Member Reviews

Nic and Jenna have one very big thing in common: their sisters (Kasey and Jules) went missing. Their cases are presumed to be connected. In the seven years since they’ve gone missing, Nic and Jenna haven’t crossed paths. Until one day, Jenna shows up at Nic’s work and tells her she has information the police don’t. They start to work together to try to solve the mystery of what happened to their sisters.

Nic’s life has slowly been falling apart in the 7 years since Kasey disappeared, most recently landing her with a DWI, mandatory AA meetings, and community service.

I really enjoyed this! It’s super fast paced and the last 20% is twist after twist after twist. I liked the twists and didn’t guess any of them, but didn’t think they came out of left field (which I don’t like). The ending made sense with the progression of the story and it had a satisfying conclusion.

**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Ashley Flowers does it again, The Missing Half is such a fun ride! I was so excited to read this book and it did not disappoint.
This book tells the story of 2 missing girls from the same town and how far sisters will go for each other.

Nic is working a dead end job in her hometown, going to AA meetings and surviving the loss of her missing sister Kasey. Nic is approached by Jenna who happens to be the sister of another missing girl from their town. Jenna convinces Nic to look into their sister’s cold cases to try to solve them.
As the story unfolds Nic learns that she didn’t know her sister as well as she thought she did. The two follow leads into the local restaurant owner and creep of the town. They confront the detective who was on the case looking anything that could’ve been overlooked. Nic searches her own car and family for answers while Jenna seems to be withdrawing herself dealing with her sick mother.

The missing half is a quick read that had me staying up all night to finish. The last two big reveals had my jaw on the floor. However I don’t feel like everything was tied up at the end but I still enjoyed it.
Thank you so much to NetGalley for the digital ARC, I was so happy to receive this book!
Look for the missing half out May 6th, 2025!!

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It takes a lot to keep me guessing as a reader of this genre. I love nothing more than not seeing events coming. This book did that and more! Tension builds throughout the book and leaves you so unprepared for the ending. You feel for these characters so much and can't help but wonder what the end game is. Highly recommend to anyone that wants to not guess what's coming in this psychological thriller.

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OK ASHLEY FLOWERS GO AHEAD. I love thrillers and mysteries but never give them 5 stars because ya know, endings are predictable, same storylines, etc. This was not like that, this was perfect. I was gripped from the beginning and read it in 2 days. It was giving AGGGTM but for adults, in the best way.

Ashley really laid out the story with breadcrumbs to follow to solve the murders and every time I thought I had it figured out, it was different. But it worked. It wasn’t a super unrealistic plot twist (ok kinda but it’s fiction lol) and as the ending approached, I was wary of the turns it was taking but it came together perfectly. Even after all that happened, I find myself still rooting for Nic to get her shit together.

I also enjoyed that it wasn’t a neatly wrapped up ending with bad guys locked away and everything squared up. It made it feel less cookie cutter thriller. Anyways - love! Everyone read this.

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Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The Missing Half.

I was pleased my request was approved since I read the author's first book and the premise of her second book made me interested to read it.

Eight years ago, Nic Monroe's older sister, Kasey, went missing. Since then, her life has never been the same. Her personal and professional life is a mess, and she can't do anything right.

Until the older sister of another missing woman, Jules, comes to her for help in her personal investigation, certain Jules' and Kasey's cases are connected.

But is Nic ready to face the truth of what happened to her sister, and the consequences of her own actions?

First, I really liked Nic and Kasey's relationship; they were very close and Kasey looked out for Nic because that's what an older sister does.

Second, Nic was harder to like; I didn't dislike her but I didn't like her.

I know her life is a mess and she's young and keeps making bad decisions but it feels like she's never learned from her mistakes. Again, she's young and her parents aren't exactly supportive and there for her.

Third, I liked how Nic and Jules' sister team up to find out what happened to their missing sisters; their rapport and energy worked off each other despite, or because of, how different they are.

