My Missing Boy

by D.L. Fisher, Jennifer Woodward (Narrator), Todd Boyce (Narrator)

It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, but it’s turned into a nightmare — my son is missing.

My son Cam is going to be a baseball star. He’s only thirteen but this trip is a huge opportunity for him. There are scouts from all the major baseball teams at this tournament. He is the one to watch.

The night before the tournament starts, Cam’s bed is found empty.

Everyone is a suspect.

People are always jealous of him — other kids, other parents. Even his own father.

Anyone could have taken him.

The police start digging into every corner of our lives. They want to know everything about us. Everything about our relationship. Every secret we’ve kept from each other.

They’re going to find out what I did.

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Suspense, Mystery Thriller

Audible Audio

First published July 6, 2023

Reviews

[Nina (ninjasbooks) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had so much potential, and if this was the first fisher book I’ve read I would probably have loved it much more. Buuuuut, since I’ve read another before that had some very similar plot twists (the diary who was actually written by someone else) I knew immediately who the culprit was, since she was the only one with enough knowledge to know the main character’s secret. Other than that I liked how it all played out, but the excitement wasn’t there due to me knowing who was behind it all.

[Michelle Callaghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok listen on audible. Bit unbelievable towards the end. But unfortunately it’s let down by the narrators. Their voices just grated on me.

[Kelley Burroughs · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this at all. It was a free audible. The narrator voices were so annoying. Also, the southern accents were waaaaay off target. It managed to be both contrived and predictable. Do not recommend.

[Alejandro Astorga · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is honestly unbearable. I would rather shove bamboo sticks under my fingernails than keep listening to it.

D. L. Fisher really needs to slow down. Instead of publishing three books a year, maybe focus on writing one truly good one. I actually believe she’s capable of it, which is why this is so frustrating.

I tried My Missing Boy as an audiobook and couldn’t even make it past 1 hour and 40 minutes. And I’m someone who almost never quits books. My rule is that once I start something, I finish it—even if it’s terrible. This is my first DNF in at least four years.

The problem isn’t the premise. The problem is the endless, suffocating over-detailing of things that do not matter. I enjoy when authors explore a character’s thoughts and motivations, but Fisher doesn’t explore—she wanders aimlessly into pointless tangents that add nothing to the story.

What’s worse is that if you’ve read her other books, the pattern becomes painfully obvious. I started with The Stepson, which I actually liked. Yes, it was a little redundant and overly explanatory, but it was still entertaining. After three books, though, the formula is impossible to ignore.

The first hour and a half of this book basically goes like this:

• “Look at me, I have the most perfect, gorgeous husband in the world. Also, I’m rich.”
• “I have a massive life-changing secret that no one knows about.”
• “But I can’t talk to my perfect husband about my suspicions because he’ll think I’m crazy.”
• “Also, here’s my unbelievably perfect friend—the kind of woman every man wants. Perfect body, perfect hair, perfect everything.”

If this sounds familiar, it’s because it is. It’s the same dynamic she already used in The Stepson and The Widower, just recycled with slightly different names.

At some point it stops feeling like storytelling and starts feeling like copy-paste writing with decorative adjectives.

If you enjoy extremely repetitive thrillers filled with unnecessary detail, you might like this. But for me it was exhausting, frustrating, and honestly ridiculous.

Congratulations, My Missing Boy: you broke a four-year streak and became my first DNF in ages.

If I have to hear one more time about Susan perfect melons I swear I'm going to scream

[Jill Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

The overall narration of this book was not great. The male narrator sounded very familiar and I liked his best, but there were odd mispronunciations throughout the book. The storyline was kind of all over the place. It was free on audible so I can’t complain too much. I finished it, and there was a decent twist.

[Angela Verry · Rating 5 out of 5]

WTF! These twists have twists! 🤯📚😱
Just when I thought I had it figured out—NOPE. Plot twist on top of plot twist!

[Hayley Gallant · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

* Thank you to the author for a copy of this ARC

Wow! Another hit for me by this author. Another book of hers where I have no idea what is going on and everyone is crazy unreliable all the way until the last page.

I found the ending to be a little unbelievable... until the last page and was like 🤯

You get:

• Unreliable characters/narrators
• Who did it?
• Missing child
• Fast pace
• Shorter read
• Twist & turns
• Great ending

If you haven't given this author a chance, you really should!

[Bookish Shann · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was free on audible so why not.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed 🫣 it was very predictable. It didn’t have any ‘wow’ moments for me. I had it figured it out before the damn detectives. The ‘twists’ weren’t really twists for me. Everyone was very unlikable and irritating.

If you read it or listen to it. I hope you like it !

[Chelleah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun, fast thriller that I flew through. The short chapters and constant cliffhangers definitely kept me saying, "Okay...just one more chapter."

It starts with 13-year-old Cam disappearing from his hotel room the night before a big baseball tournament, and I really liked how the competitive youth sports world added to the tension.

My only real complaint is that the ending went a little wild. It felt like there were twist after twist after twist, and by the time everything was revealed, it got pretty over-the-top. I was definitely rolling with it by that point.

Overall, I had a good time with it. If you're looking for a quick popcorn thriller that's easy to binge over a weekend, this one's worth picking up. Just be ready to suspend your disbelief a bit by the end.

[Erica H · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started reading this book on the weekend and was hooked. Right away, there were lots of secrets to be uncovered. Gabby's 13-year old son goes missing. The book was a fast-paced twisty fun read perfect for a pool read.

[Edie Kennard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am still reeling from that ending! My Missing Boy is an absolute roller coaster that kept me guessing from the very first chapter. D.L. Fisher has a gift for building tension; the entire time I was reading, I felt like the ground was shifting beneath my feet. Every time I thought I had a handle on the truth, a new piece of the puzzle would drop and make me second-guess everything I thought I knew.

What makes this thriller stand out is the complexity of the mystery. While I managed to partially figure out who was behind the central conflict about halfway through, I was completely in the dark regarding the why. The motivation was so well-hidden and intricately woven into the plot that the final reveal felt both shocking and perfectly earned.

And speaking of reveals—that last sentence. I actually had to close the book and take a breath. It is a total jaw-dropper that recontextualizes the entire journey. If you love a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat and delivers a powerful emotional punch right at the finish line, you need to read this book.

Highly recommended for fans of twisty, unpredictable psychological thrillers!

[Melissa (honeybee.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy debut !! Yes yes this is a debut and it's absolutely AMAZING. This is how you do a domestic thriller 👏👏👏👏 It was highly suspenseful, mysterious, drama filled, secrets galore, unreliable characters, it had it all!

Sit down, pick up a drink and be prepared to be completely sucked in from the first page to the last, this was the perfect popcorn thriller to start my October month!! The writing will drag you in and consume you. It kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time, I couldn't put it down. Fisher has some serious storytelling skills, I am entirely sold, anything she writes I'll read! 

The plot was intricately constructed, giving you little pieces here and there. Once the twists start coming, hold on to your seat. I was shocked at how everything tied up. I just adored this one!!

If you're looking for the perfect domestic popcorn thriller to fill your October reads, don't miss you on this one !

[Kayla Hernandez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mmmm they were all pretty insufferable.

[Alex Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Win Lose Or Die is all about baseball, secrets and revenge.

Gabby and Greg Rizzo seems to have it all. They live on a gorgeous neighborhood surrounded by friends. Their only son Cameron is a baseball prodigy. Everything about their life seems perfect. But, deeper and darker secrets lie beneath the surface. When they embark on a journey to an elite baseball tournament for their son, they both know this could be the end for their marriage. Both parties know they need to talk, but when Cameron goes missing all bets are off the time. Which of their secrets has come back to haunt them?

I thought this book was really good. I enjoyed the dual POV between Gabby and Greg. It really put you in their positions as you read. I feel like there was a high level of emotion and suspense that carried throughout the novel. I especially liked the almost locked-room feeling of it all.

I did feel like the end tied up with a LOT of coincidences. It didn’t all feel necessarily believable, but it was interesting and unexpected. I did not see the final twist coming which I enjoyed.

I also felt like the setting was almost an afterthought to the novel. If it’s going to be set at an old plantation style hotel, that should be more of a part of the story than it was.

