Tag: murder mystery

You Know What You Did by K.T. Nguyen

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment

Publisher: Penguin Group Dutton, Dutton

Date of publication: April 16th, 2024

Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Fiction, Horror, Adult, Suspense, Contemporary, Mental Health, Murder Mystery

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this heart-pounding debut thriller for fans of Lisa Jewell and Celeste Ng, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist must confront nightmares past and present…

Annie “Anh Le” Shaw grew up poor but seems to have it all now: a dream career, a stunning home, and a devoted husband and daughter. When Annie’s mother, a Vietnam War refugee, dies suddenly one night, Annie’s carefully curated life begins to unravel. Her obsessive-compulsive disorder, which she thought she’d vanquished years ago, comes roaring back—but this time, the disturbing fixations swirling around in Annie’s brain might actually be coming true.

A prominent art patron disappears, and the investigation zeroes in on Annie. Spiraling with self-doubt, she distances herself from her family and friends, only to wake up in a hotel room—naked, next to a lifeless body. The police have more questions, but with her mind increasingly fractured, Annie doesn’t have answers. All she knows is this: She will do anything to protect her daughter—even if it means losing herself.

With dizzying twists, You Know What You Did is both a harrowing thriller and a heartfelt exploration of the refugee experience, the legacies we leave for our children, and the unbreakable bonds between mothers and daughters.

AUTHOR NOTE
Personality-wise, I’m not much like my main character Annie Shaw. However, we do have one big thing in common: we’re both recovering from obsessive compulsive disorder. Through Annie, I describe some of my lived experience with disgust-driven, contamination-based OCD. The imagery is raw and vivid—and very necessary to realistically portray how this chronic disorder can affect people’s everyday lives, how it can make you feel like a prisoner in your own body. To learn more about OCD symptoms, treatments, and resources, visit the website of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF dot org). —K.T. Nguyen

First Line

Annie Shaw held her mother’s hand one last time.

Important details about You Know What You Did

Pace: Alternated between medium and fast

POV: 3rd person (Annie)

Content/Triggers: You Know What You Did contains themes of mental illness, animal death, death of a parent, infidelity, body horror, gore, grief, violence, car accident, murder, death, emotional abuse, racism, fire and fire injury, gaslighting, injury and injury detail, animal cruelty, body shaming, domestic abuse, panic attacks/disorders, physical abuse, self-harm, sexual assault, toxic relationship, police brutality, stalking, abandonment, alcohol, war, classism, death of a child, rape, refugee experiences, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, gun violence, attempted murder, and *genocide. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

  • Annie’s mother escaped Vietnam by boat in 1978. She was pregnant with Annie and had escaped with her six-year-old son, who tragically died the day before she was rescued. There are references to the Vietnamese Boat People throughout the book.

Language: You Know What You Did contains graphic swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild consensual sexual content in You Know What You Did. There is also a somewhat graphic sexual assault scene during the last couple of chapters.

Setting: You Know What You Did is set in Mount Pleasant, Virginia. There are also chapters set in Grace Falls, Ohio (while Annie was growing up), Hong Kong (in the early 2000s), and Vietnam (in 1978).

My Review:

The main storyline of You Know What You Did centers around Annie. Annie’s mother, a compulsive hoarder, was found dead by Annie. That death pushes Annie’s mental health to the limit. Annie suffers from contamination-based OCD, and she finds herself spiraling into routines that she hasn’t done in years. With her employer’s disappearance and the death of a man she barely knows pinned on her, Annie finds herself losing grip on reality. What is going on? Did the death of Annie’s mother set her off, or is there a more sinister reason? Can Annie figure out what is going on?

Annie had a time for it in the first half of the book. Her mother dies, and then she catches her best friend’s husband getting pleasured at the school carnival; the husband then starts sending threatening texts/pics to Annie. Tabby (her daughter) is awful and leaves for horse camp; her employer disappears, her dog dies, and Duncan leaves to cover a story in Syria. Her stress level was sky-high, and the pressure just kept mounting. I got stressed just reading about her predicaments.

