A New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice • A page-turning mystery that brings to life a complex and strong-willed detective assigned to a high-risk missing persons caseNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • NAMED ONE OF THE 10 BEST MYSTERIES OF THE YEAR BY THE WALL STREET JOURNAL “An extraordinarily assured police procedural in the tradition of Ruth Rendell and Elizabeth George.”… the tradition of Ruth Rendell and Elizabeth George.”—Joseph Finder, author of The Fixer
“Surprise-filled . . . one of the most ambitious police procedurals of the year. Detective Bradshaw’s biting wit is a bonus.”—The Wall Street Journal
“Missing, Presumed has future BBC miniseries written all over it.”—Redbook
“A highly charismatic and engaging story.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This combination of police procedural and an unfolding family drama that continuously twists and turns will work well for fans of Kate Atkinson and Tana French.”—Booklist
At thirty-nine, Manon Bradshaw is a devoted and respected member of the Cambridgeshire police force, and though she loves her job, what she longs for is a personal life. Single and distant from her family, she wants a husband and children of her own. One night, after yet another disastrous Internet date, she turns on her police radio to help herself fall asleep—and receives an alert that sends her to a puzzling crime scene.
Edith Hind—a beautiful graduate student at Cambridge University and daughter of the surgeon to the Royal Family—has been missing for nearly twenty-four hours. Her home offers few clues: a smattering of blood in the kitchen, her keys and phone left behind, the front door ajar but showing no signs of forced entry. Manon instantly knows that this case will be big—and that every second is crucial to finding Edith alive.
The investigation starts with Edith’s loved ones: her attentive boyfriend, her reserved best friend, her patrician parents. As the search widens and press coverage reaches a frenzied pitch, secrets begin to emerge about Edith’s tangled love life and her erratic behavior leading up to her disappearance. With no clear leads, Manon summons every last bit of her skill and intuition to close the case, and what she discovers will have shocking consequences not just for Edith’s family but for Manon herself.
Suspenseful and keenly observed, Missing, Presumed is a brilliantly twisting novel of how we seek connection, grant forgiveness, and reveal the truth about who we are.
Praise for Missing, Presumed
“Smart, stylish . . . Manon is portrayed with an irresistible blend of sympathy and snark. By the time she hits bottom, professionally and privately, we’re entirely caught up in her story.”—The New York Times Book Review
“Nuanced suspense that’s perfect for Kate Atkinson fans.”—People
“Drenched in character and setting, with pinpoint detail that breathes life and color into every sentence.”—The News & Observer
“You might come to Missing, Presumed for the police procedural; you’ll stay for the layered, authentic characters that Steiner brings to life.”—Bethanne Patrick, NPR
“Where [Susie] Steiner excels is in the depth and clarity with which she depicts her characters. . . . It all adds up to a world that feels much bigger than the novel in which it is contained.”—The Guardian
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I was disappointed with the ending. Too much build up for a very anti-climactic ending.
For a while it felt like I saw “Missing, Presumed” everywhere. It was at the front of book store displays, BookBub ran a deal and I even saw a billboard display. I don’t get why exactly. It was good, but the middle 60% was extremely slow and I felt like the wrong characters were being over developed. I know the life story and intricate details of some, while I’m left extremely wanting for more development of others. Besides that, the mystery was solved in a very original way that I really enjoyed – just had to push myself to keep reading!
Compelling read; fast-paced and entertaining. Although somehow not entirely a surprise, the end still provides a bit of a twist. Will definitely look for more from Susie Steiner.
This is a British mystery told through the eyes of three people…so you get different perspectives on a case involving a missing, presumed missing, young woman.
You are a participant looking for evidence into the woman, whose family is quite high up in the government. And that means more publicity and more pressure to solve the case…if there is one.
Davey and Manon, both coppers, take you behind the scenes and into the world of police work. You listen and see into their lives and you are privy to their despair and needs and moments of deep humanity. The third person letting you in is Miriam, the mother of the missing girl. She shows what it is to wonder about your family, your past, your guilt, your need to hold on.
The only complaint is the crime and the reasoning behind it and tying up the loose ends. It works and seems believable but the missing woman…I have trouble reconciling her and her part in this mystery. I really cared the most for the three people sharing their lives as detectives and a mother and I will think of them, not the missing daughter.
It moves fast, good procedural mystery with deep characters but the ending wasn’t quite right for me.
Decent plot, but the author wastes huge amounts of time on things having little or nothing to do with the plot. If you are looking for a police procedural, you will find a 150 page police procedural buried in 350 pages of other stuff. If you want a romance novel, or a touchy-feely novel about personal issues police and others have, OK. If you are looking for well-written story of police work, go elsewhere.
Lover this book and the main character. Will follow this author.
Why can’t we say why we didn’t like it? Why does this site force us to give credit to things that have no merit? Why isn’t there a “What didn’t you like about this book?”
Oh, because then they wouldn’t make money by selling books.
She’s not dead, she ran to the south of France and told no one for no good reason. There, I spared you the cost of paying for this,
Struck me as a pretty realistic portrayal of the interactions of the police among themselves and with the “victim’s” family.