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11 Missed Calls
Here are two things I know about my She had dark hair, like mine. 2. She wasn’t very happy at the end.
Anna has always believed that her mother, Debbie, died 30 years ago on the night she disappeared.
But when her father gets a strange note, she realises that she’s never been told the full story of what happened that night on the cliff.
Confused and upset, Anna turns to her husband Jack – but when she finds a love letter from another woman in his wallet, she realises there’s no-one left to help her, least of all her family.
And then a body is found…
Anna has always believed that her mother, Debbie, died 30 years ago on the night she disappeared.
But when her father gets a strange note, she realises that she’s never been told the full story of what happened that night on the cliff.
Confused and upset, Anna turns to her husband Jack – but when she finds a love letter from another woman in his wallet, she realises there’s no-one left to help her, least of all her family.
And then a body is found…
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 26, 2018
380 people are currently reading
2351 people want to read
About the author
Elisabeth Carpenter
10 books246 followersElisabeth (Libby) Carpenter won a Northern Writers New Fiction Award (2016) and was longlisted for Yeovil Literary Prize (2015 & 2016) and MsLexia Women’s Novel award (2015).
Elisabeth lives in Preston, Lancashire with her family. She loves the north of England, setting most of her stories in the area – including the novel she is writing at the moment.
99 Red Balloons was Elisabeth’s debut novel.
Elisabeth lives in Preston, Lancashire with her family. She loves the north of England, setting most of her stories in the area – including the novel she is writing at the moment.
99 Red Balloons was Elisabeth’s debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 285 reviews
August 26, 2018
This book is a deep character study of two women connected by a thread that spans time, secrets, and loneliness. Elisabeth Carpenter has written a story in 11 Missed Calls that feels as though it needed to be told. Spanning two different time periods, with each woman at the same age in their story, there are both parallels and contrasts between the mother, Debbie, and the daughter, Anna. This is a book driven by the characters and their search for answers and wholeness.
I always struggle with the industry-standard to pair “Mysteries and Thrillers” together as a book category, because though many books involve both, others involve only one. I went into this thinking it might be a thriller, but it is actually what I would call Women’s Fiction with a subgenre of Mystery. It’s a book about the missing piece in one woman’s life, and how 30 years later that has led to a missing piece in her daughter’s life. It is a book about the search for belonging.
About the Book
In 1986 Debbie gives birth to her daughter Annie. But ever since Annie’s birth, Debbie has struggled to feel like herself again. When her husband Peter offers to take Debbie and their kids on a holiday to Teneriffe with their best friends Monica and Nathan, Debbie finds herself dreading the vacation. She doesn’t feel quite right, and a holiday is the last thing she wants.
And then Debbie goes missing…
In 2017, Annie (now going by Anna) is turning 30 with a husband and daughter of her own. Anna loves her father Peter and step-mother Monica, but she’s always felt the hole in her life of her biological mother. Anna can’t understand why her mother would abandon her. Though Debbie is most likely dead as her father and Monica tell her, Anna can’t accept that.
And then a strange email arrives…
Someone hasn’t told Anna the whole story, she’s sure of it. And with or without her family’s help, she’ll do whatever it takes to find the truth.
Reflection
The most interesting part of this book for me was Debbie. I wouldn’t say I related to her character, but I did relate to the feeling that you just don’t feel like yourself, but you don’t know how to tell people what’s wrong. You don’t actually know what’s wrong yourself. Debbie was such an honest, raw character. At times her chapters were hard to read, because I felt so empathetic for her situation. The paranoia that others are talking about you, but being unable to defend yourself is so true for many people at different points in their life. Debbie feels at times like a liability. Like she can’t be the mother to her children she wants to be, or the wife to her husband that he deserves.
Debbie is a completely root-able character. I found myself wanting everything to work out for her! Of course, as we know from the teaser, Debbie goes missing. The tragedy of knowing that and reading the weeks leading up to it is so compelling. You know that it is headed towards disaster, but you still hope she pulls out of it!
And then we have Anna in the present. Anna was only a month old when her mother went missing, so she has no memories of her. But that doesn’t prevent Anna from knowing there is a piece of her missing. I felt for Anna, because the rest of her family (her father, her step-mother, and her older brother) do remember Debbie. And they expect things to be easier on her because she never really knew her mother. But for Anna, that isn’t the case. Even still, Anna questions whether she has the right to ask questions. In a way, Debbie’s disappearance has created isolation for each of the family members, as they cope with it in their own way. For Peter and Monica, there is the guilt that they moved on. For Robert, there is the pain of abandonment. And for Anna, there is the yearning for answers.
This is a slow build. The mystery of what happened to Debbie is an interesting one, but if I’m honest it took a back seat for me to the story of these two women. I found the book driven by Debbie and Anna as characters. I wondered if they’d ever find that feeling of wholeness that they seek. I won’t tell you what they find, but I do recommend trying this one if you’re a fan of women’s fiction.
See my blog at https://PhDiva.blog
Thank you to Avon Books and Elisabeth Carpenter for a copy of this book to review.
I always struggle with the industry-standard to pair “Mysteries and Thrillers” together as a book category, because though many books involve both, others involve only one. I went into this thinking it might be a thriller, but it is actually what I would call Women’s Fiction with a subgenre of Mystery. It’s a book about the missing piece in one woman’s life, and how 30 years later that has led to a missing piece in her daughter’s life. It is a book about the search for belonging.
About the Book
In 1986 Debbie gives birth to her daughter Annie. But ever since Annie’s birth, Debbie has struggled to feel like herself again. When her husband Peter offers to take Debbie and their kids on a holiday to Teneriffe with their best friends Monica and Nathan, Debbie finds herself dreading the vacation. She doesn’t feel quite right, and a holiday is the last thing she wants.
And then Debbie goes missing…
In 2017, Annie (now going by Anna) is turning 30 with a husband and daughter of her own. Anna loves her father Peter and step-mother Monica, but she’s always felt the hole in her life of her biological mother. Anna can’t understand why her mother would abandon her. Though Debbie is most likely dead as her father and Monica tell her, Anna can’t accept that.
And then a strange email arrives…
Someone hasn’t told Anna the whole story, she’s sure of it. And with or without her family’s help, she’ll do whatever it takes to find the truth.
Reflection
The most interesting part of this book for me was Debbie. I wouldn’t say I related to her character, but I did relate to the feeling that you just don’t feel like yourself, but you don’t know how to tell people what’s wrong. You don’t actually know what’s wrong yourself. Debbie was such an honest, raw character. At times her chapters were hard to read, because I felt so empathetic for her situation. The paranoia that others are talking about you, but being unable to defend yourself is so true for many people at different points in their life. Debbie feels at times like a liability. Like she can’t be the mother to her children she wants to be, or the wife to her husband that he deserves.
Debbie is a completely root-able character. I found myself wanting everything to work out for her! Of course, as we know from the teaser, Debbie goes missing. The tragedy of knowing that and reading the weeks leading up to it is so compelling. You know that it is headed towards disaster, but you still hope she pulls out of it!
And then we have Anna in the present. Anna was only a month old when her mother went missing, so she has no memories of her. But that doesn’t prevent Anna from knowing there is a piece of her missing. I felt for Anna, because the rest of her family (her father, her step-mother, and her older brother) do remember Debbie. And they expect things to be easier on her because she never really knew her mother. But for Anna, that isn’t the case. Even still, Anna questions whether she has the right to ask questions. In a way, Debbie’s disappearance has created isolation for each of the family members, as they cope with it in their own way. For Peter and Monica, there is the guilt that they moved on. For Robert, there is the pain of abandonment. And for Anna, there is the yearning for answers.
This is a slow build. The mystery of what happened to Debbie is an interesting one, but if I’m honest it took a back seat for me to the story of these two women. I found the book driven by Debbie and Anna as characters. I wondered if they’d ever find that feeling of wholeness that they seek. I won’t tell you what they find, but I do recommend trying this one if you’re a fan of women’s fiction.
See my blog at https://PhDiva.blog
Thank you to Avon Books and Elisabeth Carpenter for a copy of this book to review.
July 4, 2018
Anna’s mother, Debbie, has been missing for 30 years. Some believe her to be dead and some gossip that she left her husband and two children and ran off with another man. But for Anna, finding her mother, dead or alive, has become an obsession.
That is, until her father’s wife Monica, who was also Debbie’s best friend, receives a mysterious email, signed by none other than Debbie herself.
What really happened to Debbie all those years ago? Why was she acting weird days before her disappearance? Is she alive or someone is playing nasty tricks, pretending to be her?
The premise of the story was generally good and the suspense was such that made you keep reading to get to the bottom of the mystery.
However, there still remain some unanswered questions for me and I don’t like loose ends in a book.
There was an overabundance of inner thoughts and dialogues which go on and on.
The first person narrations of Debbie in 1986 and Anna in present day, and also occasionally some unknown person, were extremely confusing as the voices sounded very alike.
Overall this was a fast paced read.
Thanks to Elisabeth Carpenter, Avon and the NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.
That is, until her father’s wife Monica, who was also Debbie’s best friend, receives a mysterious email, signed by none other than Debbie herself.
What really happened to Debbie all those years ago? Why was she acting weird days before her disappearance? Is she alive or someone is playing nasty tricks, pretending to be her?
The premise of the story was generally good and the suspense was such that made you keep reading to get to the bottom of the mystery.
However, there still remain some unanswered questions for me and I don’t like loose ends in a book.
There was an overabundance of inner thoughts and dialogues which go on and on.
The first person narrations of Debbie in 1986 and Anna in present day, and also occasionally some unknown person, were extremely confusing as the voices sounded very alike.
Overall this was a fast paced read.
Thanks to Elisabeth Carpenter, Avon and the NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy.
August 8, 2018
4☆ Secrets and Lies, Crime Mystery thriller
11 Missed Calls is a mystery thriller that weaves past and present together in the search for answers.
Debbie Disappeared leaving her husband and kids behind without a trace.
Anna always believed her mum had died.
But fast forward and Anna is now in her 30s shes starting to doubt that story and decides she needs to delve into the past to get the truth behind her mothers disappearance.
The story is written in alternate time lines. Past... leading up to Debbie's disappearance and Present .... Anna's search for the truth.
I quiet like the alternate time lines as it keeps things intriguing as you get snippets of information.
I really liked Debbie, she's a complex character, with many struggles, and feeling inadequate, she constantly feels like she's treading water but getting no where.
Anna isn't so dissimilar to her mother. She too has flaws, but it's hardly surprising growing up not knowing what happened to her mother.
11 Missed Calls is a steady paced mystery thriller, with plenty of secrets, lies, betrayal, Family and love. There are a few twists to keep the reader on their toes.
Thank you to Avon Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website:-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
11 Missed Calls is a mystery thriller that weaves past and present together in the search for answers.
Debbie Disappeared leaving her husband and kids behind without a trace.
Anna always believed her mum had died.
But fast forward and Anna is now in her 30s shes starting to doubt that story and decides she needs to delve into the past to get the truth behind her mothers disappearance.
The story is written in alternate time lines. Past... leading up to Debbie's disappearance and Present .... Anna's search for the truth.
I quiet like the alternate time lines as it keeps things intriguing as you get snippets of information.
I really liked Debbie, she's a complex character, with many struggles, and feeling inadequate, she constantly feels like she's treading water but getting no where.
Anna isn't so dissimilar to her mother. She too has flaws, but it's hardly surprising growing up not knowing what happened to her mother.
11 Missed Calls is a steady paced mystery thriller, with plenty of secrets, lies, betrayal, Family and love. There are a few twists to keep the reader on their toes.
Thank you to Avon Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website:-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
July 25, 2018
I was slightly apprehensive about reading this book as I picked up Libby Carpenter's previous title "99 Red Balloons" last year and didn't enjoy it that much. However, I am the type of person that is more than willing to give an author another chance to impress me and so here I am!
The story centres around Anna who believes her mother passed away the night she disappeared 30 years ago but she comes to realise that she has never really heard the full explanation and she feels entitled to one. For to air her issue and in an effort to gain some moral support Anna turns to husband Jack. It's not long before she feels completely alone as she discovers a love letter from another woman in her husband's wallet. And then a body is found.
Okay, i'm kinda conflicted on "11 Missed Calls" but I did like it more than I did her previous book. The chapters jump between timelines - the present day and 30 years ago which keeps your interest. However, my old nemesis reared its ugly head once again. There were numerous characters and I felt that there were many more than the story really needed. I read most fiction to relax and tax my brain as little as possible so having to think and keep characters straight in my head is not ideal for me. I often feel that authors can ruin a book that was destined to become a bestseller by adding either far too many characters, a plot that never stops and is too intricate, or both. The characters are what let it down here for me.
I would try once more with this author (third time lucky perhaps?) but I think I would be inclined to read a good cross-section of reviews beforehand to check on whether they may have similar issues to this one and gauge from those whether it would be worth me devoting some time to.
Many thanks to Avon for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
The story centres around Anna who believes her mother passed away the night she disappeared 30 years ago but she comes to realise that she has never really heard the full explanation and she feels entitled to one. For to air her issue and in an effort to gain some moral support Anna turns to husband Jack. It's not long before she feels completely alone as she discovers a love letter from another woman in her husband's wallet. And then a body is found.
Okay, i'm kinda conflicted on "11 Missed Calls" but I did like it more than I did her previous book. The chapters jump between timelines - the present day and 30 years ago which keeps your interest. However, my old nemesis reared its ugly head once again. There were numerous characters and I felt that there were many more than the story really needed. I read most fiction to relax and tax my brain as little as possible so having to think and keep characters straight in my head is not ideal for me. I often feel that authors can ruin a book that was destined to become a bestseller by adding either far too many characters, a plot that never stops and is too intricate, or both. The characters are what let it down here for me.
I would try once more with this author (third time lucky perhaps?) but I think I would be inclined to read a good cross-section of reviews beforehand to check on whether they may have similar issues to this one and gauge from those whether it would be worth me devoting some time to.
Many thanks to Avon for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
February 7, 2019
Anna grows up not knowing her mother Debbie. When she was a baby Her mother disappeared and Anna grows up with her father Peter, brother Robert and step mom Monica.
Thirty years later Anna wants to know what really happened to her mother and find out who is sending the family notes, could they be from her mother?
Beautifully told in 2 timelines, we have the past where we can see what happens before Debbie disappears and the present where Anna tries to cope with growing up without her mother and feels her family is holding something back from her.
Loved the way the tension slowly builds up and I felt like I could not trust anybody in this book. I’m pleased to say I did not see that ending coming, I was fooled by the red herring but pleased by the outcome.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Thirty years later Anna wants to know what really happened to her mother and find out who is sending the family notes, could they be from her mother?
Beautifully told in 2 timelines, we have the past where we can see what happens before Debbie disappears and the present where Anna tries to cope with growing up without her mother and feels her family is holding something back from her.
Loved the way the tension slowly builds up and I felt like I could not trust anybody in this book. I’m pleased to say I did not see that ending coming, I was fooled by the red herring but pleased by the outcome.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
August 8, 2018
EXCERPT: Monica's mobile phone lights up; it’s ringing on silent, the caller unknown.
'Aren't you going to answer that?' I say.
She shakes her head, just staring at it.
It stops flashing. I peer at the screen.
'There are eleven missed calls, Monica. What if it's her?'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Here are two things I know about my mother:
1. She had dark hair, like mine.
2. She wasn’t very happy at the end.
Anna has always believed that her mother, Debbie, died 30 years ago on the night she disappeared.
But when her father gets a strange note, she realises that she’s never been told the full story of what happened that night on the cliff.
Confused and upset, Anna turns to her husband Jack – but when she finds a love letter from another woman in his wallet, she realises there’s no-one left to help her, least of all her family.
And then a body is found…
MY THOUGHTS: This was a vastly different read from what I expected.
The story is told from the points of view of Debbie, who is suffering from undiagnosed crushing postnatal depression following the birth of her daughter Anna, and from Anna herself, now also a mother and who has absolutely no memory of her own mother, but is consumed by her disappearance.
Debbie tells of the events leading up to her disappearance, while Anna is struggling in her own relationship, and gradually the two timelines converge.
I have to admit to making a lot of erroneous assumptions, as the author no doubt intended, while reading. So well done on that front Elisabeth Carpenter. While this is marketed as psychological suspense, I am afraid that I didn't find it suspenseful at all, and it really didn't need to be. 11 Missed Calls is very much a character driven novel with a touch of mystery.
Mostly I enjoyed this read, but there was one thing that irked me. At one point in the story, something happens, that I can't remember being explained. It seems it was a device used purely for dramatic effect, and then forgotten.
Overall this was a good read, and I will be reading more from this author. I believe she has a lot of as yet undeveloped potential.
😍😍😍.5
THE AUTHOR: Elisabeth (Libby) Carpenter won a Northern Writers New Fiction Award (2016) and was longlisted for Yeovil Literary Prize (2015 & 2016) and MsLexia Women’s Novel award (2015).
Elisabeth lives in Preston, Lancashire with her family. She loves the north of England, setting most of her stories in the area – including the novel she is writing at the moment.
99 Red Balloons was Elisabeth’s debut novel.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of 11 Missed Calls by Elisabeth Carpenter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
'Aren't you going to answer that?' I say.
She shakes her head, just staring at it.
It stops flashing. I peer at the screen.
'There are eleven missed calls, Monica. What if it's her?'
ABOUT THIS BOOK: Here are two things I know about my mother:
1. She had dark hair, like mine.
2. She wasn’t very happy at the end.
Anna has always believed that her mother, Debbie, died 30 years ago on the night she disappeared.
But when her father gets a strange note, she realises that she’s never been told the full story of what happened that night on the cliff.
Confused and upset, Anna turns to her husband Jack – but when she finds a love letter from another woman in his wallet, she realises there’s no-one left to help her, least of all her family.
And then a body is found…
MY THOUGHTS: This was a vastly different read from what I expected.
The story is told from the points of view of Debbie, who is suffering from undiagnosed crushing postnatal depression following the birth of her daughter Anna, and from Anna herself, now also a mother and who has absolutely no memory of her own mother, but is consumed by her disappearance.
Debbie tells of the events leading up to her disappearance, while Anna is struggling in her own relationship, and gradually the two timelines converge.
I have to admit to making a lot of erroneous assumptions, as the author no doubt intended, while reading. So well done on that front Elisabeth Carpenter. While this is marketed as psychological suspense, I am afraid that I didn't find it suspenseful at all, and it really didn't need to be. 11 Missed Calls is very much a character driven novel with a touch of mystery.
Mostly I enjoyed this read, but there was one thing that irked me. At one point in the story, something happens, that I can't remember being explained. It seems it was a device used purely for dramatic effect, and then forgotten.
Overall this was a good read, and I will be reading more from this author. I believe she has a lot of as yet undeveloped potential.
😍😍😍.5
THE AUTHOR: Elisabeth (Libby) Carpenter won a Northern Writers New Fiction Award (2016) and was longlisted for Yeovil Literary Prize (2015 & 2016) and MsLexia Women’s Novel award (2015).
Elisabeth lives in Preston, Lancashire with her family. She loves the north of England, setting most of her stories in the area – including the novel she is writing at the moment.
99 Red Balloons was Elisabeth’s debut novel.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Avon Books via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of 11 Missed Calls by Elisabeth Carpenter for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
Please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the 'about' page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com for an explanation of my rating system.
This review and others are also published on my blog sandysbookaday.wordpress.com https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 15, 2018
What did I just read — I don’t know
Where were the 11 missed calls — I don’t know
How did I manage to finish — I don’t know
Why did I read this — I don’t know
Whew… A lot of ‘don’t knows’ in this book. The story had a beautiful premise Anna/Annie’s mother has been missing for 30 years cloaked under a lot of mystery while on a holiday at Tenerife, and this fact has obsessed Anna for three decades – to find her mother Debbie. Till an email comes to step-mother Monica and that steamrolls the entire story….
The book which sounded so good at the synopsis failed to deliver due to the following points
Two timelines 1986 and 2017
Two POV Debbie and Anna
An unknown voice making a sudden narration
Everything is in first person, if I forgot to see the title heading, I wouldn’t have known if it is the daughter or mother’s POV as both are weird
Horribly characterized characters
Reasons at the end made no sense, it was anti-climatic
11 missed calls as title sounded so exciting but there were no calls, only the stepmother received 11 missed calls in one scene in the book from an unknown caller (I was not told who that was)
Stepmother was mother’s best friend who became father’s best friend and married him after the mother’s disappearance.
Lack of intrigue and suspense
Too many ramblings of the mind with no clear solution
The twist was people who appeared negative became saints at the end, all reasons justified
Bridges of relationship built overnight
Private investigator hired found two dead bodies but that was a different story (again not told to me, and the investigator discovers nothing, and she was the only good character in the book)
Infidelity as a running theme in the story, but in the end everyone was goody-two-shoes. Everybody cried and made up. Yayyyy
Why am I sounding so happy
The book is over and done with, and I don’t ever have to read it again. It is deleted from my kindle. Vamoosh!!
Where were the 11 missed calls — I don’t know
How did I manage to finish — I don’t know
Why did I read this — I don’t know
Whew… A lot of ‘don’t knows’ in this book. The story had a beautiful premise Anna/Annie’s mother has been missing for 30 years cloaked under a lot of mystery while on a holiday at Tenerife, and this fact has obsessed Anna for three decades – to find her mother Debbie. Till an email comes to step-mother Monica and that steamrolls the entire story….
The book which sounded so good at the synopsis failed to deliver due to the following points
Two timelines 1986 and 2017
Two POV Debbie and Anna
An unknown voice making a sudden narration
Everything is in first person, if I forgot to see the title heading, I wouldn’t have known if it is the daughter or mother’s POV as both are weird
Horribly characterized characters
Reasons at the end made no sense, it was anti-climatic
11 missed calls as title sounded so exciting but there were no calls, only the stepmother received 11 missed calls in one scene in the book from an unknown caller (I was not told who that was)
Stepmother was mother’s best friend who became father’s best friend and married him after the mother’s disappearance.
Lack of intrigue and suspense
Too many ramblings of the mind with no clear solution
The twist was people who appeared negative became saints at the end, all reasons justified
Bridges of relationship built overnight
Private investigator hired found two dead bodies but that was a different story (again not told to me, and the investigator discovers nothing, and she was the only good character in the book)
Infidelity as a running theme in the story, but in the end everyone was goody-two-shoes. Everybody cried and made up. Yayyyy
Why am I sounding so happy
The book is over and done with, and I don’t ever have to read it again. It is deleted from my kindle. Vamoosh!!
January 1, 2019
This was a lovely story about love, family, and a mystery!
Sometimes how you feel about a book has everything to do with expectations and nothing really to do with the book itself... I picked up this book expecting a twisty psychological thriller and what I got was women’s fiction with a side of mystery.... now I love women’s fiction with a side of mystery, but when I’m expecting some kind of dark twisted story I don’t like it quite as much.... hope this makes sense, it’s kind of like when you take a drink expecting 7-Up and it is water, you like water but you were expecting 7-Up so it’s not as palatable... All of this is to say this is a good book and I think it would be even better if you go in knowing what you’re getting!
This is a story about a mother and a daughter.... we get Deb’s story in 1986 and the events leading up to her “disappearance“.... we also get Anna‘s perspective in the present day and her life coping with having been abandoned by her mother at the age of two years old.... I found both of these ladies stories compelling although admittedly I was a little more drawn to Deb then Anna... Deb was a very sympathetic character, I felt so much for her I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that she would ever leave her daughter? Anna interestingly was quite a lot like her mother... The mystery of Deb’s disappearance kind of took a backseat to these ladies captivating tales....
This is a story I’d love to give a second chance to, I think I would really love it a lot more the second time around!