Overall, I really really liked this book. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a sports fan and enjoys thrillers.

[BossyLadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️

Review: I was rocking with this book until it got too convoluted and became something else beyond the story we were fed for the first 3/4 of the book.

Premise: A family is attending a baseball tournament where scouts from top baseball teams will be in attendance. Cam, age 13, is very talented and possibly had a future in baseball. The night before the tournament Cam disappears. No one knows where he js and everyone is a suspect. Police begin uncovering hidden tensions and past actions within his family.

[Tanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

[Angelina Marinola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook: it was alright, voices were kinda annoying. Pretty predictable as-well!

[Saba Sitter · Rating 1 out of 5]

Liked the plot but was too American soooo much talk about baseball

[David Speckleback · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story. I found some of the prose to be a bit dramatic but otherwise I enjoyed the book.

[Jessica Huntley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Superb thriller that kept me guessing until the end. Wasn't quite sure how everything would come together but it all made sense. Good use of POV and interesting to get both sides 👍 highly recommended for psychological thriller lovers.

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn’t find anything challenging about this book. I felt
The author tried to build tension but the style - little ‘one liners’ at the end of a chapter - was cheesy and almost needed ‘da da daa’ playing in the background. I didn’t feel emotionally invested in any of the characters as all of the writing was surface level. Another reviewer made the comment that the author would be better concentrating on writing one good book a year rather than 3, I whole heartedly agree and also made me wonder if this book was written using AI

[Dani Bradford · Rating 2 out of 5]

SPOILER:

for real


What do you know? Another story where the “best friend” is the bad guy! This felt like the same story as the first book published, just with different characters and an older child. It was fun having two POV’s in the book, but other than that it just wasn’t that good. The plot twists don’t twist, it was very obvious who the bad guy was. I will say that I didn’t predict the connection to the main characters that drove her rage, so I was glad that it finally made sense at the end.

[Jasmyn Louis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was one of the worst books I’ve ever listened to. I rarely give one star reviews, but the writing was bad. The plot was weak. The characters were stupid. The story was predictable. It was very convoluted.

I should have stopped listening in the very beginning when I noticed that the writing sounded like a creative writing essay or role play exercise.

It was overly descriptive in a way that just made you scratch your head. It didn’t sound natural. And the writing was repetitive.

Do not waste your time.

[D Bear · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the great reviews, but it was a struggle—terrible narration (the female voices were especially bad), characters who behaved unrealistically both personally and professionally, and a plot so convoluted it bordered on laughable; the writing felt amateurish, like a high-school effort, and it was hard to get through even though it was free on Audible. Don't understand the high reviews.

[Louise · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful! Badly written, stupid characters and very obvious idiotic plot and twists. Listened on Audible - horrendous narrators really didnt help - avoid!

[Amro Nazih · Rating 1 out of 5]

Plot at the level of a second grader. Give me my time back.

[Emily Cartwright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ending was so basic and badly written 😭

[Wiseask · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a very rare experience for me to read a book like this which is so well conceived, constructed and written that I did not want the story to end — and yet could not wait to see how the story ended.

This extraordinary book has all the elements of an excellent psychological thriller: characters that are not who they claim to be, harboring a host of secrets and lies, and a mystery with surprise after surprise revealed right up to a stunning ending all told in under 300 pages.

Married couple Greg and Gabby had known each other since college. He aspired to be a big league baseball player but a doping scandal ended his dream of a career in professional sports. Gabby had a tragic, troubled and hidden past. Her parents were both psychiatrists who treated her more like a patient instead of as their only child. They died in a fiery car crash while chasing after her in hot pursuit as she ran away from home. She eventually went to live with her abusive grandparents who held her responsible for the deaths of her parents. The driver of the vehicle her parents collided with survived the crash but was severely injured.

Greg and Gabby’s marriage is troubled by evidence of infidelities, but the fragile glue holding them together is their only child and pride and joy, thirteen year old Cam, himself a baseball prodigy. The book opens as they are on their way from their home in Virginia to a baseball tournament in Georgia, where Cam is expected to be the star player. Among the other parents and players on the team on their way to the tournament are their best friends and neighbors, Matt and Susie, whose son Jake is Cam’s best friend and teammate.

