Gillian MCAllister has delivered another nail- biting thriller with "Just Another Missing Person." This book is a rollercoaster of surprises, keeping readers on their toes from start to finish.

McAllister's ability to create authentic characters who constantly defy expectations is commendable. You'll find yourself immersed in their lives, questioning their motives, and eagerly following their every move.

The pacing is relentless, with heart-pounding moments seamlessly woven throughout the story. McAllister's clever plot twists keep you guessing, leaving no room for predictability. With her captivating prose, McAllister paints vivid scenes that draw you into the story. "Just Another Missing Person" is an addictive read that will leave you hungry for more. In summary,

If you crave a thrilling and and unpredictable ride, look no further than "Just Another Missing Person." Brace yourself for a gripping tale that will leave you breathless!

I struggled to get into this book as I wasn’t very convinced about the actions of DCI Julia Day in the beginning which set up the whole story and chain of events that followed. Without giving spoilers the whole premise of the book was how far will you go to protect your child. However, in my mind, the child did not need defending as her actions were clearly self-defence.

I was also struggling to believe that the police weren’t talking to the family and friends of the main missing person. They only seemed to be interviewing her brand new housemates and some social media friends.

There were a lot of twists and turn but it wasn’t my favourite by this author. Partly due to the implausible plot I didn’t relate favourably to any of the characters.

With thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Another brilliant book from Gillian McAllister.
She never fails to deliver a story that is not only captivating and enthralling, but that poses those moral questions that we wouldn’t otherwise consider (or at least are very unlikely to be able to really pit ourselves against one path or another).

This time the book is enshrouded in the relationship between parent and child. Primarily focussed on 3 parents and the measures and actions they would take in the interest of their children. How far would you go? Are moral lines, criminal lines, insubstantial if you are doing it in the name of goodness, and for your child?

I’ll be honest, I initially battled with the start of the book. The initial situation just seemed too implausible. I couldn’t align myself with the actions that were taken. I just felt there wasn’t enough mitigating reasoning provided for why certain decisions were taken. I grew into it though and did appreciate and accept it a later stage. I don’t want to go into details, to avoid a spoiler, but it was a bit tough to ask us to accept one course of action, but then feel for the protagonist whilst they were really suffering over a similar course of action later. Which, again, maybe just comes down to not enough time being spent on the first situation?

Anyway, once again the writing really sets this novel apart. Gillian’s portrayal of interpersonal relationships, particularly familial and spousal relationships is incredible. The character and connectedness building, along with perfect progression of exceptionally well thought out and intricate plots is incredible. I remember commenting on Gillian’s first book about how adept she was in captivating the reader whilst portraying the journey of the characters in her story. There was no need for a twist or reverse twist to try and save the story and imprint something in the reader’s mind. The writing, the plot, and the characters were enough.

Having said that, the twist in the book was pulled off with absolute brilliance and really added to the great plot.

On a lighter note, I absolutely loved the quote about MI5 and an NHS GP, had me embarrassingly erupting in laughter on a packed morning train.

Thank You NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for a review copy

This is nigh on impossible to review without giving away intricate plot details so suffice to say the impossible disappearance up a blind alley and the subsequent investigation are confusing in he best possible way!
The start is slow as many voices give past and present details but as the investigation gains ground things resolve at a fantastic pace.

Gillian McAllister’s books are always addictive and clever. She researches well to bring a story alive and always includes plenty of twists and red herrings to provide an atmosphere of suspense and intrigue.

Whilst this isn’t my favourite of Gillian’s books (How to Disappear still holds that honour!) it was clever and entertaining. The twists were well written and although I had guessed most of the direction this was going in, the intrigue is often in the clever storytelling and Gillian is the queen of this!

It's not possible to fully review this without revealing a key element of the storyline - but suffice to say that -part- was frustrating. There are also a few perspectives in this novel and characters to follow - it takes concentration, but stick with it, it's worth the read.

