This book is told from the POV of Issie's mom, Jess, as well as Dylan's mom, Kay. There are also podcast episodes in-between chapters that bring an interesting element and preview of what's to come.

As a mother with sons and a daughter, in books like these....I always find it polarising when I think to myself, how would I react/think/feel in a situation like this? I hate ever imagining such crazy scenarios for my kids, but I enjoy the food for thought these kind of books give me.

Issie is a polarising character as her mother recalls the child she was before she got mixed up with Dylan and who she is post Dylan. Dylan is polarising in the way Jess views him and the way his own mother views him. So you are constantly thinking....which version of each of these kids is the correct one? Which mother is right about her kid and which one isn't?

While the book doesn't have a shocking plot twist....it does have some twists that an avid thriller reader may see coming...also some that this avid thriller reader didn't see coming....I didn't rely on the book for its twists and turns. I just enjoyed reading it, even though I felt this was more domestic drama with the mystery as a side story.

I felt like it moved at a good pace and I enjoyed the writing. Was there a lot of talk of Billy and hospitals and bullying and the kids' fathers? Yes there was. Was it really necessary? Probably not.

I felt like I was reading some parallels to real life missing person cases and then to have them mentioned in the book at some stage.... Gabby Petito, Natalee Holloway, Madeleine McCann and a few others....that was an interesting inclusion.

All in all, this was a quick easy read that I did enjoy.

This started off really intriguing, and I found the mystery aspect quite compelling. However, about halfway through, it shifted into a different kind of story, focusing more on the “what would you do” aspect. While it definitely makes you think, I found myself missing the sense of mystery that hooked me at the start.

I have read Heidi Perks before and always enjoyed her books: this is the best yet - I could not put it down and have also carried on thinking about it
A great moral dilemma - would you lie to help your child in the eyes of the law??
Both families in the book are believable and I felt for them both. It’s very well written and engaging.
A good ending too - I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend it.

Jess and her daughter Issie have a great relationship, until the appearance of Issies boyfriend, Dylan. Jess doesn't trust him, and Issie seems to be becoming more of a rebellious teen under Dylans influence. Issie and Dylan decide to go travelling together, and as it is only a few days before Issies eighteenth birthday, Jess doesn't feel like she can object.
The day of Issies birthday arrives, Jess sends her text messages, and phones her, but Issie does not pick up or reply. This is out of character and Jess becomes more worried as time goes on. Eventually Jess faces the fact that her daughter is missing.
This is the story of a parents worst nightmare, and how far a parent would go in order to protect their child. I was drawn in from the first page, gripped by the perspectives of Issies mother and Dylans mother in turn. The inclusion of a podcast about the disappearance of Issie and Dylan, added to the interest of the story. I really enjoyed this book, the tense plot kept me turning the pages. Highly recommended.

Issie is 17 and is besotted with her boyfriend Dylan to the extent that her friendships and relationship with her mother Jess, suffer. A fairly normal occurrence in teenagers but Jess fears her daughter is being controlled by her older boyfriend and desperately tries to get through to her. Issie announces they are going travelling to Portugal and there is nothing Jess can do to stop them. As Issie’s 18th birthday comes and goes and Jess cannot reach her, she is in panic and despair. Feeling certain Dylan has done something to Issie she makes the decision to travel to Portugal for answers. This story gradually unwinds and the truth is told but it seemingly takes a long time to reach it. As hints and clues of what is to come materialise, I felt the story was padded to eventually draw out what was already suspected. There were quite a few twists along the way but none that really shocked or surprised me. A sad tale of human relationships that are not always straightforward especially as teenagers are becoming adults.

Firstly thank you for my early access in exchange for a review . I have read and enjoyed all of Heidi’s books .i raced through this as I did with her other work!
It’s a close examination on a mother and daughter relationship and what happens when they want to fly free a bit more …and as a single mum myself I related hard .
Mother’s instinct is never wrong , right?
What happens when the truth is revealed and you have to make a tough decision ?
Really interesting concept and I think parents of all walks of life can put themselves into Jess’s shoes .
Thought provoking and moral questioning … what would you do?
Packed with suspense and a rollercoaster of emotions for all the characters involved

Great easy read book, managed to read over two evenings. Although I didn’t get bored of it and wanted to keep reading, it wasn’t a particularly deep thriller with unpredictable twists.
The characters all seemed quite sulky and apart from Kay who I felt had a tough time, I can’t say I warmed to the others

I will definitely read more of the authors books as I do love the easy thriller style books and definitely enjoyed it

I'm afraid this wasn't a great read.
The premise was a rather dull and domestic situation that certainly didn't live up to the 'pulse racing thriller' tag. Rather, it was about an overbearng and quite unpleasant mother getting the wrong end of the stick about her daughter's relationship and going to rather extreme lengths to test her theory.
Then it played out like a rather boring news story about someone who was apparently missing, but then was found and was just hiding to cover up a run of the mill crime.
The daughter was thoroughly unlikeable and I wasn't rooting for anyone in the story, apart from maybe Dylan's mother who deserved a break.
Sorry, plodding and dull.

I found this to be more of a story of family dynamics and moral choices than a thriller. Reading it in the former sense does it more justice.

It felt slow in parts, particularly Jess's thoughts surrounding her inability to cut the apron strings.

