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Darby McCormick #1
The Missing
A TEENAGE GIRL IS MISSING. THE CLOCK IS TICKING. FIND HER, BEFORE HE DOES . . .'I LOVE THIS BOOK' LEE CHILD _______ With the police struggling, CSI Darby McCormick is shocked to discover a terrified woman hiding in the shadows of a crime scene. A woman who was abducted herself, five years before, and has managed to escape. She could be their only lead. But what Darby doesn't know is that a serial killer has been prowling America for decades. A killer she's met before . . . Once, long ago, he tore her life apart. Now he wants to finish the job. _______ Praise for Chris 'One of the best thriller writers working today' Lee Child 'This will keep you up past your bedtime' Karin Slaughter 'If you want a thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race, Chris Mooney is your man' Mark Billingham 'Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written' Harlan Coben 'I devoured The Missing in one greedy, breathless sitting. This is a scary, breakneck ride with thrills that never let up' Tess Gerritsen
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 20, 2007
145 people are currently reading
6084 people want to read
About the author
Chris Mooney
48 books523 followersHailed as “one of the best thriller writers working today” by Lee Child and “a wonderful writer” by Michael Connelly, Chris Mooney is the international bestselling author of twelve novels, most recently, The Snow Girls. His fourth book, The Missing, the first in the Darby McCormick series, was a main selection of the International Book of the Month Club and an instant bestseller in over thirteen countries. The Mystery Writer’s Association nominated Chris’s third book, Remembering Sarah, for an Edgar Award for Best Novel. Foreign rights to his novels have been sold to twenty-eight territories. He has sold nearly two million copies of his books.
Chris teaches writing courses at Harvard and the Harvard Extension School, and lives in the Boston area with his wife and son. His new novel, Blood World, will be released in August of 2020.
International Praise for Chris Mooney:
“Scary voice, scary talent. Mooney is one of the best thriller writers working today.”
– Lee Child
“A wonderful writer . . . Compelling, thrilling and touching.”
– Michael Connelly
“Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written.”
– Harlan Coben
“Chris Mooney has written his finest novel, and that’s saying something indeed.”
– Dennis Lehane
“It will keep you up past your bedtime.”
– Karin Slaughter
“A thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race.”
– Mark Billingham
"Chris Mooney is an exceptional thriller writer, with the rare gift of being able to of balance action with compassion, and grit with humanity. I envy those who have yet to read him."
– John Connolly
“The Missing is the season’s most unrelenting thriller. It will keep readers enthralled from its gripping opening chapters to its shocking last page.”
– George Pelecanos
“Mooney writes like a man on fire.”
– Linda Fairstein
“The smart money has long been on Chris Mooney, one of crime fiction’s rising stars.”
– Laura Lippman
Chris teaches writing courses at Harvard and the Harvard Extension School, and lives in the Boston area with his wife and son. His new novel, Blood World, will be released in August of 2020.
International Praise for Chris Mooney:
“Scary voice, scary talent. Mooney is one of the best thriller writers working today.”
– Lee Child
“A wonderful writer . . . Compelling, thrilling and touching.”
– Michael Connelly
“Harrowing, gripping, haunting, gut-wrenching and beautifully written.”
– Harlan Coben
“Chris Mooney has written his finest novel, and that’s saying something indeed.”
– Dennis Lehane
“It will keep you up past your bedtime.”
– Karin Slaughter
“A thriller that will chill your blood, break your heart and make your pulse race.”
– Mark Billingham
"Chris Mooney is an exceptional thriller writer, with the rare gift of being able to of balance action with compassion, and grit with humanity. I envy those who have yet to read him."
– John Connolly
“The Missing is the season’s most unrelenting thriller. It will keep readers enthralled from its gripping opening chapters to its shocking last page.”
– George Pelecanos
“Mooney writes like a man on fire.”
– Linda Fairstein
“The smart money has long been on Chris Mooney, one of crime fiction’s rising stars.”
– Laura Lippman
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 368 reviews
August 29, 2016
4.5 stars! Loved loved loved it!
RAZOR-SHARP THRILLER FROM THE EDGAR AWARD-NOMINATED AUTHOR WHO "BLURS THE LINES BETWEEN DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES" (Abilene Reporter-News, TX
Many thrillers do not have the full characterization of the main characters that Mooney has included in Darby McCormick. He certainly allows the reader to get to know Darby and to better understand the fear, confusion and drive created by the various complications she faces.
This is the first book I’ve read by Chris Mooney and I certainly will read more, especially future books featuring Darby McCormick.
The past comes back to haunt crime scene detective Darby McCormick when she begins investigating the case of a missing girl named Carol Cranmore. As she learns more about the case, it begins mirroring her own past - a past which includes her and her two friends stumbling across a man murdering a woman in the woods. All those years ago, Darby watched one of her best friends killed in her own home and her other best friend disappear, taken by the murderer they had seen in the woods. Darby thinks she’s gotten over her past but realizes that’s not the case the deeper she gets into Carol’s case.
A haunting past is not the only thing Darby has to contend with. She must also deal with her dying mother, feelings for her handsome but selfish partner, and a power struggle between her department and the federal agents who want to take over Carol’s case.
The pages of The Missing by Chris Mooney fly by quickly as the reader gets into both the case of Carol Cranmore and the even more interesting case of Darby’s past. Darby is a spunky heroine, and has that distinctive personality.
