Missing in Mexico

by Stuart Gustafson

"Missing in Mexico" is Stuart Gustafson's debut mystery tourism novel. Private Investigator Stan W. is hired to find a college freshman who’s missing after a family vacation in Los Cabos, Mexico. Even with local help and some promising leads, he’s unable to find her and returns home to inform the hurting parents. Months later he receives a mysterious letter and jumps on the next plane to Los Cabos. Will this be the break that he needs to find her? Or will she remain missing – Missing in Mexico? As America’s International Travel Expert®, Stuart Gustafson has "Million-Mile Flier" status on a major airline, and flown over 1,200,000 miles to 39 different countries. Come travel with him and learn some of the language as he takes you to the most southern point on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula – Los Cabos. Be careful, though, as you might get hooked on the travel, the intriguing story, and the charm of the places where he takes you! And if you like it there, you might want to book your next vacation in Los Cabos – where he spends several weeks each year. ============== CHAPTER One/Uno Flight # 1476 from Los Cabos to Seattle Saturday, January 5th familia (fă•mĭl’•ē•ă) – family. Hay cuatro personas en mi familia. There are four persons in my family. The voice over the intercom system announced, “Ladies and gentlemen, we trust you had a good time in Los Cabos, but it’s now time for us to take you back to the States. The cabin doors have been closed, and Alaska Airlines flight 1476 with nonstop service to Seattle-Tacoma is ready for departure.” “Hey, wait. Sarah’s not here; we can’t leave without her,” the girl in seat 14A yelled in a frightened voice. Mary reached up and pushed the flight attendant call button even as the flight attendant was already headed toward her seat. “We can’t leave yet; Sarah’s still down there,” Mary continued, now reaching the point of hysteria. “Please calm down, miss. Everyone’s already onboard. You can look for yourself,” the flight attendant said in a calm voice as she pointed to the window. “What do you mean everyone’s onboard? Sarah’s not here; she should be sitting right here!” Mary pulled her tearing eyes away from the empty seat and looked out and saw that the boarding ramps had been pulled away from the airplane, but what she didn’t see scared her. How come Sarah’s not out there, running in a panic toward the plane? “Where’s Sarah? She was just there with me. Where is she? Don’t leave; Sarah’s missing!” Mary cried out as tears began flowing down her cheeks. The annoyed passengers felt a jolt as the plane was being pushed back. They were ready for their flight home from Los Cabos. But Sarah wasn’t on board; she’s missing – Missing in Mexico. ================= “The story’s so real I felt like I was right there!” Jess Todtfeld, Former Producer for ABC, NBC, and FOX “A fun read if you're going to Cabo!” Christopher Elliott, Syndicated Travel Columnist

Genres: Mystery

271 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 2, 2011

Reviews

[Giovanni Gelati · Rating 5 out of 5]

To read or not to read, that is the question here. I mean Mexico; it is used many times in many ways in novels and not all of them good. I had trepidation and was a bit uneasy. Stuart Gustafson put that all aside very quickly for me. How? Why? I mean, really? Yes to all three. As you will see in the synopsis Stuart is a world traveler, has seen most of the globe, has flown many,many, many miles. My point is he was able to put that in print. He was able to convey to me what he saw while he was in Mexico doing his “Research” .Yeah right, I think perhaps, he was enjoying himself. The benefit of it to us is that he has penned a great novel and he has the skill and the chops to put us there with him. I thoroughly enjoyed his effort. His descriptive ability put me there, I got to enjoy and see the locale through his eyes, see it as he sees it, and for that I believe I am the better. As an added bonus he smacks us with a mystery and it was a good one. To wrap it up, I got to travel a little, help solve a crime, and I did it from my living room. I could drink the water, no drug cartels kidnapped me, I was not shot at, and I ate plenty of Italian food comfortably. Basically if you buy this novel and enjoy the read, you saved yourself thousands of dollars in airfare, hotel, meals and ransom money.
Here is the synopsis:
“ "Missing in Mexico" is Stuart Gustafson's debut mystery tourism novel. Private Investigator Stan W. is hired to find a college freshman who’s missing after a family vacation in Los Cabos, Mexico. Even with local help and some promising leads, he’s unable to find her and returns home to inform the hurting parents. Months later he receives a mysterious letter and jumps on the next plane to Los Cabos. Will this be the break that he needs to find her? Or will she remain missing – Missing in Mexico?
As America’s International Travel Expert™, Stuart Gustafson has flown over 1,000,000 miles to 27 different countries. Come travel with him and learn some of the language as he takes you to the most southern point on Mexico’s Baja California peninsula – Los Cabos. Be careful, though, as you might get hooked on the travel, the intriguing story, and the charm of the places where he takes you! And if you like it there, you might want to book your next vacation in Los Cabos – where he spends several weeks each year.
“You express your feelings with great initiative and very truthful statements. It gives us a chance to let our future tourists know what and how they will enjoy their vacation. Not only will they learn how beautiful San José del Cabo is, but how the people will help them during their stay.”

