Romance, mystery, intrigue ,and deceit deftly crafted into a story spanning two time frames . A marriage of convenience and an unfortunate happening leads us on a mystery hunt in modern times to find out what transpired in 1933

An enjoyable read that I couldn't put down, just trying to squeeze in one more chapter before bed.

The story follows two timelines:
Present day: Scarlett a broadcast assistant at Radio Staion Britain Live also has her own cold cases podcast with her ex, Charlie. An episode of the podcast proved the innocence of a lady accused of stealing from her company and is up for an award. This brings her to the attention of an MP who wants Scarlett and Charlie to investigate a missing person case from 1933 from his family history.

1933: Hannah, 19, is marrying 34 year old MP Lawrie. She has dreams of becoming a journalist. But something happens and, on her wedding day, she runs away as far as she can go, to Drumnadrochit, a village in the Highlands of Scotland. When a monster is spotted emerging from the Loch, it draws attention to the hotel in which Hannah works. Will her secret be revealed?

There are some nicely researched facts and I learned things about Nessie that I didn't previously know. The characters are likeable and well described, though I was surprised at how fast Hannah went from being a somewhat helpless victim of circumstance to being in charge of her own destiny. I also found her naive in the way she related to Davina and Simon. The pacing was good and I found the way the story flipped between the timelines held my interest well. I'd be keen to read more books by Kerry Barrett.

With thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the advanced reader copy.

Set over two timelines 1933 and the present day. The tale of Hannah and her mysterious disappearance in 1933 is investigated by Scarlett in the present day.

I enjoyed the two stories and the way they linked. An enjoyable easy read with a slightly different subject matter.

With thanks to Netgalley and The Publishers Harper Collins.

A mystery from the 1930s is investigated by a podcaster who has been commissioned by a relative of a missing woman’s husband in order to claim a potential inheritance. Apart from the absurdity that an inheritance from eighty years ago would still be available to claim, the story has a certain charm. The peak of the Loch Ness monster sightings coincide with the location of the missing wife, lending the events a plausible degree of chaos and humour. A light, easy and enjoyable read.

This story is set in two time zones. In 1933 Hannah Snow flees on the night of her marriage to MP Laurence Wetherby and ends up in Scotland at a small hotel on the edge of Loch Ness. When a monster is spotted in the lake soon after she arrives, the press descend in droves and she is worried their attention will turn from the monster to her..
Alternate chapters from the point of view of Scarlett who runs a podcast with her parter Charlie. They are offered the opportunity to investigate the disappearance of Laurence Wetherby. Before Scarlett can get going on the case however, it is withdrawn from her, and she has to work round a number of obstacles to find out what happened to Hannah and to Laurence.
I really enjoyed this book and was fully in vested in both the main characters - Scarlett and Hannah. I liked the historical details and the parallel story of the Loch Ness monster investigations. It was a very easy read, and the shortish chapters made it easy to read just another one.
I would be very happy to read more from this author and would like to thank Netgalley and HQ for the chance to read an early copy in return for an honest review.

Scarlett and Charlie are partners in a podcast production about cold cases. Scarlett appears to the brains behind the outfit, but Charlie takes all the credit. When an MP approaches Charlie to discover what happened to his family fortune, Charlie is very tempted to get involved, especially when there is a big reward for a specific result. Scarlett wants nothing to do with the dodgy MP (think pantomime villain!), as they don’t accept money for their discoveries, nor does she want to be told who to blame. This causes a big fall out between the two podcasters, which doesn’t bode well as their personal relationship is already broken, with Charlie finding himself a new girlfriend in super fast time.

This plot is set over two timelines, 1933 and present day. The chief protagonist in the 1933 storyline is Hannah, with Scarlett taking the lead in the present day.

I do like a split timeline and the background of the Loch Ness monster story was a nice touch. The stories combined well and the book was nicely written, if a little twee, especially the very predictable ending.

A nice book, lovely for a bit of escapism, perfect for a one sitting read.

Thank you NetGalley.

I love books set over 2 timelines so this really hit the spot. I don’t often read historical fiction but I really did find myself enjoying this one!

I am not normally a fan of anything historical however The Missing Wife absolutely gripped me, I loved the 2 different stories running through of Hannah back in 1933 and then modern day Scarlett.

