The Missing Girl: The Addictive, Must-Read Mystery of the Year

An ok read. The character of Martha, and the Ellis family, was a bit unbelievable and Edward lily and his ghostly daughter were cliche. Likewise the cutesy place names and cast of characters was a bit too Midsommer Murders for me. I know that small town crime is becoming a popular theme, but this story failed the capture the claustrophobia of life in village/town and the denouement at the end was amateurish - lots of clues in one place and the dialogue was poorly executed. It was an easy read, but, as with a lot of books of this type, massively over hyped. It was neither stunning nor gripping and certainly not a thriller . The annoying thing about this genre is characters continuously, and obviously, witholding information simply to draw out a thin narrative . To be honest, in the 'real world' this crime would have been solved in 1982, and it might have been a better novel if the author had focused solely on that point in time - it would have made for a tighter, more relatable narrative.

Such an accomplished debut novel. Intelligently and sensitively written. A page turner with tantalising flashbacks to Anna's childhood and the mystery of her missing sister. At times dark, but always with twists that lead you further into Anna's troubled world. The writing is excellent and visual to the extent the setting feels strangely familiar. You can almost smell and taste it. I will be looking out for more books from this talented author. Read and savour it!

The Missing Girl is a compelling mystery but also an absorbing and believable depiction of a family coping with the disappearance of a child. For me, this second element was the most rewarding part of the book. As the mystery of Gabriella’s disappearance remains unresolved, it has a disturbing effect on the family. Even more so coming as it does on top of overheard fragments of conversations and knowing glances between her father and mother the meaning of which twelve-year old Anna doesn’t understand at the time. Anna mainly notices the hole Gabriella’s absence has left in their lives. ‘There was an emptiness, a stillness. Gabriella had created sound.’Alternating between two timelines – the present day and the 1980s – I thought the author did a particularly good job of recreating a sense of the earlier period. A time when a bottle of Cinzano and a bowl of Twiglets marked a family celebration, Sunday lunch was a roast dinner (followed by roly-poly and custard if you were lucky) and a popular teenage hangout was the Our Price record shop. I also liked the way the rather insular nature of a small village was conveyed and the spine-tingling feeling the author creates as young Anna undertakes her own investigation in the wooded outskirts of the village.Given the sisters’ close relationship, I’ll admit I found it a little difficult to understand how Anna could have spent thirty years not wanting to find out more about Gabriella’s disappearance and Anna’s life in those intervening years doesn’t get much attention. Nevertheless, the death of her mother does awaken Anna’s desire to know the truth – ‘Persistence, the need to know, creeping back after all those years away’ – and, luckily for her, some of the key witnesses from the time are still around.The Missing Girl is an accomplished debut which I really enjoyed for the author’s deft handling of the dual timelines and its multi-layered story. The author lays down plenty of tempting false trails for the reader to follow and although I (sort of) guessed one of the key twists in the book before it was revealed it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of what followed. The solution to the mystery of Gabriella’s disappearance – sorry, not going to say! However, I’ll admit the author wrong-footed me.

It was hard to understand why this novel has been so hyped. It was nicely written but there was no real tension or drama - possibly because of the constant changes in time- and there are many many similar novels done better. I didn't warm to any of the characters or understand what the love interest was based on. The ghost girl could easily have been cut with no damage to the novel. It adds nothing.

I give four stars when books keep my attention and are well written. This was a good story and the writing very good. I liked the structure and voice and the characters are well defined. Good job Jenny...looking forward to your next one!

I found the beginning to be overly descriptive, when it really was not necessary! I struggled on and was glad I did as the writing improved and I felt the story was quite realistic. i liked the characters, the emotions and we all went to school with a Martha! I really connected with the isolation felt by 'not knowing anyone else this had happened too'. A good book with some depth.

Oh, wow! This book knocked me for six! It's right up there with The Book Thief for the amount of tears I cried.Beautifully written, I have never before come across grief being so achingly and accurately depicted. A perfect example of "Show, don't tell". You just KNOW the pain of Anna of her family. You can't help absorbing their grief as you read. Your heart breaks and your insides clench as you experience their sadness.I read the last pages with a box of tissues close by.....I will always remember this book and I'm looking forward to this author's next one.

Some writing seems to bypass words and directly project a film in your head. This novel is like that. Completely engrossing. I highly recommend it.

I could not put this book down and once I read it I felt sad that it was over.It's a wonderful and touching story, very well written and plotted with a superb set of characters. So much attention to fine detail and such a wonderful writing style, that I can't but admire the author's skills. It's hard to believe this is her first novel - I will absolutely be back for more.It's really a great, great book and a treat for anyone who loves crime fiction.

This is a very light read. I did not enjoy the style or the dialogue. If you like seeing people described in terms of physical attributes and can handle drawn out conversations go for it. Central chareacter was thinly drawn but it is not meant to humourlessness was the weakest point. 1 star

Ben scritto, mantiene alta la suspance fino alla fine! Davvero un bel libro da leggere in lingua

It was easy to read and flowed well.

A good summer read. Very engaging. Kept me guessing until the end.

Loved this book, hard to put down. Gripping. heart warming in ways, sad in others.

Well written. Would certainly read other books by the same author