[Tony Parsons · Rating 5 out of 5]

12/25, Hotel El Nuevo (Boulevard Antonio Mijares Boulevard/Calle Coronado) San José del Cabo, MX. Sarah Johnson (19, U of Washington; F), Mary (U of Washington student), & the parents: Robert Johnson & Tina Johnson were enjoying Christmas.
1/5, Alaska Airlines Flight # 1476 Los Cabos, MX. to Seattle, WA.
Mary (14 A passenger) informed the stewardess Sarah was not on board.
1/9, Redmond, WA. 4625 Park Dr. Robert Johnson & Tina Johnson meet/hire PI Stan Walkorski is hired to find Sarah.
U of Washington campus. PI Walkorski interviewed Mary.
PI Walkorski had met Carmelita Sanchez (2 B) on the flight.

1/14, Hotel El Nuevo # 304 (Boulevard Antonio Mijares Boulevard/Calle Coronado) San José del Cabo, MX. PI Walkorski investigation began.
1/17, While PI Walkorski continued his investigation Carmelita kept him company along with sightseeing.
5/17 PI Walkorski continues his investigation.

Will he ever find Sarah?

I do not receive any type of compensation for reading & reviewing free books from publishers & authors. Therefore, I am under no obligation to write a positive review, only an honest one.

A very awesome book cover, great font & writing style. A very well written cozy missing person mystery book. It was very easy for me to read/follow from start/finish & never a dull moment. There were no grammar/typo errors, nor any repetitive or out of line sequence sentences. Lots of exciting scenarios, with several twists/turns & a great set of unique characters to keep track of. This could also make another great missing person mystery movie, or better yet a mini TV series. There is no doubt in my mind this is a very easy rating of 5 stars.

Thank you for the free author (s); AITEpublishing; BookFunnel; Author; PDF book.
Tony Parsons MSW (Washburn)

[Darlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for review from the author as part of his virtual book tour. I did not receive any compensation for my review, and the views expressed herein are my own.

Sarah Johnson, a 19 year-old college freshman, is vacationing with her parents and best friend (Mary) in Los Cabos, Mexico. Her parents return to the United States, but Sarah and Mary stay behind for another week to enjoy some time alone before they return to college. Sarah and Mary are getting ready to board the plane to return, but Sarah turns back and tells Mary that has to go back into one of the stores to get something for her parents. Sarah never does return to the plane, and the flight returns to America without her.

Stan Walkorski is a Private Investigator, who is hired by Robert and Tina Johnson (Sarah's parents) to find Sarah. He is a pretty likeable character, and it is evident that he cares about the cases he works on. He flies to Los Cabos to try to pick up Sarah's trail.

Gustafson does a fantastic job describing Los Cabos in vivid detail. As I was reading, I could picture each scene in my mind. There were times, however, that I felt that there was too much time spent on extraneous details not integral to the story. For example, there was a lot of time spent on describing the Art District, and I felt like I was reading a Fodor's Travel Guide!

