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Missing Person
From acclaimed thriller writer Sarah Lotz, hailed by Stephen King as "vastly entertaining," a new novel about a group of amateur detectives infiltrated by the sadistic killer whose crimes they're investigating.
Reclusive bookseller Shaun Ryan has always believed that his uncle Teddy died in a car accident twenty years ago. Then he learns the truth: Teddy fled his home in Catholic, deeply conservative County Wicklow, Ireland, for New York and hasn't been heard from since. None of Shaun's relatives will reveal why they lied about his uncle's death or why they want Shaun to leave the whole affair alone.
But Shaun has a burning need to find out the truth. His search is unsuccessful until he's contacted by Chris Guzman, a woman who runs a website dedicated to matching missing-persons cases with unidentified bodies. Chris and her team of cold-case obsessives suspect that Shaun is looking for the "Boy in the Dress," one victim in a series of gay men murdered by the same killer.
But who are these internet fanatics really, and how do they know so much about a case that has stumped police for decades? Soon armchair sleuths and professional investigators are on a collision course with a sadistic serial killer who's gotten away with his crimes for far too long - and now they're in his sights.
Reclusive bookseller Shaun Ryan has always believed that his uncle Teddy died in a car accident twenty years ago. Then he learns the truth: Teddy fled his home in Catholic, deeply conservative County Wicklow, Ireland, for New York and hasn't been heard from since. None of Shaun's relatives will reveal why they lied about his uncle's death or why they want Shaun to leave the whole affair alone.
But Shaun has a burning need to find out the truth. His search is unsuccessful until he's contacted by Chris Guzman, a woman who runs a website dedicated to matching missing-persons cases with unidentified bodies. Chris and her team of cold-case obsessives suspect that Shaun is looking for the "Boy in the Dress," one victim in a series of gay men murdered by the same killer.
But who are these internet fanatics really, and how do they know so much about a case that has stumped police for decades? Soon armchair sleuths and professional investigators are on a collision course with a sadistic serial killer who's gotten away with his crimes for far too long - and now they're in his sights.
468 pages, Hardcover
First published September 3, 2019
96 people are currently reading
2534 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Lotz
41 books798 followersSarah Lotz is a screenwriter and fiction novelist with a fondness for the macabre and fake names.
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August 21, 2019
Sarah Lotz's thriller, set in the US and Ireland, is a modern take with its everyday misfits and ordinary people operating as amateur detectives on Missing-linc.com, an American website dedicated to identifying the unidentified dead, cases often given up on by law enforcement. Shaun Ryan is a solitary young gay man in Ireland, he has still to get over the death of his mother, and is involved in a secret relationship with a married man, Brendan. He works in a bookshop, and is shocked when a unprepossessing stranger called Johnny tells him his gay Uncle Teddy, his mother's favourite, whom he physically resembles, did not die in a car crash as he had been told, but went to New York instead. His remaining family, who he is not close to, admit the truth, Janice, begs him to leave well alone, and Donny, threatens Shaun if he pursues the matter of Teddy any further.
He puts out a picture of his Uncle Teddy online, for it to be picked up by Rainbowbrite, aka Ellen Caine, who thinks Teddy is likely to be unidenfied corpse, decades old, found close to her home, known as the 'Boy in a Dress', someone she had spent considerable time working on in the past. It is the wheel chair bound Christina Guzman, aka Kingrat, moderator, who set up the Missing-linc site, who gets in touch with Wicklow boy, Shaun, to let him know Teddy looks to be the 'boy in a dress'. Shaun, who had weaved daydreams of going over to the US to be with his uncle, is hit hard by the news. Members of the site, led by Ellen, dig deep to verify Teddy's identity and his life in the US prior to being murdered, making extensive use of social media. However, amongst the web sleuths, lurks the killer, keeping tabs on everyone should they come close to him. The killer has moved on from his past life as a murderer, but he just cannot leave well alone, engaging in underhand machinations, as his past self converges to threaten the present life he has worked so hard to build.
Lotz writes a character driven thriller, with much of the narrative in the form of messages and other communications between the website members and with Shaun. We learn about the lives of the site members such as Christina who is still haunted by the long ago loss of her missing mother, and an Ellen struggling with family life, given her obsession and need to contribute on the site and chasing down Teddy's identity. Shaun is to find there is so much more to Teddy's story than simply his family being ashamed of his gay sexuality. This is a great and entertaining crime novel, less concerned about being action orientated, it is the characters and their lives that hold centre stage. Wonderful and captivating book. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
He puts out a picture of his Uncle Teddy online, for it to be picked up by Rainbowbrite, aka Ellen Caine, who thinks Teddy is likely to be unidenfied corpse, decades old, found close to her home, known as the 'Boy in a Dress', someone she had spent considerable time working on in the past. It is the wheel chair bound Christina Guzman, aka Kingrat, moderator, who set up the Missing-linc site, who gets in touch with Wicklow boy, Shaun, to let him know Teddy looks to be the 'boy in a dress'. Shaun, who had weaved daydreams of going over to the US to be with his uncle, is hit hard by the news. Members of the site, led by Ellen, dig deep to verify Teddy's identity and his life in the US prior to being murdered, making extensive use of social media. However, amongst the web sleuths, lurks the killer, keeping tabs on everyone should they come close to him. The killer has moved on from his past life as a murderer, but he just cannot leave well alone, engaging in underhand machinations, as his past self converges to threaten the present life he has worked so hard to build.
Lotz writes a character driven thriller, with much of the narrative in the form of messages and other communications between the website members and with Shaun. We learn about the lives of the site members such as Christina who is still haunted by the long ago loss of her missing mother, and an Ellen struggling with family life, given her obsession and need to contribute on the site and chasing down Teddy's identity. Shaun is to find there is so much more to Teddy's story than simply his family being ashamed of his gay sexuality. This is a great and entertaining crime novel, less concerned about being action orientated, it is the characters and their lives that hold centre stage. Wonderful and captivating book. Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC.
September 9, 2019
the only sarah lotz i’d read before this was under her s.l. grey pseudonym, and since that’s a two authors/one name situation, i don’t really have a sense of how this one stacks up against her other solo works, but i thought it was great, and it makes me want to dive into all her other books i have lying around here, most of which i bought when they first came out in hardcover because i struggle with both impulse control and follow-through, apparently.
this book is playing to the whole true-crime-resurgence thing that’s going on these days, and it features a group of people involved in a website called missing-linc, which is dedicated to cross-referencing missing persons reports with unidentified bodies in cold cases in the hopes of identifying victims and giving their families some peace. the group used to have a more investigative angle, with a focus on actually solving the crimes, but they limited their goals to identification-only after their amateur detecting went horribly wrong, in the way that all online communities do—when the savagery of individuals feeling safe in their anonymity is awakened, they go a-trolling, and people get hurt.
however, when the group hears that an irish man named shaun ryan is searching for his long-lost uncle, whose description seems to match a case that had had particular resonance for them—the skull-bludgeoned corpse of a young man found wearing a pink prom dress—they decide to make an exception because WHAT COULD GO WRONG, SURELY?
shaun is a reclusive man living in wicklow, unmoored by the death of his mother and residing in a room above the bookshop where he is employed, with only his mother’s elderly, unaffectionate dog for companionship. more or less estranged from their extended family, his mother had always told him stories about her beloved brother teddy, who died in a car accident in galway twenty years earlier, after being cut off from the conservative family because of his homosexuality. shaun is also gay, and has always felt a particular kinship to this larger-than-life figure, and when a former friend of teddy’s comes back to town after a long absence, he tells shaun the truth: the car accident was a lie, and last he heard, teddy was in new york, showing him a letter to prove it. reeling from this information, shaun confronts his shady uncle donny who confirms johnny’s story, but discourages, and implicitly threatens, shaun from trying to track him down.
undeterred, shaun gets in touch with missing-linc’s moderator chris, who is herself somewhat reclusive. the two begin to form a friendship, and loosening her resolve against getting involved in another debacle, chris agrees to help him determine if the victim in the ‘boy in the dress’ case was his uncle.
this was a lot of fun. i know that sounds horrible, considering it’s about hate crimes and murders and the shattered lives of people whose loved ones have disappeared without a trace, but it’s a fast-paced roller coaster of a read, with multiple POV characters, frequently structured as email back-and-forths, texts, and chatroom discussions, with escalating tension and an overall light touch, despite the often very dark subject matter.
there isn’t a huge, shocking reveal—it’s pretty clear from the start that one of the group’s members are not who they claim to be; a fact which is alluded-to in the synopsis, so don’t come at me with spoiler-pitchforks, but the cat-and-mousing is just as entertaining as a big unmasking would be, and the way that backstory emerges kept me wholly invested in the unfolding drama.
there are some great characters, including a baby-sociopath, and while shaun was far too one-note gloomy a character for my particular “root for ‘em” requirements, and i thought his chapters were tonally incongruous with the rest of the book, i really liked the interactions and dynamics between the group members, and there were some truly funny scenes peppered throughout.
one thing, though: i read an arc of this, and at the end, there are several frustratingly blank pages where there will be indices and endmatter in the finished book, which is such a tease! i must go get my hands on a finished copy so i can see what i was missing! impulse control, get thee behind me!
ugh, i meant to review this before pub day but things got away from me, so APOLOGIES, MULLHOLLAND, usually i am better about reviewing books so generously sent my way, despite what i said earlier about follow-through!!
come to my blog!
this book is playing to the whole true-crime-resurgence thing that’s going on these days, and it features a group of people involved in a website called missing-linc, which is dedicated to cross-referencing missing persons reports with unidentified bodies in cold cases in the hopes of identifying victims and giving their families some peace. the group used to have a more investigative angle, with a focus on actually solving the crimes, but they limited their goals to identification-only after their amateur detecting went horribly wrong, in the way that all online communities do—when the savagery of individuals feeling safe in their anonymity is awakened, they go a-trolling, and people get hurt.
however, when the group hears that an irish man named shaun ryan is searching for his long-lost uncle, whose description seems to match a case that had had particular resonance for them—the skull-bludgeoned corpse of a young man found wearing a pink prom dress—they decide to make an exception because WHAT COULD GO WRONG, SURELY?
