An utterly brilliant and unputdownable psychological thrillers that sucked me in from the start, absolutely brilliant,

Her friend has vanished. Why? When? Where?

Dr Fiona Grey, from Cambridge University, finds herself on the Isle of Orkney after a frantic request from her best friend, Madison Kowalczyk. Madison, an archaeologist, is presently on a dig at Helly Holm, where a group under the leadership of Iris Barclay is busy excavating a fascinating find – a Viking ship.

Madison had texted Fiona regularly as she made her way to Orkney – then suddenly the texts stopped. When Fiona arrives at the cottage Fiona is renting while working on the island, she finds the cottage empty and Madison missing. Fiona immediately thinks that Madison’s stalker, Dominic Tate, has abducted her. Is she right or is her disappearance linked to her work at the dig?

I’ve loved Helen Callaghan’s previous books, and it shocks me to only give this book 3-stars. My reasons for this rating is simply could not find one ounce of empathy for any of the characters. Unfortunately, for me to clarify this point would mean me giving away spoilers.

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

4.5 Stars
This book is shrouded in mystery that instantly reminded me of Helens writing and I loved it! It hooked me from the start, simply because I love a good mystery and trying to beat the author to the ending and seeing if I can discover and uncover it all. It also has an arrange of untrustworthy characters that has me not trusting ANY of the people in this book, even questioning the main character, on the disappearance of her friend, whom she has been asked to travel to this island to go and visit. My inner detective gets to shine through with this book and I’m in my bliss.

The ending wasn’t as satisfying as I was hoping it was going to be, as I felt like it was just missing something. However, overall, I really did enjoy this read and I devoured it soooo quickly and also got to give my detective mind a workout. This is split into two timelines, past and present, as a way of presenting information and I found the myself not trying to drag myself through those past chapters, simply because they weren’t as interesting as what was currently happening, but they were needed for the overall story. It could have done with being a little bit shorter, maybe by 50 pages, but I still thoroughly enjoyed this book by Helen Callaghan. This is definitely my favourite of hers and I am eager to dive into Everything is Lies, another book by her that I have been putting off.

Fiona travels to Orkney to visit her friend, But her friend is not waiting for her when she arrives. There are signs that she has disappeared but where, and who is behind it. Even as the plot tales you from place to place and you think the answer is clear, you are left wondering what is true. Brilliant book would recommend

Night Falls, Still Missing is an extremely suspenseful story and kicks off with a tantalising prologue. The reader is first introduced to archaeology professor Fiona Grey as she arrives on a tiny, isolated island in Orkney, Stromness, one cold, windy night, after setting off from Cambridge. Having accepted her old friend, Madison Kowalczyk's invitation to stay at her cottage in Caithness, she is surprised to find it in darkness, bearing no sign of Madison. Her chum appears to have vanished into thin air, so Fiona sets out to find her... with startling consequences.

This compelling thriller had me hooked from the very first paragraph. In this chaotic whirl of lies and uneasiness, the abundant twists and turns kept me guessing. The complex characters and vivid descriptions of the locale - Orkney in January - and the bleak weather conditions all added weight to the mystery and quality of the story. Night Falls, Still Missing was an atmospheric and riveting read. For me, the cherry topping was the obvious ability of Helen Callaghan to create multi-faceted, though not particularly endearing, characters. With tensions running high, it was an exhilarating read with drama, dilemmas, revelations and surprises by the bucketload, all culminating in the unpredictable, astounding conclusion. This was my first read by Helen Callaghan and I highly recommend it to fans of the genre. 😊

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Penguin UK - Michael Joseph via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This was an excellent thriller that kept me guessing throughout. The two main protagonists have been very close friends since childhood. Madison comes from a well-off family, Fiona from a poor family with a drunken father. Now, as adults, Fiona has become the more successful, as a senior lecturer in metal archaeology at Cambridge University. Madison is also an archaeologist, but working in the field on digs lead by other people.
Madison calls Fiona out of the blue, and insists she drop everything and come up to the dig in Orkney, where she is working, as there is something very important to see, that she cannot discuss on the phone. Reluctantly, Fiona decides to come. But when she arrives, Madison is nowhere to be seen, and none of her co-workers have seen her for several days. The person in charge is a TV personality, and renown archaeologist with a knack for picking excellent sites, and the dig they are working on, is shaping up to be something special. No-one has any idea what has happened to Madison, and all are bit narked that she has taken off when there is so much to do, and so little time before the bad winter weather destroys the site. There are a number of things that don’t add up. Madison has been uncharacteristically careless. Someone has been trolling her – who may or may not be her ex, the subject of a restraining order. Fiona is not sure who to trust.
I love the setting in Orkney. I had a wonderful holiday there in the late 1980s, visiting a lot of the archaeological sites, such as Skara Brae, Maeshowe and the Ring of Brodgar. Thankfully, that was in a week of full summer sun. The book takes place in the middle of winter. It is bitterly cold, wet and muddy – you cannot help but shiver when reading. Like Fiona, you have no inkling about what has – or will – occur, until right near the end. Has Madison been abducted or has she disappeared of her own free will? Is she still the same person that Fiona thinks she has always known? Is she alive or dead? And what did she want (need) to show Fiona?
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good atmospheric thriller – and I recommend Orkney for a fabulous and fascinating holiday destination.

