A solid 3.5

I almost DNF'd this thing like 4 times. Took over 200 pages to even get remotely interesting. I don't think the POV from DC Clements OR any of the boys was even necessary, and reading this book reminded me of writing in school. You know, where you had a good story, but it only took up 2 pages, but the requirement for the assignment was 8? So you expand every paragraph with too many details and backstories that don't lend anything to the plot.

Bottom line: page 1 - 200ish? One star. Page 200ish to the end? 3.5 stars.

Won't be reading more Adele Parks, she just isn't it for me.

Since I didn't find either husband sympathetic, I couldn't hate the wife. Of course I liked DCI Clements, but was surprised to have like the two sons! Most kids in books are either snively stupid or annoyingly precocious, but Seb and Oli felt honest.

3.5 Stars rounded up. I didn't realize this was book two of a series- so my rating is on a stand-alone.

I'm glad to have had a satisfying ending to a somewhat predictable yet thrilling story.

Received an ARC via NetGalley.

Full disclosure, I didn’t realize this was a sequel until I was like 15% into the story. Which might explain why it took me a while to connect to the characters. It felt like an odd beginning but eventually I could see why. Despite that, I think it was pretty easy to follow along. I didn’t feel like I was playing catch up.

My biggest gripe though was overuse of the words bigamy and bigamist. I get that she was duplicitous and leading two lives. But I think I could have done with less beating it over the head.

But anyway, once the story got underway, and I had a feel for all the different narrators, I got more into it. I guessed all the twists but I wanted to see if I was right. And I found myself being invested in the characters, especially the boys.

I also liked that the killer is pretty sloppy. At the end, all the questions they ask themselves and the doubt in their plan and realizing they’re not going to get away with it and what they sunk themselves into.. it felt very authentic. I liked the lack of cunning. Not only bc obviously I don’t want them to succeed but bc it’s believable and also it ramps up tension in an unexpected way.

Slow at first but then suspense picked up.

The sequel to Woman Last Seen. I was getting so mad!! I love that this book can be a stand alone, as well as the sequel. That kind of writing is definitely something to be recognized. Idk if I like it more than woman last seen. Or if they are on the same level for me. They are both so good. Adele Parks is a phenomenal author.

I enjoyed the plot to this book but felt it dragged on far too long.