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The Missing Ones
In an exclusive and close-knit community, the secrets of the past threaten to destroy three women in a shocking novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author A. R. Torre.
Behind the manicured lawns and guarded gates of Crestmore Estates lies a neighborhood built on secrets.
Five years ago, three residents vanished without a trace. No bodies. No answers. Just rumors, whispered around the country club. Now, when human remains surface on the golf course, old suspicions rematerialize—and the spotlight falls on the women left behind.
Andrea Kendal knows what people think—that her brilliant surgeon husband had something to do with his first wife’s bloody disappearance. Sara Batcher has spent years defending herself against accusations that she killed her husband. And Katie Morrow, the community’s youngest trophy wife, can’t escape the suspicious shadows cast by her husband’s ex-wife.
As the investigation circles closer, the wives find themselves bound together by fear, betrayal, and the ghosts of the missing. In a neighborhood where appearances are everything, each must decide what she’ll sacrifice to protect her carefully constructed life—before someone else decides to shatter them all.
Behind the manicured lawns and guarded gates of Crestmore Estates lies a neighborhood built on secrets.
Five years ago, three residents vanished without a trace. No bodies. No answers. Just rumors, whispered around the country club. Now, when human remains surface on the golf course, old suspicions rematerialize—and the spotlight falls on the women left behind.
Andrea Kendal knows what people think—that her brilliant surgeon husband had something to do with his first wife’s bloody disappearance. Sara Batcher has spent years defending herself against accusations that she killed her husband. And Katie Morrow, the community’s youngest trophy wife, can’t escape the suspicious shadows cast by her husband’s ex-wife.
As the investigation circles closer, the wives find themselves bound together by fear, betrayal, and the ghosts of the missing. In a neighborhood where appearances are everything, each must decide what she’ll sacrifice to protect her carefully constructed life—before someone else decides to shatter them all.
304 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2026
About the author
A.R. Torre
12 books11.7k followersHi there—welcome to my little corner of Goodreads! I'm AR Torre, and I write dark, twisty fiction that digs into the messiest parts of human nature. Whether it's psychological thrillers, domestic suspense, or stories about love gone dangerously wrong, my books tend to explore the line between good and evil—and what happens when people cross it.
You might know me from The Girl in 6E series, which follows a reclusive cam girl with violent urges, or my standalone domestic suspense novels that blend complex female leads with secrets, drama, and a few dead bodies. I’m drawn to morally gray characters, layered relationships, and plots that keep you flipping pages late into the night.
Outside of writing, I live in Key West, Florida, where I spend my days plotting murders (on paper), drinking (and roasting) coffee, and soaking up the sunshine. I’m also Alessandra Torre in my other author life, where I write romance.
Thanks for visiting—please follow me here on Goodreads where I read every single review. Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts (good or bad!) on my books. I sincerely appreciate the feedback and support.
You might know me from The Girl in 6E series, which follows a reclusive cam girl with violent urges, or my standalone domestic suspense novels that blend complex female leads with secrets, drama, and a few dead bodies. I’m drawn to morally gray characters, layered relationships, and plots that keep you flipping pages late into the night.
Outside of writing, I live in Key West, Florida, where I spend my days plotting murders (on paper), drinking (and roasting) coffee, and soaking up the sunshine. I’m also Alessandra Torre in my other author life, where I write romance.
Thanks for visiting—please follow me here on Goodreads where I read every single review. Thank you in advance for sharing your thoughts (good or bad!) on my books. I sincerely appreciate the feedback and support.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 714 reviews
April 19, 2026
Took me a bit to get oriented with all the characters and who’s who but once I did I was hooked. Domestic thrillers about rich people with questionable morals is always gonna be my jam. This would be a great beach read!
Currently Reading
November 26, 2025Coming April 2025!
Out of all of my books, this one might end up being my favorite. To say that I had fun while writing this story is an understatement. This story took over my mind and held it hostage as I unraveled the worlds of three women who were all affected by a summer, five years earlier.
This is a neighborhood where everyone's got secrets and where the perfect image is just that: an image. And then I dropped a dead body into it and watched as three women—Katie, Andrea, and Sara—navigate the fallout.
This is the kind of book where you think you know who's guilty, then you don't, and then you realize you've been missing the real story all along. It's got mystery and scandal and moral complexity, but it's also genuinely fun. When I was writing these women, they all felt (and still feel) real to me. They are flawed and complicated and sometimes terrible and sometimes noble.
If you loved the dark humor and plots of my previous books (The Last Party and A Happy Marriage), you already know what you're getting. But if you're new to my books, think of this as Big Little Lies meets a darker Desperate Housewives. This is a neighborhood mystery where everyone's involved and no one's innocent.
This book is perfect if you love:
- Unreliable narrators
- Stories told from multiple perspectives
- A mystery that actually surprises you
- Dark humor woven through serious moments
- Complex female characters
- Plot twists and more plot twists
Please add it to your TBR now. I genuinely can't wait for you to meet the ladies of Crestmore Estates.
Trust me. You'll want to know what they did.
😉 Alessandra
Out of all of my books, this one might end up being my favorite. To say that I had fun while writing this story is an understatement. This story took over my mind and held it hostage as I unraveled the worlds of three women who were all affected by a summer, five years earlier.
This is a neighborhood where everyone's got secrets and where the perfect image is just that: an image. And then I dropped a dead body into it and watched as three women—Katie, Andrea, and Sara—navigate the fallout.
This is the kind of book where you think you know who's guilty, then you don't, and then you realize you've been missing the real story all along. It's got mystery and scandal and moral complexity, but it's also genuinely fun. When I was writing these women, they all felt (and still feel) real to me. They are flawed and complicated and sometimes terrible and sometimes noble.
If you loved the dark humor and plots of my previous books (The Last Party and A Happy Marriage), you already know what you're getting. But if you're new to my books, think of this as Big Little Lies meets a darker Desperate Housewives. This is a neighborhood mystery where everyone's involved and no one's innocent.
This book is perfect if you love:
- Unreliable narrators
- Stories told from multiple perspectives
- A mystery that actually surprises you
- Dark humor woven through serious moments
- Complex female characters
- Plot twists and more plot twists
Please add it to your TBR now. I genuinely can't wait for you to meet the ladies of Crestmore Estates.
Trust me. You'll want to know what they did.
😉 Alessandra
April 20, 2026
ME🤝 Reading about rich people and their drama
In The Missing Ones five years ago, three residents vanished without a trace. There were no bodies or answers, just rumours, whispered around the country club. Now, when human remains surface on the golf course, old suspicions rematerialize—and the spotlight falls on the women left behind.
I eat up gated community drama every time and when I read the blurb for this book I just knew I wanted to read it! I enjoyed bouncing between each chapter about the three main women and learning a bit more about their backstory.
The mystery and suspense were mild, and I kept reading on wanting more electrifying reveals and twists, but it didn’t really arrive, except one revelation which was truly scandalous!
The plot was great, but I felt it could have been executed a bit better and I wasn’t completely wowed.
The chapters are short and it is a very easy read; it just lacked a bit more excitement.
With that said I very much enjoy this author work and will continue to read her books as she is extremely talented.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
Yup I am ready to be grabbed up into twistedness of it all!
Love this authors work!
Excited to read this one!
💜🤍💜
In The Missing Ones five years ago, three residents vanished without a trace. There were no bodies or answers, just rumours, whispered around the country club. Now, when human remains surface on the golf course, old suspicions rematerialize—and the spotlight falls on the women left behind.
I eat up gated community drama every time and when I read the blurb for this book I just knew I wanted to read it! I enjoyed bouncing between each chapter about the three main women and learning a bit more about their backstory.
The mystery and suspense were mild, and I kept reading on wanting more electrifying reveals and twists, but it didn’t really arrive, except one revelation which was truly scandalous!
The plot was great, but I felt it could have been executed a bit better and I wasn’t completely wowed.
The chapters are short and it is a very easy read; it just lacked a bit more excitement.
With that said I very much enjoy this author work and will continue to read her books as she is extremely talented.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
⋆｡°✩pre read⋆｡°✩
Yup I am ready to be grabbed up into twistedness of it all!
Love this authors work!
Excited to read this one!
💜🤍💜
April 16, 2026
I’m really disappointed with this. I’ve loved the authors previous work; but this was not at all as enticing and exciting. There was no real suspense, no feeling of wanting to know more. There were some surprises for sure, and a pretty dysfunctional relationship dynamic, but it just lacked excitement or wonder. I had hoped for so much more!
April 21, 2026
The Missing Ones is set in a wealthy gated community where three residents vanished five years ago without a trace. Now, human remains are found on the golf course, and all the old rumors come back. The story follows three women connected to the missing people, and we slowly learn their secrets and what really happened. I always enjoy this kind of neighborhood drama, and the setting really pulled me in.
The book is an easy, quick read with short chapters, and I liked how it moved between the different women and their backstories. There was a lot of gossip and tension, which kept me interested, and I enjoyed uncovering the secrets along the way. There were a couple of good twists, and one reveal in particular was quite shocking.
That said, it didn’t fully wow me. The suspense felt a bit mild, and I kept waiting for bigger, more exciting twists that never really came. Some of the characters were hard to tell apart, and the multiple points of view felt a bit unnecessary at times. Overall, I liked it and found it entertaining, but it’s not my favorite from Torre.