Archaeologist professor Fiona travels to Orkney to visit her friend Madison, also an archaeologist. Madison is working on a dig on a tidal island. Their relationship has always been a little strange. Madison is not the easiest of people to get on with, but they have been best friends since childhood & Fiona feels she cannot refuse Madison's pleas for her to come. On arrival there is no sign of Madison. At first Fiona isn't worried- Madison's punctuality has never been great! But before long she is seriously worried, especially when the rest of the team seem to have no idea where she is either.

The cold, dark, winter of a January in Orkney is captures beautifully. The setting is almost another character in the story! This book was full of twists & I suspected everyone! All in all a great read. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I loved this book. Brilliant psychological thriller. It has everything to make the perfect gripping read. Great characters. Perfect remote location. Great writing. Plenty of twists and turns that has you doubting everyone! Definitely a recommend read.

Fiona arrives on a tiny isolated Orkney island in the depths of winter having accepted a last minute invitation to see her friend Madison who is there on an archeological dig. Fiona’s relationship with Madison has always been complicated but it is still unusual for her not to be there to meet at the ferry terminal as agreed and even stranger when Fiona arrives at her house for Madison not to be anywhere in sight. Madison has disappeared and no one knows where she is. And now Fiona's own life is in danger . . .

This is a great mystery thriller.
The book begins with Fiona, a Cambridge professor on her way to the Orkney islands. Her friend Madison has called her asking for help - but she hasn't explained why. When Fiona arrives on the remote island there is no sign of Madison.
Fiona meets the people on the archaeological dig that Madison was working on, and they tell her they thought Madison just had the flu.
When it’s clear she’s not coming back, Fiona gets the Police involved.
I was hooked from the beginning as I like a good mystery, and it wasn’t clear if Madison would be found alive or dead.
I was a little disappointed with the ending but overall this is a good read.
Thanks to Penguin UK - Michael Joseph and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

A solid four star read. Well written. Fantastic characters. Fast paced. Gripping. Plenty of suspense to keep me enthralled. Would definitely read her next novel. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it

An exciting and enjoyable read. The author certainly evoked the atmosphere of Orkney and I empathised with Fiona's dislike of being on a boat - the waters round Orkney are notoriously unpredictable.

I enjoyed the twists and turns in the plot and was left wondering from the beginning about who was responsible for the disappearance of Maddison and why. The characters of the archaeological group were interesting and all the way through it seemed as though each one of them might be guilty of something - but difficult to say what!

I was a little disappointed in the ending - it seemed a bit abrupt - but nevertheless I would certainly recommend this book.

This psychological thriller is set on the isolated island of Orkney in Scotland. Fiona travels to Orkney at the request of her friend, Madison, who is working on an archeological dig there. When Fiona arrives, Madison is nowhere to be found, her things are gone and no one can contact her. Fiona is left to work through the web of lies and figure out the truth.

This novel had some really gripping moments and I loved the first half in particular. I loved the symbolic setting and found the archaeological elements of the novel fascinating. The novel also explored rivalry, particularly focusing on the pressures this can place on female friendships. The writing around this was tactful and delicate and definitely rings true. For me, the novel was let down by the lead character, Fiona. I found myself feeling increasingly frustrated towards her and often found inconsistencies in her character and behaviour. Overall, I felt the writing was smart and the setting was haunting and unique. A solid psychological thriller!

I was gripped from the start with Night Falls, Still Missing. Studious Fiona, a Cambridge professor of metalurgy, is on her way to the Orkney islands. Her chaotic friend Madison has called her asking for help - but she hasn't explained why. When Fiona arrives, Madison is missing.

Night Falls, Still Missing, follows Fiona as she meets charismatic Iris, sexy Jack, disgruntled Becky and cautious Callum, the rest of the team on the archeological dig where Mdison had been working. Add in Madison's stalker ex-boyfriend, plus her wealthy mother with chronic health problems and brother Hugo who is living beyond his means, and you have a cast of suspects: how can Fiona know who to trust?

Over the course of a few days, Helen unravels more and more as she learns about what the dig is uncovering. The traces she finds just raise her concerns about what has happened to Madison.

The book is well written and plotted, and Helen Callaghan kept me guessing right until the last few chapters just what had happened to Madison, who might have kidnapped or killed her, whether we would find her dead or alive.

Fiona goes to a remote island off of Scotland to meet up and help her friend Morgan. But when she gets there, Morgan has disappeared. Odd, since she had been texting up until a few hours prior. Fiona thinks she knows who is at fault. Fiona goes over the issues she had previously had with Morgan. Fiona starts investigating her friend's disappearance. While all this is going on, the reader is exposed to an archeological dig that has unearthed a Viking ship and burial spot. So while we are trying to find out what happened to Morgan, there are all these lovely images of an ancient culture, and even some archeological edification. I loved the depth of the plot that Ms. Callaghan weaved and the many possible avenues the story could have taken. I appreciated that the police in the story didn't dismiss Fiona out of hand as is the case in many of these stories. While not considered "twists," parts of the ending did surprise me making for a very enjoyable read.

The third book from new-to-me author Helen Callaghan, Night Falls, Still Missing, transports us to the wild and desolate backdrop of a winter in Orkney, and the strange disappearance of a woman working on an important archaeological dig. This was an altogether different and interesting read for me, though not for the reasons I imagined when I set out to review this one, as the ‘crime’ element of the book became increasingly less relevant as I read on…

Somewhat perversely, I will start by saying that what I really didn’t like about this book was so central to how much I enjoyed other aspects of the book. That is to say, straining a largely far-fetched and predictable plot through such a compressed set of characters who were so eminently dislikeable that I would have totally increased the body count with no hesitation at all. Veering from the painfully woolly Dr Fiona Grey, summoned to the island on the whim of her friend the intensely self-obsessed, man-mad and narcissistic Madison (who also has a de rigueur creepy stalker), and then to the largely banal and irritating group of Madison’s archaeological cohorts, this is truly a rich pick ‘n’ mix of people you would desperately not want to be stuck in a confined space with. Consequently, whether by design or coincidence by the author, my lack of interest in these characters and the weak plot, afforded me an opportunity to look elsewhere in the book for some points of interest, and this proved a much richer source of enjoyment indeed.

I know this is a strange thing to say, and maybe sounds a little harsh, but this book would have been really quite stunning if the half-baked crime plot had been omitted. What Callaghan has is a really quite impressive prose style when she is focussing on the backdrop to the story in terms of her depiction of the natural elements of the landscape, and the feel and atmosphere of the location itself. I feel that if Callaghan had focussed more on this, and developed the glimpses of the more interesting aspects of her characters, which became overwhelmed along the way, a much stronger book would have emerged. Perhaps controversially, and with no disrespect to Callaghan herself, the book could have evolved into a more than satisfying fiction read, replete with naturalistic detail, but with small incidences of human connection and disconnection, against the rugged and beautiful landscape she so perfectly describes. I also loved the referencing of archaeological detail, the overarching theme of the past impacting on the present, and the illuminating historic references pertinent to Norse legend and so on. It’s so frustrating that all these good elements had to take a back seat to the central narrative that was ultimately quite ridiculous and unsatisfying. Unfortunately, a book of two halves for this reader, but displaying clear evidence of a suppressed, but good, writing style that maybe didn’t quite suit this genre on this occasion.

I loved Helen Callaghan’s first two book but this is even better. I’ve sat up half the night reading it and am gutted I didn’t savour what is a well written and tense story set in Orkney around a Viking dig. The characters are great and will keep you guessing about who is good and who is disingenuous . I am hopeful she’s got another gem like this on the way. A firm 5/5.

This book didn't disappoint. With wonderful descriptions of Scotland and a fantastic story line, its not one to miss.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Helen Callaghan's previous book Everything is Lies, I was really looking forward to getting stuck in to her latest offering, Night Falls, Still Missing. I had very high hopes and it didn't disappoint. I've always loved history and archaeology so when I saw this book was based around an archaeological dig, I knew I had to read it.

I thought the Scottish islands setting with its harsh landscape and brutal weather created an exceptionally atmospheric and brooding story. The descriptions of its bleakness leave you feeling completely immersed as the plot unfolds. The author's storytelling is second-to-none and this, combined with excellent pacing and characterisation, made the book a thrilling read.

What a brilliant story,full of suspense and so atmospheric I could almost smell the sea and feel the freezing wind !.The story is told in two time lines ,last year and the present .Madison is working at an archaeological dig in Orkney , she contacts her best friend Fiona to ask her to come over as she has something to show her ,then she disappears .Fiona is desperate to find out what has happened to her .This is a very intriguing and enjoyable story.Many thanks to the Publisher the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

This was a powerful story about friendship, secret and lies. I was moved from start to finish and was disappointed by this book. A good read for 2020!!