Sometimes how you feel about a book has everything to do with expectations and nothing really to do with the book itself... I picked up this book expecting a twisty psychological thriller and what I got was women’s fiction with a side of mystery.... now I love women’s fiction with a side of mystery, but when I’m expecting some kind of dark twisted story I don’t like it quite as much.... hope this makes sense, it’s kind of like when you take a drink expecting 7-Up and it is water, you like water but you were expecting 7-Up so it’s not as palatable... All of this is to say this is a good book and I think it would be even better if you go in knowing what you’re getting!
This is a story about a mother and a daughter.... we get Deb’s story in 1986 and the events leading up to her “disappearance“.... we also get Anna‘s perspective in the present day and her life coping with having been abandoned by her mother at the age of two years old.... I found both of these ladies stories compelling although admittedly I was a little more drawn to Deb then Anna... Deb was a very sympathetic character, I felt so much for her I had a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that she would ever leave her daughter? Anna interestingly was quite a lot like her mother... The mystery of Deb’s disappearance kind of took a backseat to these ladies captivating tales....
This is a story I’d love to give a second chance to, I think I would really love it a lot more the second time around!
July 23, 2018
11 Missed Calls by Elisabeth Carpenter was a bit of a disappointment for me. I had really high hopes for this book but it didn't live up to them at all.
It is the story of Anna who lost her mother when she was 1 month old. She disappeared on a family holiday near to be seen again. After her mother disappeared her father married her mothers best friend. Her father and step mother receive a letter that makes it seem that Anna didnt know the full story. She then discovers a letter from another women in her husbands wallet. The chapters jump between the present and her mothers time 30 years ago.
I found the book to be hard to follow with so many horrible characters. It was long and slow, just not for me. Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and in no way biased.
It is the story of Anna who lost her mother when she was 1 month old. She disappeared on a family holiday near to be seen again. After her mother disappeared her father married her mothers best friend. Her father and step mother receive a letter that makes it seem that Anna didnt know the full story. She then discovers a letter from another women in her husbands wallet. The chapters jump between the present and her mothers time 30 years ago.
I found the book to be hard to follow with so many horrible characters. It was long and slow, just not for me. Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book to read. All opinions are my own and in no way biased.
January 6, 2019
If you’re looking for an action packed, twist upon twist rollercoaster of a psychological suspense then 11 Missed Calls probably isn’t for you! Even the title 11 Missed Calls suggests urgency but I think that’s rather misleading and that the title doesn’t really work with what’s between the covers of this book. But I personally love Libby Carpenters books so I hope that other people will also pick up this book and enjoy it, which is why I’ve tried to bring an understanding of her style to my review. Her books are subtly crafted and the tension is very slowly built up across the viewpoints of her characters whilst also drawing in those who have been the most affected by the issues raised. She takes normal families and uses difficult situations to explore the emotional dilemmas that face them and how they cope.
Anna has had to live her whole life never really knowing the full circumstances of her mother’s disappearance. But when her fathers second wife receives an email supposedly from the missing Debbie, it sets in motion a search for the truth by the daughter who has never been able to fully move on from the devastation of never knowing her mother. She’s also having to deal with problems within her own family after finding something hidden in her husbands wallet. I have to admit to not particularly liking Jack, Anna’s husband. In fact the male characters were all portrayed as weak or distant with hardly a likeable one amongst them!
The other point of view was an intriguing one as it was told by Debbie in the weeks leading up to her disappearance whilst on a family holiday to Tenerife in 1986. The era was captured perfectly here and I had the 80s tunes mentioned running back through my head for days after! There was a claustrophobic atmosphere throughout this narrative and I felt very uncomfortable at times due to some obvious concerns about Debbie’s mental health.
This is very much a female character lead drama that didn’t lead me to the conclusion that I had been expecting! There were plenty of red herrings to suggest a different outcome and I did love that I had been misdirected! Always a sign of a good read in my eyes!
I don’t think there’s too long to wait for Libby Carpenters third book and I have to admit that I’m really intrigued to see what she writes next! Really looking forward to it so bring it on!
Anna has had to live her whole life never really knowing the full circumstances of her mother’s disappearance. But when her fathers second wife receives an email supposedly from the missing Debbie, it sets in motion a search for the truth by the daughter who has never been able to fully move on from the devastation of never knowing her mother. She’s also having to deal with problems within her own family after finding something hidden in her husbands wallet. I have to admit to not particularly liking Jack, Anna’s husband. In fact the male characters were all portrayed as weak or distant with hardly a likeable one amongst them!
The other point of view was an intriguing one as it was told by Debbie in the weeks leading up to her disappearance whilst on a family holiday to Tenerife in 1986. The era was captured perfectly here and I had the 80s tunes mentioned running back through my head for days after! There was a claustrophobic atmosphere throughout this narrative and I felt very uncomfortable at times due to some obvious concerns about Debbie’s mental health.
This is very much a female character lead drama that didn’t lead me to the conclusion that I had been expecting! There were plenty of red herrings to suggest a different outcome and I did love that I had been misdirected! Always a sign of a good read in my eyes!
I don’t think there’s too long to wait for Libby Carpenters third book and I have to admit that I’m really intrigued to see what she writes next! Really looking forward to it so bring it on!
April 18, 2018
11 Missed Calls
A riveting mystery by Elisabeth Carpenter full of love, love lost, betrayal, secrets, family, and heartache. Yes, there were a few twists as well and that made me want to turn the pages. Twists that keep me up all night, turning pages....
I really appreciate that the author wrote from 2 POVs. There wasn't any added "fluff" or unnecessary details, yet the details she gave us of the characters were crisp and so raw that it made understanding the characters emotions all the more heart felt. I definitely could feel the pain of these people throughout the book, especially being a mom, and so much of this story made me sad right along with the characters. I went to bed in my 4 year olds bed the night I was reading this because this book hit me THAT hard.
4.0 bright stars for me! Look for it July 26.
Thank you #NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review. I appreciate being chosen to read this book so early before its release!
A riveting mystery by Elisabeth Carpenter full of love, love lost, betrayal, secrets, family, and heartache. Yes, there were a few twists as well and that made me want to turn the pages. Twists that keep me up all night, turning pages....
I really appreciate that the author wrote from 2 POVs. There wasn't any added "fluff" or unnecessary details, yet the details she gave us of the characters were crisp and so raw that it made understanding the characters emotions all the more heart felt. I definitely could feel the pain of these people throughout the book, especially being a mom, and so much of this story made me sad right along with the characters. I went to bed in my 4 year olds bed the night I was reading this because this book hit me THAT hard.
4.0 bright stars for me! Look for it July 26.
Thank you #NetGalley, the author and the publisher for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review. I appreciate being chosen to read this book so early before its release!
February 7, 2019
Anna grows up not knowing her mother Debbie. When she was a baby Her mother disappeared and Anna grows up with her father Peter, brother Robert and step mom Monica.
Thirty years later Anna wants to know what really happened to her mother and find out who is sending the family notes, could they be from her mother?
Beautifully told in 2 timelines, we have the past where we can see what happens before Debbie disappears and the present where Anna tries to cope with growing up without her mother and feels her family is holding something back from her.
Loved the way the tension slowly builds up and I felt like I could not trust anybody in this book. I’m pleased to say I did not see that ending coming, I was fooled by the red herring but pleased by the outcome.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
Thirty years later Anna wants to know what really happened to her mother and find out who is sending the family notes, could they be from her mother?
Beautifully told in 2 timelines, we have the past where we can see what happens before Debbie disappears and the present where Anna tries to cope with growing up without her mother and feels her family is holding something back from her.
Loved the way the tension slowly builds up and I felt like I could not trust anybody in this book. I’m pleased to say I did not see that ending coming, I was fooled by the red herring but pleased by the outcome.
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.
August 24, 2018
I received a free e-copy of 11 Missed Calls by Elizabeth Carpenter from NetGalley for my honest review.
Anna's mom has been missing for thirty years. When Anna's dad gets a strange note, she realizes she doesn't really know what happened that night on the cliff.
Anna gets an email one day, supposedly from her mother and decides she is going to find out what really happened that night. Is her mom alive? Is she dead? Can she trust anyone because there are a lot of people keeping secrets. The book is told from the point of views of Debbie in the past and Anna in present day. The whole book seem a bit soap opera-ish and I just couldn't get into it.