Speaking of her relationships, I wasn’t a huge fan of Duncan or Tabby. Duncan came across as condescending or a jerk while he was with her. I could picture the tone he used with her; that imaginary tone made me grumpy (I don’t like condescending people). He also seemed to be undermining her parenting of Tabby. Everything she said or did that concerned Tabby was immediately challenged or changed by Duncan. As for Tabby, I understood she was a teenager and had that attitude, but she still aggravated me.

Annie’s relationship with her mother was also a massive part of the storyline. But, there was also a disconnect for me. I wanted to see more of her and Annie’s interactions when Annie was growing up. I wanted to know what caused such a massive rift between them. I also wanted to know more about her time in Vietnam. The author did go back to 1978 and explain a few things-like hoarding.

I liked Annie, but she was a very unreliable narrator. There were times during the book when I couldn’t figure out if what Annie was saying happened. She had vivid dreams about people that seemed to come true (which was freaky). Even her mother’s death was suspect in my eyes. Even after an explanation was given (and this goes with the twist I mention below), I still couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe she wasn’t all innocent.

The mystery angle of the book was terrific. I thought I had everything figured out, and then, bam, the author throws in a huge twist. This twist I did not see coming. All I could think was that that person had done an insane amount of planning to accomplish what they did.

I also like the book’s horror element. While it wasn’t subtle, it wasn’t in your face. Reading about Annie’s spiral into her OCD routines was both heartbreaking and frightening. But watching Annie’s mind become more and more fractured was truly horrifying. Lost hours and memories, on top of her OCD routines, set the tone for the last half of the book.

The end of You Know What You Did was terrific. I liked how the author revealed what was happening and who was behind it. As I said above, I was beyond shocked by who it was. The epilogue wrapped up the other storylines one year later, but I still couldn’t figure out what happened during the final fight in the carriage house. It was alluded to, but since Annie was so sick (mentally), I couldn’t tell if it was real. And folks, that is what made this book so good to read!

Many thanks to Penguin Group Dutton, Dutton, NetGalley, and K.T. Nguyen for allowing me to read and review this ARC of You Know What You Did. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to You Know What You Did, then you will enjoy these books:

Off the Air by Christina Estes

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: March 26th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Thriller, Cozy Mystery, Contemporary, Murder Mystery, Adult, Crime

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Equal parts thought-provoking and entertaining, Emmy Award winning reporter Christina Estes introduces Jolene Garcia in her Tony Hillerman Prize winning debut, Off the Air .

Jolene Garcia is a local TV reporter in Phoenix, Arizona, splitting her time between covering general assignments―anything from a monsoon storm to a newborn giraffe at the zoo―and special projects. Stories that take more time to research and produce. Stories that Jolene wants to tell.

When word gets out about a death at a radio station, Jolene and other journalists swarm the scene, intent on reporting the facts first. The body is soon identified as Larry Lemmon, a controversial talk show host, who died under suspicious circumstances. Jolene conducted his final interview, giving her and her station an advantage. But not for long.

As the story heats up, so does the competition. Jolene is determined to solve this murder. It’s an investigation that could make or break her career―if it doesn’t break her first.

First Line:

I’d like a cheeseburger with extra guacamole and —

Off the Air by Christina Estes

Important details about Off the Air

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Jolene)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Off the Air contains themes of abandonment, ageism, animal cruelty, child neglect, classism, homelessness, racism, sexism, sexual coercion, substance abuse, violence, death, murder, cultural appropriation, gun violence, hate crime, mental illness, grief, gaslighting, injury and injury detail, drug use, child abuse, and blood. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Language: Off the Air contains mild to moderate swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Off the Air.

Setting: Off the Air is set in Phoenix, Arizona.

My Review:

When I started reading Off the Air, I realized I hadn’t reviewed many books where the main character is a reporter (newspaper or TV). So, I was very interested in what went on behind the cameras and how a reporter worked a story. Off the Air did explore this (alongside Jolene investigating Larry’s murder).

Off the Air’s main storyline centers on Jolene and her investigation into Larry Lemmon’s murder. Jolene’s investigation was well-written and gave good insight into how cutthroat reporting can be. But it felt a little flat when the focus was off the newsroom and onto Jolene’s personal life. It also didn’t help that Jolene was just as ruthless in her personal life as in her professional life.

