The Missing Ones is a psychological thriller that explores the lingering effects of childhood trauma, buried secrets, and the devastating ripple effects of one person’s disappearance. Anita Waller presents a tightly wound narrative that moves between past and present, slowly unraveling the truth behind long-held family pain.

What Worked:

The premise is gripping: a mysterious disappearance with emotional stakes tied deeply to a fractured family. Waller handles the core mystery well drip-feeding information at just the right pace to keep readers turning the pages. The dual timeline approach is a solid structure, allowing for tension to build as we piece together the truth.

Waller also shines in creating atmosphere. The rural English setting adds a layer of isolation that complements the novel’s tone of suspicion and grief. The feeling of claustrophobia both emotional and physical is ever-present.

Sadness, guilt, and loyalty run through each character’s arc, and Waller does attempt to give them depth. Some of the characters, especially the women, are portrayed with emotional sensitivity and realism, which was a highlight.

What Fell Short:

While the setup was strong, the execution felt uneven. The middle section dragged, with a lot of internal monologue and backstory that slowed the momentum. Key reveals were predictable, and some twists lacked the impact they were clearly meant to have.

Character development also felt thin in places. A few characters made decisions that didn’t quite align with their earlier behavior, and some dialogue came off as overly expository rather than natural.

Finally, while the book is marketed as a thriller, the suspense element was fairly subdued. Readers expecting a fast-paced or intensely suspenseful ride may be left underwhelmed.

Final Thoughts:

The Missing Ones is a solid read with emotional weight and an intriguing mystery at its core, but it didn’t fully deliver the punch I hoped for. Fans of slower-paced domestic thrillers with a focus on family dynamics may still enjoy it but don’t go in expecting edge-of-your-seat tension.

Sadly I didn’t love this book even though I’d seen it had been highly rated by others. It was readable for sure but I found certain parts of it to be a little frustrating and unrealistic. The police team in this book were unlike any I’ve ever known of or read about in other police procedurals, short working hours for one thing! Unrealistic procedures and thought processes and overall just not believable for me. I like books to have twists in them and although you could argue that this one did have a couple towards the end I found them to be very obvious. I’d already figured out the ending at 60% in. I’m grateful to have been provided an ARC copy to read and review but sadly I can’t rate this one very highly.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Missing Ones’ written by Anita Waller in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Gentle and kindly Ray Eke is recovering from a breakdown and having disposed of his accountancy business is now spending time picking up discarded litter. During his normal route is finds the horrifically mutilated body of Lauren Pascoe who disappeared three years earlier. This is DI Chris Chandler’s first investigation having just moved to the district and he and his team will be working non-stop to identify the killer before a replacement for Lauren is abducted.

‘The Missing Ones’ is so addictive that once you’ve started reading it’s impossible to put down. The plot is tense with non-stop action and victims whose injuries are so vividly described that at times it’s difficult to read without grimacing. I’ve really enjoyed reading about DI Chris Chandler and his hardworking team of Maria, Tia, Bryn, Sally, Andy and Danny who’s been transferred from traffic patrol, and I’m hoping this is just the first of a new series as I’m positive these characters have many more books in them to intrigue readers. I’ve found this to be a well-written and exceptionally chilling thriller that’s had me gripped from page one and although I rightly guessed early on who I thought the killer was I wasn’t prepared for the massive shock that was awaiting me in the epilogue. Thank you Anita, you're a brilliant writer!

This was such a dark and twisty read that had me gripped all the way through, I really found it hard to know who to trust!

The Missing Ones follows Ray Eke after he finds a body of a girl who's been missing for years. Ray had a breakdown a few years ago, and swapper his seemingly successful career for a simpler job collecting litter. When another girl is found dead, he recognises her as a previous coworker. Wanting to know the truth, he starts investigating. Is he getting too close to the truth?

What an amazing novel. Dark, disturbing, and full of promise. Super atmospheric and with gruesome twists, an absolute page-turner!

3.5 ⭐ rounded down.

This was my first time reading Anita Waller and it was an okay introduction. I liked the characters, the storyline and the setting. It was a little more gruesome than I expected, nonetheless, it was decent. I did enjoy some parts of the investigation, and the chemistry the team had. Their banter with each other was entertaining. However, I am not sure I quite liked the writing style. It didn't flow naturally to me.

