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Every Moment Since

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🎧Run Time = 9 hours and 49 minutes

An “unforgettable” 2024 release (J.T. Ellison) with full-cast narration: When Davy Malcor disappears from a small Southern town, his family is never the same. Over 20 years later, Davy’s missing jacket is uncovered — and everyone connected with the case is thrust into a storm of new questions… “You’ve just found your next book club read” (Patti Callahan Henry).

A small Southern town. An ordinary Saturday night. A little boy disappears without a trace.

Everyone in Wynotte, North Carolina, knows the name Davy Malcor. Knows the video clip of him juggling four balls, "All at the very same time!" Knows the Marty McFly jacket his mother made for his birthday that he wore proudly, and often. But no one knows what happened to him the night he went missing more than twenty years ago.

When the jacket is unexpectedly uncovered, the cold case reopens, and Davy's family is thrust into yet another media storm. But at the heart of the story are four people forever changed by one single Thaddeus Malcor, Davy's older brother, created the life of his dreams by writing a bestselling memoir about his family's experience and is enjoying success and notoriety as a result, even if the memoir doesn't quite reveal the whole story. Tabitha Malcor, his mother, is divorced and living alone, advocating for victims' rights and faithfully cataloging her regrets each week, never including her biggest regret of all. Anissa Weaver was just a kid herself when Davy went missing, and her connection to him is one she cannot reveal as she serves as the Malcor family's Public Information Officer. And, long suspected in Davy's disappearance, Gordon Swift has kept his head down and scraped together a decent life. But the new attention to the case makes it impossible to hide from the public, and the past.

With hauntingly vivid prose, Marybeth Mayhew Whalen peels back the curtain on the inner turmoil of those who were left behind in the small Southern community as they pick up the pieces that remain and press forward into the light to find hope and healing.

Audiobook

First published October 1, 2024

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About the author

Marybeth Mayhew Whalen

20 books1,074 followers
Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is the author of When We Were Worthy, The Things We Wish Were True and five previous novels. She speaks to women's groups around the US. She is the co-founder of the popular women's fiction site, She Reads www.shereads.org. Marybeth and her husband Curt have been married for 26 years and are the parents of six children. The family lives in North Carolina. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She is always at work on her next novel. You can find her at www.marybethwhalen.com.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 569 reviews
Profile Image for Shelley's Book Nook.
507 reviews1,941 followers
August 27, 2024
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This book was incredibly sad, 11-year-old Davey has been missing for over 20 years when his favourite jacket is found not too far from his home. His older brother, Thaddeus has written a best-selling book about the experience and stops his book tour to go home and be with his family as the investigation continues.

This is my first book by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and it was a banger. It isn't an exciting book, there are no car chases or manhunts and no real police procedures of any sort. It's a character study of what such a tragedy can do to a family and a small town. There are two timelines, the night of Davey's disappearance and the present. We watch the family go through this tragedy a second time and as with most tragedies, there are conspiracies abound and consequences.

This is a very slow burn of a book in the best way possible. We are with the family and all their endeavours, their highs and their lows. The Malcor family and most of the other characters are all very likable and the setting is very creepy...kids playing in cornfields and the woods was such a vibe. I loved the small town's southern location as it was as much a character as anyone.

The ending wasn't a big tada! I liked that, I don't think the author was going for a big twist in the usual sense and I found that to be very original because in real life it usually isn't that way the ending is always anti-climatic and sad. This is my first book by the author but it certainly won't be my last.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
Profile Image for Paige .
353 reviews2,194 followers
December 5, 2024
★ 3.75 stars

”A small Southern town. An ordinary Saturday night. A little boy disappears without a trace.”

Davy is the protagonist who went missing 11 years ago. The police have no clue as to where he went it's become a stagnant file on their desks. Fast forward to the present, Davy's older brother, Thaddeus writes a best selling memoir of his memory of that devastating night. Only, it seems not the whole story was depicted in his book. After a new discovery, the family is thrust back together and are forced to faced reality once again.