shaun is a reclusive man living in wicklow, unmoored by the death of his mother and residing in a room above the bookshop where he is employed, with only his mother’s elderly, unaffectionate dog for companionship. more or less estranged from their extended family, his mother had always told him stories about her beloved brother teddy, who died in a car accident in galway twenty years earlier, after being cut off from the conservative family because of his homosexuality. shaun is also gay, and has always felt a particular kinship to this larger-than-life figure, and when a former friend of teddy’s comes back to town after a long absence, he tells shaun the truth: the car accident was a lie, and last he heard, teddy was in new york, showing him a letter to prove it. reeling from this information, shaun confronts his shady uncle donny who confirms johnny’s story, but discourages, and implicitly threatens, shaun from trying to track him down.
undeterred, shaun gets in touch with missing-linc’s moderator chris, who is herself somewhat reclusive. the two begin to form a friendship, and loosening her resolve against getting involved in another debacle, chris agrees to help him determine if the victim in the ‘boy in the dress’ case was his uncle.
this was a lot of fun. i know that sounds horrible, considering it’s about hate crimes and murders and the shattered lives of people whose loved ones have disappeared without a trace, but it’s a fast-paced roller coaster of a read, with multiple POV characters, frequently structured as email back-and-forths, texts, and chatroom discussions, with escalating tension and an overall light touch, despite the often very dark subject matter.
there isn’t a huge, shocking reveal—it’s pretty clear from the start that one of the group’s members are not who they claim to be; a fact which is alluded-to in the synopsis, so don’t come at me with spoiler-pitchforks, but the cat-and-mousing is just as entertaining as a big unmasking would be, and the way that backstory emerges kept me wholly invested in the unfolding drama.
there are some great characters, including a baby-sociopath, and while shaun was far too one-note gloomy a character for my particular “root for ‘em” requirements, and i thought his chapters were tonally incongruous with the rest of the book, i really liked the interactions and dynamics between the group members, and there were some truly funny scenes peppered throughout.
one thing, though: i read an arc of this, and at the end, there are several frustratingly blank pages where there will be indices and endmatter in the finished book, which is such a tease! i must go get my hands on a finished copy so i can see what i was missing! impulse control, get thee behind me!
ugh, i meant to review this before pub day but things got away from me, so APOLOGIES, MULLHOLLAND, usually i am better about reviewing books so generously sent my way, despite what i said earlier about follow-through!!
come to my blog!
August 10, 2019
I started reading Missing Person on 7/29/2019 and finished it on 8/9/2019. I gave birth to my second child in between reading this story so the book was at the hospital with me. This book is a great read! I love the idea of that missing-linc forum. The read is exciting when I realized that the killer is hiding among the good guys. This thriller is a bit slow paced than what I normally prefer to read but there's enough suspense and mystery to keep me turning the pages. I like the diverse of characters and their individual stories. The idea of regular people investigating a murder as a hobby is pretty cool, especially how serious they all were. This book questions about mass shootings in the current day versus serial killers back in the nineties, which I also find the question to be interesting as well.
This book is divided into 4 parts, where part 1, started with Shaun aka Wicklowboy22 who just learned that the uncle he thought to have been dead may be alive. He decided to look him up over the internet and began to daydream about how his lonely life could change with this uncle since his mom died 6 years ago. The second view is Christina (Chris) aka Ratking1 who ran a web forum called Missing-linc.com. Her forum listed the details of unidentified bodies and the site's members match them up with people who have gone missing. The third view is Ellen (Ellie) aka Rainbowbrite. She's a moderator for Chris' Missing-linc forum. The fourth view is Pete aka Bobbiecowell. He and Ellie both obsessed over an unidentified victim known as The Boy in the Dress and have been working constantly to solve it.
Missing Person is well written. I enjoyed the story line because I haven't read anything like it before. I like the modern use of technology and everyday people doing web sleuthing. I'm not sure I like the ending much because the mystery of Chris' mom remains unsolved, Mommydearest's unresponsive to apologies, and the killer's ending ended in speculation instead of an action. However, I do like the intensity near the end when their investigation to finding the killer got close. This thriller has a bit of everything, from Ireland to USA to victims of LGBT to a bunch of misfits solving murder mysteries. I enjoyed reading this book overall and I do recommend everyone to read it.
Pro: sleuthing, mystery, suspense, page turner, online forum, killer hiding among the sleuths, diversity
Con: unsolved mystery, lack of action to end the killer
I rate it 4.5 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Mulholland Books for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
This book is divided into 4 parts, where part 1, started with Shaun aka Wicklowboy22 who just learned that the uncle he thought to have been dead may be alive. He decided to look him up over the internet and began to daydream about how his lonely life could change with this uncle since his mom died 6 years ago. The second view is Christina (Chris) aka Ratking1 who ran a web forum called Missing-linc.com. Her forum listed the details of unidentified bodies and the site's members match them up with people who have gone missing. The third view is Ellen (Ellie) aka Rainbowbrite. She's a moderator for Chris' Missing-linc forum. The fourth view is Pete aka Bobbiecowell. He and Ellie both obsessed over an unidentified victim known as The Boy in the Dress and have been working constantly to solve it.
Missing Person is well written. I enjoyed the story line because I haven't read anything like it before. I like the modern use of technology and everyday people doing web sleuthing. I'm not sure I like the ending much because the mystery of Chris' mom remains unsolved, Mommydearest's unresponsive to apologies, and the killer's ending ended in speculation instead of an action. However, I do like the intensity near the end when their investigation to finding the killer got close. This thriller has a bit of everything, from Ireland to USA to victims of LGBT to a bunch of misfits solving murder mysteries. I enjoyed reading this book overall and I do recommend everyone to read it.
Pro: sleuthing, mystery, suspense, page turner, online forum, killer hiding among the sleuths, diversity
Con: unsolved mystery, lack of action to end the killer
I rate it 4.5 stars!
***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Mulholland Books for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.
xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details
August 27, 2019
A unique and entertaining character-driven thriller, that has the vibe of a true-crime story.
480 pages! This is the first thing that came to mind when I started reading it. Not sure how I ended up requesting a book this lengthy, because I hate reading long books! But a large portion of the book is written in group chats and other communication that make the book read faster than expected and I really enjoyed it.
Missing-Linc is a website based in the US. It’s made up of ordinary people that try to match missing people to unidentified bodies. This made me curious, so I did an internet search. Web sleuthing seems to be a popular hobby, that sounds pretty addicting. I found a lot of sites and even found discussions pertaining to a missing woman from the small town I live in. I guess you really can find anything on the internet!
The web sleuths in the story are contacted by a young man in Ireland. Shaun sends them a picture of his Uncle Teddy. He grew up believing his uncle was killed in a car accident before he was born, but discovered Teddy went to NYC after a falling out with the family. There is a chance Teddy is still alive, but the subject is taboo with the family, and he hasn’t been heard from since he left. The whole backstory of this situation is crazy!
The story is filled with complex and interesting characters...the dysfunctional Irish family and the web sleuths, who are like a dysfunctional family in their own way. Lots of secrets, lies, and some shocking surprises.
I really admired the website members that invested so much time playing amateur detectives. The characters were so impressive and serious. At the same time, since everyone is anonymous, it’s easy to blend in. It makes you think about the people that interact on these sites in real life. They can present themselves anyway they want, which is pretty scary.
We find out early in the story that the killer is a member of the Missing-Linc website. Killing isn’t enough for him 😡, he secretly taunts the other members about their personal issues. He takes advantage of and deceives people that care about him. He’s just a completely disgusting, horrible and unlikable creep!
The ending was a little anticlimactic, but the story was very intriguing and thought provoking. This is my first book by Sarah Lotz and I’m fascinated enough to try another.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Sarah Lotz for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: September 3rd 2019 by Mulholland Books
Pages: 480
Recommended: Yes
480 pages! This is the first thing that came to mind when I started reading it. Not sure how I ended up requesting a book this lengthy, because I hate reading long books! But a large portion of the book is written in group chats and other communication that make the book read faster than expected and I really enjoyed it.
Missing-Linc is a website based in the US. It’s made up of ordinary people that try to match missing people to unidentified bodies. This made me curious, so I did an internet search. Web sleuthing seems to be a popular hobby, that sounds pretty addicting. I found a lot of sites and even found discussions pertaining to a missing woman from the small town I live in. I guess you really can find anything on the internet!
The web sleuths in the story are contacted by a young man in Ireland. Shaun sends them a picture of his Uncle Teddy. He grew up believing his uncle was killed in a car accident before he was born, but discovered Teddy went to NYC after a falling out with the family. There is a chance Teddy is still alive, but the subject is taboo with the family, and he hasn’t been heard from since he left. The whole backstory of this situation is crazy!
The story is filled with complex and interesting characters...the dysfunctional Irish family and the web sleuths, who are like a dysfunctional family in their own way. Lots of secrets, lies, and some shocking surprises.
I really admired the website members that invested so much time playing amateur detectives. The characters were so impressive and serious. At the same time, since everyone is anonymous, it’s easy to blend in. It makes you think about the people that interact on these sites in real life. They can present themselves anyway they want, which is pretty scary.
We find out early in the story that the killer is a member of the Missing-Linc website. Killing isn’t enough for him 😡, he secretly taunts the other members about their personal issues. He takes advantage of and deceives people that care about him. He’s just a completely disgusting, horrible and unlikable creep!
The ending was a little anticlimactic, but the story was very intriguing and thought provoking. This is my first book by Sarah Lotz and I’m fascinated enough to try another.
Thank you to NetGalley, Mulholland Books and Sarah Lotz for this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.
My Rating: 4 ⭐️’s
Published: September 3rd 2019 by Mulholland Books
Pages: 480
Recommended: Yes
August 28, 2019
What a great deep, character-driven, crime-fiction novel! Sarah Lotz, I've never read anything by you before, but
Missing Person
is fabulous! No lie, I couldn't put this book down and stayed up super late last night to finish it. You can tell by the dark circles formed down to my cheekbones!
Missing Person
is an intriguing read for several reasons: a) the crime focuses on a gay victim, during a time period where crimes against gay people can and were excused easily, b) the writing style focuses on highly-developed dialogue between the main characters.
Missing Person 's story focuses on a 22-year old Irish gay man named Shaun, who is looking to find his uncle Teddy. Teddy was banished by his family for being gay and moved to New York. For years, Shaun believed that his uncle was dead, until a former friend of Teddy's turns up to confirm that this story is false. Without giving anymore of the story away, Shaun ends up connecting with a US-based web-sleuthing blog owner and her moderators about his uncle's disappearance. As the group begins to assemble, they uncover a mystery that they never expected—could Teddy's disappearance be linked to an unsolved cold case called the "Boy in the Dress" murder back in the early 90s? The group begins to dive into the case, but why are so many people pushing back against them? Why are they trying to keep Teddy's disappearance hidden?
