The Missing Ones

By: A. R. Torre

Narrator: Moniqua Plante

Brilliance Audio

ISBN: 9781662534218

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Publication Date: 04/14/2026

Format: Paperback

My Rating: 4 Stars (ARC)

APR 2026 MUST-READ BOOKS

In an exclusive and close-knit community, the secrets of the past threaten to destroy three women in a shocking novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author A. R. Torre.

Behind the manicured lawns and guarded gates of Crestmore Estates lies a neighborhood built on secrets.

Five years ago, three residents vanished without a trace. No bodies. No answers. Just rumors, whispered around the country club. Now, when human remains surface on the golf course, old suspicions rematerialize—and the spotlight falls on the women left behind.

Andrea Kendal knows what people think—that her brilliant surgeon husband had something to do with his first wife’s bloody disappearance. Sara Batcher has spent years defending herself against accusations that she killed her husband. And Katie Morrow, the community’s youngest trophy wife, can’t escape the suspicious shadows cast by her husband’s ex-wife.

As the investigation circles closer, the wives find themselves bound together by fear, betrayal, and the ghosts of the missing. In a neighborhood where appearances are everything, each must decide what she’ll sacrifice to protect her carefully constructed life—before someone else decides to shatter them all.

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My Review

In THE MISSING ONES by A.R. Torre, the dark and twisty plot centers on the high-society secrets of Crestmore Estates, where three residents vanished without a trace five years earlier in this dark and scandalous suburban domestic thriller.

Highlights...

Human remains (starting with a single bone) are discovered on the local golf course, reopening cold cases for three missing people: David Batcher, Willow Morrow, and Roxanne Kendal.

The story follows three women under intense scrutiny:

~Andrea Kendal: Her surgeon husband, Eric, was suspected when his first wife, Roxanne, disappeared from a bloody car scene.

~Sara Batcher: A successful entrepreneur who has fought rumors for years that she killed her husband, David.

~Katie Morrow: The young "trophy wife" of Mark, whose first wife, Willow, vanished.

My thoughts...

Twisted. Dark. Intense. Scandalous!

With unreliable narrators (classic Torre style), the characters are revealed to have hidden motives or pasts entirely different from their public personas. Each woman holds a different piece of the puzzle that the others (and the reader) lack.

Full of twists and turns from betrayal, self-preservation, secrets, and dark humor. The mystery of who the body is and how the disappearances are connected is resolved through a series of "jaw-dropping" reveals that tie the seemingly separate cases together.

A core theme is the contrast between the "manicured lawns" of Crestmore Estates and the dark secrets hidden behind closed doors.

You will question every character and their motivations.. The story explores the lengths women will go to protect themselves, their status, and their families, often blurring the lines between justice and revenge.

Set in an elite community, the book examines how wealth can both create and hide scandalous behavior. Torre uses several clever key literary and narrative elements that work together to build its "suburban noir" atmosphere.

~Multiple Perspectives:

The story alternates between the three wives—Andrea, Sara, and Katie—providing three distinct viewpoints on the central mystery.

~Dual Timelines:

The novel is split into two halves. The first takes place in the present day as the investigation begins; the second moves into flashbacks that reveal the truth of what happened five years earlier.

~Gossipy Epigraphs:

Each chapter starts with a snippet of neighborhood gossip, news clips, or interview transcripts, highlighting the toxic, judgmental culture of the gated community.

~Short, Fast-Paced Chapters:

The book is designed for speed, using brief chapters to maintain high tension and a "popcorn thriller" feel.

~Epilogue Twist:

The final resolution that shifts the perspective one last time, providing a chilling final detail.

Torre hands out snippets slowly, where one character’s "present-day" fear is explained by another character’s "five-years-ago" flashback, eventually converging in the final chapters to show the true culprit.

Thematic Elements...

~The Facade of Perfection

~Unreliable Narrators

~Feminine Rage and Justice

~Class and Privilege

In a typical thriller, the truth sets you free. In this book, the truth is a burden that the characters must carry forever to maintain their lifestyle. It suggests that behind every "perfect" gated community, there isn't just one secret, but a foundation built on collective silence and shared guilt.

The big "takeaway" is a cynical look at the cost of perfection in high-society suburbs.

Recs...

THE MISSING ONES is for fans of the author and readers who enjoyed her previous books with the same suburban noir atmosphere of delicious neighborhood secrets, scandals, and toxic relationships:

~Every Last Secret

~The Last Party

~A Happy Marriage

~The Good Lie

Also for fans of Desperate Housewives, The Hunting Wives, Big Little Lies, and:

~The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

~The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty

~Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica

~The Little Houses by May Cobb

A special thanks to Thomas & Mercer and NetGalley for providing an advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks

Pub Date: April 14, 2026

My Rating: 4 Stars

April Newsletter

About the Author

Alessandra Torre is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels. Torre has been featured in such publications as Elle and Elle UK, as well as guest-blogged for the Huffington Post and RT Book Reviews. She is also the Bedroom Blogger for Cosmopolitan.com.

In addition to writing, Alessandra is the creator of Alessandra Torre Ink, a website, community, and online school for aspiring authors. Her annual conference is INKERS CON, and is available online or in-person.

Learn more about Alessandra on her website at www.alessandratorre.com.