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
The book is an easy, quick read with short chapters, and I liked how it moved between the different women and their backstories. There was a lot of gossip and tension, which kept me interested, and I enjoyed uncovering the secrets along the way. There were a couple of good twists, and one reveal in particular was quite shocking.
That said, it didn’t fully wow me. The suspense felt a bit mild, and I kept waiting for bigger, more exciting twists that never really came. Some of the characters were hard to tell apart, and the multiple points of view felt a bit unnecessary at times. Overall, I liked it and found it entertaining, but it’s not my favorite from Torre.
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Crestmore Estates - a gated community for the wealthy elite. A place where the privileged play golf, sip the best wine and scotch, all while lounging in mansions with their luxury vehicles tucked safely behind closed garage doors. A place of safety.
Until three residents go missing.
Five years previous to the start of the novel David, Willow, and Roxanne all disappear.
The spouses left behind are all under scrutiny.
Present Day:
Sarah, David's wife and successful business woman, is shunned by her neighbors but she doesn't care. She knows she had nothing to do with his disappearance.
Mark, Willow's husband and successful sports manager, has remarried to Katie. Neighbors can't understand what he see's in her as she is the polar opposite of the life-of-the party Willow.
Eric, Roxanne's husband and successful surgeon, has remarried to trophy wife Andrea and has taken in her son from a previous relationship. They also have a one child together.
Then remains of a body are found in a lake on the golf course.
Whose body is it and who's secrets are about to spill? You'll have to read this to find out!
I love AR Torre but this one missed the mark for me.
To be fair, this is a page-turner compromised of the shorty zippy chapters I've come to love with Torre. She easily lures you into her web of secrets and lies making you savor just one more chapter.
Then another, and another.
But....
I had a very difficult time distinguishing between our ladies. I found Katie and Andrea almost interchangeable and had to remind myself throughout the entirety of the book who was who. Sarah was the only one that stood out from the rich trophy wife cliché.
This is most definitely a "me" thing but I am sick of reading about insanely rich people and their so-called problems. If fascist America has taught me anything it's that the top 1% is compromised of mostly depraved and deranged individuals. I can't fault Torre for this as I chose this book knowing what it was about. Still, I was irked.
Lastly, the denouement. Talk about gross. I can't really discuss it due to spoilers but I'll remind you again: Depraved and deranged and I'll leave it at that.
Other readers and Torre fans are loving this so please read their reviews for a more positive perspective. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy.
Until three residents go missing.
Five years previous to the start of the novel David, Willow, and Roxanne all disappear.
The spouses left behind are all under scrutiny.
Present Day:
Sarah, David's wife and successful business woman, is shunned by her neighbors but she doesn't care. She knows she had nothing to do with his disappearance.
Mark, Willow's husband and successful sports manager, has remarried to Katie. Neighbors can't understand what he see's in her as she is the polar opposite of the life-of-the party Willow.
Eric, Roxanne's husband and successful surgeon, has remarried to trophy wife Andrea and has taken in her son from a previous relationship. They also have a one child together.
Then remains of a body are found in a lake on the golf course.
Whose body is it and who's secrets are about to spill? You'll have to read this to find out!
I love AR Torre but this one missed the mark for me.
To be fair, this is a page-turner compromised of the shorty zippy chapters I've come to love with Torre. She easily lures you into her web of secrets and lies making you savor just one more chapter.
Then another, and another.
But....
I had a very difficult time distinguishing between our ladies. I found Katie and Andrea almost interchangeable and had to remind myself throughout the entirety of the book who was who. Sarah was the only one that stood out from the rich trophy wife cliché.
This is most definitely a "me" thing but I am sick of reading about insanely rich people and their so-called problems. If fascist America has taught me anything it's that the top 1% is compromised of mostly depraved and deranged individuals. I can't fault Torre for this as I chose this book knowing what it was about. Still, I was irked.
Lastly, the denouement. Talk about gross. I can't really discuss it due to spoilers but I'll remind you again: Depraved and deranged and I'll leave it at that.
Other readers and Torre fans are loving this so please read their reviews for a more positive perspective. 3 stars!
Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for my complimentary copy.
October 20, 2025
This one started off so good and never let up! I love this author and this might be my fav book yet by her! One of the best books I have read this year. 🖤
3 people disappeared years ago and now, a body part is found raising everyone’s suspicions again about what happened.
I loved the gossipy format of the beginning of each chapter with quotes from people around the neighborhood. This is multi POV, but not confusing and very well done. I ateeee this up! I want to see more of these crazy people, can we get another one?!
The twists and turns were awesome. I had no idea what was going to happen next. I loved every character and how they all tied in together. I honestly could have read this all in one sitting if I wasn’t so busy, because it was that good. Also can we praise this author for short chapters!
Read this if you like thrillers with twists and turns! 🖤
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
3 people disappeared years ago and now, a body part is found raising everyone’s suspicions again about what happened.
I loved the gossipy format of the beginning of each chapter with quotes from people around the neighborhood. This is multi POV, but not confusing and very well done. I ateeee this up! I want to see more of these crazy people, can we get another one?!
The twists and turns were awesome. I had no idea what was going to happen next. I loved every character and how they all tied in together. I honestly could have read this all in one sitting if I wasn’t so busy, because it was that good. Also can we praise this author for short chapters!
Read this if you like thrillers with twists and turns! 🖤
Thank you to netgalley for this free advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
May 2, 2026
I'm a big fan of A.R.Torre, but this one fell short of my expectations. Full of gossip, rumors, secrets and scandals, the short chapters moved the story along at a good pace. But I was unable to relate to these super-rich characters behaving badly, and they were not distinctive enough to keep them straight. Although there were a few shocking revelations later in the book, the story was lacking the suspense I was hoping for.
January 13, 2026
How many authors can you name capable of writing messy stories with a crazy amount of subplots and characters to remember, and doing it so gracefully that you get addicted to them?
A.R. Torre's books are just perfection for me: an easy, fast-paced story about something mundane with one or more plot twists that I don't always catch.
A beach read, a good book to snuggle with under a blanket, something to get you out of a slump or to change the mood in your readings… you name it, I bet she fits the situation.
↠ 3.5 stars
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
A.R. Torre's books are just perfection for me: an easy, fast-paced story about something mundane with one or more plot twists that I don't always catch.
A beach read, a good book to snuggle with under a blanket, something to get you out of a slump or to change the mood in your readings… you name it, I bet she fits the situation.
↠ 3.5 stars
Thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
November 8, 2025
I’m elated that Thriller Book Lovers scored early copies of A.R. Torre’s latest, “The Missing Ones!” Every book of hers sweeps me up from page one and refuses to let go. There was no chance I could have waited until April to dive in, so huge thanks to Thriller Book Lovers for making my month!
“The Missing Ones” by A.R. Torre is like Desperate Housewives crashing into Big Little Lies with a few extra skeletons rattling around the closet. I tore through this book the way I used to inhale gossip at the high school lunch tables.
Crestmore Estates is your classic picture‑perfect neighborhood (total DH vibe) where the hedges are perfectly manicured, the smiles are chilling, and every cul‑de‑sac hides something scandalous or dangerous. When bones surface on the golf course, three women tangled in suspicions, shaky marriages, and whispered scandals suddenly find themselves in the spotlight. And no one here is as innocent (or guilty) as they look.
Torre is one of those authors I’ll pick up without even glancing at the blurb. Just hand me the book and get out of my way. Her writing has this addictive mix of emotional punch and juicy intrigue that makes you forget to blink and sometimes breathe! The pacing starts like a slow pour of fine wine, then suddenly, bam! it hits you like a shot of tequila on an empty stomach.
If you like your thrillers twisty and your characters unpredictably messy, “The Missing Ones” belongs on your nightstand. No questions, this is a five-star read for me. Just a heads‑up: once you crack it open, Crestmore’s secrets won’t let you go.
Thanks to A.R. Torre, Thomas & Mercer, and The Pulse for this ARC via NetGalley. As always, my opinions are all my own.
#TheMissingOnes #ARTorre #CapCut #ThrillerBookLoversThePulse #ThomasandMercer #NetGalley
“The Missing Ones” by A.R. Torre is like Desperate Housewives crashing into Big Little Lies with a few extra skeletons rattling around the closet. I tore through this book the way I used to inhale gossip at the high school lunch tables.
Crestmore Estates is your classic picture‑perfect neighborhood (total DH vibe) where the hedges are perfectly manicured, the smiles are chilling, and every cul‑de‑sac hides something scandalous or dangerous. When bones surface on the golf course, three women tangled in suspicions, shaky marriages, and whispered scandals suddenly find themselves in the spotlight. And no one here is as innocent (or guilty) as they look.
Torre is one of those authors I’ll pick up without even glancing at the blurb. Just hand me the book and get out of my way. Her writing has this addictive mix of emotional punch and juicy intrigue that makes you forget to blink and sometimes breathe! The pacing starts like a slow pour of fine wine, then suddenly, bam! it hits you like a shot of tequila on an empty stomach.
If you like your thrillers twisty and your characters unpredictably messy, “The Missing Ones” belongs on your nightstand. No questions, this is a five-star read for me. Just a heads‑up: once you crack it open, Crestmore’s secrets won’t let you go.
