I have always loved thrillers but somehow or other I have never got around to reading a Nicci French book. I am looking forward to reading her other work as this book had me gripped.
As the title suggests, Charlotte Salter has disappeared. Her disappearance was followed by the death of a neighbour. The police give up on both cases coming up with a very implausible theory. This leaves two families with no closure especially the family of Lottie where there is no body.
30 years later the children (now middle aged) of the two families return. The Salter family need to pack up the house as their father now has dementia and cannot look after himself. The family of the dead man decide to make a podcast to see if they can trigger memories. This leads to another terrible death.
Maude from London is brought in to help solve the murder. She is not welcomed by the local police force but despite her own personal problems, she is determined to solve the murder which she feels must be tied up with the deaths 30 years earlier.
I did not guess the ending! Thank you Netgalley for an advance copy of a book that I feel will be a best seller!

For me, I found that it was an exceptionally slow start, but once Maud as the lead inspector comes into trouble shoot the disappearance of Charlotte Slater, the death of Duncan Ackerley, and the murder of Bridget Wolfe who died in a fire, the story ramps up. If the beginning was shorter, this would be a super read, so if you can get past the first part of the book, you will be glad you persevered. The initial investigation was flawed, and the police ineptitude was well written. So I'm in two minds for a scoring as a 3.5 would seem fair, It's not a 4 star for me, so I settled on a 3. In summary, the ending was superb, making up for the slow start. I will read more from the author.
Thanks to netgalley and Tracy's book of the month for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

As my followers may know, novels about missing people are one of my favourite tropes.
This is a very enjoyable addition to that list!
I was hooked right from the start, wondering why Charlotte Salter never showed up to her husband's 50th birthday party, and I loved how all the characters had some level of mystery.
The pacing is fairly consistent, and although I felt a small dip in the middle, it was brought back with the ending.
House of Corrections is still my favourite Nicci French book, but this is a great read nonetheless.

I am a fan of Nicci French but for some reason this book didn’t reach their usual heights for me…I think it was the very slow start that did it. The beginning of the book dragged. That said they built a wonderful atmosphere, and I felt silly immersed in the village. It just seemed to take a long time to get to the interesting bit.

I was glad I carried on as the final part was a good pace and interesting.

The side story of Maud’s failing relationship also felt like it didn’t have enough space, it felt a bit squeezed in and I either wanted it to be removed or for more time to be given to it.

A solid read if a little slow, but not their best for me.

Charlotte (Lottie) and Alec Salter have four teenage children and live in the small village. We meet them on Alex’s 50th birthday where a big evening party is planned for most of the village as well as family. Yet at the beginning of the party there are no Salters Present. Lottie went for a walk and hasn’t returned. Alec did same, but they didn’t go together or in the same direction. Fourteen year old Etty is worried. The last of the Salters and yet to leave home she is starting to panic. If her mum is gone, for whatever reason, that means she had to spend two years at least in the company of her father. Just the two of them. Alone.

In the days that follow as the police investigate, there are rumours that Lottie and family friend Duncan Ackerley were having an affair. Of course it was more widely known that Alec was seeing Mary Thorne, in fact his own daughter heard him on the phone to her from the other line. When the Ackerleys invite them for Christmas Day, only Lottie turns up at first, her brothers are late and Paul is probably giving it a swerve altogether. Yet it would be worse to sit at home, staring, worrying and jumping at every sound. As dinner time approaches, the Ackerley’s start to wonder where Duncan has got to. He’s been out for a walk, possibly down to the boat as there is a super high tide and he needs to move it. It’s Etty and Giles that start to look for him and he does try to shield her eyes as they come closer and see that Duncan is slumped in the water, dead. We move between that night and the Christmas days that follow and twenty years later when all the Salters are once again in residence at the family home. Everything about it is dated and dilapidated, including their father Alec who is succumbing to dementia. Etty, ever the lawyer, is organising his move into a nursing home and the clearance of their parents possessions. For this job she has found a bright and organised woman called Bridget. She gathers the siblings and tells them that the easiest way is for them to put specific coloured post-its on their must have items, then she takes away the rest for sorting, selling and recycling. It’s emotional, especially since there are now only three of them. Their brother Paul never coped with life and the loss of their mother and sadly committed suicide on the anniversary of her disappearance. Meanwhile, now a Tv personality Morgan Ackerley is home to record a podcast on that Christmas, speculating on what happened to Lottie and his father. This is going to stir up the village and make life difficult for both families. When a sudden event leads to yet another death, the police are called and a new detective looks at the old files as well as this new case. Are they linked in some way? Despite her boss seeming to warn against digging up what’s been long buried, this detective is determined to find out what happened to Lottie Salter.