Another unbelievably hard to put down book from Gillian McAllister! From the first few pages I was utterly invested in the characters and desperate to keep reading!
The beauty of this author is that you are presented with a situation so bizzare and complex, you wonder how on earth the plot is going to play out and are absolutely compelled to keep reading.
It truly was a clever and twisty plot, so intimate that you would never work out what was going on.
As ever a total masterclass in how to keep a reader turning pages, absolutely brilliant!

I have read Wrong Time Wrong Place which was brilliant. But unfortunately I didn't enjoy Just Another Missing Person as much. I’m not sure why as to begin with I enjoyed it, it maybe because I felt the storyline felt too long or over complicated. Without a doubt it’s well written and you only have to check out all the 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reviews to see I’m in the minority with this one so I’m going to put it down to me choosing to pick up this book at the wrong time to enjoy it as I should have. I also live near Portishead and felt the author didn’t research the area properly, there is no Starbucks or Nados and although only small details it did irritate me!

I was so happy to be able to read this book! After 'wrong place, wrong time', I was eager to read Gillian McAllister's next book and this didn't disappoint!

The story's premise is one I haven't come across before, certainly not presented in the way it is here, and as an avid thriller reader, it is such a joy to be surprised by plot! We follow DCI Julia Day who is called to investigate a missing person, who appears to have literally vanished into thin air.

What follows from this starting point is a story that is about a mother doing what she never thought possible to protect her child. The plot is elegant, clever and intriguing.

READ THIS BOOK!

A really gripping story with so many twists and turns. Did not predict some of the hooks along the way keeping this as an edge of the seat book.

I have loved Gillian McAllister's novels for their excellent pace, plotting and engagement. This one took a little longer to get into for me, and I found the suspense of the opening scenes dissolved into rather confusing explanations of past and present events through the different perspectives of various characters. Gradually, however, the threads of the plot started to unravel, rather like a real police investigation, I suspect, and a range of possible causes and suspects became clearer. Finally I became invested in the characters and their stories and enjoyed the clever twists and turns of the denouement. An involving novel - eventually - and worth hanging in there for the gripping ending.

Rating: 3.4/5

When you pick up a Gillian McAllister novel you can be sure that you will be reading an intelligently written piece of fiction with a carefully constructed plot - "Just Another Missing Person" is no exception. Having ventured down a slightly different path to her earlier work in her previous offering, the mightily impressive, "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" the author has reverted to incorporating the theme of moral dilemmas into the storyline for this one. There is plenty to like, admire and enjoy about "Just Another Missing Person", but in spite of that, this is not my favourite book from this writer.

As you might expect from Gillian McAllister there is solid, generally convincing characterisation and she challenges the reader's expectations with both the plot development and the structure of the story. I very much welcome this approach, but on this occasion I am not convinced that it always worked as effectively as it could have. There is a risk when seeking to challenge expectations that the author can try to be just a little too clever and perhaps even guilty of a little self-indulgence - I certainly felt that some of the techniques employed by the writer on this occasion led to an awkward stylistic feel that hampered my enjoyment at certain points. Nonetheless, this is still very much a worthwhile read that I would gladly recommend and I will certainly be back to see what Gillian McAllister comes up with in her next novel.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

Tense, twisting and turning with lots of thrills but the premise upon which Julia is blackmailed is slightly unrealistic in my opinion.

Never-the less this as a good read which drew me in and I enjoyed it and I can well understand why it will be a massive success given the writer's deserved high profile, but not one of her very best in my view.

Great detective book. It started off a little slow and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. Before knew it though the pace picked up and the story really got going. In the tradition of all great detective stories there are loads of twists and turns and quite a few surprises to keep you guessing. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley et all for the chance to read this great book. Gillan McAllister is a brilliant writer and this book is a prime example of it. Julia is investigating the disappearance of Olivia and what follows is a journey of twists and turns you won't see coming. The plot is a lttle complex and at times hard to follow but overall it is brillantly written book from an amazing writer,

When is a good cop not a good cop? Like most of us the answer is When it's about family!
When a girl goes missing in a dead end alley the answers should be a little more obvious to our lead detective, but she's off her game and is feeling the pressure a little bit which takes her on a journey of discovery.
I loved this book and what was weird was that although I didn't particularly like any of the characters, I didn't root for them I actually wanted things to turn into ok.

I've given this four instead of five stars because I've enjoyed other Gillian McAllister books more - this took me a while to get into and was a bit of work to follow. However, it was still brilliant and stands head and shoulders above many comp titles. Clever, compelling, well-written and deftly engineered, I'm sure this novel will delight Gillian's many well-earned fans.

Another clever brilliant book from Gillian McAllister .A young girl has gone missing ,seemingly disappearing into thin air .DCI Julia Day and her team are investigating but she herself is hiding a secret which will change everything .An exciting story with very interesting characters I especially liked the mysterious Price .Not all is what it seems in this very exciting thriller .The ending had a major twist which I did not see coming.I look forward to reading the next book by this Author.Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC.

Just Another Missing Person tells the story of DCI Julia Day, who we meet just as she gets a missing persons case. Olivia has gone missing and was last spotted going into an alleyway that is a dead end. What's worse is that someone wants Julia to frame someone in order to protect her loved ones, calling her integrity into question.

The book is narrated by Julia mainly alongside a few other characters. I feel as though we get to know Julie very well and I enjoyed learning about her; the characterisation is excellent, as always, and she is a complex but likeable police officer.

As is normal with Gillian McAllister, there are twists aplenty throughout, starting with a pretty massive one about halfway through. These, along with the excellent writing, kept me gripped throughout and I whizzed through this one.

I've give the book 4 stars, but only because I didn't quite enjoy it as much as her incredible last book 'Wrong Place, Wrong Time'.

My thanks to NetGalley and the Publishers for sending me this ARC in return for an honest review.

DCI Julia Day gets a call about Olivia, a high risk missing person last seen on CCTV going into a blind alley and not coming back out. The case is utterly baffling and it’s going to get a lot worse, way, way worse for Julia. As this dedicated, everything by the book, police officer has to do the unthinkable in order to protect a close family member. She must frame someone for Olivia‘s murder, or the ‘Secrets Genie’ will be well and truly out of the box. The story is told from several perspectives but principally by Julia.

Well, she’s done it again! This is another cracking, dark, very well thought out thriller. As this is Gillian McAllister you know right from the start this will not be straightforward and that it will come with a multitude of clever and surprising twists and it sure does. Naturally too, the twists will be accompanied by plenty of tension and suspense. Although the pace starts quite slowly (for this author!) it builds exponentially and when the twists do start coming, they seem to sock you in the jaw much more forcefully. The plot is complex, you do need to concentrate which is no bad thing, and then all the pieces of the jigsaw start fitting together to give you the big picture which in my case, I don’t see coming.

The characterisation is excellent, Julia is really fascinating. She’s a complicated person with a complicated home life. She is in a caught between a rock and a hard place dilemma. One of the most compelling aspects of the plot is how her mind flits back and forth as she tries to navigate the turbulent waters. One of the standout characters is her daughter Genevieve, who is one smart teenager and I love the bond and sparky dialogue between mother and daughter . All the different perspectives work well, they contrast strongly against each other which adds yet another intriguing layer to the multi layered plot.

So, I think this is another best seller for this talented author whose books I find absolutely gripping. Highly recommended.

With thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Another great twisty thriller from Gillian McAllister. The first half was laying all the ground work for the story and then second half was putting all the puzzle pieces together to uncover the mystery. Really good twists and great writing and characters that have you thinking, they shouldn’t be loveable but you can’t help feeling for them.
Not sure if I missed something at the end tho as there was just one piece of the puzzle i needed more clarification over.
Overall a page turner that I couldn’t put down and I can’t wait to see what’s next from Gillian.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the chance to read this Arc.