The Vanishing Wife is the second installment in the Leigh Brody FBI Mystery series. It follows FBI criminologist Leigh Brody who is on medical leave to beachfront Gulf Shores Alabama in search of her new missing friend who left a frantic voicemail for her asking for her help.
We find out a teenage girl is also missing, and this sends us on a face paced search to find who is responsible.

I really enjoyed this book - it was a fast paced thriller with loads of twists and turns. Some parts were predictable (but I don't mind that in a thriller), but the overall storyline was great and the character development throughout was great.

You can read this book as a standalone and not be confused with what is happening and who is who which is amazing. Definitely would love to read some more of the Leigh Brody series!

⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Vanishing Wife by Nichole Severn is the second book in Leigh Brody's FBI Mystery series. This is a fast-paced and thrilling story that will make you guess what is happening.

I read this as a stand-alone and it felt fine, I didn't feel I missed some information but I believe there would be a lot to learn about Leigh as the person she is here.
This would be such an amazing episode of Criminal Minds!!!

Leigh is currently on medical leave after having surgery but when she gets a troubling voicemail from her friend Elyse she can't say no and is ready to help! By the time she arrives in Gulf Shores, Elyse is missing and unexpectedly Leigh is dragged into the missing girl case.

There is so much happening and definitely keeps readers interested. I challenged myself with this book as I am not a fan of detective/FBI stories and not a fan of series but this book worked well.
I believe that fans of the FBI series will love this book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this copy!

The Vanishing Wife by Nichole Severn is highly addictive. I kept trying to close my book for the night, but the “one more chapter” motto that most readers live by kept hooking me lol. I had to stop in the middle of a scene just to take a break because of the author’s amazing cliffhangers at the end of each chapter.
Leigh and the missing wife, Elyse, had both gone through hell. I felt for them and wanted a good outcome for Elyse.
Minor grievances. First, the book wasn’t riddled with the cuss words, there were a few that I could live without.
Second, my only other complaint is the monologues at the end. Leigh and the person behind all the drama—lol no spoilers here—had long paragraphs of dialogue that sort of slowed down the climax.
This book is a second in a series. A standalone. But it intrigued me enough to go back to the start.
Lastly, I want to say the author knew her stuff when it came to cop/FBI procedures.

I received this book through Net Galley and was not required to give a positive review.

4* Requires a fair bit of suspension of disbelief, and the end has a bit of a cliff hanger, but hey, not everyone in this tale is lily white, so...

This is the 2nd book in the Leigh Brody FBI series but works fine as a standalone, as there's enough info about events to clue readers in. It's well written, pacing is good, even though it's a tad unbelievable that someone who's just had major abdominal surgery can release themselves from care after 3 days (and only be meant to be recuperating for 3 weeks?? Thank goodness for the UK's NHS and sick pay rules) and have flown across the country to help out on a case. Hmm. But, the take works and is engrossing, though there are lies, untruths, truths withheld and the tale ends with a 'Uh oh, what happens now?/Fgs, now I have to wait until the next gets written to find out more?' moment. It is a good read and I definitely want to read books 1 and 3, especially as book 1 has hints of the Mercy Thompson series that I devour.

But, there's filler, too, and there's lots going on that could've been edited out, and there's LEOs keeping secrets and peacock posturing until they get a working relationship going. Rules are bent, evidence risks being deemed unusable, one LEO loses her focus on the main case because she's personally vested in another that's connected, and hasn't declared this, and there's some abrasiveness. Kind of realistic in parts, as they're human, but also not by the book. I think had Leigh's past with a serial killer and her 'dead'-but-not-really brother not been what it was, this tale could have exceeded my ability to suspend disbelief. It made her a shades-of-grey character, so the ending sets up book 3 nicely.

I got Elyse's desire for revenge and to protect her daughter and others, but the details bogged the tale down at times. Wesley's existence and actions could have been skipped entirely and wouldn't have affected the tale. The way in which he offed himself was convenient, glossed over - it should have resulted in an investigation - and no one seemed to mourn him, not even his daughter, but hey, apparently this was family vacation time and time to reconnect, so that didn't feel real. The details about cleaning products and cleaning were boring and unnecessary. What the tale needed more of was Ava's involvement in the before and the now, because she was the reason her mother did what she did. What was missing, too, was the timeframe for Elyse's plotting, as it was unclear if it was months, weeks or days - could it have been mere days, if this was their annual vacay?? Details matter and this was detail-lite in this aspect of the tale. Still, it was a decent read and I'm definitely up for the next.

ARC courtesy of NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my reading pleasure.

Great book loved it. Was hooked. But the Quantico in September having ice and snow doesn't fit. It doesn't rarely even snow in that area of Virginia. Definitely not in the end of summer early fall. And there's plenty of beaches nearby.

Leigh's friend Elyse is missing and Leigh will do everything she can to find her, but what she uncovers is a predator hiding in the shadows. This is a second book in this series and I absolutely love it! Lots of mystery and so many twists! Highly recommend this series and I hope there is a third book in this series!

This book got my attention right from the start, and detective/FBI novels aren't normally my thing. I didn't read the first Leigh Brody novel but I will now after reading The Vanishing Wife. The ending wasn't that shocking but I enjoyed the story getting there, and I liked the dual POVs.

To start with, I did not see that murderer coming. The investigation into the disappearance of teenage girls, added to her friend disappearing, leaving a pool of blood, left Leigh trying to investigate while on medical leave. I liked the way she interacted with the police officer in charge, despite the officer originally brushing off Elyse's claim of being attacked. Her being preoccupied by another case soon becomes clear. There were twists, a few things I saw coming (except a murderer). I will be looking for the next book

So happy to see the next installment (#2) of the Leigh Brody series!