Seeing how much these families have changed over time is so interesting and I found myself wondering how different the Salters and Ackerley’s have been if this crime hadn’t happened. Etty melted my heart a little bit because she’s clearly so close to her mum and on the night of the party she’s the one who’s trying to raise the alarm that something isn’t right. The boys are largely off doing their own thing and seem almost inured to the state of their parent’s marriage. The consensus is they’ve probably had a row, but Etty knows that despite a row, or their dad being on the phone to Mary Thorne at 2am the night before, there is no way that her mum wouldn’t turn up to his birthday party. She has always kept up appearances in that way. She even looks at her father and wonders whether he could have killed her. Her relationship with each parent couldn’t be more different, there’s a distance between her and her father both in the past and the present. In fact he doesn’t seem that invested in any of his children. Yet Etty can still imagine the smell of her mum’s perfume, can imagine what she would be wearing and I could imagine Lottie hugging her daughter, that perfume making up one of the many scents that signify home. With only the boys and her distant father left who will she go to for hugs? I could feel her panic as realises that after Christmas, the boys will go back to jobs and university and she will be left alone with their father for two years. I could then see this huge loss in the adult Etty: an awkwardness about whether the family kiss to greet each other or not; keeping a lawyer’s professional manner at all times meaning she’s the one who does all the organising and finds the house clearance firm. She doesn’t cry, even when finding memories of their childhood. She holds herself stiffly, almost brittle and I wondered how much it would take for her to break.

There are many ghosts here. It’s not just Etty who was changed. They all feel the loss of their brother Paul deeply and he’s the empty chair at the table, even now. They tiptoe around each other, trying not to open old wounds but when a fire is started at the home of their house clearer a new murder investigation is opened. Either the arsonist didn’t realise she was at home, or didn’t care. Was their aim to kill or was it to hide evidence that she’d unwittingly taken into their home? I found this mystery so intriguing that I couldn’t stop reading and I loved the psychological aspects of how these unsolved crimes had affected the families and the village as a whole. There were a couple of crucial points past and present where everyone I suspected seemed to be going for a walk alone - without even having a dog as an excuse! I was suspecting that Lottie’s husband wasn’t as advanced in dementia as she seemed, but couldn’t be sure. The reveals were satisfying, but it was the methods of concealment that really blew me away and I loved how thorough the investigating detective was. She wanted to be sure, whether or not it disturbed or upset some people and I loved that too. Mainly I thought about how the author showed the effects of a crime like this, even years on from the actual incident. These children are all changed forever and the villagers have lived under a fog of suspicion for years. Etty particularly left me thinking of all the events I’ve been able to enjoy with my mum over the last 50 years, that Lottie has missed out on. Finding a balance between the real emotions that surround a crime and creating a page-turning mystery is difficult but here the authors have really pulled it off.

This was a story of two halves, the first halve was told around the time Charlotte disappeared and the fallout around it. The second half was years later and follows the police investigation as they find out what took place.
I must admit that I did think this was going to be a DNF for me as the first part really seemed to drag and it definitely went on longer than needed. The second part really picked up though and it was a lot more interesting I really liked the characters a lot more too they had a lot more depth to them.

Nicci French is one of my all time favourite authors and this one is one of their best! Dark and twisty, emotionally devastating it involves secrets, sex and lies spanning 3 decades. What made it for me was the teenage Etty. Through her emotions i felt as though I really knew her and why she became the woman she did. This story is pretty devastating and it will leave a lasting mark on me. I can't sing its praises highly enough. If you're in a reading slump , this will get you out of it.

