“OLIVIA.
22 years old.
Last seen on CCTV, entering a dead-end alley.
And not coming back out again.
Missing for one day and counting . . .

Julia is the detective heading up the case. She knows what to expect. A desperate family, a ticking clock, and long hours away from her husband and daughter. But Julia has no idea how close to home it’s going to get.

Because there’s a man out there. And his weapon isn’t a gun, or a knife: it’s a secret. Her worst one.

He tells her that her family’s safety depends on one thing: Julia must NOT find out what happened to Olivia – and must frame somebody else for her murder . . .

What would you do?”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister. Just Another Missing Person was published by Penguin Michael Joseph on 3rd August 2023 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow next year. I chose to read and review a free ARC of Just Another Missing Person but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to Ellie at Penguin Michael Joseph for sending me a proof copy.

DCI Julia Day is bloody good at her job. Much to the detriment of her marriage and family life. When a missing persons case lands on her desk Julia knows it’s a race against time to find the young woman, 22-year-old Olivia, before it’s too late. Olivia was last seen going into a dead-end alley in Portishead and hasn’t been seen since. But this case is very different to every other missing persons case Julia has investigated in the past, including the still unsolved disappearance of Sadie – another young woman from the Portishead area the previous year. Because Julia has a secret which could be the undoing of both her and her family. A secret that is being used against her to sway the evidence in a certain way. Will Julia frame an apparently innocent man for murder or will she risk everything she holds dear for justice….?

Unbelievably this is only the second book by Gillian McAllister that I’ve read. The first was Anything You Do Say back in 2017 which I thoroughly enjoyed. I can’t quite understand why it’s taken me so long to return to this author as I know her books are incredibly popular with mystery and suspense fans. Fear not dear reader, I have downloaded the authors back catalogue and will be making my way through them at the earliest opportunity. If Just Another Missing Person is anything to go by then I’m in for a treat!

Just Another Missing Person is a highly intriguing suspense thriller with a strong female lead which I devoured in a few short sittings. DCI Julia Day is a very likeable character whose dogged determination to discover what happened to Olivia (partly driven by her complete lack of success to solve a similar case the previous year) kept me turning the pages, keen to discover where the author was going to take the story next. When Julia is put in an impossible situation she has to make a decision which could change her life and her family’s lives forever. This is the second book I’ve read recently with a moral dilemma at its heart but McAllister’s Just Another Missing Person is, in my opinion, the superior of the two. And that’s all thanks to Julia and her approach to her terrible situation. She’s multi-layered and so well drawn that I couldn’t help but root for her. I became invested in her and her family.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. Just Another Missing Person is a well-written story with an interesting lead character and intriguing supporting characters. Those supporting characters being Lewis, a dedicated father who is desperate to bring his daughter home, and Emma, a single mother who is torn between wanting to protect her son and doing the right thing. Which brings us nicely to the overarching theme of the book which I felt was about being a parent and the lengths a parent will go to, to protect their child. McAllister approaches the story from these three viewpoints in such a clever and well thought out way that I was drawn into the character’s lives. I could see situations from the three different viewpoints which made the overall story feel well rounded and considered.  All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Just Another Missing Person and found it to be a complex, compelling read with great characterisation, just the right balance of shocks and surprises, and a whole lot of emotion. Perfect for readers who like their characters to be believable, who enjoy a twisty read or those who just enjoy really well written stories. Recommended.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of Just Another Missing Person. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister was published in the UK by Penguin Michael Joseph on 3rd August 2023 and is available in hardcover, audio and digital formats with the paperback to follow (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop | damppebbles amazon.co.uk shop | damppebbles amazon.com shop |

Gillian McAllister is the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of the following novels:

Everything But The Truth (2017)
Anything You Do Say (2018) called The Choice in America
No Further Questions (2018) called The Good Sister in America
The Evidence Against You (2019)
How To Disappear (2020)
That Night (2021)
Wrong Place Wrong Time (2022)

All are standalone and can be read in any order.

Her latest release is Wrong Place Wrong Time, available now and selected for the Radio 2 book club and was the Reese’s Book Club August ’22 pick. It debuted at number 4 on the Sunday Times Bestseller List and number 2 on the New York Times Bestseller List. She has been selected for the Richard & Judy Book Club, the Radio 2 Book Club and is published in over 25 languages.