The Missing

I hate leaving books unfinished, but this one will be deleted from my Kindle after I have finished only about 60% of it. The lead character/narrator is a severely psychologically damaged/abused female which leads to disturbing sub-plots. I have a strong aversion to any violence that is directed at animals and children, so I'm calling it done as there are some predictable events coming up ("missing cat", "missing 4 year old little girl"). I'm fairly certain I already know what is going on and that the "surprise" ending would be a vast disappointment after wading through this muck and mire. Cannot recommend this book at all.

I really, really fought to like this book. I made it 50% of the way through before I called it quits, and I really should have just stopped about 20% in. It was awful. It jumped all over the place and was extremely difficult to follow, and did not flow whatsoever. It just couldn't hold my attention.

The book did not follow any sense of logic. It is an easy read, but unbelievable. Found myself wanting to finish just to try to get to the good part. I always want to know if the author can at least end the book well. I was not impressed

The Missing turned out better than I anticipated,but it was a slog to get to the good. Most of the story was told as an inner monologue from the MC, a rambling, incoherent stream-of-consciousness. When you finally wade through the rambling, the confusion, and the obviously false trails, the crux of the story is fairly compelling and important: domestic abuse, mothers and daughters, and the lies we tell to protect one another, as well as ourselves. It's just not all that well told.

It's a true shame that The Missing is such a messily constructed story. Perhaps there's something, or a lot, lost in translation. A lot of readers will not have the patience to make it through the rough first half; I just happen to be an exceedingly stubborn reader as of late. The Missing isn't a thriller; just too confusing, too messy for me to recommend.

It had twists and turns galore, but I enjoyed it.

Great came to the island with Alex and Smila. When Alex and his daughter Smila went missing, Greta doesn't know what to do. Till the very end, I thought she's crazy, and that at some point it will show how she just imagined everything.
It turned out she was lost, confused, easy to play with. Some people are easily attracted to psychopaths. Some other people are masters in making others think they have no value. The good thing is that this rulership over someone's mind doesn't last long.
Believe me, the end is worth waiting for. It's good to know Greta is not a killer and psychopath.

I just finished reading this book and i was Super disappointed. The whole story line until the very end was boring and not really a mystery but just confusing and monotonous. I wasnt Sure where the story was going or if t was ever going to get there.

Had to quit. Feel so bad. I don't like first person but tried to plod through. There didn't seem to be anything to find out so I just lost interest. Had it been a more linear story line, or narrative, maybe I would have persisted as some reviewers said there is resolution. I take reviews so seriously and will try another of her stories to see if she fulfills the praise given her. This reminded me of my insomniac brain spinnings. Purchased as a Kindle first. I am a KDP author.

Loaded with suspense, twists and surprises

Beware Spoilers Below!!!
Greta is the wife of Alex and mother of Smilla. They are all on a much needed vacation. They take a short afternoon boat ride to a nearby island. Then Alex and Smilla disappear over a hill and never end up returning. Worried, Greta returns to the mainland to retrieve her cellphone in an attempt to try to call Alex. When her calls to Alex go unanswered, she ends up falling asleep due to exhaustion. When she finally makes it to the police station, the result is shocking, but exactly what Greta expected. What is it about Scandinavians that we find so fascinating? Their society is well-ordered and logical. After centuries of producing some of the most fearsome warriors in human history, they've denounced violence in favor of peace, equality, and fairness. But violence is hard to eradicate and there's plenty of it in this story. There's the careless emotional abuse of faithless spouses, the mindless brutality of angry teens. And, as always, violence begets violence as night follows day.

The Scandinavians have also proudly promoted gender equality, but equal education and professional opportunities don't erase the basic vulnerability of women to abuse. This book is partly an examination of why some woman are more vulnerable than others are. The narrator during most of the book, Greta, is a young woman whose family tragedies have left her uncertain and compliant. Desperate for the affection she feels was denied her, she's an easy target.

However, what about her "rival?” We never learn what in her life made her agree to become a physical and emotional prisoner. Could any woman be tricked into an abusive relationship? Is it just a matter of meeting the right sociopath?

The Missing is also a book about the mother/daughter relationship, which seems unbreakable no matter how rocky it looks or feels. Motherhood (especially of a daughter) makes a woman more vulnerable to abuse, but it also has the ability to give her the courage to do what she has to do to get out of an abusive relationship. One of the women in this book did just that and has no regrets. One is determined to free herself and the fate of the third remains in doubt.

This book grabbed my attention right away. All I know is that I started reading it and didn’t want to get distracted by anything. The first few chapters were a little confusing, but once I got into the story, I couldn't stop reading it.

This book seems to be unbelievable at first. It's important to remember that the author is trying to get inside the mind of an emotionally fragile individual. Greta bears the scars of childhood trauma and tries to deal with the person who now controls her life.