Fabulous! Really excellent. I've only read one Nicci French book before but will absolutely be looking for more by them.

I loved the dual timelines, the police procedural element, the podcast within a book concept. And I loved the characterisations.

Etty was a great character. I was so invested in her narrative the whole time.

Recommended to any crime fiction fan.

This is my favourite Nicci French I’ve read so far. Usually I read several books at once, but with Nicci French I’m in it til I finish. Most involved plot and I guessed wrong, which I enjoyed.

I hope this is the start of another series, too.

This is another excellent offering from authors Nicci Gerrard and Sean French who appear to have a never ending supply of exciting crime novels.

The novel opens with the disappearance of Charlotte Salter, who fails to turn up for her husband Alec’s fiftieth birthday party. Her disappearance is a mystery and leaves her family with lots of unanswered questions and simmering suspicions. Now years later Charlotte’s children, Etty, Niall, Paul, and Ollie try to cope with the inevitable repercussions caused by their mothers disappearance. Each of them with their own way of dealing with what happened, the resulting impact on them and how they try to make sense of their mothers disappearance.

Etty returns to her childhood home to help move her father, Alec, into a care home due to his battle with dementia. Meanwhile childhood friends Greg and Morgen Ackerley have decided to investigate Charlotte’s disappearance through a podcast and they uncover hidden secrets regarding Charlotte that will cause more than a few ripples in the town.

“Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?” is well written novel that kept me guessing and was very difficult to put down.

I would like to thank both Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

I read Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? as part of a reading group and there is definitely lots to discuss. From the beginning, the novel is full of mystery and the authors raise lots of questions that I really wanted to get to the bottom of, as I read this book in less than 24 hours. It's very difficult to let this story go once you start reading!.

The premise of a missing person is not new but I love that Nicci French have found a different angle on this familiar plot. The novel has three parts: the first part is set in 1990, the second part is set in 2022 and the third part remains in 2022, but takes the form of a police procedural novel. This allows the reader to look at the novel from a number of perspectives and try and work out what happened . It also gives us more insight into the characters who are most closely affected by Charlotte Salter's disappearance and how it has impacted them over time. This technique was most effective with Etty, and I was able to sympathise with her throughout the novel, making me more keen to discover the resolution. I was disappointed we didn't get to spend more time with Maud - she's a great character and detective.

Nicci French are no strangers to the crime novel and this really shows in Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? The writing is slick and the plotting is brilliant, as they plant seeds to help us work it out, while surprising us at the same time.

I do have a few Nicci French books on my TBR - I think it might be time to shuffle them up the list!

This is a great mystery thriller.
The book begins with Alec Salter’s 50th Birthday party and his family are all there except for his wife Charlotte.
Their daughter Etty is very worried as she knows her Mum would not miss this party.
The family try to find her but it seems she’s disappeared into thin air.
A few days later a friend of the family is found dead in the river.
The Police are struggling with both cases and eventually close their files without giving the families closure.
Many years later a podcast is started by Morgan whose father was found dead. He’s interviewing several people and it’s bring back memories for the locals and the Salter family.
Another murder is committed and a new Detective is brought in. Maud is convinced this death is linked to Charlotte and Duncan’s deaths and is determined to prove it.
This is a great read.
Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK for an advance copy of Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?, a stand-alone set in the fictional Suffolk village of Glensted.

In 1990 Lottie Salter did not turn up for her husband Alec’s fiftieth birthday party. Her four children, Niall, Paul, Ollie and Etty were worried, Alec wasn’t. In 2022 Etty returns to Glensted for the first time in twenty five years to help move Alec, who now has dementia, into a home. At the same time her childhood friends, Greg and Morgan Ackerley, return to make a podcast about Lottie’s disappearance.

I thoroughly enjoyed Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter?, which is an absorbing read that I read in one sitting. I can’t identify exactly why it consumed me when I have been struggling to pick up all my recent reads, but I think it’s due to the realism.

The novel has three main points of view, the podcast, Etty and DI Maud O’Connor sent from London to oversee the shambolic investigation into a present day murder. They merge seamlessly with the podcast having a voyeuristic feel, even if the brothers were players in the past events, Etty providing the strong emotions and damage the disappearance caused and Maud bringing discipline, rigour and dispassion. Each works in their own way to uncover secrets and truths that have been hidden until now.

In a sense this is an ordinary novel. Yes, there is murder, but there’s no shock and awe of unrealistic action scenes or high drama. It is the story of how an unresolved disappearance echoes through the decades, affecting all involved. The Salter family has fallen apart with little contact and Etty, once a fun loving teenager, is now a hard woman with an empty life. It is powerful, but sad that none of them were able to move on.

Maud O’Connor is the character that most appeals to me. She is smart and manages to answer the questions, but mostly she is tough. She isn’t welcomed by the team and meets with obstruction and insolence, but she’s fit for them and comes out on top. What a woman.

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? is a good read that I have no hesitation in recommending.

Just finished this read and was really impressed. A bit of a slow start for me and I did struggle to keep interested but I am glad I did. The book tells the story of 2 families, in three parts and the disappearence and deaths within the families. For me, I got really involved and dedicated to reading it from part 2 of the story which takes place 30 years after the dissapearance of Charlotte Salter and where the story gets juicy. Who is she and why did she disappear? And why where the police not interested in the beginning. Lots of characters in this book, but wasn't hard to keep up with them all. Thoroughly enjoyed this novel!

DNF

I’m not enjoying this book. The lack of consistency with the characters names and the long drawn out chapters just aren’t holding my attention. It’s not a fast paced or snappy start and in my experience books like this just aren’t for me… if I’m not enjoying it or finding it engaging then I must learn to put it down and move on.

