You'll remember that I had a new book delivered recently, and that it came with a miniature of Southern Comfort - which as first impressions go is a pretty good one. I hoped that I'd reach the part of the book that needed a stiff drink at an appropriate time, and so far I've not needed to pour myself a drink, well not yet anyway.

The other thing that struck me about this book when it arrived was its size. It's on the larger side of the paperbacks and is quite thick too, and I think initially this put me off. It does fit into my handbag, but with a driving commute I've found it hard to really get into this book. What I have read has been good and I want to carry on reading it, but for me this will be a slower read than the books I've read recently. I'm not sure why, but I know I want to understand the story.

Unusually the front cover doesn't include the book's title, but instead "The hunt for Edith Hind starts here" is given prominence with the title relegated to the spine and the rear cover. I found this confusing initially too - I've a simple mind, clearly - and while I like the cover image, I think I prefer to have the title there in its more traditional place.

I think one of the reasons I've struggled to really get into this book is that it shares a main character - Edith - with the listening book I have in the car. Both are young adults approaching marriage but their lives couldn't be more different. Edith, in this book is reported missing and once you get to this part the title of the book is obvious. I think the vast difference between the two Edith's lives have also hindered my ability to become immersed in this story.

It's well written and I think I will enjoy the story, I've heard that others have said they'd read this in a couple of days. Right now this book hasn't grabbed me and got me hooked, but I'm more than willing for that to happen.

As usual I won't share the ending of the book, usually that's to avoid spoiling the story, but in this case it's because I really don't know what that'll be. I know this sounds like a negative review of the book, but I don't mean for it to be. I'm going to continue to read this book because already I care about some of the characters - Manon, the detective on the case who it seems is unlucky in love but is clear that the first 72 hours in a case are crucial, and Miriam, Edith's mother who early in the book lifts the Le Creuset onto the draining board and wonders why people rave about them when they are almost un-lift-able - and because I want to know more of what happened.

And if I'll need that Southern Comfort.

Update: As I thought, a train ride to and from Birmingham last Saturday was a good opportunity to spend some time with this book. There was a twist that you expect from thriller books and at one point I considered part of it. Not the other though.

I hadn't remembered to take the miniature of Southern Comfort with me, so I've still got that for another day! It is a good book - and once I'd got into it, I wanted to finish it. I didn't quite manage that on my journey back, but while MOH cooked dinner that night I put my nose back into the book and finished it.

Thanks to Mumsnet and Borough Press for providing a copy of Missing, Presumed in return for an honest review.