MY WIFE IS MISSING by D. J. Palmer

 

MY THOUGHTS

I usually am blown away with D. J. Palmer's books but this one was just ok. It just didn't have that WOW that his books usually leave me with. 

This story is told from two povs. A husband and wife. Michael and Natalie. Also from different timelines which I usually love. It goes from before Natalie disappeared to the present. Also back to when Michael was young in parts. Michael is in my opinion a bit of a jerk. But does that make him a murderer? The wife suffers from horrible insomnia. Does that make her a murderer? 

This book takes you on somewhat of a chase when Michael returns with pizza for his family and they have disappeared. What happened to his wife and children? Were they taken or did his wife, Natalie, take the children and leave him. He has no idea where they are or why she would leave. He is worried about them all. He loves his family with above everything else. He would do anything for them. He's worried because of Natalie's intense insomnia. It could be dangerous for her to be out there alone with them. Lack of sleep can cause delusions. Make a person do things they would never dream of doing. What has she done and why?

Natalie is terrified of Michael. She needs to protect her children no matter what. She knows what he did and who he really is. She knows what he has done in the past and the present. Or so she thinks. Could it be her delusional mind seeing things wrong? She even thinks about that but is not willing to take the chance. After all he has lied to her so many times. Or has he? 

This book could have been so much better. It starts out so strong. Really pulls you in and makes you want to know what happened to Michael's family. Were they kidnapped and if so why. Did she run and if so why. Michael eventually calls the cops and reports his family missing. The main cop takes this case personal it seems. He really seems to want to find out exactly what happened. Who is he and why does he care that much?

I found this to be a bit unbelievable though. I mean what are the odds that a cop from twenty-five years ago gets wind of this case and wants to help Michael find his family. He makes it his top priority and travels to Michael's home. Of course without him there may not even be a story. Then there is the murder from Michael's past. That and the fact that the two victims are tied together.. possibly. Is Michael capable of murder? Or is it Natalie in her delusional state that did this? Or maybe someone else all together. 

I did figure out who did it. There were little signs that gave it away for me. It didn't take away from the story though and there were things that I had no idea about. As from the affair did it actually happen? Who knows. Well if you read this you will know, right? lol I do believe that this book was a bit to long for what it was. The story focuses a bit to much on some things and not enough on others. I loved the timelines and the back story that was there. The very last was perfect also. I was very happy that that part was addressed. But it seemed to lag in places also. From the great pull you in start to the much needed and great ending with things tied up quite nicely. But the between parts just dragged in places for me. To much of the same thing being said over and over. 

3/5 stars and I do recommend you read it for yourself. It's good, just not his best by far.

SYNOPSIS

When a woman disappears with her two children, one husband will do anything to find them--even confront the secrets of his own past--in D. J. Palmer's My Wife Is Missing, a twisty thriller from the author of The New Husband.

A family vacation turns into a nightmare for Michael Hart when he discovers his wife and two children have disappeared from their New York City hotel room. Horrified, he fears they’ve been kidnapped. Michael’s frantic search to find them takes a shocking turn when he discovers that his wife, Natalie, appears to have left quite willingly, taking their children with her. The police want to know why, and so does Michael. But there may be a reason why Natalie ran, something Michael can’t tell the police—the truth about his past.

While untangling his deceptions might be the key to locating Natalie, Michael knows it could also be his undoing. To find his wife, he must now turn to the one person capable of exposing all that he’s been hiding. Natalie thinks she has Michael all figured out and has hatched a plan to escape from him permanently. One detail, though, threatens to derail her efforts: sleep—or more accurately, the lack of it. Since the moment the shocking revelations about her husband came to light, Natalie’s insomnia has worsened to the point that she now suffers from delusions.

Are her fears about Michael valid—or a symptom of her condition? With her children’s lives at risk, the stakes for Natalie could not be higher. On her own, running low on energy and resources, avoiding increasingly close calls with Michael—who is on the hunt and closing in fast—Natalie needs someone to turn to for help. But who can she trust when she can’t even trust herself?