Missing Sister
Twins Penny and Nix were inseparable. But when Nix dies in a "tragic accident" after college, she leaves a cryptic voicemail that leaves Penny drowning in guilt, convinced there's more to the story.
Five years later, Penny is a rookie cop, determined to get the justice Nix never did. Her dream becomes a nightmare when her first murder call is for Danny Bowery—one of three men she blames for her sister's death.
Stunned, Penny discovers the killer at the scene: a blonde woman drenched in blood. Before Penny can make the arrest, the woman reveals the murder is part of "a larger story... about sisters," then vanishes. Now, Penny must hunt a dangerous vigilante who is avenging Nix's death, diving into a mystery where it's unclear who is the hunter and who is the hunted.
- Penny - Protagonist, police officer
- Nix (Real name Nicki) - Penny’s twin sister
- Thalia (real name Clio) - Woman Penny finds at Danny’s crime scene
- Calliope - Thalia’s sister
- Delilah - Penny’s training officer
- Xav, Danny, Jordan - Men who assaulted Nix while she was in college
- Gand (Real name Garrett) - Penny’s brother, Shadow’s dad
- Shadow - Penny’s niece, 15
- Michael - Nix‘s ex-boyfriend
- Penny takes the murder weapon, a box cutter, when Thalia flees the crime scene.
- Penny meets up with Michael and they reminisce about Nix.
- Before her death Nix was on a downward spiral of drugs and bad decisions brought on after she was sexually assaulted by Xav, Danny and Jordan in college.
- Thalia meets up with Penny and tells her she never knew Nix, her mission was about her own sister.
- Thalia tells Penny to meet her again and bring her the box cutter.
- Penny goes to meet with Thalia at her house.
- Thalia tells Penny the three men had information on someone Thalia was looking for. Thalia didn’t intend to kill anyone, she just wanted information from them and when things went badly she defended herself.
- Thalia tells Penny her sister story: When they were in middle school she and Calliope were kidnapped and sold to a man named Buddy.
- They were kept locked in a basement for several years until Buddy exchanged Calliope for a parrot named Pierre with some French man.
- Thalia was able to stab Buddy to death with a steak knife and has been looking for the man that bought Calliope ever since.
- Thalia believes that the three men knew the name of the man who bought her sister.
- After hearing Thalia’s story Penny goes home where Gand confesses that he is the one who killed Xav.
- One night just before the anniversary of Nix’s death Gand was on drugs and at a bar when he saw Xav. When Xav left he followed him home and beat him with a baseball bat.
- Penny realizes that the third man Thalia has been looking for is not Jordan but Michael.
- Michael shows up at Penny’s house under the guise of being concerned about her and the truth comes out; Michael was the one who gave Nix the fentanyl because he was angry that she wouldn’t take him back.
- Michael shoots Gand twice and flees with Penny.
- Michael makes Penny take him to Thalia’s home because she stole money from him that he wants back.
- At Thalia’s house Penny is able to tip her off that she’s not alone and Thalia gets the upper hand and kills Michael.
- Thalia gets the name of the man she has been looking for.
- Epilogue: Thalia texts Penny to say she has a lead and wants Penny to join her and Penny happily agrees.
I love a good character-driven story, and this book is a fantastic one. I was completely invested in the main character, Penny and her struggles after losing her twin sister, Nix. The author did an amazing job exploring Penny’s complex feelings surrounding Nix’s death and the relationships she has with her brother, Gand and her niece, Shadow. For me the special, protective bond she had with Shadow was a strong highlight of the book.
The writing style is great, it's straightforward but still carries so much depth. At its core, this is a beautiful story about finding yourself, grappling with life's big questions, and learning how to move forward. The pacing was a little slow in the middle but I was too invested in the story to ever think of putting it down. The twist was not as shocking as much as it was satisfying to finally get Penny some answers. The story’s conclusion did a great job of weaving all the different plot points together.
- Penny - Alive - Training to become a private detective
- Gand - Alive - Recovering well after being shot, moved back home to be more present for Shadow
- Shadow - Alive - Happy to have Gand back home
- Nix - Dead - Killed by fentanyl given to her by Michael
- Xav - Dead - Beat to death with a baseball bat by Gand
- Danny - Dead - Bled out after Thalia slashed him with a box cutter
- Michael - Dead - Throat slit by Thalia; buried in her basement
- Delilah - Alive - Hoping Penny returns to the police force some day
- Mrs. Blanchard - Dead - Run over by Michael when he was fleeing from Gand’s shooting
- Murder
- Kidnapping
- Rape
- Drug abuse
Publisher: William Morrow
ISBN: 9780063158719
Publication Date: March 3, 2026
Note: Details are for the original edition. Other formats, editions, and audiobook versions may be available.