Overall, I did enjoy the story but I felt the pace of the story was a little bit slow. There were also a few things that I didn't find believable. Firstly, what kind of a best friend is Mary to leave Los Cabos without Sarah? If I had been on that plane, I would have either ensured that the plane did not take off or I would have gotten off to remain in Los Cabos to look for my friend. There also was a point in the story when Sarah's parents were getting ready to head out for dinner and the phone rang, and Robert told Tina not to pick it up. My first question was also Tina's: What if it is Sarah calling? Robert's response was that Sarah wouldn't be calling on a Friday night because she knows that is the night they go out for dinner. I'm a mom, and I have a hard time buying that a mother wouldn't be frantic with worry over her missing child and not rush to answer the phone every time it rang! And Robert's response did not make any sense to me. If your child is missing and in trouble, he or she may not care or even realize that it is the night her parents go out to dinner!! Towards the end of the book, Stan tries to reach the Johnson residence by phone and there is no answer. If my child was missing and I had a PI on the case, I would have the land line transferred to my cell phone so that I was always reachable 24/7! Lastly, I was quite surprised that Stan not only charmed one lady but two! It seemed unrealistic to me that he was holding hands, hugging, and kissing not just Carmelita but also Sara (not the missing girl - this is a different one) so soon after meeting them.

My favourite character of all was Carmelita, and I was disappointed that things did not turn out differently for her and Stan. Their relationship seemed to end rather abruptly, and Stan had developed supposedly strong feelings for her but then seemed to move right along to Sara!

I thought that Gustafson did a great job for a debut novel, and I have a feeling that his next novel will be even better!

MY RATING: 3 stars! It was good! I enjoyed it!!

[Dana Burgess · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you decide to pick up this book, the number one thing you must be sure to do is read the chapter headings! There are a couple reasons for this: 1) they give you your Spanish lesson for the chapter. Each chapter is numbered in English and Spanish and the heading includes a Spanish word, pronunciation, meaning and a sentence to show context. I think it has already been established that I'm a bit of a geek and I really enjoyed these little lessons. 2) pay attention to the date included in the heading. There are a couple of chapters that are flashbacks. This really wasn't confusing, as long as the heading was read. Because Sarah goes missing in Mexico at the outset of the book, the flashbacks are used to introduce the reader to her character. I found these chapters interesting and helpful in getting to know Sarah.

It is very obvious that Stuart Gustafson is a travel writer. This is his first travel mystery and it reads almost as if someone has taken a travel book and a mystery novel and shuffled them together like a deck of cards. That isn't meant to be a criticism. The mystery kept my attention but the descriptions of San Jose del Cabo have me searching the net for cheap airline tickets. I have a burning desire to go and see these sites for myself. I found that I enjoyed the mix.

Stan, the private investigator, was an interesting character. I was amused at his attempts at romance. In other mysteries I have read, the investigator is so focused on his case that any romance involved, also involves the case. I think 'Missing in Mexico' shows a more accurate picture of what an investigator's life is really like. Sometimes the clues are really hard to come by. Sometimes there are days when nothing can be done and Stan may as well go out on the town and play tourist - maybe with a 'friend'. Sometimes waiting is the name of the game. It makes for a much slower paced plot than I usually enjoy but the descriptions of the setting helped to take up the slack. I also liked that the romance in the book was sweet and not forced.

Surprisingly, I didn't connect at all with Sarah's parents. I found it hard to sympathize with them. Certainly if Sarah had been my daughter, I would have reacted much differently. Not only didn't I connect well with them, I also didn't like them very much.

I don't know whether I was just really in tune with this author or if the mystery really was quite transparent but I did have it figured out within the first few chapters. While this did give me the satisfaction of feeling really smart, it also made me a little impatient with Stan the detective. The ending of the story was perfect. Perhaps too perfect. I always prefer a less than perfect ending.

Overall, 'Missing in Mexico' was a satisfying read and I look forward to Mr. Gustafson's next travel mystery.

[Aaron Lazar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Missing in Mexico is a fine first novel, filled with a genuine sense of place and easy-to-read prose. Many debut novelists fall prey to overwritten prose with too many adverbs or adjectives, excessive “telling,” and laborious narratives. Mr. Gustafson has, for the most part, avoided those traps, and does a good job of simply telling the story in a natural style. Gustafson also includes a bit of education at the beginning of each chapter, where he provides us with a simple Spanish lesson. I enjoyed this aspect of the novel because although I’ve studied French and German, I’d only taken on semester of Spanish in high school and the memory-jogging was fun.

When Robert and Tina Johnson visit Mexico with their daughter Sarah and her best friend Mary, they had no premonition of the impending horror they were about to endure. When the joint vacation is over, they leave the girls (both college freshmen) to enjoy a few extended days in Los Cabos, an area they deemed quite safe, knowing the girls needed a little time to unwind before returning to college after Christmas break.

When Mary gets on the plane with Sarah right behind her, she’s shocked when the girl doesn’t show after making a beeline for a last minute purchase. The plane leaves without Sarah, and the mystery begins.

Did Sarah miss the plane on purpose? Or did someone kidnap her? Is she alive? Or dead? The most important question, however, is whether Stan Walkorski—the private eye the Johnson’s hired—will find the girl in this strange but beautiful land.

The author has achieved a great start to his series here, buoyed by his extensive knowledge of the land of Los Cabos, Mexico. While his travel knowledge sometimes crept into the story a bit too often to maintain taut suspense (there was a long section about the art district that was interesting but not crucial to the story), in general the tension was well-maintained.

Gustafson makes his readers care about Sarah and her parents, who suffered dreadfully and imagined the worst every waking hour of their days that stretched from weeks to months; and also about the protagonist (Stan). I couldn’t help but wonder, however, why he became involved with a woman he met on the plane who originated from the Los Cabos area, and then just let the woman go without really fighting to find her. (I really liked her and was very disappointed when that didn’t work out and he started seeing a new woman he also met on the plane.). In real life, things like this do happen, so I chalked it up to the author’s right to choose.

As a last note, I do believe the title is a real winner – how can anyone resist a mystery named “Missing in Mexico?” I’ll be interested to see how this author progresses in his travel mystery series, and where he’ll take us next!

Review by Aaron Paul Lazar, www.lazarbooks.com.

[Cheryl Malandrinos · Rating 4 out of 5]

A ripped from the headlines type of mystery is what you'll discover in Missing in Mexico by Stuart Gustafson.

College students Sarah and Mary spend some time vacationing in Mexico. But when Sarah doesn't get on the plane for home, private investigator Stan Walkorski is hired by Sarah's parents to find out what happened to her.

Racing against the clock, Stan's investigation finds him jaunting between the States and Mexico to uncover clues about Sarah's disappearance. When he receives a mysterious letter claiming to have information, he hopes he's finally gotten a lucky break.

Gustasfson puts his years of travel experience to great use in creating a mystery that takes place between the States and Mexico. Once Sarah has disappeared, Stan is quickly called in to investigate. As a newcomer to Los Cabos, Mexico, the sights, sounds, and food of the area are just as enticing to Stan as the mystery he needs to solve. It is clear as the reader moves through the story, that the author has extensive knowledge of the area. In some ways this is an excellent thing. It gives the reader a strong sense of place as Stan works to find Sarah.

The challenge, however, is that Stan's discovering Mexico almost takes precedence over him finding Sarah. Instead of asking Mary where she and Sarah went while they were in Mexico, Stan and a lady friend he meets on the plane, spend time going business to business to learn if anyone has seen Sarah. Granted, he might want to do some of that anyway, but one would think he would have a game plan put together based upon information from Mary to help speed the process along. Because so much detail about the area is included, the book is overly long, slowing down the pace of what should be a suspense-filled page-turner.

I would also have liked a deeper point of view. The reader only gets to scratch the surface of Stan. I can't say I knew him much better by the end of the book than when I started. The mysteries I enjoy most have a strong male or female lead whose head I can get into. I want to experience everything with them and truly get to know them. Even the relationships Stan develops with women are shallow. The women come into his life, and then they're gone, without a good reason why.

Missing in Mexico's blurb is what encouraged me to review the book. The idea is intriguing. A good editor could have helped mold this promising mystery into an even stronger story. I would be interested in reading the next travel mystery Gustafson is writing to see how he approaches his second novel.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

First posted on my blog, Legacy of a Writer.

While suspense is my favorite genre to read, I do enjoy a good mystery on occasion. The title of Stuart’s debut novel, Missing in Mexico, really intrigued me. The story plot of a girl disappearing while on vacation in Mexico, the heartbreak of her parents, and the investigation that would follow all encouraged me to try out this new author who, after reading this book, obviously has a lot of knowledge about Mexico and San Jose del Cabo.

Stan seemed a pretty neat character. He was determined, sympathetic, and good at his job—the ideal private investigator a person could want. I thought it was neat reading, in detail, exactly how he carried out every area of the investigation. The depth to Stan was a bit shallow, so while I learned a lot about him through the course of the book, I didn’t really get to know him.

Stan’s ‘romances’ were confusing, as well. I thought he was really “into” Carmelita…but when he returns after a few months, she just kinda disappears and a new girl, Sara, takes her place—almost before Stan knew he and Carmelita weren’t “together”. Maybe I missed something along the way, but I was kinda disappointed that things didn’t work out for Carmelita and Stan—especially since they seemed so passionate when Stan had to leave Mexico on short notice.

The storyplot was interesting and rather complex. I don’t want to give away the ending, so if you’re curious what does happen to Sarah (who’s missing in Mexico), you’re just going to have to read the book for yourself! ;-) I will say this, though—I was surprised at what did happen to her. I confess I was expecting some intense kidnapping, and so was really surprised when her disappearance was finally solved.

I had the biggest problem with the writing style. There was a lot of telling instead of showing and for me, personally, it makes focusing and enjoying the story harder. For others, this might not be a big deal or even an issue for them at all—I think it just depends on the reader.

For readers who love a step-by-step mystery to solve right along with the characters, I’m sure Missing in Mexico is right up your Alley. For me (an action-lover) I would’ve liked a more edge-of-your-seat, suspense-filled read, but this was a nice mystery that let you think and deduce right along with the detective.

[Donna Brown]

Missing in Mexico is described as a tourism suspense novel and that’s certainly a sub-genre that’s new to me; however, Gustafson’s writing and clear knowledge of his setting, local customs and the language does make it easy to slip into the novel and feel perfectly at ease with the locations of the book.

Stan Walkorski is a jaded but excellent PI: he’s clearly seen too much of the world and its troubles and this has made him a little weary and cynical but conversely has also served to make him excellent at his job. When a young woman disappears in a Mexican airport, Stan has very little to go on, save some patchy information from her parents and best friend. Heading over to Los Cabos is the only way he can get to the heart of the matter.

My knowledge of Spanish, Latin-American or otherwise is basic to say the least but I did enjoy the chapter headers, which consisted of a word, translated and then used in the context of a sentence. For example:

comer (cō·mĕr’) – to eat. Quiero comer tacos. I want to eat tacos.

This was a quirky but enjoyable take on the theme of using quotations or chapter headings, which again highlighted Gustafson’s knowledge and the authenticity of the information used in the novel.

The story gives you the impression that Stan is following a well travelled path that he’s encountered many times before, though it never gets any easier. Although Stan gives very little away about himself, his actions often betray his true feelings and it’s clear that at heart he is a good man who just wants to see right done in the world. Unfortunately, you also get the impression that in his line of work it’s more likely to see flying pigs. Stan displays a heartwarming touch of vulnerability throughout the novel that makes him even more appealing as a central character.

If you’d have asked me previously if I thought a travel writer, turned novelist could produce a convincing ‘tourism suspense’ I’d have probably looked at you in confusion and then assumed you were joking but actually this works well. The old adage “write what you know” comes in to play here and Missing in Mexico is a good combination of intriguing story, likeable protagonist and a convincing, well written setting, based on fact and experience. An excellent debut.

