The Missing Ones is a gripping psychological thriller that hooked me from the start. I received a copy from Boldwood Books via Netgalley.

The premise immediately draws you in. Ray Eke, a quiet city council litter collector, stumbles upon the body of Lauren Pascoe, who has been missing for three years, in an eerily staged tableau. The unsettling suggestion that she may have been imprisoned and treated as someone’s special toy sets a chilling tone.

The pacing and character development are strong, especially given Ray’s compassionate nature and the hints of his troubled past as an accountant. The narrative cleverly ratchets up the tension when another girl connected to Ray disappears.

I loved the different twists, but some were a bit predictable. All in all, it's a great psychological thriller!

4,5/5⭐️

The Missing Ones was a great read. It had me hooked immediately and didn't let go. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing all the way to the satisfying conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

Thank you Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Anita Waller for the eArc of The Missing Ones.

I have read a few of Anita's books now and I really enjoy her writing style and this one is no exception. The Missing Ones is a standalone crime/Police protocol thriller with psychological elements. What I liked about this book is the grimy, grittiness of the crimes. Even though they are not explicitly described ( like they would be in horror ) You definitely get the feel of the building atmosphere and the time sensitiveness of finding the killer before another person goes missing. The plot direction and foreshadowing is great and easy to follow ( with a few red herrings ) and loved the twists. Even though this book isn't particularly long, it has great character development, psychological elements to keep you guessing and a great finale.

4 stars

This was my first time reading a book by Anita Waller, and I really enjoyed it. The story pulled me in from the beginning, and I found myself wanting to know what would happen next. The pacing was good, with just the right amount of tension to keep me turning the pages.

The characters felt real and believable. I liked how the relationships between them were developed, and there were a few twists I didn’t see coming. It’s a solid mystery with enough suspense to keep things interesting without being over the top.

If you're looking for a crime or mystery novel that’s easy to follow but still keeps you guessing, this is a great choice. I’ll definitely be checking out more books by this author.

Twisty, creepy and thrilling. These words sum up exactly what this book was like. Absolutely brilliant and exciting. I loved every page and just couldn't put it down. I love Anita's books so this wasn't a hard choice. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Another great standalone from Anita Waller.

Ray is working as a litter picker after having a breakdown whilst working at his accountancy firm. He lives a very quiet life, with his Mum at home to look after him and a job that gets him outside in the fresh air. But one morning whilst working his normal route he discovers a young woman's dead body. The victim is Lauren Pascoe and she has been missing for three years. and Ray recognises her after helping with the search three years ago.

Shortyl after the discovery another local young woman goes missing and it looks as though the police have a major case on their hands. Will they find the missing girl before its too late and will they finally get answers to where Lauren was for the last three years.

As always with Anita's books the writing and characters will ensure you are fully immersed in the book. Plenty of twists and turns to keep you invested in the storyline and as always you will be second guessing everything. A great read and already looking forward to the nect book release from Anita.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a digital copy of this book.

Several years after having a breakdown, Ray is working for the city council collecting litter and comes across the body of a woman who had been missing for the previous three years. He is not a suspect, but another young woman disappears and it is discovered that both women had ties to Ray's former accounting firm. This was good, not great, but I would read more if this became a police procedural series. 3 stars.

Thank you Netgalley alley for the advance reader copy.
This was the first book I've read by this author, and reading the reviews. I was hopeful. I did enjoy the first half of the book but found the writing to be a bit choppy and slow. I found the ending really disappointing and was hoping for something different. I'd give this author another try, solid three stars

The novel starts with a breakdown, the reader is being dropped into the middle of disarray and chaos. That’s definitely a good way to hook the reader! This snapshot into Ray’s life sets the way for the rest of the book. Fast forward 3 years after the breakdown, and this is where the real story begins.

We are simultaneously introduced to the police department, specifically the team who will be investigating the case of Lauren Pascoe. At first I was unsure about the style of writing being used when the police were speaking to each other. It seemed overly nice and unnatural. Turns out I’m just used to reading crime books where someone usually hates someone else on the team. Waller’s well oiled, hardworking, tight-knit police department was new for me and I really enjoyed seeing how they worked together on their cases.

The novel had me hooked from the start. You know it’s going to be good when the backgrounds of the characters alone are engaging and make you want to read on, and that’s before we even get to the bodies. I’m not going to lie, the contrast between Waller’s neat, snappy and sharp writing, and the super gruesome injuries inflicted onto the victims caught me off guard every time and I genuinely winced at one point!

And the ending, wow. No spoilers from me, but bravo. Do yourself a favour and read this book.

A dark and twisty read from Anita Waller .
A council worker finds a dead woman whilst on his litter picking round and this leads to a murder investigation the woman has been missing for three years .
She had been mutilated and hadn’t been dead for very long .
The police don’t believe the man who found her has anything to do with the abduction and murder .
Then another girl goes missing and is found in similar circumstances .
The girls both have a tenuous link to Ray the man who found the first body , but investigations rule Ray out .
This book is fast paced and well written.
A gruesome thriller with plenty of twists and turns and I loved the ending.
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books .

Thanks NetGalley and publishers for the arc of The missing ones. Anita Waller's writing keeps you guessing until the very end, with well-developed and depth characters and a compelling plot. If you enjoy suspenseful mysteries, you'll definitely want to check this one out!

What a wild ride this book truly put the reader through. I feel like I really got to know the main characters, and what they were truly doing in the story to give it the full picture of the book. It was my first book by Anita Waller, but I loved the writing style and the way the book read. Overall the way the book flowed together, was amazing and made it a great read!

Loved this book. I honestly couldn't put it down. I love short chapters, books about missing people and kept me guessing the whole way through. I will definitely be looking at her backlist.

An innocent council worker is out doing his job of litter picking. He comes across the body of a woman and lets the police know. This sets off the book to a roller coaster ride that you don't expect to leave soon! Book was very well written, and I enjoyed each and every twist and turn!

I have read previous books by Anita Waller so was really looking forward to sinking my teeth into this one. It had a really promising start and the crime was a lot darker than the previous books I’ve read. The details of the deaths are quite graphic so be wary if you’re easily triggered or have a sensitive disposition. But as the book progressed I found myself wanting to pick up the book less rather than devour it as quickly as possible.

It’s well written with a major twists you won’t see coming, and the characters are interesting that thankfully have a light nature to contrast with the darkness of the crime. Sadly though I didn’t enjoy it as much of her other works.

Yes yes, yes! I loved every second of this. The plot was so original, I had nk idea where it was going. The writing flowed well and made it one of those one more chapter books and the characters were actually really likeable so I wanted to know them more. Absolutely loved it

Ray Eke was an accountant until one day he had an almighty breakdown at his office and was hospitalized. Eventually allowed home into his mother’s care, he started to make a recovery after nine months and now this quiet gentle man has found peace working as a litter picker for the council. No more stress and numbers in his life, just his garden and piano. Peaceful, at least, until on his rounds he stumbles across the dead body of a young woman who simply vanished on her way home from work three years ago. He recognises her as Lauren Pascoe from the posters and searches at the time. Newly transferred DI Chris Chandler is also a quiet, methodical and introspective man who has hit the ground running with this case, especially when it is shown Lauren had been brutally treated for nearly three years and only died a matter of hours before she was discovered. So where has she been all this time and what sort of monster was involved in her abduction, incarceration, torture and finally death? Chris and his team are soon wading through all the reports from three years ago when the chilling news comes through – another young woman has disappeared from an accountancy firm and they have to consider the dreadful possibility that the killer has replaced Lauren with a new pet. Can they unravel the baffling clues to work out what befell Lauren and will it lead them to the missing Hannah before it is too late?
I loved all the team, especially Chris and Frank, and I would really like to read more stories featuring these detectives. This author always produces instantly likeable characters who gel together so well with some great conversations, warmth and humour. I also loved Janet and Philip and very savvy pensioner Marjorie! Despite the wit and great relationships within the team, this is a dark and sometimes gruesome story, impeccably told and completely engrossing which had me suspecting all manner of people and constantly changing my mind as the twists and shocking surprises flew from the pages right up to a killer ending that I just didn’t see coming but which all made perfect sense. I defy anyone to put this gripping book down once they start reading it!

When an apparently harmless council worker discovers the brutalised body of a woman, he is not initially considered a suspect.

But after he is unexpectedly linked to another case, things change. And Ray Eke finds himself in the most bizarre situation...

This is an entertaining story well told, with some satisfying twists. Definitely worth checking out if you enjoy thrillers, it gets 3.5 stars.

Just finished the Missing Ones by Anita Waller. So suspenseful and had me guessing every step of the way! I love reading books based in the UK. Guessing until the very last page! If you’re a fan of Harlan Coben,James Patterson or Freida McFadden it’s a definite recommend!

The Missing One by Anita Waller had me doubting myself. I did NOT see THAT coming. Read this bookon your next day off, because once you start you will not want to put it down. My mind is still blown. I can't believe that happened.