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All the Missing Girls: A Novel
Written by Megan Miranda
Narrated by Rebekkah Ross
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Start ListeningDescription
Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda's novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women-a decade apart-told in reverse.
It's been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne's case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne's boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic's younger neighbor and the group's alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic's return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards-Day 15 to Day 1-from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor's disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.
Like nothing you've ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you're walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.
It's been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne's case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne's boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic's younger neighbor and the group's alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic's return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards-Day 15 to Day 1-from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor's disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.
Like nothing you've ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you're walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.
Book Actions
Start ListeningBook Information
All the Missing Girls: A Novel
Written by Megan Miranda
Narrated by Rebekkah Ross
Description
Like the spellbinding psychological suspense in The Girl on the Train and Luckiest Girl Alive, Megan Miranda's novel is a nail-biting, breathtaking story about the disappearances of two young women-a decade apart-told in reverse.
It's been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne's case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne's boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic's younger neighbor and the group's alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic's return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards-Day 15 to Day 1-from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor's disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.
Like nothing you've ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you're walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.
It's been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne's case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne's boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic's younger neighbor and the group's alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic's return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards-Day 15 to Day 1-from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor's disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.
Like nothing you've ever read before, All the Missing Girls delivers in all the right ways. With twists and turns that lead down dark alleys and dead ends, you may think you're walking a familiar path, but then Megan Miranda turns it all upside down and inside out and leaves us wondering just how far we would be willing to go to protect those we love.
About the author
Reviews
Nicolette (Nic) returns home to Cooley Ridge, North Carolina to help her brother Daniel, clean out, repair and sell the family home. Their father is suffering dementia and now in a nursing home and they need to sell the house in order to continue to pay for him to stay in the nursing home. Nic sublets her apartment in Philadephia, kisses her fiance good-bye and heads home. She left town 10 years earlier, when her best friend Corrine disappeared without a trace. There were many suspicions and many lies surrounding that disappearance. Shortly after Nic returns, another girl, Annaleise Carter goes missing, swallowed up by the woods without a trace. As the police start investigating the disappearance of Annaleise, Nic is sure that this is related to the disappearance of Corrine 10 years earlier. She reveals details leading up to the event where personalities are laid bare and long held secrets finally divulged.
Nic is the narrator of this story. It is written in reverse chronological order from day 15 down to day 1 you really need to be paying attention with this twisty, breath-holding mystery which will have you second guessing all the way through. It took me awhile to get accustomed to this as I kept thinking, "but this already happened". Nic is the typical unreliable narator. She only shares parts of the story. We always wonder what she is keeping secret.
This was a story where twists and turns kept you on the edge of your seat. You thought you had it figured out, then another plot twist. It kept me guessing right to the end. All the Missing Girls is a compelling story written around the eerie backdrop of the woods of Cooley Ridge in the shadow of the Smokey Mountains. A great read for lovers of suspense and mystery. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
Rating: 4Nic is the narrator of this story. It is written in reverse chronological order from day 15 down to day 1 you really need to be paying attention with this twisty, breath-holding mystery which will have you second guessing all the way through. It took me awhile to get accustomed to this as I kept thinking, "but this already happened". Nic is the typical unreliable narator. She only shares parts of the story. We always wonder what she is keeping secret.
This was a story where twists and turns kept you on the edge of your seat. You thought you had it figured out, then another plot twist. It kept me guessing right to the end. All the Missing Girls is a compelling story written around the eerie backdrop of the woods of Cooley Ridge in the shadow of the Smokey Mountains. A great read for lovers of suspense and mystery. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
Megan Miranda has crafted a mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat, and I loved it. Until the end, but that has more to do with how I wanted the story to go, not where it went.This is a story told backward, day by day, and jumps around. I want this book to become a movie. In some ways, I think it would be easier to see where it is going if that occurred. But I loved it, and want to read more books by her. Missing girls ten years apart, a fair, and the woods. Honestly, I will refuse to say any more about the plot than that. The writing is flowing and reveals only what the author wants you to think, perfectly crafted to her will.If you enjoy mystery, this is the book for you. If you enjoy beautifully crafted stories, this is for you. If you enjoy happy endings… maybe pause before choosing this book.
Rating: 4This mystery novel has the same premise as a whole lot of books - troubled girl, Nic Farrell, returns home to a family emergency and a myriad of family and small town secrets. Mysterious doings afoot - the unsolved 10 year old disappearance of her closest friend, Corinne, and the brand new disappearance of a neighbor girl, Annaliesa. It has an unusual format, however, going backwards to get to the story and the meaning of it all. This makes for a slow beginning - and middle - and both the chronology and the intertwined relationships of all the main characters are hard to follow. But persevere to the end, and you get a knockout of a story - lots of twists and reveals. So I was going to give it a rating of three stars (adequate by my standards) but when I had to keep reading through the night, riveted at the ending - that rating jumped to four stars, because it has a five star ending.
Rating: 4The book was enjoyable, but only because of the way it was told - backwards. It seems a little odd to read a book backwards but it worked. However, I don't know how the story would go if it was told from forward to backwards.
The reader is not given all the information until the end of the book, which is actually the beginning of the story (I know this might not make sense but I'm not giving any spoilers). It's interesting to look back at how the actions at the beginning of the book (the end) are affected by the knowledge that the reader gets at the end of the book. I liked it because it wasn't too twisty. The author didn't try to make anything more dramatic than necessary, which I did appreciate.
Rating: 3The reader is not given all the information until the end of the book, which is actually the beginning of the story (I know this might not make sense but I'm not giving any spoilers). It's interesting to look back at how the actions at the beginning of the book (the end) are affected by the knowledge that the reader gets at the end of the book. I liked it because it wasn't too twisty. The author didn't try to make anything more dramatic than necessary, which I did appreciate.
I loved the way it was written
Rating: 4What a unique way to weave together the events that happened in this small town. The story being told backwards added to the unfolding of events in a unique way that kept me needing to read on.
Rating: 5I struggled with the reverse order of this book. Once I settled in and concentrated on this format, the story was as compelling a psychological thriller as I’ve read.
Rating: 4Excellent twists and turns!
Rating: 4Thank you Net Galley!
This is a great story told with an interesting perspective (backwards). This book had me holding my breath in several places. Thank you Ms. Miranda!
Rating: 4This is a great story told with an interesting perspective (backwards). This book had me holding my breath in several places. Thank you Ms. Miranda!
This books starts off slow and builds. It begins with Nicolette Ferrell being called back home by her brother Daniel to the mountains of North Carolina from Philadelphia where she works as a guidance counselor and is engaged to a successful lawyer named Everette. Her dad is in a home now due to his dementia and he owes so much money that the only recourse is to sell the house if they are to afford to keep him in the home.When she gets home one of the first people she runs into is Tyler her high school boyfriend who is going out with Annaleise Carter. When she goes missing it brings up the memories of the last girl who went missing ten years ago, Corrine Prescott, Nic's best friend, and a complex girl who brings out the best and worst in people. You loved her and hated her at the same time. There was a big investigation with a state investigator coming down to pick apart the town. Everyone believed that her boyfriend Jackson did it because she was pregnant and the two had just fought and broke up. She had left a message on his phone to meet him. He swears that they didn't, but did they? Annaleise was her, her brother Daniel, and Tyler's alibi for that night. She witnessed Daniel hitting Nic and Tyler hitting Daniel. But there was still suspicion hanging over Daniel and Tyler as well.Annaleise was an artist who drew drawings of sad girls, including several of Corrine. Jackson would tell Nic that Annaleise acted like Corrine and hit on him and Daniel just like Corrine did. She also left a message on a policeman's phone the night before she disappeared that said she had information on the Corrine Prescott case. But she's not the only one with information about the case. Nic's father keeps saying that he sees that girl and that Nic isn't safe and he tells her about his papers in the house hidden somewhere.Everyone is at the breaking point. The tension in the book is palpable. Interestingly the book is told backward. It starts with her going down there then it picks up two weeks later and then goes backward one day at a time until it gets to day one then it goes forward by two weeks. It's an odd way to write a book, but at the same time, Miranda reveals what she wants to reveal on which particular day. You would think that you learn more at the beginning because its the end of the week, but of course, all of the pieces you need to fit the puzzle together happen much earlier. It takes some getting used to read it this way, but I found it refreshing. Each character is complex and not easy to pin down. This was a really fast-paced read that holds the reader in its grip and never lets you go. I very much recommend this book.