In addition, certain parts of the book dragged. I also figured out pretty early on who the killer was. That wasn't what let me down though. I'm an avid thriller/mystery reader, so, I can almost always guess the twist. What really disappointed me was how rushed it felt. There was no explanation for why they did it, what led them to it and why they chose their victims. I felt like there was so much more that needed to be explained. I mean there's ambiguity, and then there's plot holes...huge difference. The final line also threw me. It came out of nowhere and I audibly said "huh?".

Overall, I wouldn't say I hated it, but I definitely had several issues with this book. I did however enjoy some of it, and would give this author another try in the future.

Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Anita Waller, for my eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book was creepy good. I was instantly drawn in—especially curious about Rays breakdown and how he ended up living such a quiet, isolated life. The story unfolds with a haunting intensity, and the sorrow of the families with missing girls really hit hard. The torture details were unsettling and tough to read at times, but they added to the disturbing atmosphere. Even with the heavy content, I couldn’t put it down. Dark, emotional, and impossible to look away from. Twists and turns, suspicions about the identity of the predator, rage fueling my desire to see the reveal. Loved and Hated this book.

I flew through this creepy thriller in just a few hours!

After a breakdown at work, Ray Eke swaps his senior partner role at the accounting firm he founded for a litter picking job for the council that gives him all the fresh air he needs. When one day he stumbles on the body of a woman who went missing 3 years ago and has been held captive all that time, this mild-mannered man is thrust into the spotlight. But nobody can imagine he’s connected beyond coincidence. Surely?

Then another woman goes missing.

This is well-paced, and sufficiently unnerving. Even at the end I’m still not sure quite how to reconcile everything…

This is a dark, gripping and totally addictive psychological thriller, with a twisted plot! I loved the writing style, coupled with the excellent characterisation, which hooked me from the start. There are some pretty gruesome descriptions, not to mention the clever twist at the end, which made it a difficult read. The ending left me a bit disappointed but overall, a very good thriller. Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

2.75 stars rounded up - my first by Anita Waller, and this started out as a seemingly decent read when a litter picker worker finds a woman’s body… however I think a few things stopped this being a more enjoyable 4 star read for me sadly.

Firstly, the pacing was off. It dragged far too long on them investigating, and the policing didn’t quite ring true - you don’t just pop by the house of the man who found the body, for a chat because you like them. And surely you can’t just borrow a traffic beat cop and then magically make them a permanent member of the team with one simple form?

Secondly, the language just felt a little - I’m not quite sure how to describe it, but slightly trying too hard for me. It didn’t read as smoothly or as naturally, and almost felt like a debut book as a result. Added to which, was the dialogue feeling a bit stilted. The whole team seemed a bit to jolly happy perfect together all chums here, and not natural - I’ve never worked anywhere where there hasn’t been some friction or grumbles…

Thirdly, whodunnit. Lots of signposting here, and then at the end it all wraps up with a solution and then another and another… but without any explanation why. After a slow story, you at least want the satisfaction of knowing why… which we don’t get here.

I’d hoped to like this one, and I am happy that the majority of reviews do seem to give it 4 or 5 stars. I have seen a few others agree with me though, which is sometimes reassuring!

I received a free ARC copy of this via NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Rating: 1.0/5

"The Missing Ones" is my first experience of Anita Waller's work and, if this is typical of her writing style, then I suspect it will also be my last.

The story opens in a reasonably encouraging fashion - but it is all downhill from that point. You might generously describe the author's style as simplistic or, if you are feeling less kindly inclined, you may prefer to brand it as quite juvenile and reminiscent of the kind of stuff produced by Enid Blyton, but with some more adult content.

The dialogue is stilted and unnatural. The narrative contains so much padding that it is clearly only there to make up the writer's required word count. I appreciate that authors require dramatic licence at times, but the plot is inane and the police procedural elements bear little or no resemblance to real life. One to avoid.

As ever, I would still like to convey my thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review. It is a pity I was not in a position to pass more favourable comment on this occasion.

I want to stress before writing the rest of this review that I did really enjoy reading this book. It was gripping, tense and quite disturbing. I was absolutely hooked, a proper page turner.

That being said, it was slightly predictable, and I had pretty much guessed the ending about a third of the way into the book. There is also a lot of unnecessary description in parts, like a whole page talking about how a character could only have 1 coffee otherwise she'd need a wee, and parts with just so much detail it took away from the story.

Whilst I had those criticisms, it was still a really good psychological thriller. I felt connected to some of the characters and actually felt sad at some of the twists (trying not to give it away!). A great plot, disturbing scenes and some great twists, although somewhat predictable.

The plot of The Missing Ones was good. The writing, however, was a little choppy to me. It didn’t keep my attention as well as I hoped it would. Definitely worth reading, jsut not my favorite.

Rather graphic and dark, but a book with some interesting yet terrifying cases. I always enjoy this author's writing and The Missing Ones didn't disappoint.

I enjoyed meeting a new police team, and hoping this will become a series.

The Missing Ones
by Anita Waller
Pub Date: May 16 2025

The Missing Ones is an utterly gripping psychological thriller which features the search for a brutal killer. It was nonstop reading from the first page until the last on this fast-paced thriller, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough! Full of twists and turns that leave you suspecting everyone as the killer! A jaw dropping ending for sure!

Synopsis: Ray Eke has always found peace in his job, collecting litter for the city council. Until the day he finds the brutalized, bloodless body of a girl on his round. He recognizes her immediately too. Lauren Pascoe went missing three years before. It’s also clear she hasn’t been lying on the roadside verge all this time. Someone’s clearly been holding her prisoner. Keeping her as their very special toy. The police know it couldn’t have been Ray, whose gentle heart is obvious to all. But then another girl is taken. And she’s someone who Ray had a connection to, back in his previous job as an accountant, before his breakdown…

Many thanks to #TheMissingOnes #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for providing me an E-ARC of this fantastic thriller!

The premise of this book was better than the reality. Poorly scripted, underdeveloped characters with a lot of repetition and a lack lustre finish.

I struggled to maintain pace of reading and interest in this book. Mostly down to its delivery and writing style which i found to be a bit clunky and not focused enough to build any tension. The repetition of certain statements was an odd thing. The statements themselves didn’t have much relevance to the storyline and yet the author chose to draw attention to them.

The characters within the task force were central to the whole plot and yet Nina of them felt believable or relatable. I struggled a lot with the new DI that came across as the opposite in most parts. Peppered throughout are mentions of his children and previous position but it felt like a tick in the box rather than something that led you to having a greater understanding of character.

Thanks to NetGalley for my advance copy in exchange for my honest review. I think in this case the reviews were better than the reality.

This pulled me in from the start. It is a fast paced disturbing thriller which is at times quite graphic. I read a lot of dark works so to make me pause for breath takes some doing, this managed it.

The characters are well defined and I agree with other reviews, I could see this becoming a series with no problem at all as there is lots of room for development.

I gave this 4 as a review score, mainly because the ending felt a little rushed after the time taken with the plot as a whole. I also would have liked a little more delving into motive.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC which was very much appreciated.

This was sooooo good! I received a copy of this book through net galley in exchange for a review.

This was a fast paced page turner, I didn’t want to put down! There were twists I didn’t see coming.

The only disappointment with this book, there was no explanation of motive, maybe there will be another book?

I have already bought another book by this author.

I didn’t want to put this down and was totally hooked from the very first page. After Ray Eke comes home from having treatment for a breakdown he opts for the quiet life and is a litter picker for the local council. Then one day he finds the bloodied body of Lauren Pascoe who went missing three years previously. From the outset it is obvious that she had been kept alive until just before her body was found, the police are struggling to find her killer and then another girl is reported missing……….
This has short to the point chapters, a great cast of characters, has twists, turns and at keeps you guessing right until the end! Although at times it was quite graphic in my opinion it was in keeping with the storyline. An absolutely brilliant read that I very highly recommend. Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC

This was a book of hidden secrets.
Ray has had a breakdown and his mam moved in to help him out. Whilst he’s starting to feel better he’s started a new job, collecting rubbish on a route he sticks to every day. One day he comes across a body and the story goes from there.
Cleverly twisted & built from one layer & up. Guess away who is guilty and then get a surprise when all is revealed.
Very good read.