The pacing of the narrative is good, there's some suspense and a bit of urgency, especially as we see Nic make one poor decision after another.

But then we get to the end, the hook, the reason readers are reading The Missing Half.

If the author had given us one twist, such as where Kasey was all this time and why, I could have accepted the ending.

But there's a twist upon a twist that really made me strain to suspend disbelief. It was just too much.

I've noticed many suspense authors doing this; throwing twist after twist and the kitchen sink at readers to shock and amaze us but it doesn't hit its mark for some of us (definitely not me).

This wasn't bad and I liked the writing, if not Nic.

If you can suspend disbelief easily, unlike me, you'll really enjoy this.

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The Missing Half is a mystery suspense that centers on Nic and Jenna, both of whom are struggling with the fact that their sisters disappeared in seemingly-related events seven years earlier. The police have drawn a blank and the case has long since grown cold when the book begins with Jenna seeking Nic out and convincing her that they should investigate on their own.

None of the characters are likable. Nic is a train wreck, and though you try to dredge up sympathy for her by reminding yourself that she’s been through a lot, the fact that she seems determined to repeatedly take a wrecking ball to her own life gets tiresome quickly. Jenna is far more put together than Nic, but she too is self-centered and immature, and when it’s revealed that she is 34 years old you’re likely to do a double take. The secondary cast of characters is, if anything, worse, and everything you find out about them simply reinforces that point of view.

The story has a lot of potential. It’s a bit of a different twist on a relatively common premise, as it turns out, but the problem is that there are so many holes and inconsistencies in the story that in the end you’re left more annoyed than anything else.

Take, for example, Nic and Jenna’s relationship. At a certain point in the book, the reader is expected to believe that her “friendship” with Jenna has become the best part of Nic’s life. Presumably to set up events that are shortly to come. And yet, that deep relationship has been in no way established. The two of them have nothing to do with each other aside from their investigation; they don’t chat, they don’t hang out, hell they don’t even trauma bond. In fact, one gets the sense that half the time they don’t even trust one another, so to somehow suppose that they are suddenly BFFs is quite a stretch.

The path that leads to the climax of the story has enormous gaps in it. The reader is expected after the fact to follow the logical progression, as most of the action that leads our protagonists here, we are expected to accept, happened off-page. Behind the scenes, as it were, and explained after the fact in a villainesque monologue. Frankly, I find that to be a cop out.

And, finally, when events are fully explained they are distinctly lacking. Scene details the author wrote in to fit the previous narrative simply do not work when they attempt to make them fit the twist they want the ending to be, and it’s disappointing and irksome to read the whole book only to have it crumble over silly things.

Attention to detail matters, most especially in genres like this one. I’ve tried hard to avoid spoilers in this review and have not supplied specifics, so I will close simply by saying that The Missing Half missed the mark on too many of the details.

Disclosure: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and am leaving a voluntary review.

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Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this book. #TheMissingHalf #NetGalley

How would suddenly losing your sister affect the course of your life? For our main character, Nic, her life has been off-course since her older sister, Kasey, disappeared seven years prior. When she is approached by Jenna, whose sister, Jules, disappeared in a similar fashion a couple weeks before Kasey disappeared, Nic is reluctant to get involved. But Jenna wants to reinvestigate the girls' disappearance, and convinces Nic to join in. As they work together, they discover long-hidden secrets, and form a bond. But their investigation leads to an unexpected conclusion. A solid read.

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I really enjoyed this one. It was well paced and thought out. The characters, the plot and the twists were great. This is the second book by the author and I definitely think this one was better. This one didn’t feel like a copy of an already true crime story. The main character goes through a lot of emotions throughout but the growth is a good addition to the story. Without giving anything away a second book to this would be great to see where the main characters and others end up.

