I felt that the twists and turns were predictable. However the tension was good.
The descriptions of the setting was so descriptive

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

Thank you for providing me with an advance review copy of this book. Enjoyed reading, would recommend....

I have one of these friends. If I say come help, she will drop everything and be there for me, within a flash. And this sets the premise of a thrilling read but then the friend in need of help disappears and her friend Fiona must figure out what happened to her, and save the day. Was quite an entertaining read, and gripping to see what happened to Madison.

A great read, really tense and gripping. The archaeology theme was fascinating as I love that kind of thing and enjoyed the twists and turns. Looking forward to reading more from the author.

Fiona and Madison have one of those friendships women are so good at. One is sensible, the other in and out of scrapes. Quarrels are common but when it boils down to it they'll have each others backs. Which is why Fiona drops everything to rush to her friends side when she asks, even though shes on an archaeological dig on a remote island. But when Fiona gets there Madison isn't there....or seemingly anywhere. As Fiona desperately tries to find her friend she realises she doesn't know Madison as well as she thought.

OK I may be a little harsh giving this 3 stars. But I've come to expect a lot from this author and whilst the bones of this is good it's just a little.....well sparse. And dragged out. Honestly not a lot happens for the whole midsection of the novel. So although this isn't a bad book it is rather underwhelming.

An enjoyable psychological thriller with an interesting setting and premise. Fiona is summoned by her oldest friend Madison to visit her in Orkney where she is taking part in an archaeological dig. However, Fiona finds her friend missing, the victim possibly of a stalker and her fellow archaeologists ambiguous about the disappearance. Whilst the ending was somewhat clunky, the description of the island and it's wild but dangerous beauty was enough to make this a satisfying read.

Decent read without being spectacular.
Would be a good easy read lying on a beach on holiday.
Couple of twists along the way, one of which I saw coming, the other I certainly didn't
Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the copy in return for an unbiased review

I read Dear Amy by Helen Callaghan years ago and loved it so I was really looking forward to reading Night Falls Still Missing.

Unfortunately I didn't enjoy this one quite as much and found it to be quite an average thriller. It's not a bad book, but it doesn't really stand out from the very overcrowded thriller market for me!

Set on the island of Orkney, it's cold, wet and windy. The book is very atmospheric but I just feel like the isolated island, no phone signal, in-coming storm thing has been done too many times before!

Main character Fiona has been summoned to the Island of Orkney by her friend Madison who doesn't explain why she needs her there, she just has something to show her! But when Fiona gets there, Madison has gone missing. From there Fiona becomes involved with the archeology team that Madison was working with and tries to figure out where Madison is.

There are some twists and turns, some flashbacks and a few different angles to this book but something about it just felt a bit flat to me. I struggled to warm to any of the characters and found the archeology and Viking talk a bit dull. I was intrigued enough to read the whole book though and did find the ending quite enjoyable.

If you are looking to read a book by this author I personally would recommend Dear Amy before this, but this one has had plenty of good reviews on Goodreads so definitely check those out too!

Thank you to the publishers for the gifted e-arc on exchange for an honest review!

Reliable Fiona and unpredictable Madison have been friends since childhood and whilst their relationship can be challenging they share a very close bond. When Madison pleads with Fiona to join her at an archaeological dig on Orkney she undertakes the long journey from Cambridge to join her. On arrival at the island there is no sign of Madison and the team of archaeologists she was working with have no idea where she has gone. Part of Fiona is furious with Madison, thinking she has gone off on a jaunt and the other part is desperately worried about her friend.

This is a well-paced, exciting thriller set against vivid descriptions of the wild landscape of Orkney with its bitter winds, rain, snow and furious sea. There are complex characters who are difficult to trust and there is plenty of tension and mystery. It was a very good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an excellent read with many twists and turns which kept me and I loved the setting in Orkney. A compelling story line which kept me guessing.

A great thriller in an Archaeological setting in Orkney. Interesting characters, very good writing, good pace with energy and twists that you expect in a good thriller. I really enjoyed it.
Thanks a lot to NG and the publisher for this copy.

My review for an earlier novel of Helen's, "Dear Amy", is very similar to my review for this book, "Night Falls, Still Missing". The novel is generally well paced, a decent thriller with a decent cast, but I did find it was longer than it needed to be and the closing chapters were heavily skimmed. A decent book, but I felt it was more functional than exciting.

An Archaeological thriller set on Orkney. Compelling characters and lots of twists and turns. Non stop action and a great read.

Compelling Suspense.....
When Fiona arrives, at the invitation from a friend, on a small Orkney isle she is met with a bizarre situation. With mounting tension, a good sense of place and an atmospheric narrative this is a competent and compelling psychological suspense.

There is something about Helens books that she can introduce so many characters and twists and yet so easy to follow and get totally immersed in. I don't want to give too much away but I did not see that twist coming.

Fiona, a senior lecturer at Cambridge University gets a phone call from her friend, Madison, who is part of a team unearthing a Viking burial ship on the tidal island of Helly Holm, Orkney. Since Fiona and Madison have been friends since childhood, and both are now archaeologists, Madison's plea that her friend drops everything and hotfoots it up to the Orkney Islands because she has something important to show her — but can't reveal what over the phone — is a request that Fiona is unable to turn down.

On her journey north, Fiona receives a string of texts from her friend, but at the harbour where they are suppose to meet, Madison never turns up. In fact Madison is completely missing; the rented cottage where she is supposedly staying is deserted with no trace of Madison or her belongings, and the shattered mirror on the wardrobe door is a classic portent.

This is the premise for the plot which follows. Has Madison disappeared voluntarily for some inexplicably reason, or has she been a victim of some nefarious act? Fiona, of course, feels it's her duty to investigate.

From this promising start, the narrative descends into a laborious and repetitious read that is poorly structured and littered with totally irrelevant minutia.

The denouement requires a lengthy explanation, endeavoring to resolves all the mysteries and reasons for the actions which have been introduced as the plot unfolds. Unfortunately, it is a convoluted mix which achieves neither fully.

I've previously read "Dear Amy" by the same author and quite enjoyed it. This novel, though, was a massive disappointment. Certainly not what I expected.

Sorry, this book was not for me.

Good start, boring middle and a turgid finish. This book has glimmers of potential but unfortunately gets bogged down in unlikeable characters, too much repetition of content and a denouement that could be seen half way through the book. Sorry but not one for me.

This is a slow burner but well worthy of the read.

A very realistically written narrative, Fiona's best friend, Marisa, calls her and asks for her help but won't say why. When Fiona arrives in Orkney Marisa is gone but no one has seen or spoken to her directly for days. Fiona has only had texts for the last couple of days. Hence the title.

What we are given in flashbacks of Fiona's memories are the possible and very credible reasons for Marisa's absence as we find out she is not the most reliable friend. However Fiona's is driven to discover what happened to Marisa at the archeological dig Marisa has been working at before she disappears. All of these memories are beautifully woven into the story and fell totally natural. Are the landlords of the cottage Marisa stayed at behaving guiltlly? What are they not saying? Why do Marisa's dig companions look shifty when talking about her? What are they hiding? To Fiona everyone is a suspect and the narrative give very few hints away as we go with her on a journey of discovery.

A very effectively told suspense story that leaves the reader guessing along with Fiona and everyone else. Did Marisa really leave? Is she safe or did something horrible happen to her? What is going on at the dig and can Fiona trust anyone?

I was given the novel free by netgalley.com for my fair and honest review.

I’ve read other books by Helen Callaghan and this proved to be a satisfying and complex thriller with a very strong sense of location. The bleak, cold and stark setting of Orkney in January is almost palpable and adds to the story which involves a person missing in strange circumstances.

The tale switches between past and present and relationships and revealed bit by bit along with other snippets which make the reader wonder where the truth lies. I didn’t feel huge warmth to the main characters, but the storyline was interesting enough to hold my attention and try to work out what was really going on. It has some red herrings and unexpected twists and overall I enjoyed it.

My thanks to the publisher for a review copy via Netgalley.