#ATBR2022 – The Night She Went Missing by Kristen Bird

We’re cruising with more #allthebookreviews titles and it’s been so fun being able to do it together again!

Thanks to HTP Books and MIRA for the free copies in exchange for our honest reviews

THE NIGHT SHE WENT MISSING – Kristen Bird (Released February 8th, 2022)

Book Description:

Months after she disappeared, a high school senior is found floating in the town’s harbor, alive but unconscious. Where has Emily been, and how did she get into the water? In Kristen Bird’s “gripping” (Publishers Weekly) debut The Night She Went Missing, three friends-to-frenemies mothers in a close-knit, wealthy Texas community decide to investigate after the police hit a dead end. While each woman has secrets to protect, they’ll all be forced to look at their own children – or each other’s – to uncover the truth.

With the relentless pacing and complex female characters of Big Little Lies and an expertly crafted small town setting, The Night She Went Missing introduces Kristen Bird as a new force in the world of domestic suspense. Her novel goes well beyond that, exploring complex questions about mothers and daughters, loss, and the line between taking chances and living dangerously.

Chandra’s Thoughts: 2/5 stars

Unfortunately this is a no from me.  As a debut, I give it some leeway and I’m ALL about suspending reality because fiction is fiction and implausibility is expected…  but wow.  This book starts off really strong and I found myself instantly hooked and then I lost momentum with it about halfway in. 

Ok, if these characters didn’t make the decisions that they did, then it would probably have been less entertaining.  As things went sideways and wonky I just laughed along with it all.  I don’t mind this most of the time but sometimes you need to pull the reins just a *teensy* bit.

I really do like Bird’s writing style and I most definitely will pick up her sophomore novel and watch her talent grow.  While this one may not have worked for me, I think she’s an author to keep an eye on. I mean, I do love me some domestic suspense! 

My Thoughts: 3/5 stars

I wanted to love this more than I did in the end. I think as a debut in the domestic suspense genre this was a solid read! I enjoyed the multiple POVs and the pacing of the book. The mystery was great and I liked the journey we went on to figure out what happened to Emily. Why did she disappear? How did she end up in the water? Who did this to her?

I’ll always love the setting in a small and supposedly close-knit community – because everyone shows their true colors when everyone is pointing fingers at each other. I’m all for the domestic thrillers being a little bit of a stretch when it comes to reality but parts were just a little too out there for my liking. Still a solid debut and I’ll be curious to see what Bird comes out with next.