I really enjoyed this book from start to finish as it went backwards & forwards from the 1930's to the present day. The main characters were strong women fighting the barriers still put in front of us by men when they have no right too. #NetGalley, #GoodReads, #FB, #Instagram, #Betweenthecovers, #Amazon.co.uk, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/358a5cecda71b11036ec19d9f7bf5c96d13e2c55" width="80" height="80" alt="100 Book Reviews" title="100 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>.

I enjoyed this a lot. I loved the way the past and the present were linked together and a mystery which had gone ‘unsolved’ for years came under the spotlight. Good characters, a decent plot which kept me hooked - what’s not to like? Thank you #netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this.

In 1933, Hannah Snow is forced into marriage with MP Lawrence Wetherby - for her the marriage is a financial arrangement to suit her guardian, for her new husband, a marriage ensures he receives his inheritance. Dramatic events on their wedding night see Hannah fleeing to Inverness and starting a new life. In the present day Scarlett Simpson, radio assistant and award winning podcaster is tempted by talk of the missing 1930s MP and the suspicion that his wife murdered him. Scarlett ends up in the same hotel as Hannah in Drumnadrochit and begins to unravel the decades old mystery. The two stories tied well together and it was illuminating and sad to see the lengths people could be forced to go to in the 30s to hide their true selves. A great read. #netgalley #themissingwife

A dual timeline story, intriguing and well plotted. The story flows and kept me reading. I liked the characters and the style of writing.
My only note: it drags a bit at times.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This book is very good, however it is a little slow in the mid section so it did take me quite a while to get through it. The story is very engaging and the ending did not disappoint. Well worth a read!

Thoroughly enjoyed the stories of Hannah and Scarlett as Scarlett retraces Hannah's steps in 1933 to find out what happened to her. The two timelines merge seamlessly and the story flows beautifully. I learned a lot about society in pre-war Britain as well as lots about the history of Loch Ness, as well as being swept along in an intriguing mystery. A perfect read for cold, winter days.

Basically a story of two halves as it is a dual time saga.. Made for a lovely read with twists and turns. Enjoyed read this 4 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC

4 stars

A quick read. two stories intertwined. Hannah marries Lawrence an MP. This is 1933. She finds that he's gay and with a boy friend called Freddie. Lawrence has gifted her a camera for the wedding as he knows she wants to be a journalist. Hannah's aunt arranged the marriage and she took Hannah's choices away. Lawrence feels bad but in his haste to get the evidence back he hits his head and Freddie tells Hannah she's killed him. Hannah flees to Loch Ness. In the now, Scarlett is a podcaster who's ex- partner Charlie, a MET detective has let her down, usurped her prize, and started a new relationship so Scarlett has had to leave an live in a flat with horrible flat mates. She cadges onto the idea of the missing wife so persuades her editior to sponsor a podcast trying to proove Hannah's innocence. Once at Loch Ness in the present she meets Lucas a forensic accountant who's good at research,

Nice story, quite easy to solve, Apparently written in Lockdiwn,

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In 1933 new bride, Hannah, discovers her husband, Lawrence, in bed with a man on their wedding day. Illegal at the time and as an MP the public knowledge means he would lose his inheritance and be ruined. Hannah inadvertently has photos of them before running off to Scotland because she thinks she has killed him, when he fell chasing her. Cut to the present day and Scarlett, a successful podcaster who investigates cold cases, is offered a large sum of money to track Hannah down. She heads up to Loch Ness where it's rumoured Hannah was seen. The action alternates between the two timescales as each scenario unfolds. There's a love element for both women as they overcome various difficulties. What's not to like with a 60+ year old mystery, strong independent women on the search for the truth and the possibility of seeing the Loch Ness monster?

I really enjoyed this immersive mystery from Barrett and could not put it down. I particularly liked the combination of mystery with history, with the backdrop of the Loch Ness monster legend gaining momentum.

At first I was not sure I was going to like this book because it felt quite dry with Hannah’s wedding day and the politicians that she interacts with at the party. This was quite surprising, as I have enjoyed a couple of books from Barrett in the past. Yet, this political element barely features and the story really gathered pace at Hannah’s wedding night.

