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Missing
Blake Stanley, owner of a large cattle station in the remote outback of Australia, is struggling to run his large property while raising his young son alone, forcing him to make the decision to enlist the help of a housekeeper.
From the first moment he saw Terry Johnson and her young son at the airport, something about her bothered him, but against his better judgement, he agrees to give her a chance.
While out mustering cattle, a desperate plea for help from Terry’s young son comes over the helicopter radio, but the call is cut short, sparking his earlier fears about her. On arriving back at the homestead he is confronted by a grizzly crime-scene, and the young boy is nowhere to be found.
Disturbing facts unfold about Terry, as a Nation Wide search for the boy begins.
Late one night Blake receives a strange phone call, setting him off on his own search for answers, and soon discovers a sinister plot; one which raises the stakes even higher, in the race to find the young boy alive!
From the first moment he saw Terry Johnson and her young son at the airport, something about her bothered him, but against his better judgement, he agrees to give her a chance.
While out mustering cattle, a desperate plea for help from Terry’s young son comes over the helicopter radio, but the call is cut short, sparking his earlier fears about her. On arriving back at the homestead he is confronted by a grizzly crime-scene, and the young boy is nowhere to be found.
Disturbing facts unfold about Terry, as a Nation Wide search for the boy begins.
Late one night Blake receives a strange phone call, setting him off on his own search for answers, and soon discovers a sinister plot; one which raises the stakes even higher, in the race to find the young boy alive!
Kindle Edition
First published May 13, 2012
1 person is currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Jenni Boyd
10 books28 followersJenni has eight published books, her first being Natalia, a story of mystery, myth and a girl's journey to find the truth.
While traveling the remote areas of Australia, via 4WD, Jenni wrote her second book Missing, a thriller. It was after writing this book that Jenni realised writing thrillers was where her passion lay, using the vast areas of the outback she'd travelled as a setting for her stories.
Jenni's latest release is the Steel Series, which consists of three books: Defiance of Danger, The Riddle, Rusalka. These books are not standalone and need to be read in order to fully understand the story.
When not absorbed in reading the latest gripping page turner, or spending time with her family, Jenni loves sewing, gardening and collecting shells.
While traveling the remote areas of Australia, via 4WD, Jenni wrote her second book Missing, a thriller. It was after writing this book that Jenni realised writing thrillers was where her passion lay, using the vast areas of the outback she'd travelled as a setting for her stories.
Jenni's latest release is the Steel Series, which consists of three books: Defiance of Danger, The Riddle, Rusalka. These books are not standalone and need to be read in order to fully understand the story.
When not absorbed in reading the latest gripping page turner, or spending time with her family, Jenni loves sewing, gardening and collecting shells.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 22, 2016
Boyd weaves an intricate tale of murder, mystery and intrigue. As not all details are given away at once I was sometimes left wondering what was going on but all is revealed as the plot unfolds. As the pieces of the puzzle come together the full picture is revealed.
“Missing” is a fasted paced suspense read, jam packed with twists and turns.
The reader will need to suspend belief a little but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
“Missing” is a fasted paced suspense read, jam packed with twists and turns.
The reader will need to suspend belief a little but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
May 8, 2015
3.5 rounded to 4 stars
Missing is a debut suspense/thriller novel (and second novel overall) written by Australian author Jenni Boyd. First of all, what a ride this story is!! The pace of this book is, I believe, the fastest I have ever experienced—like a racecar on the German Autobahn. If you are looking for descriptions of the Australian outback or want to learn anything about Sydney or Adelaide, this is not the book for you. There are no wasted words here. Every sentence pushes the story forward. I can recall absolutely no moments of boredom while motoring through this tale. Furthermore, I don’t think I have ever uttered “Holy, holy cow!” more while reading a novel. The twists and turns start early and they keep on a coming, one after another after another. I dare say I have never read a book with more surprises; it was almost enough to make my head spin. As icing on the cake, I loved many of the characters. A likeable cast, or at least an appealing protagonist, always strengthens a book in my eyes. Another great thing about Missing is that the storyline, once I got a handle on it, is extremely clever and highly engaging. I was keeping my iPad near and grabbing any free moments I could find to continue reading.
So why a 3.5? Well, for one thing, there is SO much going on SO fast, I had to go back and reread sections of 1-2% on 3 occasions over the course of the story to try to get everything straight in my head as I was getting confused. In addition, the novel is crying out for a really good editor to polish up the syntax and punctuation and to tighten the story to give this novel the shine it deserves; I feel this is a must.
Though I am giving Missing 3.5 stars, it is an easy decision to round that up to 4 stars; and that is because of my answers to these questions:
1) Do I love the story? YES.
2) Is it highly entertaining and at times unputdownable? YES.
3) Will I recommend it to other suspense/thriller readers? YES
4) Will I read her next suspense/thriller novel? YES
5) Does Jenni Boyd have potential to be an excellent thriller writer? OH YES. She can certainly come up with a compelling story. I think with more experience, the help of beta readers, and a mentoring relationship with an experienced editor, Ms. Boyd could sell a lot of books in the future.
Missing is a debut suspense/thriller novel (and second novel overall) written by Australian author Jenni Boyd. First of all, what a ride this story is!! The pace of this book is, I believe, the fastest I have ever experienced—like a racecar on the German Autobahn. If you are looking for descriptions of the Australian outback or want to learn anything about Sydney or Adelaide, this is not the book for you. There are no wasted words here. Every sentence pushes the story forward. I can recall absolutely no moments of boredom while motoring through this tale. Furthermore, I don’t think I have ever uttered “Holy, holy cow!” more while reading a novel. The twists and turns start early and they keep on a coming, one after another after another. I dare say I have never read a book with more surprises; it was almost enough to make my head spin. As icing on the cake, I loved many of the characters. A likeable cast, or at least an appealing protagonist, always strengthens a book in my eyes. Another great thing about Missing is that the storyline, once I got a handle on it, is extremely clever and highly engaging. I was keeping my iPad near and grabbing any free moments I could find to continue reading.
So why a 3.5? Well, for one thing, there is SO much going on SO fast, I had to go back and reread sections of 1-2% on 3 occasions over the course of the story to try to get everything straight in my head as I was getting confused. In addition, the novel is crying out for a really good editor to polish up the syntax and punctuation and to tighten the story to give this novel the shine it deserves; I feel this is a must.
Though I am giving Missing 3.5 stars, it is an easy decision to round that up to 4 stars; and that is because of my answers to these questions:
1) Do I love the story? YES.
2) Is it highly entertaining and at times unputdownable? YES.
3) Will I recommend it to other suspense/thriller readers? YES
4) Will I read her next suspense/thriller novel? YES
5) Does Jenni Boyd have potential to be an excellent thriller writer? OH YES. She can certainly come up with a compelling story. I think with more experience, the help of beta readers, and a mentoring relationship with an experienced editor, Ms. Boyd could sell a lot of books in the future.
April 5, 2015
Jenni Boyd the author of “Missing”, asked me if I would be interested in reading and reviewing her book, and because I enjoy reading mysteries, I was eager to start it.
Blake Stanley lives and runs a cattle station in the outback of Australia. It is so remote, he has his own helicopter, to get around. He needs a housekeeper for his young son, Brad.
So Blake is at the airport for the arrival of the new housekeeper and her son… and is in for a shock and not what he was expecting! Sexy Terry Johnson arrives with her young son, Dale, but dressed to kill, high heels, and so much luggage that he couldn't board it all. And this is his new housekeeper? The weight restriction of the helicopter, only allowed him to take only some of her luggage. He would come back on another trip to fetch the rest…if she lasted.
Terry, has come with her son to the outback of Australia, to care for Blake and Brad, with the day to day operations around their home. But right from the beginning, Blake felt that something wasn’t right with the pair… he felt Terry was hiding secrets, Dale was only allowed to say certain things? Dale was very pale, and had never seen the light of day, or had friends his own age. He was a loner.
Then one day while Blake is away from home, Dale calls Blake to hurry home because his mom has been shot. But when Blake arrives back home, he finds Terry lying dead. Dale is MISSING! Who is this woman, and what is she into? Blake is determined to find out who Terry is and where Dale is.
I'm not saying more than this, for risk of spoiling suspense for others. This was a fast paced book that had so many twists and turns in the plot, that had me guessing right up until the end. The plot is brilliant. My only criticism is that the book needs a new cover, as I felt the talent that was displayed in the book, was far superior to the unappealing book cover. A lot of readers might just glance over the cover…and pass it by, which would be a shame, as they would miss out on the brilliant story within. For only that reason I have rated it 4 out of 5.
This is an author to definitely follow. Thank you Jenni for allowing me to read your novel. Much success!
Blake Stanley lives and runs a cattle station in the outback of Australia. It is so remote, he has his own helicopter, to get around. He needs a housekeeper for his young son, Brad.
