of their sisters. Nicole and Jenna decide to work together to get to bottom of the mysteries of their missing sisters. From there, everything goes CRAZY!

The pace was fast, the plot twists were unpredictable, and of course, the ending was BONKERS! Was it believable? Who's to say, honestly; crazier things have probably happened! If you're looking for a book to instantly snap you out of a reading slump, let this book be your cure! You won't be able to put it down and you won't see the ending coming a mile away!