Missing Person is a terrifying and intriguing mystery, but also a great character study. I loved learning about the characters and their personal lives while they were investigating Teddy's disappearance. I enjoyed every single character that was presented in this story. Some, like Shaun and Chris, I loved—some others (no spoilers), I loved to hate! The writing style may not work for everyone (think online message forums, blog posts, text messages, etc), but it worked for me because the book reads FAST. However, the overall storyline is a bit of a slowburn at times, and you don't really get into the crux of it until Part 2 of the story (the book is broken out into four parts), but overall Missing Person is a solid, emotional, and raw thriller that any mystery reader fan will enjoy!
Missing Person 's story focuses on a 22-year old Irish gay man named Shaun, who is looking to find his uncle Teddy. Teddy was banished by his family for being gay and moved to New York. For years, Shaun believed that his uncle was dead, until a former friend of Teddy's turns up to confirm that this story is false. Without giving anymore of the story away, Shaun ends up connecting with a US-based web-sleuthing blog owner and her moderators about his uncle's disappearance. As the group begins to assemble, they uncover a mystery that they never expected—could Teddy's disappearance be linked to an unsolved cold case called the "Boy in the Dress" murder back in the early 90s? The group begins to dive into the case, but why are so many people pushing back against them? Why are they trying to keep Teddy's disappearance hidden?
Missing Person is a terrifying and intriguing mystery, but also a great character study. I loved learning about the characters and their personal lives while they were investigating Teddy's disappearance. I enjoyed every single character that was presented in this story. Some, like Shaun and Chris, I loved—some others (no spoilers), I loved to hate! The writing style may not work for everyone (think online message forums, blog posts, text messages, etc), but it worked for me because the book reads FAST. However, the overall storyline is a bit of a slowburn at times, and you don't really get into the crux of it until Part 2 of the story (the book is broken out into four parts), but overall Missing Person is a solid, emotional, and raw thriller that any mystery reader fan will enjoy!
September 5, 2019
The bad news is this isn't horror. The good news is it's as gripping and entertaining as anything Lotz has written. Shaun, a twentysomething gay guy in Ireland, finds out his uncle Teddy – who he'd previously been told was dead – actually ran away to New York about 30 years ago. On a mission to track Teddy down, he crosses paths with the denizens of the web forum Missing-linc.com, who aim is to identify the nameless dead. They suspect that a hitherto-unidentified murder victim, known as 'The Boy in the Dress', might've been Teddy. We then follow Shaun and the online sleuths on the zig-zagging path to the truth.
We know fairly early that there's a killer among the members of Missing-linc, and that this person knows more about Teddy than they're letting on. For the most part, this adds to the tension, and if it all gets a bit convoluted on occasion, there's more than enough interesting detail to make up for it. Rather than who did it or why, the focus is on the emotional fallout for those affected by a crime, and for that reason (plus the well-drawn characters) I think this might appeal to fans of Tana French. Missing Person is tightly plotted and thoroughly enjoyable; read it if you like mysteries that prioritise careful scene-setting and character development over a dramatic finale.
I received an advance review copy of Missing Person from the publisher through NetGalley.
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We know fairly early that there's a killer among the members of Missing-linc, and that this person knows more about Teddy than they're letting on. For the most part, this adds to the tension, and if it all gets a bit convoluted on occasion, there's more than enough interesting detail to make up for it. Rather than who did it or why, the focus is on the emotional fallout for those affected by a crime, and for that reason (plus the well-drawn characters) I think this might appeal to fans of Tana French. Missing Person is tightly plotted and thoroughly enjoyable; read it if you like mysteries that prioritise careful scene-setting and character development over a dramatic finale.
I received an advance review copy of Missing Person from the publisher through NetGalley.
TinyLetter | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr
September 4, 2019
Gripping, mysterious, and sinister!
Missing Person is a captivating, slow-burning mystery that takes us into the lives of Shaun Ryan, a young Irish lad whose uncle has been missing for the past twenty years, a group of online amateur sleuths who take it upon themselves to identify and pursue new evidence in cold cases, and a ruthless killer who may or may not be willing to kill again.
The writing is methodical and sharp. The characters are secretive, sly, and determined. And the plot told from multiple perspectives builds steadily as it twists, turns, and unravels all the behaviours, actions, motivations, relationships, and personalities within it.
Missing Person is ultimately a novel about family, friendship, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, criminal fanatics, obsession, violence, and murder that does a nice job of reminding us that people aren’t always who they perceive themselves to be, especially online. And even though I would have loved a little more urgency and thrills it was still a dark, creepy, entertaining read.
Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Missing Person is a captivating, slow-burning mystery that takes us into the lives of Shaun Ryan, a young Irish lad whose uncle has been missing for the past twenty years, a group of online amateur sleuths who take it upon themselves to identify and pursue new evidence in cold cases, and a ruthless killer who may or may not be willing to kill again.
The writing is methodical and sharp. The characters are secretive, sly, and determined. And the plot told from multiple perspectives builds steadily as it twists, turns, and unravels all the behaviours, actions, motivations, relationships, and personalities within it.
Missing Person is ultimately a novel about family, friendship, secrets, manipulation, jealousy, criminal fanatics, obsession, violence, and murder that does a nice job of reminding us that people aren’t always who they perceive themselves to be, especially online. And even though I would have loved a little more urgency and thrills it was still a dark, creepy, entertaining read.
Thank you to HBG Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 3, 2019
This thriller has a very modern feel , as it involves a website which attempts to identify unidentified bodies and link them to missing people. This group is in America, run by wheelchair bound Chris, who is the moderator and there are a group of other people, including Ellie (online name, Rainbowbrite) who is obsessed with the site, but found herself banned after an event, which we learn about later in the story.
Although Missing-linc.com is in the States, much of this novel is also set in Ireland, where Shaun learns about his uncle, Teddy. Shaun had believed Teddy, his mother’s favourite, was long dead and is shocked to discover that his family conspired to make her believe her brother was dead when he had, in fact, left for New York. Disconcerted to realise Teddy might still be around, Shaun does what everyone would now – he turns to the internet and comes in contact with Missing-linc.
There was much I liked about this book, including the cast of characters who are members of the online group. However, one of the group are only too aware of what happened to Shaun’s uncle and he is keeping an eye on the site, to make sure the group don’t uncover the truth. .. This was a good read, but, ultimately, it lacks some suspense, as the outcome is a little too easy to guess. Saying that, the reading journey is interesting, well written and I enjoyed the setting very much.
Although Missing-linc.com is in the States, much of this novel is also set in Ireland, where Shaun learns about his uncle, Teddy. Shaun had believed Teddy, his mother’s favourite, was long dead and is shocked to discover that his family conspired to make her believe her brother was dead when he had, in fact, left for New York. Disconcerted to realise Teddy might still be around, Shaun does what everyone would now – he turns to the internet and comes in contact with Missing-linc.
There was much I liked about this book, including the cast of characters who are members of the online group. However, one of the group are only too aware of what happened to Shaun’s uncle and he is keeping an eye on the site, to make sure the group don’t uncover the truth. .. This was a good read, but, ultimately, it lacks some suspense, as the outcome is a little too easy to guess. Saying that, the reading journey is interesting, well written and I enjoyed the setting very much.
September 20, 2019
This novel was also fairly interesting, but I'll admit the writing style and quirks of the novel (different from the style I'm used to) bogged the plot down for me.
July 22, 2019
Missing Person by Sarah Lotz is a unique, intriguing, and captivating crime thriller.
The plot follows a group of unlikely crime solvers who meet through a Reddit style website where people discuss missing person cases. The page takes on a life of its own and people around the world start demanding justice for the victim of this long forgotten crime as a hashtag for the case starts trending. I feel like the whole missing person trope has been done a million times but this one had such a modern twist, I loved it.
The most brilliant part of the plot to me was that the murderer was IN THE GROUP CHATS! It really makes you think about who you’re talking to online and how many people like this are probably out there.
I read recently about the serial killer who would leave reviews of his murder weapons on Amazon and this reminded me of that. The need for the murderer to push the limits and play with people anonymously behind the safety of a computer screen.
The characters were not likable but beautifully developed to where you couldn’t help but root for them and their happiness. Even the murderer himself! He was so well written that you felt his internal struggle of whether or not to do good or revert to his previous ways. Lotz wrote the storyline perfectly to where you didn’t know quite who to believe throughout. Plenty of twists to keep you on your feet.
I did feel like the middle ran a bit long and there were parts that could have been left out entirely since they did not really add anything to the overall story. But besides that I loved this book! It was right up my alley.
I received this book through netgalley and mulhollandbooks in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
The plot follows a group of unlikely crime solvers who meet through a Reddit style website where people discuss missing person cases. The page takes on a life of its own and people around the world start demanding justice for the victim of this long forgotten crime as a hashtag for the case starts trending. I feel like the whole missing person trope has been done a million times but this one had such a modern twist, I loved it.
The most brilliant part of the plot to me was that the murderer was IN THE GROUP CHATS! It really makes you think about who you’re talking to online and how many people like this are probably out there.
I read recently about the serial killer who would leave reviews of his murder weapons on Amazon and this reminded me of that. The need for the murderer to push the limits and play with people anonymously behind the safety of a computer screen.
The characters were not likable but beautifully developed to where you couldn’t help but root for them and their happiness. Even the murderer himself! He was so well written that you felt his internal struggle of whether or not to do good or revert to his previous ways. Lotz wrote the storyline perfectly to where you didn’t know quite who to believe throughout. Plenty of twists to keep you on your feet.
I did feel like the middle ran a bit long and there were parts that could have been left out entirely since they did not really add anything to the overall story. But besides that I loved this book! It was right up my alley.
I received this book through netgalley and mulhollandbooks in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Want to read
November 10, 2020Not my favourite it's a bit down classic
June 24, 2019
By far my favourite book of Sarah Lotz’s is The White Road. Insanely atmospheric and creepy, it’s an examination of the thrill of discovery, the ghosts that walk beside us, and the quest for more – more thrills, more danger, more fame. When I read the blurb for Missing Person (which has changed significantly – obviously lots of edits were done, and the release date pushed back numerous times by my count), I expected to love it as much (if not more) than Lotz's previous novels.
