The Missing Twins

Fati Rizvi Private Investigator Mystery Series #2

by H.S. Burney

A new edge-of-your-seat mystery with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very last page!


The Azad-Shah twins are missing. They disappeared after their nineteenth birthday party, a lavish affair at a fancy hotel. Also missing - the shiny new BMW gifted to the twins by their wealthy family. When Private Investigator, Fati Rizvi, is called to the scene, she’s convinced the twins must have run away. Trapped in a gilded cage, their life paths had been determined for them. Medical school for Nida, the family business for Nadir. Neither was happy.

But soon, clues start to emerge that foul play may have been involved. As Fati starts to unravel the secrets lurking within the powerhouse Azad-Shah family, she discovers their lives weren’t as perfect as they seemed. Infidelity, betrayal, jealousy, revenge - all roiled under the veneer of perfection.

The Azad-Shah twins were surrounded by unsavory characters with hidden agendas. But which one of these spirited them away? Or hurt them? Was it the strange man who drove the twins away from the hotel in his beat-up car that fateful night? Or the owner of the club where they briefly stopped for an unknown reason? Was it the twins’ sister, an emotionally stunted young woman competing with the pair for their mother’s affection? Or maybe their mother’s assistant, a shady character with a designer wardrobe incongruent with his annual salary?

Duplicitous characters keep emerging, tossing Fati from left to right, as she gets sucked in deeper and deeper into the conundrum. As Fati traces the path the twins took the night they disappeared, she encounters tension, roadblocks, and bald-faced lies. And then, a lifeless body is found. And the clock starts ticking faster. Will Fati find the twins in time to save their lives?

Book 2 in the Fati Rizvi Private Investigator mystery series, The Missing Twins’ tightly-won plot and complex characters will keep you turning the page well into the night!

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

359 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2023

About the author

HS Burney writes fast-moving, action-packed mysteries set against the backdrop of majestic mountains and crystalline ocean in West Coast Canada. She loves creating characters that keep you on your toes. A corporate executive by day and a novelist by night, HS Burney received her Bachelors’ in Creative Writing from Lafayette College. A proud Canadian immigrant, she takes her readers into worlds populated by diverse characters with unique cultural backgrounds. When not writing, she is out hiking, waiting for the next story idea to strike, and pull her into a new world.

Reviews

[Anik - MamaBearsBookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fun fast read. I really enjoyed the it was Canadian based and that coronavirus what mentioned like it totally normal now. I fine H.S Barney's book so interesting they have soo much twists and turns and just keeps you intrigued. I also love that the secret is kept ad that there's so many twists and turns that its not predictable. The end was awesome and not suspected. It was really a great read. I suggest this one to people that enjoy mystery and suspense. This book has it all.

Thank you so much to the author for sending me a copy of this book for my honest review.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fati Rizvi is a PI in Vancouver, B.C. and takes on a job with a high profile, wealthy family to look for their missing twins. The twins disappear after their 19th birthday party and their 'mother' (Sana) (who is actually their aunt by marriage) is worried. The family is very complicated with lots of different relations, a bit confusing at times. The twins have come from India and the boy has a hard time adjusting to Canada when he first arrives, the girl has become very popular and there are a lot of people connected to the case. Sana also has an older daughter that is intimately involved in the twins disappearance.
The police detective working the case, Slade is a friend of Fati's and they have worked together successfully on previous cases. She is glad for his help. She also gets her friend, Zed, who is a budding PI to help out. She finds the twins but then one of them goes missing again. People are not very forthcoming with information and their are many twists and turns in the story. Just when Fati thinks she has stuff figured out there is another hiccup. Along the way she finds a few other things that throw a wrench in the case. Sana's assistant is a bad guy but not necessarily involved in the disappearance. The pandemic is just starting to rear it's ugly head and things are starting to shut down. Fati doesn't seem that concerned about it since it is in the early stages but it does make an appearance in the story.
The author does a great job of describing the Vancouver area as the story covers multiple sections of the city. There are 3 different women who are all concerned about the missing girl, Sana, her real mother and another woman who was Sana's husband's first wife. They all treat the girl like she is a small child instead of an adult and they all want control. It was interesting to see the intense interest and concern in relation to her. The older daughter have some emotional issues and Sana is very protective of her also, almost smothering. Lots of intense emotions with all the characters.
Even after the twins are found Fati doesn't feel like things have been resolved as she still has questions about some of the events and works towards answering those. She is a very determined character and I like her. A good story, with good pace.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was interesting. I enjoyed the character of Fati the private investigator. She is really the only character in the book I liked. Maybe Slade, the police detective was OK also. The family of the missing twins is another story. Talk about dysfunctional! Erie, the older sibling was a poor soul. She had such mental health issues that were slipped under the rug and so she suffered. The story centers around the twins who are missing after their 19th birthday party. Fati was hired to find them. She gets down and dirty in her investigation and discovers quite a bit about the dysfunctional family. The author keeps you guessing until the very end so it will hold your interest. I did find that it was a little long but it was a creative story so it was worth the read.
Thanks to #booksirens for an ARC of this book

[Balthazarinblue · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars rounded up. This can be read as a standalone.

Fati Rizvi is a hardboiled private investigator. Hired to investigate twins who go missing the night of their 19th birthday, she's not above bending the law a little to get her clients answers. What on the surface seems like a straightforward case turns into a head-scratcher that packs a lot of twists into its plot. The case went in at least three different directions I never could have predicted.

I really enjoyed Fati as a character. She's tough and dogged. The only thing keeping this from being a true 4 star read for me is how repetitive the character descriptions became after awhile. In same cases it fit the story perfectly and didn't bother me at all: the state of Sana's chignon throughout was a direct reflection of her state of mind. But in others it felt like needless filler. Fati DOESN'T WANT KIDS and IS SLIGHTLY OUT OF SHAPE SINCE LEAVING THE FORCE. Zed is a LOYAL FRIEND and SLEEPS AROUND. Slade SMELLS LIKE GREASY FOOD. These are interesting character quirks to mention once, not every time the character appears on the page. It was grating on my nerves by the end of book, I can't imagine how it would irritate if you wanted to read the whole series back to back. And I wouldn't be surprised if you wanted to! The Missing Twins was otherwise very enjoyable and I plan to pick up the rest of the Fati Rizvi books as soon as I can.

I received this ebook for free from booksirens.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading and enjoying the first Fati Rizvi PI book, I decided to read the second and it was just as good. It’s just a good detective story without the bells and whistles, just hard work and a little bit of luck. Fati is obviously my favourite character, but the other characters were interesting too and I liked that there was a wide variety of people. It could have been real life -something I read in the news and I really liked that. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Terri (BooklyMatters) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A tale as twisted as many of the people contained within it, this second in the Fati Rizvi series centers on a nineteen-year-old pair of twins, whose mysterious disappearance, following their lavish birthday celebration, marks the start of a complex and intricate story. As Fati works to solve the mystery, she must rummage within the darkest depths of the relationships, motivations and hidden agendas of their parents (an entrepreneurial powerhouse couple), their children, exes, partners and lovers, and the lives of all they intersect. It soon becomes clear that it’s not clear at all exactly who can be trusted and who must be reviled, or even feared, as Fati herself (who is undoubtedly one tough cookie) finds she cannot escape this one unscathed.

Without giving the plot away (no spoilers here), this story is set in the majestic and beautiful heights of West Vancouver, which provides a perfect backdrop for family dynamics ranging from the tender to the diabolical, as well as covering pretty much everything else in between.
As Fati worries she may finally have met her match, the twists and turns are relentless, leaving the reader scrambling to catch up, right up to final pages where all will be revealed.

A great big thank you to the author for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was incredible! Enough characters and plot twists to keep it interesting, but not so many that it was hard to keep track. What starts off as a seemingly cut and dry case of the disappearance of 19 year old twins quickly turns into so much more. Nothing unexpected in the conclusion, really, but so cleverly written that the ending felt surprising and very satisfying. And I love the PI, Fati Rizvi. Strong, clever, smart, brave - everything I enjoy in a female character. On the con side, the subject of porn movies with relation to Nida and Amaya was raised, but it was never explored or drawn out into the open. Very disappointing - what was the point? Yes, it would explain Nida's animosity towards her bio mother, but we never found out anything further on that, and it seems pointless to have brought it up. Amaya could just have been abusive in other ways but this clue is left dangling. Nevertheless, I’m on the hunt for more books in this series.

This ARC was provided to me by Book Sirens; the opinions expressed here are my own.

[Mrs LIR Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book with Fati Rizvi as the female Private Investigator was an interesting read of a female from an Asian ethnic migrant background in Canada is trying to live her life and not follow the path her traditional mother would like her to follow.

This book further tells the story of Fati as she investigates the disappearance of the twins - the twins have a migrant background too as well as various aspects of dysfunctional parents, step parents, adoptive parents ……………. the twins are brought up in a very wealthy household and yet they disappear.

The story has many twists and turns and at times is violent.

The end was a total surprise and yet I should have seen the whys and whos …………….. So a very surprising read.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mary Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. The first book introduced us to Fati and her career as a private investigator, much to the distaste of her mother. In this story, Fati is hired to investigate the disappearance of a twin brother and sister who have vanished at their 19th birthday party.

There is a lot going on here. Most of the characters are unlikeable and focused on money and material wealth, and each seems to be hiding something. As such, I had no real idea who the culprit was. Definitely not a predictive read and when you think things have been wrapped up, then its time to think again.

Fati is such a likeable and strong character and I am keen to read more in the series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Donna Haas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the series was a compelling read. It featured two strong, independent, somewhat flawed female characters, Fati Rizvi, PI and Sana Azad, entrepreneur. The novel was fast paced with some unexpected twists. For me, it would have been helpful to have a family tree available as there were many characters connected to the Azad- Shah family.

[Charlotte Puderbaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Story, every time I thought I knew who did it, I was wrong . The pace of the story if fast enough that it never bogs down and keeps you turning pages to find the answers. The book is a great read.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a rollercoaster! Wow. That was all over the place, just in a good way. I was blown away by some of the suspects & why. It's a dang good story!

[PridePrejudice · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot was intricate and twisty. Author had a good idea for a mystery with multiple layers, red herrings and a broken family’s drama as secrets are exposed. However, I found the main character Fati to be bland, without personality. The whole book is her tactlessly blurting things out. She did do some decent detecting using old fashioned methods like stake outs, tails and canvassing. But I didn’t find her very Interesting or likeable. She was almost written as an old school male PI. There was very little to distinguish her as a female PI, which has to be a much harder job due to misogynistic hierarchy in the police/detecting field. She didn’t have any feelings or habits that could have softened her edges or led her to do her job in a different way owing to intuition or deeper understanding of human nature or anything. I feel it was a missed opportunity but then again maybe me thinking she needed more female edges is in itself sexist. Not sure.
The precovid themes leading to lockdown already feel dated. I’ve read other books with covid in the background or a part of the story and didn’t find it as judgy or dated as in this book.
The dialogue. Ugh. The dialogue read as basic, perfunctory and did not necessarily move the case along. Again the main character’s brash, tactless way of speaking made conversations feel stilted or prematurely ended. All of the major discoveries seemed to come from inner dialogue or external clues (which is fine in doses), not from any skill at questioning. Makes the whole unveiling of the mystery feel unbalanced.
I feel that there are tons of authors out there that have great ideas. New twists or plot lines to explore but so many of them don’t have the expertise in writing dialogue and conversation to help the reader know the characters more intimately. Or even show any skill in how questioning and casual conversations may actually move the plot forward in a more satisfying way. I’ve said before in reviews, don’t TELL me what I need to know, help me see it unfold in the character development and natural dialogue.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story but....

I've now read all the Fati Rizvi books, but not in order. This was the last one to complete the series for me. As with the other books, the plot is good and the pacing is decent. The story is complete and there isn't much of Fati's family in this one. You can read the p!it summary elsewhere. I have enjoyed reading this series even though I doubt that the police would be so accepting of a PI who left the force years ago. Maybe things are different in Canada. What did bug me in this book was the way Fati so casually kept important information from both the police and her client. While she tends to do this in the other books, in this one her lack of sharing leads to several very negative consequences. And she seems to have no regrets about her actions. If I were the detectives who worked with her, I would be very unhappy and would not trust her, former LEO or not. I hope the author figures out a way for Fati to allow herself the confidence to share info with others and maybe grow up a little bit.

[Pamela Sewell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book Sirens eARC. The adopted twins of the high profile Azad-Shad family go missing from their 19th birthday party, a lavish event held at a luxury hotel. The family hires PI Fati Rizvi to aid in locating them. A former cop who has maintained strong ties with her former co-workers, Fati brings experience and a dogged determination to her cases. As the investigation progresses it becomes obvious that all is not well within the family. Many are at odds with one another and keeping secrets. Every lead they follow seems to muddy the waters even more. A lifelong mystery reader I often can guess where the plot is going but this kept me guessing with unexpected twists. Fati is a strong protagonist. An independent woman from a traditional Paki family her back story offers insight into the challenges of balancing her life choices with the expectations of her family and culture. I read and enjoyed the first entry in this series and I found this to be stronger and more polished. An engaging, twisty crime novel.