Finding herself on the run, Hannah gets as far away from London as she possibly can – taking the sleeper train to Inverness and then onto the shores of Lake Loch. Under the disguise of a maid, Hannah finds work in a hostel and witnesses how this sleepy shoreline soon becomes a hive of activity. Journalists and ‘monster hunters’ book out the hostel in the bid to catch a sighting of this rumoured monster. It’s great news for Hannah’s hostel but she soon realises that with the press sniffing for a story, that story might include Hannah – missing from her marriage.

Switching to present day, readers follow podcaster Scarlett, who is investigating the circumstances around Hannah’s apparent disappearance. I loved how the two timelines ran in parallel: discoveries or plot developments in either time period were then reflected in the other. It created a synergy between the different periods and I felt like they were often one and the same. Scarlett uncovers more truths about why Hannah was force to hide in Scotland – truths that Hannah had managed to keep hidden from her husband. With the help of the newspaper archive, Scarlett realises that even the lake and the Loch Ness monster have entwined into Hannah’s story.

This famous legend is presented in an unbiased way by Barrett. The author does not seem to support or trash the mystery of the lake and I liked seeing how the fascination with this area became rampant. It seemed like a tactical, business-focussed decision to start rumours of monster sightings, but on the other hand, I was keen to see how this was the birth of the attraction that exists today. The descriptions of the lake are quite atmospheric and I could believe how sightings were considered as fact rather than speculation.

I enjoyed this book from Barrett and how the past mystery informed the present. Hannah’s story was immersive and I found myself rooting for Scarlett to discover the truth and clear Hannah’s name. Another great read from Barrett.

With thanks to HQ Digital and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve never read a book by the author before and I was intrigued by the cover and I love historical fiction so I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

This is a dual timeline story set in 1933 with Hannah and the present day with Scarlett.

1933~Hannah is forced to marry a man she knows doesn’t love her because it was all arranged between her Aunt and her soon to be husband because both sides would benefit from this marriage but Hannah wouldn’t.

I could tell something wasn’t quite right when a stranger started telling Hannah a few things about her husband at the wedding reception from that point it just got so much worse.

Present Day~Scarlett has a podcast with her ex boyfriend Charlie who’s a detective with the Met but Scarlett is the one who does all the real work for the podcast. Charlie just likes the limelight. They meet a mysterious man who has a case for them but with stipulations, should they take it or not ?.

I’m adored the parallel’s between Hannah and Scarlett like both of them taking the Sleeper Train and both of them staying in the Attic Room

This book was a page turner! It kept me hooked all the way through to the beautiful ending, I guessed a few things along the way but was still shocked by all the things I didn’t guess!.

My final words are that This books is everything! And you all need to read it asap.

This was an entertaining read, set in dual timelines. It was mainly set in Scotland by the shores of Lock Ness. Hannah was quite a naive person at first but circumstances made her more worldly. She became quite resourceful. Scarlett, in the present day, was a podcaster and worked on the radio. Both Scarlett and Hannah had been let down by the men in their lives. I enjoyed the way the two stories linked together and I was pleased by a happy ending for them both. I received a copy and have voluntarily reviewed it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Kerry had me completely hooked with the story of Hannah Snow.
Such a compelling story and such wonderful characters.
It's 1933 and young 19 year old old Hannah is going to marry Lawrence an up an coming MP that has the ears of the most esteemed members of parliament, including Chamberlain himself!
Hannah wants to become a journalist and at the time Lawrence encourages her to do so until after they are married. But Lawrence still gives her a camera to help her on her way.
Little did he know what that gift would turn into.

A guest at the wedding Freddie approaches Hannah to say that Lawie is not all what he seems but she discounts him.
But the wedding night is not what Hannah expected and after having an argument Hannah threw a glass at her husband, not knowing what was to become.
Hannah leaves the wedding suite but to return later to apologise but gets the shock of her life..
Everyone believes that Lawrence is dead and Hannah is to blame.
She runs of to Drumnaďrochit in the highlands of Scotland for peace and quiet and as a chambermaid she has this until the discovery of the famous Lockness monster comes along!

Forward to the present day and Scarlett has a podcast with her ex partner and have recently solved a long lost mystery and when she and Scott are approached by the family to find out what happened to Lawrence and Hannah as they believe that she stole not only their inheritance but also some family treasure.

The story is from the past to the present and it is written wonderfully.
I loved the history behind the book so much that I had to look into the mystery of the Lockness monster myself.

Another brilliant novel from Kerry Barrett, yet again she has hit the nail on the head with two concurrent stories that in the end merge with a powerful conclusion. I love her books!
The Missing Wife is a mystery novel comprising of a dual timeline of pre war Hannah and modern day Scarlett.
I really enjoyed this book, both storyline’s were engaging and interesting with you reading on to find out how the mystery of the 1930’s ends and how Scarlett benefits from her investigating of the case and how this effects her own future.
Hannah of the older timeline is a young inexperienced woman, but she is also a really intriguing character, there are no ‘typical’ characters in Barrett’s writing. The character has depth, a personality and becomes quite a reporter of the events happening at the time. In the worlds of Scarlett, she is a “bloody brilliant, marvellous woman”.
Scarlett is working in radio with a sideline of a podcast, she is a more ‘Worldly’ character of modern times.
Both are characters that develop through the chapters and you find yourself rooting for each of them in their own personal conflicts within the book.
This is definitely a refreshing story based in Loch Ness which has the monster as a backstory rather then a main event.

Although this started off slowly it build up quickly and I loved it. It was a dual time-line which I enjoy and the story was well written and clever. It was twisty and kept me guessing and I was desperate to get to the end quickly. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Well this was a different book. I felt that although it comes over as a historical piece, it presumably is not based on a true event. It has a slightly comic nature and is really unbelievable but that does not mean that it is not an enjoyable and escapist romantic adventure. Not what I expected by the title of the cover but fun to read!

A fantastic read. I loved everything about this story. When Hannah marries a prospective mp little does she know what secrets she will discover and she flees to Scotland where she hopes she wont be found.,but years later Scarlett tries to uncover what really happened to them both. A great historical novel wonderful writing with great characters who you can empathize with and the stories flow beautifully together even though they are set in different decades. A 5🌟read and I highly recommend it

Wow, what a book.

The cover drew me to the book and the story was set in Loch Ness where I’ve visited many times.

The book is written in the past 1933 and the present day. Hannah Snow tells her story and Scarlett a podcast reporter tells her story about the discovery of Hannah.

In 1933 Hannah Snow is being married off to Lawrence Wetherby to keep Lawrence getting his inheritance, but all is not well when she finds him in bed on their wedding night with someone else. She flees to Scotland on the sleeper and ends up in the sleepy village of Drumnadrochit. Her boss said she has seen a monster in the lake and the story takes off.

This book was a page turner, exciting, sad and happy. I really didn’t want it to end. Looking to reading more by Kerry.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy for an honest review.

Hannah Snow is to marry Lawrence, an up and coming MP. It is a business arrangement, the Snow family has no money to speak of, and Lawrence is due to come into an inheritance upon his marriage. However, sexual morals of the 1930’s mean that an MP can marry to conceal forbidden sexual preferences of the day, and when Hannah finds out the truth of her marriage, she runs away due to sheer humiliation and embarrassment.
She runs away to Scotland, and finds employment at The Royal Hotel on the banks of Loch Ness. She likes her job and earning her own money, and decides to stay.
Many years later, Scarlett Simpson, a journalist and podcaster, hears this intriguing story about the disappearance of the newly wed bride, and the murder of the husband, and decides to investigate the scandal and find out the real turn of events.
A wonderful story. Dual time lines are beautifully developed. Full of pathos and the story really gets under one’s skin.
1930’s and present day collide, the truth is complicated, but it all makes perfect sense at the end.
Loch Ness and Scotland, were my two reasons for requesting this novel, a place I hold deep in my heart. For the same reasons, I read the first book The Secrets of Thistle Cottage, and instantly fell in love with the authors style of writing, it’s such a gripping read!
Purists may say the ending is too well telegraphed, but, I do so love a happy ending, life is too short for misery!
A great mystery, I throughly recommend this story.
My thanks to Netgalley and HQ books for my advance digital copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion. A five star read.

I absolutely loved this book and couldn't put it down. I was as intrigued with the mystery of Hannah Snow and Lawrie as Scarlett is!
This was my second read of a book by Kerry Barrett and I will definitely be reading more of her novels. The dual stories of Hannah and Scarlett are weaved really well together and Hannah's allows the reader to be one step ahead of Scarlett as she investigates the mystery which was a nice touch. I also liked how the author had linked the story with the interest in Nessie, the Loch Ness monster after a family holiday there. A very nice touch.
I would definitely recommend for those who like cosy mysteries.

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **