Missing Molly - Natalie Barelli

 Missing Molly - Natalie Barelli

Pub. Date: Oct. 20, 2026

She read

Except for her occasional panic attacks, Rachel lives a quiet life with her daughter and partner. She works at a struggling local newspaper. To revive itself, the paper embarks on a podcast about a gruesome murder that occurred twelve years ago. A mother, father, and one daughter were found clubbed to death.  The youngest daughter, Molly, has not been seen since.  Someone was charged with the crime but never tried as he committed suicide. Initially, Rachel fights doing the podcast because she knows the truth as she is the Molly who is missing. However, she eventually joins in on the research, which puts her and others' lives in grave danger. 

While I thought it well written, this story troubled me. I couldn’t understand why Rachel wouldn’t simply quit her job and distance herself from the story instead of becoming so deeply involved and putting her, her daughter, and her husband’s lives at risk.  As she made one poor choice after another, I found it difficult to believe that she had survived on her own for so long, including a time when she lived on the streets.

Despite these reservations, I couldn’t put the book down. 

After I read the book, I discovered that it was originally published in 2018; I don’t know if it was updated for this new release in 2026.

Thanks to @NetGalley and @poisonedpress for the DRC.

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