Not so, unfortunately. While this is a solid book, it didn’t feel particularly like a Sarah Lotz novel, nor did I quite get the point? By the end, nothing had happened. The stakes didn’t feel high. It wasn’t thrilling. It wasn’t scary. It’s a nice dive into the world of web sleuthing, with a diverse cast of characters, and even a peek into the mind of a killer, but again – I didn’t find it at all frightening.
It begins with a young Irishman named Shaun Ryan, discovering that his uncle – believed long dead – actually left Ireland for New York City decades before. (A note that in the original blurb - still posted on GoodReads, it was Shaun's *brother* who was missing - I think this would have been much more effective, so I'm surprised it was changed). Stuck in a small village with a dead-end job and a family he dislikes, Shaun is intrigued by the idea that his uncle could still be alive. Utilizing the Internet, he posts Teddy’s photo on forums, seeking answers as to his whereabouts. A group of web sleuths recognize the photo – they believe it resembles a composite done for the victim of a brutal murder – a victim known as “the boy in the dress”.
What follows is a lot of back-and-forth, interspersed with web chats, WhatsApp messages, forum postings, and very little action. Shaun and the web sleuths from “Missing Linc” attempt to piece together Teddy’s last movements, and track down vanished evidence from the botched police investigation. The drama between the “sleuths” isn’t particularly compelling, but I did find them to be a likable bunch, all with their own reasons for caring so much about the boy in the dress and/or cold cases in general.
Generally, the novel is well-written and I really did like the subject matter. But I should have felt that the stakes were high. I should have felt terrified for the sleuths with a killer in their midst. I should have been shocked and laid bare by the ending. Instead, I had to wonder what it was all for?
Again, Sarah Lotz has terrified me in the past. There are passages in The White Road that had me putting down my Kindle, too anxious to continue. It isn’t that Missing Person is a bad book. It’s that it’s marketed as a thriller, and it’s not even remotely in that category.
For the record, my favourite character was Daphne the dog.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it!
Not so, unfortunately. While this is a solid book, it didn’t feel particularly like a Sarah Lotz novel, nor did I quite get the point? By the end, nothing had happened. The stakes didn’t feel high. It wasn’t thrilling. It wasn’t scary. It’s a nice dive into the world of web sleuthing, with a diverse cast of characters, and even a peek into the mind of a killer, but again – I didn’t find it at all frightening.
It begins with a young Irishman named Shaun Ryan, discovering that his uncle – believed long dead – actually left Ireland for New York City decades before. (A note that in the original blurb - still posted on GoodReads, it was Shaun's *brother* who was missing - I think this would have been much more effective, so I'm surprised it was changed). Stuck in a small village with a dead-end job and a family he dislikes, Shaun is intrigued by the idea that his uncle could still be alive. Utilizing the Internet, he posts Teddy’s photo on forums, seeking answers as to his whereabouts. A group of web sleuths recognize the photo – they believe it resembles a composite done for the victim of a brutal murder – a victim known as “the boy in the dress”.
What follows is a lot of back-and-forth, interspersed with web chats, WhatsApp messages, forum postings, and very little action. Shaun and the web sleuths from “Missing Linc” attempt to piece together Teddy’s last movements, and track down vanished evidence from the botched police investigation. The drama between the “sleuths” isn’t particularly compelling, but I did find them to be a likable bunch, all with their own reasons for caring so much about the boy in the dress and/or cold cases in general.
Generally, the novel is well-written and I really did like the subject matter. But I should have felt that the stakes were high. I should have felt terrified for the sleuths with a killer in their midst. I should have been shocked and laid bare by the ending. Instead, I had to wonder what it was all for?
Again, Sarah Lotz has terrified me in the past. There are passages in The White Road that had me putting down my Kindle, too anxious to continue. It isn’t that Missing Person is a bad book. It’s that it’s marketed as a thriller, and it’s not even remotely in that category.
For the record, my favourite character was Daphne the dog.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I appreciate it!
December 1, 2024
This is the part of the review where I explain that no, 3 stars IS a good rating. I liked this. It misses four stars just by a hair.
Missing Linc is a website that brings a random group of people together who are bound by an obsession with true crime. Not solving crimes mind you, not since.....the incident. They just identify Doe's, missing persons who were often victims of violent crimes. A local cop not so kindly calls them "Doe Nuts." (Ok, that's pretty clever.)
Shaun Ryan is a young Irishman from County Wicklow who gets caught up in that website's mission when he searches for his missing uncle. Turns out his uncle may have been murdered in the States. Turns out that his family lied to him about his uncle and there may be a lot more to that story.
But worst of all, it turns out the killer not only knows about the website, he's a user (users, really) on that website. This detail is revealed less than 50 pages into the story so I'm not dropping a spoiler here. There's still plenty of mystery and suspense to be had in the next 400 pages, including one sequence that had me going "Oh no, oh no, OH NOOOOOO!"
And this was so terrifyingly plausible. Why wouldn't a killer hang out in a true crime group, alternately mocking the rubes trying to track him down and terrified they actually might? And so the story bounces back and forth between a handful of characters trying to nail down Uncle Teddy's last few months, confirm the identity of the victim, and, let's face it, no matter what their official charter is they really wanna solve this crime.
Like many mysteries, this was a bit slow in the first half. It does pick up in the second half. I really liked how realistic this was. No one is a superhero, they are just believably ordinary. And it's weird to say a book with two grisly murders in it is heartwarming, but it really is. These characters clearly care so much about each other, it did make me tear up a bit.
Uhg, I'm such an easy mark.
Recommended.
Missing Linc is a website that brings a random group of people together who are bound by an obsession with true crime. Not solving crimes mind you, not since.....the incident. They just identify Doe's, missing persons who were often victims of violent crimes. A local cop not so kindly calls them "Doe Nuts." (Ok, that's pretty clever.)
Shaun Ryan is a young Irishman from County Wicklow who gets caught up in that website's mission when he searches for his missing uncle. Turns out his uncle may have been murdered in the States. Turns out that his family lied to him about his uncle and there may be a lot more to that story.
But worst of all, it turns out the killer not only knows about the website, he's a user (users, really) on that website. This detail is revealed less than 50 pages into the story so I'm not dropping a spoiler here. There's still plenty of mystery and suspense to be had in the next 400 pages, including one sequence that had me going "Oh no, oh no, OH NOOOOOO!"
And this was so terrifyingly plausible. Why wouldn't a killer hang out in a true crime group, alternately mocking the rubes trying to track him down and terrified they actually might? And so the story bounces back and forth between a handful of characters trying to nail down Uncle Teddy's last few months, confirm the identity of the victim, and, let's face it, no matter what their official charter is they really wanna solve this crime.
Like many mysteries, this was a bit slow in the first half. It does pick up in the second half. I really liked how realistic this was. No one is a superhero, they are just believably ordinary. And it's weird to say a book with two grisly murders in it is heartwarming, but it really is. These characters clearly care so much about each other, it did make me tear up a bit.
Uhg, I'm such an easy mark.
Recommended.
October 20, 2019
Wow, if I wanted to hear a lot of boring small talk, I could just go to the grocery store. Get to the point already. DNF
August 20, 2019
Goodness me! This novel fairly drips with suspense and tension. Part of that comes about because the author used a plotting element I usually don't like at all - we know who committed the crimes almost from the start of the story. In this case there is a depth of character building that made me accept that person and learn who they are and care in spite of myself.
A website is devoted to helping match up missing people with the remains of unidentified bodies. This is not an official website, but one that has had some small success with solving old missing person cases. The story is told through texts, webcam conversations and emails as well as standard narrative to keep the story from bogging down. Those short conversations help convey what the members of the online group are doing and shows what progress, or lack of progress, they have made without having to go into so much detail that it would slow the story down too much. A man in Ireland is using the internet to search for information about his brother, very much against the wishes of his family members. A member of this web search group sees his request for information on a different site and the decision is made to try to help Shaun find out what has happened to Teddy. What follows is a compelling story that emphasizes how easy it is to lose perspective concerning who you are really talking to on the internet.
Missing Person is a strong psychological thriller that allowed me to connect with the characters and even made the killer multi-dimensional. The ending was a little too pat for me, but otherwise I enjoyed this one quite a lot and simply barreled through it. I'm definitely going to have to check out other books by Sarah Lotz.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company for an e-galley of this novel.
A website is devoted to helping match up missing people with the remains of unidentified bodies. This is not an official website, but one that has had some small success with solving old missing person cases. The story is told through texts, webcam conversations and emails as well as standard narrative to keep the story from bogging down. Those short conversations help convey what the members of the online group are doing and shows what progress, or lack of progress, they have made without having to go into so much detail that it would slow the story down too much. A man in Ireland is using the internet to search for information about his brother, very much against the wishes of his family members. A member of this web search group sees his request for information on a different site and the decision is made to try to help Shaun find out what has happened to Teddy. What follows is a compelling story that emphasizes how easy it is to lose perspective concerning who you are really talking to on the internet.
Missing Person is a strong psychological thriller that allowed me to connect with the characters and even made the killer multi-dimensional. The ending was a little too pat for me, but otherwise I enjoyed this one quite a lot and simply barreled through it. I'm definitely going to have to check out other books by Sarah Lotz.
Thank you to NetGalley and Mulholland Books, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company for an e-galley of this novel.
December 17, 2023
a relatively unconventional, character-centric thriller. the killer is revealed pretty early on but the plot was engaging enough to keep me going. interesting characters, each with their own motivation to pursue the case. the climax was a bit anticlimactic, and the ending is a bit scattered though.
August 27, 2019
3.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/08/27/...
A mystery-thriller that’s more mystery than thrills, Missing Person by Sarah Lotz blends solving cold cases with social media, centering on a group of amateur sleuths who try to match names to murder victims who were never identified. But for Christina Guzman, founder of the website Missin-linc.com, shining light on these missing persons cases is more than just a macabre hobby. Still haunted by the loss of her mother whose photo and information can be found listed in the website’s database alongside dozens of other unsolved cases, Chris has never given up her search. Running Missing-linc under her handle “Ratking1”, she joins other regular users around the United States like “Rainbowbrite” and “Mommydearest” in sharing information they find on the site’s online forum.
Meanwhile, across the ocean in Ireland, Shaun Ryan has learned a shocking truth about his family. There is a possibility that his uncle Teddy, whom their mother had always said died in a car accident, might be still alive and living in New York, where he had run away to thirty years prior in the hopes of finding a better life. Instead, all he found was death. After many failed attempts to locate Teddy, Shaun ends up at Missing-linc.com where Chris and her network have determined that an unidentified murder victim from the early nineties, known only as “The Boy in the Dress”, might be his missing uncle. Together, they decide to team up to find out what really happened to Teddy Ryan, and who might have killed him.
