What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan is a gripping mystery thriller that will keep you guessing what really happened and even after we know who's murderer how everything will end. Although the beginning didn't immediately impress me, the story quickly built into something truly exceptional. I couldn't put it down until I finished. The characters are complex and realistic, and the suspenseful storyline holds you captive throughout. This book is definitely one of the best I've read in the genre recently. I highly recommend it and will be seeking out more of this author's work.

This book is perfect for that well known saying "Never Judge a Book By It's Cover." The cover is absolutely dreadful. I would NEVER have chosen it based on appearance. Luckily for me, I saw some rave reviews all over social media and downloaded it.

What Happened To Nina is an intelligent, cleverly plotted and masterfully executed murder mystery set in the US.

Nina and Simon are a young couple who have been together since high school. They decide to spend a week together at Simon's luxury holiday home before they start their new lives at college. However, Simon returns home early claiming he and Nina broke up but she is nowhere to be found.

The story has multiple narrators retelling their version of events which led to the disappearance of Nina. The reader slowly learns more about Nina, Simon and their family and friends through each chapter. However, I need to warn you now. This book is definitely a "one more chapter" book. It's virtually impossible to stop reading.

This book evoked so many emotions for me. From heartache and despair when reading Nina's parents chapters to disbelief and anger when Simon's parents recount their stories.

Oh my gosh, this book is phenomenal. It grabbed me from the opening paragraph and crept under my skin until the final page. I literally could NOT stop thinking about the story. The characters, the twists, and the turns captivated me. I devoured it within a couple of hours. Straight into my Top Ten books of 2024.

OUTSTANDING and I'm off to check out the author's other books now..

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan had an intriguing premise, but unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to its potential. The story started off promising, with the mystery of Nina’s disappearance creating a sense of suspense. However, the execution fell flat for me.

The pacing felt uneven, with long stretches of the story dragging without much happening. The characters lacked depth and didn’t feel compelling enough to carry the plot. While there were a few twists, they didn’t pack the punch I was hoping for. Overall, it was a disappointing read that struggled to keep my interest.

I am so glad that this book came my way because it is 5 stars worth of distraction.

Nina and her boyfriend go away for a weekend at the cabin owned by Simon’s family. They are the perfect couple - everyone says so. But Simon is too possessive and increasingly physical and Nina wants out. Simon comes home from the trip; Nina doesn’t. Everyone is caught up in the search for Nina which gets dirty as Simon’s family try to protect his reputation and Nina’s Mum is determined to do anything to find out the truth. The narrative switches between the main characters and the police and they all provide a wonderful filter for the unravelling of the story. The mothers are particularly key. At the start they are convinced they know everything about their kids but through the story they learn more ..

This is so well written and so compelling. You just have to know what happened to Nina, but you wonder if you will.. The police procedural is fascinating and particularly engrossing because the police characters are so well drawn. Matthew is leading the investigation. He is a true professional but this case is raising temperatures, including his own, and he is frustrated by individuals who are paying a lot of money to stop him finding out the truth. You can’t help being drawn into this as this case goes viral and everyone has an opinion with blame shifting around and landing on everyone! The writer really makes us care about Nina and puts the reader through a raft of emotions throughout the story.

The mothers of Simon and Nina are at the heart of this story. They have nothing in common except the relationship of their children and their devotion. Leanne is gutsy, determined and will go to any lengths to uncover the truth about her daughter and this sometimes backfires. Jamie will do anything to protect her son, but even she is taken back by the way her husband is using his money and reputation to flood social media and control the narrative.

I was utterly engrossed, totally distracted and I felt all the emotions from page one to the end. This book constantly surprises. I have ordered two more by the author on the strength of this one. I am saving them for the times when I need my reads to work a little harder!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins for my digital copy.

There's plenty of excellent Irish thriller writers and Dervla McTiernan is amongst the best. I miss Cormac McReilly but this one is a page turner that kept me reading till late in the night.
Gripping, twisty, intriguing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Wonderful character development in this intriguing thriller about two warring families and the missing girl that acts as a catalyst.

For a thriller the pacing for this is surprisingly slow, focusing instead on really developing the full cast of characters that help bring the story to life. From Nina and her troubling relationship with Simon, to her parents and his. All of them feel real, their thoughts and feelings jumping from the page, and the complicated familial dynamics perfectly weave into Nina's story. I can see hints of inspiration from the real life Gabby Petito case, which heavily involved her fiancé's family and their willingness to defend him even when the guilt was so obvious. The plot really showed the lengths that parents would go to for those they love, even when that person deserves to be brought to justice. I applaud the author for managing to make characters a came to love or hate, while still keeping me interested enough in knowing their story. It's a delicate balance to achieve, and here's it's done well.

I'd definitely look out for more by Dervla McTiernan.

