Title: The Missing Half
Author: Ashley Flowers (with Alex Kiester)
Publisher: Bantam (Random House Publishing Group)
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Year of Publication: 2025
Date of Publication: May 6, 2025
Pages: 272 (hardcover edition)
ISBN-10: 0593726987
ISBN-13: 978-0593726983
Audiobook Read by: Saskia Maarleveid and Ashley Flowers
Summary of The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers
The story follows 24 year old Nic Monroe. Nic is a woman who lives in her hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana. Nic’s life took a turn seven years ago when her sister vanished without a trace. Nic is in AA, dealing with the legal consequences of a DWI she was involved in, numbing herself, and is just trying to get by her daily responsibilities.
When Nic’s sister, Kasey, went missing, she was supposed to have driven Nic to her job but she didn’t show up and didn’t text, which was very unusual for her. Between the two sisters, Kasey was the one you would consider the responsible one. She went missing around the same time as another girl called Jules Connor.
Kasey and Jules disappearances were so similar and also within the the same timeline that the police viewed them as parallel. Both cases were nicknamed “the missing Mishawaka girls” and remained unsolved even after many years.
When Jenna Connor, Jules’s sister, crosses paths with Nic, at first Nic thinks she is one of the reporters, podcasters or bloggers that have shown up over the years seeking to cover some kind of true crime story. But eventually the two women team up to see if they can figure out what happed to their missing siblings.
Main Plot & Characters
- Nicole “Nic” Monroe: She is one of the two main characters in the book. Nic is struggling with the disappearance of her sister.
- Kasey Marie “Kase” Monroe: She is Nic’s older sister who vanished seven years earlier.
- Jenna Connor: The other protagonist whose sister also went missing.
- Jules Connor: Jenna’s missing sister. Jules disappeared before Kasey did.
- Brad Andrews: He is Nic’s manager at Funland and a close family friend.
- Sandy Andrews: She is Brad’s wife.
- Lauren Perkins (Lauren Tate): She was Kasey’s best friend before she disappeared.
- Detective Wyler: He was the detective initially assigned to Kasey’s case.
- Pam: She works at the animal shelter where Nic volunteers as part of the court requirement.
- Nancy, Henry, Michaela, Lexi, Natalie: They are members of Nic’s AA group.
- Matthew Tate: He is Lauren’s husband.
- Banksy: A cat that Nic forms somewhat of an attachment to at the animal shelter.
- Steve McLean (Skeevy Steve): He is Lauren’s former boss.
- Joe Perkins, Bitsy Perkins: They are Lauren’s parents.
- Detective Aimes: A detective assigned to Kasey’s case later in the story.
Writing Style
The story is told mostly from Nic’s perspective although we do get some parts of Kasey and Jenna’s perspectives. Ashley Flowers gives us a book that is actually fast-paced and will leave you guessing and constantly changing your mind about who the actual killer might be and what happened to the two women.
There is a photograph at the start of the book, which we think really paints a good picture of the scene of Kasey’s car in the middle of nowhere. We also like that there is a twist at the end. Anytime we read books with twists at the end, we immediately think of Freida McFadden’s books.
We enjoyed reading this book. The one area that we felt could have been improved is with regards to Jenna. Although Nic and Jenna are supposed to both be the protagonists, we don’t really get to know a lot about Jenna and that may have been a lost opportunity.
Memorable Quotes
- “Over time, my grief has morphed to anger. Now it lives just beneath my skin. Prick it and I bleed.”– Nic
- “But more than that, I learned years ago that numbness is better than pain. I’ve been not talking for so long, I’m not sure I’d even know how to start.”– Nic
- “What I’m saying is, there’s nothing you could ever do that would make me stop loving you. You’re my sister.”– Kasey
- “When all you have left of someone are the objects that made up their life, those things become precious.”– Nic
- “We are not two, we are one.” – It’s a line on a song and is written on Kasey’s bumper sticker on her car.
Final Thoughts on The Missing Half
Ashley Flowers gives us a mystery that hooks you with the unresolved disappearances of the two women Nic’s voice carries the narrative with her pain and guilt. While the plot moves quickly and the twist at the end works very well, what really holds the story together is Nic and Jenna’s grief and the sisterly bond that fuels their search. That said, we do wish Jenna’s character had been developed a little bit more, since she shares the role of co-protagonist. Her presence feels a bit too muted in comparison to Nic’s.
The book is well written and touches on loss, addiction, and the lengths one will go to uncover the truth. It’s not perfect, but it is definitely worth the read. This novel became a New York Times bestseller shortly after its release.
Book Rating
Characters ★★★⯪☆ (3.5/5)
Plot ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Writing ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Book Cover ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)
Audiobook (Narration only) ★★★★⯪ (4.5/5)
Overall ★★★★☆ (4/5)
