The Missing Ones

by A.R. Torre

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.

Genres: Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Suspense

297 pages, Kindle Edition

Expected publication April 15, 2026

About the author

Hi 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.

Reviews

[A.R. Torre]

Coming 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

[Casey Reads 🌸 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Laura Lovesreading]

Yup I am ready to be grabbed up into twistedness of it all!
Love this authors work!
I cant wait to read this one!
💜🤍💜

[Celeste Velocci (bookrecs_by_celeste) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Julie (JuJu) · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Diane Merritt · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Laura Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Heathers_readss · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

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!

[Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alessandra Torre really knows how to tell a story and whenever I see she has a new book out I get incredibly excited.

Half a decade ago, three lives vanished from an upscale enclave without warning. No clues. No closure. Just quiet murmurs behind champagne flutes and polite smiles at the country club. Now, skeletal remains discovered beneath the pristine fairways reignite long-dormant suspicions—and the focus shifts to the women who stayed behind.

As the investigation reopens old wounds, these women find themselves entangled in a web of secrets, judgment, and fear—where every glance hides a question, and every answer could unravel the life they have fought to protect.

A brilliantly crafted crime thriller brimming with secrecy, deception, and chaos, where every twist unravels a deeper lie and nothing is ever quite what it seems.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy, all opinions are my own.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Geneen Kudler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the ARC of The Missing Ones by A. R. Torre. I absolutely loved this book. I was immediately engaged and the storyline kept my attention till the end, with some twists and turns I didn’t expect. 5 years ago three people went missing from an exclusive golf course community. The story flips back and forth from the past and the present. Sara, Eric and Mark all miss their loved ones very much and have gotten on with their lives. Until, a human bone is found on the golf course, and that has everyone very nervous! I have read several of A. R. Torre’s books and this is the best one yet.

[Winter · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can always count on A.R. Torre to deliver an unputdownable twisty thriller! So many missing people, so many rumors. Whose remains did they find and how does it all tie together? This one has it all - lies, drama, and short chapters with alternating POV.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[✰ Bianca ✰ BJ's Book Blog ✰ · Rating 5 out of 5]

We're in as super rich community close to San Francisco.
Five years ago three people disappeared. We don't know if they were killed or if they just left their lives...or whatever happened to them.
Now the police found a corpse. And the spouses connected to the three missing people are worried that it will all start again. The interrogations. The looks. The suspicion.
What happened back then? Are the three guilty of ...things?
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT!

I really enjoyed reading this. It's a tiny bit confusing at first. We get each chapter from one of the spouses and before the chapter starts there's a gossipy bit from a reporter or cop interviewing somebody. But you get used to who is who pretty quickly. And we kind of like them all. We don't want them to be killers.
It's interesting to see all those little details and secrets and plot-twists.
I would so watch this as a movie!

THE MISSING ONES was a great Stepfordy Millionaire Mystery Novel. Read it!

If you can't click the buy-links
from your phone - click ► HERE!


💜 💜

[Chelsey (a_novel_idea11) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A.R. Torre gets me again! Just when I think I know what's going on, Torre rips the rug out from under me and surprises me with a twist I didn't even think to look for! And it's for this reason I will always pick up her books!

With the synopsis, The Missing Ones almost presents as a potential sci-fi novel. Three people mysteriously disappear around the same time. Aliens? Sub-plot line of The Leftovers or Manifest? Don't worry thriller lovers, Torre isn't pulling that kind of fast one on you! However, you may still end up speechless like me.

The Missing Ones follows three individuals whose spouses disappeared under mysterious circumstances about five years ago. At some point, they were each under scrutiny to be involved in their disappearances and now half a decade out, each is presumed dead. The two husbands have moved on (shocking? maybe not) and already gotten remarried. The sole wife is still acclimating to her life as a single woman with too much time on her hands. When a dog finds a bone that ends up being human remains, each again comes under the spotlight as the police attempt to find the rest of the body and identify the remains.

Secrets abound. Twists galore. Surprises around every corner. This definitely went in directions I never would have guessed and I loved the entire flip in formatting about 75% into the novel. Torre does an impeccable job answering questions I didn't know I had and giving me a nicely tied knot without doing an information dump/confessional as a final chapter.

All in all, Torre has done it again. I will forever be a fan because she just keeps surprising me and keeps coming up with unique novels and unexpected twists. She's a favorite of The Pulse and keeps proving to us over and over why she's a thriller queen!

Thank you to Thomas & Mercer for the copy. The Missing Ones is available 4/14/2026.

[Hayley Eisner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will always read anything A.R Torre writes and when I read the description of this book I was immediately hooked. I was drawn in from the very first chapter and absolutely flew through this. The ending was a bit of a let down for me, but overall and I really liked this one!

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

[Bethany Mock (bethanyburiedinbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

So excited that @thrillerbookloversthepulse got a hold of this one because I love this author! Thanks @amazonpublishing @alessandratorre4

It’s no secret I’m a huge A.R. Torre fan. She just gets how to write those addicting and slightly darker thrillers that I inhale in a single sitting and this one was no different.

The setting in this one is a perfectly manicured high end neighborhood where everything looks idyllic…well, that is until bones are unearthed and suddenly old rumors, missing people, and even reappearing people start bubbling to the surface. There is nothing like a little suburbia sprinkled with secrets to keep ya guessing. 👀

I absolutely loved the unreliable narrators in this one. Torre does such a great job making you doubt everyone which made this impossible to put down. I kept trying to guess the truth and still did not see that ending coming. IT. IS. JUICY.

This neighborhood is packed with suspicious characters, twists around every corner, and people you’re going to want to shake, side eye and scream at (which is honestly what made it even more fun). While The Last Party is still my top favorite from her this one was deliciously devious.

There are so many secrets hiding behind those pristine windows. If I lived there I’d be packing my bags but as a reader I absolutely loved peeking in. If you’ve loved her past books I think you’ll definitely enjoy this one!

[Susan Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard such great things about A.R. Torre's writing, but I hadn't read anything by her until now and I have got to say WOW, she did not disappoint. I love how the chapters started with the gossip/interview excerpt, it gave a unique twist/feel to the book. I started this book with literally no idea what the book was about, I had actually requested this ARC solely based on hearing about the author and from page one to the very end, the author went full throttle. I flew through the pages and before I knew it the book was over and it all wrapped up so nicely. There were so many twists throughout, and unique twists at that. Without giving any spoilers, my advice is to get your hands on this book when it releases!

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me hooked. I loved how each chapter you a had a little gossip about the character. Each character had story lines that had me guessing until the end.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

[Lu thrillskillsandchills · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

A.R. Torre is one of those authors I know I can rely on for a completely immersive, twisty ride — and The Missing Ones is exactly that.
Set inside Crestmore Estates — a picture-perfect gated community hiding a web of lies. Three people vanished one summer, leaving three spouses under suspicion. Five years later, a single bone is found, and old secrets start clawing their way back to the surface.

This book nails everything I love about domestic suspense: short chapters, multiple POVs, a juicy undercurrent of gossip, and a cast of privileged, morally messy characters you can’t look away from. My favourite touch? The chapter-opening “quotes” from anonymous neighbours about each couple — snide, judgmental, and absolutely brilliant. They gave the story such a unique edge and had me grinning at every one.

It’s unpredictable, clever, and moves at just the right pace — a suburban soap opera meets a crime thriller. Torre ties her threads together seamlessly by the end, wrapping up a layered mystery that delivers on both tension and entertainment.

[Janna (Bibliophile Mom) · Rating 5 out of 5]

If it’s AR Torre, I’m in and no questions asked! I’ve been riding the AR Torre book train since day one, and let me tell you, it’s been a wild, twisty, and dark ride. Her thrillers are always mysterious and masterfully crafted. And those endings? Chef’s kiss! Breath taking, jaw-dropping, and never ever predictable. She knows how to keep a thriller-obsessed brain like mine on edge and flipping pages like everything depends on it.

The Missing Ones is no exception. This one dives deep into the haunting aftermath of three women (Andrea, Sarah, & Katie) whose lives were forever altered by the disappearance of 3 people five years ago. Set in a world of wealth, secrets, and carefully crafted facades, the story unravels the emotional wreckage left behind and the chilling truths buried beneath designer handbags and manicured lawns.

Each woman carries her own burden, and Torre doesn’t shy away from the messy, raw, and sometimes brutal realities of grief, reinvention, and betrayal. There’s cover-ups, questionable identities, & the realisation that not everyone who vanishes is meant to be found.

What I Liked:
❥ The plot that had me gasping!
❥ The fast-paced writing and alternating POVs that kept the tension high.
❥ The elite drama was just the right amount of scandalous (no over-the-top soap opera vibes).

What Didn't Feel Right:
❥ One character’s plastic surgery journey felt like it came straight out of a reality show.
❥ It took a few chapters to really hook me.
❥ One healthcare practitioner’s incompetence was so ridiculously portrayed.

Ratings Breakdown:
Setting - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Character Building - ���️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Writing Style - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Message - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Overall - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Overall, this book was an absolute thrill. AR Torre once again proves she’s the queen of suspense, putting together a story that’s equally emotional, eerie, and exhilarating. The characters were compelling, the setting was spot-on, and the plot was Perfection. My thriller-loving brain was screaming for more!

Huge thanks to Netgalley, Thomas & Mercer, and of course, the brilliant AR Torre for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

~JaNnA~

[buzy_reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the summer of 2021 when three residents of Crestmore disappeared leaving three spouses suspects. For five years this remained a cold case f no activity since no bodies were found. Now a bone has been recovered and police are searching for the rest of the bones to match one of the missing people. Residents of the Crestmore community are left wondering whose body will be found since three people went missing.
…
A.R. Torre delivers a delicious mystery about suspicious people who know something about that summer. While police investigate the bone, Torre spends time with each of the spouses sharing intimate information about their lives.
…
I didn’t know what to make of this story once I began reading. From the prologue it’s clear that there’s an incident that will further be discussed. Once Torre delved into each character sharing intimate details about the lives they currently lived I settled in for the ride. The reward for waiting in line for this twisty rollercoaster was worth it. No fast pass to the front just a slow and steady move towards the thrilling conclusion.
…
Torre certainly knows her way around a good mystery. Start with three missing people then uncover a human bone which leads to finding the body and you have yourself an interesting story. Then add in the multi-layers of secrets and this story moves up a level. What started as a simple missing person cold case slowly evolved into an extremely complex situation where the three remaining suspects were still trying to maintain their innocence.
…
Here’s a mystery not simple to solve. If you’re a reader who enjoys solving the crime I’m so sorry to inform you that you will be shocked by what transpired in this book. You will not see this one coming a mile away. Torre will not spill the beans until she’s ready so sit back and enjoy the ride.

[Peyton Maloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨📖 Book Review: The Missing Ones by A.R. Torre 📖✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Okayyy this one gave rich neighborhood drama meets dark secrets and scandalous lies — and I was here for it. 👀

We’re in this fancy-pants community full of perfect lawns, perfect smiles, and not-so-perfect wives. When the cops find a bone (yes… a literal bone 😬), everyone’s mask starts slipping. The story flips between three women’s POVs, and little by little, all their messy secrets start to unravel — affairs, betrayals, lies, you name it. It’s juicy in that “I-can’t-trust-anyone” kind of way.

Did it drag a bit in the middle? Yeah. But that ending made up for it — I did not see that plot twist coming! 😱🔥

If you liked Big Little Lies or anything with desperate-housewife energy, this one will totally suck you in. Perfect for a cozy night in with your Kindle, a blanket, and something warm to sip. ☕️💋

Huge thanks to NetGalley and A.R. Torre for the ARC! This one’s full of suburban secrets and unexpected turns — and I ate it up. 🫶🏼

[Jessica Thornton · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Missing Ones by A.R. Torre

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first read by A.R. Torre, and wow. It blew me away. I’ve seen her books floating around in tons of recommendation videos, and now I absolutely understand the hype!

The synopsis hooked me immediately: three people go missing in an exclusive golf course neighborhood? A place where the lawns are perfect but the secrets are darker than the ponds? Count me in.

Five years later, bones are discovered in one of those ponds, and the question becomes "who do they belong to, and what really happened?"

This fast-paced thriller told through the experiences of 4 major characters had me glued to the pages, saying “just one more chapter”. The twists kept coming, the pacing never slowed down, and I couldn’t stop reading until I had answers.

If you love suburban secrets, juicy mystery, and thrillers that actually surprise you — The Missing Ones delivers in every way. I’ll definitely be reading more from Torre!

⚠️ Trigger warnings: domestic violence, death, abuse, and some sexually explicit or uncomfortable content.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is fantastic and it isn’t even out yet. The characters are absolutely unhinged and not particularly likable until they are and then suddenly they aren’t again. Everyone is hiding something and no one feels safe to trust.

Around the 35% mark the twists start dropping and they are not small ones. I’m talking bomb after bomb with zero recovery time in between. Once it starts, it does not stop. I was fully sucked in and ended up reading this in one sitting.

A.R. Torre is at her absolute best here. If you loved Every Last Secret, The Last Party, or The Good Life, this is right up there with them. Sharp, messy, suspenseful, and completely addictive. An excellent way to end my 2025 reading year.

[Calista Andrechek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, A.R.Torre and Thomas & Mercer for the free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was another binge read from Torre! I loved the setting, the suspense and the suspicion all around these three families. The twists were perfectly timed and some of the characters just unlikeable enough to be invested in their lives.

[CL Kistner · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I LOVED this book. I loved the different POVs and the twists and turns I was not expecting. I can totally picture in my head what the scenes, setting, location and characters look like. I have a feeling this will get turned into a movie. I was happy that the book wasn’t overly gruesome, which is great for people who have light stomachs. I highlighted this book in a recent TikTok video!

I wish I could give 4.5 stars but I rounded down to 4.

[Melissa Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Three missing people, 5 years ago. How does it all connect? When bones are found on Crestmore estates, everyone’s secrets are on the verge of being revealed!

This story did a great job of not giving us too much upfront. You really had to be in it for the long haul to see how these stories connected. Lots of scandal and lots of surprises!

[BookstagramSam · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up. This one was so good. I had no idea where it was heading and the twists were not what I expected!

A. R Torre does such a great job keeping you engaged and guessing throughout.

Thank you NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for the gifted digital copy to review!