Shame because I loved their older novels.

I've read this book as part of an online book club.
I love book clubs as they open you up to a world of different genres. This isn't a book I would usually read but wow it was brilliant. It really was as they say "a page turner"
It kept you guessing right to the end. Etty was my favourite character as I felt so sorry for her. Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

I enjoyed reading this captivating mystery that skilfully combines family dynamics and relationships,
police procedural and poignant but suspenseful story. The slow-burning tension builds across three parts and two timelines, keeping readers engrossed in the lives of well-developed characters and small town gossip. I am hoping it’s a start of a new series with Detective Inspector Maude O’Connor at the centre.

I have read all of the authors’ previous works and was keen to be able to read this one. A book told in three parts, over two timelines. This has some police procedural, some family saga and some mystery. I enjoyed this a lot and hope that Maud has her own series of books in the future. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers.

“Thirty years ago, in a village in East Anglia, where the land is swallowed up by mudflats and marshes and a hard wind blows in from the sea, a woman went missing.
“Life was changed forever in that ordinary little village”
On the day of Alec Salter’s 50th birthday party, his wife Charlotte disappears.
All the small village of Glensted were at the party and it was hours before anyone realised she was missing, then the body of Salter’s neighbour, Duncan Ackerley is found floating in the river.
What really happened to Charlotte Salter?
Fast forward thirty years and Morgan Ackerley returns to Glensted to make a podcast based on the shared tragedy with the Salters.
When the podcast makes national news, DI maud O’Connor is sent to Glensted to re-open the investigation.
A tense, taut thriller about the two families shattered by the tragedy and the secrets and lies they’re hiding.
A fabulous whodunnit with a few red herrings, and strong believable characters, particularly DI Maud O’Connor
Loved Maud’s backstory - her challenges at work, resented by her male colleagues, she has no time for their sexism or incompetence and would love to see Maud as character in further books.
Thanks @frenchnicci, @simonschusteruk & @netgalley for the amazing tense 😬 thriller

Can you imagine what it must feel like to not know what happened to your mother for 30 long years? There you are, at your dad's 50th birthday party waiting for your mum to arrive, only she never does and you're left not knowing if she's dead or alive. That's what happened to the Salter children when their mum, Charlotte, disappeared in 1990. Left with their totally apathetic father, hours become days. Then a body is found; but it is not Charlotte. It is family friend, Duncan Ackerley. What happened to Duncan, and has it got anything to do with Charlotte's disappearance?

Fast forward 30 years, and a police investigation has been reopened. Led by Maud O'Connor (my favourite character), and in response to the growing popularity of a podcast by Duncan's sons, Maud has to try and unpick the incidents of 30 years ago, and boy, is it a mess!

This is definitely a book with different faces. Part domestic noir, part thriller and part police procedural, it is a great read. I was only slightly let down by the outcome as I was expecting more of a WTF moment. This is the first book I've read by the authoring partnership of Nicci Gerrard and Sean French, but I'm hoping though that there are other books featuring Maud O'Connor.

I read this book as our February Book Of The Month for THE Book Club on Facebook. Thank you so much to TBC, the authors and publisher for the advance copy.

Nicci French delivers a masterclass in suspense and psychological depth, expertly paced and thoroughly enjoyable. With heart-thumping tension and unforgettable characters, it's a perfect blend of mystery and poignant exploration of family dynamics.

I have read a few books from this husband and wife duo and their latest offering is another great read!

It’s 1990 and Charlotte Salter cannot be found at her husband’s 50th birthday party. As the search begins secrets are revealed and Charlottes jacket is found by the river. Soon the case is closed.

Fast forward 30 years when her now grown up children return home and more secrets are revealed. Will the truth about Charlotte finally be uncovered?

I really enjoyed this book, it was a page turner from the beginning. A great whodunnit with some red herrings. I didn’t think the personal story of Maud was needed, felt pointless. Her challenges at work were interesting enough.

I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of this, it’s out 29 February and is def worth a read ❤️📚

Gripping whodunnit which managed to stop me working out the ending. Great range of characters, lots of detail about policing making it seem realistic. Plenty of potential red herrings to keep you guessing along the way. Nothing too gory or mature to stop younger readers (e.g. teenagers) giving this a go to try out the genre. Has made me want to try out more Nicci French titles.

I thoroughly enjoyed this one
It did take me a little bit of time to remember all the characters and disseminate between the children of the two main families but once I had achieved I was drawn in by each of them. The plot was great and I particularly warmed to Maud who was brought in to solve the mysteries.
I rattled through this book at a rate of knots. Would definitely recommend

Thanks to Netgalley, the publishers and husband & wife writing duo Nicci French for the ARC. While this book had lofty ambitions it fell short to me. The three different perspectives helped liven up the book, but the police procedural aspect was hard to follow and kind of boring, to be honest. It just was too long. A good edit would greatly help this book before it's released to the public. Recommended to domestic thriller fans, family drama lovers and police procedurals/stupid cops.

A well paced crime mystery set over two time periods, 1990 and the present day which starts with the disappearance of a well liked local woman, much loved mother and friend and the apparent suicide of her family friend. The story speeds up with the reopening of the case by a Metropolitan detective, Maud who skilfully uncovers the truth leading to a satisfying denoument. Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Absolutely loved this, a real page turner exploring a disappearance and a death thirty years ago. I enjoyed the switches in time, pov and characters and felt the arrival of DI Maud gave a new energy. Satisfying conclusion, excellent read.