Ghosts of the Missing

Author: Kathleen Donohoe

Publisher: Mariner Books

Release Date: February 11, 2020

Rating: 3 Stars

Reviewer: Jessica Higgins

A mystery that had so much potential, but with a slow start that fell flat for me.

Adair spent her childhood in Culleton, New York, a town with a lot of history. She moved to Brooklyn to leave her past behind and try and make it as an artist. It doesn’t take long though before she decides to return to the old Moye House, a writer’s retreat, to see what she can accomplish. However, she is not the only one staying at the Moye house; Ciaran is staying at the house with hopes to solve the mystery of what happened to her sister, Rowan Kinnane who also happens to be Adair’s best friend. Together they work to investigate what really happened.

I wanted to like this, I really did, but after the first hundred pages of crossover between time periods and characters, I just found it less and less interesting. The mystery itself was intriguing but the set up just didn’t come off the way as intended in order to enjoy the story. I really wanted it to start off with a bang and quickly draw me in, but it takes a while to really get traction. Some readers will likely enjoy this book as they may enjoy a slower beginning that builds up tension in the story to the end. I feel that if Donohoe would have gone with less switches between time periods and points of view, it would have been easier to follow and connect with the story and characters. The mystery was what pulled me in, and I love mysteries, but unfortunately this just wasn’t my cup of tea. I recommend it to readers that enjoy the journey throughout the book instead of the final destination.

I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.