Anna's mom has been missing for thirty years. When Anna's dad gets a strange note, she realizes she doesn't really know what happened that night on the cliff.
Anna gets an email one day, supposedly from her mother and decides she is going to find out what really happened that night. Is her mom alive? Is she dead? Can she trust anyone because there are a lot of people keeping secrets. The book is told from the point of views of Debbie in the past and Anna in present day. The whole book seem a bit soap opera-ish and I just couldn't get into it.
May 17, 2019
3.5 Stars
11 MISSED CALLS by ELISABETH CARPENTER
Thirty years ago, Anna's mother disappeared. Anna has always believed her mother died, but all of a sudden she is receiving notes .. could they be from her mother? Her father wound up marrying her mother's best friend ... were they having an affair?
Anna is not having a good time. She only knows a few things about her mother, no one seems inclined to tell her exactly what happened that night.
Upset because everyone keeps telling her she's crazy and to forget her mother for good, she turns to her husband for support .. and comes across a picture and she fears her husband is having an affair.
She has a history of having stalked a women who looked like her mother, now her family worry that she's going to be repeating history.
This drama is told in chapters, alternating between 30 years ago and today. Not everyone who makes an appearance along the way are who they say they are. And when Anna starts to feel threatened and is afraid someone is following her, she has to wonder why someone wants to keep the truth from her.
This is well written with clearly defined characters .... not all are likeable, not all of them trustworthy. The suspense is low key, but the reader will have a hard time putting the book down until reaching the conclusion. The ending was a bit of a disappointment, felt a little rushed, not what I had expected.
Many thanks to the author / Avon Books UK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
11 MISSED CALLS by ELISABETH CARPENTER
Thirty years ago, Anna's mother disappeared. Anna has always believed her mother died, but all of a sudden she is receiving notes .. could they be from her mother? Her father wound up marrying her mother's best friend ... were they having an affair?
Anna is not having a good time. She only knows a few things about her mother, no one seems inclined to tell her exactly what happened that night.
Upset because everyone keeps telling her she's crazy and to forget her mother for good, she turns to her husband for support .. and comes across a picture and she fears her husband is having an affair.
She has a history of having stalked a women who looked like her mother, now her family worry that she's going to be repeating history.
This drama is told in chapters, alternating between 30 years ago and today. Not everyone who makes an appearance along the way are who they say they are. And when Anna starts to feel threatened and is afraid someone is following her, she has to wonder why someone wants to keep the truth from her.
This is well written with clearly defined characters .... not all are likeable, not all of them trustworthy. The suspense is low key, but the reader will have a hard time putting the book down until reaching the conclusion. The ending was a bit of a disappointment, felt a little rushed, not what I had expected.
Many thanks to the author / Avon Books UK / Netgalley for the digital copy of this psychological drama. Opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
January 24, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. I liked that instead of it being a usual book where the mystery is revealed at the end you have the missing persons side as well. I really enjoyed both Anna and Debbie’s parts. They both kept me really interested and they were equally entertaining. I did like both Anna and Debbie and I found them to be quite similar. The ending was a bit rushed but it was a great ending. I like how everything came together and it was all explained as well. I would definitely recommend this book. A great mystery/thriller.
April 18, 2018
Anna has always believed that her Mum Debbie who disappeared over 30 years ago whilst she was on holiday in Tenerife is dead.
But when her Father informs her that his wife Monica has received a email that is allegedly from her dead mother,Anna realises that she has never been told the full story of what happened on that night on the cliff.
Confused and upset,Anna starts digging into the secrets of the past.Is her mother really still alive? Why is her Grandad the only member of her family willing to help her uncover the truth? It even appears that her husband is keeping secrets from her.
And why does she keep feeling like she is being watched.....
After hooking you in with a first chapter that ends on a gripping cliff hanger,the story continues in chapters that alternate between Debbie and Anna`s points of view and flip back and forth between the 1980`s and the present day.Any reader who is a parent will struggle not to have sympathy and understanding for poor Debbie.New born baby who is constantly crying,lack of sleep,non understanding,unsympathetic husband and a best friend who always looks perfect while all Debbie feels is fat and useless.In the chapters set in the 1980`s we follow the events in Debbies`s life leading up to the night that she disappeared.The author has included references to the music and culture of the time that brought back memories of when I was younger.Playing outside all day, only going indoors when you were called in for your tea by your mum,only having three channels on the tv,Jackie magazine and tape recording the charts on a Sunday evening.I really liked Debbie whereas with Anna during the chapters set in the present day,although I understood her yearning to know the truth.I also thought she came across as rather opinionated,selfish and self centred at times.My favourite character was the private investigator Sally Munroe who was helping Anna with her investigation into the past.She had a wicked sense of humour,was blunt and got straight to the point but was also motherly and caring.I hope Elisabeth Carpenter plans for her to appear again in the future.
This is a well written,riveting,part domestic drama,part mystery thriller.All the characters are fleshed out,vivid and realistic,the words flow from the page with ease.None of the story comes across as padding and the story held my attention throughout the whole book.The only part that I felt a bit disappointed with was the ending but I can't say why without giving away spoilers
Many thanks to Avon Books UK for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
But when her Father informs her that his wife Monica has received a email that is allegedly from her dead mother,Anna realises that she has never been told the full story of what happened on that night on the cliff.
Confused and upset,Anna starts digging into the secrets of the past.Is her mother really still alive? Why is her Grandad the only member of her family willing to help her uncover the truth? It even appears that her husband is keeping secrets from her.
And why does she keep feeling like she is being watched.....
After hooking you in with a first chapter that ends on a gripping cliff hanger,the story continues in chapters that alternate between Debbie and Anna`s points of view and flip back and forth between the 1980`s and the present day.Any reader who is a parent will struggle not to have sympathy and understanding for poor Debbie.New born baby who is constantly crying,lack of sleep,non understanding,unsympathetic husband and a best friend who always looks perfect while all Debbie feels is fat and useless.In the chapters set in the 1980`s we follow the events in Debbies`s life leading up to the night that she disappeared.The author has included references to the music and culture of the time that brought back memories of when I was younger.Playing outside all day, only going indoors when you were called in for your tea by your mum,only having three channels on the tv,Jackie magazine and tape recording the charts on a Sunday evening.I really liked Debbie whereas with Anna during the chapters set in the present day,although I understood her yearning to know the truth.I also thought she came across as rather opinionated,selfish and self centred at times.My favourite character was the private investigator Sally Munroe who was helping Anna with her investigation into the past.She had a wicked sense of humour,was blunt and got straight to the point but was also motherly and caring.I hope Elisabeth Carpenter plans for her to appear again in the future.
This is a well written,riveting,part domestic drama,part mystery thriller.All the characters are fleshed out,vivid and realistic,the words flow from the page with ease.None of the story comes across as padding and the story held my attention throughout the whole book.The only part that I felt a bit disappointed with was the ending but I can't say why without giving away spoilers
Many thanks to Avon Books UK for a arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a honest review
May 13, 2018
Debbie died 30 years ago, or did she? What happened on the night that Debbie disappeared? Did she run away? Did she pass away? A great novel full of love, family life, stress, family secrets, betrayal and twists. This book is cleverly written from two points of view – from the daughter Anna and the mother Debbie. A great psychological thriller that is sure to please fans of this genre.
This is my first book read by Elisabeth Carpenter and I really enjoyed it. This book takes you on a journey from past to present as the story of what really happened on that night in question 30 years ago unfolds and you begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together one by one.
This book has lots of twists and turns, keeping you reading late into the night and not wanting to put it down as you are wanting to know what happens next. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Avon for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first book read by Elisabeth Carpenter and I really enjoyed it. This book takes you on a journey from past to present as the story of what really happened on that night in question 30 years ago unfolds and you begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together one by one.
This book has lots of twists and turns, keeping you reading late into the night and not wanting to put it down as you are wanting to know what happens next. Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Avon for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 16, 2018
Thank you Netgalley and Avon Books an ARC in return for an honest review.