The storyline does have quite a few twists and turns.
RAZOR-SHARP THRILLER FROM THE EDGAR AWARD-NOMINATED AUTHOR WHO "BLURS THE LINES BETWEEN DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES" (Abilene Reporter-News, TX
Many thrillers do not have the full characterization of the main characters that Mooney has included in Darby McCormick. He certainly allows the reader to get to know Darby and to better understand the fear, confusion and drive created by the various complications she faces.
This is the first book I’ve read by Chris Mooney and I certainly will read more, especially future books featuring Darby McCormick.
The past comes back to haunt crime scene detective Darby McCormick when she begins investigating the case of a missing girl named Carol Cranmore. As she learns more about the case, it begins mirroring her own past - a past which includes her and her two friends stumbling across a man murdering a woman in the woods. All those years ago, Darby watched one of her best friends killed in her own home and her other best friend disappear, taken by the murderer they had seen in the woods. Darby thinks she’s gotten over her past but realizes that’s not the case the deeper she gets into Carol’s case.
A haunting past is not the only thing Darby has to contend with. She must also deal with her dying mother, feelings for her handsome but selfish partner, and a power struggle between her department and the federal agents who want to take over Carol’s case.
The pages of The Missing by Chris Mooney fly by quickly as the reader gets into both the case of Carol Cranmore and the even more interesting case of Darby’s past. Darby is a spunky heroine, and has that distinctive personality.
The storyline does have quite a few twists and turns.
October 29, 2022
Not bad. Though somewhat derivative—this was an OK, fast-paced and clever choice for a thriller if you wanna pass the time. Not that memorable but decent enough to get my attention.
I’d eat up anything about crimes and police investigations, all the more if it’s about serial killers with twisted, violent tendecies. Adding an equally smart and resourceful detective to hunt them is the perfect recipe for a satisfying battle of wits and grits.
The main female character was a bit disconnected for me, I feel like she didn’t leave much impression as far as the other female detectives I came to love. She’s not annoying or high-strung or anything like that but she just faded easily at the back of my mind after closing the book. The villain? Overly cliched, scary but shallow.
Overall, not a bad book but not memorable, either.
I’d eat up anything about crimes and police investigations, all the more if it’s about serial killers with twisted, violent tendecies. Adding an equally smart and resourceful detective to hunt them is the perfect recipe for a satisfying battle of wits and grits.
The main female character was a bit disconnected for me, I feel like she didn’t leave much impression as far as the other female detectives I came to love. She’s not annoying or high-strung or anything like that but she just faded easily at the back of my mind after closing the book. The villain? Overly cliched, scary but shallow.
Overall, not a bad book but not memorable, either.
May 20, 2023
This is the first book I’ve read from this author Chris Mooney and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’ve had it for years and just thought I would give it a go and I’m pleased that I did.
July 25, 2022
Leí primero el siguiente pero este tampoco esta mal. Un descubrimiento este escritor. Muy bueno, interesante argumento, me ha recordado al coleccionista de amantes. Me gusta como escribe este autor. 9/10
October 18, 2017
I came across Chris Mooney at my local library when I read Every Three Weeks no 4 in the Darby McCormick series & absolutely loved it the pacing was first to none right up to the end so I thought I would go back & read The Missing, I found this to be very well written & the characterization was well thought out it was a real page turner right to the very last page.
THE MAN WITH THE FACE IS COMING!!
Crime scene investigator Darby McCormick finds an emaciated terrified woman hiding in the woods near a crime scene a DNA search reveals the woman was abducted five years earlier & somehow escaped the dungeon she escaped.
Darby is still reeling from her teenage years where her friends Stacy Stevenson & Melanie Cruz were taken but Darby survived, 20 years later she is mortified when more teenagers disappear?
She will stop at nothing to find out the killer IS IT THE SAME KILLER ALL THOSE YEARS AGO OR IS IT A COPY CAT!!
While she is investigating the murders Darby also is dealing with her sick mother Sheila so Darby & her team look into suspects they look up a man called THE MAN IN THE MASK IS HE CONNECTED TO THE MURDERS??
As the plot unfolds we learn a lot about Darby's past & the nightmares she has of that dreaded day in the woods. This is one fast paced crime thriller that you won't be able to put down.
4.5 stars
THE MAN WITH THE FACE IS COMING!!
Crime scene investigator Darby McCormick finds an emaciated terrified woman hiding in the woods near a crime scene a DNA search reveals the woman was abducted five years earlier & somehow escaped the dungeon she escaped.
Darby is still reeling from her teenage years where her friends Stacy Stevenson & Melanie Cruz were taken but Darby survived, 20 years later she is mortified when more teenagers disappear?
She will stop at nothing to find out the killer IS IT THE SAME KILLER ALL THOSE YEARS AGO OR IS IT A COPY CAT!!
While she is investigating the murders Darby also is dealing with her sick mother Sheila so Darby & her team look into suspects they look up a man called THE MAN IN THE MASK IS HE CONNECTED TO THE MURDERS??
As the plot unfolds we learn a lot about Darby's past & the nightmares she has of that dreaded day in the woods. This is one fast paced crime thriller that you won't be able to put down.
4.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2020
Hi… I would like to review the book that I was read. It is my first book that the genre is thriller and mystery. The book entitled The Missing by Chris Mooney.
