Missing sister by Joshilyn Jackson

This author never disappoints. Now that I've finished racing through "Missing Sister", I can't decide what I value most: the quirky characters, the plot, or the unique way Ms Jackson wields language to craft prose that is both natural and a Fabergé egg (for those who've read the book, yes, the metaphor is intentional). 

As always with Ms Jackson's books, it's difficult to put it firmly in a genre box, and that is a good, good thing. Mystery, yes. Family drama, also yes.  A milieu story, less so than some of her previous books. Bestseller, for certain.

I love all the Albrights and would be honoured to have them over for dinner. But, my favourite character? Gand.  Hope to meet him again in a future book.

Joshilyn, thank you for writing your wonderful books. They make my life better.

(Release date 3 March 2026)

Kiss Her Goodbye: A Frankie Elkin Novel by Lisa Gardner

I just finished Lisa Gardner's Kiss Her Goodbye and I’m still turning it over in my mind. From the very first chapter, I was pulled into Frankie Elkin’s world again. This time, she’s searching for an Afghan woman who has disappeared and left behind her young child. It’s a story full of heartbreak, courage, and resilience, and it feels incredibly timely.

What I love about Frankie is how flawed and real she is. She’s stubborn and reckless at times, but at her core she’s driven by compassion, and that makes her such a compelling character to follow. Alongside the darkness of the case, Lisa Gardner gives us those small, lighter moments that let you breathe, including Frankie’s unusual pet-sitting arrangement in a mansion full of reptiles, which made me smile in the middle of all the tension.

This book has everything I want in a thriller: pacing, emotional depth, and a character I can’t stop rooting for.