11 Missed Calls. Anna was one month old, when her mother Debbie disappeared, feared dead on a holiday in Tenerife. Thirty years later, her father tells her that Monica (his wife now and Debbie’s best friend) has been sent an email allegedly from Debbie. Anna then realises that she has not been told the honest truth about her mother.
Anna then starts looking for her mother. Even hiring a Private investigator to find out the truth. The story continues back to the 1980’s when the incident happened and forth in time to the present in two points of view.
What can I say about this book? I liked the premise of this story and the references of the 1980’s. It made me quite nostalgic. But I am afraid that’s it. I found this slow and flat. I like a book to excite me and draw me in. But this did not do that. The more I read, the more I wanted it to finish it quickly. I was so happy when It finished. 2 stars from me.
11 Missed Calls. Anna was one month old, when her mother Debbie disappeared, feared dead on a holiday in Tenerife. Thirty years later, her father tells her that Monica (his wife now and Debbie’s best friend) has been sent an email allegedly from Debbie. Anna then realises that she has not been told the honest truth about her mother.
Anna then starts looking for her mother. Even hiring a Private investigator to find out the truth. The story continues back to the 1980’s when the incident happened and forth in time to the present in two points of view.
What can I say about this book? I liked the premise of this story and the references of the 1980’s. It made me quite nostalgic. But I am afraid that’s it. I found this slow and flat. I like a book to excite me and draw me in. But this did not do that. The more I read, the more I wanted it to finish it quickly. I was so happy when It finished. 2 stars from me.
April 30, 2018
Elisabeth Carpenter was one of my most exciting new author discoveries in 2017, with her riveting psychological thriller 99 Red Balloons, and since then I have been anxiously waiting for the release of her new novel. Mother-daughter mysteries have always held a special fascination for me, so I was doubly excited to read the synopsis of the plot, which revolves around the mysterious disappearance of our main character’s mother over 30 years ago – I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it! And as soon as I started reading, I was happy to find that this was a gripping story that totally hooked me from the very beginning.
Carpenter uses a dual timeline to tell her story: Anna’s POV in the present as she is trying to find out the truth about her mother’s disappearance in Tenerife when Anna was only a month old; and Debbie’s voice from the 1980’s as she tells of the events leading up to her own demise, from baby Anna’s birth to the fateful holiday where she went missing. I loved Carpenter’s wonderful representation of life in the eighties, such as Debbie sitting up all night with a crying baby and staring at the test pattern on TV, and life lived out in the neighbours’ eyes. Having partially grown up in the eighties I thought the author captured the era perfectly! I could really relate to Debbie and felt so much empathy for her. It is terrible to have postnatal depression, even today, when there is more understanding and support available to deal with the condition, which would not have been understood well thirty or so years ago. Debbie’s growing sense of desperation and her slow unravelling are well represented, as are her feelings of isolation and failure as she is struggling to get through her days. Also well depicted are the gender roles of my parents’ generation, with the man going off to work and the stay-at-home mother expected to manage the children, the household and have dinner ready and served when the man of the house came home in the evening. There is a general sense of puzzlement when Debbie does not live up to her role, which only contributes to her isolation.
Having lost my mother as a child, I really related to the way Carpenter writes about the huge hole in Anna’s life left by the absence of her mother, her frustration about the half-truths she’s been told about Debbie’s disappearance and her need for answers. I always think that family secrets make for the best mysteries, and Carpenter has created a very gripping story that totally hooked me from the start. At times I felt as frustrated as Anna as all the people around her keep hiding the truth, only revealing the “alternative facts” families use to sweep dirty secrets under the carpet. There is so much raw emotion in both Debbie’s and Anna’s stories, it was impossible not to get emotionally involved! As in her previous novel, Carpenter has delivered three-dimensional, believable characters that touch your heart and your soul.
As with 99 Red Balloons, Carpenter throws in a few good curveballs and surprises, which made me suspicious of one character or the other at some stage in the book. I especially resented Monica, who seemed to be such a false friend to Debbie when she most needed someone. Anyway, I will not give any more away, except to say that the final denouement took me by surprise. I admit that there was one element in the ending that didn’t completely work for me, but I can’t say why without giving spoilers, so I will keep my mouth zipped tight and concede that endings rarely please every reader and on this occasion I am in that camp and will just have to take one for the team!
In summary, Carpenter has once again delivered a gripping story brimming with family secrets and engaging characters that had me hooked from the start. With a theme that touched a nerve in my own personal history, there was a lot of raw emotion contained in this story for me, and I especially loved the dual timeline setting. Readers who love mysteries revolving around family dynamics and skeletons in the closet should definitely give this one a go!
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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Carpenter uses a dual timeline to tell her story: Anna’s POV in the present as she is trying to find out the truth about her mother’s disappearance in Tenerife when Anna was only a month old; and Debbie’s voice from the 1980’s as she tells of the events leading up to her own demise, from baby Anna’s birth to the fateful holiday where she went missing. I loved Carpenter’s wonderful representation of life in the eighties, such as Debbie sitting up all night with a crying baby and staring at the test pattern on TV, and life lived out in the neighbours’ eyes. Having partially grown up in the eighties I thought the author captured the era perfectly! I could really relate to Debbie and felt so much empathy for her. It is terrible to have postnatal depression, even today, when there is more understanding and support available to deal with the condition, which would not have been understood well thirty or so years ago. Debbie’s growing sense of desperation and her slow unravelling are well represented, as are her feelings of isolation and failure as she is struggling to get through her days. Also well depicted are the gender roles of my parents’ generation, with the man going off to work and the stay-at-home mother expected to manage the children, the household and have dinner ready and served when the man of the house came home in the evening. There is a general sense of puzzlement when Debbie does not live up to her role, which only contributes to her isolation.
Having lost my mother as a child, I really related to the way Carpenter writes about the huge hole in Anna’s life left by the absence of her mother, her frustration about the half-truths she’s been told about Debbie’s disappearance and her need for answers. I always think that family secrets make for the best mysteries, and Carpenter has created a very gripping story that totally hooked me from the start. At times I felt as frustrated as Anna as all the people around her keep hiding the truth, only revealing the “alternative facts” families use to sweep dirty secrets under the carpet. There is so much raw emotion in both Debbie’s and Anna’s stories, it was impossible not to get emotionally involved! As in her previous novel, Carpenter has delivered three-dimensional, believable characters that touch your heart and your soul.
As with 99 Red Balloons, Carpenter throws in a few good curveballs and surprises, which made me suspicious of one character or the other at some stage in the book. I especially resented Monica, who seemed to be such a false friend to Debbie when she most needed someone. Anyway, I will not give any more away, except to say that the final denouement took me by surprise. I admit that there was one element in the ending that didn’t completely work for me, but I can’t say why without giving spoilers, so I will keep my mouth zipped tight and concede that endings rarely please every reader and on this occasion I am in that camp and will just have to take one for the team!
In summary, Carpenter has once again delivered a gripping story brimming with family secrets and engaging characters that had me hooked from the start. With a theme that touched a nerve in my own personal history, there was a lot of raw emotion contained in this story for me, and I especially loved the dual timeline setting. Readers who love mysteries revolving around family dynamics and skeletons in the closet should definitely give this one a go!
Thank you to Netgalley and Avon Books UK for the free electronic copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.
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May 17, 2018
I would like to thank Netgalley and Avon Books UK for an advance copy of 11 Missed Calls, a psychological thriller set in Preston.
Anna was one month old when her mother, Debbie, disappeared 30 years ago while on holiday in Tenerife. Debbie's disappearance and what she believes her family is keeping from her has coloured Anna's life so when her stepmother, Monica, receives an e-mail purportedly from Debbie she starts investigating seriously.
11 Missed Calls is not what I thought it would be and I didn't like or enjoy it. The novel alternates between Anna's current day first person narrative and Debbie's 1986 first person narrative and just for confusion Ms Carpenter throughs in an occasional chapter from an unnamed narrator's first person current day account. As both Anna and Debbie are rather flaky their interpretation of events can be considered unreliable. Add to these inauspicious beginnings a marked lack of tension and a concentration on the first world problem of suspected infidelity and I quickly lost interest. I persevered, however, hoping for a stunning revelation or a major twist and got schmalz. I also found out that I had guessed most of the "twists" already.