Synopsis
1984 – Darby McCromick , Melanie Cruz, and Stacey Stephens are high school teenage girls with a good friendship spending their time together in the forest. They celebrate Melanie’s birthday with some kind of drunk. In the middle of their party, they hear and see an attempted murder a man against a woman. They see clearly what the man did to the woman. Then, they escaped from that place and report the incident to the police. The police come to the incident place but they cannot found the body of the woman. It just only bags with missing all of the identity cards inside of the wallet.
One month passed from the incident, one night Darby lonely at home. She being attacked with the man with the mask and tried to escape. Unfortunately, the man kidnapped Melanie, she keeps hiding and she saw the Stacey dead body lying on the kitchen floor, blood spurting between the fingers clutched against her throat. Darby runs away to her neighbor and asks for help. Darby was safe but Melanie is missing with the killer. A few weeks passed, Darby tried to looking Melanie existence but still zero. Evan Manning detective from the FBI is the one that can cheer up Darby. One moment, Evan explained that the killer was found and suicide, but Melanie still missing. Darby was very sad and devastated because she cannot help her best friend.
2007 – Belham, Boston. High school student Carol Cranmore was kidnapped by an unknown man from her home. Her mother Dianne Cranmore said that her daughter was in the home with her boyfriend Tony Marceillo. Darby McCormick as CSI from Boson Police Department found the Tony Marceillo dead body in the stairs with the gunshot in the chest. While Darby investigates the crime scene, she found a mysterious woman in the porch behind the Cranmore house.
She is Jane Doe, one of the abductees with poor body condition. Her body is skinny, just only seen the bone with piercing her flesh. The pale skin with a lot of scratches like from the violence. She only said Terry Mastrangelo to Darby. After saving the girl, Darby investigates who is Terry Mastrangelo. Then she remembers and thinking, it is there any relation with her missing friend Melanie in a few decades ago. The “Traveler” the name of the serial killer who gave by Darby and her friend’s in the department of the investigation. At least, more she knows, more clearly who the person that kidnapped the girls.
This book is very a lot of tension in every part of the scene. As we know in this book have a lot of sadistic scene. In other that, the circumstance and situation was described clearly. Darby slipped an arm around the woman’s waist. Her bones felt as frail and as delicate as a bird’s....
The language used in this book is easy to understand. However, there are moral values that can we take. Try to be honest and kind to other people. Revenge will not solve the problem, but it will make the situation more badly.
That’s all of my reviews, I’m sorry if there are a lot of wrong in my writing. Thank you.
Synopsis
1984 – Darby McCromick , Melanie Cruz, and Stacey Stephens are high school teenage girls with a good friendship spending their time together in the forest. They celebrate Melanie’s birthday with some kind of drunk. In the middle of their party, they hear and see an attempted murder a man against a woman. They see clearly what the man did to the woman. Then, they escaped from that place and report the incident to the police. The police come to the incident place but they cannot found the body of the woman. It just only bags with missing all of the identity cards inside of the wallet.
One month passed from the incident, one night Darby lonely at home. She being attacked with the man with the mask and tried to escape. Unfortunately, the man kidnapped Melanie, she keeps hiding and she saw the Stacey dead body lying on the kitchen floor, blood spurting between the fingers clutched against her throat. Darby runs away to her neighbor and asks for help. Darby was safe but Melanie is missing with the killer. A few weeks passed, Darby tried to looking Melanie existence but still zero. Evan Manning detective from the FBI is the one that can cheer up Darby. One moment, Evan explained that the killer was found and suicide, but Melanie still missing. Darby was very sad and devastated because she cannot help her best friend.
2007 – Belham, Boston. High school student Carol Cranmore was kidnapped by an unknown man from her home. Her mother Dianne Cranmore said that her daughter was in the home with her boyfriend Tony Marceillo. Darby McCormick as CSI from Boson Police Department found the Tony Marceillo dead body in the stairs with the gunshot in the chest. While Darby investigates the crime scene, she found a mysterious woman in the porch behind the Cranmore house.
She is Jane Doe, one of the abductees with poor body condition. Her body is skinny, just only seen the bone with piercing her flesh. The pale skin with a lot of scratches like from the violence. She only said Terry Mastrangelo to Darby. After saving the girl, Darby investigates who is Terry Mastrangelo. Then she remembers and thinking, it is there any relation with her missing friend Melanie in a few decades ago. The “Traveler” the name of the serial killer who gave by Darby and her friend’s in the department of the investigation. At least, more she knows, more clearly who the person that kidnapped the girls.
This book is very a lot of tension in every part of the scene. As we know in this book have a lot of sadistic scene. In other that, the circumstance and situation was described clearly. Darby slipped an arm around the woman’s waist. Her bones felt as frail and as delicate as a bird’s....
The language used in this book is easy to understand. However, there are moral values that can we take. Try to be honest and kind to other people. Revenge will not solve the problem, but it will make the situation more badly.
That’s all of my reviews, I’m sorry if there are a lot of wrong in my writing. Thank you.
October 4, 2016
A twisted serial killer with gruesome deaths make this a brilliant read, just what I love from a really good murder book. Love Chris Mooney's style and will be reading more by him for sure!
December 10, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and totally recommend it. The pace moves fast and there are many twists and turns that make this story so good. I am now reading the next book Dying for Christmas.
April 12, 2020
Darby Mccormick serisine merhaba! Zindan bu serinin ilk kitabı. Bir baş kahramanla tanışmak için yeterli mi? Eh işte. Alışık olduğumuz detaylı bir baş kahraman tasviri yok.
Henüz çocuk yaşlardayken ormanda arkadaşlarıyla bir olaya şahit olan Darby bu olayı bir türlü atlatamaz. Kendini suçlar. Yıllar sonra kadınlar kaybolmaya başladığı zaman davayla Darby ilgilenir. Perişan durumda bir kurban bulduklarında katile çok yaklaştıklarını sanırlar. Oysa ki bir başka kız kaçırılmıştır.
Kitabın başlangıcı çok hareketli olmasa da ortasından sonra hız kazanıyor. Kitabın sonuna kolayca geliyorsunuz. Yormuyor, sıkmıyor. Mantık hatası yok. Ama sonunda iki tane klişe var. Okuduğunuzda benim gibi siz de şaşırmayacaksınız. Seviye olarak ortalama bir polisiye. Belki karakterlere çok ısınamazsınız ama konu ve sonu hoşunuza gider. Tavsiye ederimdir.
Henüz çocuk yaşlardayken ormanda arkadaşlarıyla bir olaya şahit olan Darby bu olayı bir türlü atlatamaz. Kendini suçlar. Yıllar sonra kadınlar kaybolmaya başladığı zaman davayla Darby ilgilenir. Perişan durumda bir kurban bulduklarında katile çok yaklaştıklarını sanırlar. Oysa ki bir başka kız kaçırılmıştır.
Kitabın başlangıcı çok hareketli olmasa da ortasından sonra hız kazanıyor. Kitabın sonuna kolayca geliyorsunuz. Yormuyor, sıkmıyor. Mantık hatası yok. Ama sonunda iki tane klişe var. Okuduğunuzda benim gibi siz de şaşırmayacaksınız. Seviye olarak ortalama bir polisiye. Belki karakterlere çok ısınamazsınız ama konu ve sonu hoşunuza gider. Tavsiye ederimdir.
September 28, 2016
Once you get past the improbability of a CSI directing a police detective on how to proceed with his criminal investigation, this is a pretty good book. I think some of the reveals, and there were several, were a bit of an overkill but the main protagonist was likeable and the struggles in her home life helped to ground the story somewhat. The story maintained a firm suspenseful tone throughout but the bits of humor sprinkled in helped to counter balance the darker parts. I do wish that the secondary characters had been fleshed out a little more but perhaps that will come as the series progresses.
May 11, 2022
Retorcido y complejo.
April 8, 2013
I came, I read, I didn't quite conquer.
The novel kicked off with quite an action-packed first chapter which caught my attention from the start and only continued to progress at a good pace. I was sufficiently interested in the characters, the victims and the developments that would follow.
My issue was solely with the writing style which was clunky, unsubtle and patronising. I am quite capable of reading and making connections, therefore when authors feel like they need to spell everything out to me - just in case I haven't spotted their little hints - it really bugs me. The nail in the coffin for me was page 95.
"...slipped his fingers around the lips of the plastic sandwich baggies holding the chloroform-soaked rags..."
At this point, I am aware that he has chloroform-soaked rags and therefore he is our suspect as every victim has been chloroformed thus far. But do we stop there? No.
"He always carried them in case he decided to abduct someone while he was on the road and he always carried a bag in each pocket since that night years ago when he grabbed a young girl at the home of the friend who had seen him in the woods..."
A long, overly wordy and very clunky flashing sign to say, 'In case you missed the thing about the chloroform rags, this guy is the killer now AND twenty years ago.'
I have already read one of the Darby McCormick books and thoroughly enjoyed it so I would definitely not stop reading the series based on 'The Missing' and would recommend later installments to fans of the genre.
The novel kicked off with quite an action-packed first chapter which caught my attention from the start and only continued to progress at a good pace. I was sufficiently interested in the characters, the victims and the developments that would follow.
My issue was solely with the writing style which was clunky, unsubtle and patronising. I am quite capable of reading and making connections, therefore when authors feel like they need to spell everything out to me - just in case I haven't spotted their little hints - it really bugs me. The nail in the coffin for me was page 95.
"...slipped his fingers around the lips of the plastic sandwich baggies holding the chloroform-soaked rags..."
At this point, I am aware that he has chloroform-soaked rags and therefore he is our suspect as every victim has been chloroformed thus far. But do we stop there? No.
"He always carried them in case he decided to abduct someone while he was on the road and he always carried a bag in each pocket since that night years ago when he grabbed a young girl at the home of the friend who had seen him in the woods..."
A long, overly wordy and very clunky flashing sign to say, 'In case you missed the thing about the chloroform rags, this guy is the killer now AND twenty years ago.'
I have already read one of the Darby McCormick books and thoroughly enjoyed it so I would definitely not stop reading the series based on 'The Missing' and would recommend later installments to fans of the genre.
June 9, 2009
This was my first book by Chris Mooney but I will definitely look for others by him. His writing style reminds me much of James Patterson who I really enjoy. It was indeed a fast paced novel that kept me on the edge while I plowed my way thru it. At one point in the book, which I was reading in Zurich, Switzerland, I was somewhat spooked when my daughter-in-law came out of the bathroom...thinking that someone was coming into our bedroom...which we both laughed about shortly afterward.
