A light, romantic and addictive read. Slightly predictable but that is acceptable in this case, nonetheless an enjoyable book.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This dual timeline novel is about 2 strong women, separated by time, with difficulties in their current relationships. There is a mystery surrounding Hannah, and Scarlett begins using modern methods of investigation to discover the truth. The story involves several interesting and well-developed characters and is tied in to the first reports of sightings of the Loch Ness monster. I found the story captivating and well-written, I loved the romantic elements, and enjoyed every page.

It’s 1933 and Hannah and Lawrie have just married. After a devastating shock she flees and finds herself in Scotland, at Loch Ness. In the present day Scarlett is a podcaster and latches onto the previous couple’s mystery. Their stories have a few similarities. I enjoyed this very much despite being told the events twice, as it happened and as Scarlett does her research but in this case it didn’t really matter. Thankfully times have changed since the 30’s and what might have been a problem then certainly wouldn’t be now. I liked the way it was written, it was easy to get into and most of the main characters were likeable. Of course there were one or two who were there just for the reader to dislike, but that’s ok! After this I’m looking forward to reading something else by this author.

A dual time novel, when Hannah Snow has to marry a man for money and then disappears on the wedding night. Years later Scarlett sets out to find out what happened to Hannah.

I throughly enjoyed this book and found it really easy to get into! The dial timelines worked really well and I liked how we saw how Scarlett came to her conclusions about Hannah and then the real story as it were, from Hannah’s perspective. I really did not see some of the twists coming and I think the author used them really naturally rather than just shoehorning them in! I’m all looking forward to reading some of her other books!

This book is a dual time where you are in the 1930’s and also present day. It is a book about a mystery of people disappearing.

What I liked about the book was it kept you guessing what happened to the people involved and the main characters how strong they were.

It was really good to read about Loch Ness and all the hunters who descended in the area.

Well written and would recommend this book.

A terrific read. Loved it written in two different years. Loved both lead characters and how their lives unfolded.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ for the opportunity to read an advance copy in return for my honest review.

A really enjoyable read, the setting was interesting with some facts about Loch Ness that I didn’t know. Hannah’s story was well written and did just keep me guessing. Perhaps Scarlett’s story was a little more twee, but the dual timeline did make for a good read

The Missing Wife by Kerry Barrett was a well crafted dual storyline cleverly juxtaposing two worlds. Hannah, living in a male dominated society, and Scarlett, limited only by her own insecurities. The chapters are well developed and credible throughout the story. Both women have writing in their blood and this gives them the key to their independence and their individual “happy ever after”. As Scarlett uncovers Hannah’s story we get a lovely clear glimpse into the world where society was black and white and driven by status and privilege. A lovely bonus is that Hannah’s story is set around the first reported sighting of the Loch Ness minster, giving the story a lovely backdrop. This is a very easy read and I have no problem giving it a very robust 3 and a half stars rounded to 4.

Intelligent, thought-provoking and always, always interesting…..

This author writes with warmth and engaging perception about our relationship and understanding…..

What a great book! I’ve finished it in 2 days, absolutely loved every bit of it… Beautifully written and so easy to read. I hope the Author has written more books for me to discover!

Such a beautiful tale !

I couldn’t put it down and was completely captivating from the first page to the last !!

Thank you netgalley and the author for the opportunity to read this

What a wonderful story. I absolutely loved this book. The way the author jumped from 1933 to the present so seamlessly shows the quality and research that went into writing it. So many twists and turns that had you on the edge of your seat. I was reading into the small hours because it held my attention so much. It was wonderful being able to imagine the times many years ago when the loch ness monster was first purported to be photographed. The storyline written into it was marvelous. I have not read anything by this author before so I will certainly be looking for more of her books. A great story, wrapped around true events of the time, by a great author.

Oh my god I loved it! So so well written, and a really unique plot - my first book by the author but definitely won’t be my last!

A great story with well drawn characters and an intriguing plot. Well written and definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A little slow to start, but once it did, it was a brilliant read. A clever plot, great characters, good setting. Recommended.

I loved this book, it was well written and jumped from 1933 to present time all the way through. It had My attention right until the end with numerous twists and turns. I would highly recommend Kerry Barrett as an author and will definitely be reading alit more of her novels.

There are so many dual timeline books around at the moment but this is one of the better ones. In the 1930’s Hannah marries but discovers her husband has a secret. She’s taken some photographs with her brand new camera and decided to run away. She ends up in Scotland and finds work in a hotel near where the Loch Ness monster was first spotted. She later finds work on a local newspaper under a pseudonym. Going forward to today Scarlett is ‘hired’ to find out what happened to Hannah. It’s extremely well thought out and I loved it. I’m not going to give anything away

Wow. Just wow. This is my first read by Kerry Barrett and if all her books are as engaging and as intriguing as this one, then I just have to add her to TBR list! THE MISSING WIFE is just phenomenal! I loved every minute, every page, everything about it! Every. Minute. Detail. Everything! And did I say I loved it?

Going into this story, I really had no idea what to expect but I just love dual timelines and it was set around the beautiful Loch Ness in Scotland. It was just perfect. I just had to delve into this story and boy, was I immersed?! From start to finish. It is undoubtedly one of those "just one more chapter" types of books. It is one of those books that you just never want to end whilst wanting it to see how it all ended. And now that I've turned the last page, I am still sitting here just thinking about it...reliving every moment and how it made me feel.

London, 1933: Nineteen year old Hannah Snow has just married Lawrence Wetherby with great expectations for her marriage, though she doesn't love him and is quite sure he doesn't love her. But she is fond of him and is willing to make the best of things, after all his inheritance will save her own family from ruin. Lawrie is sixteen years her senior and his reasons for marriage are rather more private that not even Hannah is privy. Aside from the fact that there was a clause in his father's will stipulating that if Lawrie doesn't marry by his 35th birthday his younger brother Simon will inherit. And Simon was all for that...until Lawrie married Hannah.

But on their wedding night, Hannah walks into the bridal suite expecting her new husband but instead walks in something far more shocking. Armed with the camera Lawrie had earlier gifted her, Hannah snapped several shots before her presence was clocked and in the furore a sudden accident causes Hannah to flee. Believing her husband to be dead, Hannah boards a sleeper train to Inverness in Scotland where a new life awaits her...and her past remains a secret.

Present day: True crime podcaster Scarlett Simpson, who is also a broadcast assistant with radio station Britain Live, has just won an award for one of the podcasts in which she exhonerated a woman previously believed to have defrauded her employers some 40 years ago. Her ex Charlie, with whom she podcasts, steps up to receive the award without giving Scarlett a thank you or even a mention...considering it was all her work. To make it up to her, Charlie has a proposition for her made to him by an MP who wants Scarlett and Charlie to investigate a missing persons case from 1933. He will pay them £10,000 upfront with another £50,000 upon a satisfactory result. But there is a stipulation.

Refusing to comply, Scarlett walks out of the meeting and decides, with the prompting of her producer friend Robyn, to head up to Loch Ness herself to see if she can solve the mystery herself. Before Charlie gets wind of it or begins his investigations.

Can Scarlett find out what really happened to Hannah Snow and her husband Lawrence, who apparently went missing around the same time she did? Did she kill him and flee? Or did he kill her and disappear? Either way, the family now wants answers as they believe Hannah made off with the inheritance that should have passed to the younger brother as well as stealing some precious treasure. Can Scarlett uncover the truth before Charlie hightails it to Scotland to steal her thunder?

What a wonderful enthralling story from start to finish! Not only was it an intriguing mystery, but it was also set against the backdrop of the first recorded sightings of "Nessie", the Loch Ness monster. And I love how Barrett incorporated this into her story. Not only was the Scotland setting exquisitely beautiful but the whole Loch Ness mystery added an atmosphere to it that was evocative and wholly absorbing.

I love the dual timeline and found myself captivated by both when usually it is one or the other that intrigues me more. In this case, both timelines were compelling and I loved both Hannah and Scarlett from the past and the present respectively. The transition between the timelines were seamless and woven together with ease. I loved how the transcripts Scarlett wrote were incorporated into the story but tailed off before revealing too much to the reader just yet. And the same with Hannah's columns, penned under the name Ann O'Shawn, which were also included gave the credence to the already compelling tale Barrett was weaving us with.

I have read many dual timeline tales over the years but this has to be hands down one of my favourites, of which there have been many but there is just something enthralling about this one. I loved every minute of it and found myself wanting to stay there - be it in 1933 with Hannah or the present day with Scarlett. Either way, I didn't want the story to end. By far, one of my most favourite dual timelines and one of my favourite reads this year. I've given many 5 star reviews this year but there is just something unforgettable about THE MISSING WIFE. I just hope Barrett's other works are as good but then, admittedly, this one will be a tough one to beat. However, I look forward to checking out some of her others in the future.

An easy 5 star read, I just loved everything about this book that ticked all the boxes for me. A perfect read that will remain a favourite for a long time to come.

Overall, THE MISSING WIFE is an intriguing mystery and a wonderful story that readers of historical fiction and dual timelines alike will not want to miss. If you love Lorna Cook and Kathleen McGurl, you will love THE MISSING WIFE!

I would like to thank #KerryBarrett, #NetGalley and #HQStories for an ARC of #TheMissingWife in exchange for an honest review.

This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.

This is a good read, following 19 year old Hannah Snow in the 1930s after she discovers her new husband isn't all that she hoped. With a little help from a malicious rival for his love, she is thrust into a new life in Scotland.
In the modern day, podcaster and radio producer Scarlett is also dealing with the aftermath of a relationship - but she is still working with her ex on their cold case podcast. As Scarlett's ex sinks to new lows, she is driven to take on an investigation of her own.
This book holds a compelling story which kept me reading it right through to the end. There is a great cast of characters, portrayed with human flaws that drive their actions.