If you’re reading this, I’ve gone missing.

I close the binder I’ve been writing in, and walk into the living room. As I stare out of the
window at your house next door, I think about all the things I stand to lose if someone
comes for me. My handsome, loving husband, who has no idea what I’ve done. My
family, who have supported me no matter what. This beautiful home near the ocean,
where I thought I would be safe.

Everyone says that I’m paranoid, but I just think I’m prepared. My secrets have placed
me in terrible danger.

So if the worst happens, this binder contains everything you’ll need to find me, hidden in
a place only you could guess. You’ve always known me best of everyone, ever since we
were girls. You’ll be able to put the pieces together and uncover the truth.

Only you can find me. But you’ll need to do it fast.

Because if you don’t, all your lies will come to light too…
If I Go Missing, Leslie Wolfe
Pub Date: 2 January 2024

Alana is just a normal woman. She has a nice house on a cul-de-sac, lives across from a lovely old woman she visits and plays bridge with, teaches at the local elementary school, and is married to the love of her life Daniel (at least that’s what she tells herself). While encouraging her colleagues and students to create “If I go missing” binders on the local news program, she recalls a case that happened as she was growing up.

A young girl went missing and was found dead because the police did not have access to her phone until after it was too late. Had they been able to unlock the girl’s phone and social media accounts, they may have been able to find her in time.

Hence why the “If I go missing” binders are Alana’s focus. They would have all the information needed to give to the police in case of a disappearance.

While she is reliving this old case and pushing for those she cares about to consider making one, her old life comes to haunt her – quite literally. The elderly woman has moved without a goodbye and a new couple have moved in.

Except…they aren’t really new.

Not to Alana. Ray, her ex-boyfriend she never got over, and Chloe, her high school best friend who took Ray from her, are now the new owner’s of the home and are ready to insert themselves back into her life. Whether she wants them to or not.

On top of all that, Taylor, Alana’s student, goes missing. Alana is distraught with everything going on around her and decides to take Taylor’s disappearance into her own hands. More strange things happen and more of the people she knows start to disappear or act strange. We start to learn that Alana and Chloe may not be who they appear to be and the cops are insistent that Alana is at the center of all this.

In this unbelievable thriller relationships will be tested, personal history will be revealed, memories relived over and over, and all will be questioned.

“Unbelievable” is meant quite literally.

There are things that happen that most likely would never have been allowed to happen in the real world. There were so many unreliable characters and stories. Alana being one of them and Chloe’s diary being the other. Lastly, the ending was so jam-packed with drama and felt very rushed.

It was a tad too much. Overall, the writing was great, the content not so much.

Honestly, I am surprised at myself for giving it such a high rating, but I think it does ultimately deserve it. Here’s why:

• It was such a quick read. The chapters were short, but not too short, making them easy to read and packing enough detail in to let the reader really know the characters.
• Normally I am on top of it, but I couldn’t guess the person at the center of everything that happened. Everyone was a suspect and everyone was literally capable of being the person who did it.
• In addition to number 2, trying to piece everything together to figure it out had me thinking about the book even when I wasn’t reading it.
• I didn’t want to put it down. I wanted to know the next crazy, unbelievable, and improbable thing that was going to happen next. I wanted to know if this relationship was going to crumble or be strengthened. I was really invested.
• It got me out of a 2 month reading slump. As I mentioned previously, once I picked it up I really didn’t want to put it down. When I had finished the book, I immediately picked up another book even though it was a different genre. I was really back in the mood to read.

Despite its flaws, I really loved reading and dissecting If I Go Missing for about 90% of the book.

I would definitely recommend reading it with the warning of “it’s not going to be a realistic read; you just have to go with the flow.”

Take that as you will.