I was delighted to be approved for this novel from Netgalley. For those not familiar, this is the 13th books in the David Raker series, a missing persons expert. Although I strongly believe that some series should be brought to an end more quickly than they are (e.g., Jack Reacher), I definitely wouldn't say that about the Raker series. There is definitely more in the tank for this series.

What I enjoy most about this series is the development of the characters, both Raker and Colm Healy. Unlike other series, Raker and Healy have both developed fully over the course of these books. Whilst it would be difficult to go back and read the previous 12 books, you will definitely lose out in the nuances of the story and characters without the background. Not to the extent that you couldn't enjoy this book but you will not have the fully immersive experience.

In this novel, a family are enjoying a day on the beach. Later on, when the family is alone, Marc, his son Kyle and Kyle's girlfriend take a row boat out to see leaving Marc's wife and daughter on the beach. Looking away for only a minute, Marc's wife looks back and the boot is empty and the three of them are nowhere to be seen.

Separately, Raker receives a call from Melanie Craw, an ex-police officer who is now working security in casinos. After taking a potential murderer into custody within the casino security system, the Police arrived to find his cell completely empty and the murderer vanished into the air. Can Raker find out what happened to him? And are the two cases actually connected?

This one, like most others, is complicated. There are a number of narratives from the past and present all coming together. Anyone familiar with the series will understand, anyone not will soon be scratching their head (but in an enjoyable way). Like most missing person stories, to say much more would be giving away some plot twists but suffice to say Weaver delivers again.

Thanks to Netgalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House | Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

This is a clever and twisted thriller that really made me think!! Well written and pacy with elements of surprise! I really enjoyed it.

Another superb entry to the David Raker series by Tim Weaver, these books never fail to grip me. The stories are so well plotted, twist and turn all over the place and keep you guessing to the end. Raker and Healy are an excellent pairing and it’s good to see some old faces reappearing.

The story begins with the seemingly impossible disappearance of 3 people from a boat in the middle of a lake and takes us through a tangled web of interwoven crimes in the UK and US to find out exactly what happened. The plot is complicated and clever but all comes together beautifully, as always.

I’ve loved the Raker books from the start and they never disappoint. The characters are so well developed now, with their histories and flaws, and I really enjoy the way they continue to grow with each new book. These books are some of the best in their field and definitely not to be missed.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.
#TheMissingFamily #NetGalley

This took me a while longer to read than normal, because my tired little brain just couldn't keep up.😃
Weaver is the master of his art when it comes to twisty , clever books.
How he combines his plots and characters is perfect.
There were lots of wide eyed shocked expressions coming from me. Not least to mention THAT ending.
To be honest, I'm now at that stage where I'd happily read a book just about Raker and Healy having a cup of tea together, but luckily Weaver is not delivering that, he's putting out books that just incredibly seem to get better every time.
A series you definitely don't want to miss out on.

Five fantastic stars. An enthralling storyline that has you chomping at the bit to discover who, what, where, when and why. Because you never bleeding know until the bitter end. I’m not sure how Tim plans and writes all this. It’s so meticulous with how it all links together. Another superb book!

Really lovely twisty, turny crime mystery, with an existing Tim Weaver hero in David Raker. Easy to read, great flow and good hooks at the end of chapters. The different timelines and how each fits into each other is a great guessing game, with a few final twists, the last one definitely setting up another book. Well I hope so anyway as I'd read it in one sitting.

I’ve read several of Tim Weaver’s David Raker series, and this latest outing holds up well. Raker is asked by a distraught wife to investigate the disappearance of her family from a dinghy on a secluded lake.
I was pleased to see Raker’s long-time associate Colm Healy back in the narrative sidecar with an investigation of his own. He’s on the trail of a murderous gambler who escaped from a locked cell at a casino.
I guessed the how of both mysteries, although I defy anyone – apart from the devilishly clever author – to come up with the whys.
Tim Weaver is a master at creating smooth, suspenseful prose. At the end of each short chapter, he dangles a cliffhanging carrot that urges you to keep reading. I read the entire book in one day. He also waves a tasty vegetable at the end of the book, hinting at the moral dilemma that will face our heroes in the next story.
With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an early copy in exchange for an independent review.

Tremendous..
How can a family seemingly vanish in seconds? When three members of Sarah’s family take a dinghy onto a Dartmoor lake and they vanish, Sarah has no answers and little hope left. Enter David Raker, solver of the seemingly impossible. As Raker becomes all consumed with the case, other puzzling events and another case will come to light which will require his expertise. As secrets, lies and entwining threads emerge, Raker will need his wits about him to find the truth and solve the puzzles. Another tremendous outing for Raker with another unique and intriguing set of puzzles to solve, a well constructed and cleverly crafted plot populated with a deftly drawn and credible cast of characters. A worthy addition to a superb series.

I've made some great reading choices recently and The Missing Family was one of them. This is in my top 3 reads of 2024 so far.
David Raker is always a joy to spend time with and I love the puzzle of his missing persons cases. There's something deliciously satisfying about settling back and trying to work out the logistics of an impossible situation and Tim Weaver always comes up with complex, intriguing and seemingly impossible scenarios.
The Missing Family was a real conundrum and took us all over the UK and over to the states too.
With plenty of red herrings and many twists and turns, I can safely say I was gripped to the very last page.
Talking of last pages ... well, that was one mega twist and I'm already desperate to find out how that pans out.
In terms of the overall story arc, I have to say I'm really enjoying the development throughout the series. Somehow Weaver manages to keep the personal storylines as fresh and compelling as the individual novels.
Great series, well plotted and brilliantly executed.
Can't wait for the next one!

One of my absolute favourite series is back with a bang and possibly the twistiest mystery yet for our David Raker.

I read this in one sitting, it is massively addictive and really really clever. As usual I couldn't work it out but then of course the solution was right there. The characters are so well done you get right into the heart of things.

An excellent plot and a series that gets stronger and better with each new addition. Highly Recommended.