I'm sure plenty of people will enjoy 11 Missed Calls but it's not gritty or tense enough for me.
Anna was one month old when her mother, Debbie, disappeared 30 years ago while on holiday in Tenerife. Debbie's disappearance and what she believes her family is keeping from her has coloured Anna's life so when her stepmother, Monica, receives an e-mail purportedly from Debbie she starts investigating seriously.
11 Missed Calls is not what I thought it would be and I didn't like or enjoy it. The novel alternates between Anna's current day first person narrative and Debbie's 1986 first person narrative and just for confusion Ms Carpenter throughs in an occasional chapter from an unnamed narrator's first person current day account. As both Anna and Debbie are rather flaky their interpretation of events can be considered unreliable. Add to these inauspicious beginnings a marked lack of tension and a concentration on the first world problem of suspected infidelity and I quickly lost interest. I persevered, however, hoping for a stunning revelation or a major twist and got schmalz. I also found out that I had guessed most of the "twists" already.
I'm sure plenty of people will enjoy 11 Missed Calls but it's not gritty or tense enough for me.
June 19, 2019
I've never read a Elisabeth Carpenter book before, so the storyline grabbed me from the beginning. I kept stopping and starting the book as life often gets in the way, but over the past couple of days I've really got engrossed in the story and needed to find out what happened.
What happened at the cliff edge? Who was there? Who died? Where is Debbie? All these questions being asked in the story.
Annie (Anna is what she likes to be called) and her mum Debbie recount their lives 30 years ago (going back and forth in chapters of their life and what really happened on that cliff top). Who really died on that cliff top? What are other people hiding. All will be revealed when you read the heart stopping 11 Missed Calls.
What happened at the cliff edge? Who was there? Who died? Where is Debbie? All these questions being asked in the story.
Annie (Anna is what she likes to be called) and her mum Debbie recount their lives 30 years ago (going back and forth in chapters of their life and what really happened on that cliff top). Who really died on that cliff top? What are other people hiding. All will be revealed when you read the heart stopping 11 Missed Calls.
October 21, 2018
Thirty years ago, two married couples with their kids go on a family vacation. One of the wives, Debbie, disappears without a trace, leaving her two children and the husband behind. Years later, the other wife, Monica, marries Debbie’s husband and becomes a stepmother to his children. Now, Debbie’s daughter, Anna, is a grown woman with a family of her own, but she never stops looking for the mother she doesn’t even remember. Then, a body has been found in the area where her mother has disappeared. Is it all over? Or the story has just begun?
The whole story is told from two points of view, Debbie’s and Anna’s. In Debbie’s words and behavior, I can easily recognize postnatal depression. She suffered and no one understood her. She was happy once, but after the second pregnancy, the things had changed. No one saw the disease inside her head and mind. No one helped her. Everyone thought, it’ll go away. But, it didn’t.
On the opposite, Anna is a different person. She adores her family, but she is very insecure. She grew up with Monica as her stepmother, but her motherly love was never enough. Every phone call, every text message, every woman with black hair on the street, she connects everything with her missing mother. She is obsessed. Her insecurity also hurts her marriage, she sees cheating everywhere. She never understands why her own mother had left her, deep down she believes she isn’t worth being loved.
But, did Debbie abandon her children at all?
Overall, I liked the way the plot was made and the two main characters were connected in the story. But, after reading the previous book from this author, 99 Balloons, I was disappointed. The story had a great start and few very good twists, but that thrilling sense in the plot somehow diminished as the story continued. I don’t want to spoil the book, that is just my opinion. I was expecting more.
The whole story is told from two points of view, Debbie’s and Anna’s. In Debbie’s words and behavior, I can easily recognize postnatal depression. She suffered and no one understood her. She was happy once, but after the second pregnancy, the things had changed. No one saw the disease inside her head and mind. No one helped her. Everyone thought, it’ll go away. But, it didn’t.
On the opposite, Anna is a different person. She adores her family, but she is very insecure. She grew up with Monica as her stepmother, but her motherly love was never enough. Every phone call, every text message, every woman with black hair on the street, she connects everything with her missing mother. She is obsessed. Her insecurity also hurts her marriage, she sees cheating everywhere. She never understands why her own mother had left her, deep down she believes she isn’t worth being loved.
But, did Debbie abandon her children at all?
Overall, I liked the way the plot was made and the two main characters were connected in the story. But, after reading the previous book from this author, 99 Balloons, I was disappointed. The story had a great start and few very good twists, but that thrilling sense in the plot somehow diminished as the story continued. I don’t want to spoil the book, that is just my opinion. I was expecting more.
February 20, 2021
Told in a dual timeline, these are the stories of Debbie and Anna, separated for 30 years in the most mysterious of circumstances. Long presumed dead, Debbie disappeared whilst on a family holiday but her daughter Anna has long wondered what became of her mother, building up her expectations to almost impossible heights. Her brother is less interested, scarred by the memories he has of the mother he loved and her father has moved on, finding love again in the arms of her mother's best friend Monica. But when they get a letter out of the blue declaring that Debbie may still be alive, Anna will stop at nothing to find the truth of what happened. Seeking answers to her questions but never really getting the information she desires from her father or Monica.
The chapters go from the past to the present and in the chapters much is revealed about Debbie and her postpartum depression. At the time, people just thought she was a bit crazy. Postpartum depression was not a diagnosis in the 1980's.
The chapters go from the past to the present and in the chapters much is revealed about Debbie and her postpartum depression. At the time, people just thought she was a bit crazy. Postpartum depression was not a diagnosis in the 1980's.
June 20, 2018
"Here are two things I know about my mother : 1. She had dark hair, like mine. 2. She wasn't very happy at the end."
The first line of the book's summary pulled me in. I was prepared for a psychological thriller with deep family issues and twists and turns around every corner. That is not what this is.
I really wanted to like this book, I love the crime fiction genre, but it was too confusing. There are three POVs : the mother (when she was younger in 1986) and the daughter in present day and the third is an unknown character. The mother and daughter POVs were so similar that I would get confused on who's POV I was reading from.
There was not much suspense, as you already know from the first chapter of the story what happened to the mom and what is going on now. It kind of read like a contemporary, a lot of family drama. I don't understand the purpose of "11 Missed Calls" as the title, it wasn't really incorporated into the book.
There was a lot of rambling and internal dialogue. I didn't connect with any of the characters. Overall, this book needed a lot more structure and plotting because it really fell flat and failed to deliver a great story.
ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
The first line of the book's summary pulled me in. I was prepared for a psychological thriller with deep family issues and twists and turns around every corner. That is not what this is.
I really wanted to like this book, I love the crime fiction genre, but it was too confusing. There are three POVs : the mother (when she was younger in 1986) and the daughter in present day and the third is an unknown character. The mother and daughter POVs were so similar that I would get confused on who's POV I was reading from.
There was not much suspense, as you already know from the first chapter of the story what happened to the mom and what is going on now. It kind of read like a contemporary, a lot of family drama. I don't understand the purpose of "11 Missed Calls" as the title, it wasn't really incorporated into the book.
There was a lot of rambling and internal dialogue. I didn't connect with any of the characters. Overall, this book needed a lot more structure and plotting because it really fell flat and failed to deliver a great story.
ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
March 28, 2019
Both the cover and title didn't match the entire book. If the characters were church goer, it will be a good Christian novel.
The story opened with Debbie. It was clear she was having a mental breakdown. It ended there before the story continued with Anna/Annie's point of view. It's been 30 years and yet, she couldn't move on from her mother's disappearances.
There's so many things in this book that could have happened differently. The biggest letdown would be the ending. It's should have been name All's Well, Ends Well.
The story opened with Debbie. It was clear she was having a mental breakdown. It ended there before the story continued with Anna/Annie's point of view. It's been 30 years and yet, she couldn't move on from her mother's disappearances.
There's so many things in this book that could have happened differently. The biggest letdown would be the ending. It's should have been name All's Well, Ends Well.
