Burnt Paper Sky by
Gilly MacMillan
is a 2015 thriller that follows what happens in the days following the
disappearance of eight-year-old Ben, the son of a divorced (and bitter)
mother named Rachel Jenner. While walking in the woods one day, Rachel
lets Ben run ahead to get to the swings. When she catches up a few
minutes later, he is nowhere to be found. Set in England, the book
alternates between the point of view of Rachel, who is shattered and
guilt-ridden, and a detective named Jim, who is assigned to the case.
As
we follow the developments, including vicious media scrutiny of Rachel,
the exposure of secrets, and police missteps, the list of possible
suspects grows. This book is not high literature - at times I felt like
it was written to be made into a TV show. However, it was an
entertaining weekend read and kept me guessing until almost the end. If
you want a few more "missing child" thrillers on your list, keep
reading!
Every Secret Thing by
Laura Lippman
begins with two young Baltimore girls who are kicked out of a birthday
party. On their way home, they see a baby in a stroller with no one else
around, and a disturbing crime results. The story jumps ahead to the
girls' 18th birthdays, when they are released from juvenile detention
for their convictions in the baby's death. As soon as they're out,
another child disappears, and they are the obvious suspects. To find the
missing child, we must find out what really happened all those years
ago.
The Stranger on the Train by
Abbie Taylor is another thriller set in England. A young single mother named Emma is struggling to raise her baby Ritchie. One evening, her worst fears come true as she is separated from her child in the London Underground. Upon reporting the situation to police, Emma's story is doubted and she doesn't know who to rely on. Flashbacks show Emma's life prior to becoming a mother, as the story develops day by day.
The Last Child by
John Hart
is about two young teens named Johnny and Alyssa. They are twins who
had a great life, until one day Alyssa disappeared. A year later, Johnny
is still devastated and finds that no one but him believes that Alyssa
is still alive. He takes on the search himself, risking his own safety
to try and find his sister. A detective frustrated with the unsolved
case joins him in the search, but they end up facing twists and turns
they couldn't predict.
Happy reading!
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