Hmmmmm I have mixed feelings on this book, I was slightly bored throughout really as I thought the pace wasn't too great. It's compared to gone girl though in my opinion it's not even close (sorry)...my friend has also read it and loved it and so maybe it's just me. I thought personally that it needed more ooompf!

Unfortunately I have had to abandon this book as just over halfway, which is a shame as so many people highly recommended it. Personally for me the pace was too slow and there were too many characters telling their versions which began to drag for me. Lots of readers and authors love the descriptions and the indepth characterisations which I can understand but alas it's not for me. I won't rate it as I didn't finish it.

This novel starts with the apparent disappearance of Cambridge student Edith Hinds.

Her front door has been left open, there is blood on the floor and her wallet, phone, and passport have all been left behind.
The plot of Missing, Presumed then unfolds through the viewpoints of Edith’s friends, family, and the police officers tasked with finding her.

There is Detective Sergeant Manon who is desperately looking for love (when not working all hours for the police force), perpetually cheerful Police Detective Dave Walker, Edith’s boyfriend Will Carter, and her parents Sir Ian Hind and Lady Miriam Hind.

This novel follows the classic patten of who-dunnit-ness with the search for Edith racing along keeping the reader totally in the dark about who was involved.

There's a great build up of suspense along the way and I really liked the way that the characters change as the pressure of the case affects them, it made it seem very realistic.

I really enjoyed this book. Missing, Presumed is #1 of the DS Manon series and I'm looking forward to reading more of them in future.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading this kind of book, waiting until the very end to find out what happened, is she alive? I did enjoy this book but find myself a little disappointed in it. I'm glad Edith was alive in the end but running away and knowing the full scale police hunt for her and didn't contact anyone seems wrong to me. Also sad that Helena killed herself over something that wasn't her fault, not sure that this was necessary. The book didn't really go anywhere but I wanted to know the ending. It wasn't much of a storyline for 3/4 of the book. The story didn't really go anywhere and it needed something major to happen to kick it off again, it kind of plodded along for a long while. It didn't grip me like other books in the same genre. I liked the different chapters were from a different characters point of view but I did get confused a bit in the beginning as to who was who but got there not too far in. I would recommend this book, it was an easy read and I would look out for her next book to see what it's like.

I thought this dragged on a bit with lots of detail that wasn't particularly relevant to the main story. Towards the end, it seemed like the author decided things needed to be wrapped up quickly so conclusion felt a bit rushed and I was glad when it was finally done :-(

Edith Hind has gone missing, leaving just her coat and a smear of blood, and DS Manon Bradshaw has a window of 72 hours in which to find her before experience suggests it will become a murder investigation.
Police procedurals are perennially popular and in a saturated market an author really needs to write with confidence and flair or risk being lost in the crowd. Susie Steiner has done just that with Missing, Presumed, a book as much about the characters as the mystery. DS Manon Bradshaw is the heroine of the book and is neither too much the hard-bitten cynic nor the wide-eyed ingénue. She is often brittle and is lonely, spending sleepless nights listening to her police radio- after a disappointing one night stand she rushes to become involved in Edith's case after hearing the report of her disappearance - but despite her clearly unfulfilled home life she is empathetic and perceptive, and in a story that gradually builds in tension as the hours pass is the warm and humorous centre to the book. The other characters in the book are also entirely believable, the missing Edith we learn is passionate but irritatingly pretentious about causes she believes in, her parents, (her father is an eminent surgeon and friends with the Home Secretary) have to face not only their daughter's disappearance but also revelations about her private life, her mother's anguish searingly relatable regardless of your social class. Manon's colleagues too are exactly the sort of people you can imagine sharing an office with, the almost ever optimistic Davy who loves police jargon, cheerfully puts up with Manon's misanthropic nature and lives with a woman who is clearly undeserving of his devotion, Nigel, exhausted father of newborn twins, and Detective Inspector Harriet Harper, Manon's superior - refreshingly their relationship is one based on mutual respect rather than the author falling back on the petty jealousies that so often plague books featuring strong women,
'This is what Manon likes most about Harriet –no, not likes, understands: she isn’t on an even keel. She feels the work in every fibre and it hurts her.'
Missing, Presumed feels entirely relevant. From the hours of grinding investigation, to the pressure from higher up to solve a high profile case despite the confines of a budget, all under the watchful and hungry Press. Edith Hind might be a fictional character but we know how these stories play out, the media feeding frenzy, suspicion cast on friends and the family and the shift from waiting to hear reports from the police to demanding to know why they haven't yet solved the case.
This isn't the last we'll see of Manon Bradshaw as a sequel, Persons Unknown is due in 2017 and I know I won't be the only one to welcome her return. As I said previously, there are plenty of police procedurals to choose from - Susie Steiner has written one that encapsulates the gritty, messy world we live in and has done it without sacrificing the humour and warmth that binds people together despite the troubles life throws at us.
I received my copy of Missing, Presumed through NetGalley in return for my honest review.

