A review by minimicropup
Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I enjoyed this!
 
Energy: Focused. Restless. Wary. 
Scene: 🇺🇸 Set at an Airbnb and hotels in Jersey City, NJ
Perspective: Our MC is tagging along with their partner who is travelling for work in NYC at a finance firm. 
 
🐕 Howls: Sometimes spinning wheels plotwise. 
🐩 Tail Wags: The pacing. The story and writing style. Bree. Immersive audiobook. 

🤔 Random Thoughts:
I predicted some of the twists but I was invested in Bree and what would happen to her so it never ruined the story for me. 
I love the choice to keep unreliable narrator tropes out of this. It made it much more suspenseful. 
The ending is open and abrupt (I liked it). There wasn’t much more to say, and the epilogue was almost acknowledging what would occur next, and giving us a taste.
 
🤓 Reader Role: Hanging out with our MC. She’s narrating what she’s doing and experiencing, telling us straight up what her motivations are and why. 
🗺️ World-Building: Cinematic and sensory. Can see the reactions and body language of characters. Not overly detailed but easy to imagine. Real locations given so you can follow along on Google Earth and explore! 
🔥 Fuel: Character evolution and escalating stakes. Who killed the woman in the Airbnb? Where is Bree’s partner? Did he do it or is he a victim too? Will the police believe Bree? 
📖 Cred: Realistic
 
Mood Reading Match-Up:
Train tracks. PATH announcements. Traffic. YouTube channels. Instagram stories. Phone haptics. Elevator dings. Manhattan skyline. Hotel lobby. 
  • Nuanced but un-convoluted social commentary around race, true crime toxicity, assumptions and bias
  • Mentally yelling at the main character’s decision making (but in a ‘fun’ way)
  • Slow and steady pacing, twists, and reveals
  • Audiobooks with subtle sound effects (phone, YouTube, Instagram sounds)
  • Character-driven stories with plot
  • True crime, but the MC is the main suspect
  • ‘What would you do in this situation?’ ponderings
  • Suspenseful whodunnit everyone-thinks-she-did-it
  • Touch of legal sleuthing suspense
  • Navigating microaggressions and distrust of police
 
Content Heads-Up: Racism (prejudice, systemic, bias, assumption). Police (incompetence, bias). Murder. Blood. Missing person. Loss of romantic partner. False accusation. Loss of parent (as child). Masking stage of COVID-19 (brief mentions; no lockdowns). Betrayal. Domestic abuse/controlling spouse (recall; off page). 
 
Rep: Black and White Americans. Cisgender. Heterosexual. 
 
📚 Format: Audible
 
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