This was incredibly captivating from start to finish. The writing was top tier, I couldn't put this down. While it does have a crime/suspense element to it, it does lean more toward the general fiction genre. You can't go into this expecting a fast paced thriller, or a huge plot twist. This is definitely a slow and steady burn and character driven.

I wasn't disappointed by the lack of twists because this was intended to capture the emotions of the characters and was very sad. This has a real haunting and eery small town feel to it. At points, it felt like a criminal minds episode and then other moments it felt more like a sad drama movie about grief and the characters despair at the unknown.

These characters are flawed and it was interesting to observe their responses to the the situation. The choice of dual timelines kept me engaged. I appreciated how realistic this was without the dramatic flares - it's horrible to think how many missing children disappear without a trace...

Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays).
5,152 reviews3,121 followers
September 4, 2024
This is an emotional read, about the effects of grief, loss, and the unknown. The full cast audiobook makes for an immersive experience.

One summer night in 1985, 11-year-old Davy goes missing when accompanying his older brother TJ and friends for some night games in a nearby field. Davy is never seen again after that night, until twenty years later, the distinctive jacket he was wearing that night is found in an abandoned shed. Told from the perspective of multiple people: Davy's older brother, now known as Thaddeus, who has written a bestselling memoir about the incident; Tabitha, Davy's mother; Anissa, the police department public information officer in charge of helping the family, but also has ties to the night Davy went missing; Philip, one of TJ' friends; and Gordon, the man accused of the crime but never convicted.

This is a melancholy story. The grief and loss is well communicated. The way the haunting of not knowing affected each of the characters. I appreciated that we do find out what happened to Davy, but even my mystery-loving heart admits that this particular mystery isn't what drives this story. It's the nuance of the characters and how each of them copes with what happened that night and for the years afterward.

The one part I really didn't care for, and this is a me thing, is that I really, really dislike when a person is wrongly accused and has to protest their innocence. It might have made me put the book down had it been structured a different way, so I am thankful that we start the book twenty years after the incident so we know how things stand at that point vs. living it in real time along with the characters.

Overall, this is a contemplative read and truly shines as an audiobook.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Diane S ☔.
4,901 reviews14.6k followers
October 11, 2024
A young boy goes missing, his family devastated, a town in crisis and a man who will find his life immensely changed. The book opens twenty years after his unsolved disappearance, when the case is reopened after Danny’s jacket is found.

This is an emotionally touching story. It is the little details the author adds, showing us the characteristics that lie beneath the surface of the characters. We learn what has happened to those who were touched by the loss of Danny. The reopening of the case also brings new or withheld information to the forefront.

Narration was excellent.

Beautiful cover, impactful read.
Judge not and you shall not be judged. Accusations, even unproven ones, can destroy a persons life.

ARC from Netgalley.
Profile Image for Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader.
2,785 reviews31.9k followers
September 25, 2024
You know I love a North Carolina author, and Marybeth Whalen is one of my favorites. Everyone in the small North Carolina town knows Davy’s name. He disappeared over twenty years ago and his memory has haunted the town ever since. When his jacket is discovered, the case is reopened.

Thaddeus, Davy’s older brother, has written a successful memoir about the family tragedy, even if the story is incomplete. Tabitha, Davy’s mother, is now divorced and working as an advocate for families in similar shoes. Anissa has a connection to Davy that goes undisclosed as she works closely with his family as their information officer. Gordon, the main suspect in Davy’s disappearance, has cobbled together a life for himself, which is rocked by the reopening of the case.

There are two timelines in the story: the present day and the night Davy disappears. The atmosphere of the setting brought back nostalgia for simpler days but also some ominous creepiness. While there is definitely a mystery woven into the story of what happened to Davy, the book is really about the family and community left behind after a trauma, and how that effect can be felt for years. It’s about grief and loss and has strong, mostly endearing characters. I felt like the story was real from the start, straight from the headlines, and the book within a book made it extra engaging.

