Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: June 28th, 2016
Synopsis: It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, her boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaliese Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaliese goes missing.
Told backwards–Day 15 to Day 1–from the time Annaliese goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.
I’m going to be honest and admit I was planning on skipping this. First, because my NetGalley e-ARC pile has grown to outrageous proportions, and second, because just the idea of having almost the entire story told backwards made my head hurt. But then the publicist emailed me and, well, I’m weak okay? It turns out that I’m beyond thrilled that I did cave though, because in my humble opinion All The Missing Girls is one of the best books I’ve read this year! It has all the right elements that make for a perfect psychological suspense tale. There’s actually three mysteries here. What really happened to Corinne a decade ago; what has happened to Annaliese; and how are both disappearances connected? Although I wouldn’t say any of the characters are particularly likable, this doesn’t make them any less compelling, especially Nic whose motives are murky throughout the story. What’s really great about the way these characters are written is that you see them as teens through flashbacks, as well as what kind of adults they’ve developed into and how Corinne’s disappearance shaped them all. None of them including Nic are trustworthy but they’re so well-written this adds rather than distracts from the story. The big reveal when it comes is brilliant! I can honestly say I didn’t see it coming. While I was initially concerned that I’d get confused because of the format, not once did I get lost or feel disconnected. By going backwards, day by day, it actually ratchets up the tension. I started this at about 7:00 p.m. Saturday and finished it at 1:00 Sunday morning. I literally could not put this down once I started! I highly, highly recommend this to anyone who loves a good, twisty mystery that’s creative and totally original. I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down!
By Hook Or By Book 
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