Good evening, my wonderful readers. As I’m writing this, I’m wrapped up in a blanket, I can certainly feel that Autumn is coming.

Today’s is an ARC review, I feel I haven’t read a book before publication for ages and it feels so good. I’m really excited for you to read this book and this is great for your Autumn TBRs too. I’lll also be interviewing the author on publication day about this book so welcome to How to Find a Missing Girl themed week! On to the review shall we…

A year ago, beloved cheerleader Stella Blackthorn vanished without a trace. Devastated, her younger sister, Iris, launched her own investigation, but all she managed to do was scare off the police's only lead and earn a stern once she turns eighteen, more meddling means prison-level consequences.
Then, a year later, the unthinkable happens. Iris's ex-girlfriend, Heather, goes missing, too-just after dropping the polarizing last episode of her true crime podcast all about Iris's sister. This time, nothing will stop Iris and her amateur sleuthing agency from solving these disappearances.
But with a suspicious detective watching her every move, an enemy-turned-friend-turned-maybe-more to contend with, and only thirty days until she turns eighteen, it's a race against the clock for Iris to solve the most dangerous case of her life.

How to Find a Missing Girl saved my reading! I will always stick by this but starting mystery novel when I’m on the cusp of a reading slump or slowing of reading, that these will cease that from happening. This books is like a sapphic Charle’s Angels meet A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. You can get completely sucked into the mystery from page 1. I loved it!

Iris Blackthorn started her detective agency a year ago, after the local police written off her sister’s missing person file. They couldn’t do anything more, follow any more leads, so it went cold and it was officially closed. Until her ex-girlfriend Heather goes missing, it’s like she is going through it all over again. Heather started the local ‘How to Find a Missing Girl’ podcast to help bring answers to her Iris’s sister’s murder and make up for what happened between them. The last episode was posted and the next day Heather went missing. Stella Blackthorn and Heather have one thing in common, Iris. With her agency, Imani and Sammy it’s their turn to find out what really happened with both of them.

Did I tell you how much I loved thrillers?! There is something about them that just gets you blood plumping and excitement rushing through you, the audible gasps and sighs and triumphs as I guess it right, sometimes not all the time. But How to Find a Missing Girl, had all of that and more but I still didn’t guess who had done till the end. For me that’s skill. I also love a book that contact snippets, physical evidence and Victoria adding the podcast transcripts just adds another layer, you see a different perspective on thriller, tricks you in a way too.

I really loved Iris’s character development. She is very headstrong but reserved in the beginning of the book. Stella’s vanishing, really affected her. Her last moments with her sister, haunts her and they argued but now she feel guilty and no less determined to help others in similar situations. She thrives off it almost too much that she forgets it affects her friends too. Imani, they are the fashion guru and Sammy is tech agent. I loved how spunky and unique their personalties were. Sammy is hilarious, she really made me laugh, but they each ground Iris, a triage perfect for solving crimes. What I felt was really important was the representation and inclusivity of this sapphic YA mystery and Victoria really captures that.

What else is there to say? As Victoria’s debut novel whilst also studying in the US, this is a book not to be missed. It’s memorable, a page-turner, immersive modern day teenage mystery. Victoria is a new voice to YA mysteries and I can’t wait for more. I’m already recommending it to my students.

Thank you to TeamBkMrk for copy in exchange for a honest review.