Seventeen year old Issie has started a relationship with nineteen year old Dylan, much to the disappointment of her mother Jess. Jess starts to notice changes in Issie, changes she doesn’t recognise and her worry grows that Issie is being controlled and is being isolated from her and her friends.

Issie and Dylan plan to go to Europe travelling, much to Jess’ disapproval. As they reach Lisbon, Issie turns 18 - only her phone is switched off and she appears to have disappeared with no trace.
Frantically Jess tries to contact her daughter, Dylan the UK police, the Portuguese police, but isn’t getting anywhere fast.

Desperate she reaches out to Kay, Dylan’s mum. Who hasn’t heard from either of them.
Convinced that Dylan has harmed her daughter - Jess is now on quest for answers.
Is Issie alive? did Dylan Kill her as she suspects?

So… this is my second Heidi Perks book. I loved the first one I read, but found this one a bit mediocre.
I felt Jess was an unlikeable overbearing parent which obstructed me from connecting with the book. The first 30% of the book I felt was slow… but after that I did start to enjoy it more.
It hasn’t put me off reading more from this author - so that’s a plus!

Thank you Netgalley for my ARC in return for an honest review

Two teenagers go abroad on a holiday together, then appear to go missing. Their mothers react in different ways and the thoughts and reasonings behind the parental reactions are well and believably examined. How well do parents know their children? How far do you go to protect them – enough to break the law? Does a privileged upbringing make you a better person or one more worthy of saving?
All these issues are covered in this story. A well written and interesting read.

A belter of a read, one I raced through. Jess has brought up her daughter Issie alone for many years as her husband left to go to the states with his ex wife. Issie and Jess have always been close, that is until Issie met Dylan, her boyfriend. The caring conscientious girl rapidly changed and has now gone travelling with him. Jess calls Issie on her birthday and can't get hold of her. It's her eighteenth so she may be off enjoying herself but when call after call goes unanswered and it appears Issie’s phone is off, Jess begins to worry. The local police are unhelpful as Issie is abroad and is now technically an adult. Jess tracks down Dylan's mother who is also little help and Jess feels that she is hiding something. What has happened to Issie and why?

OMG! There are certain books where you hold your breath right the way through and this is most certainly one of them. I was riveted and would have read this in one sitting had real life not got in the way, I was so engrossed. This is testament to the absolute brilliant skill of the author manipulating those 26 little letters into something so totally stunning, I’m in awe.


For more reviews please follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @nickisbookblog
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A familiar theme here of teenage children cutting loose from their parents and heading off on their first unsupervised travels. Thankfully very few will encounter the dramas of Issie (17) and her boyfriend Dylan (19). Add into the mixture an over anxious parent, another mother who believes her child can do no wrong, absent fathers and police who aren’t initially interested when the young people go missing and you have the ingredients for a gripping story, with plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged. The writing style was a little long-winded at times, and not all the characters relatable, but anyone looking for a gripping thriller won’t go far wrong with this one!

Issie and her boyfriend Dylan have gone travelling to Portugal and it's now several days since her mother Jess has heard from her especially as she couldn't be contacted on her 18th birthday. Jess, who has never liked Dylan, is very concerned and is convinced that Dylan has harmed her daughter. She decides to fly to Portugal to enlist the help of the local police. When Issie eventually turns up without Dylan it's apparent something serious has occurred as Issie is very withdrawn and anxious.. Told from the perspective of Jess and Kay, Dylan's mother, this is the story of how far a parent would go to protect their child even if they thought they'd done something wrong. This was an enjoyable read and the podcast segments were a, great addition. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity of reading an advanced copy of this book..

This was an absolutely fabulous and gripping story from Heidi Perks.. This is not only a story with lots of twists and turns but parts that make you think deeper about how far you would actually go for your child. Very engaging and a very good read.

This is an intriguing domestic thriller full of unexpected twists and turns.
The mostly unlikeable characters are fully developed and well-drawn and the plot is well paced and suspenseful throughout.
Issie, a soon to be 18 year old and her boyfriend Dylan go missing in Portugal. When Issie’s mum fails to contact her daughter, after several days she travels to Portugal to see if she can find her. The story unfolds from the POVs of Issie’s and Dylan’s mums (Jess and Kay). I thought the addition of the Podcast kept the pace of the plot moving whilst also adding tension.
Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley UK for the ARC.

This was such a great read. I really enjoyed it. Loved the way it was interspersed with a pod cast dialogue which gave a neutral opinion on the storyline so far. Very clever. I also loved the way the reader had their opinion subtly changed as the storyline progressed. It became very addictive and although I loved it I couldn’t wait to get to the end to see how it finished. Great ending.

I have enjoyed previous books by this author, partly because she seems to set them in my part of the world. However I regret to say that I found this one a little tedious. I did not get a feeling of empathy for the mother, as she seemed to be too anxious and irritating. No doubt I would feel the same if it were my daughter but that is how the story struck me.
It all just felt an uphill battle to get to the finale and you had to wonder if it had been a waste of time. However I will still look forward to more books by this author and hope that this was a one-off.

This is a new author to me but I do love a good thriller/mystery so I was interested in this.

I really enjoyed the book, the different POV’s were interesting and I couldn’t put it down.

Would definitely read more from this author.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange of my unbiased review

A missing daughter, an older boyfriend and secrets and twists. For me the book was too winded and I got frustrated with the descriptions of mum's thoughts. it slowed down the plot and the storyline.