I have listened to nearly all Nicci French’s standalone books on Audible, but when I saw they had a new book coming out I couldn’t resist the blurb and needed to read it. I also decided to pick this book as part of my Book of The Month (BOTM) group on Facebook and together with my closest 70 friends (!!) we started the book early February and met on line to discuss it in depth 3 weeks later.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter is a dual timeframe mystery about a beloved mother and wife who goes missing on the eve of her husband’s 50th birthday party at Christmas time in 1990, leaving no trace and a devastated family behind in a small village called Glensted.

When the body of a close friend and neighbour, Duncan Ackerley, is found a few days after Charlotte’s disappearance the police are quick to conclude this is a murder/suicide and close the case. However, the children of both families can’t and won’t believe it.

Nearly thirty years later, the children of Charlotte Salter and Duncan Ackerley reunite in the small town for their own personal reasons; The Salter children have returned to assist their father Alec move into a care home as he has dementia, and the Ackerley boys are back to make a podcast in the hope to clear their father’s name and find out what really did happen to Charlotte Salter?

Whilst this is a slow burning mystery, there is now a new police investigation happening since the podcast went live and this is headed up by DI Maud O’Connor who has been sent up from London to try to solve this case.

With many themes running through this family saga/mystery thriller from grief and depression; infidelity and obsession; mental health issues and suicide and dementia Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? spans 30 years in an atmospheric and emotional story and follows the devastating effects the disappearance of one woman has on her family and those around her.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Has anyone seen Charlotte Salter?

A story told 30 years apart, showing the devastating effects of a missing person at the time and years later.
It ticked all the boxes of a family drama and a crime drama for me. Twists and turns kept me turning the pages.

I was lucky enough to attend an author talk by the duo that make up Nicci French, which I can highly recommend if you get the opportunity. Since then I read anything they’ve written and they never let me down! This book feels a bit bleak, but don’t let that put you off. It’s full of the tests and turns that you can expect from Nicci French as well as well built characters that are relatable.

This standalone novel from Nicci French follows the Salter family and the community around them. 30 years ago, Charlotte Salter, much beloved mother and key part of the village that they lived in, went missing.
3 days later, another man in the village drowns in the river. The police are keen to clear the case, and link the two, assuming that he killed Charlotte and then himself. The families are never satisfied with this outcome but have no other recourse to justice.

30 years later, a podcast looks at the case again through a more modern lens; can they find something out that was missed at first?

I found this a slow burn of a book but its well worth sticking with. The first third took me a while to get into. But once it got to the podcast part of the story, I was hooked, and read the last section in a couple of days.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

The story line is great however I found it a little hard to connect to any of the children. Also I found the book a bit slow in the middle. I liked the ending though. A good read but I preferred her previous books.

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.
Set in the mud flats of Norfolk across two time periods, it was really atmospheric and intriguing. Charlotte Salter never arrives at her husband's 50th birthday party... leaving her 4 children confused and bereft and her husband flippant and dismissive. Days later a family friend's body is found...a massive assumption is made and the case is closed... everyone disperses.
Thirty years later as Charlotte Salter's husband's health deteriorates, his children return and the case reopens with another crime and a new badass female detective at the helm.
The characters in the book were great and I was fascinated by the way in which Charlotte's disappearance impacted them so differently. I loved Etty and loathed Alec.
This one is out in 2 days' time and if you enjoy a cold case whodunnit, I'd really recommend this.

Fabulous! Really excellent. I've only read one Nicci French book before but will absolutely be looking for more by them.

I loved the dual timelines, the police procedural element, the podcast within a book concept. And I loved the characterisations.

Etty was a great character. I was so invested in her narrative the whole time.

Recommended to any crime fiction fan.

This is my favourite Nicci French I’ve read so far. Usually I read several books at once, but with Nicci French I’m in it til I finish. Most involved plot and I guessed wrong, which I enjoyed.

I hope this is the start of another series, too.

This is another excellent offering from authors Nicci Gerrard and Sean French who appear to have a never ending supply of exciting crime novels.

The novel opens with the disappearance of Charlotte Salter, who fails to turn up for her husband Alec’s fiftieth birthday party. Her disappearance is a mystery and leaves her family with lots of unanswered questions and simmering suspicions. Now years later Charlotte’s children, Etty, Niall, Paul, and Ollie try to cope with the inevitable repercussions caused by their mothers disappearance. Each of them with their own way of dealing with what happened, the resulting impact on them and how they try to make sense of their mothers disappearance.