So Blake is at the airport for the arrival of the new housekeeper and her son… and is in for a shock and not what he was expecting! Sexy Terry Johnson arrives with her young son, Dale, but dressed to kill, high heels, and so much luggage that he couldn't board it all. And this is his new housekeeper? The weight restriction of the helicopter, only allowed him to take only some of her luggage. He would come back on another trip to fetch the rest…if she lasted.
Terry, has come with her son to the outback of Australia, to care for Blake and Brad, with the day to day operations around their home. But right from the beginning, Blake felt that something wasn’t right with the pair… he felt Terry was hiding secrets, Dale was only allowed to say certain things? Dale was very pale, and had never seen the light of day, or had friends his own age. He was a loner.
Then one day while Blake is away from home, Dale calls Blake to hurry home because his mom has been shot. But when Blake arrives back home, he finds Terry lying dead. Dale is MISSING! Who is this woman, and what is she into? Blake is determined to find out who Terry is and where Dale is.
I'm not saying more than this, for risk of spoiling suspense for others. This was a fast paced book that had so many twists and turns in the plot, that had me guessing right up until the end. The plot is brilliant. My only criticism is that the book needs a new cover, as I felt the talent that was displayed in the book, was far superior to the unappealing book cover. A lot of readers might just glance over the cover…and pass it by, which would be a shame, as they would miss out on the brilliant story within. For only that reason I have rated it 4 out of 5.
This is an author to definitely follow. Thank you Jenni for allowing me to read your novel. Much success!
August 21, 2014
3.5★s
When Blake Stanley saw his new housekeeper at the tiny airport in Tennant Creek, he was shocked. High heeled shoes, clothing suited for the city – what was she thinking? This was the outback; Terry Johnson had been hired to work on a remote cattle station, not a city store. Then there was the huge amount of luggage she had brought with her – leaving the majority in storage at the airport, Blake loaded Terry and her shy, timid son Dale onto his helicopter and headed for home, thinking he would probably have to do the return trip with them both fairly soon…
But Terry proved to be a hard worker and had the house spick and span with beautiful smells wafting from the kitchen in no time. Dale quickly made friends with Blake’s son Brad, and the two of them chattered non-stop – Brad had been lonely himself with no other children around the area. But Blake began to notice a few strange things about Terry; the day Terry and neighbour Margi went into town in Margi’s helicopter to pick up some supplies was the beginning of a dramatic change in all of their lives.
Out mustering with Brad one day, Blake received a frantic and desperate two-way call from Dale. Blake headed for home immediately only to find Terry bleeding and unconscious, with Dale missing. It was as if he had never been. Where could he be? The ensuing search was intense; the outback was unforgiving, harsh and wild. Where could a small boy have gone when he had no-one to help him?
Missing is a fast-paced, extremely gritty and suspenseful novel. The plot is brilliant, with incredible twists and turns. It ticked all the boxes for a great 5 star thriller. My only criticism is that the book needs a thorough editing and my rating had to drop because of that.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
When Blake Stanley saw his new housekeeper at the tiny airport in Tennant Creek, he was shocked. High heeled shoes, clothing suited for the city – what was she thinking? This was the outback; Terry Johnson had been hired to work on a remote cattle station, not a city store. Then there was the huge amount of luggage she had brought with her – leaving the majority in storage at the airport, Blake loaded Terry and her shy, timid son Dale onto his helicopter and headed for home, thinking he would probably have to do the return trip with them both fairly soon…
But Terry proved to be a hard worker and had the house spick and span with beautiful smells wafting from the kitchen in no time. Dale quickly made friends with Blake’s son Brad, and the two of them chattered non-stop – Brad had been lonely himself with no other children around the area. But Blake began to notice a few strange things about Terry; the day Terry and neighbour Margi went into town in Margi’s helicopter to pick up some supplies was the beginning of a dramatic change in all of their lives.
Out mustering with Brad one day, Blake received a frantic and desperate two-way call from Dale. Blake headed for home immediately only to find Terry bleeding and unconscious, with Dale missing. It was as if he had never been. Where could he be? The ensuing search was intense; the outback was unforgiving, harsh and wild. Where could a small boy have gone when he had no-one to help him?
Missing is a fast-paced, extremely gritty and suspenseful novel. The plot is brilliant, with incredible twists and turns. It ticked all the boxes for a great 5 star thriller. My only criticism is that the book needs a thorough editing and my rating had to drop because of that.
With thanks to the author for my copy to read and review.
May 6, 2015
Blake Stanley is the owner of a large cattle station in the remote centre of Australia. Struggling to run the large property while also raising his young son alone, he decides to enlist the help of a housekeeper.
From the first moment he saw Terry Johnson and her young son, he knew they would not last long in the outback and had serious doubts she had ever worked on a cattle station before. Against his better judgement he agrees to give her a chance.
While out mustering cattle he receives a desperate plea for help over the helicopter radio, but the call is cut short; it was from Terry’s young son Dale.
On arriving back at the homestead he finds Terry lying face down in a pool of blood and Dale is nowhere to be found; sparking a Nation Wide search for not only the young boy, but a mystery shooter.
Terry Johnson isn't exactly what he expected when he picked her up from the airport. Terry, along with her son Dale have come to help Blake and his son, Brad with the day to day operations around their home in the outback of Australia.
For me the first 3-4 chapters this was a five star book, but becomes a little bogged down with complicated storyline, lots of confusing twists which had to be followed carefully to keep up with the plot, but ends strongly with a little romance added into this story.
One criticism is that the book needs a thorough editing and my rating had to drop because of that.
I thank the author for a copy, and hope I have given a fair and honest review, and I believe also this author will approve with her next few books.
From the first moment he saw Terry Johnson and her young son, he knew they would not last long in the outback and had serious doubts she had ever worked on a cattle station before. Against his better judgement he agrees to give her a chance.
While out mustering cattle he receives a desperate plea for help over the helicopter radio, but the call is cut short; it was from Terry’s young son Dale.
On arriving back at the homestead he finds Terry lying face down in a pool of blood and Dale is nowhere to be found; sparking a Nation Wide search for not only the young boy, but a mystery shooter.
Terry Johnson isn't exactly what he expected when he picked her up from the airport. Terry, along with her son Dale have come to help Blake and his son, Brad with the day to day operations around their home in the outback of Australia.
For me the first 3-4 chapters this was a five star book, but becomes a little bogged down with complicated storyline, lots of confusing twists which had to be followed carefully to keep up with the plot, but ends strongly with a little romance added into this story.
One criticism is that the book needs a thorough editing and my rating had to drop because of that.
I thank the author for a copy, and hope I have given a fair and honest review, and I believe also this author will approve with her next few books.
June 24, 2022
A fast paced story which I love, set in the outback of Australia. I really loved the two main characters in this book and the way they interacted with each other, he rugged and manly she prissy and girly, made me chuckle, along with suspense, a page turner which you don't want to put down and look forward to picking up again. a book I would easily read again.
March 31, 2015
When I was approached by the author Jenni Boyd to see if this was a book I would be interested in reading and reviewing for her, I took a look, then looked closely on Amazon to see a bit inside the book. I agreed to read it because it seemed like something I would enjoy.
Not know of this author, I went in blind. But this is the whole fun for me as I discover new authors and now and again I get one that works for me.
THIS IS ONE THAT WORKS FOR ME!
I have to really seriously have a word with this author, I blame her for keeping me up late at night reading this. TWICE! I couldn't manage to read much in the day, so it took me a couple of evenings and late mornings to finish it. Its definitely [for me] and UNPUTDOWNABLE read.
Blake lives and runs a cattle station in a remote place in the center of Australia. We learn how remote, because he has his own chopper [helicopter] to reach places and we also learn how far he has to travel by not only miles but hours and fuel consumption to reach anywhere. Even when visiting his sister.
Blake has a son, his son is only young, but bringing him up on the cattle station he has learnt a lot of things early in life.
Blake needs a housekeeper.
This is where Terry Johnson comes in, she arrives with her young son. When Blake sees someone in the airport dressed to the nines, high heels on, this couldn't be her, could it?
Yep it was.
She had so much luggage that he couldn't board it all. The weight of it was excessive for his chopper so she had to decide what to take and what to leave for another time to fetch.
Blake really didn't think that Terry would last the distance and so didn't worry about returning for her other luggage, thinking that she would see what it was about and she would hate it, turn tail and want to leave.
It didn't happen.
Terry is harboring some secrets. Her son Dale is only allowed to say certain things.
Something happens where upon she gets attacked from someone from her past. She now knows Dales life is in danger let alone her own.
I'm not saying more than this, its a fast paced book this.....
There are so many developments its so hard to choose a chapter to put it down until you want to read it next because you REALLY should be getting some sleep! I even went to bed thinking about it, only to pick the Kindle up again and read a bit more.
