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Missing Sister

Not yet published
Expected 3 Mar 26
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Revenge. It's all relative.

Born three minutes apart, Penny and Nix Albright grew up doing everything together, close as only twins can be. But when Nix dies in a tragic accident soon after college, she leaves behind a cryptic voicemail that has Penny guilt-ridden and desperate for justice.

Five Years Later

Penny has found new purpose as a rookie cop. She’s working to fulfill Nix’s dream of making the world a safer place, but following that dream becomes a nightmare when she’s called to her first murder scene. When she sees the victim, she knows him instantly. It’s Danny Bowery—one of three men she’s long blamed for Nix’s death—splayed in a pool of blood outside a posh Atlanta shopping center, almost as if she’d wished it so.

Stunned, Penny steps away to catch her breath and discovers a blonde in blood-drenched clothes gripping a box cutter. Before Penny can arrest her, the woman reveals that Bowery’s murder is part of a larger story that is far from over. A story about sisters. And with that, the killer disappears.

Now, Penny will stop at nothing to pursue this dangerous woman and learn why she’s avenging Nix’s death. The deeper she dives into the mystery, the less clear it becomes who is hunting whom in this captivating page-turner of hidden motives and deadly consequences.

272 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 3, 2026

11784 people want to read

About the author

Joshilyn Jackson

31 books6,727 followers
Jackson's latest, MISSING SISTER, pubs MARCH, 3, 2026. Pre-order now!

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Joshilyn Jackson writes both page-turning domestic suspense and Southern book club novels that revolve around timely women’s issues, raising questions about justice, motherhood, career, class, and the thorny mechanics of redemption. Her critically acclaimed work has been translated into more than a dozen languages, and Jackson is also an award-winning audiobook narrator. She lives in a gently haunted 150-year-old Victorian Rowhouse in upstate New York with her family.

A recent expat from the American South, she lives in a mildly haunted Victorian row house in upstate New York.



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5 stars
34 (19%)
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80 (45%)
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48 (27%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 120 reviews
Profile Image for Joshilyn Jackson.
Author 31 books6,727 followers
September 5, 2025
Now available for pre-order! MISSING SISTER launches March 3, 2026.

“Deliciously sinister, this exploration of the uniquely intense bond only twins share is a winner. Joshilyn Jackson’s twisty storytelling is not to be missed.” — #1 NYT bestselling author, Karin Slaughter on Missing Sister

"Penny is the perfect narrator: Whip smart, funny, flawed, big-hearted, and caught up in a wild ride of a story that kept me up way past my bedtime." — Sara Gruen, #1 NYT bestselling author on Missing Sister

"A thrill ride that kept surprising me, but the real treasure is the family at the heart of this fast-paced tale of sisters and revenge. I loved every breathless minute of it." — Abbott Kahler, NYT bestselling author of Where You End on Missing Sister
Profile Image for Sheila.
3,106 reviews126 followers
October 25, 2025
I received a free copy of, Missing Sister, by Joshilyn Jackson, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Penny and Nix are twins, Nix was murdered and the killer was never caught. This was a dark and heavy read, with unlikable characters.
Profile Image for Cordelia.
290 reviews2 followers
September 22, 2025
SYNOPSIS
-Penny and her twin, Nix, were inseparable until Nix died of an overdose shortly after college.
-Five years later, Penny’s a rookie cop trying to carry out Nix’s dream of making the world safer.
-On her very first murder scene, the victim turns out to be one of the guys she blames for Nix’s death.
-A blonde woman shows up covered in blood, hints that this killing is part of a bigger story about sisters and revenge, then disappears.

MY THOUGHTS
-Being in Penny’s head the whole time made it feel super personal.
-The mix of revenge, justice, and messy family stuff worked really well.
-Super easy writing style, which made it a quick read even when the plot got heavy.
-I stayed hooked and didn’t want to put it down.
-The ending actually paid off and felt worth the ride.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️4 stars. Fast, juicy, and all about sisters, revenge, and justice. I flew through it and liked the way it wrapped up.

THANKS: Thanks to William Morrow and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book will be published on March 3, 2026.
Profile Image for OutlawPoet.
1,801 reviews68 followers
Read
August 29, 2025
DNF @ 20%. I tried, but I found it slow and really hated the main character. Also, nothing about how the police work read as authentic. Not for me.
Profile Image for Jennifer Rodriguez.
140 reviews1 follower
September 20, 2025
I really wanted to like this book but had to DNF at 50%. The story line is there but I kept getting bored with the extra chunkiness of it. Why did I need to know a page and a half of her dating experience, I understand its unedited, and I've read enough thrillers/mysteries and police procedural. I feel like this could be a really good book. Also excessive on the full name of Thalia was a lot. I got lost in the excess details and I couldn't keep engaged.
Profile Image for Rebeckuh.
74 reviews7 followers
December 4, 2025
pardon my french but FUCK this is such a good book, so absurdly well written, so unique and original and unpredictable and overall amazing. First thriller i’ve loved in a while, 5 stars through and through
Profile Image for Caitlin Smale.
64 reviews1 follower
November 26, 2025
Thank you to the author, Joshilyn Jackson, and her publisher for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

How would you feel if the people that ruined your sister's life, turned up dead? What would you do if you came face to face with the person responsible for those deaths? Would you do the right thing and turn them in? Or would you look the other way and let them carry on their mission? This book was so full of twists and turns that I wasn't expecting. It had me hooked pretty much immediately. It was different from any of the thrillers that I have read recently. It made me think of what I would do if something happened to my sister. I highly recommend this book when it comes out on March 3rd, 2026.
Profile Image for Courtney.
240 reviews37 followers
October 28, 2025
Joshilyn Jackson repeatedly just delivers and I love it! This book was no difference. Along with murder, the book was really all about family and love. The sibling bond was beautiful (if not fully believable). But at its core it was still a revenge thriller.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!
1,295 reviews42 followers
October 25, 2025
I’m going go have to DNF this one at 50%. I’ve enjoyed a couple other thrillers by this author, but this one is really dragging for me and I don’t feel connected with the main character. I tried putting it down and coming back to it, and I just can’t make progress. I hope others like it more than me!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and William Morrow for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Corinne Carson.
252 reviews21 followers
October 20, 2025
Penny became a cop after she lost her twin sister, Nix, from an overdose. An overdose she believes was a result of a rape that her sister went through. After being called on to a murder scene, Penny recognizes the victim as one of the men who was part of the rape against her sister. Around the corner from the murder scene, she runs into a woman covered in blood holding a box cutter. Penny instantly knows that this is the killer. Penny takes the murder weapon from her but not before they have an interesting conversation, a conversation that leads Penny to make one bad decision after another. Before the other police officers can get there, Penny has let the woman go. Thus begins the cat & mouse chase between Penny & this woman to avenge the death of her sister, but things are definitely not as they seem.

Thank you to NetGalley & William Morrow for the opportunity to read an advanced eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.
27 reviews1 follower
November 2, 2025
I am so mixed on this one. I love Joslyn Jackson’s books, did not like the first half of this book at all - The plot revolves around Penny and Penny’s life revolves around the fact that she lost her twin to a drug overdose. Penny is a rookie police officer who lets murder suspect “Thalia” walk because she “feels a connection” with Thalia and steals the evidence in order to let Thalia go free. Just no.

Penny’s department then executes a search warrant on her residence - with no probable cause. Another rookie reported hearing Penny talking to someone at the crime scene and - tada! - that was enough to get a warrant. Ugh!!!! I even checked the credits and it stated Jackson consulted with a police department on this one…. Yes I know it’s fiction, but if you’re going to write crime, get it right.

However, once we are past that nonsense, the second half was a great story. The characters develop and become interesting and the pace picks up quite a bit. Penny discovers the murderer’s true identity, the motive, and the truth about her twin. I flew through the second half and would not be surprised to see a sequel. I would love a sequel focusing on Thalia (aka Polly, aka Clio) as I found her character much more compelling.

Big thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy!
Profile Image for Sacha.
1,936 reviews
November 3, 2025
3.5 stars

Joshilyn Jackson is back with this most recent thrill ride. This one is dark. Extra dark. Readers need to be able to manage the content to enjoy the ride, and some will struggle with this. I did.

Penny is a layered character whose losses have set her on a difficult trajectory. When readers meet her, she is a rookie cop, and it's pretty clear this isn't exactly the right choice for her. She expresses uncertainty, and it's not a great sign that she arrives on a murder scene where she not only knows the victim but is glad he's dead. That's just scratching the surface of the unconventional approach she takes to this matter. Along with revealing that she maybe needs to reconsider her professional choices, this scene also opens a window into Penny's past, including the tragic death of her twin sister, Nix.

So much of what happens in this novel centers on issues that some readers will find unmanageable: addiction, rape, sexual assault, and trafficking. Included in this lineup of horrors? Children. It is - to say the least - a difficult read. These topics are fundamental to understanding the plot, different characters' connections, and other characters' motivations, so this isn't a skip ahead a few pages and you'll avoid it scenario. While I enjoyed the mystery and the character development, some of this content was so rough that I got a bit distracted from the fun of the mystery at times. It's not the most intense I've encountered, but it caught me off guard, so this is my vague PSA to those of you who will be happy to have it.

Despite the aforementioned challenges, I enjoyed this book overall, largely because of the way events resolved. I've had mixed responses to Jackson's novels previously, and while I'd do it carefully and with a TW and CW list included, this is one I'd recommend to the right reader.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this arc, which I received in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
Profile Image for Kelly.
216 reviews
November 7, 2025
Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected eproof ARC of 'Missing Sister' by Joshilyn Jackson - expected release date of 03/03/2026.

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jackson is really good, and each book she writes gets better and better. I've enjoyed most everything I've read of hers and was thrilled to be approved for this ARC! She switches writing styles between domestic thriller/suspense and book-clubby type novels featuring strong women characters facing everyday issues, and I'm here for it all from her. This was domestic suspense and it took just a bit to get rolling but once it did, it went off into a twisting and turning adventure where I figured a few things out but then was completely off track on some too Jackson has never done a book 2, that I know of, but, I think she could write another book following this one focusing on Thalia's path after this book ends. But even with they said, I'm not mad how this ended - enough was given to feel like this story could be done too.
Profile Image for Rachiebo.
379 reviews4 followers
October 31, 2025
Joshilyn Jackson’s Missing sister

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow books

I am an instant buy for Joshilyn Jackson books. This book had me on pins and needles as this story talks about about twin sisters being extremely close, Penny and Nix and Nix dies after a drug over dose after college and Penny is left feeling like she was to blame. Heartbreaking and mysterious as the last voicemail that was left is somewhat cryptic.

Years later Penny is a rookie cop trying to fill the void and bring justice to the world after her sisters incident. When she is called to a scene that involves one of the three meant that she has blamed for the last five years of killing her sister, her life turns upside down!

This book was intense and mysterious! I enjoyed the characters and the basis of the book. I was rooting for the main character the whole time praying for justice and I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

I flew through this book! What a ride!
Profile Image for Samantha Bailey.
77 reviews33 followers
December 9, 2025
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this novel.

The policing aspect of this novel left so much to be desired here. I enjoy a good drama with that angle, but a lot of it seemed unrealistic. Also, I didn't totally love the main character, and I found that the random things she did were kind of immature for something her age/profession. Honestly, I think perhaps the book just wasn't for me. However, I do plan to try another book by this author in the future.
Profile Image for Hillary.
1,452 reviews22 followers
September 14, 2025
I wasn't crazy about the main character (though her niece was a gem), but there was a lovely tension woven throughout that really saved the whole situation.
Profile Image for Emilie.
249 reviews1 follower
November 30, 2025
I've enjoyed most of the Joshilyn Jackson books I've read, but this one was just okay. The mystery isn't all that compelling, and it requires me to suspend way too much disbelief to get to the conclusion. No cop would ever behave the way Penny does, and Thalia's involvement in Nix's story is so coincidental it's ridiculous. There's also a LOT going on here -- human trafficking, kidnapping, drugs, rape. Pick a topic, Joshilyn. You don't have to cover it all in one book.

Side note: the character names in this book are ludicrous. Shadow, Gand, Xav, Nix. Really? For god's sake choose some normal names for your characters so the reader doesn't have to stop and shake their head every single time one of them comes up. It took me out of the story every time somebody called one of these people by name, especially Shadow. Who names their kid Shadow?! A minor irritation, I know, but it was SO distracting.

I'll probably continue to read Joshilyn Jackson's books, because she's had more hits than misses for me. But this one was not my favorite. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC of this book.
Profile Image for Barbara Monaghan.
347 reviews6 followers
October 30, 2025
Missing Sister is a gritty family mystery that will keep you guessing and reading. There's so much atmosphere and the characters, especially the lead Penny, are nuanced and deep. Nothing is black and white there, lots and lots of gray. I like Joshilyn Jackson's book and this is a great addition.
Profile Image for lacie goodlett.
67 reviews
November 20, 2025
thank you to netgalley & william morrow for a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review. i knew i was gonna have issues with this one when the main character called her supervisor “goals” and “a certified baddie” in the first chapter. i had already visibly cringed and i wasn’t even 4% through the book. i hoped that it would get better, but it just didn’t. i felt like this book just dragged so much and was bogged down with a bunch of unnecessary details that just made it feel clunky to read. i didn’t like the main character at all, so i couldn’t really connect with her or what was going on. this plot could have made for such a cool story, but it just didn’t work for me.
Profile Image for Donna.
175 reviews5 followers
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
January 2, 2026
Penny was almost a graduate cop, coping with her first up-close homicide. As she views the slashed bloody body sprawled in the road, she realizes that she knew the murder victim, and her mind flashes between horror and giddiness. He was the grown-up version of one of the three college brutes who wrecked her twin sister's life. When Penny recognized the dead man, she immediately thought of a murder occurring a few months before. Another of Nix’s rapists was also killed, this time with a baseball bat. Her first thought was that the two murders were connected.
Penny and Nicki, or Nix, were so close they could read each other's minds and finish each other's thoughts. When Nix was sexually assaulted by the three, she gave up on law school, abused drugs and moved away from her family and friends. Penny received a desperate message on her phone from her twin just before she died from an overdose, which was the impetus for changing her career from chef to cop-perhaps she could save another girl from a bad situation, even though she let her sister down.
Penny is ordered to secure the area, and as she tapes off the crime scene, she smells the herbal scent of a vape dispenser. At the end of an alley sits a very composed woman on a step covered with blood. Penny realizes that she is the murderer, and that the box cutter next to her is the murder weapon. She casually introduces herself as Thalia Gray. Penny bags the knife and begins the arrest but decides to let her go after Gray drops the word “sisters,” might she be Nix’s avenger?
As Penny deals with a suspension from the police force, her main goal is to find Thalia and explore her connection to Nix. Coping with her hippie-dippy elder brother and his teen hacker daughter, and Nix’s ex-boyfriend and Penny’s possible love interest are just distractions but also a possible good source for clues. Will Penny find Thalia and solve this mystery before the third guy is killed…and will she regret it if she does?
Joshilyn Jackson is the Queen of The Unreliable Narrator, and this novel does NOT disappoint. As soon as it was finished, I had to create the sub-title “Everything You Thought You Knew Was Wrong,” and restart it on page one. It was like reading a completely different book! You will be amazed at Jackson’s sleight-of-hand as she leads you down the tangled rabbit hole that is Thalia Gray’s world. This is absolutely series-worthy and I’d love to see Penny and Thalia teamed up again.

Profile Image for Tammy.
659 reviews5 followers
November 16, 2025
📚Missing Sister
✍🏻Joshilyn Jackson
Blurb:
Revenge. It's all relative.

Born three minutes apart, Penny and Nix Albright grew up doing everything together, close as only twins can be. But when Nix dies in a tragic accident soon after college, she leaves behind a cryptic voicemail that has Penny guilt-ridden and desperate for justice.

Five Years Later

Penny has found new purpose as a rookie cop. She’s working to fulfill Nix’s dream of making the world a safer place, but following that dream becomes a nightmare when she’s called to her first murder scene. When she sees the victim, she knows him instantly. It’s Danny Bowery—one of three men she’s long blamed for Nix’s death—splayed in a pool of blood outside a posh Atlanta shopping center, almost as if she’d wished it so.

Stunned, Penny steps away to catch her breath and discovers a blonde in blood-drenched clothes gripping a box cutter. Before Penny can arrest her, the woman reveals that Bowery’s murder is part of a larger story that is far from over. A story about sisters. And with that, the killer disappears.

Now, Penny will stop at nothing to pursue this dangerous woman and learn why she’s avenging Nix’s death. The deeper she dives into the mystery, the less clear it becomes who is hunting whom in this captivating page-turner of hidden motives and deadly consequences.
My Thoughts:
Five years after her sister's death, police officer Penny finds herself investigating the murder of one of the men thought to be involved with her sister's death..Being in Penny’s head the whole time made it feel super personal. The mix of revenge, justice, and messy family stuff worked really well. Super easy writing style, which made it a quick read even when the plot got heavy..I stayed hooked and didn’t want to put it down.A sleepless night because I wanted to finish. I wanted to know all the secrets. I would recommend "Missing Sister" to those that enjoy reading mysterious, dark, sad, and emotional then add this to your TBR List.
Thanks NetGalley,William Morrow Publishing and Author Joshilyn Jackson for the advanced copy of "Missing Sister" I am leaving my voluntary review in appreciation.
#NetGalley
#WilliamMorrowPublisher
#MissingSister
#JoshilynJackson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⚠️Trigger Warnings: Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder
Profile Image for Susan Scribner.
2,015 reviews67 followers
December 3, 2025
Publication date 3/3/26

TW:

Holy crap. I've been griping for years that Joshilyn Jackson sold herself short by switching from "women's fiction" to the suspense/thriller genre, but I have to admit that Missing Sister is brilliantly written and skillfully executed. The suspense is top-notch; I was reluctant to read more than one or two chapters at a time in the first half because the story made me so anxious, but by the end I couldn't stop reading.

Penny Albright (that name is a bit much) made an abrupt career change after her twin sister died of a drug overdose. Nix had once planned to become a lawyer to right the wrongs she saw in the world. But in the wake of a brutal gang rape, she dropped out of college and spiraled downward. Penny, once an aspiring chef, entered the police academy after Nix's death in an attempt to pick up her sister's fight. Now a rookie cop called to her first homicide scene, she is shocked to realize she knows the victim. With Nix in the forefront of her mind, she does something completely unprofessional, and that's all I'm going to say plotwise.

Jackson's previous suspense novels were competently done, but I always felt like she was not completely comfortable with the genre. This time, however, she fully integrates her formidable Southern fiction writing skills into the plot. That means lots of colorful family members, messages from the dead, and a Dick-Wolf-Would-Never sense of justice. Jackson makes it easy to identify with Penny's lingering pain and growing determination, even when she enters completely uncharted waters. FYI for readers who hesitate to engage with a law enforcement MC: within the book's first scene, Penny describes the events as "the night I learned I had no business being [a real cop]." Also, her rebellious teenaged niece gleefully scrawls "ACAB" on the driveway at one point when the several police show up to interview Penny.

Missing Sister is the first suspense novel that ever gave me a book hangover.

ARC received from publisher and Net Galley
Profile Image for Susan.
1,534 reviews110 followers
December 23, 2025
Let me preface my review of MISSING SISTER by saying that I'm a big fan of Joshilyn Jackson's Southern women's fiction novels. I've read most of them and enjoyed all the ones I've read. They're uniquely engaging, sweetened with humor, tenderness, and heart. MISSING SISTER is the second of Jackson's thrillers that I've read and, as much as I love a good mystery/thriller, I've found both of them disappointing. They feel generic, lacking Jackson's particular je ne sais quoi, which is so abundant in her other novels. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she will eventually go back to her roots, back to the genre in which she both stands out and shines.

That being said, Jackson's books never fail to pull me in and MISSING SISTER is no exception. As the book opens, our heroine is immediately thrown into an intriguing situation that calls her moral code into question right off the bat. Penny is a likable cop who desires to do the right thing; her inability to decide what that is makes her feel very human and relatable. It's also what makes her interesting. Watching her grapple with the situation, wondering how everything was going to turn out, is what kept me reading. I liked Penny, but didn't love the other characters. Nor did I find Thalia and her activities particularly believable. The Big Twist in the finale of the novel didn't surprise me and I didn't find the book particularly satisfying as a whole either. On the whole, like I said, MISSING SISTER just didn't quite do it for me. Conclusion: Instead of reading more of Jackson's thrillers, I'm going to go back and read the earlier novels of hers that I haven't read yet.

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language, violence, blood/gore, and disturbing subject matter
Profile Image for Beth Gordon.
2,710 reviews12 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
December 16, 2025
3 ⭐️
Joshilyn Jackson’s upcoming release MISSING SISTER features Penny Albright, a rookie police officer who is trying to bring justice to the world after her sister died tragically five years ago. (At first I thought the title was a misnomer because Penny’s sister died and wasn’t missing, but it does end up relating to the story in a different way.)

When Penny is on the scene of her first murder, she knows who the victim is - Danny, one of three men she has blamed for her sister’s death - and when she stumbles upon the murder suspect covered in blood and holding the murder weapon, she decides to cover for the suspect when the suspect tells Penny more is going on with this sister story. This was where I found the plot to be unbelievable. Penny did not seem like a police officer at all, and her poor judgment on her first murder scene was really hard to take. From there, the story unfolded in a predictable way. While I found Penny to be horrible at her job, she was a decent main character to be in the head of. I enjoyed her brother Gand and her niece Shadow.

I was rather underwhelmed by this novel. As I stated before, the premise of a rookie cop going against protocol and covering for a murderer was hard for me to take. And everything else about the story wasn’t suspenseful. I have enjoyed Jackson’s previous books that I’ve read, but for the stated reasons this one just didn’t hit that mark for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

It publishes March 3, 2026.
Profile Image for Madeline Church.
556 reviews175 followers
September 18, 2025
I disliked just about every aspect of this book. First of all, I feel as if it is comparable to two different experiences. Number one: watching a Lifetime Channel movie. Number two: reading some random author you found at 2 am on Wattpad.

Since the very beginning, I was not feeling it fully. While reading the summary, I thought it was going to be a thriller I ended up really enjoying, but obviously, this was not the case for me. The way it was executed ruined it completely.

The Penny and Michael moments were so CRINGE!!! It made me want to put the book down every time they conversed with each other. I tried to push through it, but I ended up having to skim their conversations. It felt like neither character had any brain cells.

The depiction of being a police officer and their duties was poorly shown. I mean, I know it is a fictional story, but the accuracy went out the window. Also, what rookie cop would immediately break the law outwardly for other officers to see?

The way the author wrote this book felt as if she were trying to stay up-to-date with today's lingo, but it made the reading experience worse. One of the adult characters legitimately said "YOLO." At that point, I knew nothing was going to make this book better for me.

The last thing I did not like was the incredibly predictable ending. It could not have been more cliché.

Thank you NetGalley, William Morrow, and Joshilyn Jackson for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Profile Image for Kristy.
1,398 reviews208 followers
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
December 29, 2025
Twins Penny and Nix grew up incredibly close, but Penny lost Nix to a drug addiction. Nix's last voicemail has haunted Penny for five years. Now Penny's a rookie cop, hoping to save others from Nix's fate. But on one of her early training cases, she recognizes the victim as one of the men she blames for her sister's death. While on scene, she comes across a woman covered in blood, a weapon by her side.

Incredulously (seriously, it seems a shocking way to start this book!), Penny lets the woman go, thinking her whispered "sisters" has ties to Nix. She pockets the box cutter this woman was holding and lies to her training officers and fellow cops. The woman vanishes, but of course, Penny's behavior is suspicious, leading to a suspension.

What follows is a story that focuses both on Penny's feelings about Nix's passing and the death of the man she blames for Nix's death. A few of the outcomes seem a bit obvious but other twists are excellent and surprising. This is a dark and gory story, with a focus on the dangers of drug addiction. It also delves into sisterhood and the complicated feelings that family can dredge up.

Penny is a tough woman, even if she makes some questionable decisions. Her love for Nix shines through the story, giving it added depth and dimension. This is a complicated, dark, and twisty tale.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and William Morrow in return for an unbiased review.
Profile Image for Doreen.
363 reviews4 followers
September 21, 2025
I have enjoyed many of Jackson's novels and this one is no exception, even with the slow start. However, once it got going, I was invested. Penny, is still haunted by her twin's death and her inability to have saved her. And she has blew up her entire life, doing a 360 and now a rookie cop. They are called to a murder scene and it turns out, Penny recognizes the man--it is someone one who play a hand in her twin's downward spiral. As she is securing the scene, she follows a scent that leads her to a blood soak, box cutter holding woman. Penny wonders how she is connected to her sister. How could this woman know about this man's past. And so, the woman disappears with only hinting that this is about "sisters" Now Penny obsessively wants to know this woman's story as she is positive they are linked to her. In the meantime, she has been suspended as it does look like she is interfering with the investgation..that is if they can prove she actually did she the murderer. As Penny tries to unravel this riddle, her brother returns, needing to act more like a father to his daughter Shadow (terrible name--that has to go) He believes it was his sister that killed the man.
Loved the twists and the different story angles. Many charcters have a secret to tell. I liked being entertained and don't mind a little extra crazy. Certainly the end left an opening for the character.
23 reviews1 follower
September 2, 2025
Penny is a rookie cop who just stumbled upon her first murder scene, but as she is looking at the body, she realizes she knows the victim. Penny had a twin, Nix, who was raped and then subsequently died from an overdose years prior. This murder victim is one of the men who raped her sister. Feeling a since a happiness and relief that the man is now dead, she is asked to secure the scene with crime tape. While she is doing that she stumbles upon the killer, a woman who has a box cutter and blood-soaked clothes. Penny feels a connection with this woman and the reason for the murder…. “sisters.” Penny lets this woman go but keeps the box cutter. After being suspended from the force, Penny is on a mission to find this woman and find out if she knew her sister. The book takes the reader on a journey of finding out you don’t always know the people closest to you, and sometimes revenge is okay.
The book started a little slow and I didn’t love the style of writing which is why I gave it a 4, but then it transformed and was very fast paced, and I couldn’t put it down! I loved the characters and how Penny was learning about them at the same time as the reader was. It made for a great story and the ending was left open for hopefully a next book!
856 reviews11 followers
October 10, 2025
3.5 ⭐️’s
Penny Albright is still desperately missing her twin sister, Nix. After a tragic occurrence Nix went down a bad path and ended up dead. There’s not a day that goes by that Penny doesn’t talk with Nix, even though Nix can’t reply. Leaving behind only a garbled voice message, Penny remains haunted by the turn of events. Seeking her own kind of justice, Penny joins the police force, but when a murder takes place and Penny catches the suspect, she does something she’s not aware that she’s capable of when she recognizes the victim. Now Penny’s actions are under suspicion in her own murder case. Did she do the right thing or was she overwhelmed by her own emotions. Meanwhile her 16 year old niece has been suspended for hacking and her wayward brother has finally come home for a visit, but will he run at the first sign of trouble? What about Michael, Nix’s old boyfriend that’s come out of the woodwork? Will there be a second chance for him with an Albright sister? This book has several good twists, but someone didn’t flow the way I would have liked it to. A good read that looks like it’s the beginning of a series. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.
Profile Image for Hailey Rae Griffin ✨.
179 reviews7 followers
November 9, 2025
📚 eARC Review 📚

Wow. I’m honestly sitting here in awe after finishing this book — this was my first time reading something by Joshilyn, and I’m kicking myself for not picking up her work sooner. From the title Missing Sister, I thought I knew where this story was heading, but what I got instead was something so much deeper, more emotional, and absolutely unexpected.

This story takes two seemingly separate lives and slowly weaves them together in a way that completely caught me off guard. It’s heartfelt and raw — showing how grief affects each person in a family differently and how far we’ll go to rewrite our own stories in the wake of loss. There’s something profoundly human about the way this book handles pain, love, and redemption.

And then that twist — about 85% through — completely floored me. I literally had to reread the page to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. I never saw it coming, and it changed everything I thought I knew about the book. The epilogue wrapped it up so perfectly, giving me that bittersweet sense of closure I always crave after a story that really gets under my skin.

An easy 5-star read for me — emotional, beautifully written, and full of surprises that will stick with me for a long time.
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