Bloggin' 'bout Books: Evocative Mystery/Thriller Keeps Me Riveted to the Page

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Evocative Mystery/Thriller Keeps Me Riveted to the Page

5:19 PM

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

Colleen Mitchell knows she needs to let her 20-year-old son live his own life, but she can't help but question Paul's sudden decision to drop out of college and waltz off to the middle of nowhere to work on an oil rig. Now, her worst fears have been realized. She hasn't heard from Paul in over a month. Not even a one-word text. Maybe she's overreacting—probably she is—but something feels off. No longer able to stand the anxiety of not knowing what's happened to Paul, she flies to rural North Dakota to find her son. What she discovers is that she's right. Her son is missing from the "man camp" where he and the other workers live. No one knows where he's gone. Or so they say.

There's only one person in bleak little Lawton willing to believe that anything shady is going on and that's because her son is missing, too. Shay Capparelli is Colleen's opposite—she's penniless but scrappy and tenacious, willing to do whatever it takes to find her own son, who's also nowhere to be found. Just like Colleen, Shay knows there's something more to the story behind their sons' disappearances. She's convinced the oil company is hiding something.

The two women become unlikely allies in their plight to locate the boys they love. As they dig deeper and deeper into the oil company's practices, Lawton's ugly underbelly and the secrets their sons kept under wraps, the duo uncovers some unsavory truths. What really happened to Paul and Taylor? Can their mothers solve the mystery before it's too late?

The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield is an evocative, compelling read that I could not put down. With an atmospheric setting, well-drawn characters, and a twisty mystery, it kept my attention riveted to the page. I know some reviewers felt misled by some of the story's plot turns. Not me. The set up kept me guessing, which is what I dig in a psychological mystery/thriller. Despite the book's grimness, I ended up enjoying this one quite a lot. I'll definitely be picking up more books from this intriguing author.

(Readalikes: Hm, nothing is coming to mind. You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, depictions of illegal drug use, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love: Another library ~~fine~~ find

6 comments:

Helen's Book Blog15 May, 2019 19:28
This sounds so good!
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Kay16 May, 2019 05:02
This one sounds good. I had to go back and see if I had read anything else by the author. Her name sounded familiar. I have not, though I have known of some of her books. Glad you liked it and I'll watch for it.
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Annette Mills16 May, 2019 05:20
Oh, this sounds like one I would like. But, talk about a mother’s worst nightmare! I’ve heard of this author, but haven’t read any of hers. Thanks.
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Sam 16 May, 2019 08:59
I spent my whole working career with oil companies and was interested in what the North Dakota oil patch was like in its boom days, so I jumped all over this one in 2015 when it came out. I really liked it, and the atmosphere the author describes so well was true to the stories I heard from friends who worked up there during the first of the boom. I really liked the relationship between the two women and how it changed over the course of the book. Littlefield is good.

The only other book of hers I've ever read is one that I stumbled upon back in 2010 called A Bad Day for Pretty. That was her second novel and it featured the female vigilante that she introduced in her debut novel. That one was a hoot. I had forgotten about Littlefield, but you've made me curious about what she's been doing. I'll have to see what I can find. Thanks.
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Lark 16 May, 2019 13:34
Sounds like another good one. That setting and some good twists along the way? I'm in. :)
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Lindsi 16 May, 2019 16:41
I love books that keep you guessing AND glued to the page! It's no fun when you figure things out before the characters do, and I'm happy this one kept you on your toes! Yay for awesome books!

Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear? 💬
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