Missing, Presumed is published in the UK by The Borough Press and is out now.

It is a breath of fresh air to finally see a thriller not being marketed as the next Girl on the Train or Gone Girl.

This book reminds me a lot of Tana Frenchs novels, which is a great compliment as I am a huge fan of hers.

In someone elses review they related to this to a character study which I loved as I really think that description fits. It flips perspectives throughout and sometimes that bugs me but I think in this case it was done very well.

Those looking for an edge of your seat suspense novel will probably not love this. But if you go into it with an open mind I think the story is very well done and incredibly enjoyable.

An intriguing story. Well written, but a little predictable. A thoroughly good read if you like police stories, but don't mind not being totally true to life.

This blog post owes its entire existence to the British Books Challenge 2017. Otherwise, I think I would not have posted anything and left my reading experience just another notch on my Goodreads list. But read on – this book has some good features, and not only set in Britain but written by someone British! So – with thanks to NetGalley for my free ebook copy…

There is honesty in this book. Honesty of feeling and of observance. The main character, Manon (“bitterness” – and she has quite a bit) is a crime genre staple – fantastic at her job, which is her focus, because her personal life is a bit rubbish. In fact, I would say that the book is really about her, rather than about the crime she is trying to unravel. She describes herself on her pretend dating profile (of course she has a more, familiar-to-anyone-who-has-ever-used-a-dating-site generic one):

“Misanthrope, staring down the barrel of childlessness. Yawning ability to fin faoult. Can give off WoD (Whiff of Desperation). A vast, bottomless galazy of loneliness. Educated: to an intimidating degree. Willing to hide this. Prone to tears. Can be needy.”

Steiner has some great descriptions in the book. Even the atmosphere mirrors Manon sometimes – “The night air drips with moisture, dank and lonely”. She also puts female characters centre-stage in what could end up being a very male environment – and in the end, various men are the problem with much of what happens, whether at work or at home.

I wouldn’t say I’m a crime genre aficionado, so it would be interesting to see how people who read tons of crime novels see this book. Usually I dip in with the odd episode of Grantchester or an Ian Rankin. But I didn’t finish feeling satisfied, despite various loose ends being tied up and the crime investigation concluding (and I really hate it when you never find out whodunnit). Maybe it was too slow, and I was expecting more drama, more gore, more darkness maybe. I think I might try another book by Steiner in a different genre, but I won’t be reading anything further about Manon.

I don’t want to spoil what happens at the end, but Manon’s crime investigation is solved, and her personal issues are partially solved. I wouldn’t say she solves anything herself. She seems a bit clueless despite being so insightful. Maybe it is Steiner who is the insightful one, and she is leaving Manon to unravel a bit more in further books.

It's a crime drama/procedural, & yet manages to impart a look at modern life, during which it takes a very realistic look at the pressures today's women feel in terms of relationships, both work & social, & how it's an increasingly hard balance to find.

The overarching story, of a missing young lady, which I wont go into simply because to do so would spoil it for others. There's a few twists here & there, & whilst not completely outlandish it isn't so easy to predict, unlike most procedural on television, which are disappointingly predictable. Despite that you find yourself continually trying to fill in the blanks & puzzle out what happened as you read & formulate your own picture of the events.

I read this book extremely quickly, & as a man, actually came away with a bit more appreciation towards my wife & her friends in some regards, such is the ability of the author to put me as the reader so utterly & completely inside the mind of the female lead in this book.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book, I found the fact that it was written in the second person very off putting, and found it very difficult finishing this book.

This book was a real page turner and kept me captivated from beginning to end.
I liked the tone of narration from different perspectives, which I would describe as "realist", slightly pessimistic and with a kind of dry humour running throughout.
The main protagonist (DS Manon) is a kind of anti-hero, a misanthrope at first sight but I could not help liking her more and more as the story progressed.