Note: Review copy (PDF) received as part of a Partners in Crime tour

[Tammy G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Missing in Mexico is the first of the Mystery Tourism Book Series by Stuart Gustafson, America’s International Travel Expert. Stuart has flown over one million miles and has been to 27 different countries. The Los Cabos area of Mexico’s Baja California is one of his favorite places to visit and the location for this book.
Missing In Mexico begins when Mary, Sarah's friend, realizes that Sarah is missing, just as the plane is about to take off. Mary frantically beeps the stewardess and tells her that Sarah is missing.
Sarah is a good kid. She makes great grades and stays out of trouble so why is she missing? Her parents hire Stan, the PI (Private Investigator), when they find out that Sarah is missing.
Stan is on the case! He goes to Mexico...looking for any trace of Sarah. He finds that she hasn't been to a lot of the "American" places like the restaurant where most the Americans eat. Stan travels throughout the region where Sarah and Mary had vacationed after Sarah's parents returned home. He meets interesting people and solves the case after taking taking many a wrong turn that finally turns into a "right" turn.
This was a great read! I truly enjoyed the Spanish words with definitions at the top of every chapter. One of my favorites on page 111, "confundido - confused. Estoy confundido por el clima. I am confused by the weather." There are also spanish words interspersed throughout the story giving the reader the feel and flavor of being in Mexico.
This is a fast read. Not a gory or sick murder mystery. It's an original mystery that has a surprise ending.
There were no "bad" words; however, there is the mention drinking beer and wine.
*This book was provided by review by Partners In Crime.com and the Author*

[Romancing the Book · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review by Stephanie O: An only child, Sarah goes on Christmas vacation to with her parents and BFF Mary. Sarah’s parents Robert and Tina leave both Sarah and Mary in Mexico for a few more days of vacation as they return home after the New Year. When it’s time to board the plane, Sarah tells Mary go ahead without her, she will be right there. However, the plane is forced to take off without Sarah on it. Now it’s a race to discovery where Sarah is. With so many questions, and very few answers will Stan be able to locate Sarah and bring her home to her family?

Amazing amount of details, gives the reader the feeling as though they are standing there on the street. Seeing the cobblestone drive, feeling the breeze, and smelling the wonderful food of the area; the reader can get the sense they too are walking the streets with Stan as he searches for missing Sarah.

Flash backs from the present to the past give the reader a glimpse of how young Sarah was raised. Until the past and the present collide; and we move forward.

As Stan does some amazing leg work, following barely there trails; he finds himself getting emotionally involved with this case. As time flies by, Stan feels as though time may just be running out. Until a lead comes through that gets his hopes up.

An amazing story of the love parents have for their children. Of a private investigator willing to go the extra mile, with the help of newly made friends. Filled with plenty of twists and turns, leaving the reader guessing; until the end when you just may need a tissue.

Favorite Quote: “You call your computer a guy?”

“Sure, why not? The stupid thing is slow and it stops working whenever it feels like it. You think I would call it a woman?”

“No. I don’t think you would.” Stan agreed.

[Misty Rayburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah and her family were visiting Los Cabos, Mexico on vacation. Her parents leave early, letting her and her friend spend some time together before college classes start. When the friend comes back but Sarah is nowhere to be found, they hire Stan. The private investigator leaves seemingly no stone unturned and has to return empty handed. This appears to be a cold case until a mysterious letter turns up from someone saying they can help. Will this be the lead to crack this case or will she remain missing in Mexico?

Missing in Mexico is a gripping mystery wrapped in the beauty of Mexico that can only be described by someone who has spent a lot of time there. Stuart Gustafson makes you feel like you are right there in Los Cabos with Stan looking for Sarah. You feel his frustration and his disappointment. I found myself wondering if there’d ever be a break for this poor guy and ultimately if he’d ever find Sarah. The descriptions of all the places Stan visits in his search are so vivid that I find myself wondering if you could use this book to actually travel around a bit in Los Cabos. While the case is wrapped up in a way that leaves no loose ends, there are some loose ends for Stan and I honestly wonder if maybe Stuart will do another story or two about him. I’d really like to know what happens. I highly recommend this book for mystery and detective genre lovers that want to really feel like they’re there and love characters that the reader can really care about.

[Elizabeth Good · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stanley Walkorski...Stan, Stan, Stan...

Where do I begin about Stan? I got to know the Private Investigator in him but I didn't get to really know Stan, the man, or Stan, the lover. There are no descriptions of his face, his hair, his build. I couldn't make a picture in my mind of him except for his prowess as a dedicated and caring PI.

As the main character in this book, Stan could be a great example for anyone travelling to Mexico. Stan conducted himself with impeccable manners and deep respect for the Mexican locals and their culture. Any foreign country, including Mexico, would welcome this perfect U.S. tourist with open arms.

BUT Stan was also very boring at times, and the tedious descriptions of his wake/sleep/eat routine got a bit old. Any time now, I thought I'd be reading about Stan's bathroom habits. Thankfully that didn't happen!

I do understand the author, a seasoned traveler himself, was purposely painting pictures of the Mexican landscape for his readers, and I did learn quite a bit of information from Mr. Gustafson, the tour guide, even though I've been to Mexico and also to the Los Cabos area.

I was more interested in Stan's PI expertise in finding Sarah Johnson, who was "Missing in Mexico". I had no choice but skim through some of the tedious descriptions of street names, restaurant names, etc to get to the meat of the matter of finding Sarah. That's why I liked the last dozen chapters the best--Stan was finally closing in on finding her.

With some trepidation, I am giving this book three stars.

[Sandra Stiles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books seem like they have been pulled right out of the headlines of the newspaper. This book is one of those books. I teach a lot of kids who come from Mexico. Never in all my years of teaching and talking with these students have I felt like I was there. Stuart's descriptions put the reader in Los Cabos. I believe I would really enjoy visiting. There were many twists and turns in this book. I think the reason I liked this book so much is because I love mysteries. I'm not good at solving them, yet I love trying.
I felt so sorry for Sarah's parents when they discovered their daughter was missing. I remember the panic I felt when my son had been across the street shooting baskets, and I suddenly no longer heard his basketball. I called the neighbor, and the police, and was absolutely hysterical. Ten minutes later he walked in and told me he'd been across the street helping our 89 year old neighbor who had asked for his assistance. He'd never thought of coming to tell me first because he was 17 years old.
I am sure many people will make connections similar to mine either from their own experiences or from the news.
Want to know what happened to Sarah and what Stan Walkorski, the PI her parents hired, found when he went to Los Cabos? Read this book.
One other thing I want to point out that I really enjoyed was the spanish throughout the book. I took great pleasure in refreshing my spanish.

[MarytheBookLover · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Opinion:

I liked this story. It was both compelling and intriguing. I thought it was well written and it kept me wanting more. I didn’t feel like I wanted to put the book down! Stuart creates a mysterious tale about what happens when someone you love goes missing in another country.

In the beginning you don’t know what is going on with Sarah or why she has disappeared but as the story progresses everything starts to unfold. Stuart spins a tale and you can tell he must have visited Mexico as you can imagine being in the story with him. I was engrossed in this tale. Sarah is a 19 year old that is on vacation with her parents and best friend. When her parents leave her and her best friend alone to begin a vacation on their own,Sarah goes missing from the airport. This begins the nightmare for Sarah’s parents as they hire Stan to begin investigation her disappearance. I am sure this is every parents nightmare,as even I,myself,cringe at the thought.

As you read this you know that something is going on with Sarah and it’s all up to Stan to find her. You are taken down the road with Stan in his effort to return Sarah to her heartbroken parents.

I give Missing In Mexico 4 of 5 stars.

[Kristin (Kritters Ramblings) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A plot line that was to die for and made you think about all the missing persons cases that have taken place abroad lately in the news. A story centering around a young girl who goes missing after a family vacation in Mexico. Was she kidnapped? Did she go missing willingly? You want to find out what happened to this girl and help get the clues as to where she has gone.

With a PI named Stan, the reader goes on a journey trying to find the missing pieces to help him and her parents discover where she has gone and maybe even why. Throughout his investigation, you are treated to chapters here and there that take a glimpse back to Sarah's childhood - in these chapters you learn a lot about how she grew up and the person she is before she goes missing. To be honest - one of these chapters definitely helped spoil the ending, which one - I will not tell!

The main reason my review is a like and not a love is the wordiness that occurred in a few spots that didn't keep the story moving. At times, I thought the author was trying to boast about their knowledge of the area.

I would recommend this read to those who enjoy a little search and find with clues coming from all sorts of places.