Rating: 5I'd been hearing mixed reviews about this book. However, I wanted to give it a try. I was definitely not disappointed. This was a slower read that built up the anticipation a little at a time. I liked how the time went back day by day.
Rating: 4I listened to this book and maybe that contributed to the confusion I had about the plot. Most reviews on line seem to give the book a rave but a few felt as I did. The confusion for me came from the fact that the plot is in reverse chronological order which made it difficult to keep track of who knew what when. It might work better if one is reading it but for the listener I think it is too convoluted.Nicolette Farrell grew up in a small remote community in North Carolina. The summer she turned 18 her best friend, Corinne, disappeared and was never found. Ten years later Nicolette (Nic) comes back to her home to help deal with her father who is sliding into dementia. Another teenage girl disappears and the trauma starts again. Nic thought she had put her history behind her as she has a good job in Philadelphia and is engaged to a rich and intelligent lawyer there. She finds that she can't just put her past life into a box now that history is repeating itself.
Rating: 3Nicolette escaped the small town she lived in 10 years ago after the tragedy of her best friend's disappearance, leaving it behind. She has moved on; has a job as a counsellor in a school and is engaged to shortly marry a prominent lawyer. She finds herself coming back home after her father has been put into a home and suffers from dementia. She needs to get guardianship of him, plans to box everything up, sell the house so her father can be taken care of in the nursing home and leave the town in its dust, getting back to her good life miles away. But can you ever escape your past? There's the ghost of Corinne everywhere she looks, there's unsettled business between her ex boyfriend Tyler, she can escape the town, but she can't escape the hold they have on each other. The friends she used to know seem bitter and unapproachable. She's barely back in town when there's a disappearance of another young girl, this one who was the alibi of Nic and her friends, all those years ago when Corinne went missing. I have to admit, I was quite skeptical with the whole premise of reading the book as it was written. After a little bit of introduction into the story, the "backwards" story took place going from day 15 back to day 1. I expected it to to be really confusing and even when I was into the first few days, I wasn't yet convinced, but I came to think it was brilliant. In this case, reading it the other way would ruin the whole suspense of the story. I tried to hold on to certain things, it was a little tricky trying to remember things that hadn't yet happened or happened later but I loved the way this was written. Nothing was given away; there was no hint as to what happened days before and I loved how things became clearer as we went back. I was totally in the dark l, but little by little the story unravelled, and it was nothing that I imagined. I had to keep reading, I needed to know the whole story, very suspenseful. It did leave me with an unanswered question or two though. Interesting characters, very different. I'm not sure how easy it would be for some of them to move on, knowing what they know of the people they are close to. I am glad how it turned out with Everett, he was a bit of a pompous controlling ass. Four and a half stars for me!! I can't wait to read this author's next one.
Rating: 5Great thriller (read it on the beach!). This kept me turning the pages and, since it is written in reverse, even got me to re-read sections in the right order to pick up on what I missed the first time. The female protagonist is interesting . . .she gets a little whiny in parts, but has an interesting history that is worth learning about.
Rating: 4Really enjoyed this book. Told from the main character jumping from the past to the present and in-between. Suspenseful page turner.
Rating: 5I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion of the book or my review itself.This is a book told backwards. Readers are given a hint of the ending to come, and then thrust two weeks back in time, day by day. Day 1 is the last day readers are allowed access to, and by the time we find ourselves all the way back to this start, it is to find ourselves gripped and guessing and completely surprised by the shocking revelations to come.This is a book told backwards for multiple purposes. This is not a device simply to be different, to sell books by being creative. Miranda creates so much tension, so much suspense, and her characters' revelations (even regarding why the book is structured the way it is) are brilliantly orchestrated shocks to the system.This is a mystery about missing girls, years apart, but seemingly still connected. It is a story about love, about running away from the past, about families who are tied to their past but just can't seem to stay connected to each other. This is a book about loss, and the inability to move on.This is a brilliant book, a gripping mystery, and a story that will stay with you long after you reach the beginning of the end.
