The Night She Went Missing by Kristen Bird

Debut novels introduce us to new authors, new stories, and new friends. Kristen Bird’s debut novel, The Night She Went Missing is a story of privilege, patriarchy, small towns, and overcoming your past. From the book:

Months after she disappeared, a high school senior is found floating in the town’s harbor, alive but unconscious. Where has Emily been, and how did she get into the water? In Kristen Bird’s “gripping” (Publishers Weekly) debut The Night She Went Missing, three friends-to-frenemies mothers in a close-knit, wealthy Texas community decide to investigate after the police hit a dead end. While each woman has secrets to protect, they’ll all be forced to look at their own children – or each other’s – to uncover the truth.

With the relentless pacing and complex female characters of Big Little Lies and an expertly crafted small town setting, The Night She Went Missing introduces Kristen Bird as a new force in the world of domestic suspense. Her novel goes well beyond that, exploring complex questions about mothers and daughters, loss, and the line between taking chances and living dangerously. 

Review:

The story begins when Emily’s family moves to the small Texas island where her family has lived for generations. Her grandmother has influence at the local school and owns the local newspaper. Her grandmother is also fiercely protective of her family and the island and will let no harm come to either.

The book is told from pre Emily disappearance and post Emily disappearance so you get little clues throughout the book. As the blurb stated, the story is about mothers and their daughters. What will a mother do to protect her daughter?

I was intrigued by this story. It was a little different than I thought based on the blurb but that’s ok. While reading the book you figure out dynamics between characters and ultimately “who donnit”. I loved this author’s writing style and can’t wait to read more from her!

 

Author Bio: 

Kristen Bird lives outside of Houston, Texas with her husband and three daughters. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music and mass media before completing a master’s in literature. She teaches high school English and writes with a cup of coffee in hand. In her free time, she likes to visit parks with her three daughters, watch quirky films with her husband and attempt to keep pace with her rescue lab-mixes.

 

Social Links:

Author Website

Twitter: @kbirdwrites 

Facebook: @kristen.bird.writes 

Instagram: @kristenbirdwrites 

Goodreads

 

Thank you to the author and MIRA books for including me on this blog tour and providing me an advanced readers copy. I enjoyed this book and hope you will as well!