Thanks to A.R. Torre, Thomas & Mercer, and The Pulse for this ARC via NetGalley. As always, my opinions are all my own.
#TheMissingOnes #ARTorre #CapCut #ThrillerBookLoversThePulse #ThomasandMercer #NetGalley
December 14, 2025
I love AR Torre books she’s a go to author for me but this one was a little bit of a miss for me. I feel it could be a me problem though and not a book problem. I wasn’t very invested in the characters because I had a difficult time keep tracking of who was who. I found a lot of the characters to be annoying. The plot was great and I really wanted to connect more because the premise was there I just didn’t connect with the execution as much as I usually do.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my advanced readers copy all opinions are my own.
Blurb:
Behind the manicured lawns and guarded gates of Crestmore Estates lies a neighborhood built on secrets.
Five years ago, three residents vanished without a trace. No bodies. No answers. Just rumors, whispered around the country club. Now, when human remains surface on the golf course, old suspicions rematerialize—and the spotlight falls on the women left behind.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for my advanced readers copy all opinions are my own.
Blurb:
Behind the manicured lawns and guarded gates of Crestmore Estates lies a neighborhood built on secrets.
Five years ago, three residents vanished without a trace. No bodies. No answers. Just rumors, whispered around the country club. Now, when human remains surface on the golf course, old suspicions rematerialize—and the spotlight falls on the women left behind.
October 19, 2025
Loved this book ... So many twists going on. Lots of characters but how it's written very easy to keep them straight. Twist after twist after twist. I loved how it was done in stages and the way the beginning of each chapter began was just brilliant.
Thanks to the author the publisher and Netgalley for a early release of this book
Thanks to the author the publisher and Netgalley for a early release of this book
April 25, 2026
In the pristine and controlled world of Crestmore Estates, perfection is part of the architecture. Manicured lawns, luxury homes, and carefully curated lives give the illusion that nothing could go wrong. But five years ago, three people vanished without explanation, and the neighborhood quietly learned how to live with the questions. Until human remains are discovered on the golf course. As the investigation begins, suspicion starts to coil around three women each connected to the disappearances in ways they'd rather keep buried. Andrea, whose husband's past may not be as clean as it seems. Sara, long shadowed by rumors about what happened to her husband. And Katie, living in the aftermath of the disappearance of a woman her husband loved before. Nothing truly disappears in Crestmore Estates... it just waits to be uncovered.
The Missing Ones pulled me in with its glossy picture perfect neighborhood... then slowly the rot began to show itself. Everyone in Crestmore Estates looks like they have it all together, but the deeper you go, the more it feels like everyone is hiding something. The multiple POVs were addictive and messy in the best way! No one is fully innocent and no one is fully honest. Exactly how I like my thrillers! And the tension? Not loud or chaotic. It's that slow burn kind that sits on you and refuses to move. The kind where you know something is wrong, you just can't prove it yet. A.R Torre didn't just give us a mystery, she gave us a neighborhood full of secrets, power plays, and perfectly curated lies. If you love thrillers where everyone is suspicious and the drama is just as sharp as the twists, this one deserves a place on your TBR!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, A. R Torre, and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC! And thank you to otrpr for the physical copy and including me on this blog tour!
The Missing Ones pulled me in with its glossy picture perfect neighborhood... then slowly the rot began to show itself. Everyone in Crestmore Estates looks like they have it all together, but the deeper you go, the more it feels like everyone is hiding something. The multiple POVs were addictive and messy in the best way! No one is fully innocent and no one is fully honest. Exactly how I like my thrillers! And the tension? Not loud or chaotic. It's that slow burn kind that sits on you and refuses to move. The kind where you know something is wrong, you just can't prove it yet. A.R Torre didn't just give us a mystery, she gave us a neighborhood full of secrets, power plays, and perfectly curated lies. If you love thrillers where everyone is suspicious and the drama is just as sharp as the twists, this one deserves a place on your TBR!
Thank you so much to NetGalley, A. R Torre, and Thomas & Mercer for this eARC! And thank you to otrpr for the physical copy and including me on this blog tour!
April 12, 2026
Going to be honest, this was not my favorite by this author, but I did enjoy it. RTC!
April 18, 2026
Some of these authors just be writing anything at this point.
October 17, 2025
As always, a superb read from one of my favourite must read authors!
I loved the suburb feel to the location of the events, I also loved how all the chapters changed POV and began with a quoted opinion from somebody of said character, it gave almost a “mean girls” gossip vibe to it. I knew pretty soon in that I would be a fan of these characters even if they had done something questionable / illegal 😂😂
As always the book was fast paced with short chapters, lots of tension and suspicious behaviour with lots of surprise twist.
This is definitely one of my favourites by this author! I had a great time reading, expect to be up all night with a bowl of popcorn while you devour this book 😂
Thank you for the gifted copy!
Publishes - April 14th 2026
I loved the suburb feel to the location of the events, I also loved how all the chapters changed POV and began with a quoted opinion from somebody of said character, it gave almost a “mean girls” gossip vibe to it. I knew pretty soon in that I would be a fan of these characters even if they had done something questionable / illegal 😂😂
As always the book was fast paced with short chapters, lots of tension and suspicious behaviour with lots of surprise twist.
This is definitely one of my favourites by this author! I had a great time reading, expect to be up all night with a bowl of popcorn while you devour this book 😂
Thank you for the gifted copy!
Publishes - April 14th 2026
April 14, 2026
The Missing Ones 4⭐️
AR Torre’s writing style is great! The dialogue is realistic. The chapters are short. The story and characters are complex and full of depth.
This gated community had quite the rough patch 5 years earlier when 3 of the residents go missing, but now the past is catching up to everyone when remains are found. The beginning started slowly. It was not so much about the mysterious remains, but more about the characters, community, and relationships. It took some time for me to wrap my head around 3 missing people, all around the same timeframe, in a quiet community. Soon I was completely enthralled in the short chapters quickly jumping from one POV to the next, bringing all the pieces together.
I absolutely loved the anon community quote transitions at the beginning of every chapter. It pulled together the reality of gossipy community.
Pub Date Apr 14 2026
AR Torre’s writing style is great! The dialogue is realistic. The chapters are short. The story and characters are complex and full of depth.
This gated community had quite the rough patch 5 years earlier when 3 of the residents go missing, but now the past is catching up to everyone when remains are found. The beginning started slowly. It was not so much about the mysterious remains, but more about the characters, community, and relationships. It took some time for me to wrap my head around 3 missing people, all around the same timeframe, in a quiet community. Soon I was completely enthralled in the short chapters quickly jumping from one POV to the next, bringing all the pieces together.
I absolutely loved the anon community quote transitions at the beginning of every chapter. It pulled together the reality of gossipy community.
Pub Date Apr 14 2026
April 24, 2026
I was constantly confused with the characters🤦♀️
December 16, 2025
Five years ago, three residents vanished without a trace. What unfolds is a tense, twisty story told through three unreliable POVs:
✨Andrea - married to Eric, a respected surgeon whose wife, Roxanne, was brutally attacked and disappeared
✨Sara - married to David, a man with a secret pill addiction who is now missing—and neighborhood gossip is quick to point fingers
✨Katie - married to Mark, whose wife Willow vanished shortly after Mark disappeared
This is a classic suburban noir thriller set in an ultra-wealthy San Francisco neighborhood: country clubs, house managers, perfect lawns… and very ugly secrets behind closed doors.
One of my favorite touches? The juicy gossip-style tidbits that open each chapter. Immediate intrigue. 👀
I’ll be honest: I struggled a bit at first keeping the three women straight (yes, notes were taken 🫣👵🏻), but once everything clicked, and the twists started stacking, I absolutely flew through it. Every theory I had? Wrong. Everyone has secrets. Everyone is a suspect. Torre keeps you guessing until the very end.
Final Verdict: 👍 A fast-paced, twisty suburban popcorn thriller packed with deception, lies, and the extreme lengths people will go to keep their secrets buried.
✨Andrea - married to Eric, a respected surgeon whose wife, Roxanne, was brutally attacked and disappeared
✨Sara - married to David, a man with a secret pill addiction who is now missing—and neighborhood gossip is quick to point fingers
✨Katie - married to Mark, whose wife Willow vanished shortly after Mark disappeared
This is a classic suburban noir thriller set in an ultra-wealthy San Francisco neighborhood: country clubs, house managers, perfect lawns… and very ugly secrets behind closed doors.
One of my favorite touches? The juicy gossip-style tidbits that open each chapter. Immediate intrigue. 👀
I’ll be honest: I struggled a bit at first keeping the three women straight (yes, notes were taken 🫣👵🏻), but once everything clicked, and the twists started stacking, I absolutely flew through it. Every theory I had? Wrong. Everyone has secrets. Everyone is a suspect. Torre keeps you guessing until the very end.
Final Verdict: 👍 A fast-paced, twisty suburban popcorn thriller packed with deception, lies, and the extreme lengths people will go to keep their secrets buried.
November 4, 2025
THE MISSING ONES BY A. R. TORRE.
Release day set for the 14th of April 2026.
5 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s.
Goodness me did I eat this book up.
I loved the storyline and plot.
I loved the setting for the story and how it was told.
Some books are just a bit of me and this is one of them.
