My Wife Is Missing: A Novel

by D J Palmer

• ISBN10: 1250267889
• ISBN13: 9781250267887
• Publish Date: 10 May 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 2 January 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: St Martin's Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Once again, I find myself reading thriller novels back to back, and you know what? I'm okay with that. I love diving into these different worlds of thrills and intrigue. They certainly help make the night go by quickly! My latest read is My Wife is Missing, by D.J. Palmer.

It was supposed to be a fun family vacation. That's what Michael Hart keeps telling himself, even while dealing with the real fact that his wife and children are missing. They just up and disappeared while inside their hotel. Or so it seems.

While looking into his missing family, certain truths come to light. Such as the fact that his wife may have left on her own – and that Michael's history may have played a role in her disappearance.

If you're looking for a slow-burning thriller with lots of family drama, then you've got to check out My Wife is Missing. This book is perfect for readers that aren't in a rush to solve the puzzle (though I promise the mystery does get solved).

It was a unique read for me for that reason. Normally I like trying to figure out the whole story, but this time I was content to let the story ebb and flow as needed. That speaks volumes about D.J. Palmer's writing style – there's something so captivating about it.

Despite how the description makes it appear, My Wife is Missing is told from two perspectives: Michael and Natalie (the wife). This helped that slow burn I mentioned early, steadily building suspense as we got to the final reveal.

That said, I have not expected the unreliable narrative subtext that came with Natalie's side of things. I think overall, that twist worked pretty well, though. Especially once they explained what was going on.

This now makes the second novel I've read by D.J. Palmer (the first being The Perfect Daughter), so I think I can officially say that I love his writing style. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

Thanks to StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[chymerra]

My Wife is Missing is a fast-moving psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Natalie and Michael have some martial/personal issues, and they decide to take a trip to New York City to reconnect. While Michael is out getting dinner, Natalie takes the kids and disappears. Michael is confused, angry, and concerned. Why? Because Natalie has had insomnia, and he fears the lack of sleep has made her irrational. What Michael doesn’t know is that Natalie has discovered some of Michael’s long-buried secrets, and those secrets have scared her enough to run. But hindering her is her severe insomnia, and she begins to wonder if what she saw and discovered were hallucinations brought on by it. Can Natalie trust herself to get to somewhere safe? Will Michael find her? Will she find out if what she saw/found out is the truth or hallucinations?

I was immediately intrigued by the blurb of this book. I don’t think I have ever read a book where insomnia was a huge and prevalent part of the plotline. I didn’t realize that severe insomnia could result in hallucinations/delusions.

Natalie was such an unreliable character, and I loved it. Her insomnia started when she realized Michael was cheating on her, and it kept getting worse throughout the book. I loved reading her detective work into Michael’s past and his affair. I also loved that when she decided to make a move, she made up her mind and did it. I was cheering for her as she out maneuvered Michael time and time again (even as exhausted as she was).

I wouldn’t say I liked Michael. But, he did gain a little bit of my respect with his detective skills. Even though Natalie was one step ahead of him for 90% of the book, he was close enough to get her a couple of times.

The storyline with Natalie, the kids, her insomnia, and being on the run kept me on the edge of my seat. I was internally cheering her on and wanting her to get to her final destination without Michael finding her. I was a little disappointed with how it ended, but my disappointment was short-lived. It was because the author brought this storyline and the storyline with Michael’s cheating/his past together, and it EXPLODED!!

Michael’s storyline, cheating, and past were well written. Again, it kept me glued to my Kindle. A twist to the cheating storyline and the story about Michael’s history took me by surprise.

The twists in the storylines made the book. I was not expecting either of them. When they both made their appearances (one towards the end and one at the very end), my mouth dropped open. I couldn’t believe that the author went where he did with both twists.

The end of My Wife is Missing was good. The author was able to wrap up all of the storylines in a way that both shocked and pleased me. I was happy to see that at least one of the main characters would have a happy life. But at the same time, I wish the author could have redeemed the other main character somehow. That would have made the book so much better for me.

I would recommend My Wife is Missing to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and some mild sexual situations.

[Jeff Sexton]

Strong Cat And Mouse Tale Actually Harmed By Final Reveals. There is no escaping writing about my feelings about this book without up front stating that while the first of two final reveals was a decent twist - not great, given the story to that point, but serviceable enough - the second one in particular was just lackluster, lazy, and didn't fit with the rest of the book at all. And for it to be the epilogue of the book only leaves the reader disappointed.

Which is sad, because the book before that point, and even during the course of the first reveal, is a nail biting cat and mouse game that had me invested from the very beginning. A man comes back to his hotel room in NYC from getting his family pizza... only to find barely a shred of evidence that they were ever there to begin with. From here we get a dual-timeline-ish tale where we see both husband and wife and the one's efforts to find the other while the other tries desperately to hide from the one seeking them, and this part of the tale is deftly told showing Palmer's usual skill at maintaining a solid level of tension throughout the tale. With a better ending, this tale could actually have been one of Palmer's stronger ones. As it is, it is simply middling. Which is still a great tale from a great storyteller, simply not this particular storyteller at the top of his game. Still very much recommended.