I did not like this book. This is my third attempt to write a review on a book that I truly disliked, so I'll just tell you what I think without sugar-coating it.
I did not like the characters. They were not well developed, one-dimensional. I felt that some of the characters were added to support a story line that was not strong, and that the characters were almost non-existent. The only character that was believable was a total wimp!
I did not like the story line either. It was contrived and felt forced. As I continued to read this book, which I felt an obligation to do since I had been granted an advanced readers copy, my disdain for the author increased. I felt that I was wasting my time, and now I'm again giving credence to a less-than-ideal book in writing about it.
By the end, I also disliked the title of the book immensely--talk about a spoiler!
Now, you will be surprised to find that I did like the author's style. She has an interesting way of expressing herself that I found refreshing. With a good story and some more in-depth characters, she has potential. I think she needs a stronger editor to push her in developing her craft. Comparing her to Kate Atkinson was a stretch--and that was the main reason I requested this book.

The book was not readable, but not quite as deep as I thought it was going to go from the cover. The story was quite straight forward, maybe I was expecting something a little more complex. The characters were fully formed and empathetic, but I was hoping for more twists. Easy read.

Through alternating perspectives, Missing, Presumed follows the investigation into a young woman's disappearance in an engaging and somewhat unique way. With a few notable but brief exceptions, the narration is handled by the victim's mother and the two main detectives on the case -- typically bright and optimistic Davy and his opposite, Manon.

Over the course of the atypically long and lead-starved investigation, there is far greater "inside baseball" into the political and budget concerns of the investigation, the effects on the personal lives of the detectives, the team dynamics, etc. Manon and Davy actually swap moods as a result of changes in their personal lives that are somewhat connected to the case, and that gives them a greater semblance of humanity as well as helps make the passage of time more apparent.

There are certainly several standard scenes -- interviewing the boyfriend, parents, other friends; local lowlifes, etc -- but those are also handled with good mixes of humor, depth, and twists. Even if you pick up some foreshadowing about who might be involved, HOW they are involved is inventive.

There are some great supporting characters rounding out the scene, such as the handsome but boring boyfriend, a teen named Fly, and members of the police team.

I received a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Over the past several years, I've discovered that I love British crime/detective/mystery books. L-O-V-E them. The language, the settings, and the cultural differences from Americans make them my go-to books when I'm looking for something new to read. It was for this reason that I first noticed Missing, Presumed on NetGalley. I received an ARC many months ago and started it but just wasn't in the right frame of mind so I put it away. Once I put it down, I mostly forgot about it. Until, that is, I saw the audio book was narrated by Juanita McMahon, who I love. That was enough motivation to get me to jump in with both feet, er, with both ears.

There were no false starts with the audio and I had a tough time pausing for life's little interruptions like feeding and caring for my child and sleep. It wasn't that the action was non-stop or that the case was so incredibly engaging, but that the development of the characters and story that had me hooked. And Ms. McMahon, of course.

Here's the blurb: [removed for posting here]

I won't give any spoilers away but I will say that, while I had a good idea of what happened to Edith, I didn't know why until it was revealed. I was a bit disappointed in the way the case panned out but I did still enjoy the journey. For me, the big draw was the human aspect of the book. Was Manon whiny at times and did I want to smack her for some of her choices regarding dating and relationships? Sure, but some of those scenes and decisions helped to flesh out her insecurities and desires and needs. I also enjoyed learning more about the other POV characters.

I generally hate when anyone compares a book to the standard The Girl on the Train or Gone Girl so I'm sorry to do that here. But I only want to compare them with regard to the dark feel of the stories and the way I felt very much in the heads of some of the characters. The biggest difference, I think, between those books and this one is that not everyone in Missing, Presumed is an awful human being who I would like to see harmed. There were very few instances of me seriously wanting to hurt characters in Missing, Presumed.

I certainly look for the next book by Ms. Steiner.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with the ebook to read and review. And thanks to Juanita McMahon for finally getting me to experience it.

Missing Presumed came out at the same time as All the Missing Girls and I decided I could only handle one missing girl story in the summer so I went with All the Missing Girls. This book was selected for our local book club and it also had received a lot of buzz from critics. I would not say this was a bad book, but I will say that I discovered that I do not enjoy police procedural books very much at all. The reason I am including it though is that I know many of you do so this might be a perfect pick for you especially if you are a fan of British mysteries.

This explores the case of a wealthy college girl who goes missing and the 72-hours that are spent trying to find where this girl went. With no signs of struggle and no real evidence left behind, the police have a case that seems almost impossible to solve. They begin with her closest friends and boyfriend, looking for any information that they can to find Edith. The reader gets to go through the case from start to finish, interview by interview, leading up to the discovery of what happened to Edith.

If you love a good British mystery, this book just might be for you! For me, not my favorite!

I loved this book! It kept me turning pages late at night to see what was happening next!

Thoroughly interesting and captivating, a must-read.

Thirty-nine year old DS Manon Bradshaw of the Cambridgeshire Constabulary has tried Internet dating with unimpressive results--she considers herself a "misanthrope, staring down the barrel of childlessness" who gives off "WoD (a Whiff of Desperation)"; she has been unable to settle down with a romantic partner and worries that she will remain single forever. Manon is a dedicated detective who is good at her job and gets along well with her boss, DI Harriet Harper, and other members of the Major Incident Team. Their latest case involves the mysterious disappearance of Edith Hind, a twenty-four year old woman whose father is a well-connected and prominent surgeon. In Susie Steiner's "Missing, Presumed," the police meticulously follow up every lead, but as the weeks pass, they have little to show for their efforts.

Steiner's wit, clever turns of phrase ("the loneliness rising off her like a mist"), solid descriptive writing, and intriguing character development turn what might have been a run-of-the-mill police procedural into an engrossing and entertaining novel. We grow to care about the self-deprecating and quirky Manon even when she behaves foolishly, because she is so good-hearted, smart, and funny. We are pleased when she finally has a chance at to form a relationship with the man of dreams, but is he the right one for her? Meanwhile, as the search for Edie widens, Manon and company look at a former prison inmate, a professor, and a close female friend of Edie for information that could lead to a breakthrough.

As is common in this genre, predatory reporters in search of a juicy story relentlessly harass the missing person’s family and friends. In addition, people's secrets, lies, and betrayals invariably come back to haunt them. Steiner breaks new ground with a touching subplot about Manon's growing concern for an eleven-year-old boy, Fly Dent, who has no one to care for him. In addition, Manon shows a newfound determination to reorder her priorities. She and her colleague, DC Davy Walker, both come to realize that their private lives are as significant as their professional accomplishments. The plot of "Missing, Presumed" has some clever twists and a bittersweet yet satisfying ending.

This book bored me. It dragged. It took a long time to get into. I was close to quitting.

Solving a murder mystery should be filled with twists and turns. There were some twists and turns but nothing that left my heart racing. Oftentimes the investigation was left behind to fill chapters about Manon's love life which was a mess. It was a disappointment every time I was left to read about Manon's dates. The only reason I felt Alan should have even been included was if he were placed into her life as a strategy to keep tabs on her investigation. Alas, he was just another horrible attempt to make Manon's relatable to the reader.