“My name is Nina Fraser, I’m a twenty year old student at VSU and a climber but you probably know that already and I daresay already judged me. I’ve a boyfriend, Simon Jordan who I meet at school aged 5, we’ve been together since sixteen and he’s a good guy. However, when we go to different colleges things begin to change, he becomes more intense and way, way worse. It comes to a head when he persuades me to go on a weekend break to his wealthy family cabin in our home state of Vermont….” and only Simon returns home. What happens at the cabin? What happens to Nina? Simon’s story is inconsistent, he claims the couple break up, he goes home and she stays at the cabin. His parents, Rory and Jamie rush to protect him and Nina’s parents, Andy and Leanne, push for answers. The Jordans hire a PR firm to address some of the online speculation, to defuse and confuse the narrative and that’s when things start to get seriously toxic. How far will both sets of parents go to protect their offspring? Will we ever learn what happens to Nina?

From the moment I learn of a new book by Dervla McTiernan, I’ve been busting to read this and oh my goodness, although I’ve rated all her books very highly this is by far her best, in my opinion. I think this exploration of the above premise and the impact of Nina’s disappearance on both families has been superbly done. It has me in a vice like grip from beginning to end. It’s told from several perspectives and that really keeps the momentum going as you clearly see them for exactly who and what they are. Few can be described as likeable (apart from Grace, Nina’s sister) but that’s what makes the reading so fascinating and compelling. You feel every inch of the different types of pain especially that of Leanne, which is raw.

The ever changing plot direction, the quick pace and the numerous moments of suspense which ranges from the intake of breath variety to the gasp out loud in shock, making it a hard novel to set aside. It’s the very definition of a one more chapter book.

The online sections of the storytelling rightly make me feel ill. People taking sides based on no actual evidence, spurious and dangerous allegations that have zero basis in fact or utilised the Nina story for self promotion is beyond despicable and destructive and yet as we all know it happens to someone, somewhere daily. The conspiracy theories fuelling the story of Nina’s disappearance and making things even worse, breaking already broken people, breaks my heart.

The last part of the book and the ending are absolutely fantastic and I can barely lift my eyes from the pages. As for that final line …..

Overall, this is utterly gripping the whole way through and so realistically done I feel as if I’ve witnessed actual events. It takes me on an emotional journey with everything from sadness to anger to incredulity. It’s incredibly powerful, so thought provoking and quite simply, brilliant. An easy five stars and it’ll be no surprise I highly recommend it.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins, HarperFiction for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

I've been a fan of Dervla McTiernan's novels ever since I came across "The Ruin" (The Rúin) in my local library and I raced through the book in one day. I was relieved to discover that Cormac's tale continued in two further novels and then, along came "The Murder Rule", which is one of the most twisty and best thrillers that I have read in recent years.
So, of course I couldn't wait to read "What Happened To Nina?". Unfortunately, in my eagerness to dive straight into the novel, I made a rookie error - I decided to read "just a couple of chapters before bedtime ". Well, the novel is COMPLETELY UNPUTDOWNABLE! And I ended up reading until 4am when I finished the novel.
McTiernan has once again created a rollercoaster ride, which is excellently paced and even when we learn the truth, you cannot stop reading as you need to learn how the characters will react when the truth is revealed and what will be the ultimate conclusion. The multiple PoVs are put to brilliant use, giving the reader the opportunity to hear the viewpoint of rach main character and also the chance to develop some empathy for their situation.
A full 5 stars for this surefire hit!!

I have read and enjoyed Dervla McTiernan's previous novels, What Happened To Nina? is absolutely my favourtite of hers now. The author takes the story of a missing person and adds so many layers and thought and brings great care and consideration to these characters, I was captivated from the opening chapters and could not put this book down.

Nina and Simon , 20 years old and together from high school. They seem to have a normal fun relationship managing their relationship long distance as they are at different colleges. They take a break hiking in Vermont , staying in Simon's family holiday home but Nina does not return home with Simon. There is no activity on her social media or bank accounts , she has vanished and Simon was the last person to see her and his explanation of what happened isn't adding up.

Nina's parents Leanne and Andy are plunged into every parents worst nightmare. Terrified they look for help from the police and from friends and neighbours to help search for their beloved eldest daughter. Suspicion turns towards Simon and his parents, anxious to protect him turn to lawyers and a PR firm. The suffering Nina's parents are wading through grows even deeper when as a media campaign funded by Simons parents cast wild accusations online feeding the conspiracy theorists as Nina's parents continue their desperate search.