When you get an awesome read like this, it shows the talent out there in the Indie world that is not discovered yet.
When Terri was attacked on Blakes cattle station and left for dead but keeping Dale safe and taking all the hits, all the knocks whilst he escapes, I was right there with her.
Trouble is, that's when Dale goes missing!
What follows then is so GREAT. I really don't know how this author came up with this story, its just fab. I mean FAB!
I never got BORED not ONCE, I was entertained and kept on tenderhooks throughout the entire book.
I really cannot praise this book enough.
The author has done a fantastic job with it, the writing is brilliant.
If I had ONE suggestion, it would be, I see the cover of the book and it has everything appertaining to the story, BUT, it needs a bit of class.
I don't mean that in any disrespect, its just that the INSIDE of the book is GREAT, FAB and merits a better eye catching cover.
In other words, the book inside is on level par to any best seller, its professional, but the cover lets it down as not professional [forgive me for saying that Jenni ]
Just don't judge a book by its cover.
A brilliant 4 stars plus from me, almost a 5 but for the cover, for me, its important in as much as the inside of a book.
I have recommended this to many of my book buddies
My blog
http://sueandherbooks.blogspot.co.uk/...
December 15, 2013
What a good book, I couldn't put it down.
December 29, 2014
Excellent
I read late into the night and again as soon as I woke in the morning until I had finished this book. I was enthralled by all the twists and turns that kept you wanting to know what was going to come next. If you like mystery then you must read this book.
I read late into the night and again as soon as I woke in the morning until I had finished this book. I was enthralled by all the twists and turns that kept you wanting to know what was going to come next. If you like mystery then you must read this book.
November 7, 2014
Blake Stanley needs a new housekeeper. Terry Johnson isn't exactly what he expected when he picked her up from the airport. Terry, along with her son Dale have come to help Blake and his son, Brad with the day to day operations around their home in the outback of Australia. From the moment Blake first lays eyes on Terry, he can tell there is something different about her and her son Dale is unlike any other little boy he has ever met. When Blake gets a frantic call from Dale while out on a muster, he hurries back to the homestead to find Terry lying on the ground in a pool of blood with Dale no where to be found. What is this lady into and where is Dale? Sent on a wild chase all throughout Australia, and finding out things about the past he should never know, Blake is determined to find out who Terry is and where Dale is.
Missing is a good book based in Australia. With so many twists and turns, you are never sure where you are headed next. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat and wondering what is going to happen next. There are a few parts of the book that get confusing at times and I had to read over these a couple of times. There are a lot of components to keep track of which adds to the confusion. Overall, though, this is a book that is a good read.
**I was given this book by the author in exchange for my honest review.**
Missing is a good book based in Australia. With so many twists and turns, you are never sure where you are headed next. This book keeps you on the edge of your seat and wondering what is going to happen next. There are a few parts of the book that get confusing at times and I had to read over these a couple of times. There are a lot of components to keep track of which adds to the confusion. Overall, though, this is a book that is a good read.
**I was given this book by the author in exchange for my honest review.**
June 10, 2015
My favorite Jenni Boyd book
February 28, 2024
I wish I had read an honest review before I wasted time on this book.
The horrible editing is just a start. Constant spelling and grammatical errors distract and disengage the reader from the story, although maybe that's a blessing.
The narrative reads like a teenager trying to write erotic thriller fanfiction.
The writing is lazy and unresearched. Scientific and police procedural inaccuracies that could have been easily cleared up from a Google search are slapped together in a way that makes for a frustrating and unsatisfying read.
Even worse are the one dimensional characters who all speak to each other in robotic language with plenty of exposition dumps at convenient times to attempt to move the story forward.
I love Australian authors and Australiana in general, this has been a very disappointing change in pace.
The horrible editing is just a start. Constant spelling and grammatical errors distract and disengage the reader from the story, although maybe that's a blessing.
The narrative reads like a teenager trying to write erotic thriller fanfiction.
The writing is lazy and unresearched. Scientific and police procedural inaccuracies that could have been easily cleared up from a Google search are slapped together in a way that makes for a frustrating and unsatisfying read.
Even worse are the one dimensional characters who all speak to each other in robotic language with plenty of exposition dumps at convenient times to attempt to move the story forward.
I love Australian authors and Australiana in general, this has been a very disappointing change in pace.
September 8, 2017
Great book read it over a few afternoons had me hooked from start to finish
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews