Ashley Flowers was already a household name when ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE was published in 2022. As the #1 female podcaster in the country, Flowers hosts “Crime Junkie,” making her foray into suspense fiction not only a natural one, but a booming success when her debut became an instant bestseller. Now, with the release of THE MISSING HALF (which she co-authored with Alex Kiester), Flowers proves that she is not letting go of the literary world anytime soon…and the genre is all the better for it.

In the seven years since her sister’s disappearance, Nicole “Nic” Monroe has watched her life plummet and plateau, most recently taking a huge plunge when she was arrested for a DWI and forced to attend court-mandated AA meetings and community service sessions. She already works a dead-end job at Funland, a children’s entertainment and game center owned by her father’s best friend, and doesn’t really have any friends or close relationships to speak of. But this wasn’t always the case.

"Two pairs of sisters, two disappearances, and two survivors left to make sense of it all: the combination is riveting from a thriller standpoint, but also surprisingly emotionally resonant..."

As a child, Nic idolized and adored her older sister, Kasey, who effectively raised her due to their father’s long hours and mother’s alcoholism. Then, one August night, just after her freshman year of college, her sister took their shared car on a long drive north to Michigan. The next day, the vehicle was found abandoned. The driver's door was open, with all of Kasey’s effects on the passenger seat, and she was never seen again. Seven years is too long for Nic to hope that her sister is alive. And with no leads other than a loose profile of “a man on the periphery of Kasey’s life,” she’s pretty sure that she’ll never have answers or a conclusion to her grief. Until Jenna shows up in her life.

You see, another girl went missing just two weeks before Kasey under the same circumstances: Jules Connor, the first half of the “Missing Mishawaka Girls.” Because their disappearances followed such similar modes, the media was quick to brand and commodify them. Nic was forced to endure countless absurd headlines, nosy podcasters (a fun nod for Flowers!), and ridiculous psychics and sentimentalists. The police were never able to find a solid connection between the girls, and all leads eventually fizzled out. But Jenna, Jules’ older sister, has tracked down Nic and tells her that she feels certain they can find something that the police might have overlooked.

As any girl with a Facebook account and a potential suitor’s last name will tell you, women can find anything. Nic and Jenna soon begin to track down witnesses, like Kasey’s former best friend, Lauren. Lauren reveals that the events of that summer didn’t take place quite the way that Kasey had once reported them to her sister. Seven years isn’t a small stretch, and grief certainly can do things to the brain, but Nic is positive that the truth is much more unsettling: her sister --- her best friend, her protector, her everything --- was lying to her.

Further investigations lead the girls to a suspect: Steve “Skeevy Steve” McLean, a lecherous server who worked with Jules and next door to Kasey. The connection, the profile, and even Steve’s criminal record all point to an obvious conclusion, but something about this lead feels too good to be true. By now, Nic and Jenna have bonded and become friends, sharing their own private griefs and fears.

When Jenna abruptly drops the case and tells Nic she is done searching, Nic knows that --- much like her own sister --- Jenna, a big sister herself, has found something and is trying to protect Nic from it. But, galvanized with fresh energy brought on by their findings, Nic is done taking a backseat and letting her sister’s disappearance go unsolved. There’s just one question: What will she do when she finds out the truth?

If you were one of the thousands of readers who gobbled up ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE, you know that Ashley Flowers knows crime fiction. Her years of reporting true crime cases have provided her with plenty of ripped-from-the-headlines premises, but they also have helped her identify what makes a mystery compelling and how villains can go undetected for so long. Flowers put these skills to the test in her debut, but in THE MISSING HALF, she has honed them to razor-sharp precision, tightened her prose and --- above all --- written something fresh and original.

Two pairs of sisters, two disappearances, and two survivors left to make sense of it all: the combination is riveting from a thriller standpoint, but also surprisingly emotionally resonant, especially when it comes to Nic’s journey from weak-willed little sister to formidable investigator and friend. Flowers doesn’t just write suspense well; she also demonstrates in her sophomore release how equally adept she is at penning more emotional scenes. Nic’s grief, which is so open-ended and raw, comes to screaming, visceral life.

Add to that short, fast-paced chapters that end in jaw-dropping cliffhangers, a final sentence that knocked me out of the park (don’t read ahead, no matter how tempting!), and Flowers’ deliciously fresh premise, and you have the makings of a true must-read. Put this in your beach bag, carry it on the plane…whatever you do, just don’t miss it.