The Missing Diary

I really liked the unusual combination of New Zealand and Kosovo as the key locations of relevance to the plot. The analysis of the conflict was interesting and made me think about how quickly things do or do not move on after war. Strong characters and a natural dialogue style helped make this an immersive reading experience.

The Missing Diary had all the things a good book should have. It had espionage, it has suspense, it had drama, it had mystery and it was a thriller. The lead character, Caitlin Chase aka Kit, was an attorney who went to Pristina, Kosovo to practice law there. Her first case was one that involved sexual assault. The victim's name was Vasha Blaku and she was assaulted by someone by the name of Raco. It turns out Raco was responsible for the slaughter of many, many people. The entire book was about Kit's exploits in tracking down this vicious man.

Also, kit met a Russian by the name of Sergei Sokolov. She developed a secret relationship with him, but it turns out that he was in cahoots with Raco. The ups and downs and the ins and outs of the cases took me on a roller coaster ride, but it wasn't hard to follow. This story held my attention from start to finish. The characters were very well developed and the storyline left room to incorporate imagination. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I gave it five stars.

The Missing Diary is an absolute thrill ride that had me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end. As an attorney named Kit Chase, I embarked on a three-month job in post-conflict Kosovo, seeking an escape from the monotony of my life and my impending marriage in New Zealand. Little did I know that my first case, involving the pursuit of a ruthless crime boss responsible for a politically motivated sexual assault, would throw me headfirst into the heart of danger.

Caught in a treacherous investigation, I found myself drawn to Sergei Sokolov, a Russian liaison officer who was deeply entangled in the case. With a former Kosovo policewoman's diary as our key to convicting the crime boss, the stakes were sky-high. But as the killer unleashed a relentless pursuit to keep the diary hidden, it became clear that no one was safe, including me and my team. Trust became a scarce commodity in a country torn apart by politics and religious tensions, where allies could turn into enemies in an instant.

The Missing Diary brilliantly combined suspense, drama, and mystery into a heart-pounding thriller. I was captivated by Kit's relentless pursuit of justice and her tangled web of relationships, especially with Sergei. The intricate plot kept me guessing, and the well-developed characters added depth and intrigue. This book was an absolute delight, immersing me in a world of danger and suspense that held me captive until the very last page.

I love a good mystery and am a Muslim so this was a very relatable story.
The writing is perfect and just how I like it full of witty banter !
Thank you for the opportunity to review this book
#TheMissingDiaryTasminTurnerMysteryNovelNewZealandAuthorBookReview #netgalley

This was an interesting book. Not my usual type of book. It did grab my interest though and I enjoyed it thoroughly. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC (Advance Reader Copy).
The book certainly had me engrossed and I looked forward to picking it up each time to continue on my journey. It was suspenseful and the plot of the book kept me guessing as to what would come next. I enjoyed the book and rated it as a 4 out of 5 stars and I would definitely recommend it to others.

I just finished reading "The Missing Diary" by Tasmin Turner, and I gotta say, it's pretty average and I was very underwhelmed by the end. The story follows Kit Chase, a lawyer from New Zealand who lands a gig in post-conflict Kosovo after losing her job. As you do.

I was excited by the setting, but never got a good grasp of the culture and people other than the usual stereotypes. The book sounds fun, but I was hoping for something more. The main characters were fleshed out to a degree, but for a suspense thriller I was rarely in suspense and never thrilled.

But hey, it's not all bad. "The Missing Diary" still managed to keep me entertained. It's like a cheap rollercoaster ride – ups and downs, but nothing mind-bogglingly thrilling, just gets the job done.

Tasmin Turner's writing style is breezy, and the pacing keeps the pages turning without much effort. So, if you're just looking for a light and easy thriller to kill time, this book might do the trick. But don't expect it to rock your world.

Overall, "The Missing Diary" is an alright read. It won't blow your socks off, but it's got enough excitement and danger to keep you somewhat interested. Grab it if you're in the mood for a quick and undemanding escape (it's a very quick read)

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review.

The Missing Diary is a thriller about a naive young lawyer from New Zealand who travels to post-conflict Kosovo to work for an international agency coordinating prosecutions of war criminals, and gets caught up in the complicated and dangerous politics of the region. I liked the idea of learning more about Kosovo, a country I know little about, and the fact that the main character is a New Zealander. The story was good but the narrative was full of factual errors which spoiled my enjoyment of it as I kept wondering if I’d misunderstood what year the action was happening in, and who was who.

It’s mid 2000, and Caitlin “Kit” Chase is bored with life in Auckland, having been made redundant from her job, and with her fiancé Xander, so accepts a short term post with the Organisation for International Development and Coordination in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, a country battling for independence from neighbouring Serbia. Working closely with the international police team, Kit and her new colleagues aim to prosecute a notorious gangster, and learn that key information is held in the diary of one of his associates. Kit is determined to prove her worth, but is drawn to a smooth Russian liaison officer. Can she survive the twisted games of factions she barely understands?

This had great potential - an interesting premise and an unusual setting, apparently inspired by the author’s own experiences overseas. Unfortunately it was riddled with errors that a competent editor or beta reader should’ve picked up on: in the year 2000, ordinary people didn’t have cameras or GPS tracking in their phones, Skype hadn’t been invented, and you certainly couldn’t have a casual video-call on your mobile. It’s like the author kept forgetting that her story was set in the past. Apparently the next book has her dealing with cryptocurrency - which Siri tells me was invented in 2009! Then there’s the casual Americanisms - Kiwis say Mum not Mom, and fringe not bangs. And towards the end Dubrovnik is referred to as featuring in several historical fantasy TV shows - not for another ten or so years it wasn’t!

I didn’t like Kit - she’s an impulsive loudmouth, throws herself into dangerous situations, a hypocrite -getting upset that her fiancé has been seeing someone else when she’s already snogged another man, and arrogant about her own skills when she has no idea what she’s dealing with. I also found all the diary entries confusing - each chapter opens with a snippet from Merita’s journal, mostly about her love life juggling two men, Razor and Wolf, but I’m not clear that we ever learned who they were and what happened to them. The importance attached to the diary made no sense, the reveal was no surprise, and the ending felt rushed and incomplete. I won’t be bothering with the sequel.
Having said all of this, it’s a quick easy read, and other reviewers have not been bothered by these issues, so give it a go if you like the sound of it.
Thanks to NetGalley and Wish Books for the post-publication ARC.

This was a slow burn for me. It was dragging and I was in no rush to get back to the book. Certain elements of believability threw me off with certain technologies not being around in the time period for example. It wasn’t until I was over 50% thru that it held my interest and got exciting for me and then of course it was over in a rush, just when I was getting hooked. Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. #CrimeSceneKosovo #NetGalley