Overall, I loved this story and highly recommend this glimpse into how grief and loss impacts a family and a community. ♥️

I received a gifted copy.

Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Profile Image for Reading_ Tamishly.
5,302 reviews3,470 followers
October 8, 2024
Thank you, HarperMuse, for the ALC.

I find the writing really cosy and well paced. It’s fast paced when required and slowed down when there’s emotions to deal with.

The narrators are really good. I would totally recommend the audiobook!

The plot is well executed and the characters are quite well written.

I would suggest you to take your time while reading this book. The ending is somewhat not as quite satisfactory as expected during the entire read. However, it is a well written story and gets quite emotional.
Profile Image for Meagan (Meagansbookclub).
779 reviews7,217 followers
November 13, 2024
Really wonderful. I think what kept me from giving it 5 stars was the lack of subplots. The story didn’t give me all the feels but it was really enjoyable. The audio was PHENOMENAL especially with Jane Oppenheimer as the voice of Tabby the mom. Recommend the audio if you choose to read.
Profile Image for Linda Galella.
1,042 reviews100 followers
June 12, 2025
I received a copy for review purposes; all opinions are honest and mine alone.


Dual timelines, a book within a book and four narrators are too much for me.

If you take the time to read the author’s note, you’ll learn that she was greatly influenced by two movies about real life missing children. This is evidenced in her writing which could easily become a script(s) for a limited series or a movie. Author, M. M. Whalen, has a restrained style that’s free from sex, violence and foul language.

It’s also light in thrills, drama, anticipation and those elements that make you want to keep turning pages. I had no trouble putting this book aside for other books or projects. Part of the problem for me is the same story is being told repeatedly by different people. It got boring. Occasionally, there would be a new nugget of information but mostly, it was wash, rinse, repeat…wash, rinse…you get the picture.

Whalen’s writing isn’t bad, it’s just not exciting nor did it draw me in. There was no big twist because the two characters with “secrets” were so easy to figure out, my middle school niece could do it. Actually, this book would be a good read for young adults to read along with their parents. The lessons they could discover and discuss about what happens when rules aren’t followed and truth is avoided are significant.

A very mild, reflective story about a family reliving their worst nightmare and finally getting answers📚

Read and Reviewed from a NetGalley eARC with thanks
Profile Image for Colleen Chi-Girl.
891 reviews224 followers
August 18, 2024
GOODREADS LIBRARIAN: PLEASE ADD THE AUDIOBOOK VERSION OF THIS NOVEL - THANKS SO MUCH. https://www.audible.com/pd/Every-Mome...

I really enjoyed this crime/mystery novel, featuring an amazing and full cast of audiobook narrators. This is my first book by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen and it won't be my last.

Publisher's Blurb: "A small Southern town. An ordinary Saturday night. A little boy disappears without a trace. Everyone in Wynotte, North Carolina, knows the name Davy Malcor. Knows the video clip of him juggling four balls....Knows the Marty McFly jacket his mother made for his birthday that he wore proudly, and often. But no one knows what happened to him the night he went missing more than twenty years ago. When the jacket is unexpectedly uncovered, the cold case reopens, and Davy's family is thrust into yet another media storm. Thaddeus Malcor, Davy's older brother, created the life of his dreams by writing a bestselling memoir about his family's experience and is enjoying success and notoriety as a result, even if the memoir doesn't quite reveal the whole story."

Pros: What worked for me: the well-developed, mostly likeable, characters and a setting both cozy and foreboding, since in a "normal" small town in North Carolina, a young boy could go missing without a trace for so many, many years.