This was a really entertaining read. I wasn’t gripping the edge of my seat, but both storylines were intriguing and kept me turning the pages. I’m not usually keen on books where there are two distinct time periods, but it worked well here and the stories were easy to follow. Very well written, and I loved the descriptions of Loch Ness and the Scottish scenery. It was a great ending too and I’d like to read more of this author’s work. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc – it was a very good read.

well written with an intriguing and gripping storyline and well developed characters. I couldn't put it down and can't wait to read something different by the author as every book I have read by them so far I have loved.

I just loved this book. Set over two timelines I often get drawn to one or the other era with a dual timeline but I was equally fascinated by both.

Hannah and Lawrence split up on their wedding day. For him, it was a marriage of convenience to access his inheritance. He's gay in a time where it was illegal and as a prospective, future prime minister he had to hide it. Hannah caught him and his lover and fled after she thought she had killed him. She ended up in Scotland in an hotel on the banks of Loch Ness. I loved the manipulation of the situation to bring more guests to the hotel with the start of of the first sightings of the Loch Ness Monster.

Scarlett, a podcaster, is asked by a relative of Lawrence to find out what happened to them both because he feels Hannah stole the family inheritance. So she delves into the history to piece together the truth about what happened to Hannah Snow and her husband Lawrence.

I just loved everything about this book and I'm now keen to read more by this author. An easy 5 star read and ticked all the boxes for the perfect read.

It is 1933 and Hannah Snow has just married Lawrence Wetherby ( Laurie). Although not in love, Hannah has high hopes for her marriage. Laurie is an older man and rising within the government ranks. Hopefully he can help her budding career as a reported and they can fall in love. However, events happen on their wedding night that causes Hannah to flee London and her marriage. She ends up working in a hotel on the shores of Loch Ness, Here she feels safe until there is a sighting of the Loch Ness monster and everyman and his dog descends on the area.
We also flick in time to present day where Scarlet is working on True Crime podcasts. She and her work partner (ex-boyfriend) are approached by Simon Wetherby. He wants them to track down what happen to Hannah. He believes it is the key to him accessing a family fortune.. As not long after Nessie was seen Laurie disappeared. Presumed dead.
Scarlett realises Simon and her partner have corrupt motives. So decides to discover for herself what really happened to Hannah Snow.
I loved this book. Flicking in time between the 1930's and present day was seamless. The female leads were both likeable and I loved the plot. This for me was a very quick read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC.

I loved this book it is a story of Hannah who went missing on her Wedding Day in 1933 and Scarlett who is investigating her disappearance for a podcast present day .Set mostly in Inverness by Loch Ness I found the story interesting ,atmospheric intriguing ,a mystery with a love story as well .I really liked both Hannah and Scarlett ,strong women and Hannah really was a woman of her time who was different to most .A very enjoyable read .Thank you To NetGalley for my ARC.

A gripping book, that had me hooked. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this thriller.

This isn’t my usual type or read but I throughly enjoyed Kerry Barrett’s last book and the description of this was intriguing, glad to say I was not disappointed save for the fact I read this in less than a day so it was finished too soon! Told in two time frames we have the story of Hannah who went missing in 1933 after her wedding and in the present day Scarlett is investigating the disappearance for her podcast and radio show. Both characters were fantastic, Hannah was incredibly naive at the start but it was fascinating to see how she adapted after running away whereas Scarlett is brilliantly principled although held back by the men in both her professional and personal life. Hannah’s story was fascinating and really well told and I loved the characters helping Scarlett in her quest. This is a brilliant read, uplifting and just a great story, 9/10

I absolutely loved this book. Requested on a whim because it mentioned Inverness I am delighted to say it exceeded by expectations. Romantic, mysterious, murder, not a murder, maybe, intrigue, secrets. Loved it. Very atmospheric , not overly described but enough so you could picture yourself there. Two parts, Hannah in 1933 and Scarlett in the Present Day. I liked both Hannah and Scarlett and was rooting for both of them. I had to keep remembering that the 1933 story was like that and such attitudes did exist. An enthralling story that kept you guessing. Sad that people had to go to such lengths. The author has a great style of writing that really draws you in and you are on the train drinking whisky, you are looking out of hotel window near Loch Ness,
My first book by this author and it won't be my last.. An unexpected gem. A pearl in amongst the flotsam and jetsam on the beach of books I've just been walking along