But the night before the game, Cam, who was rooming with Jake in their hotel, goes missing. No one is entirely beyond suspicion regarding Cam’s disappearance. To add to the intrigue, while investigating Cam’s disappearance the police discover that Gabby is wanted for questioning in the gruesome murder of her grandparents six months ago. This is a shock to Greg who had recently received a call from Gabby’s grandmother, and to Gabby who had not seen her grandparents for years. But her fingerprints were on the knife that stabbed them to death, the same type of knife which was missing from her kitchen.

To her credit, the author leaves clues to the mysteries well hidden in plain sight, but you won’t catch them all no matter how carefully you read, and she provides all the explanations to answer all the questions she raises throughout the story. Though the book is not perfect — for example, Greg’s incredible inability to recognize Gabby’s handwriting — it is a story so enjoyable it has me speaking in superlatives. The villain’s intentionally ironic name still has me smiling.

[bookish_zebra_reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook
My Missing Boy was one of those books I enjoyed while I was listening to it, but now that a few weeks have passed, I realise very little of it has stayed with me. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it does say something about how much of an impression the story ultimately made.

The story follows a thirteen-year-old baseball prodigy, Cam, who disappears the night before a major tournament where scouts from professional teams are watching. His disappearance quickly turns into a nightmare for his family, as the police begin looking closely at everyone around him and long-held secrets start coming to light. With plenty of possible motives and suspects, the story has a solid setup for a tense mystery.

I thought the story was good and I did enjoy listening to it at the time. There was enough happening to keep me interested, and I liked the way the investigation gradually uncovered more about Cam, his family and the relationships surrounding him. I did find myself wanting to know what had happened to him, even if the story hasn't stayed particularly vivid in my memory.

I think my main issue is simply that it didn't have quite enough impact to make it memorable. I finished it earlier this month, yet I’m already struggling to remember many of the finer details. It was an enjoyable listen, but it feels like one of those thrillers that works well while you're in the story and then quietly disappears once you move on to the next book.

Narration:
The narration was perfectly fine and suited the story. Nothing particularly stood out to me, but I had no problems with the pacing or delivery and it made for an easy listen.

My Missing Boy is a solid, easy-to-follow mystery that kept me entertained at the time, even if it ultimately didn't leave much of a mark. Sometimes a book can be perfectly enjoyable without becoming one you'll remember for very long, and I think this was one of those for me.

Recommended for: Readers who enjoy missing-person mysteries, family secrets and twisty domestic thrillers that are easy to listen to.

Content warnings: Missing child, kidnapping, family conflict, grief, secrets, manipulation.

[Linda McCutcheon · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I can almost pretend that we don't have more issues between us than Sports Illustrated...Almost"

There are so many freaking issues between Gabby and Greg that reading Win Lose Or Die by brilliant storytelling author D.L.Fisher left me an anxiety ridden mess until the end...almost.

Gabby and Greg really need to communicate but they have more conversations in their heads than with each other. They are hoping this weekend away, watching their 13 year old son, baseball phenom Cameron, play in the finals will give them a chance to reconnect as a couple. All that hope is gone when Cameron goes missing and the list of suspects is as long as Gabby and Greg's lies to one another.

The dual POV made my head spin. Starting with Gabby, I think what a jerk Greg is to her. Then it's Greg's turn and I think woah Gabby has some serious issues. Bring in the neighbors, best friends, the ultra competitive parents of Cameron's teammates, including he's self serving coach, and my head exploded with all the twists, guilty characters, and the paranoid distrust between Gabby and Greg.

I want to tell you all the crazy things but this is one of those tension filled, edge of your seat, roller coaster twisty domestic thrillers that needs you to go in knowing as little as possible. I didn't even know who to root for, except for Cameron, as my own paranoia took over.

The writer's ability to build up the nail biting tension, will have you screaming at the wild reveals, and then quickly turning the pages as you stay up until dawn for the final inning. Which brings me to the end. The last sentence. It left me stunned and proved this author is the next up to bat for Queen of Thrillers and no doubt she wins the title.

I received a free copy of this book from the author for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.