The book starts with 3 teenage girls in the wrong place at the wrong time...in the woods where a murder takes place. The girls take off, leaving behind some of their items, which allows the killer to locate them...2 of the girls die but one, Darby, survives. Flash forward 25 years and Darby is now a crime-scene investigator...and you can imagine what follows.
Definitely worth your time to pick this one up and put on your reading list for the summer!
(I left this book on the train we took between Zurich, Switzerland and Munich, Germany)
The book starts with 3 teenage girls in the wrong place at the wrong time...in the woods where a murder takes place. The girls take off, leaving behind some of their items, which allows the killer to locate them...2 of the girls die but one, Darby, survives. Flash forward 25 years and Darby is now a crime-scene investigator...and you can imagine what follows.
Definitely worth your time to pick this one up and put on your reading list for the summer!
(I left this book on the train we took between Zurich, Switzerland and Munich, Germany)
April 24, 2012
Darby McCormack witnessed a murder when she was in high school. The killer attempted to silence the witnesses but Darby survived. Twenty-five years later, a woman's abduction bears an uncanny likeness to that case. Darby is now a forensice investigator for the Boston Police Department and finds herself confronting the nightmare of her past in the present.
This story was pretty chilling for me and moved pretty swiftly. Darby is a skilled investigator and the forensic evidence was described in simple terms that helped you follow the case and connect the dots. The villains are diabolical and will make your skin crawl.
Since it is a mystery I won't share much detail. What made it utterly suspenseful for me was I figured out a crucial part of the case pretty early on and worried that harm would come to Darby and team throughout the book. There are surprising twists at the end of the story that you will not see coming.
This is a very good debut novel and Mooney is a pretty good storyteller. I'm looking forward to the next book.
This story was pretty chilling for me and moved pretty swiftly. Darby is a skilled investigator and the forensic evidence was described in simple terms that helped you follow the case and connect the dots. The villains are diabolical and will make your skin crawl.
Since it is a mystery I won't share much detail. What made it utterly suspenseful for me was I figured out a crucial part of the case pretty early on and worried that harm would come to Darby and team throughout the book. There are surprising twists at the end of the story that you will not see coming.
This is a very good debut novel and Mooney is a pretty good storyteller. I'm looking forward to the next book.
February 26, 2018
Classic thriller with a couple of nice twists at the end.
January 28, 2013
I found Chris Mooney’s “The Missing” a mediocre thriller. It is perhaps more of a crime-scene investigator procedural as efforts to find and interpret physical evidence play a major role in this novel. Towards the end it indeed turns into a thriller with many contrived “twists and turns”, which I intensely dislike because of their lack of credibility.
Darby McCormick, a Boston crime-scene investigator works on the case of a missing 16-year old girl. Soon she discovers that the case has connections to the murder case and another disappearance from the time she was herself a 16-year old girl. Murder, mayhem, and grisly scenes are plentiful in “The Missing”. I usually do not mind these as long as they make sense. Here, the limits of credibility of the plot are pushed way too far. I find the denouement ridiculously unbelievable.
The novel has one powerful redeeming quality: it portrays Darby’s love and care for her terminally ill mother with real depth and sympathy.
Famous authors such as George Pelecanos, Michael Connelly, and Lee Child praise this book highly in the cover blurbs. Well, obviously I know nothing about rating thrillers because for me “The Missing” deserves credit only for the Darby-Sheila thread. The rest is formulaic, overwrought, and full of cheap effects and hysteria. Mr. Mooney’s “Remembering Sarah” is a much better book.
Two stars.
Darby McCormick, a Boston crime-scene investigator works on the case of a missing 16-year old girl. Soon she discovers that the case has connections to the murder case and another disappearance from the time she was herself a 16-year old girl. Murder, mayhem, and grisly scenes are plentiful in “The Missing”. I usually do not mind these as long as they make sense. Here, the limits of credibility of the plot are pushed way too far. I find the denouement ridiculously unbelievable.
The novel has one powerful redeeming quality: it portrays Darby’s love and care for her terminally ill mother with real depth and sympathy.
Famous authors such as George Pelecanos, Michael Connelly, and Lee Child praise this book highly in the cover blurbs. Well, obviously I know nothing about rating thrillers because for me “The Missing” deserves credit only for the Darby-Sheila thread. The rest is formulaic, overwrought, and full of cheap effects and hysteria. Mr. Mooney’s “Remembering Sarah” is a much better book.
Two stars.
June 26, 2018
I've thoroughly enjoyed this author's previous thrillers - they're roller coaster rides similar to the books by Harlan Coben with enough twists and turns to keep you reading late into the night. In this book protagonist Darby McCormick has a close brush with a serial kidnapper/murderer during her teenage years. Now as an adult and a cop said villain is back in her life and Darby is tasked to bring him to justice. Not the most original plot but workable.
The flashback scenes with the adolescent Darby and her friends read somewhat "wooden" but aren't unbearable in setting up the story. Unfortunately the present day chase never gains any traction. The bad guy is always a step ahead of both police forensics and FBI profiling and when the "mystery" takes on a new dimension it's more than obvious where the tale is going. There's also the remote bad guy hideaway, his tortured childhood but uncanny ability to blend in with "normal" society as an adult, a little romance with Darby's partner and the always tiresome sporadically functioning cell phones. The "climactic" conclusion is even ho-hum.
Hopefully this is just a bump in the road for this author and things will be back on track in subsequent books.
The flashback scenes with the adolescent Darby and her friends read somewhat "wooden" but aren't unbearable in setting up the story. Unfortunately the present day chase never gains any traction. The bad guy is always a step ahead of both police forensics and FBI profiling and when the "mystery" takes on a new dimension it's more than obvious where the tale is going. There's also the remote bad guy hideaway, his tortured childhood but uncanny ability to blend in with "normal" society as an adult, a little romance with Darby's partner and the always tiresome sporadically functioning cell phones. The "climactic" conclusion is even ho-hum.
Hopefully this is just a bump in the road for this author and things will be back on track in subsequent books.
October 6, 2015
Take 1 feisty female CSI investigator with a dark background, add 1 (or 2) twisted serial killers, sprinkle with tonnes of gruesome deaths, add a twist towards the end and voilà... the perfect recipe for a brilliant new series of books. Thank you Chris Mooney I am now a huge fan!
March 16, 2023
Das Buch hatte ganz klare Tendenzen. 4 🌟 mindestens. Charaktere gut ausgearbeitet, Geschichte total beklemmend und gut erzählt, alles soweit in sich schlüssig. Und dann kam das Ende. Soweit, so gut. Bis auf dieses "Frag deine Mutter." Gedönse. Das hat mir das auf den letzten Metern echt noch verleidet. Ich kann es irgendwo nachvollziehen, aber es stört mich trotzdem vom Gefühl her massiv und hat mir das Ganze noch ein wenig heruntergezogen. Daher 3 Sterne. Bei Gelegenheit lese ich gerne weitere Bücher des Autors.
December 18, 2012
3.5 stars
I mostly liked it. It had fast-paced story telling. Since the villain was also written in the story (3rd person), it was nice to see how Darby and the other detectives were able to keep up with him. There was a couple of slight twists near the end ... I was able to guess one of them, but the other one was something I didn't see coming!
Unfortunately ... I felt detached to Darby as the main character throughout the book. She didn't engaged to me, the way that I expected to be when I read the blurb "Darby must finally resolve the nightmare of her past and come face-to-face with a killer who is determined to keep the missing". I didn't feel that, I didn't feel that she was in tune to the nightmare of her past. She felt a little cold to me, to be honest.
I mostly liked it. It had fast-paced story telling. Since the villain was also written in the story (3rd person), it was nice to see how Darby and the other detectives were able to keep up with him. There was a couple of slight twists near the end ... I was able to guess one of them, but the other one was something I didn't see coming!
Unfortunately ... I felt detached to Darby as the main character throughout the book. She didn't engaged to me, the way that I expected to be when I read the blurb "Darby must finally resolve the nightmare of her past and come face-to-face with a killer who is determined to keep the missing". I didn't feel that, I didn't feel that she was in tune to the nightmare of her past. She felt a little cold to me, to be honest.
November 2, 2015
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Excellent start to a series. Darby is a MC that is likable as well as the rest of the cast of characters. 4.5 stars
July 21, 2011
I zoomed through this book in two days, only putting it down to go to sleep last night! It's a very fast read, with a storyline that really grabs and holds your attention. Also, the chapters are nice and short, which I appreciated; I often tend to feel bogged down when the chapters of a book are really long, so this was a refreshing change.
The Missing is the first in a series featuring Darby McCormick, crime-scene investigator with the Boston Police. The story begins with an apparent murder that Darby and her two best friends witness while on a walk through the woods as kids. A few chapters later, the story jumps forward 25 years to the present day, with Darby investigating a missing teenager. I don't want to give anything away beyond what is in the book summary, so that's all I'm giving you about the plot!
The first few chapters were very dark and creepy. I would suggest, for maximum effect, starting this one late at night after everyone else has already gone to bed. A rainy night would be ideal! I just feel like something gets lost when you read a creepy book in the middle of the day, while the rest of the world is buzzing all around you - ya know?
ETA: I really like this author. The very last sentence in his Acknowlegments reads: "What you have in your hands is a work of fiction. That means, like James Frey, I made everything up." HAHA! - I had to laugh :)
The Missing is the first in a series featuring Darby McCormick, crime-scene investigator with the Boston Police. The story begins with an apparent murder that Darby and her two best friends witness while on a walk through the woods as kids. A few chapters later, the story jumps forward 25 years to the present day, with Darby investigating a missing teenager. I don't want to give anything away beyond what is in the book summary, so that's all I'm giving you about the plot!
The first few chapters were very dark and creepy. I would suggest, for maximum effect, starting this one late at night after everyone else has already gone to bed. A rainy night would be ideal! I just feel like something gets lost when you read a creepy book in the middle of the day, while the rest of the world is buzzing all around you - ya know?
ETA: I really like this author. The very last sentence in his Acknowlegments reads: "What you have in your hands is a work of fiction. That means, like James Frey, I made everything up." HAHA! - I had to laugh :)
November 3, 2016
Tout d'abord, il faut noter que ce roman est le premier tome d'une série de six livres. Lorsque j'ai commencé ma lecture, je l'ignorais et je regrette à présent de ne pas avoir la suite et encore plus de ne pas pouvoir me la procurer. Cependant, cela ne retire rien à l'excellence de ce thriller. En effet, nous pouvons nous contenter de ce roman, sans lire la suite, puisqu'il s'agit d'une enquête indépendante et propre à chaque tome. Ce qui est en fait une série, c'est le personnage principal, Darby McCormick, dont nous suivons l'évolution au fil des romans.