After wrapping up all the loose ends from book #1 and a surgery, Leigh is on mandated leave from the FBI. While recovering, she learns her close friend Elyse is missing from her vacation home in a small Alabama coastal town. And, strangely, a teenager had just been murdered. Leigh being Leigh, she just can't leave it alone and jumps on a plane to see what she can find out.

Arriving to a bloody crime scene, Leigh knows things do not look good. Elyse's husband and teen daughter have no idea where she could be, and they seem to be at a dead end.

Every time I thought I had the storyline nailed, something happened to make me question that line of thinking. Thoroughly enjoyable!

Thanks to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Nichole Severn for the eARC.

The Vanishing Wife
Leigh Brody FBI Mystery #2
Nichole Severn
Leigh Brody is an FBI criminologist. We first meet Elyse in book 1. Leigh becomes friends with the PA in her gynecologist’s office. Elyse offers comfort and strength when Leigh discovers she has cancer.
Book 2: Leigh is medical leave following surgery to remove the cancer. Elyse leaves a distraught but unclear voice mail on Leigh’s cell phone. When Leigh arrives at the beachside vacation cottage in Gulf Shores, AL she finds Elyse’s husband acting strange and her teenage daughter is worried. There are blood splatters on the floor, Elyse is missing; no one seems to know where she is. Earlier Elyse reported she had been attacked but the police seemed unconcerned. The body of a fifteen-year-old is found on the boardwalk. Gulf Shores Police Department’s Detective Henrietta Moore is the lead on the case of several missing teenage girls. Her investigation leads to deceptions, secrets, and relationship problems. Leigh unexpectedly is appointed guardianship. Despite a warning from her FBI superior to stay away from the case, Leigh Is determined to find her friend and help the missing girl.
I have not read book 1 in this series but book 2 seems to stand well alone. Author Michole Severn is a brilliant writer. She manages to examine the mind of the criminal mind. The heroine is Leigh, a strong female character that demonstrates zeal for solving a crime.
Thank you NetGalley for the review copy.

Book 89 of 2024
The Vanishing Wife
By Nichole Severn

This book is the second in the series but I read it as a stand alone. The story had multiple pov and had me wondering what the ending would be. There are some potential triggers but nothing was described in detail. As someone who normally reads fantasy and thrillers this straight true crime style mystery was a change.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of The Vanishing Wife by Nichole Severn.

This book is the second in a series where Detective Leigh Brody is determined to get answers, get justice, and right wrongs.

Leigh gets a concerning call from her only close friend, Elyse, asking for help. Elyse’s message is very vague and now she’s unreachable. Elyse is vacationing at her summer home with her husband and 14 year old daughter. Leigh, being out on medical leave, rushes to help.

When Leigh arrives she finds a wall of crime scene tape, a pool of blood, and learning her friend was attacked and missing. Not only is Elyse missing but several teens girls have also gone missing. Leigh’s FBI training kicks in and she’s determined to find not only her friend but the local teen.

In her pursuit she uncovers lies, secrets, marital issues, and has to handle a suicide resulting in her becoming a guardian.

I didn’t read the first book which isn’t necessary but is often referenced in this book. The book was a little slow going at first and I feel like the end was rushed to wrap up the case. Overall the story line was good and Severn set the tone for book 3. I don’t think I’ll be revisiting the Agent Brody series but I appreciate the read.

Pub Date: September 12, 2024
🌟🌟.5

This was a really great read. It is a very, very slow burn and sometimes I think it was too much and the story just kept going on too long.

But, it kept me guessing... I didn't catch on until the very end on what was happening. It ended on a bit of a cliffhanger as well.

All in all I loved the FMC and I will definitely read more in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TheVanishingWife #StormPublishing #NicoleSevern

This story really blew me away. It has so many twists and turns in it. False starts and dead ends. At one point you get so frustrated you want to pull your hair out, yet you just cannot walk away from the story. What happened to Leigh's friend? After all that you have been through with someone, can you ever really say that you truly know that person? This book makes you question just about every single relationship you've had or will have. It's a gut punch and a kick to the face. I love it.

By the time the ending came along, I thought I had a pretty good idea of who did what. Boy, I didn't even have a clue. Come into reading this with an open mind because it is not what you think it's going to be. This is the first book of Nichole's that I have read but I am certainly ready to dive into that pool again when her next book shows up. I recommend this book.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Nichole Severn for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are my own and are completely honest.

Leigh is on medical leave when she gets a message from her friend Elyse. When she gets there Elyse is missing and there's blood all over the floor. What happened to her? Her husband is acting strange and what about the daughter? Elyse is missing and girls are being kidnapped and murdered. Twists and turns, finding out the truth and some surprises. Can't wait for book 3.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I had not realised it was the second in the series and I shall look to read the first. It had a lot of twists and turns and many many elements. For this reason I have given it 4 stars and not five because in my view there is only so much that can be included before it becomes too much. Nevertheless a really enjoyable read.

This was an intense mystery. It's about a missing woman and some young girls who have been abducted. There are so many twists and turns and the ending is really surprising, but I enjoyed it. Kept me interested the whole way through!

This was the first book I’ve read by this author so I didn’t really know what to expect. It soon clicked that this was part of a series but it didn’t detract from the reading. It was a real page turner and I was gripped from the beginning. I can understand all the great reviews because it was full of emotion and tension, but for me it was just a bit too far fetched and over the top. I’ve given it 4 stars (even though I had to suspend belief quite a lot!) because I was kept on the edge of my seat and the writing is so good. Thanks to Storm and NetGalley for the early copy.

This book had me hooked from the very start. I loved how it was written and I'll definitely be reading more from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in this series, unfortunately, I didn't read the first book so I was at a disadvantage. However, this book was full of suspense twists and turns. A recommended read.