But the thing about the internet, where anyone can hide behind a pseudonym, is that you can never be sure someone is who they claim to be. As Missing-linc’s investigation into Teddy’s case begins to gain traction and more attention, little does the team know the killer himself has been in their midst, following their every move.
I’m a huge fan of Sarah Lotz, but as my last three novels by her were in the horror genre, Missing Person was a change of pace, to say the least. And for the most part, it’s a good change, though I did miss some of the chilling, edge-of-your-seat energy that permeated her books like The Three or The White Road. In contrast, Missing Person was more of a slow burn, lacking in a lot of the delicious atmosphere that Lotz is usually so good at writing. These changes were to be expected though, as the story is just so different, reading more like a steadily unfolding crime drama.
Interspersed throughout the narrative are also transcripts of forum posts, private messages, and other forms of internet chat—a nod, perhaps, to the author’s penchant for the epistolary style. I have to say, I really enjoyed these brief glimpses into the characters’ lives, offering insight into their online dynamics. After all, you can’t write about internet forums and communities without addressing the drama. It also gave characters like Chris AKA Ratking1 and Rainbowbrite, whose real name is Ellie, more layers to their personalities, because we were able to see how they projected themselves both online and offline.
But as I alluded to in my intro, I wouldn’t say Missing Person felt particularly thrilling. You had everything laid out early on, and there was also a fair bit of repetition. It’s the kind of book where several chapters can elapse without much progress in the story overall. However, neither would I say the plot did nothing but spin its wheels. Like I said, it’s simply a different style I’m used to from the author. I still enjoyed the idea and the main driving forces behind this novel, and Lotz’s writing is as good as ever (if not better), creating vivid and engaging characters in suspenseful situations. That said, don’t expect the kind of pacing and dreadful atmosphere that is a hallmark of her horror novels, as this one is relatively tame and languid in comparison. Twist-free and limited in conflict and stakes, the ending also felt somewhat anti-climactic and incomplete.
Anyway, as you can probably tell from my review, Missing Person wasn’t my favorite book by Sarah Lotz, but it wasn’t bad by any measure. Ultimately, I simply prefer the author’s horror. Nevertheless, fans should still definitely check it out. Who knows, you might even come away with a deeper appreciation for the author’s versatility and skill at tackling something a little different—I know I did. As always, I look forward to her next book.
A mystery-thriller that’s more mystery than thrills, Missing Person by Sarah Lotz blends solving cold cases with social media, centering on a group of amateur sleuths who try to match names to murder victims who were never identified. But for Christina Guzman, founder of the website Missin-linc.com, shining light on these missing persons cases is more than just a macabre hobby. Still haunted by the loss of her mother whose photo and information can be found listed in the website’s database alongside dozens of other unsolved cases, Chris has never given up her search. Running Missing-linc under her handle “Ratking1”, she joins other regular users around the United States like “Rainbowbrite” and “Mommydearest” in sharing information they find on the site’s online forum.
Meanwhile, across the ocean in Ireland, Shaun Ryan has learned a shocking truth about his family. There is a possibility that his uncle Teddy, whom their mother had always said died in a car accident, might be still alive and living in New York, where he had run away to thirty years prior in the hopes of finding a better life. Instead, all he found was death. After many failed attempts to locate Teddy, Shaun ends up at Missing-linc.com where Chris and her network have determined that an unidentified murder victim from the early nineties, known only as “The Boy in the Dress”, might be his missing uncle. Together, they decide to team up to find out what really happened to Teddy Ryan, and who might have killed him.
But the thing about the internet, where anyone can hide behind a pseudonym, is that you can never be sure someone is who they claim to be. As Missing-linc’s investigation into Teddy’s case begins to gain traction and more attention, little does the team know the killer himself has been in their midst, following their every move.
I’m a huge fan of Sarah Lotz, but as my last three novels by her were in the horror genre, Missing Person was a change of pace, to say the least. And for the most part, it’s a good change, though I did miss some of the chilling, edge-of-your-seat energy that permeated her books like The Three or The White Road. In contrast, Missing Person was more of a slow burn, lacking in a lot of the delicious atmosphere that Lotz is usually so good at writing. These changes were to be expected though, as the story is just so different, reading more like a steadily unfolding crime drama.
Interspersed throughout the narrative are also transcripts of forum posts, private messages, and other forms of internet chat—a nod, perhaps, to the author’s penchant for the epistolary style. I have to say, I really enjoyed these brief glimpses into the characters’ lives, offering insight into their online dynamics. After all, you can’t write about internet forums and communities without addressing the drama. It also gave characters like Chris AKA Ratking1 and Rainbowbrite, whose real name is Ellie, more layers to their personalities, because we were able to see how they projected themselves both online and offline.
But as I alluded to in my intro, I wouldn’t say Missing Person felt particularly thrilling. You had everything laid out early on, and there was also a fair bit of repetition. It’s the kind of book where several chapters can elapse without much progress in the story overall. However, neither would I say the plot did nothing but spin its wheels. Like I said, it’s simply a different style I’m used to from the author. I still enjoyed the idea and the main driving forces behind this novel, and Lotz’s writing is as good as ever (if not better), creating vivid and engaging characters in suspenseful situations. That said, don’t expect the kind of pacing and dreadful atmosphere that is a hallmark of her horror novels, as this one is relatively tame and languid in comparison. Twist-free and limited in conflict and stakes, the ending also felt somewhat anti-climactic and incomplete.
Anyway, as you can probably tell from my review, Missing Person wasn’t my favorite book by Sarah Lotz, but it wasn’t bad by any measure. Ultimately, I simply prefer the author’s horror. Nevertheless, fans should still definitely check it out. Who knows, you might even come away with a deeper appreciation for the author’s versatility and skill at tackling something a little different—I know I did. As always, I look forward to her next book.
August 1, 2022
Shaun was always told that his uncle, Teddy, died in a car accident. When a team of web sleuths thinks they’ve identified Teddy’s body in the United States, Shaun realises his family in Ireland has been lying to him. Teddy has been identified as “the Boy in the Dress”, the victim of a well-known unsolved cold case. Shaun needs to find out how his uncle was murdered and the web sleuths willingly dive in to help him solve the case.
Missing Person was very character driven and I really enjoyed it. There was different formatting throughout so while it clocks in at 468 pages (eep), it doesn’t actually feel that long as some of it is told through IMs and text messaging. The case itself was fascinating and I liked the various POVs of all of the people who were involved in the case - Shaun’s, the web sleuths and the murderer. It was a unique take on detective work. I did find the ending a bit anticlimactic.
Missing Person was very character driven and I really enjoyed it. There was different formatting throughout so while it clocks in at 468 pages (eep), it doesn’t actually feel that long as some of it is told through IMs and text messaging. The case itself was fascinating and I liked the various POVs of all of the people who were involved in the case - Shaun’s, the web sleuths and the murderer. It was a unique take on detective work. I did find the ending a bit anticlimactic.
September 26, 2019
After starting this book, I was helplessly glued to it throughout. We're given a curious nephew, a family coverup, two continents, and several determined web sleuths in a dark, weird and colorful mystery that doesn't follow any typical formula. Indeed the villain in Missing Person has elements that remind me of certain real-world killers (as told in true crime books).
A solid 4 star read - and I've got my eyes open for more by Sarah Lotz.
A solid 4 star read - and I've got my eyes open for more by Sarah Lotz.
September 3, 2019
‘Looking for my uncle Edward Shaun Ryan. Goes by Teddy. He left Wicklow County in Ireland in 1995 and might be in NYC. To my knowledge he hasn’t contacted the family since then. His current age would be 42. Irish, slender, five foot five (approximately), gay. If you have any information please contact...”
Irish bookseller Shaun Ryan is stunned when he learns that his late mother’s favourite brother, Teddy may still be alive and well. While Shaun had been told his Uncle was killed in a car accident before he was born, it seems Teddy had instead been banished to the United States in part because, like Shaun, he was gay. Despite the vehement objections of his remaining family members, Shaun decides to search for him, posting messages online, hoping to reconnect with Teddy.
Shaun is shaken when he is contacted by a woman who runs a forum called MissingLinc.com for amateur websleuths that specialises in identifying the remains of missing people, suggesting that Teddy could be a match for an unidentified murder victim, known as ‘The Boy in the Dress’. The possibility galvanises the members of the site and with this new information the group redoubles their efforts to unravel the mystery. However among the eager websleuths lurks Teddy’s killer, and he is is determined that this is one case that will remain unsolved.
Missing Person offers an original, modern premise that is utterly believable. I was engrossed in this story, which explores the world of websleuthing, the online investigation of crime by individuals. It is an intriguing hobby that attracts a wide spectrum of people from bored housewives, to retired law enforcement officers, to IT specialists, and everything in between. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to one day learn that a killer has infiltrated a websleuth forum, of which there are many, in order to keep tabs on, or even derail, an inquiry that threatens to expose him/her. Murderer’s are known for attempting to get close to law enforcement investigations, for example, often participating in community searches for their victims, or volunteering false information to canvassing detectives. It would be relatively simple for a killer to anonymously involve themselves in this arena, something Lotz’s story acknowledges, along with the other possible pitfalls associated with online sleuthing, especially when social media is utilised.
Divided into four parts, and told from multiple perspectives, using a combination of a third person narrative and exchanged messages, texts, and forum posts, Missing Person is not just about the mystery surrounding Teddy’s murder, it examines the interesting characters that involve themselves in the case; Shaun (aka WicklowBoy22), Teddy’s nephew; forum owner, Chris (RatKing1), whose own mother has been missing since she was a teen; ‘Rainbowbrite’ (aka Ellie) a stay at home wife and mother; and the man who uses the online handle ‘BobbieCowell’, whose fascination with the case isn’t at all benign. I really enjoyed the author’s approach to telling this story, with its focus on the motives of her main characters, rather than on the crime itself.
Clever, engaging, and suspenseful, with the recent uptick of interest in true crime, evidenced by popular podcasts such as My Favorite Murder, and various Netflix specials, the publication of Sarah Lotz’s novel, Missing Person, is a timely and entertaining novel.
Irish bookseller Shaun Ryan is stunned when he learns that his late mother’s favourite brother, Teddy may still be alive and well. While Shaun had been told his Uncle was killed in a car accident before he was born, it seems Teddy had instead been banished to the United States in part because, like Shaun, he was gay. Despite the vehement objections of his remaining family members, Shaun decides to search for him, posting messages online, hoping to reconnect with Teddy.
Shaun is shaken when he is contacted by a woman who runs a forum called MissingLinc.com for amateur websleuths that specialises in identifying the remains of missing people, suggesting that Teddy could be a match for an unidentified murder victim, known as ‘The Boy in the Dress’. The possibility galvanises the members of the site and with this new information the group redoubles their efforts to unravel the mystery. However among the eager websleuths lurks Teddy’s killer, and he is is determined that this is one case that will remain unsolved.
Missing Person offers an original, modern premise that is utterly believable. I was engrossed in this story, which explores the world of websleuthing, the online investigation of crime by individuals. It is an intriguing hobby that attracts a wide spectrum of people from bored housewives, to retired law enforcement officers, to IT specialists, and everything in between. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to one day learn that a killer has infiltrated a websleuth forum, of which there are many, in order to keep tabs on, or even derail, an inquiry that threatens to expose him/her. Murderer’s are known for attempting to get close to law enforcement investigations, for example, often participating in community searches for their victims, or volunteering false information to canvassing detectives. It would be relatively simple for a killer to anonymously involve themselves in this arena, something Lotz’s story acknowledges, along with the other possible pitfalls associated with online sleuthing, especially when social media is utilised.
Divided into four parts, and told from multiple perspectives, using a combination of a third person narrative and exchanged messages, texts, and forum posts, Missing Person is not just about the mystery surrounding Teddy’s murder, it examines the interesting characters that involve themselves in the case; Shaun (aka WicklowBoy22), Teddy’s nephew; forum owner, Chris (RatKing1), whose own mother has been missing since she was a teen; ‘Rainbowbrite’ (aka Ellie) a stay at home wife and mother; and the man who uses the online handle ‘BobbieCowell’, whose fascination with the case isn’t at all benign. I really enjoyed the author’s approach to telling this story, with its focus on the motives of her main characters, rather than on the crime itself.
Clever, engaging, and suspenseful, with the recent uptick of interest in true crime, evidenced by popular podcasts such as My Favorite Murder, and various Netflix specials, the publication of Sarah Lotz’s novel, Missing Person, is a timely and entertaining novel.
November 14, 2019
This is great book following a group of online sleuths as they try to solve crimes through their meddling. With a brilliant twist and interesting storytelling format, I flew through this book.
Good fast-paced mystery read.
Good fast-paced mystery read.
July 3, 2019
I just loved this book it is my first by this Sarah Lotz and wow I was totally impressed with just how good it was. When I first read the overview I knew it was a book I just had to have and so I was thrilled to receive the ARC from NetGalley and it turned out even better than I was expecting. For me what made the book was the excellent portrayal of the characters who were all so different and all had a story to tell, the plot itself was intriguing and I found it to be a book that was difficult to put down and I will now I ensure I will more from this author and thoroughly enjoyed this book and can well recommend it as an excellent thriller.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
My thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
September 3, 2019
4 out of 5 stars
More subtle in terms of horror but a gripping read
https://lynns-books.com/2019/09/03/mi...
Missing Person was my third book by Sarah Lotz and I can’t deny that it was a book that I couldn’t wait to pick up. This is an author who can really break out the goosebumps with her creepy horror. That being said, this is a slight step away from that style. I would suggest if you’re picking this one up having read the previous books maybe just adjust your expectations a little. This is a much more subtle form of horror, the type that leaves you thinking – it could just happen.
This is a story of, no surprise, missing people. The sort of story that is scary simply by the fact that these are people who have gone off, moved somewhere else, away from family or friends, for whatever reason and have been murdered – but nobody is aware of their disappearance, They’ve simply gone, lying abandoned somewhere whilst life ticks on without their presence and if their bodies are found it’s unlikely that they will be ever be identified. Just another John or Jane Doe.
Strangely enough Shaun Ryan has lived his life believing his uncle Teddy died in a car accident until he finds out that this was not true. Families and secrets – Shaun’s family, following one of those arguments that feels difficult to come back from, sent Teddy away. He went to America to make a fresh start and everyone was led to believe he’d passed away. So Shaun goes in search of clues, dreaming of maybe visiting his uncle and even thinking it could be the start of something new for himself. He posts the only picture he has of his uncle and starts asking questions that lead in an unexpected direction.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, or back over the pond in the US, Christina Guzman runs a site called Missinglinc – this started as a hobby after her own mother went missing and she was desperate for information, any information, as to her whereabouts. Her mom’s details are still posted on the site but to date no new information has been found. The site however has gained support with new people joining in in the amaterur sleuthing and one of them has spotted Teddy’s picture and connected the dots to one of the cases on the Missinglinc forum. Not good news for Shaun if this suspicion turns out to be correct, Teddy’s only just come back from the dead but it seems it was only a temporary respite.
Now, as the story goes along we meet a few more people, primarily Chris who runs the site and a couple of others who make active contributions. Ellie who has a bit of a history with Chris already and stopped taking part on the site when things went wrong, and a couple of other users – of most note – the murderer! People are always claiming that the murderer returns to the scene of the crime but here he actively takes part in the chats about missing people to keep his finger on the pulse, see if he’s in any danger of being found out.
I love the way Sarah Lotz writes, she has a very appealing style and makes great characterisation and scene setting appear to be all too easy. Add to that the epistolary format this is used quite a bit for parts of the story with text messages, newspaper articles and group chats – well, I make no mistake that this is a format that I really enjoy, sifting through the different bits and pieces to find out the underlying messages, and it’s used to excellent effect here.
The characters are what really make this story though, Shaun, Chris and Ellie are all given really good back stories and feel like every day, regular characters who make mistakes but keep on plugging away. The inclusion of chapters from the murderer’s pov adds a sinister element to the story, particularly because you’re not 100% certain which online character he might be.
In terms of criticisms. Well, this takes quite a while to lay the groundwork necessary, which isn’t to say it’s a slow read at all because it succeeded in hooking me in almost immediately, but it does take it’s time to get to know everybody – which, when all is said and done is something that I appreciate. However, given the time that is taken in setting the scene and luring us into this spidery web of deceit the ending felt a little anti climatic and over all too soon. The other thing that I would say, and this is more about personal taste than actual criticism, is that this doesn’t quite work as well for me as The White Road. It’s a good read, it’s compelling, gripping in some parts and it certainly succeeds as a lifelike mystery story – but it didn’t give me the heebie jeebies or have that slight supernatural element that I was hoping for – which again is my bad really because I made my own assumptions going into the read.
However, if you want to read a compelling, character driven mystery that does kind of make you view the internet with a bit of trepidation and is a story that feels very ‘real’ then I would recommend this. It’s not quite the horror that I was expecting but nonetheless it’s a very good read.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. the above is my own opinion.
More subtle in terms of horror but a gripping read
https://lynns-books.com/2019/09/03/mi...
Missing Person was my third book by Sarah Lotz and I can’t deny that it was a book that I couldn’t wait to pick up. This is an author who can really break out the goosebumps with her creepy horror. That being said, this is a slight step away from that style. I would suggest if you’re picking this one up having read the previous books maybe just adjust your expectations a little. This is a much more subtle form of horror, the type that leaves you thinking – it could just happen.
This is a story of, no surprise, missing people. The sort of story that is scary simply by the fact that these are people who have gone off, moved somewhere else, away from family or friends, for whatever reason and have been murdered – but nobody is aware of their disappearance, They’ve simply gone, lying abandoned somewhere whilst life ticks on without their presence and if their bodies are found it’s unlikely that they will be ever be identified. Just another John or Jane Doe.
Strangely enough Shaun Ryan has lived his life believing his uncle Teddy died in a car accident until he finds out that this was not true. Families and secrets – Shaun’s family, following one of those arguments that feels difficult to come back from, sent Teddy away. He went to America to make a fresh start and everyone was led to believe he’d passed away. So Shaun goes in search of clues, dreaming of maybe visiting his uncle and even thinking it could be the start of something new for himself. He posts the only picture he has of his uncle and starts asking questions that lead in an unexpected direction.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, or back over the pond in the US, Christina Guzman runs a site called Missinglinc – this started as a hobby after her own mother went missing and she was desperate for information, any information, as to her whereabouts. Her mom’s details are still posted on the site but to date no new information has been found. The site however has gained support with new people joining in in the amaterur sleuthing and one of them has spotted Teddy’s picture and connected the dots to one of the cases on the Missinglinc forum. Not good news for Shaun if this suspicion turns out to be correct, Teddy’s only just come back from the dead but it seems it was only a temporary respite.
Now, as the story goes along we meet a few more people, primarily Chris who runs the site and a couple of others who make active contributions. Ellie who has a bit of a history with Chris already and stopped taking part on the site when things went wrong, and a couple of other users – of most note – the murderer! People are always claiming that the murderer returns to the scene of the crime but here he actively takes part in the chats about missing people to keep his finger on the pulse, see if he’s in any danger of being found out.
I love the way Sarah Lotz writes, she has a very appealing style and makes great characterisation and scene setting appear to be all too easy. Add to that the epistolary format this is used quite a bit for parts of the story with text messages, newspaper articles and group chats – well, I make no mistake that this is a format that I really enjoy, sifting through the different bits and pieces to find out the underlying messages, and it’s used to excellent effect here.
The characters are what really make this story though, Shaun, Chris and Ellie are all given really good back stories and feel like every day, regular characters who make mistakes but keep on plugging away. The inclusion of chapters from the murderer’s pov adds a sinister element to the story, particularly because you’re not 100% certain which online character he might be.
In terms of criticisms. Well, this takes quite a while to lay the groundwork necessary, which isn’t to say it’s a slow read at all because it succeeded in hooking me in almost immediately, but it does take it’s time to get to know everybody – which, when all is said and done is something that I appreciate. However, given the time that is taken in setting the scene and luring us into this spidery web of deceit the ending felt a little anti climatic and over all too soon. The other thing that I would say, and this is more about personal taste than actual criticism, is that this doesn’t quite work as well for me as The White Road. It’s a good read, it’s compelling, gripping in some parts and it certainly succeeds as a lifelike mystery story – but it didn’t give me the heebie jeebies or have that slight supernatural element that I was hoping for – which again is my bad really because I made my own assumptions going into the read.