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It's the second book I read by Ashley Flowers, and though it is better than the first one, I still think she tried too hard with the plot twists. Some of them were predictable, and the end of the book felt kind of rushed and not thought through, especially coming from someone who "deals" with crime as her main job. Overall, the book was entertaining, and it kept me hooked because I wanted to see where it was going, but it wasn't a favorite.

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Nic’s life went off the rails the night her sister Kasey disappeared. Kasey’s car was found abandoned along the side of the road miles from home. Shortly before Kasey went missing, Jenna’s sister also disappeared. Her car was also left at the side of the road. The police think the cases might be related, but their investigations went nowhere. Seven years after the disappearances, Jenna convinces Nic to team up to try to find out what happened to their sisters and who was responsible.

Nic’s struggle to move on from Kasey’s disappearance is heartbreaking, but understandable. Her life seems frozen in place in the same job she had in high school, still drinking too much, and making poor decisions.

Dang! This one really blew my mind. I was not prepared for the ending. 🤯 it’s best to go into this one with as little knowledge as possible so you don’t see the twists and turns coming. The plot is tight and well executed and the pace is steady. There were numerous red herrings that kept me guessing. This is a fantastic thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.

Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the e-arc. The Missing Half publishes May 6.

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Two missing women, where are they? Two sisters trying to find out what happened to their loved ones. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat. Once you think you have it figured out, Ashley Flowers sends the story in a different direction. 5 stars!!!

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This was an engrossing quick read with surprising plot twist all the way through. Each of the characters is flawed, but earn the reader's empathy. loved it!

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I could not put this one down. Two girls disappear within a couple weeks of each other and years later their 2 sisters team up to decide to finally figure out what happened to them.

I did not expect the ending at all. I suspected tons of different scenarios throughout the book, but what really happened surprised me. I think this book was very well written. It was very exciting and I really enjoyed it.

Surprise endings can sometimes be cheesy or feel rushed and forced. This one was done beautifully and I felt like this exact story could be something that happened in real life.

Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

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The book was suspenseful to the very end. A page turned keeping you guessing until the very end.
Ashley Flowers is a thriller writer to watch.
The sisters of two girls gone missing 3 weeks apart brings them together to figure out who took the girls. When you think you have it figure out you don't. Keeps you on the edge of your seat while feeling nostalgic.

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This book really sucked me in. This was my first Ashley Flowers, and I really enjoyed her writing style. Very easy to read. The storyline was interesting and entertaining. The ending blew my mind but seemed awfully abrupt. Overall a good read

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Ashley Flowers does not disappoint with her endings! I was sad because at first the ending started going in a direction I didn’t like and then it took another right turn and when in a completely different direction from what I hoped it be. I threw me for a loop. I love Ashley’s writing style and the pacing of her books. This was a win for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for this great ARC!

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When I came across this title, I was truly excited to see that Flowers was writing another book. I really enjoyed her debut novel, All Good People Here, and have listened to her podcasts, like Crime Junkie and Supernatural, for years. However, reading through The Missing Half, I was a little disappointed. Let's get into it.

Pros:

The story starts with a strong hook that piques your interest and eventually ties back into the ending, making everything come full circle, which I really enjoyed. Additionally, the ending had a twist within a twist that I didn’t expect, which was the highlight of the whole story. The surprise element added a lot to the experience.

Beyond the plot, which had a solid foundation, Flowers did a great job at making you dislike the right characters—something that is always important in a suspense novel.

Cons:

I found that, although the premise was interesting, I wasn’t itching to get back to it. I would read it if I was bored, but I wasn’t excited to return and uncover what happened next. I attribute a lot of this to the writing style, which I will get into soon.

The suspense, though good, didn’t really pick up until around chapter 36 or 37, which felt too late in the book. With only two scenes before chapter 37 making me go "OMG," I felt like there was something missing.

Additionally, there were valiant attempts at misdirection throughout the novel, but at times, it felt like Flowers was trying <i>too<i> hard to lead us in the wrong direction. The misdirection was overkill in some places, though, fortunately, the twist at the end was still effective.

Some more personal cons...

The alcoholism subplot didn’t really fit for me. Nic is an alcoholic, and I think Flowers included that to help tie the story together, but I don’t think it was necessary to make her entire character revolve around it. Especially considering that her mother is also an alcoholic, it felt like there should have been a moment where Nic truly comes to terms with it. There is a brief scene of her pouring wine down the drain, but since she had already tried to stop drinking a couple of times throughout the story, it didn’t feel like a final resolution to that part of her narrative.

Additionally, there were a couple of scenes throughout the book that didn’t add much to the story. They felt unnecessary and drawn out—clear attempts at adding depth, but unfortunately, they just didn’t land effectively.

Speaking of the writing...

Going back to Flowers' debut novel, I listened to <i>All Good People Here<i> on audio, and I think if I had done the same with this book, it would have improved my overall experience immensely.

However, when you’re physically reading a book (rather than listening to it), you naturally pay more attention to the writing itself, and honestly, I had some qualms about the writing in this story. Here are some things I noticed:

There are quite a few run-on sentences structured like "this and this and this" instead of "this, this, and this," which affects the book’s flow.

Some of the tenses are inconsistent, and there were several awkward sentences or missing words that took me out of the reading experience.

Formatting issues (maybe just personal preference) with the text messages in the story— the font wasn’t distinct enough from the rest of the text, making it difficult to differentiate when a character was reading a message versus when they were simply narrating.

The writing overall felt a bit elementary and stilted in places.

Since I received an uncorrected proof through NetGalley, I do believe that post-corrections, this book will shine a bit brighter. However, as it stands, there were still quite a few things that needed fixing to improve readability.

Final Thoughts:

Through it all, I did enjoy the story and really liked the ending. <i>The Missing Half<i> had strong elements that made the highs really high and the weak elements that made the lows really low. It didn’t fully deliver on the suspense or writing quality I had hoped for, but again, I am attributing this largely to the fact that I read the uncorrected proof version.

Focusing just on the story itself, with further editing, this book has the potential to improve significantly.

As it stands, disregarding the glaring writing mishaps, I would rate this a 3/5. I’m taking off a star because I wasn’t eager to get back to it the entire time, and another for the elementary writing style, which I don’t think will be fully resolved even after final edits.

It’s a good story, and it is entertaining with a great ending—just nothing groundbreaking or especially memorable.

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I liked this book so much that I immediately picked up Ashley Flower's other book as well. It's about two women who start working together to investigate the separate (but possibly related) disappearances of their sisters that happened several years ago. I was not expecting the twist ending and was very surprised and satisfied!

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Ashley Flowers' The Missing Half is a fast-paced thriller that grabbed my attention from the start and didn’t let go. The main character, Nic, is a whirlwind of determination and emotional baggage, making her an incredibly engaging lead. After her sister goes missing, Nic has been stuck in a spiral of self-destructive behavior, and when a new character, Jenna, appears, she shakes Nic out of her funk and forces her to confront the past. The dynamic between these two women adds a layer of complexity to the story, highlighting themes of grief, guilt, and survival. Nic’s unapologetically flawed nature made her feel all the more real, and her journey to find justice for her sister is what really drives this book.

The plot is a twisty ride, full of unexpected turns that kept me on edge. There are some moments that might feel a bit predictable, but the emotional weight of the characters and their actions more than made up for it. The suspense is woven seamlessly with the personal stakes, so the mystery isn’t just about who did it, but also about how deep the lies run. If you enjoy mysteries with morally gray characters, dark secrets, and high emotional stakes, The Missing Half will definitely keep you hooked from beginning to end. Definitely recommended for anyone who loves a compelling, character-driven thriller!

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Unexpected reveals, rethinking everything you thought you knew to be true, unbreakable bonds between sisters. This book has it all.

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