Nous découvrons Darby lorsqu'elle est au lycée, accompagnée de deux de ses amies. Leur vie bascule alors qu'elles sont témoins d'un crime. Repérées par le ravisseur, elles vont être sa nouvelle cible. Commence alors une course-poursuite effrénée, durant laquelle de nombreux rebondissements ne cessent de nous surprendre.
Chris Mooney est définitivement le roi du suspense et des surprises, nous donnant toujours plus envie de poursuivre notre lecture au fil des chapitres. L'intrigue et l'enquête sont très bien ficelées et on peut constater que l'auteur a réalisé un grand travail de recherches pour que son récit soit fidèle au véritablement déroulement des enquêtes américaines. Nous sommes véritablement emportés par les événements et les pages défilent à une vitesse folle.
Je vous recommande vivement cette lecture !
Nous découvrons Darby lorsqu'elle est au lycée, accompagnée de deux de ses amies. Leur vie bascule alors qu'elles sont témoins d'un crime. Repérées par le ravisseur, elles vont être sa nouvelle cible. Commence alors une course-poursuite effrénée, durant laquelle de nombreux rebondissements ne cessent de nous surprendre.
Chris Mooney est définitivement le roi du suspense et des surprises, nous donnant toujours plus envie de poursuivre notre lecture au fil des chapitres. L'intrigue et l'enquête sont très bien ficelées et on peut constater que l'auteur a réalisé un grand travail de recherches pour que son récit soit fidèle au véritablement déroulement des enquêtes américaines. Nous sommes véritablement emportés par les événements et les pages défilent à une vitesse folle.
Je vous recommande vivement cette lecture !
December 1, 2017
La historia no está mal, pero no llegué a meterme en la historia lo suficiente. Me pareció bastante enrevesada y con demasiados personajes que me hacían rebanarme los sesos en lugar de disfrutar de la lectura. Una historia olvidable
November 15, 2017
While I don't normally read crime fiction or thrillers, this novel was recommended to me by a friend, so I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did! Mooney created a realistic and gripping world, with clever and calculating characters on both sides. I enjoyed watching Darby unravel the mystery, especially as it further entwined with her past tragedy. Though I did guess the first "big twist," the second one came as a complete surprise and left me wanting to continue the series to see how it affects Darby going forward. Exciting, fast-paced, and just spooky enough to make you turn on the lights at night.
April 10, 2023
Altamente viciante.
Com capítulos curtos e escrita fluída, lê-se como se víssemos o filme.
Um thriller doentio e macabro, cheio de acção e reviravoltas, com um final surpreendente.
Com capítulos curtos e escrita fluída, lê-se como se víssemos o filme.
Um thriller doentio e macabro, cheio de acção e reviravoltas, com um final surpreendente.
November 2, 2024
Muy bueno.
January 25, 2019
Really enjoyed this book. When I found out what was going on, I had to go back and read the sentence a second time. I could not believe what I read. Totally blew me away!
January 13, 2015
Chris Mooney is an author I have wanted to read for a long time but for some reason I've just never got round to picking up one of his books. I then became a blogger, and a few weeks ago I realised that I was neglecting so many books that I wanted to read, and I want to try and get a balance of new reviews and reviews of older books on the blog. It's rather refreshing to read solely for enjoyment, rather than over thinking what I'm going to write and making notes while I read plus readers of my blog may discover a book that they missed when it was first released.
The premise to The Missing doesn't stand out as the most original, though I was pleased to see that our main character, Darby McCormick, is a Crime Scene Investigator and not a police detective which did make this book a little different from other crime reads. As a huge fan of the CSI franchise I am aware that the role of CSIs in fiction is greatly exaggerated, and it did feel at times that Darby's actions and the work that she carried out was not representative of a real-life CSI but obviously for the purpose of the story this was needed (and this is the case with most crime fiction books, not just The Missing). I do find forensic science very interesting however, so I very much enjoyed reading a book where much of the focus was on obtaining evidence, processing it and ultimately trying to use it to capture a villain but on the other side of the coin it was fascinating watching how easily the killer was able to manipulate the police by falsifying and planting evidence.
A horror movie style opening introduces Darby as a teenager narrowly escaping from a man attempting to kill her, but not before he kills one of her friends and kidnaps the other. The man is then apprehended and we travel to the present day where Darby as a CSI is called to a home where a teenage boy has been shot, and his girlfriend kidnapped. Meanwhile an emaciated woman is found hiding under the house and it soon becomes clear the kidnapper left her behind and Darby is soon hunting for the kidnapper's 'dungeon' and not only that but he could be the man that tried to kill her all those years ago, despite the fact he should be dead. The chase as they say is on. From the blurb and the cover I went into this hoping for something along the lines of Chris Carter (gruesome, bloody etc) as this is how I like my crime fiction and in places The Missing was exactly that we also follow the killer which is something I always enjoy, allowing us to get inside their head and see them (almost always) keep one step ahead of the police for much of the book. There are some brilliant twists in the book involving the killer, but obviously I can't say any more than that!
At times the book moved a little slow for my liking, I wasn't bored but I did wish things would just move on a bit quicker than they were. This is the first book in a series, and so it's our first time meeting Darby and her history had to be relayed to us, and the various characters that make up her working life also had to be established. As the series progresses hopefully the author will fill in these introductory parts with the action that was at times missing in The Missing (no pun intended). Despite me mostly reading series when it comes to crime fiction, there's one thing about them I dislike and that is when the main character finds him or herself in the killer's sights, we all know that the main character is never going to be killed off, therefore almost all tension is lost and with the killer in this book having a close link to Darby herself, I didn't want the focus to be solely on the killer hunting Darby, as that would have soon become boring. I did work a couple of things out quite easily but Mooney did manage to keep one thing from me, and it was a twist that very much slapped me in the face, and it was brilliant! Overall this was an enjoyable read, and I'm definitely going to be continuing with this series (and I'll be starting the second book, The Secret Friend, very soon).
3.5/5
The premise to The Missing doesn't stand out as the most original, though I was pleased to see that our main character, Darby McCormick, is a Crime Scene Investigator and not a police detective which did make this book a little different from other crime reads. As a huge fan of the CSI franchise I am aware that the role of CSIs in fiction is greatly exaggerated, and it did feel at times that Darby's actions and the work that she carried out was not representative of a real-life CSI but obviously for the purpose of the story this was needed (and this is the case with most crime fiction books, not just The Missing). I do find forensic science very interesting however, so I very much enjoyed reading a book where much of the focus was on obtaining evidence, processing it and ultimately trying to use it to capture a villain but on the other side of the coin it was fascinating watching how easily the killer was able to manipulate the police by falsifying and planting evidence.
A horror movie style opening introduces Darby as a teenager narrowly escaping from a man attempting to kill her, but not before he kills one of her friends and kidnaps the other. The man is then apprehended and we travel to the present day where Darby as a CSI is called to a home where a teenage boy has been shot, and his girlfriend kidnapped. Meanwhile an emaciated woman is found hiding under the house and it soon becomes clear the kidnapper left her behind and Darby is soon hunting for the kidnapper's 'dungeon' and not only that but he could be the man that tried to kill her all those years ago, despite the fact he should be dead. The chase as they say is on. From the blurb and the cover I went into this hoping for something along the lines of Chris Carter (gruesome, bloody etc) as this is how I like my crime fiction and in places The Missing was exactly that we also follow the killer which is something I always enjoy, allowing us to get inside their head and see them (almost always) keep one step ahead of the police for much of the book. There are some brilliant twists in the book involving the killer, but obviously I can't say any more than that!
At times the book moved a little slow for my liking, I wasn't bored but I did wish things would just move on a bit quicker than they were. This is the first book in a series, and so it's our first time meeting Darby and her history had to be relayed to us, and the various characters that make up her working life also had to be established. As the series progresses hopefully the author will fill in these introductory parts with the action that was at times missing in The Missing (no pun intended). Despite me mostly reading series when it comes to crime fiction, there's one thing about them I dislike and that is when the main character finds him or herself in the killer's sights, we all know that the main character is never going to be killed off, therefore almost all tension is lost and with the killer in this book having a close link to Darby herself, I didn't want the focus to be solely on the killer hunting Darby, as that would have soon become boring. I did work a couple of things out quite easily but Mooney did manage to keep one thing from me, and it was a twist that very much slapped me in the face, and it was brilliant! Overall this was an enjoyable read, and I'm definitely going to be continuing with this series (and I'll be starting the second book, The Secret Friend, very soon).
3.5/5
August 19, 2017
The Missing had all the potential to be a 4 or even 4.5 star book, unfortunately a last minute 'twist' that was not set up or believable ruined a solid novel and dropped this book down to 3 stars.
The story follows Darby McCormick who, as a teenager, witnessed a violent crime in the process. The killer returns to eliminate the witnesses but Darby survives. Twenty years later Darby is a successful forensic crime scene investigator working the case of a missing teenager very similar to the case when she was young. To atone for her past and assuage her guilt Darby swears to herself that she will bring the missing girl home and leads the charge in the investigation despite explosive hurdles including the meddling FBI.
The story is well written and engaging, the characters are well done and Darby is an interesting heroine. There are only a few elements of this book that are not enjoyable or realistic and the ending is insulting and should have been omitted.
Overall this is a page-turning, well written, and thrilling suspense novel with interesting and believable characters that would have been almost perfect if the last 'twist' had been left out. That being said this book is definitely worth the read.
The story follows Darby McCormick who, as a teenager, witnessed a violent crime in the process. The killer returns to eliminate the witnesses but Darby survives. Twenty years later Darby is a successful forensic crime scene investigator working the case of a missing teenager very similar to the case when she was young. To atone for her past and assuage her guilt Darby swears to herself that she will bring the missing girl home and leads the charge in the investigation despite explosive hurdles including the meddling FBI.
The story is well written and engaging, the characters are well done and Darby is an interesting heroine. There are only a few elements of this book that are not enjoyable or realistic and the ending is insulting and should have been omitted.
Overall this is a page-turning, well written, and thrilling suspense novel with interesting and believable characters that would have been almost perfect if the last 'twist' had been left out. That being said this book is definitely worth the read.
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