I had mixed feelings about Jolene. Professionally, she was everything I thought a news reporter should be: focused and three steps ahead of her competition. But personally, that ruthlessness didn’t do her any favors. Everything I liked about her while she was working turned me off when the author switched to her personal life.

The mystery angle of Off the Air did keep me guessing. The victim was a shock jock who made enemies every time he opened his mouth. So, there were a lot of suspects and motives. I was shocked at not only who the murderer was but why that person chose to murder the victim. In a way, I did sympathize with that person, but to resort to murder. Nope. Of course, once Jolene revealed the motive behind Larry’s murder, there was an additional story to report.

The end of Off the Air was interesting. The author wrapped up the main storyline (Larry’s murder) but left other secondary storylines unresolved. It will be interesting to see how relationships change (for better or worse) throughout this series.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Christina Estes for allowing me to read and review Off the Air. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Off the Air, then you will enjoy these books:

The Expectant Detectives (Expectant Detectives: Book 1) by Kat Ailes

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: January 9th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Humor, Adult, Fiction, Murder Mystery, Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Amateur Sleuth

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Can they solve the mother of all murders?

For Alice and her partner Joe, moving to the sleepy village of Penton is a chance to embrace country life and prepare for the birth of their first child. He can take up woodwork; maybe she’ll learn to make jam? But the rural idyll they’d hoped for doesn’t quite pan out when a dead body is discovered at their local prenatal class, and they find themselves suspects in a murder investigation.

With a cloud of suspicion hanging over the heads of the whole group, Alice and her new-found pregnant friends set out to solve the mystery and clear their names, with the help of her troublesome dog, Helen. However, there are more secrets and tensions in the heart of Penton than first meet the eye. Between the discovery of a shady commune up in the woods, the unearthing of a mysterious death years earlier, and the near-tragic poisoning of Helen, Alice is soon in way over her head.

First Line:

For my boyfriend’s thirieth birthday I thought I’d go all out and surprise him with a pregnancy.

The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of The Expectant Detectives is fast (the entire book takes place within two weeks of Alice arriving in Penton).

POV: The Expectant Detectives is told from Alice’s 1st person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: The Expectant Detectives have trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Childbirth
  • Pregnancy
  • Cancer
  • Dead Bodies
  • Death
  • Grief & Loss Depiction
  • Poisoning

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in The Expectant Detectives.

Language: There is mild swearing in The Expectant Detectives. The language used could also be considered offensive to readers who are triggered easily.

Setting: The Expectant Detectives is set in Penton, England.

Age Range: I recommend The Expectant Detectives to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Wanting to leave London before the birth of their 1st child, Alice and Joe pick the village of Penton to move to. Being from a big city, Alice needed to prepare for rural Penton and wasn’t thrilled with it. Expecting a dull backwater with nothing to do, Alice is surprised by the variety of prenatal options. She is also surprised by how crunchy the town is. She is even more surprised when the owner’s body is discovered during her first prenatal class at the local natural health shop. Determined to clear her name, along with her other pregnant friends, Alice starts investigating the murder. Her investigation takes her from the shop to a commune just outside town. She also uncovers a mysterious death and the girl that the three founding fathers of the commune were in love with. Also, she wants to solve how and why her beloved dog, Helen, was poisoned. How is everything connected? Will Alice clear her and her friends’ names?

Main Characters:

The main character of The Expectant Detectives is Alice. I loved her. She was one of the most relatable characters that I have read. She was socially awkward, so I giggled whenever she had to interact with anyone. Her thoughts on pregnancy were hilarious and echoed mine while I was pregnant (the whole naming conversation with Joe had me rolling). She was also a tiny bit self-centered. The way she investigated everything (and that statement is all-encompassing) was funny.

My review:

I was surprised to like this book more than I did. When I first started reading it, I honestly thought this book was going to suck. Then I got to reading it. The more I read it, the more I liked it. The humor, Alice, the mystery…they all appealed to me. And that is saying something because I can be rather picky about the cozy mysteries I read.

The main storyline of The Expectant Detectives follows Alice as she tries to adapt to a new town while almost ready to give birth. It was well-written, and I could connect with the characters and their situations. Some of the author’s words brought me back to my pregnancies (I have three children) and how I felt. Of course, because Alice was so socially awkward, they were even more amplified and made amusing.

The mystery angle of The Expectant Detectives was well written. I liked how the book started with two mysteries (the death of the store owner and Joe’s pulling away from Alice) and then morphed into five (the two murders, Joe pulling away, who Flora was, and the death that shook the commune). I figured out who Flora was early in the book, but everything else surprised me. A few neat twists to the storyline surprised me (who did the murders and why).

I have to mention the secondary characters, including the dogs. They were as well written as the main characters, but the author did leave a little to them. Out of all of them, I was not too fond of Hen or DCI Harris. They were almost too much (one being bossy and looking down on people, and the other having a laser focus on the only same-sex interracial couple as suspects).

The end of The Expectant Detectives was what I thought it would be. The author connected everything (and I mean everything) that satisfied me as a reader. The last chapter was heartbreaking because of what was recounted and what was lost. But the epilogue, which was a month later, more than made up for it.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Kat Ailes for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Expectant Detectives. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Expectant Detectives, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Kat Ailes

Unlikely Justice (Haley Arquette Murder Files: Book 3) by Reily Garrett

~ Jolie ~ Leave a comment

Publisher:

Date of publication: November 24th, 2023

Genre: Murder Mystery, Paranormal

Series: Hailey Arquette Murder Files

Perfect in Death—Book 1 (review here)

Deceptive Silence—Book 2 (review here)

Unlikely Justice—Book 3

Phantom Reunion—Book 4

Purchase Links: Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:

Private investigator Hailey Arquette’s job to locate a woman’s fiancée is complicated when she succeeds. The problem—he is now a spirit who can’t identify his killer.

FBI agent Trenton Briner has his hands full. His long time psychic friend has taken on a mouthy sidekick, a teenager with no caution and no sense of vulnerability. He knows there’s more to both young women, but can’t define their unique abilities, until he catches the teen red-handed.

Hailey knows the crime scene evidence didn’t add up. Animal fur, a human and cougar’s tracks beside the victim, and a seemingly invisible killer open her psychic world to new and deadly possibilities.

Can the trio find common ground before the unseen assassin stalking them strikes one of their own?

First Line:

The soft ditty Clarence Burke hummed while heading to his car haled the chittering of two nearby squirrels that stopped to stare.

Unlikely Justice by Reily Garrett

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of Unlikely Justice goes between medium and fast.

POV: Unlikely Justice has a 3rd person POV (Haley, Casper, and Trenton).

Series: Unlikely Justice is the 3rd book in the Haley Arquette Murder Files. While you can read this as a standalone, I recommend reading the first two books to understand backstories.

Trigger/Content Warning: Unlikely Justice has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Rape (hinted at)
  • Slut Shaming
  • Cheating (recounted)
  • Drugging
  • Blood & Gore Depiction
  • Dead Bodies & Body Parts
  • Dismemberment
  • Mutilation
  • Needles
  • Grief & Loss Depiction
  • Murder & Attempted Murder
  • Organized Crime
  • Physical Assault
  • Torture
  • Animal Attack

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Unlikely Justice.

Language: There is mild to moderate swearing in Unlikely Justice.

Setting:  Unlikely Justice is set in and around Hamchet, Texas.

Age Range: I recommend Unlikely Justice to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Haley is surprised when an upstanding citizen in Hamchet goes missing. She is even more surprised when his ghost appears, asking her for help finding his killer. But there is a problem: Clarence (the spirit) cannot remember who his killer is or why he was killed. But the clues (animal fur, animal footprint with human footprints) don’t make sense. Haley needs to use her growing psychic powers and rely more on Casper and her unconventional family to help solve this case. But that involves keeping Casper’s abilities hidden from Trenton, her childhood friend, and the FBI agent determined to uncover Casper’s secrets.