Rating: 4ALL THE MISSING GIRLS shakes up the suspense genre with a unique way of telling the story: backward. At first, I wasn't sure how this set up would work considering it's a mystery, but in the end I have to say that it worked very well and added to my enjoyment of the book. I listened to this on audio, narrated by the talented Rebekkah Ross. It begins with Nic (Nicolette) returning to her childhood home of Cooley Ridge because of her ailing father. Nic left Cooley Ridge ten years earlier, just after her best friend Corinne disappeared. Then suddenly, a decade later, another young woman goes missing - Annaleise, the girlfriend of Nic's high school boyfriend, Tyler. Could the two cases be related? Nic is frantic to find out the truth. The story is then told from Day 15 (after Nic's arrival in Cooley Ridge) to Day 1. The details of the women's disappearances are slowly revealed, as well as the major players in the mystery. Going backward, you're never quite sure what's already happened, what the characters already know, and who's reliable or not. It was a genius way to add to the suspense. Sure, it's more of a challenge to read a book this way, but well worth it. It all wrapped up with a completely surprising ending. 4.5 stars!Disclosure: I received a copy of this audiobook from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5Have no expectations of this story. Read it just for the uniqueness of telling the story in reverse
Rating: 4Easy, suspenceful read with good plot and fun who dun it
Rating: 4I found this book a bit hard to read. The format it is told in is quite confusing. The story is told backwards from Day 15 to Day 1. Not a fan. I enjoyed the storyline, but it certainly wasn't anything new.
Rating: 2The story would be rather pedestrian if the narrative were told in chronological order rather than backward, Memento-style. There's a lot the point-of-view character knows, but the author doesn't reveal. This is rather annoying because we're supposed to be in that character's head. Does she just not think about all the obvious stuff she knows? No. The only reason the information isn't revealed is it would ruin the reader's experience. I found it very annoying.
Rating: 3I'm waffling between 3/4 stars. This is a read with lots of twists and turns. It's also told completely in reverse order of events. The reverse order, I felt, was a bit confusing. But, that may have been because I was only able to read for small tidbits of time at each sitting. I also think I lost a lot of the suspense building because of my short bursts of reading. When I look back on it, the plot is really solid and the reverse order was actually pretty genius (and I am certain very hard to execute). I suspect my reading execution diminished my ability to get completely caught up in the story. So, if you have a day or two to be able to blow through this I would highly recommend it.
Rating: 3I decided to finally take this off my TBR and reads it after receiving an advanced copy of her next book. I have to say I was a little skeptical about the reverse chronology of the chapters, but I was pleasantly surprised by how well it was done. Not that the author wasn't brilliant with the story as she definitely was. This was a thrilling peice of literature and I couldn't stop reading it. Basically it's about a woman who returns home to help her brother fix up and sell thier childhood home now that their father is hospitalized for Alzheimer's. At the same time she is looking into the disappearance of a girl who had a connection to the disappearance of her childhood friend.
Rating: 5This is a psychological suspense and murder mystery/thriller that held my attention throughout. It was an unusual format because after a normal beginning, it then switched to reverse mode, starting with Day 15 to Day 1 which is where the normal beginning left off. While this worked fairly well for me, there were times when i had to backtrack because I felt I must have missed something.I found the plot interesting and there were plenty of twists and turns. The setting is a small town in North Carolina and the protagonist, Nicolette, returns there to help with her ailing father. Her friend had gone missing 10 years before and while Nicolette is there, another young woman goes missing.Ms. Miranda has written several Young Adult books before this debut thriller so this is her first adult book. Her characters are well-developed and the format is original.
Rating: 4This was the story of Nicolette - a young woman from a small town just trying to forget about her past. Until she gets a call from her brother - their father has been suffering from Alzheimers and has been in a nursing home for a while, but now they need to sell his house in order to continue paying for his treatment.We quickly learn about Corinne, her childhood friend who mysteriously disappeared when they were teenagers. Everyone was a suspect - Nic, Nic's brother, Nic's boyfriend, Nic's father, and everyone else in town. Her disappearance was never explained and the turmoil Corinne's disappearance caused was a major factor in Nic's "running away" from town. When Nic returns, she bumps into Tyler, her old high school boyfriend, who has a new girlfriend, Annaleise. Shortly after Nic returns to town, Annaleise disappears.This was a mystery told in a unique format - backwards. We unravel the mysteries starting 14 days after Annaleise's disappearance, and the audience is slowly brought into what the characters have already uncovered.I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed it - it's not for everyone, given its unique and sometimes confusing structure, but it worked for me. Just be careful to not take long breaks from the book, because it might difficult to remember where you are in the story!
Rating: 4All The Missing Girls is the author- Megan Miranda's first book geared towards adults after having written YA books, and it is a excellent, book. It takes place in a small town where a girl disappeared 10 years ago, and when the main character Nic, returns to take over her fathers affairs, another girl goes missing. Small towns are full of secrets, rumors, innuendo, and lies, and this book details them beautifully.Why is this book not a 5 star book? Because for some inexplicable reason the author chose to tells the majority of the story backwards. After having Nic go back to where she grew up in the beginning of the book. Her next two weeks there are detailed backwards! So the reader starts on the last day of the 2 weeks and travels back to the day Nic arrived. This causes - at least for this reader continuity issues, not to mention to much of what happens is told in narrative rather than as it happens. There is no reason for telling the story this way, and as good as the author is she is not up to the task of this form of creative writing.
Rating: 4Hmm.. 3.5 stars? I think that's fair.
The ending is what I thought was going to happen, but also not at the same time.
What I didn't like the most was the story told in reserve order. It made everything drag on and, IMO, made the secrets easier to figure out.
Rating: 3The ending is what I thought was going to happen, but also not at the same time.
What I didn't like the most was the story told in reserve order. It made everything drag on and, IMO, made the secrets easier to figure out.
When I found out that this story was told backwards, I was immediately interested! There have been books with flashbacks, books with the end told at the beginning, and so on, but this book is literally told backwards. I LOVED that about the storytelling! Miranda's writing is good, as well. Characters were believable and well-fleshed out. The protagonist's relationship with her father and her brother felt extremely real, and her other various relationships were well-suited to the story. The action built a sense of dread, as well as enticed me to read faster and faster to find out what had happened "the day before", as the chapters are titled. As promised in another review, I wanted to reread the book from the beginning as soon as it was finished. You know, knowing what I know now... The only thing I would change here is the title of the book. While I am loathe to voice a problem without a possible suggestion to change, I cannot think of another title that would reflect the jewel that this book is. "All the Missing Girls" is milquetoast compared to the pages between the covers. Something that would grab your eyes from the bookstore shelf. Something that would make your breath stop until you picked it up to read the back summary. I have thought and thought, with nothing coming to mind. Regardless, pick this one up, suggest it for your book club, and pass it to your friends. It is worth every minute. Thank you to NetGalley for a prerelease of this book in exchange of my honest review.
Rating: 4I really enjoyed this book. The book tells the story in reverse, sometimes it got a little confusing. I didn't want to put the book down until I found out what really happened to the missing girls. Corinne was once Nic's best friend, until she went missing ten years ago. Soon after Nic returns home to help sort out her father's house, Annaleise goes missing. Nic is convinced the two are related. The book kept me guessing until the very end.
Rating: 4Nicolette (Nic) travels back to her hometown in the mountains of NC to help her brother prepare their father’s home to be sold. Soon after she arrives, a woman goes missing. The missing woman stirs up lots of old feelings and memories from the time when her best friend Corinne went missing ten years ago. So it begins and we have two mysteries of missing women to follow. Are their disappearances related? What really happened when Corinne went missing all those years ago?All the Missing Girls was definitely a page turner. The more I read, the more I just had to know what happened to the missing girls! After we find out another woman is missing, the book goes back two weeks before and goes back each day until the current day. At first, I didn’t like this technique, but in the end it was necessary in order to reveal the mystery. This is the first book in a long time that I actually stayed up past my bedtime reading because I just had to find out what happened.“Missing girls had a way of working their way into someone’s head. You couldn’t help but see them in everyone-how temporary and fragile we might be. One moment here, and the next, nothing more than a photo staring from a storefront window.”“There is nothing more dangerous, nothing more powerful, nothing more necessary and essential for survival than the lies we tell ourselves.”
Rating: 4