The Missing Mother

De: Mali Cornish

A razor-sharp psychological suspense thriller for fans of Gillian Flynn about the family secrets that bind us—and break us.

When Elspeth returns from New York to her hometown of Geelong, it's not for a holiday—it's because her mother, Simone, has vanished without a trace.

Elspeth moves in with her sister, Aoife, and old wounds reopen as they circle around their father's death years earlier. But Elspeth's own behaviour soon unsettles those around her. She's jittery, secretive—and the police begin to wonder if she's hiding something more than grief.

Desperate to prove her innocence, Elspeth teams up with Steve, a local crime reporter, to hunt for the truth. Their search leads them to Simone's unfinished memoir, which includes letters that expose long-buried betrayals and dangerous secrets.

But as the investigation tightens, so does the net around Elspeth. Is she an investigator, a daughter, or something more dangerous?

Because in a family built on lies and betrayal, digging too deep can be deadly.

"Richly observed and deliciously dark. I defy you not to fall for this damaged narrator who sees what other people don't. This is a story of trying (and failing) to leave your past behind, delivered with a stylish and sly malevolence that lingers long after the last page. Mali Cornish is a gift from the writing gods." HAYLEY SCRIVENOR, internationally bestselling author of Dirt Town and Girl Falling

©2026 Mali Cornish (P)2026 W. F. Howes ltd