Unmissing, by Minka Kent

Publication: Thomas & Mercer; February 15, 2022

About:

A return from the past knocks a family dangerously off-balance in a novel of spiraling suspense by Washington Post and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Minka Kent.

Merritt Coletto and her husband, Luca, have the life they dreamed of: a coastal home, a promising future, and a growing family. That dream ends with a late-night knock on the door.

Weak, broken, and emaciated, it’s Luca’s first wife, Lydia. Missing for ten years, presumed dead, and very much alive, she has quite a story. Her kidnapping. A torturous confinement that should’ve ended with her dead. And finally, escape. Racked with guilt over the beautiful life they’ve built, Merritt and Luca agree to help get Lydia back on her feet—it’s the least they can do.

But the more enmeshed Lydia becomes in Merritt’s family, the more questions Merritt has. What is it about Lydia that’s especially unnerving? Why hasn’t she gone to the police with her harrowing tale? What does she really want of them? The answers, when they come, are terrifying.

Because Lydia isn’t the only one with secrets.

My Review

It’s been a while since I have read anything by Minka Kent and this did not disappoint! Merritt Coletto is living a dream life with her husband Luca, their young daughter Elsie, and a baby boy on the way. Then one night while Luca is out of town, a woman shows up on her doorstep claiming to be Luca’s first wife Lydia, who vanished ten years earlier and was later declared dead. Merritt, being the sweet and proper wife that she is, tries to befriend Lydia and help her all while fearing that Lydia is trying to destroy her marriage. Lucas basically does nothing, and Lydia starts seeming a little sinister.

This was so good! Unmissing had all the mystery/thriller elements that I love including unreliable narrators, plenty of seeds of doubt planted, and a roller coaster’s worth of twists and turns. Minka Kent has once again done a beautiful job of leading my mind in one direction only to shock the hell out of me further down the road (thank you very much). The characterization of both Merritt and Lydia was incredible, painting very different pictures of them from the beginning to end. I did feel that Luca’s characterization fell a little flat though. Maybe his POV could have been added to Merritt and Lydia’s to give the reader more insight into his thoughts and motivations? The only character that I struggled with was Delphine, finding her openness and kindness a bit too forthcoming, but it certainly didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the novel.

Although I think I could discuss this book for hours, that is about all I can say without spoilers. Unmissing is a mystery/suspense thriller that I highly recommend. It has all of the wonderful tidbits suspense thriller fans love, an imaginative plot, and well-developed characters. This was absolutely a 5-star read for me.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas and Mercer for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.