Alessandra Torre

I’m elated that Thriller Book Lovers scored early copies of A.R. Torre’s latest, “The Missing Ones!” Every book of hers sweeps me up from page one and refuses to let go. There was no chance I could have waited until April to dive in, so huge thanks to Thriller Book Lovers for making my month!

“The Missing Ones” by A.R. Torre is like Desperate Housewives crashing into Big Little Lies with a few extra skeletons rattling around the closet. I tore through this book the way I used to show more inhale gossip at the high school lunch tables.

Crestmore Estates is your classic picture‑perfect neighborhood (total DH vibe) where the hedges are perfectly manicured, the smiles are chilling, and every cul‑de‑sac hides something scandalous or dangerous. When bones surface on the golf course, three women tangled in suspicions, shaky marriages, and whispered scandals suddenly find themselves in the spotlight. And no one here is as innocent (or guilty) as they look.

Torre is one of those authors I’ll pick up without even glancing at the blurb. Just hand me the book and get out of my way. Her writing has this addictive mix of emotional punch and juicy intrigue that makes you forget to blink and sometimes breathe! The pacing starts like a slow pour of fine wine, then suddenly, bam! it hits you like a shot of tequila on an empty stomach.

If you like your thrillers twisty and your characters unpredictably messy, “The Missing Ones” belongs on your nightstand. No questions, this is a five-star read for me. Just a heads‑up: once you crack it open, Crestmore’s secrets won’t let you go.

Thanks to A.R. Torre, Thomas & Mercer, and The Pulse for this ARC via NetGalley. As always, my opinions are all my own.

#TheMissingOnes #ARTorre #CapCut #ThrillerBookLoversThePulse #ThomasandMercer #NetGalley show less

A good, fun read (possibly the most disturbing fun read you’ll have all summer), and kudos to A.R. Torre for accomplishing that in a format I normally despise—namely, first person present tense. (I won’t even read Grisham when he writes in first person present tense.) At its core is a fairly conventional thriller, made unconventional by the main character. The protagonist who is disturbed and knows they’re disturbed can be very interesting (see: Dexter), and The Girl in 6E’s Deanna show more Madden is so, vaguely reminiscent of (but not so polished as) Toni Andrews’ Mercy Hollings. Torre vividly draws the details of Deanna’s tiny world—and incidentally, the explicit tone of the novel is set very early on. If you’re offended/off-put/disturbed by the first half-dozen pages, set the book down and step away.

The story cycles briskly through multiple first-person points of view—the average chapter is only a few pages long—mainly Deanna and several other main characters. With a few exceptions, each short chapter is a scene from a particular point of view (though only Deanna does any real narration for the reader; the other points of view are conventional first-person). This rapid-fire shuttling back and forth is essential to the structure of the story; it also contributes, in one way or another, to most of the book’s minor drawbacks. For instance, by continually cutting away the format tends to mute the story’s plot twists, essentially telegraphing the coming surprises by inserting breaks ahead of them. There will be a few places where something starts to happen, the book proceeds to shift to someone else’s scene, and you’ll-know-the-bad-thing-that’s-going-to-happen-the-next-time-the-story-comes-back-to-that-character. These points are basically unavoidable, and don’t seriously detract from the novel. You might even enjoy figuring out what’s going to happen (or what did happen) before it’s revealed.

There was one rather annoying plot hole. (There is a fight scene where one of the characters gets cut—twice—something which seems to be instantly forgotten by everyone for the remainder of a rather lengthy scene, and is never mentioned again.) Otherwise, Deanna’s introspection is quite absorbing. If you take the trouble to dissect the book you might find that the other characters are rather thin, but the story isn’t really about any of them, so perhaps that’s to be expected. The lion’s share of care and attention is devoted to Deanna, and the results show for themselves. The book also doesn’t quite have a conventional happy ending, which is in keeping with its warped-under-the-surface tone. All in all, for a tidy little thriller/summer read, it does its job admirably.

P.S.: Note to publisher—someone using their initials isn’t an “open pseudonym”—it’s just someone using their initials. Really, now. show less

Cat Winthorpe has worked hard to get what she has: a gorgeous home; social standing; and William, her successful, handsome husband.

Then Cat's husband, William, hires Neena Ryder at his company. Neena and her husband move into the estate next door. While cautious, Cat like a good neighbor, greets them with open arms and warm hospitality.

Neena isn’t a fellow lady of leisure. A life coach with off-the-rack dresses, personal issues, and a husband who hasn’t delivered, she’s anxious to show more move up in the world. And has firmly set her target on William.

When Neena’s infatuation escalates into obsession, it’s just a matter of eliminating a few obstacles to get the life she wants. The life next door.

For both women, the desire for a perfect life can turn perfectly dangerous.

The book begins with Neena being interrogated by the police as a possible murder suspect. Right from there I was hooked onto the plot right till the end.

This entire plot felt like a game of chess. Both the women were equally cunning and shrewd. I felt that were perfectly pitted against each other. While one was loud in her actions, the other was more calculative and organized.

At the end it came down to one big mistake- Never underestimate your opponent!

I don’t think have ever enjoyed reading any other cat fight among two women as much as I did in this book. The main reason for that being, both of the women are so unlikable. However, I was actually pleasantly surprised at the show of compassion at the end, I think for me that was unexpected.

Overall, an excellent domestic thriller! show less

I don't know what I liked the most about this book. There was so much greatness, it's hard for me to decide what to tell you and what to let you find out on your own. I mean, it's a given... It's Alessandra Torre. No matter what she writes, there is that guarantee you are gong to get sucked right on in.

What I liked most in this book is the push and pull between Summer and Cole. Their love-hate relationship was extremely entertaining. One minute they are going back and forth, then the next show more minute they are softening up to one another, then back to the hate. The fire and ice with these two characters keeps the book moving at a great pace.

Something else I really liked is that their relationship, friendly or otherwise, didn't just transpire. Their relationship building is over months of interactions... not days or hours. It's realistic. All of their interactions are realistic. They don't just fall head over heels from the moment they lock eyes and are instantly in some sort of relationship. No, they fight their attraction. They build a somewhat friendship before anything.

This is such an entertaining and unique story. I will admit I was hesitant. I don't usually like the "Hollywood" themes in stories. They usually seem too superficial for me to really enjoy. This book isn't like that at all. It's refreshing and very easy to read. I didn't want to put it down. I fell asleep reading it late at night. However, my brain didn't register that I had fallen asleep. It picked up where I drifted off in the book and created its own story. Needless to say I was a little confused the next morning when I picked the book back up before I realized that I had dreamt some of the things I thought I remembered.

This is defintiely a book I am recommending you read. It was a different side of Alessandra for me. I have only read her Deanna Madden series before this, so I was pleasantly surprised in her talent to write such different tones in this one. I know she has written others, and they weren't as dark as what I have read of hers, but I have a feeling this one is in a class of its own. Definitely a book you should be purchasing and reading as you are finishing up reading this review. So, get to it. show less