This book read to be like a very sweet Murder She Wrote when Ruth Sinclair and Irene set out to find out for themselves who killed Lesley Cooper and was her husband Russ to blame.

Too contrived and sunday afternoon viewing/reading for me.

Ruth was adjusting to being a stay at home mum- just! Much as she loved her daughter she was finding the boredom difficult to cope with. She needn't have worried because as soon as she got mixed up with Irene, the somewhat eccentric pensioner, there was no time to be bored.! They meet after Irene rescues a dog from an icy pond and Ruth takes her home to dry off and warm up. Before she knows it Ruth finds herself attempting to assist Irene in solving a local murder.

I loved the quirky pairing of these two characters. It is told from Ruth's point of view and is written in a breezy,quirky fashion that I enjoyed. I was kept guessing as to the identity of the killer.I do hope these two turn up in another tale as I would love to find out more about the enigmatic Irene and the fun, easily persuaded.
Ruth.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for introducing me to this dynamic duo!

Thanks Netgalley. Although I enjoyed reading this I didn't if you understand what I mean. A bit of a plodder

Unfortunately, The Missing Witness never really took off for me. I didn't buy the odd pairing and the story just seemed to drag and plateau. Just not the right book for me.

A young woman is killed with a knife in the back in her kitchen, and of course the prime suspect is the husband, all the more so because after the divorce the man, a real wuss, was reduced to living like a bum in the loft of the wife's house, of course in secret from her. But this does not convince Irene, a still very active and alert retired, which co-opts her friend Ruth, a young mother who quit her job to devote herself to her child and that is cultivating a monumental boredom, in performing a series of investigations as amateurish and outlandish as effective. The book is funny and very well written, but it has some not insignificant defect: first, Ruth, with her continuous pendulate between 'I'm bored to death, I miss my job' and 'I want to see my baby grow' sometimes it seems in need of a couple of well-aimed slaps; then there are too many mothers into the plot, mothers who are the mover, not so unmoved, of everything, except that with today's low birth rate to have around so much mothers seems implausible. Last but not least: too many gender bias and too many clichés.
Thank Endeavor Press and Netgalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

"The Missing Witness" does what many of our favorite detective TV serials do so well- by putting together an odd pairing to solve a case. Although not police officers, Irene and Ruth couldn't be more different. The latter is a young housewife and mother, while the former is an older member of society. Imagine if Angela Lansbury had had a partner in Murder She Wrote. When the two women meet in the park quite by chance, a budding friendship begins.

Much of the narrative depends on the relationship between Irene and Ruth. But it never overtakes Irene's hope that she can help a family friend out of a murder charge. Ruth against her own judgment finds herself intrigued enough to join Irene's fight for justice. The last chapter which unveils Irene's secrets was truly one of the best parts of the novel. I just wish that it had been revealed a little earlier.

The fact of the matter is that this book never had me fully invested. I would pick up the book and read a few chapters and put it down and read something else. If anyone were to quiz me on the summary of the story, I probably wouldn't pass. I just hate when I finish a book and feel this indifferent.

excellent read! i was hooked from start to finish....will be reading more from this author.