Thank you Harper Collins UK for the ARC. I love Dervla's Cormac Reilly series but her writing style is different in her standalones. For fans of The Murder Rule.

#WhatHappenedTo Nina #NetGalley As the prologue more or less tells you "whodunnit" by Nina herself, I wasn't sure if I would enjoy this book but boy was I wrong. I really felt for Nina's family as they fought to find out the truth about what happened to their daughter. Well written, easy to read but with lots of twists and turns. A great read from this author.

This is a return to form for Dervla McTiernan, after a couple of books that fell flat for me. Less of a whodunnit than a 'will he get away with it?', we find out about the crime in the first chapter from Nina herself, although she obviously can't go into too many specifics. What follows chronicles the devastation such a crime has on the families involved, and the lengths to which parents go to protect their own.

What makes this story all the more realistic are the mad social media conspiracy theories, some carefully crafted to throw off the scent, that bring out the nutters and victimise the family all over again. A great read that I highly recommend.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

Simon doesn’t have an adequate explanation for what happened on his romantic weekend with his partner Nina… after all, he returned from his family’s cabin and she did not. As his parents protect him, Nina’s parents understandably want answers. Suddenly nothing about their lives is off limits. With Simon’s parents having a wealthy life, and Nina’s not so much, it’s a battle between those who have and those who have only one wish: to find out what happened to their daughter.

I'm always excited to see a new title by Dervla McTiernan as I know I am in for a good read. What Happened to Nina? is no exception. The prologue sets the scene - told by Nina herself - outlining who she is, her relationship with Simon, her relationship and the expectations of her family and Nina's own insecurities. But in those insecurities is a feisty young woman who knows when things are going wrong.
The story is told with different nuances depending on who is telling the story = the parents or the police officer. The characters are so well portrayed - their feelings, their reasons for how they behave ... it drives the story forward with great pace.
Four and a half stars for me! A real page turner!
Many thanks to Netgalley/Dervla McTiernan/HarperCollins UK for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

I’ve read and enjoyed other books by this author so was pleased to receive this one as a review copy.
This one was a bit different, after a bit there didn’t appear to be much of a mystery about the main protagonist. The action revolved around the two families and their reactions to what was happening.
When childhood sweethearts, Nina and Simon go on a trip to his parents’ holiday home to hike and climb, Nina’s mother is annoyed as Nina had promised to help at the family motel.
However when only Simon returns and no one hears from Nina, they start to worry and call the police to report her missing. Simon cannot say what happened and of course he becomes a suspect in her disappearance.
It was obvious to the reader that something bad had occurred and even a rather odd beginning to the novel could not change that fact although it did blur the edges of suspicion.
The main story was how the two families reacted to the mystery. Of course Nina’s parents and sister are beside themselves and do everything to find Nina. Simon’s family, rich and entitled do everything to protect their son, not caring how much they stall the investigation and slur Nina’s family.
The crux of the plot seemed to be how far would you go to protect your child.
The story is told from many viewpoints, Léanne , Nina’s mother, Matthew, the detective, Jamie, Simon’s mother, Simon’s father, Andy, Nina’s stepfather and Rory, Simon’s father and the reader has to put all the strands together. It was quite a clever idea but there were a lot of characters to get your head around! The chapters are mostly written in the first person making the action very immediate and compelling and allowing the reader to get inside the characters’ heads.
I did enjoy this book but found it rather depressing and sad. A lot of the characters were not very pleasant, particularly Simon’s relatives! It really depicted a very bleak view of human nature.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my advance copy.

I am a big fan of this author's Cormac Reilly series and also really enjoyed The Murder Rule, her previous stand alone book, so I was mega excited to get my mitts on copy of this, her latest offering. And, even though my expectations were on the high side, I wasn't disappointed!
Nina and Simon are love's young dream. The perfect couple, if there ever was such a thing... But tragedy strikes when they go away together for the weekend, to Simon's family's cabin in Vermont. Simon returns as expected but Nina doesn't. Her family are concerned (obviously) and question Simon who claims they had a fight, broke up, and she went to lick her wounds at her friend's. But they aren't convinced he is telling the truth, especially as his story is inconsistent and doesn't really make sense. But Simon's family are powerful, Nina's notsomuch, and this is reflected in the way the police handle the "disappearance"...
And so begins a cracking case, one that descends into a very juicy viral internet sensation where everyone has their opinions. Played out in real time, with loads of social media commentary injected in just the right times, we follow as Nina's desperate family try and cut through the noise and power to just find out... What Happened to Nina?
I loved this book. It is all things my bag story wise. The normal vs the powerful. What the underdog needs to do to challenge the authorities, to get to the truth, even if that means breaking the rules (law).
This book sucked me in, held me tight, and didn't let me go until the final page. I was captivated by the story and characters all the way through. Powerless to let them go on the odd occasion that I had to put the book down cos, you know, life!
Oh how I felt for Nina's family, even though, on occasion, I didn't really like them or what they were doing. But I've never been in that situation, who am I to judge? And they were desperate...
I also loved the social media commentary... who hasn't just reacted to something on the internet without knowing the full story. Keyboard warriors and all that! It also progressed the story well, kept the pace high, and injected information in a quick concise way.
And the ending when it came was just perfect. Although I did guess a few thing along the way, I didn't get it all and was wholly satisfied by the conclusion.
All in all, another cracking addition to an already well impressive back catalogue. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This was an enjoyable read and the first half was really gripping, but we found out what happened to Nina quite early on and so the remainder of the book, for me, was just filler, based around Nina’s parents and Simon’s parents pitting against each other with the press.

There was a lot of manipulation and tons of lies, which would have kept me completely hooked, were it not that we already knew the answer to what happened to Nina!

A great premise but it didn’t quite deliver.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Dervla McTiernan and Harper Collins for an ARC in return for an honest review.

I loved the author's previous novel The Murder Rule so was thrilled to have the opportunity to read What Happened to Nina.
The novel is set in Vermont and starts when Nina and her boyfriend Simon spend the weekend at his family's cabin and only Simon returns.
The reader doesn't know what has happened to Nina but I was immediately drawn into the investigation and the suspicion around Simon. Nina's family are drawn into conflict with Simon's wealthy family and we see the trolling and abuse that can happen to the family in a missing person investigation.
This was a really powerful and evocative read that I would highly recommend. The author sensitively explores what Nina's family go through alongside the police investigation and characterisation and sense of place is excellent.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

This was a really well written, unputdownable book with real and raw characters. I could see a lot of similarities with real life cases, like the Gabby Petito case. It being so real make it very impactful.

What Happened to Nina? by Dervla McTiernan was recommended to me by my friend and I was very grateful to receive an ARC of this book. Dervla McTiernan writes a powerful narrative, with a strong primary storyline but also intricate branches that explores each individual character in depth, making this a compelling and intriguing mystery/thriller

Nina and Simon are a young couple who are deeply in love, childhood sweethearts from different sides of the track. They go away with Simons parents to their cabin in Vermont, but after the young couple go out together, only Simon comes back and this lights the touchpaper to a spiralling mystery that burgeons into a firey thriller

Simons parents will protect their son at all costs and they have the money to do so. Nina's parents just want to find their daughter. the case goes viral with many people involving themselves whether qualified to do so or not. Victom shaming is rife and money is doing the talking, but at the core of it all, Where is Nina?

A stunning mystery that had my stomach roiling with it's dynamic storyline. Every character is under scrutiny, all lives are delved into and it is a clear reflection of contemporary soceities proclivity to conduct trial by social media

A very good read and absolutely highly recommended

Thank you very much to Netgalley, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, HarperCollins and the author Dervla McTiernan for this outstanding ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own

4.5 stars*

Nina and Simon met at school when they were 5 years old, they became a couple at 16 years of age - your archetypal example of teenage sweethearts. However, when they attend different colleges, their relationship changes, as Simon becomes very intense, very needy, bad tempered. Everything comes to a head when they go away for a few days to Simon’s parents cabin, and at the end of their break only Simon returns home. His explanation as to Nina’s whereabouts doesn’t ring true and this is where we ask ourselves “What happened to Nina”?

Nina’s parents are suspicious of Simon, they believe he’s hiding something. However, Simon’s parents rush to support and protect him, hiring expensive lawyers and a PR firm that quickly ramps up a vicious, nothing-is-off-limits media campaign. So right from the very start, their parents are pitted against each other - accusations and counter accusations follow with everyone who knows the couple taking sides.

This is so much more than a book about a disappearance. That is the central, intriguing mystery, but the lives of those closest to Nina and Simon are unravelled, unveiling one main suspect, maybe more, or could they all be completely innocent?
The phrase ‘page turner’ is much over used, but this book encapsulates its true meaning. It is an un-put-downable examination of fascinating characters, each of whom could be our neighbours, our family, people we pass in the street without a second thought. Each is a fictional creation with a vice-like grip on reality. Highly recommended.

A tense and bleak crime mystery about the aftermath of a young woman going missing and the affect it has on two very different families. The.characters are well written and the narrative is emotionally charged. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I was not expecting this novel to be so different to the previous novels I have read by this author. It is set in the USA and is written from the point of view of the various characters, Nina and her long term boyfriend Simon are visiting his wealthy parent’s investment home, set on many acres. It includes bushland, a lake and is in close proximity to good climbing, an activity that both Nina and Simon enjoy. At the end of the weekend, Simon returns home but Nina does not. Nina’s frantic parents start asking questions and the police become involved. The novel is quite interesting but sometimes misses the mark, the plot becomes irritating at times and I found myself skipping paragraphs. Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction and Netgalley for an ARC of this novel for review,