Off the Face of the Earth

by Aljean Harmetz

When an eight-year-old boy disappears from a suburban mall in Los Angeles, the police call it a murder and close the case, leaving the son's determined mother and a maverick police officer on their own to find the missing child. Reprint.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published August 11, 1997

Reviews

[Anne Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy runs away, gets to the mall, and is lured away by a man who also has interest in baseball cards. What makes matters worse is the police department, when contacted about the missing boy, does not take the matter seriously, especially when there are murders and other, more pressing, matters to look into. So the family and friends of the missing boy take matters into their own hands and start their own search. They post flyers, go into stores David may like and ask if anyone has seen him, and even do searches and lists from the Internet...not the usual thing to do in 1997! David and his kidnapper, in the meantime, are traveling to New Mexico, with David leaving a trail of baseball cards behind. It's a fascinating chase to see if West, a policeman who believes David is still alive, and Drew, David's mom, can piece the puzzle together before it's too late.

[Tammy Downing · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-paced story of a boy who runs away from home and meets a man who spirits him away while his mother and other people including a sensitive police detective do what they can to find him. The ending is wonderful.

[Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really quick read, I couldn't put it down! Finished in 24 hours.

[Patricia Pendgraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Believable. Riveting. Suspenseful.

The mom in me could imagine the horror.

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because I was familiar with the author's name as a journalist. It not only didn't disappoint, it kept me up reading until dawn two nights in a row. Well paced, believeable characters, satisfying ending, and no gore. Recommended.

[Michele Katic · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I would classify this book as a traditional suspense novel, there is an underlying theme of hope. This book is braced by the heartbreaking knowledge that children are stolen every day, and most of them are never returned to safety. The author skillfully flits between mother and child, revealing their pain and strength with great care.

[Carolyn (in SC) C234D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book years ago, so don't remember it well. Noted that it was a good thriller about the abduction of an eight-year-old boy, and his mother's efforts to find him. Gave it an 8/10 back then.

[Aime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. Easy read.I thought the characters were easy to relate to. This is a story of what I as a parent fear, someone taking my children.

[Anel Landicho]

This book made me cry as I was reading the part when Denver (the abductor) was shedding tears in pain (and the song "one last cry" was playing as I was reading it. I don't know why...

[Derek · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really like this book, but the end was predictable. Overall the book was a good read

[Booknblues · Rating 3 out of 5]

An exciting mystery about an abducted child.