This was a riveting read about the desperate measures parents will take to protect their children. I found myself musing, so many times when reading, what I would do in their situation. The author captures the parents terror, desperation, sadness and devastation with great skill and paints a sinister picture of all the various things that come in to play when a person goes missing. I would have been of the opinion that social media sites would benefit the search for a missing person but as is always the way, going public with trauma brings the dark side of the online world into play.

The tension builds and builds as this novel progresses and the last chapters were a jaw dropping read. This is a masterful coupling of a suspense and a examination of human nature and a powerful gripping read.
Could not recommend this one more.

4.5 stars.

WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? Nobody knows. A great way to start and now I am excited. What did happen to Nina and who is Nina. Well Simon was the last person to see her but what happened? This is a book that will get the heart pumping and the mind working. It is exciting, thrilling, intriguing, interesting, entertaining and so much more.

This is a story about two families and the aftermath of the disappearance of Nina. Each page and chapter leads you to turn the page and search for answers. A well paced read with great characters, this is a book you won't want to put down! 4 1/2 stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Not just, what happened to Nina, but what happens in the aftermath of her disappearance.
Told from the point of view of the two families involved, and the police.
Perfectly times chapters, that always left me wanting more.
There were a few "WHAT??" moments that spiced things up nicely.
Also a good look at how something like this impacts people, and how a small town works.
Another winner from McTiernan.

I've loved all Dervla McTiernan's novels, so I was excited to read this, and it didn't disappoint. I was totally engaged in the story, albeit seriously stressed throughout about what was happening!

Nina Fraser, twenty years old, keen climber, daughter of Leanne and Andy and sister of Grace, has disappeared. Her boyfriend of four years, Simon Jordan, was the last person to see her, at a holiday home owned by his wealthy family.

When Nina fails to come home, suspicion naturally focuses on Simon, and the Jordan family doubles down to protect their son, fighting back by any means necessary, including unleashing the wrath of internet trollery on the suffering Frasers.

As Nina's disappearance and its devastating impact continues, the disintegration of the usually tough and resilient Leanne is believably harrowing.

The story shows horrifyingly and all too realistically how people's traumas and tragedies serve as light entertainment for many - I was powerfully reminded of some recent real-life examples - with others seizing on convincingly presented but totally unsubstantiated lies as the truth. (Nina's stepdad Andy suffers particularly badly here.) It's frightening to see how public perception is manipulated and even supposedly intelligent people can be easily swayed by certain narratives which feed into whatever underlying preconceptions, self-interest, or propensity for self-dramatisation they may have. Once people have made up their minds, it seems, everything becomes evidence of guilt.

Meanwhile, how far will a parent go to protect their own child? How far will wealth and influence stretch to corrupt the truth?

We see events from the viewpoints of Nina's parents and of Simon's parents, Jamie and Rory, as well as the detectives on the case, Matthew and rookie Sarah Jane. The police characters are likeable and I certainly wouldn't be averse to a further outing for them, if that's on the cards.

I'm not sure, with hindsight, quite what we are to make of the introductory section.

A brilliant, compelling read.

Not so much a whodunnit, but a what happens next, exploring the effects of a missing person investigation on two very different families.
A young woman, Nina, goes away for a week with her boyfriend, Simon. He returns a day early but she's not with him. They broke up, he says, when her worried family get in touch. He left her at the holiday house, a mansion set in 400 acres belonging to his family. at her request, a friend is picking her up. But no friend can be identified, she's not replying to texts or calls, None of this is like her. Nor is his claim that she broke up with him because she met someone else. Nina was besotted with Simon, everyone knows that.
Her mother, Leanne knows what happened. Simon killed her daughter. But how can she prove it, how can she persuade the investigators to take her seriously, especially when Simon is the only son of a rich and powerful man? Especially when Simon's parents will stop at nothing to clear their son's name, pointing the finger right back at Nina's mother and stepfather. Soon the town is taking sides, social media full of wild theories, but all Leanne wants is to know, what happened to Nina?
Told in multiple narratives this is a tense, fast paced and disturbing book about obession, narrative and family. Recommended.

The word gripping is often over-used in the context of thrillers or crime stories, but in the case of this book, it is almost an understatement. The reader has the sense of being part of a crime investigation from a fly on the wall perspective, because reading this story is such an immersive experience.

