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Hi besties! This week we’re diving into The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers. If you haven’t read it yet—pause here, grab the book (with your eyes or your ears), and come back when you’re ready.

Spoiler Alert: This episode contains full spoilers for The Missing Half

Overall Ratings

• Ashley: 3.5 out of 5
• Emily: Solid 4 out of 5

We both found the book engaging and entertaining, especially as a standalone thriller. Like Flowers’ first novel, All Good People Here, this story draws inspiration from a real unsolved case—but takes its own fictional turn.

Real-Life Inspiration: The Maura Murray Case

We couldn’t talk about The Missing Half without discussing its strong parallels to the disappearance of Maura Murray, a 21-year-old college student who vanished in 2004 after her car was found abandoned on a rural road.

Key similarities discussed:

• A young woman disappears after a car incident
• No clear signs of foul play
• A sister left behind searching for answers
• Lingering questions, suspicious behavior beforehand, and no closure

We also dig into theories around Maura’s disappearance, including:

• Mental health crisis
• Exposure to the elements
• Accepting a ride from someone else
• Why her case is classified as a “suspicious missing person with criminal overtones”

This conversation spirals (in the best way) into whether this is a case we should cover in a future episode 👀.

Plot & Themes Discussion

• The book leans more toward solving an unsolved mystery than a traditional whodunit
• Internet sleuthing and community involvement mirror modern true-crime culture
• Nearly every character feels suspicious—which we loved

We also talk about:

• Being (or not being) surprised by twists
• Loving messy, flawed characters like Nick
• Trauma, grief, addiction, and bad decision-making
• How secrets compound and destroy lives

The Gross Stuff (Because Yes, We’re Talking About It)

• Brad is the worst. Full stop.
• The affair between a teenage girl and her dad’s best friend is deeply disturbing and rooted in power imbalance and grooming
• The fact that his wife knew? Horrifying and complicated
• We unpack how this plotline effectively builds suspicion—but is still incredibly upsetting

Moments That Stuck With Us

• The creepy anonymous note delivered by a child on a playground
• The CD with handwritten notes (a nostalgic gut punch)
• The reveal about what really happened the night Jules died
• The moral breaking point of covering up another death

Heartbreaking, messy, and tragic across the board.

Big Questions We Asked

• Could someone really disappear and live just one town over?
• Why choose hiding over accountability for a drunk-driving death?
• How far can trauma push someone before every choice becomes the wrong one?
• And ultimately: What do you think really happened?

Find As

Support the show

Subscribe on our patreon for weekly content, early access to episodes, one true crime episode per month and behind the scenes content at https://www.patreon.com/thecreepybookclub

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thecreepybookclub and https://www.instagram.com/bookswithyourbesties/

Follow us on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@thecreepybookclub

Music is Ur Karma (Instrumental Version) by Craig Reever.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of Emily and Ashley of The Creepy Book Club alone.

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"You're frozen"

"No, I was just done talking."

Welcome to another unhinged 30 minutes with us.

OKKKKKKAYYY, Ashley was wrong (per usual), Emily was right - A locked room mystery is a subgenre of crime fiction in which a crime, often a murder, is committed in a location that is seemingly impossible to access. The puzzle lies in figuring out how the crime was committed, despite the room being sealed from the inside with no apparent way in or out. Unlike typical whodunits, these stories heavily feature the "howdunit" aspect, requiring a logical and plausible explanation that doesn't rely on supernatural or impossible.

Yes, the spooky kid in a book is a very common trope, often referred to as the "creepy child". This trope plays on the contrast between a child's supposed innocence and their unsettling, often malevolent, behavior, which is considered terrifying because it goes against our expectations of what is innocent and vulnerable.

For Next Week Read The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers

https://ruthware.com/books/the-turn-of-the-key/

Support the show

Subscribe on our patreon for weekly content, early access to episodes, one true crime episode per month and behind the scenes content at https://www.patreon.com/thecreepybookclub

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thecreepybookclub and https://www.instagram.com/bookswithyourbesties/

Follow us on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@thecreepybookclub

Music is Ur Karma (Instrumental Version) by Craig Reever.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of Emily and Ashley of The Creepy Book Club alone.

Send us a text

In this episode, Ashley and Emily discuss 'The Breakdown' by B.A. Paris, exploring its themes of gaslighting, emotional abuse, and the impact of infidelity on relationships. They delve into real-life cases of deception, including the Chris Watts case, and reflect on the cultural perspectives surrounding affairs. The conversation emphasizes the importance of accountability and the emotional trauma caused by betrayal in relationships.

takeaways

• The Breakdown is a domestic thriller about infidelity.
• Gaslighting is a prevalent theme in the book.
• Affairs can lead to extreme emotional turmoil.
• Cultural perspectives on infidelity vary significantly.
• Real-life cases like Chris Watts highlight the dangers of deception.
• Emotional abuse can be subtle and insidious.
• Trust is hard to rebuild after infidelity.
• The impact of affairs extends beyond the couple involved.
• Accountability is crucial in relationships.
• Friendship boundaries are tested in cases of infidelity.

Sound Bites

• "The book was way better, of course."
• "What kind of best friend does that?"
• "It's a cultural thing."

Chapters00:00Introduction to The Breakdown

01:41 Themes of Infidelity and Betrayal

07:18 Gaslighting and Emotional Manipulation

13:58 Consequences of Affairs

18:50 Real-Life Parallels: Chris Watts and Other Cases

23:30 Conclusion and Reflections on Relationships

Support the show

Subscribe on our patreon for weekly content, early access to episodes, one true crime episode per month and behind the scenes content at https://www.patreon.com/thecreepybookclub

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thecreepybookclub and https://www.instagram.com/bookswithyourbesties/

Follow us on TikTok at https://www.tiktok.com/@thecreepybookclub

Music is Ur Karma (Instrumental Version) by Craig Reever.

The opinions expressed in this podcast are those of Emily and Ashley of The Creepy Book Club alone.