Main Characters

  • Haley—I liked her character in this book. Because Haley knew Clarence and his fiancee, so she was determined to help him the best she could. I liked that her psychic powers seemed to be growing. I loved her relationship with Casper. It was a big sister/little sister dynamic, and I liked that Haley knew better than to try and rein in Casper. As for Haley and Trenton, I saw what happened at the ending coming from book 1. I am surprised that it took the author until book 3 to make it happen.
  • Casper—She is truly one of my favorite all-time characters. I loved her in The Guardians series. I like that the author showed that there was more to her than her psychic abilities. I loved that she acted like a teenager (well, one who can phase through things and talk to the dead). It was nice seeing that side of her. But I also appreciated the side of her that was badass.
  • Trenton—I wasn’t expecting Trenton to make much of an appearance in this book (he was on the sidelines in the second book). I was pleasantly surprised that he was more involved with this case (even though Haley and Casper didn’t want him to be). I got a kick out of how easily Casper needled him. I also got why he wanted to know more about her. Trenton knew something different about her but couldn’t place his finger on it.

My review:

Reily Garrett is an auto purchase author for me. I love her books. So, I was super excited when she contacted me to read and review Unlikely Justice. This book more than lived up to my expectations.

The main plotline of Unlikely Justice revolves around Haley’s current case, Casper’s investigation into the school she attends, and Trenton trying to keep up with them both/trying to figure out Casper and her family. The storyline was well-written and well-fleshed out. I had a moment of wondering how Haley’s case and Casper’s investigation were connected. Then, boom, the author explained it.

I giggled at how off-balance Trenton was with Casper (as I mentioned above). She liked messing with him and took it to new heights in this book. Having Simon do his ghostly antics on an unknowing Trenton made me laugh out loud while reading. I also loved how Casper turned the direction of his questioning regarding her family. Trenton did come in handy during the last part of the book.

The mystery angle of the book was well-written. While I figured out one aspect of it (where the fur and footprints came from), I was surprised at who was behind everything. It was a huge twist, and I was left sitting with my mouth open. This person went to extreme lengths to hide their identity from everyone and almost got away with their revenge. This person is also tied to what was happening at Casper’s school. Oh, speaking of that, another twist involving Casper and another student took me by surprise. It also made me wonder what series that person came from or if this will be another series in this universe.

The end of Unlikely Justice was interesting. I can’t get into it because of spoilers, but I liked how the author revealed everything. The author also had a cliffhanger that involved Haley and Casper. I cannot wait to read Phantom Reunion!

Many thanks to Reily Garrett for allowing me to read and review Unlikely Justice. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Unlikely Justice, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Reily Garrett:

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

~ Jolie ~ 2 Comments

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Date of publication: March 7th, 2023

Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Fiction, LGBTQIA, Crime, Queer, Murder Mystery

Trigger warning: Adult/Minor relationships, sexual assault, murder, gun violence, violence, murder, cursing, homophobia, rape

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a gripping novel perfect for fans of Sadie and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, two best friends start a true crime podcast—only to realize they may have helped a killer in the process.

In August of 1999, dazzlingly popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears from a party in the woods outside the rural town of Oreville, Washington and is never seen again. The police question her friends, teachers, and the adults who knew her—who all have something to hide. And thanks to Clarissa’s beauty, the mystery captures the attention of the nation. But with no leads and no body, the case soon grows cold. Despite the efforts of internet sleuths and true-crime aficionados, Clarissa is never found—dead or alive.

Over twenty years later, Oreville high-school juniors and best friends Blair and Cameron start a true crime podcast, determined to unravel the story of what—or who—happened to this rural urban legend. In the process they uncover a nest of dirty small-town secrets, the sordid truth of Clarissa’s relationship with her charismatic boyfriend, and a high school art teacher turned small-town figurehead who had a very good reason for wanting Clarissa dead. Such a good reason, in fact, that they might have to make him the highlight of their next episode…

But does an ugly history with a missing girl make him guilty of murder? Or are two teenage girls about to destroy the life of an innocent man—and help the true killer walk free?

First Line:

Imagine this: A fairy-tale summer, blue and wild. Skinny-dipping in the Salish Sea with a trail of phosphorescence in your wake, sunburnt sholders, salt-sticky hair drying in the twilight as the stars come out.

Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

The disappearance of Clarissa Campbell shook the town of Oreville, Washington to its core. Her disappearance also intrigued the nation. A beautiful cheerleader with her life ahead of her disappears after a bonfire captivates the nation. Twenty years later, there are conspiracy theories and finger-pointing, but the case has gone cold. That is when Blair and Cameron (or Cami) come in. As part of a project for their journalism class, they decide to start a true crime podcast exploring her disappearance. As they start digging, they discover more about the case than what was reported. And what they ultimately uncover might kill them.

When I read the blurb for Missing Clarissa, I wasn’t impressed with it. I should have known not to judge the book by the blurb (or the cover if I am going to go there). This book was a great read. It kept me up late reading it. I was concerned about Cami and Blair (and their investigation), and I wanted to know what happened to Clarissa.

Usually, I would write the trigger warning at the end of the review, but I felt that these trigger warnings might be triggering more people. The trigger warnings are:

  • Adult/minor sexual relationships (off page-Clarissa plus other girls with her art teacher).
  • Sexual assault (off-page).
  • Murder
  • Rape (off-page).
  • Gun violence (Cami and Blair).
  • Violence
  • Murder
  • Cursing
  • Homophobia (off page, told by Clarissa’s boyfriend about what he did to a gay classmate).

If any of these trigger you, I recommend not reading this book.

What I liked the most about this book was how real it felt. The girls weren’t natural-born sleuths; they bumbled through the investigation with almost no tact (well, Cami did, Blair tried). They made enormous (and sometimes nearly catastrophic) mistakes. It made the book so much more enjoyable to read.

The main characters, Cami and Blair, were as opposite as they could get. Cami was brilliant, had no filter or tact, and tended to bulldoze her way through life. On the other hand, Blair was brilliant in her way, was cautious when approaching things, and moved along her lifepath cautiously. Their dynamic was perfect for the book. Together and separately, they clarified their investigation that made the book for me. Brilliant Cami made that final connection, and Blair figured out where Cami had gone and who she was with when Cami went missing.

I loved that the author made podcasts the book’s central focus (along with Clarissa’s disappearance). Again, Cami and Blair were not tech geniuses who knew how to set up their podcast. It was the opposite. Their podcast sounded like it was recorded in the bathroom, and they had zero editing skills. But even with that, they still got a decent following. I liked that the author included excerpts from the podcast at the end of the chapters. It tied everything together for me.

The main storyline of Missing Clarissa is the story of Clarissa’s disappearance. What I liked most was that it wasn’t cut and dry. It also showed that the investigation into her disappearance was bungled. I enjoyed watching it unravel as the girls tracked down witnesses, friends, and family. Each little bit of information gleaned was exciting. Of course, it did take a dark turn when the girls uncovered things about the sheriff, the former art teacher (who wasn’t as loved as he thought he was), and how that tied into the investigation. I wasn’t surprised at what was revealed (with the sheriff). To mess up an investigation that badly, there had to be outside forces in play. But I was surprised by what was revealed when they looked into the art teacher. I shouldn’t have been, considering the clues dropped and the sweep-it-under-the-rug mentality at schools in the 90s. What I was surprised about was the outcome of the investigation. I did not expect it to end as it did or the multiple investigations it spawned.


Several secondary storylines revolved around Blair, Cami, and their various relationships. I loved the one between Cami and her crush/soon-to-be girlfriend. Her coming out to her mom was hilarious. I was laughing my butt off that entire scene. Blair’s relationship with her boyfriend annoyed me. He was a jerk the whole book, and that scene towards the end gave me such satisfaction.

The end of Missing Clarissa was impressive. The twist on Clarissa’s missing person case and its fallout were well written. I did not see any of it coming. Several big revelations made me go, “No way.” It wasn’t a happy ending per se, but there was closure for many people and vindication for a man wrongly accused.

I would recommend Missing Clarissa to anyone over 21. There is violence, language, and nongraphic sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warning paragraph.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, and Ripley Jones for allowing me to read and review Missing Clarissa. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoyed reading this review of Missing Clarissa, then you will enjoy reading these books: