Review: My Wife Is Missing

My Wife Is Missing by D.J. Palmer
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I was provided a print and audio arc of this book via Netgalley.  The audio narration was good, the narrator did a good job with the alternating perspectives and gave the different characters their own voices and personalities so you knew who was speaking when there was dialogue.  I did think that the alternating timeline felt a bit disjointed, but if you have read any of my reviews before you know that I am not a fan of timeline jumping.  This alternates between Michael and Natalie in the present, and jumps to Natalie in the past before she goes missing.  It almost feels like there are 3 points of view instead of 2.

I've been a DJ Palmer fan for quite some time, and I was really looking forward to this book.  I think I'm in the minority when I say this isn't my favorite of Palmer's works.  It was a decent read, but I found it a little slow paced and repetitive for my taste.  I never got that suspenseful feeling as if any single one of the characters was in peril of any sort.  If anything Natalie was a danger to herself and the kids. 

This follows Michael and his wife Natalie, a couple who are having issues stemming from Nat's insomnia.  Anyone who has suffered from insomnia knows that it is miserable.   It is so much more than "I didn't sleep well last night"  Because of her insomnia and other life stress from work and the kids, Natalie and Michael have hit a rough patch in their marriage.  Nat begins to suspect Michael of being unfaithful which only puts more distance between them.  Determined to find proof of his affair to protect herself and her kids, Natalie begins her own investigation into her husband and finds more than she bargained for.  She hatches a plan to run away and protect her kids while on vacation in NYC, but Michael loves his family and he wants to make sure they are safe.  Natalie's insomnia itself almost becomes a suspect in this as she begins to hallucinate and is almost delusional at times.  Michael is no angel either as he harbors secrets, making him a convenient suspect and easy target.  All of the characters were unlikable, and they were all up to something.  You could tell they all hiding something.

While I found some of this book to be formulaic and predictable, I certainly didn't see the final reveal coming.  That was a nice twist.  I love it when I don't see the ending coming!  There were a few red herrings to mislead you and quite a few twists and turns along the way to keep you on your toes.  While I didn't enjoy this one as much as I have enjoyed some of Palmer's other works, I would still recommend it.   If you like car chases, and domestic thrillers in general I say check this out.  

View all my reviews