[Kathleen Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that Missing in Mexico is a very well written, well researched book. It tells the story about Sarah Johnson, who along with her roommate Mary, decide to stay in Mexico for an extended vacation with Sarah's parents before they go back to college. As the blurb stated, Sarah is not on the plane with Mary and Sarah's parents hire Stan, a private PI to try to find Sarah. At times a very tense story as the parents try to figure out and come to terms as to where their daughter is, is she dead or alive, a victim of kidnapping. These are all the things that Stan also has to figure out. In Mexico Stan meets all sorts of people who seem to be evasive in answering his questions. Is this because they know what happened and do not want to get involved or does it go deeper than that..usually when I read a book and it is a mystery I try to figure out "who dunnit", could not do it with this one and the ending totally surprised me. No, not going to tell you, you have to read the book for yourself. You will not be disappointed as the author tells a great story.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his first mystery, Stuart Gustafson uses his intimate knowledge of Los Cabos , Mexico to take us in search of a young girl gone missing at the airport on her way home from vacation. Sarah’s parents hire Stan, who is a private investigator, to find her. Being an avid reader of mystery/suspense books I’m usually pretty good at figuring out the big “secret” but I was actually surprised by the eventual reason for Sarah’s disappearance.

I do like high level suspense in my books and this one is more of a light mystery. That being said, I know many will enjoy it just for that reason alone. If you are a travel enthusiast and have been to Los Cabos you will certainly recognize the many landmarks that are mentioned throughout the book. Visualizing the beauty and panorama of the area that Stuart so masterfully described, I just had to Google Los Cabos and see what I was missing in Mexico!

I’d like to thank the author for sending me a review copy. I was under no obligation to write a positive review. No other compensation was received.

[T.L. Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuart Gustafson’s debut novel, Missing in Mexico, isn’t your typical mystery. The main character, Stan Walkorski, is a private investigator searching for Sarah, a college-aged girl who didn’t return home to Seattle from a trip to Mexico. Sarah’s parents hire Stan to go to Mexico to look for Sarah.While Stan searches for Sarah, he meets helpful people, discovers tourists sights and local attractions, encounters a bit of romance, and makes friends with the people of Los Cabos. Gustafson portrays a side of Mexico and the Mexican people we rarely, if ever, see in the United States media. He creates well-rounded characters who are generally likable even with their flaws. Missing in Mexico uncovers secrets, delves into family dynamics, explores interpersonal relationships, and highlights the similarities and differences in cultures while giving a more realistic portrayal of a private investigator’s job than usually appears in fiction.

[Michael (The Bookshelf Review) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an awesome book to read. I really loved it. It is about a girl, her name is Sarah, and she goes missing in Mexico and no one knows what happened to her. So her parents hire a private investigator to try and find her, and his name is Stan. This book really makes you invested in trying to find out what happened to Sarah. You start caring about a girl you don't even know. Was she abducted? Is she hurt? Stuff like that. This book was so detailed and interesting it was like I actually took a trip down to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico myself. I loved picturing how everything looks like down there. Its like I went with Stan on his trip to find Sarah. I was just as invested as he was. What happened to Sarah was definitely a shocker for me. I wasn't expecting it to end that way. Also this book ended perfectly with me wanting more. I can't wait to read another book by Stuart Gustafson. Awesome, fantastic, great read. =] Definately suggest reading it. =]

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

How would you feel if your daughter never returned home from a family vacation? That is the fate of Sara's parents when she disappears.

Missing In Mexico is a well written book, with very detailed descriptions of Los Cabos. You can "see" the city, it's streets, shops and plaza because the author is so thorough in his descriptions.

I loved that each chapter begins with the chapter number, a word, and then that word used in a sentence, in both English and Spanish.

This book was a lot "tamer" than the mystery books I usually read, but I still enjoyed it very much. The story kept me guessing as to what I was going to find out. It was a very clean read and would be suitable for teens as well as adults.

I did find that about half way through the book had some misspelled words, but not enough to really bother me.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes a mystery that is clean and doesn't have anything gory or violent happening.

[Betty McMahon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is this a new genre? Travelogue with a fictional mystery mixed in? Unfortunately, the format dilutes both -- the travelogue and the mystery. I've been to Cabo so I was interested in reading the book. Would I go there if I used this book as a guide? Probably not. My experience was not at all like the one he wrote about in the book. And the mystery was so-so. The way the investigator worked in Mexico was not realistic at all.

[Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice little mystery, lots of interesting lessons on Mexico. Full review can be found on my blog

[Kathy Castell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read.