From acclaimed thriller writer Sarah Lotz, hailed by Stephen King as “vastly entertaining,” a new novel about a group of amateur detectives infiltrated by the sadistic killer whose crimes they’re investigating.Reclusive bookseller Shaun Ryan has always believed that his uncle Teddy died in a car accident twenty years ago. Then he learns the truth: Teddy fled his home in Catholic, deeply … deeply conservative County Wicklow, Ireland, for New York and hasn’t been heard from since. None of Shaun’s relatives will reveal why they lied about his uncle’s death or why they want Shaun to leave the whole affair alone.
But Shaun has a burning need to find out the truth. His search is unsuccessful until he’s contacted by Chris Guzman, a woman who runs a website dedicated to matching missing-persons cases with unidentified bodies. Chris and her team of cold-case obsessives suspect that Shaun is looking for the “Boy in the Dress,” one victim in a series of gay men murdered by the same killer.
But who are these internet fanatics really, and how do they know so much about a case that has stumped police for decades? Soon armchair sleuths and professional investigators are on a collision course with a sadistic serial killer who’s gotten away with his crimes for far too long – and now they’re in his sights.
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A unique and entertaining character-driven thriller, that has the vibe of a true-crime story.
480 pages! This is the first thing that came to mind when I started reading it. Not sure how I ended up requesting a book this lengthy, because I hate reading long books! But a large portion of the book is written in group chats and other communication that make the book read faster than expected and I really enjoyed it.
Missing-Linc is a website based in the US. It’s made up of ordinary people that try to match missing people to unidentified bodies. This made me curious, so I did an internet search. Web sleuthing seems to be a popular hobby, that sounds pretty addicting. I found a lot of sites and even found discussions pertaining to a missing woman from the small town I live in. I guess you really can find anything on the internet!
The web sleuths in the story are contacted by a young man in Ireland. Shaun sends them a picture of his Uncle Teddy. He grew up believing his uncle was killed in a car accident before he was born, but discovered Teddy went to NYC after a falling out with the family. There is a chance Teddy is still alive, but the subject is taboo with the family, and he hasn’t been heard from since he left. The whole backstory of this situation is crazy!
The story is filled with complex and interesting characters…the dysfunctional Irish family and the web sleuths, who are like a dysfunctional family in their own way. Lots of secrets, lies, and some shocking surprises.
I really admired the website members that invested so much time playing amateur detectives. The characters were so impressive and serious. At the same time, since everyone is anonymous, it’s easy to blend in. It makes you think about the people that interact on these sites in real life. They can present themselves anyway they want, which is pretty scary.
We find out early in the story that the killer is a member of the Missing-Linc website. Killing isn’t enough for him , he secretly taunts the other members about their personal issues. He takes advantage of and deceives people that care about him. He’s just a completely disgusting, horrible and unlikable creep!
The ending was a little anticlimactic, but the story was very intriguing and thought provoking. This is my first book by Sarah Lotz and I’m fascinated enough to try another.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Sarah Lotz for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 4 ’s
Published: September 3rd 2019 by Mulholland Books
Pages: 480
Recommended: Yes
Gripping, mysterious, and sinister!
Missing Person is a captivating, slow-burning mystery that takes us into the lives of Shaun Ryan, a young Irish lad whose uncle has been missing for the past twenty years, a group of online amateur sleuths who take it upon themselves to identify and pursue new evidence in cold cases, and a ruthless killer who may or may not be willing to kill again.
The writing is methodical and sharp. The characters are secretive, sly, and determined. And the plot told from multiple perspectives builds steadily as it twists, turns, and unravels all the behaviours, actions, motivations, relationships, and personalities within it.
Missing Person is ultimately a novel about family, friendship, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, criminal fanatics, obsession, violence, and murder that does a nice job of reminding us that people aren’t always who they perceive themselves to be, especially online. And even though I would have loved a little more urgency and thrills it was still a dark, creepy, entertaining read.