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REVIEW: Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister


Genre: Thriller | Mystery | Crime

Release Date: Expected 3rd August 2023

Publisher: Penguin Random House | Michael Joseph

OLIVIA. 22 years old. 
Last seen on CCTV, entering a dead-end alley. And not coming back out again. Missing for one day and counting . . .

Julia is the detective heading up the case. She knows what to expect. A desperate family, a ticking clock, and long hours away from her husband and daughter. But Julia has no idea how close to home it's going to get.
Because there's a man out there. And his weapon isn't a gun, or a knife: it's a secret. Her worst one. He tells her that her family's safety depends on one thing: Julia must NOT find out what happened to Olivia - and must frame somebody else for her murder . . .

"Lonely, alone, in solitude. Whatever you call it, Julia is an Island. Somebody who has now done unspeakable, awful things that no one knows about. Suddenly, for the first time, she understands the desire some criminals have to confess. To end the uncertainty, and be punished."

This is definitely not just another missing person story — a darkly compelling and twisty story where the most dangerous weapons are secrets and lies.

The first part of the book was a very slow, introducing some dramatic scenes but then working through them one by one quietly, as it pieces together who our characters are, building detailed ideas of who they are and really getting into their heads— but as we turn the page into the second half it’s an electrifying, fast-paced thriller that starts throwing so many twists it feels like running through a maze. Every little story connects in the most unexpected ways to create a convoluted tapestry, layers of lies and betrayals and misdirection.

What’s curious about this story is it feels like we’re almost given all of Julia’s secrets , or at least a big clue about them right at the start — leaving us waiting anxiously to fill in the gaps and wonder how much worse it could possibly be?

Julia was a complex and intriguing narrator — we know something in her past, that she has dark secrets hidden in a forgotten corner, but she’s so sweet and genuine, a kind soul with deep empathy and a strong sense of morals and justice. The kind of detective you’d want in the police force, who isn’t tempted to abuse power or force. And that contradiction of these two sides of her makes it dizzying. She navigates corruption, family, guilt and fear in such an evocative way. 

We hear from other people  — the forgotten faces of missing persons cases like parents and friends , suspects and neighbours, showing us the other side. And then there’s Olivia — who we almost get to know before we even have any idea what happened to her as we explore her digital footprints, messages, tweets, in this modern investigation into her life and disappearance.

A complex police procedural with a cinematic, thrilling edge and the kind of twists that left my head spinning.


⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review. Please check content warnings before reading this book as it contains subjects that could be triggering or upsetting for readers.

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