You feel Nina's frustration - and her parents' fear when she goes missing, - at an almost visceral level. Even the other characters' emotions are conveyed in a really convincing manner.

So much so, that when you are seeing things from the perspective of the mother of Nina's boyfriend Simon - a woman who's a rich man's trophy(ish) wife - his mother Jamie may not be likeable, but you do feel like you know who she is.

This book really doesn't need you to go in with a lot of information about it beforehand. After going on a trip with her boyfriend, Nina is missing. Her boyfriend was, most likely, the last person to see her, and says that they broke up because she was unfaithful.

Now strap yourself in, and let the book take you on a ride you won't forget in a hurry. Highly, highly recommended.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS.

I loved the first two books in Dervla McTiernan's Cormac Reilly series (the third one is still not available in the UK) but was disappointed by her first stand-alone novel, The Murder Rule, which I found both unbelievable and predictable. I'm glad to say that her second stand-alone, What Happened To Nina? falls somewhere in between the two. It lacks the engaging character work that I so loved in the Reilly novels, but on the other hand, I pretty much burned through it in one sitting. When twenty-year-old Nina goes missing on a trip with her boyfriend Simon in New Hampshire, both sets of parents step forward in defence of their adult children, and rumours soon begin to fly. While Nina's parents are desperate to find out what happened to their daughter, Simon's parents quickly become aware that he's hiding something from them, and are terrified about what it might be.

Other reviewers have noted the similarities between this novel and the tragic real-life case of Gabby Petito in 2021; I hadn't heard about Petito before reading this book, but having looked this up, I definitely agree, and I wonder if McTiernan was actually too boxed in by this precedent. What Happened To Nina? is intensely predictable, which is not necessarily a problem; I'm not a fan of big, unlikely 'twists' (see my review of The Murder Rule), and, given how much it gripped me, it certainly doesn't sacrifice pace. But on the other hand, I wondered early on if the story might go a different way, and then couldn't rid myself of this 'shadow story' throughout: it struck me that making the situation between Simon and Nina more complex might have raised far more interesting questions about their parents' choices and culpabilities, which are at the heart of this novel. We find out that Simon is basically a psychopath, with a long history of abuse; he murdered Nina because she wanted to break up with him. But early in the novel, I wondered if Nina's death had genuinely been accidental, although covered up by Simon; in the prologue, Nina reports a climbing accident where she hits her head so hard her helmet cracks, and I wondered if this might be a classic Holby City style case of a bleed on the brain that proves fatal but takes a while to take effect. Did Nina suddenly collapse and die - perhaps hitting her head again, hence the blood - and Simon panicked? McTiernan doesn't go in that direction, and I think it could have made the situation between the parents much more interesting, as the lines of 'right' and 'wrong' would have been less clearly drawn. But then that isn't the novel that was written.

In short, a competent thriller that's a step up from The Murder Rule. 3.5 stars.

5* Please read What Happened to Nina because it is INCREDIBLE.

Nina and Simon. Young golden couple who have managed to stay together after high school and into college. However after a weekend away at one of the holiday homes of Simon’s family, Nina doesn’t come home. As we try to unravel what has happened, we have two families pitted against each other, not least because one is rich and the other is hardworking blue collar. One doesn’t know where their daughter is and the other have their son and are trying to protect him.

What Happened to Nina is brilliantly conceived in so many ways. The hook grips you from the get-go and thereafter it is a wild ride which you absolutely cannot leave alone (when I had to do things such as work emails … I was thinking about this book). The characters are brilliantly conceived and the difference between the ‘have’ and ‘have not’ splinters the narrative. I really could not put this down.

I guessed the ultimate ending quite early but it took nothing away from the plot. The ending was magically conceived (the acknowledgements refer to people who get that far loved or hated the book … it was LOVED for me and I didn’t want it to end).

I loved the Cormac Reilly series, having seen Dervla as a debut author with The Ruin at the Harrogate Festival. This feels like a standalone step up. I would highly recommend it.

Thanks to Harper Collins and Netgalley for an ARC.

This was so addictive that I read it all in one day. The only reason I didn't read it in one sitting was work.

It is an intriguing missing person mystery but also a morally ambiguous tale asking how far we might go to protect our children.

Really well written with great characters and a thought provoking finale.

Feels like the inspiration came from a relatively recent high profile case in the states that gripped the Internet whilst it was ongoing...if you know you know..and this was an excellent read that gripped throughout.