Lost: A History of Disappearances

by Tim Rayborn

Go behind the crime scene tape and investigate the mysterious missing persons cases that have left experts baffled with Lost . The Bermuda Triangle. Amelia Earhart. The Mary Celeste. D.B. Cooper. The lost colony of Roanoke. The Lindbergh baby. With puzzling disappearances that bewilder investigators to this day and infamous cold cases that will chill you to the bone, Lost is a compendium of the most compelling missing persons cases in history. These notorious stories will have true crime fans on the edge of their seats. From planes that took off and never touched down to kidnappings, murders, and people who seem to have vanished into thin air, jump into the evidence left behind to untangle these mysteries—and ponder the lost souls who disappeared without a trace. Inside you’ll Discover the world’s most famous, inexplicable, and intriguing disappearing acts with Lost.

208 pages, Hardcover

Published June 20, 2023

About the author

Tim Rayborn is a historian, medievalist, and musician, with an MA and PhD from the University of Leeds in England. He is a writer on a variety of topics in history and the arts, from the academic to the amusing to the appalling. He has written nearly 50 books to date.

A professional musician with a specialty in medieval repertoire, he plays dozens of musical instruments, has appeared on more than 40 recordings, and has performed in the US, Canada, Europe, and Australia.

Reviews

[Shannon Mutchler · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of very short summaries of various missing persons or mysterious stories. There is very little info in each summary and it isn’t very well written - almost as if it was written at a pre-teen level. There are some interesting stories, but only enough of each to pique interest. Though I suppose that’s the point of the book!

[Emma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hopefully, with the rise in technology and gadgets, these disappearances can be solved and families can have closure.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up thinking it was middle grade but it is definitely not. It is mostly summaries of missing persons cases.

[Lasey Ogden · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love a good murder mystery, specially if it’s based on a true story. There are some very interesting stories in this book don’t get me wrong but I was rather disappointed in the lack of information in some of these mysteries. I was left with a million questions over answers. (Im aware 90% are unsolved and most would have the same outcome) but I’m talking in the sense of they could have been written with better explanation. I feel the author didn’t do enough research into most of these stories and gave a bland basis for us to do our own research. Some of the stories in the last chapter of the book I felt didn’t fit the narrative and weren’t researched at all. A simple google search told their cause of death and location at the time of death? Again just felt the research into some of the stories was little if non. There are many famous cases I think could have been in this book since it’s called “the world’s most perplexing cold cases and unsolved mysteries.” A good read for kids and young teens interested in mysteries and cold cases.