However, if you want to read a compelling, character driven mystery that does kind of make you view the internet with a bit of trepidation and is a story that feels very ‘real’ then I would recommend this. It’s not quite the horror that I was expecting but nonetheless it’s a very good read.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. the above is my own opinion.
July 20, 2019
With the fairly recent explosion in the amount of information online, police aren’t the only ones investigating crimes. It is now possible to track killers, identify bodies, and to use familial DNA to catch rapists and serial killers without any specialized training and right from the comfort of home. There are blogs, forums and social media accounts dedicated purely to cold cases that law enforcement seems to have given up on. I can only imagine the relief to know what happened to your loved one, even if their story ends with Jane or John Doe. To be honest, my true crime loving heart is never happier than when a group of regular people take down a dangerous criminal.
There are several obvious pitfalls with this and lives can be ruined if the finger is erroneously pointed at an innocent person. It could put their life in danger as vigilantes decide to “deal with” the killers/molester/ rapist and keep them from committing another crime. The true crime forum in Missing Person has faced this problem in the past with tragic consequences and now is dedicated solely to identifying unidentified bodies. This sounds fairly benign and safe for everyone but the case of The Boy in the Dress leads to all kinds of trouble, including contact with a serial killer. Fairly early on we meet the killer who has joined the forum as a way of keeping tabs on their investigation and misdirecting whenever possible. He gets a thrill from being so close to people actively looking for the killer in a murder that he knows he committed. With the anonymity of user names you never really know who you are talking to online and this can be used for evil. The online group in Missing Person are just normal people who find they are unknowingly battling wits with a serial killer.
This book checked all my boxes for a great story; I love true crime, cat and mouse games led by a serial killer, and regular people as crime fighters. Much of the text is taken directly from the forum which makes it like reading an actual forum. In my opinion this would be completely awful as an audiobook but written it comes off as authentic and makes it all feel more real. These same conversations could be happening hundreds of times in real life in various forums and that brings the action right home. As someone who on occasion reads true crime forums the dialogue felt typical and true to life. When things went truly wrong it becomes a good cautionary tale but it also demonstrated how effective “armchair detectives” can be. The story drew me right in and even before the action moved from the forum and into the lives of the members it is super exciting. The online content was interspersed with short sections that peek into the lives of the forum members, including the killer. I found it all fascinating.
I think this book will especially appeal to true crime junkies, but it will be exciting and engaging for anyone who likes a good thriller. I wouldn’t say it is a happy story but there is some humour to lighten the mood. The characters are interesting and seem like real people and the plot is basically ripped from the headlines. This story is so effective because it feels real and could essentially be real. I very much enjoyed this one and I highly recommend it to Murderinos everywhere.
Thank you to Mulholland Books for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.
There are several obvious pitfalls with this and lives can be ruined if the finger is erroneously pointed at an innocent person. It could put their life in danger as vigilantes decide to “deal with” the killers/molester/ rapist and keep them from committing another crime. The true crime forum in Missing Person has faced this problem in the past with tragic consequences and now is dedicated solely to identifying unidentified bodies. This sounds fairly benign and safe for everyone but the case of The Boy in the Dress leads to all kinds of trouble, including contact with a serial killer. Fairly early on we meet the killer who has joined the forum as a way of keeping tabs on their investigation and misdirecting whenever possible. He gets a thrill from being so close to people actively looking for the killer in a murder that he knows he committed. With the anonymity of user names you never really know who you are talking to online and this can be used for evil. The online group in Missing Person are just normal people who find they are unknowingly battling wits with a serial killer.
This book checked all my boxes for a great story; I love true crime, cat and mouse games led by a serial killer, and regular people as crime fighters. Much of the text is taken directly from the forum which makes it like reading an actual forum. In my opinion this would be completely awful as an audiobook but written it comes off as authentic and makes it all feel more real. These same conversations could be happening hundreds of times in real life in various forums and that brings the action right home. As someone who on occasion reads true crime forums the dialogue felt typical and true to life. When things went truly wrong it becomes a good cautionary tale but it also demonstrated how effective “armchair detectives” can be. The story drew me right in and even before the action moved from the forum and into the lives of the members it is super exciting. The online content was interspersed with short sections that peek into the lives of the forum members, including the killer. I found it all fascinating.
I think this book will especially appeal to true crime junkies, but it will be exciting and engaging for anyone who likes a good thriller. I wouldn’t say it is a happy story but there is some humour to lighten the mood. The characters are interesting and seem like real people and the plot is basically ripped from the headlines. This story is so effective because it feels real and could essentially be real. I very much enjoyed this one and I highly recommend it to Murderinos everywhere.
Thank you to Mulholland Books for providing an Electronic Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley for review.
October 24, 2019
A mix of procedural/investigation suspense and "one of the POVs is a sociopath leading the other POVs on a wild goose chase." Not super high stakes, but has compelling characters and fairly engrossing "websleuthing" true crime angle.
The best way for me to describe this is it felt like a Novel. Not to make novels some hoity-toity thing; all books are novels, but you know the way some people think of a book as a Novel with a capital N? This book didn't feel like a straightforward commercial thriller, which to my mind means it has "crossover" potential with readers who may be less attracted to high-stakes commercial thrillers. This has some meaty character studies and current social statements--the use of a websleuthing forum + Reddit + Twitter was fun. Internet mob mentality is fascinating.
I was glad for the multi-POV, which is in third person, as just when one POV was getting stale, we'd jump to another one. You follow four POVs as they investigate the identification of a John Doe body/one of the characters' missing uncles. Shaun is in Ireland, Chris is in Nevada, Ellie is in Minnesota, and Pete is in Washington. The latter three are all regulars on a websleuthing forum called Missing-Linc.
It's really clear in the set-up that the last person, Pete, whose online moniker is bobbiecowell is not who he says he is--and it gets more and more interesting from there. He's a shady character on a missing persons/unidentified bodies website for a reason (he gets his rocks off on messing with people), and so the contrasts between his chapters and KNOWING he's lying/purposely messing with the others and the very earnest, trusting POVs of the others... it's a very particular kind of emotional suspense.
Now the ONE THING that bothered me consistently and may bug other American readers: three out of four characters in this book are, allegedly, American, and live in the United States... but the book is full of Britishisms. I get it; the author is British and this is a UK imprint. Still. There are a lot of anachronisms for the three "American" POVs that will likely similarly throw American readers. Even though I'm familiar with most of the Briticisms it's still REALLY STRANGE to have a POV American say things like going to the til or put on the tea or people mover. I was like "WTF is a people mover?" Apparently it's a mini-van. It's a quibble I wanted to mention as it might bother others.
There was one teeny tiny subplot where a prostitute was mentioned to be trans and it felt a bit unnecessary. A trope I don't love.
Overall a solid suspense novel with interesting character profiles I was keen to follow. I enjoyed the meta true crime aspect.
The best way for me to describe this is it felt like a Novel. Not to make novels some hoity-toity thing; all books are novels, but you know the way some people think of a book as a Novel with a capital N? This book didn't feel like a straightforward commercial thriller, which to my mind means it has "crossover" potential with readers who may be less attracted to high-stakes commercial thrillers. This has some meaty character studies and current social statements--the use of a websleuthing forum + Reddit + Twitter was fun. Internet mob mentality is fascinating.
I was glad for the multi-POV, which is in third person, as just when one POV was getting stale, we'd jump to another one. You follow four POVs as they investigate the identification of a John Doe body/one of the characters' missing uncles. Shaun is in Ireland, Chris is in Nevada, Ellie is in Minnesota, and Pete is in Washington. The latter three are all regulars on a websleuthing forum called Missing-Linc.
It's really clear in the set-up that the last person, Pete, whose online moniker is bobbiecowell is not who he says he is--and it gets more and more interesting from there. He's a shady character on a missing persons/unidentified bodies website for a reason (he gets his rocks off on messing with people), and so the contrasts between his chapters and KNOWING he's lying/purposely messing with the others and the very earnest, trusting POVs of the others... it's a very particular kind of emotional suspense.
Now the ONE THING that bothered me consistently and may bug other American readers: three out of four characters in this book are, allegedly, American, and live in the United States... but the book is full of Britishisms. I get it; the author is British and this is a UK imprint. Still. There are a lot of anachronisms for the three "American" POVs that will likely similarly throw American readers. Even though I'm familiar with most of the Briticisms it's still REALLY STRANGE to have a POV American say things like going to the til or put on the tea or people mover. I was like "WTF is a people mover?" Apparently it's a mini-van. It's a quibble I wanted to mention as it might bother others.
There was one teeny tiny subplot where a prostitute was mentioned to be trans and it felt a bit unnecessary. A trope I don't love.
Overall a solid suspense novel with interesting character profiles I was keen to follow. I enjoyed the meta true crime aspect.
August 28, 2019
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Mulholland Books and Netgalley!
MISSING PERSON by Sarah Lotz begins with Shaun Ryan, an introvert Irish bookseller. Shaun has always believed that his uncle Teddy died in a car accident before he was born, but he’s recently discovered that this wasn’t true. Teddy was gay and fled from his conservative family and county to move to New York. Shaun sets out to find him, but has no luck. His disfunctional family urges Shaun to stop looking, but Shaun doesn’t undersand why.
Chris Guzman is the woman who runs a website dedicated to matching missing persons cases with unidentified bodies. With a group of dedicated members, they use crowd sourcing and computer technologies to help find information missed in formal investigations. Her team has seen Teddy’s picture and thinks they’ve found a match. They believe that Teddy is the young man whose body was found years before, the case known as the “Boy in the Dress”. With the assistance of the website members, they begin to investigate to determine how Teddy wound up dead in Wisconsin wearing a dress.
The concept of crowd sourcing investigations fascinates me and it is what initially drew me to this book. I haven’t read any of Sarah Lotz’s books before (though I do have one sitting on my shelves waiting for me to pick it up). The book is written in chapters that alternate POV between Shaun, Chris and a couple other key website members, each chapter labeled with the screenname of the character. Text messages and snapchat conversations are interspersed with the narrative as well.
This is in some ways a difficult book to characterize. The best match for me would be mystery. Though you know some aspects going in, the story revolves around explaining the whys. Why exactly did Teddy leave town, why exactly did he wind up in Wisconsin, why exactly was he found wearing a dress. For me this didn’t have the fast-pace that I would expect to label it a thriller, but there was enough suspense built up to keep me hooked on the story.
It was interesting looking at this book as a character study of online personalities, especially since we all meet people in our bookish life that we only know online. The book draws attention to online bullying and the dangers of crowd sourcing. When the group feels that someone is to blame, there can be a lot of backlash and the target feels the pressure, deserved or not. The members of the forum also can’t all be trusted. Are these people all there to help or might some be there to hinder.
If you are looking for a good mystery with a very interesting premise, this is a book you’ll want to check out when it is released on September 3, 2019!
MISSING PERSON by Sarah Lotz begins with Shaun Ryan, an introvert Irish bookseller. Shaun has always believed that his uncle Teddy died in a car accident before he was born, but he’s recently discovered that this wasn’t true. Teddy was gay and fled from his conservative family and county to move to New York. Shaun sets out to find him, but has no luck. His disfunctional family urges Shaun to stop looking, but Shaun doesn’t undersand why.
Chris Guzman is the woman who runs a website dedicated to matching missing persons cases with unidentified bodies. With a group of dedicated members, they use crowd sourcing and computer technologies to help find information missed in formal investigations. Her team has seen Teddy’s picture and thinks they’ve found a match. They believe that Teddy is the young man whose body was found years before, the case known as the “Boy in the Dress”. With the assistance of the website members, they begin to investigate to determine how Teddy wound up dead in Wisconsin wearing a dress.
The concept of crowd sourcing investigations fascinates me and it is what initially drew me to this book. I haven’t read any of Sarah Lotz’s books before (though I do have one sitting on my shelves waiting for me to pick it up). The book is written in chapters that alternate POV between Shaun, Chris and a couple other key website members, each chapter labeled with the screenname of the character. Text messages and snapchat conversations are interspersed with the narrative as well.
This is in some ways a difficult book to characterize. The best match for me would be mystery. Though you know some aspects going in, the story revolves around explaining the whys. Why exactly did Teddy leave town, why exactly did he wind up in Wisconsin, why exactly was he found wearing a dress. For me this didn’t have the fast-pace that I would expect to label it a thriller, but there was enough suspense built up to keep me hooked on the story.
It was interesting looking at this book as a character study of online personalities, especially since we all meet people in our bookish life that we only know online. The book draws attention to online bullying and the dangers of crowd sourcing. When the group feels that someone is to blame, there can be a lot of backlash and the target feels the pressure, deserved or not. The members of the forum also can’t all be trusted. Are these people all there to help or might some be there to hinder.
If you are looking for a good mystery with a very interesting premise, this is a book you’ll want to check out when it is released on September 3, 2019!
August 22, 2019
“Missing Person”, by Sarah Lotz, is unlike any mystery/thriller I have ever read! Its structure, plot, and premise is totally unique. The story is about a team of amateur cyber “sleuths” who join forces to identify previously unidentified “John Doe” bodies. I had no idea this was a thing, but a quick Google search led me to a 2017 article titled: “The Searchers: Amateur Web Sleuths Are Teaming Up to Solve Cold Cases Online”. Lotz brilliantly grabs this premise AND introduces some savvy twists, for a thoroughly engrossing and entertaining read.
The story is told from various points of view; characters include the cyber sleuths, a family member of the “missing person”, and the murderer. Using not just a traditional narrative, but also texts, emails, and web pages to tell the story, Lotz creates a very modern thriller. The very nature of the internet, and its widely-known abuses (e.g., Catfishing, Doxing, Avatars, Photo-shopping, Hacking, Fake News) provide much of the mystery and suspense because we don’t know what is true and what is false. A modern twist on the “unreliable narrator”. The ending is a bit rushed, but satisfying.
I think fans of the Netflix series “Mindhunter” will especially appreciate the point of view of a possible serial killer. Lotz has also written screenplays, and thus I would not be a bit surprised to see “Missing Person” as a film or series in the future.
The story is told from various points of view; characters include the cyber sleuths, a family member of the “missing person”, and the murderer. Using not just a traditional narrative, but also texts, emails, and web pages to tell the story, Lotz creates a very modern thriller. The very nature of the internet, and its widely-known abuses (e.g., Catfishing, Doxing, Avatars, Photo-shopping, Hacking, Fake News) provide much of the mystery and suspense because we don’t know what is true and what is false. A modern twist on the “unreliable narrator”. The ending is a bit rushed, but satisfying.
I think fans of the Netflix series “Mindhunter” will especially appreciate the point of view of a possible serial killer. Lotz has also written screenplays, and thus I would not be a bit surprised to see “Missing Person” as a film or series in the future.
October 19, 2019
Can you imagine discovering that your uncle, who you thought had been dead for 20 years, had actually been sent to New York by his family because of certain shameful actions he had been involved in? That’s what happens to Shaun, a young, gay, Irish man and he is immediately determined to find out what happened to his uncle.
In the states there is a website run by a strong willed woman by the name of Chris. This website has been set up to match dead bodies with their identities. She is determined to give a name to those unclaimed bodies, driven because her own mother disappeared when she was younger and she has no idea what happened to her. We meet some interesting characters on the website, dedicated, determined, almost demented in their desire to hunt down and find evidence of who these people are.
Shaun comes in contact with Chris and her crew of sleuths and they are certain that a case called Boy in a Dress is really the body of John’s Uncle Teddy who was murdered a year after arriving in America.
The novel's text interlaces computer messages and regular prose which I found effective. I had a few questions about some of the characters but who knows? Maybe there is a sequel at hand. I found it a bit disconcerting that some questions were not answered. What happened to Chris’s mother and why is there no response from Mommydearest? In spite of some of the open ends, I enjoyed the novel and it’s a vast array of characters, many of whom I felt I got to know on a more intimate level than often happens in thriller novels. 3.5 stars moved up to 4.
In the states there is a website run by a strong willed woman by the name of Chris. This website has been set up to match dead bodies with their identities. She is determined to give a name to those unclaimed bodies, driven because her own mother disappeared when she was younger and she has no idea what happened to her. We meet some interesting characters on the website, dedicated, determined, almost demented in their desire to hunt down and find evidence of who these people are.
Shaun comes in contact with Chris and her crew of sleuths and they are certain that a case called Boy in a Dress is really the body of John’s Uncle Teddy who was murdered a year after arriving in America.
The novel's text interlaces computer messages and regular prose which I found effective. I had a few questions about some of the characters but who knows? Maybe there is a sequel at hand. I found it a bit disconcerting that some questions were not answered. What happened to Chris’s mother and why is there no response from Mommydearest? In spite of some of the open ends, I enjoyed the novel and it’s a vast array of characters, many of whom I felt I got to know on a more intimate level than often happens in thriller novels. 3.5 stars moved up to 4.
September 19, 2019
this one comes out of nowhere. the first time I've read about people existing in the digital age that reads 100% real, with personalities on and off screen matching or contrasting the way they do in reality. not one technical detail invented for the sake of plot - everything felt very researched, right down to the fake reddit posts (no i dont use reddit but i used to okay im sorry i already did my time).
I think that is the magic that made this book eminently readable and one of the rare few I couldn't wait to get back into. Lotz has been up and down in the quality of her books but this is far and away a peak in her oeuvre (that I have read).
my highest recommendation for those who enjoy:
- mysteries
- suburban mom thrillers (you know what I mean)
- realistic characters
- text message bubbles in a book
I think that is the magic that made this book eminently readable and one of the rare few I couldn't wait to get back into. Lotz has been up and down in the quality of her books but this is far and away a peak in her oeuvre (that I have read).
my highest recommendation for those who enjoy:
- mysteries
- suburban mom thrillers (you know what I mean)
- realistic characters
- text message bubbles in a book
June 24, 2019
This book came close to getting a 5* review from me, especially because I had trouble putting it down while reading and often found myself up to the small hours trying to get in *just one more chapter*
The book chapters are set out by the user names of a U.S. forum called Missing Linc that looks for missing persons. There has been a case long unsolved of a young man who was found murdered back in the 90's. The unidentified boy is called "The boy in the dress" because he was literally found murdered and in a dress. All these years no one has claimed him and the forum members would like to bring him some kind of justice after lying in a nameless grave all these years.
The book is set in America and Ireland. In Ireland we meet Shaun, a young man who finds that his family has a few skeletons they are keeping in the closet and with his family's propensity for dying young there are less and less of them he can ask the truth from. After finding out his Uncle Teddy was as far as he knew, still alive and living in the U.S. he gets in contact with the forum Missing Linc.
As each of the forum members get involved in the mystery surrounding Shaun's missing uncle, other threads come together as they realise the truth. They also learn a few things about themselves, one of the most important things is not to always trust everything as gospel on the forum and that any monster can hide behind a username.
I just really liked how the story was set out with the lives of the forum members and Shaun with his social awkwardness and in some ways naivety as he slowly starts to trust in them in the quest to find out exactly what happened to his uncle. I have been a moderator of forums in the past and know the pitfalls that can occur. As the story moved towards its conclusion however, I found myself a little disappointed as to how it all turned out. I guess from reading other books of this genre I expected something a bit more dramatic. This is what stopped me from giving it 5* but besides that it was still a riveting read.
The book chapters are set out by the user names of a U.S. forum called Missing Linc that looks for missing persons. There has been a case long unsolved of a young man who was found murdered back in the 90's. The unidentified boy is called "The boy in the dress" because he was literally found murdered and in a dress. All these years no one has claimed him and the forum members would like to bring him some kind of justice after lying in a nameless grave all these years.
The book is set in America and Ireland. In Ireland we meet Shaun, a young man who finds that his family has a few skeletons they are keeping in the closet and with his family's propensity for dying young there are less and less of them he can ask the truth from. After finding out his Uncle Teddy was as far as he knew, still alive and living in the U.S. he gets in contact with the forum Missing Linc.
As each of the forum members get involved in the mystery surrounding Shaun's missing uncle, other threads come together as they realise the truth. They also learn a few things about themselves, one of the most important things is not to always trust everything as gospel on the forum and that any monster can hide behind a username.
I just really liked how the story was set out with the lives of the forum members and Shaun with his social awkwardness and in some ways naivety as he slowly starts to trust in them in the quest to find out exactly what happened to his uncle. I have been a moderator of forums in the past and know the pitfalls that can occur. As the story moved towards its conclusion however, I found myself a little disappointed as to how it all turned out. I guess from reading other books of this genre I expected something a bit more dramatic. This is what stopped me from giving it 5* but besides that it was still a riveting read.
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