September 26, 2018
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Having really enjoyed the author's previous book I was keen to get started with this one, she had a great writing style that I really enjoy.
I was intrigued by the plot for this one and certainly wanted to know more. I liked how the story is told from the differing view points and we have the past and present coming to light and we get to find out more about what happened as the story progresses.
There was just the right amount of suspense for me, I liked the pace and the plot was well thought through and I did enjoy the ending.
Four stars from me - a good mystery crime thriller - I really enjoyed it!
Having really enjoyed the author's previous book I was keen to get started with this one, she had a great writing style that I really enjoy.
I was intrigued by the plot for this one and certainly wanted to know more. I liked how the story is told from the differing view points and we have the past and present coming to light and we get to find out more about what happened as the story progresses.
There was just the right amount of suspense for me, I liked the pace and the plot was well thought through and I did enjoy the ending.
Four stars from me - a good mystery crime thriller - I really enjoyed it!
January 1, 2023
This book was a book of two halves. The first half was slow…and I mean slow. So slow I was wondering whether to carry on. I wasn’t invested in the story and I drifted off when I was listening to the audiobook.
Then the second half happened and I was intrigued by what was happening and the parallels between Anne and her mother Debbie.
I did feel for Debbie suffering from post-natal depression but no one noticed it. No one helping her and someone playing on her fears. I felt when we found out the history behind the holiday it was a bit anti-climactic and I was hoping for a bit more pow. I didn’t feel like we had a build-up to it, more oh here you go, and let’s move on. Then the book pretty much finished, on a nice note yet I am not sure there will be any penance for what happened.
I am on the fence with this book, I wanted to love it but I just didn’t. There was mystery and intrigue but I found I didn’t care overall. Maybe if I read this instead it might have been a different story. But I can’t blame everything on the narrator, it was my concentration too. It wasn’t my cup of tea but that’s to say it won’t be yours. It is a slow burn as we build up to a reveal of how everyone fits in the present day and if it wasn’t for the fact Anne wouldn’t give up then there would be no story to tell.
Then the second half happened and I was intrigued by what was happening and the parallels between Anne and her mother Debbie.
I did feel for Debbie suffering from post-natal depression but no one noticed it. No one helping her and someone playing on her fears. I felt when we found out the history behind the holiday it was a bit anti-climactic and I was hoping for a bit more pow. I didn’t feel like we had a build-up to it, more oh here you go, and let’s move on. Then the book pretty much finished, on a nice note yet I am not sure there will be any penance for what happened.
I am on the fence with this book, I wanted to love it but I just didn’t. There was mystery and intrigue but I found I didn’t care overall. Maybe if I read this instead it might have been a different story. But I can’t blame everything on the narrator, it was my concentration too. It wasn’t my cup of tea but that’s to say it won’t be yours. It is a slow burn as we build up to a reveal of how everyone fits in the present day and if it wasn’t for the fact Anne wouldn’t give up then there would be no story to tell.
August 8, 2018
This book took me a couple days to finish I loved it but when you have a seven year old on summer break it happens 😉. I enjoyed this book it was a step away from my usual mystery thrillers! It was a deep character thriller which starts with Debbie who is the mother of Anne . Debbie disappears when Anne is still a baby so part of the story takes place in the 1980s which is Debbie’s story that leads up to her disappearance and then now Anne who wants to know what happened to her mother now that she’s a mother and it’s something that she’s never gotten over. Every time she brings up her mothers disappearance her father doesn’t want to talk about it and her stepmother who’s name is Monica was once Debbie’s best friend doesn’t want to talk either. When Monica gets an email from someone claiming to be Debbie old wounds are opened and it seems like everyone has something to hide! I loved the past and present story and when it comes together your shocked but happy you finished the book. All questions will be answered ! Loved this book!
September 6, 2019
Oh dear. This book seemed to present the ideal mystery; a woman receives contact from someone purporting to be her mother, who has been missing and presumed dead since she was a baby. Sadly, that is where the excitement ends, as a story that I hoped would have me on the edge of my seat ended up falling as flat as a pancake.
I was fascinated by the blurb, but it turned out to be extremely misleading. Any feeling of tension and atmosphere is non-existent as Anna goes about trying to find her mother, Debbie, who vanished in mysterious circumstances in 1986. The writing is dense throughout, and that removes all sense of urgency.
The chapters alternate between the POV of Anna in the present day, and that of Debbie in the weeks before she went missing. Both are told in first person, and the author does a good job of conveying their respective insecurities and in particular, Debbie's mental health struggles.
However none of the characters, with the possible exception of Debbie, are in any way interesting. Anna is a very bland protagonist, and the supporting cast have no distinguishing features whatsoever. They are lacking in depth and personality, which made me connect with the book even less.
As I said, the blurb makes the plot sound riveting. Instead, it is wafer-thin, underwhelming and - perhaps due to the writing style - I struggled to feel invested in it. In a book like this, you would expect for there to be the occasional twist, or something that makes you really take notice, but they are missing too.
My frustration with the plot was most pronounced at the end of the book. The way the ending played out was such that it made me question why I had read 350 pages in order to get there. The resolution leaves gaping questions, while there are also meaningless sub-plots involving Anna's husband Jack.
The writing style is actually engaging in its own way, but it is just so dense. There were times where I was virtually skim-reading, trying to focus on the bits that carried some relevance. The author also makes a point of telling us which song is playing on the radio in almost every single scene.
Overall, this book was a massive disappointment. I do not often write reviews as negative as this and I certainly take no pleasure in doing so, but this book, for all of its decent portrayals of mental health, just failed on too many counts. The plot and the characters left something to be desired, and the writing was just not for me.
I was fascinated by the blurb, but it turned out to be extremely misleading. Any feeling of tension and atmosphere is non-existent as Anna goes about trying to find her mother, Debbie, who vanished in mysterious circumstances in 1986. The writing is dense throughout, and that removes all sense of urgency.
The chapters alternate between the POV of Anna in the present day, and that of Debbie in the weeks before she went missing. Both are told in first person, and the author does a good job of conveying their respective insecurities and in particular, Debbie's mental health struggles.
However none of the characters, with the possible exception of Debbie, are in any way interesting. Anna is a very bland protagonist, and the supporting cast have no distinguishing features whatsoever. They are lacking in depth and personality, which made me connect with the book even less.
As I said, the blurb makes the plot sound riveting. Instead, it is wafer-thin, underwhelming and - perhaps due to the writing style - I struggled to feel invested in it. In a book like this, you would expect for there to be the occasional twist, or something that makes you really take notice, but they are missing too.
My frustration with the plot was most pronounced at the end of the book. The way the ending played out was such that it made me question why I had read 350 pages in order to get there. The resolution leaves gaping questions, while there are also meaningless sub-plots involving Anna's husband Jack.
The writing style is actually engaging in its own way, but it is just so dense. There were times where I was virtually skim-reading, trying to focus on the bits that carried some relevance. The author also makes a point of telling us which song is playing on the radio in almost every single scene.
Overall, this book was a massive disappointment. I do not often write reviews as negative as this and I certainly take no pleasure in doing so, but this book, for all of its decent portrayals of mental health, just failed on too many counts. The plot and the characters left something to be desired, and the writing was just not for me.
September 20, 2021
Unfortunately I didn't like this book as much as everybody else seemed to. :/
It's an okay book overall I suppose, but I found it a bit confusing and boring at times. It's told in alternating POVs but both women sound so similar that it can be really difficult to differentiate them. I found myself going back to check whose chapter it was too many times.
If you're going to have different narrators, they need to sound different.
The ending was pretty lacklustre and I also have no clue why the title is referring to missed calls instead of pink letters.
Definitely a 2 star read for me.
It's an okay book overall I suppose, but I found it a bit confusing and boring at times. It's told in alternating POVs but both women sound so similar that it can be really difficult to differentiate them. I found myself going back to check whose chapter it was too many times.
If you're going to have different narrators, they need to sound different.
The ending was pretty lacklustre and I also have no clue why the title is referring to missed calls instead of pink letters.
Definitely a 2 star read for me.
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