One of the best books I've read this year so far.
Absolutely brilliant I loved it so much.
This is my first book by this author and I'll be going back and reading all her others for sure.
Highly recommend this book
Release day set for the 14th of April 2026.
5 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s.
Goodness me did I eat this book up.
I loved the storyline and plot.
I loved the setting for the story and how it was told.
Some books are just a bit of me and this is one of them.
One of the best books I've read this year so far.
Absolutely brilliant I loved it so much.
This is my first book by this author and I'll be going back and reading all her others for sure.
Highly recommend this book
April 30, 2026
I’m honestly still sitting here like… what did I just read? This one completely shocked me in the best way. It went in a direction I never expected, and I was hooked trying to piece it all together.
It had these Desperate Housewives vibes throughout, suburban, a little messy, secrets everywhere, but with a more left field type of twist underneath. Just when I thought I had a grasp on where it was going, it flipped everything.
The ending especially caught me off guard. I didn’t see it coming, and somehow I don’t think I’d even mind ending up in Katie’s situation the way it all played out.
Definitely a wild, unexpected read that kept me intrigued the entire time.
It had these Desperate Housewives vibes throughout, suburban, a little messy, secrets everywhere, but with a more left field type of twist underneath. Just when I thought I had a grasp on where it was going, it flipped everything.
The ending especially caught me off guard. I didn’t see it coming, and somehow I don’t think I’d even mind ending up in Katie’s situation the way it all played out.
Definitely a wild, unexpected read that kept me intrigued the entire time.
April 28, 2026
I really enjoyed this story. Think Pretty Little Liars, but they are grown, mega-rich, and totally unhinged. I loved how Torre built this world, where everything was polished on the outside with their mansions and perfect smiles, yet behind the walls, these characters are oh so messy. Their lies and secrets would destroy lives and it’s like everyone is hiding something! I read this in a few days because it was just 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 good.
October 25, 2025
The beginning of each chapter had a statement from an unnamed person. A little bit of gossip about the couple/woman of that chapter. This was the best part of the book. The chapters were short, which should have made the book feel fast-paced, but sometimes nothing interesting happened in the chapter. The characters were just okay, with some leaning towards unlikeable. The ending ruined the book for me, might've been 3 stars if it had all come together better. My least favorite character getting the "best" ending made it feel unsatisfying.
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.
Thanks to Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC.
May 13, 2026
This one was quick and fast paced, it was rich people drama with multiple POVs and super short chapters but it didn’t work for me unfortunately. I found it messy and didn’t like the end. I love A.R. Torre and her writing usually. It’s one to be pick if you’re looking for a quick read about rich people behaving horribly.
November 24, 2025
This book may be my favorite from A.R. Torre yet! I absolutely love domestic suspense thrillers, especially the ones that give us a peek behind the polished lives of the ultra-wealthy. As a teenager, I was obsessed with Desperate Housewives, and this book delivers all that delicious nostalgia, the secrets, the drama, the dark corners hiding behind those impressive houses.
The story centers on three people who vanished without a trace five years ago. No one knows whether their disappearances are connected, whether they’re alive or dead, or what really happened. Most residents of Crestmore have moved on, or at least pretend they have, until a body turns up in the neighborhood and the past refuses to stay buried.
It’s tense, addictive, and wonderfully messy in the best suburban-thriller way. Highly recommend!!!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC - all opinions are my own.
The story centers on three people who vanished without a trace five years ago. No one knows whether their disappearances are connected, whether they’re alive or dead, or what really happened. Most residents of Crestmore have moved on, or at least pretend they have, until a body turns up in the neighborhood and the past refuses to stay buried.
It’s tense, addictive, and wonderfully messy in the best suburban-thriller way. Highly recommend!!!
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC - all opinions are my own.
October 29, 2025
A.R. Torre never misses.
This one grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go. The pace, the layers, the way she builds suspense without ever overdoing it—classic (reliable) Torre but sharper. The tension is psychological, not just situational; every reveal hits like a tiny explosion, and by the end I was genuinely uneasy (in the best way).
The characters feel real in that messy, morally gray way I love—nobody’s fully innocent, and that makes every choice sting a little more. It’s eerie, emotional, and completely bingeable.
If you like thrillers that twist together guilt, obsession, and buried truth, The Missing Ones delivers it all with that signature Torre flair. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.
This one grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go. The pace, the layers, the way she builds suspense without ever overdoing it—classic (reliable) Torre but sharper. The tension is psychological, not just situational; every reveal hits like a tiny explosion, and by the end I was genuinely uneasy (in the best way).
The characters feel real in that messy, morally gray way I love—nobody’s fully innocent, and that makes every choice sting a little more. It’s eerie, emotional, and completely bingeable.
If you like thrillers that twist together guilt, obsession, and buried truth, The Missing Ones delivers it all with that signature Torre flair. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.
December 11, 2025
Five years ago, three residents of a posh gated community disappeared at different times, seemingly unrelated, and haven’t been seen since. But when human bones are found on the golf course surrounding the neighborhood, the spouses of the missing are once again in the spotlight. The Missing Ones is a clever thriller where the author strings the reader along (frustratingly so at times) with tons of questions and no answers (yet!). The thrill of the book is in the way the story unfolds leaving the reader eagerly anticipating the final puzzle pieces. Lots to like in this one, but have a little patience, let the plot evolve, and enjoy the delicious ending. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
October 17, 2025
This was so good!! The pacing, the reveals, everything was so intense. I did have a very hard time keeping the characters and their stories straight. I felt like my brain was working in overdrive. But I still thought the book was great.
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!
April 27, 2026
I had to sit on this for a day to let my thoughts settle before reviewing. I think a solid 4 star is the appropriate rating for me because I did literally devour this in almost 24 hours from start to finish and that speaks for itself. Upon reflection I have to credit the author for this as she has expertly crafted a format that hooked me in and didn't let me go. The very short chapters, the multiple rotating POV between the wives and the little tidbits of interview blurbs from different people at the beginning of each chapter proved a hook, line and sinker which is extraordinary because when you think about it not all that much actually happens throughout the majority of the book!
We have 3 people who went missing from a rich gated community 5 years ago. When a dog uncovers a human bone the police immediately assume that it could be one of those missing people. We follow 2 of the new wives of the husband of 2 of the missing women and the wife of the missing man.
The majority of the book is centered around speculation, rumours and uncovering the backstory and secrets these individuals hide. The plot is not actually fast moving but to me it did feel like it was.
Prepare for the twists and reveals because one of them is shocking and disturbing so perhaps check your trigger warnings. The other clicked into place just before the reveal.
As someone who has read quite a few of A.R Torre's books, this was a solid enjoyable experience but not were her strengths lie. Personally for me it is her more unhinged characters that truly make her work shine.
I will always recommend her work. There has not been one book of hers is haven't devoured and enjoyed.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer publishing for providing me with a copy of the book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
We have 3 people who went missing from a rich gated community 5 years ago. When a dog uncovers a human bone the police immediately assume that it could be one of those missing people. We follow 2 of the new wives of the husband of 2 of the missing women and the wife of the missing man.
The majority of the book is centered around speculation, rumours and uncovering the backstory and secrets these individuals hide. The plot is not actually fast moving but to me it did feel like it was.
Prepare for the twists and reveals because one of them is shocking and disturbing so perhaps check your trigger warnings. The other clicked into place just before the reveal.
As someone who has read quite a few of A.R Torre's books, this was a solid enjoyable experience but not were her strengths lie. Personally for me it is her more unhinged characters that truly make her work shine.
I will always recommend her work. There has not been one book of hers is haven't devoured and enjoyed.
Many thanks to Thomas & Mercer publishing for providing me with a copy of the book for review via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
April 27, 2026
I went into The Missing Ones by A.R. Torre expecting a tense, twisty domestic thriller, and while it had all the right ingredients, it didn’t fully make an impact for me. Set in an affluent neighbourhood, the story follows multiple residents as a disappearance begins to expose the cracks beneath their carefully curated lives.
This kind of setup is always compelling, and there’s something quietly satisfying about watching these polished, controlled lives start to crack—especially when it becomes clear just how much they all have to hide.
Structurally, it worked well. The short chapters and multiple POVs kept things moving, and I liked the gossipy snippets at the start of each chapter, which were often the most engaging part.
That said, I struggled to stay fully invested. The suspense was there at times but felt muted, lacking that real spark, and I didn’t connect with the characters or find them particularly distinct.
A solid premise, but it didn’t fully deliver the intensity I was hoping for. Still, A.R. Torre is an author I’ll keep coming back to, and I’d still recommend this to fans of psychological suspense and domestic noir.
This kind of setup is always compelling, and there’s something quietly satisfying about watching these polished, controlled lives start to crack—especially when it becomes clear just how much they all have to hide.
Structurally, it worked well. The short chapters and multiple POVs kept things moving, and I liked the gossipy snippets at the start of each chapter, which were often the most engaging part.
That said, I struggled to stay fully invested. The suspense was there at times but felt muted, lacking that real spark, and I didn’t connect with the characters or find them particularly distinct.
A solid premise, but it didn’t fully deliver the intensity I was hoping for. Still, A.R. Torre is an author I’ll keep coming back to, and I’d still recommend this to fans of psychological suspense and domestic noir.
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