[Lori Feldt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This second book in the Fati Rizvi series does not disappoint. Though I have not yet read the first book of the series, the story stood on its own without feeling like I was missing historical pieces.

In this installment Fati, a Private Investigator, is hired by a powerful and wealthy woman to find her neice and nephew that she loves and raises as her own.

To do this, Fati must untangle all of the events that happened the night of their 19th birthday bash and the days that followed.

There are layers of characters and story lines as the mystery unfolds, but Burney does a masterful job of seemlessly weaving the story so that it flows with ease.

The revelations begin to unfold early in and continue until the very end.

Thanks to BookSirens for providing me with this ARC to read for free. While no review is required, it was a pleasure.

I already have the next installment of the series downloaded and have a new great author to follow!

[Jane Verco · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did enjoy this book, but feel I would benefit going back and reading the first book to get a better understanding of the main character.

The plot is well constructed, and keeps you guessing and wanting more, keeping you going to the end.

I'm looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

Many thanks to Booksirens for an ARC of this book, my review is provided voluntarily.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this suspenseful mystery with lots of twists and secrets. I enjoyed the characters and how multi dimensional each is. A fast read that had me guessing who kidnapped the twins. I can’t wait to read more by author H.S. Burney. *I was given a copy via BookSirens and am voluntarily giving my honest review.

[Rock Chick Fee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read.

I don't usually read PI Books but This one was really good, good strong storyline and action packed from beginning to end.

I really enjoyed this book.

I obtained a free arc & I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Sharon Uberoi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the general read but not too impressed with the ending..... But overall it was a good read

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed reading about this disfunctional family!

[Amy Byers · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great book!! I am going to give it to my sister to read. She will love it!

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tagline: A pair of fraternal twins, Nadir and Nida, go missing after their 19th birthday. Did they disappear of their own accord? Or is something more sinister at play?

Plot: The 19 year old twins, for whom a wealthy aunt and uncle have had guardianship since their immigration from India disappear immediately after their 19th birthday party. The twins’ aunt contacts our intrepid detective, Fati Rizvi, because the police are not interested given the twins have only been gone for 12 hours, and since they are now adults may have their own ideas about how to live life. Fati initially tends to share the police viewpoint, until finding blood in the hotel room of Nadir’s girlfriend. Her investigations do eventually reveal what happened to the twins, and show that the outwardly enviable life of the Azad-Shah family is hiding horrendous dysfunction.

What I Liked About This Book: Everything! The primary character, private detective Fati Rizvi, is the unconventional daughter of a traditional Pakistani family. The story takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia, and I enjoy the author’s description of the area. Her characters are interesting and the plot is fast paced. It’s written in first person, which I find makes for a fun and easy read.

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting story with many twists and surprises. Fati Rizvi is an Asian ethnic P.I. in Vancouver, B.C., hired to find missing twins from a wealthy but dysfunctional family. The twins disappeared after their 19th birthday party.

There are many unsavory characters. Every time the case looks ripe for closure, Fati will not drop it because there are unanswered questions that she must find the answer to. Although hired only to find the missing twins, she feels personally compelled to uncover the real story behind the circumstances of their disappearance.

The reader will join Fati in her difficult search for answers and will almost certainly be surprised by the ending.

I liked the absence of typos (which are too frequent in mysteries) and only found one clear editing error. This is when Fati wakes up at exactly 9:00 a.m., gets dressed, drives across town, and arrives on time for a 9:00 a.m. meeting.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Bette Reith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Missing Twins is the second book in the Fati Rizvi series. Fati is a young PI that stays on the case night and day until it is solved. She also is not afraid of using questionable means to solve one. In this book, a set of twins go missing after their lavish 19th birthday party. Having been called the morning after the party, Fati thinks the twins are sleeping it off at a friend’s house, but it is more than that. As clues start piling up, it becomes clear that they have not run away, but that something mysterious has happened. A great story that you won’t want to put down. It is full of great characters, a look at family relationships and rivalries, and many he said/she said misdirections. I love trying to solve the mysteries before the end and was totally surprised. Thanks to BookSiren for the ARC of this book. Can’t wait for book 3!

[Randy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good read, but the pace was a bit slow for my type of read. There were lots of twists and turns and descriptions of events, but I found it to be more distracting than adding more to the story. The book did a good job in describing the extreme pressure put on kids to perform at a high level and prepare them for the job their parents want them to do not the job they really would like to do. It also depicted the high level of energy and time required to have a successful business and the time it takes from the family to do so. All it all it was a good story just not at the pace/style I'm use to.