Small Con: I really enjoyed the entire novel with one exception and that was too much time spent on Davy's brother Thaddeus, who I found to be a depressing, self-centered, sad man. But that portion isn't the whole of the story, so don't let that stop you! And perhaps you'll enjoy Thaddeus more than I did. I really enjoyed all the other characters so much, including the young female, the parents, and many townspeople.
Profile Image for Wendy.
1,982 reviews691 followers
November 27, 2024
A Saturday night in a small southern town, every parents worst nightmare, a little boy disappears without a trace.
No one knows what happened to him the night he went missing 20 years ago. When a piece of his clothing is unexpectedly found the cold case reopens and once again the inner turmoil begins again for the boy's loved ones and community.
Will there finally be answers?
This is a story of loss, regret, hope and redemption.
Captivating storytelling and characters kept me turning the pages.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an arc of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Kara.
589 reviews146 followers
October 30, 2024
All the feels.

Had never heard of this one and was excellent on audio! Different narrators for the POV also has dual timeline and was easy to follow and keep up! Narration was perfection!

Masterful storytelling and just fell in love with the Malcor family, the town and all the characters. Absolutely excellent writing! You feel all the things with each of them.

Love the book cover and so thankful for my advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Thanks to netgalley and Harper muse for my copy.
Profile Image for Laura (thenerdygnomelife).
1,044 reviews2 followers
September 14, 2024
"Every Moment Since" is a slow-burn small-town mystery, driven by strong character development and lingering emotion over a longtime cold case. Davy Malcor disappeared one night in 1985, seemingly vanishing into thin air from the field where his teenaged older brother was playing with his friends. For his brother, who sent his pesky younger sidekick away into the darkness shortly before he disappeared, there's a heavy dose of guilt to go along with his grief. Despite the town's best efforts, no one was able to find any sign of Davy — until 20 years later when his distinctive jacket is found stashed in an old shed. With this fresh clue, will the community be able to find the truth or even find Davy?

This is a multiple POV narrative, narrated by a full cast. While most of the story revolves around Davy's older brother, Thaddeus, Davy's mother, and the police, grief itself is portrayed so pervasively that it's almost a character itself. There's a melancholic weight to this novel that feels both undeniable and inevitable. I enjoyed the mystery, and the fact that the plot wasn't cookie-cutter predictable.

As a side note, I am notorious for reading books and forgetting the salient plot points within days — even those I genuinely enjoyed. There's something about the author's writing, or perhaps just the poignancy of this story, that managed to stick. One glance at the synopsis and it all came back to me, even the culprit. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins, and Marybeth Mayhew Whalen for an advance copy for my honest review.
Profile Image for Dawne Mccurry.
234 reviews13 followers
June 30, 2024
Five HUGE stars for this book. Patti Callahan Henry says it is everything you want in a novel and she is so right!!!

Twenty years after a young boy went missing, a new piece of evidence emerges that reopens the case and once again puts the family in the spotlight. What happened that night long ago has shaped the lives of all involved and years later there are still questions for all of them if anything could/should have been done differently.

An absolutely heart-pounding story that I will think about for a long long time!!!
Profile Image for Rhonda McKnight.
Author 42 books797 followers
September 13, 2024
This was hauntingly sad, but masterfully told.

I don't usually read stories about missing children. However, I'm glad I chose to read this one. The story was excellent. I was completely immersed in both timelines. It was difficult reading in some places, but worth pushing through.

Great characters, beautiful writing, and a satisfying conclusion make this a five-star read. I highly recommend.
Profile Image for Rocio.
221 reviews51 followers
September 12, 2024
The writing is so good!! I loved the overall plot and that there wasn’t a huge twist at the end, the story flowed so well with the multiple povs and dual timeline.

Not a fast paced thriller by any means but it’s very good and for me was a rather quick read.
Profile Image for kimberly.
659 reviews518 followers
July 26, 2024
It’s 2006 in Wynotte, North Carolina and the jacket of Davy Malcor has just been discovered, reopening a twenty year old cold case; one of the biggest missing child cases in America. In 1985, Davy went missing while out playing with his friends and was never seen again.

In the present, we follow four timelines:
•Thaddeus Malcor is Davy’s older brother who was left in charge of watching him the night he went missing. Now, he’s profiting off of the disappearance through his bestselling memoir about the event.
•Tabitha Malcor is Davy’s mother who is living in the same house (albeit without the husband now) advocating for other victims.
•Anissa Weaver is a Public Information Officer and acting as the family’s liaison but she is hiding her secret connection to the night Davy went missing.
•And we have Gordon Swift. The man long suspected of being the one who took Davy but was never tried in court. He rumps around town with the shadow of the disappearance looming over him, trying to keep out of trouble.

Woven in to these present storylines is a past timeline from 1985 where readers get a third-person view of the events leading up to the disappearance. I realize now as I’m writing all of this down that it sounds like a lot to keep straight but I assure you that it never once felt like that as each one of these characters are complex, layered, and easy to distinguish between.

This book is as much of a character study and an intimate study on grief and hope as it is a mystery; an examination on how one tragedy can spread out and affect the lives of so many on a personal level. That said, there are no cheap thrills here. It’s very literary—beautiful really—foreboding, and it never failed to keep me on the edge of my seat.

You will have to rearrange the pieces of your heart after this book shatters it.

Full cast narration—ohhhhh how I LOVE full cast narration—by Cassandra Campbell, George Newbern, Kirby Heyborne, Jane Oppenheimer, MacLeod Andrews, Renata Friedman. They absolutely knocked it out of the park with this one and brought so much to the characters’ voices.

Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for the audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Available 10/01/2024!
Profile Image for Jeni—Bookish.Bestie.909.
354 reviews10 followers
November 18, 2024
4.5⭐️ This was a great, emotional mystery. I loved that it had several POV’s and the audio was a full cast. I felt like the author did a great job tapping into each character’s emotions and how they would handle their family member going missing. I was sucked right in and didn’t want to put it down. I could feel the character’s heartache, which made me tear up several times. I was able to predict a bit of the mystery but it didn’t take away from my interest in the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the Advanced Listening Copy.
Profile Image for Jeanie ~ MyFairytaleLibrary.
631 reviews77 followers
August 4, 2024
This is a sad and heavy story about how profoundly the character’s lives are all changed by the disappearance of Davy. The story grabbed me right from the beginning and was gripping all the way through. The characters are well developed and the performance on audio by a full cast is excellent. I thought the author did a great job in the conclusion of what happened to Davy and the bittersweet yet hopeful changes for the family and others.
Profile Image for Daniella FS.
189 reviews12 followers
August 21, 2024
I enjoyed the idea of this book, but all together I think it didn't work very well.

This book had a really slow pacing and the ending was a big no for me.

I still can't accept the lack of info and details of what happened. It seems like something is missing.

3* rounded up.
Profile Image for Aileen.
149 reviews10 followers
November 11, 2024
I am speechless … wow! I was blown away by all the emotions that this book brought out. The author did an incredible job putting into words the despair, hope and need for closure that this family needs.

Twenty years after Davy’s disappearance, his coat is found and re opens the case and all the wounds again for his family. His older brother Thaddeus was in charge of him that fateful night, has written a memoir about the incident and has yet to come to terms with his guilt and regret.

The story is told from different points of view
Including Thaddeous, his mom Tabby and the Public Informational Officer Anissa.

Pick up a copy today … I read it in one day (between loads of laundry so I was a bit productive).

Profile Image for Ambrosia.
45 reviews
March 13, 2025
This is a heartbreaking story of grief, loss and regret. The guilt that each family member feels (for different reasons) is a heavy burden for each to carry. I really enjoyed the alternating viewpoints and the closure that the family members found at the end of the book.
Profile Image for Chelsey (a_novel_idea11).
713 reviews167 followers
October 7, 2024
Every Moment Since is an emotive and powerful mystery surrounding one family's grief when their middle child goes missing. Twenty years later when new evidence is discovered, the Malcor family must reunite to dig up old wounds and search for closure.