Etty returns to her childhood home to help move her father, Alec, into a care home due to his battle with dementia. Meanwhile childhood friends Greg and Morgen Ackerley have decided to investigate Charlotte’s disappearance through a podcast and they uncover hidden secrets regarding Charlotte that will cause more than a few ripples in the town.

“Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?” is well written novel that kept me guessing and was very difficult to put down.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I read Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? as part of a reading group and there is definitely lots to discuss. From the beginning, the novel is full of mystery and the authors raise lots of questions that I really wanted to get to the bottom of, as I read this book in less than 24 hours. It's very difficult to let this story go once you start reading!.

The premise of a missing person is not new but I love that Nicci French have found a different angle on this familiar plot. The novel has three parts: the first part is set in 1990, the second part is set in 2022 and the third part remains in 2022, but takes the form of a police procedural novel. This allows the reader to look at the novel from a number of perspectives and try and work out what happened . It also gives us more insight into the characters who are most closely affected by Charlotte Salter's disappearance and how it has impacted them over time. This technique was most effective with Etty, and I was able to sympathise with her throughout the novel, making me more keen to discover the resolution. I was disappointed we didn't get to spend more time with Maud - she's a great character and detective.

Nicci French are no strangers to the crime novel and this really shows in Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? The writing is slick and the plotting is brilliant, as they plant seeds to help us work it out, while surprising us at the same time.

I do have a few Nicci French books on my TBR - I think it might be time to shuffle them up the list!

This is a great mystery thriller.
The book begins with Alec Salter’s 50th Birthday party and his family are all there except for his wife Charlotte.
Their daughter Etty is very worried as she knows her Mum would not miss this party.
The family try to find her but it seems she’s disappeared into thin air.
A few days later a friend of the family is found dead in the river.
The Police are struggling with both cases and eventually close their files without giving the families closure.
Many years later a podcast is started by Morgan whose father was found dead. He’s interviewing several people and it’s bring back memories for the locals and the Salter family.
Another murder is committed and a new Detective is brought in. Maud is convinced this death is linked to Charlotte and Duncan’s deaths and is determined to prove it.
This is a great read.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK for an advance copy of Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?, a stand-alone set in the fictional Suffolk village of Glensted.

In 1990 Lottie Salter did not turn up for her husband Alec’s fiftieth birthday party. Her four children, Niall, Paul, Ollie and Etty were worried, Alec wasn’t. In 2022 Etty returns to Glensted for the first time in twenty five years to help move Alec, who now has dementia, into a home. At the same time her childhood friends, Greg and Morgan Ackerley, return to make a podcast about Lottie’s disappearance.

I thoroughly enjoyed Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?, which is an absorbing read that I read in one sitting. I can’t identify exactly why it consumed me when I have been struggling to pick up all my recent reads, but I think it’s due to the realism.

The novel has three main points of view, the podcast, Etty and DI Maud O’Connor sent from London to oversee the shambolic investigation into a present day murder. They merge seamlessly with the podcast having a voyeuristic feel, even if the brothers were players in the past events, Etty providing the strong emotions and damage the disappearance caused and Maud bringing discipline, rigour and dispassion. Each works in their own way to uncover secrets and truths that have been hidden until now.

In a sense this is an ordinary novel. Yes, there is murder, but there’s no shock and awe of unrealistic action scenes or high drama. It is the story of how an unresolved disappearance echoes through the decades, affecting all involved. The Salter family has fallen apart with little contact and Etty, once a fun loving teenager, is now a hard woman with an empty life. It is powerful, but sad that none of them were able to move on.

Maud O’Connor is the character that most appeals to me. She is smart and manages to answer the questions, but mostly she is tough. She isn’t welcomed by the team and meets with obstruction and insolence, but she’s fit for them and comes out on top. What a woman.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Just finished this read and was really impressed. A bit of a slow start for me and I did struggle to keep interested but I am glad I did. The book tells the story of 2 families, in three parts and the disappearence and deaths within the families. For me, I got really involved and dedicated to reading it from part 2 of the story which takes place 30 years after the dissapearance of Charlotte Salter and where the story gets juicy. Who is she and why did she disappear? And why where the police not interested in the beginning. Lots of characters in this book, but wasn't hard to keep up with them all. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel!