My thanks to NetGalley and publisher Headline for the electronic copy.

Missing is described as a thriller but I would put it more in the category of a mystery/drama. It has a fascinating and complex plot, although I thought the pace to be rather slow until toward the conclusion, which then seemed to be rather frenetic.

Mother of twin girls, Alice, decides to walk into the sea at Selmouth, Cornwall. She almost changes her mind as the sea takes her and, despite a desperate attempt to save her, she dies. Her daughter Lily, married to Connor, short of money and desperate to become pregnant, is called by Ivy her mother's neighbour who has been looking after Josie, Alice's dog. Alice's car is still there but she's been out of touch for nearly 2 days. Lily reports her missing and is told they recovered a body which could be her mum. In desperation Lily calls her sister Marietta who's living and working abroad - she must come home because Lily cannot deal with this herself. It's been years since they last saw each other and Mari becomes the stronger of the two as they set about firstly to identify the body as their mother, then to contact people. The only relative they could remember is Uncle Simon who'd been in their lives after their father had died. Lily won't entertain the idea that their mum's death had been anything but accidental.

Twenty-five years previously the charred remains of a tiny baby had been discovered in a hilltop copse by the farmer, Daniel Hopper, who lived with his sister Jayne. This mystery had never been solved and DI Russell Fox, now facing retirement and in charge of cold cases, determines to reinvestigate the case of Baby Michael - who was buried 47 miles away at St Just's church in Devon.

As the twins start to talk once again, with Mari explaining why she suddenly left home they tackle the paperwork and contact people. They don't know how to contact Uncle Simon, that is until they take three paintings from the house for valuation and discover the artist was a Simon.

Gradually, DI Fox's investigations reveal new leads which culminate in a connection to Alice and her children, and secret pasts..

This is a somewhat emotional but intriguing read.

This book is definitely an emotional thriller/mystery page turner. It's brilliant and I loved every page. It's grabs you from the get go and it's impossible to put down. The characters are so true to life they came off of the page. It gave me chills and at the same time I felt so emotional I could of cried. It's a distressing book in parts especially when baby Michael was found and Alice walked into the sea, leaving behind her two daughters Lily and Marietta. All I can say is this author has gained a forever reader with me!

I enjoyed this book even though it was slow moving at times. Two daughters are brought together after the unexpected death of their mother who walks into the sea and does not come back. Alongside their story DI Fox investigates the death of an infant 20 years ago.

Both investigations coincide bringing secrets to the fore.

This is a story about grief, family relationships and guilt.

I know that this book is billed as a thriller, but, if I'm being honest, I think it would be wrong to classify the novel in such simplistic terms. It's far more than that. From what I have read of Erin Kinsley's work so far, they all are. Yes, there are elements of your thriller in play here - a death in dubious circumstances, dark secrets taken to the grave and a mystery which has plagued the conscience of one of Devon and Cornwall's finest for more than two decades - but beyond that, Missing is a study fo grief, of family relationships and about the powerful emotion of guilt. From the very first chapter you can feel the undertone of melancholy, the dual sense of despair and resignation that fills Alice as she approaches her fate. In those few short pages, the emotional pull is strong and I found myself being not only intrigued but somewhat consumed by the story, keen to see what has driven Alice to such a decision.

The largest part of the story is given over to Marietta and Lily, Alice's two daughters, who not only have to deal with their mother's death but also to struggle with the acceptance that it may have come at her own hand. The two women are very different, and their relationship with Alice could not have been more different. The story explores not only the complexity of their relationship with each other and their mother, but the two very different ways in which grief manifests itself in their voice and their actions. Whilst Marietta seems the stronger of the two women, it is clear that a large part of her life has been about avoidance and her confidence masks a whole host of emotions that play out over the pages of the book. Lily, by contrast, is the more obviously emotional, with challenges and fears of her own which go well beyond the loss of their mother. The author has done a brilliant job of evoking that emotion on the page, but also in creating two characters who, in spite of their clear diversity, are obviously stronger together, and who I grew to like very quickly.

This book contains some difficult scenes, not dealt with in any gratuitous or graphic way, but it would take a hard heart to not be moved by what comes to pass, or what we are made aware of in terms of the case that Detective Inspector Russ Fox is investigating. It is a very heart wrenching case and one which doesn't seem to have any immediate link to Alice or the two daughters she leaves behind. But Erin Kinsley has done a brilliant job in weaving the two stories together, keeping key details back and drip feeding them at just the right moments, allowing me as the reader, to form my own opinions, my suspicions as it were, and to see them slowly realised on the page.

Setting is quite key in this book and from the churning sea where this story begins, to the remote farmland where many dark secrets have been concealed over the years, each location is described so clearly, so visually, that I could picture them quite clearly. Much like the tidal waters along the coast, the pacing, and emotional pull, ebbs and flows, and the sense of mystery grows the more we learn of the sisters and of the characters that appear on the periphery of both their lives and DI Fox's investigation. The reveal, when it comes, is both understated and dramatic at the same time, and yet, very fitting to the rest of the book.

This is a story steeped in sadness, a series of events which stemmed from one awful night and which came to inform the tragedy of the present day. And yet the author still manages to instill a feeling of hope, a sense of new beginnings and second chances, leaving us with a truly satisfying ending to another powerful and emotional story that held my attention from start to finish.

Missing by Erin Kinsley is a marvellous contemporary crime novel that consumed me from the start.
As the book opened I immediately had questions – what had happened to a character to make her arrive at that point? As the story unfolded, I had more questions but they were all answered by the end.
A twenty five year old cold case is re-opened as a detective needs to find the answers to a terrible crime. As the action unfolds, the reader becomes more horrified – someone must know the truth of one fateful night. The miracles of modern science provide answers to some of the questions.
Family is important. Family are those who love us. Sometimes families hide deep secrets that are too much to face.
Houses are important. They become homes and hold memories and ties to those who have gone before. A home is not necessarily bricks and mortar. “Home is the people who love you.”
The innocents need to be protected. Characters do what they can in order to protect and ensure safety. Sometimes it is not enough.
A family unit drifted apart over the years. Things have gone unsaid. Characters live through regrets and guilt but they need to find a pathway through grief.
There are the difficult topics of abuse and miscarriage. Both are sensitively portrayed.
The plotline was complex and well thought out. Missing would translate perfectly into a Netflix series – any producers out there please take note.
Missing was a fabulous read.
I received a free copy from the publishers via Net Galley. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, it was one of those that you don't want to end because the characters are so real and compelling that you feel you actually know them.

I wouldn't consider Missing to be a thriller, it's more of a drama, as the pace of both stories running through it are engrossing and very interesting but there is no sense of current danger even though there is murder involved. It's a thoroughly good story that holds the reader's attention throughout and I would definitely recommend it.

My thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

Marietta returns home to her sister Lily following the tragic death of their mother. The sisters relationship is troubled and fraught with resentments. The cause of their mother’s death by drowning is unclear - Lily refuses to entertain the thought that it is anything other than an accident.
DI Fox is coming up to retirement and has been sidelined to cold cases. One particular case involves the murder of an infant and has troubled him for years that the death hasn’t been solved.
We are left guessing for some while as to what the link between the two scenarios is - but events are skilfully woven and capture your interest through till the end.
None of the characters are over the top which makes for a believable and captivating story.

#Thank you to #NetGalley and #Headline for allowing me to read #Missing by #ErinKinsley
A woman walks into the sea and drowns, her two daughters Lisa and Marietta need to reconnect and find the truth.
Is there any connection to a cold case that has haunted D I Fox for decades, will his last investigation into the case he couldn’t let go lead him to the sisters and help them find the answers.
A story you will not want to put down. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is told from two different stories which end up entwining. I usually find this interesting however on this occasion I found it confusing and struggled to get into. Around the 70% mark I gained some interest but unfortunately found the ending quite rushed after a long lead up

A mother walks into the sea and never returns. One perfect summer day, mother of twin children Alice walks in to the sea. Her daughters are distraught. However DI fox investigates but the case goes cold. There is one case he won’t let go. The tragic death of an infant. Two story lines are told separately but soon become woven together. Great read and another fantastic story but Erin Kinsley. .

I've read books by Erin Kinsley before, and they have always been really great. So I was excited to read this one. The premise of this book really intrigued me.
The book started off really strong, and the sisters relationship really interested me. The pacing was super fast paced to begin with too. However, the more the book went on the less interested I was. I felt that the plot moved towards the sisters rather than the main mystery of the mum. I didn't like reading about the investigators/police and just wanted the plot to move back on to the sisters.

Overall this book was OK, but I felt a little disappointed considering how intrigued and exciting I was about this book before going in.

Alice walks into the sea and never returns and for her two daughters life is never the same again
The mother they thought they knew had secrets they could never dream of.
Twenty years ago a baby's body was found on a bonfire. No-one knew who the baby was and it became a cold case.
DI Fox is nearing retirement and he has wanted to solve this case for years.
Can he uncover the truth after all this time?

I am a huge fan of Erin Kinsley's others books and I was so excited to read Missing. I was not disappointed in the least. I did thoroughly enjoy her previous two novels slightly more but still Missing is a winner for me.