I loved the dual timelines, varying formats with portions of Thaddeus's memoir, and the multiple narrators. It formed a robust picture of one family coping with the unimaginable. Each family member coped so differently - it felt raw and authentic. Thaddeus wrote a memoir that kept his guilt and his brother's memory alive every day in ways he did not anticipate. Tabitha and Daniel - Davy's parents - split like so many couples do in these situations. And Kristy, the youngest sibling who was too young to even remember much about her brother when he disappeared, lived in his shadow and felt Davy's looming presence her entire life.

I also liked the dynamics of the town. It felt authentic that a small town would be so rocked by this tragedy and that even over 20 years, it would still be at the forefront of people's minds.

I definitely did not predict how the mystery played out which was a plus. I thought I was so smart and figured it out about halfway through and I was glad to be wrong! I also liked that the family really did get closure, though I know that's not the case for so many families. In some ways, this ended with a little much of a bow, but for such a heavy read, it was perhaps needed.

Thank you to Harper Muse for the copy.
Profile Image for TishBee.
67 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2024
I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

This book is a slow burn of tension, guilt and regret surrounding a community who experienced a 'true crime' and have to live with the aftermath. A family falling apart in the eye of the storm, a best selling memoir that only tells part of the truth, a prime suspect whose life has been on hold with no clear answers in the case.

This novel is not my usual fare, but the pacing and drip feed of new revelations were compelling and the undercurrent of quiet menace from secrets that several of the characters would prefer never see the light of day was well crafted. Many authors would have rushed the reveal, but this one will keep you guessing right until the end.
Profile Image for Angel.
548 reviews62 followers
November 28, 2024
"Every Moment Since" by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen is a family drama and mystery novel. It's an easy to binge-read kind of book and will keep you guessing.

Little Davy was 11 years old in 1985 when he went missing one night. His big brother, T.J., was supposed to be watching him. His parents were out at a rare party. This story is told in their present time, 2006, and the day Davy went missing in 1985. What happened to Davy?

The almost 10 hour long audiobook is narrated by a full cast - Cassandra Campbell, George Newbern, Kirby Heyborne, Jane Oppenheimer, MacLeod Andrew, and Renata Friedman. They did a very good job.

Characters - 3/5
Writing - 3/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 5/5
Enjoyment - 3/5
Narration - 4/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 29/8 = 3 5/8 rounded up to 4 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Focus and Harper Collins Muse, and Marybeth Mayhew Whalen for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Nurse Jackie.
276 reviews14 followers
September 23, 2024
The premise of this story caught my attention right away. The storyline plays out from different POVs of those involved in a missing child case. There is a split past/present perspective and it covers the day of the abduction and then 20 years later. The story is very well written and well paced, but I did struggle with some of the narrators voice- a little dull and lacked fluctuation. Overall, I would list this story as a genera/literary fiction instead of thriller. I found this to be an enjoyable read and will recommend it to my audience.
Profile Image for Dallas Strawn.
967 reviews121 followers
July 29, 2024
Long held small town secrets lurk in Marybeth Whalen's southern fiction thriller surrounding a child's mysterious disappearance and the broken threads of a family grappling with the past... A true family saga story with subtle hints of mystery woven throughout. Whalen’s prose shines in this incredibly moving yet suspenseful novel. Sure to capture book club attention, EVERY MOMENT SINCE is a novel that will keep people talking!
Profile Image for Annie Feigum.
39 reviews2 followers
April 19, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse publishing for the arc read! This book somehow felt really slow to read but was also a fast read at the same time. It was an interesting story but I feel like there was so much slow build up for not a very crazy ending.
Profile Image for Mitzi.
325 reviews41 followers
November 23, 2024
Wow, this book had me in its grip--not just because of the tension around an 11-year-old boy that had gone missing, but because of all the grief and guilt that the survivors carried around for 20 years. In particular, the author expertly described how the victim's older brother, divorced mother, childhood friend and an adult suspect were affected. I loved how forgiveness was realistically addressed as well. It was tenderly written and the narration was superb!
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