This book introduces DS Manon Bradshaw who is the officer dealing with the disappearance of Edith Hind, the daughter of a well-to-do family. She disappeared leaving an open door, her belongings and smears of blood which her boyfriend, Will, found on his return home.

I did not know throughout the book what had happened - had Edith been abducted, run away or been murdered. Manon discovered that all was not as it seemed when investigating Edith's background and lifestyle.

The writing style was very good and the book kept my interest throughout. I look forward to reading more about DS Manon Bradshaw.

Beautifully written with characters that are real people!

What did I think?

I started off reading Missing, Presumed about a missing person and a team trying to find her or a body, and realised I had entered a complete world of people where each and every character's lives are portrayed so thoroughly I was convinced they were real people.

Susie Steiner's writing made me want to learn more about her; who is she, where did she get her ability to write about the quality of the human condition in such a sensitive and expert way? Then I see she has had a comprehensive career as a journalist/editor, figures, because she is a stunning writer. But most of all her humanity shines through.

The characters?

DS Manon is a wonderful character, a total shambles in her emotional life, great in her work life, then manages to mess everything with her colleagues in a drunken outburst in her opinion of them. There will be lots of readers cringing at this bit- with their own memory maybe?

As I say each and every character is special and I got to connect with them all.

What did I like best?

The writing. It is stunning. The insight is amazing.

I gave it 5 stars because anyone who slips in words such as: discombobulated, transmogrified, vertiginous, tessellates, and crepuscular, into their novel like a bet is a winner for me! Alright I know I should be better ‘dictionary' read, but I am happy to learn new words this way.

There is a sense of urgency in the writing, a missing person - also a body of a boy turning up. Connected? Also another death. Investigations that spreads out from Cambridgeshire.

This is a book of total surprises and I had no inkling whatseover of the path it would take. Even half way through I had no idea but desperately wanted some fabric of it to unravel. Oh, so many guesses, so many red herrings led me to absolutely nowhere but still puzzling.

The fact that when the crime is solved the story continues, much as life continues is great. A tear jerking conclusion to the lives of the people involved. I needed that, I needed that continuation which felt so fulfilling and yet still not the end. There is going to be so much more...

There is a great dry sense of humour in the writing throughout making me snigger to myself as I read, if had not been reading it alone I would have had to share them.

There are some great lines that show why this is such an excellent read:

When an author can describe a person or a moment without doing so directly it is superb. This is Miriam a part time GP, mother of two, wife of surgeon to the royal family and this line is tremendously good in summing up how women's lives change the birth of their children. Change who they are. Miriam is a character that many people will totally connect with.

“It silted up the corners of her mind until there was no space for anything else.”
Another of my favourite's is a (non)description of Ian, the surgeon, her husband. I could see him when I read this:

“He has that curious inability that the upper classes have to wear casual clothes convincingly. She wonders if he emerged from his mother’s vagina in a sports jacket.”
These descriptions of people are pure delight to read. Okay I know I am gushing now but I really enjoyed this book, the writing blew me away. Things such as reading the juxtaposition about the stench of a really bad date and finding a dead body.

What was I not sure about?
At first I didn't quite 'get' Manon, I didn't quite connect to her then realised she was a mess and nobody could quite get or connect to her in her world, including herself. Superb!

My alternative brief on this book:

This book is a window on marriage after the kids have left, and how to survive it. It is also about relationships, and understanding oneself. Better than therapy - read this!

 There are many many main characters; in fact every character is a main character. Real people with peccadilloes, small triumphs and seeming failures of life, and unreachable goals. And then there are crimes to be solved that you will never guess. You will feel every setback and every development.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many many thanks to the publisher for a copy of this book. Next in the series please!

This book was a huge disappointment and I gave up about half way through.

I wanted to like this book, much more than more than I did. It didn't draw me in, and I found myself skipping around to find interesting points in the plot..nor just wasn't as engaging as it could have been, and I found myself only reading small sections at a time..I debated on not finishing it but felt I owed it to the author to see it through. Alas, the ending was not surprising. I was unimpressed, and disappointed overall.

Missing, Presumed did take a while for me to get into but i'm glad i perservred as i ended up thoroughly enjoying this thriller. The twist is brilliant!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1871654979

Also on Facebook... unfortunately I am having problems uploading my review

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be looking out for more by this author. A well crafted story which keeps up the pace throughout.

I love a good mystery/thriller. And I also love a great strong lead female detective. You will not be disappointed in this novel! The author really nailed it and I cannot wait to hear more from her.