Another great read - the novel centres around two women who have drifted apart but come back together to try and solve their mother's suicide and also a policeman who is coming up to retirement and re-opens a case from many years ago that went unsolved. The story knits together amazing and beautifully done by Erin Kinsley.

I found myself staying up well past my bedtime to "just finish one more chapter" and managed to read this novel in record time - 2 days (which is good for me).

If you love a mystery/thriller then this is a great novel to read.

Thanks to Netgalley, Erin Kinsley and the publisher for a copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley and Publishers for a copy of “ Missing” for an honest review.

As previous books by Erin Kinsley , I found this book to be enjoyable , despite the subject matter, with well written characters and it kept me guessing right to the end.
Recommended.

I really enjoyed this book. There are so many elements to the story, it all links up and ties in but it’ll keep you guessing as to how. Great twisty read.

One perfect summer day, mother of two Alice walks into the sea and never comes back. Her daughters - loyal but fragile Lily, and headstrong, long-absent Marietta - are forcibly reunited by her disappearance. Meanwhile, with retirement looming, DI Fox investigates cold cases long since forgotten. And there's one obsession he won't let go: a tragic death twenty years before. Can Lily and Marietta uncover what happened to their mother? Will Fox solve a mystery that has haunted him for decades? As their stories unexpectedly collide, long-buried secrets will change their lives in unimaginable ways.

Sadly I really struggled to read this. From the premise I thought it sounded intriguing but something was lost in translation as I found myself reading a dull, laborious read and it was such a struggle to get it finished. I hate saying that but it is true. As we read this, we follow Marietta and Lily as they struggle with their mother's passing and the uneasy truths they begin to unearth. We also have chapters following DI Fox as he fights to unravel a long-buried truth. If I am honest, I thought I would enjoy Fox's sections more but these were the areas I found the most uninteresting, they just lacked spark. Kinsley does draw this to a satisfactory conclusion which is always a plus for me.

For me, the enjoyment of this book came in the form of Marietta and Lily. They are two, strong women who take centre stage as they battle grief, their lives and the truth. I loved getting to know these sisters and learning about them was very enjoyable. They have an interesting relationship and I liked getting to see this and learning the reasons behind it. For me, these two sisters saved this from being a two star review and thank goodness they were included.

'Missing' was definitely missing something for me and that was a spark and shot of adrenaline. This read was too slow and it lost any impact it might have had but I have to give credit for the good characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for an advance copy.

I’d like to thank H.Q. and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Missing’ by Erin Kinsley in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Alice sits on her deckchair watching the tide, she gets up and removes her sundress to reveal a fuchsia pink swimming costume, walks into the sea and swims until she has no energy left to return. The coastguard comes out and rescues her but it’s too late. Alice leaves behind two daughters, Marietta and Lily, who must come to terms with their mother’s death and decide whether it was an accident or intentional. Meanwhile, DI Russell Fox is investigating the cold case of Baby Michael who died when just a few days old.

‘Missing’ is a story with two threads, the first the death of Alice and the second of Baby Michael whose grave is in the churchyard and whose parents have never been found. DI Russell Fox investigates cold cases and is determined to identify the killer of Baby Michael before he retires. As the two stories move ever closer together, we delve into the lives of Alice, her daughters Marietta who travels the world looking for love, and Lily who’s married to Connor and wants to be a mother, and the residents of the Cornish town of Selmouth. From a slow beginning the story deepens until the tension is palpable and it’s impossible to stop reading. This story has had me gripped with suspense, intrigue and twists and turns, and I’ve been kept guessing until the end when the truth was revealed. It’s a well-written story that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading and can recommend.

One perfect summers day, mother of two Alice walks into the sea and never comes back. Her daughters - loyal but fragile Lily, and headstrong long-absent Marietta - are forcibly reunited by her disappearance. Meanwhile, with retirement looming, DI Fox investigates cold cases long since forgotten. And there's one case he won't let go: the tragic death of an infant twenty years before.

The two storylines are told separately but then intricately woven together. The pace is a bit slow in this family drama that's filled with secrets and lies. Marietta and Lily have a complex relationship. The characters all had backstories in this well written book.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Headline and the author #ErinKinsley for my ARC of #Missing in exchange for an honest review.

3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a good family drama. It’s about 2 sisters who’s mother killed herself and somehow it’s linked to the murder of a baby. Good gripping read, would recommend.

I really enjoyed this story of two sisters reunited in grief when their mother drowns. How could a strong swimmer with good local knowledge end up so far from shore?
Alongside this tragic event is the investigation of a cold case, a baby found dead and part burned by Fox, a detective nearing the end of his career but determined to try to get justice for the infant.
What I liked most about this book is that there are no silly twists and turns which seem the norm in many books of this genre. The two threads are brought together in a believable way.
Well worth the 4 stars!