It is a breath of fresh air to finally see a thriller not being marketed as the next Girl on the Train or Gone Girl.

This book reminds me a lot of Tana Frenchs novels, which is a great compliment as I am a huge fan of hers.

In someone elses review they related to this to a character study which I loved as I really think that description fits. It flips perspectives throughout and sometimes that bugs me but I think in this case it was done very well.

Those looking for an edge of your seat suspense novel will probably not love this. But if you go into it with an open mind I think the story is very well done and incredibly enjoyable.

An intriguing story. Well written, but a little predictable. A thoroughly good read if you like police stories, but don't mind not being totally true to life.

This blog post owes its entire existence to the British Books Challenge 2017. Otherwise, I think I would not have posted anything and left my reading experience just another notch on my Goodreads list. But read on – this book has some good features, and not only set in Britain but written by someone British! So – with thanks to NetGalley for my free ebook copy…

There is honesty in this book. Honesty of feeling and of observance. The main character, Manon (“bitterness” – and she has quite a bit) is a crime genre staple – fantastic at her job, which is her focus, because her personal life is a bit rubbish. In fact, I would say that the book is really about her, rather than about the crime she is trying to unravel. She describes herself on her pretend dating profile (of course she has a more, familiar-to-anyone-who-has-ever-used-a-dating-site generic one):

“Misanthrope, staring down the barrel of childlessness. Yawning ability to fin faoult. Can give off WoD (Whiff of Desperation). A vast, bottomless galazy of loneliness. Educated: to an intimidating degree. Willing to hide this. Prone to tears. Can be needy.”

Steiner has some great descriptions in the book. Even the atmosphere mirrors Manon sometimes – “The night air drips with moisture, dank and lonely”. She also puts female characters centre-stage in what could end up being a very male environment – and in the end, various men are the problem with much of what happens, whether at work or at home.

I wouldn’t say I’m a crime genre aficionado, so it would be interesting to see how people who read tons of crime novels see this book. Usually I dip in with the odd episode of Grantchester or an Ian Rankin. But I didn’t finish feeling satisfied, despite various loose ends being tied up and the crime investigation concluding (and I really hate it when you never find out whodunnit). Maybe it was too slow, and I was expecting more drama, more gore, more darkness maybe. I think I might try another book by Steiner in a different genre, but I won’t be reading anything further about Manon.

I don’t want to spoil what happens at the end, but Manon’s crime investigation is solved, and her personal issues are partially solved. I wouldn’t say she solves anything herself. She seems a bit clueless despite being so insightful. Maybe it is Steiner who is the insightful one, and she is leaving Manon to unravel a bit more in further books.

It's a crime drama/procedural, & yet manages to impart a look at modern life, during which it takes a very realistic look at the pressures today's women feel in terms of relationships, both work & social, & how it's an increasingly hard balance to find.

The overarching story, of a missing young lady, which I wont go into simply because to do so would spoil it for others. There's a few twists here & there, & whilst not completely outlandish it isn't so easy to predict, unlike most procedural on television, which are disappointingly predictable. Despite that you find yourself continually trying to fill in the blanks & puzzle out what happened as you read & formulate your own picture of the events.

I read this book extremely quickly, & as a man, actually came away with a bit more appreciation towards my wife & her friends in some regards, such is the ability of the author to put me as the reader so utterly & completely inside the mind of the female lead in this book.

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book, I found the fact that it was written in the second person very off putting, and found it very difficult finishing this book.

This book was a real page turner and kept me captivated from beginning to end.
I liked the tone of narration from different perspectives, which I would describe as "realist", slightly pessimistic and with a kind of dry humour running throughout.
The main protagonist (DS Manon) is a kind of anti-hero, a misanthrope at first sight but I could not help liking her more and more as the story progressed.

This book introduces DS Manon Bradshaw who is the officer dealing with the disappearance of Edith Hind, the daughter of a well-to-do family. She disappeared leaving an open door, her belongings and smears of blood which her boyfriend, Will, found on his return home.

I did not know throughout the book what had happened - had Edith been abducted, run away or been murdered. Manon discovered that all was not as it seemed when investigating Edith's background and lifestyle.

The writing style was very good and the book kept my interest throughout. I look forward to reading more about DS Manon Bradshaw.

This book was a huge disappointment and I gave up about half way through.

I wanted to like this book, much more than more than I did. It didn't draw me in, and I found myself skipping around to find interesting points in the plot..nor just wasn't as engaging as it could have been, and I found myself only reading small sections at a time..I debated on not finishing it but felt I owed it to the author to see it through. Alas, the ending was not surprising. I was unimpressed, and disappointed overall.

Missing, Presumed did take a while for me to get into but i'm glad i perservred as i ended up thoroughly enjoying this thriller. The twist is brilliant!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1871654979

Also on Facebook... unfortunately I am having problems uploading my review

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will definitely be looking out for more by this author. A well crafted story which keeps up the pace throughout.

I love a good mystery/thriller. And I also love a great strong lead female detective. You will not be disappointed in this novel! The author really nailed it and I cannot wait to hear more from her.

Whew ,what an amazing read.I enjoyed it all.Great characters all well described and written. Loved the pace .
The subject of the book is perhaps over done these days but there is always room for one that's so well written that catches the imagination. This is the one.
Edith , a postgrad Cambridge student goes missing .She lives with her boyfriend and has been slowly drifting apart from him .Her best friend ,also a student is needy and clinging and Edith sees trouble on the horizon there.
Edith goes to party , just before Christmas. Drinks too much and her best friend sees her home .Leaves her at the door to her Huntingdon flat. Edith then goes missing. Her boyfriend razes the alarm after coming home to the flat after a week-end seeing his mother and finds blood on the floor , coats strewn about and fears something has happened ,contacts the Police.
The pace then picks up and as the days go by where there is no news ,good or bad .The Police think the worse.

Wonderful read great page turner aboput real struggling people with all the weaknesses on full view.

Edith Hind is missing, then a body of a male is found. As the story develops there are many questions about Edith's life and perhaps a relationship with a criminal. Absolutely loved the book and when I thought I knew the ending the twist was great. Absolutely loved this book, well written and brilliant story.

One of the best books I read in 2016. Loved everything about it. Easy read, nice style. Looking forward to more from Susie.

Excellently crafted mystery by Susie Steiner, distinguished by the beautifully drawn characters. Crime fiction is not my go-to type of novel because, too often, the demands of the genre take precedent over character and insight. Susie Steiner has transcended the police procedural in this humane and haunting novel

Edith, a young graduate student from a rich, well-connected family, goes missing from her home days before Christmas with no clues or leads on her whereabouts. Detective Manon is one of the first investigators on the scene and from Day 1 of the investigation, there seems to be no leads or motive and as seen by the department as a "career killing investigation" due to the high profile of Edith's family (her father was knighted and is the royal surgeon) and the public interest in the case is sure to hurt the department as the case drags on with no new leads. All of the characters are flawed human being but that makes you like them even more. I especially liked Detective Manon, whose personal life which is nonexistent at the beginning of this book, gradually expands and she finally has learn manage her personal life, which ends up as a hot mess. Manon seemed like the most realistic, relatable character in the book. Her witty banter with her colleagues made the story fun while the investigation stalled. I also enjoyed Edith's mother's character development from cold-hearted and stand-offish to gradually opening up to her family and those around her with her real feelings and finally confronting those who were causing so much grief in the family instead of politely keeping her mouth shut. I could not predict the ending of this book which made it a great mystery novel in my opinion.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration.