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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

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In picturesque Littleport, Maine, there are two kinds of people—wealthy summer visitors and the locals who inhabit the resort town year-round.  With the livelihood of the latter dependent on the former, there's a natural divide between the two groups.  Their members simply don't mix.  That's why Littleport resident Avery Greer was so surprised when rich, sophisticated Sadie Loman befriended her ten years ago.  Having grown closer to Sadie with every passing summer, Avery is horrified when she learns that her friend's body has washed up on the shore.  With an apparent suicide note in their possession, the cops declare that Sadie stepped off a steep cliff of her own volition.  Case closed.  Avery's not the only one who doesn't believe bold, unapologetic Sadie would take her own life; she's also not the only one some people in town consider a suspect in the woman's death.  

Sure that someone (or multiple someones) knows more than they're admitting, Avery launches her own search for the truth about Sadie's death.  The deeper she digs, the more dirt she uncovers.  It soon becomes obvious that Avery's revealing secrets someone would kill to keep buried.  Can she find out the truth before it's her dead body that washes ashore?

I'm sure you've noticed by now that I love me a tense psychological thriller, especially one that's set in a cozy little town that's hiding big, juicy secrets.  The Last House Guest (available June 18, 2019), the newest suspense novel from Megan Miranda, delivers on all fronts.  The setting is atmospheric, the plot compelling, and the mystery twisty.  Just the way I like it.  Yes, the book is depressing as all get-out, but it's also an engrossing read that kept me totally riveted.  I've enjoyed all of Miranda's books and this one is no exception.  If you're looking for an absorbing summer thriller, look no further.

(Readalikes:  Hm, I should be able to think of lots of titles, but nothing's coming to mind.  You?)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (a dozen or so F-bombs, plus milder expletives), violence, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I received an e-ARC of The Last House Guest from the generous folks at Simon & Schuster via those at Edelweiss.  Thank you!

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(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Women of the Blue & Grey by Marianne Monson) 

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for brief, mild language (no F-bombs), violence, and blood/gore

To the FTC, with love:  I received an ARC of Invisible Heroes of World War II from the generous folks at Shadow Mountain in exchange for an honest review.  Thank you!

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Despite being both brothers and neighbors, Nathan, Bub, and Cameron Bright don't come together often.  Nor will they ever again.  For the first time in months, Nathan and Bub meet at the fence line that divides their expansive cattle ranches in the lonely Queensland outback.  Cameron, the middle brother, lies dead at their feet.  A victim of the brutal landscape and unforgiving weather, he's been killed by exposure.  The question is, how?  And why?  As a lifelong resident of the place, Cameron knew better than anyone not to stray into the miles of empty outback without proper supplies.  What was he doing out there?  Nothing about Cameron's death makes any sense.

Nathan's got enough problems dealing with issues at his own ranch, trying to communicate with his estranged teenage son, and keeping his distance from the tiny town that banished him long ago, but he can't stop obsessing over his brother's strange death.  The more he questions those that spent the most time with Cameron—his wife, his daughters, their mother, a long-time employee, and two seasonal workers—the more Nathan begins to suspect that something sinister is going on under the placid surface of Burley Downs.  Someone knows more about Cameron's death than they're saying, but who?  And why would anyone want to harm the ranch's charming manager?  The more questions Nathan asks, the more disturbing are the answers he finds.  As long-buried secrets come to light, Nathan will come to realize that the people closest to him, both physically and emotionally, might be the ones he knows least of all ...

Jane Harper's popular debut and sophomore novels are installments in an intriguing mystery series starring Federal Police investigator Aaron Falk.  Surprisingly, her newest does not continue the series.  Although it riffs on similar themes as her first two books, The Lost Man, her third, is a standalone.  At first, I was disappointed to find out it wasn't a Falk book, but it didn't take more than a few pages to convince me that The Lost Man would be just as good as Harper's others.  Maybe even be better.  Like the author's previous novels, this one features interesting, complex characters; an atmospheric, unforgettable setting; and a twisty, compelling mystery.  All of these elements combine to create a first-rate page-turner, which is as engrossing as it is haunting.  Although the story it tells is undeniably sad and depressing, The Lost Man held me completely captive as I raced through its pages to see what would happen next.  If you enjoy the Aaron Falk series or just intriguing crime fiction in general, you'll find this one a riveting, satisfying read.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of The Dry and Force of Nature, both by Jane Harper)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language, violence, mild sexual content, and disturbing subject matter

To the FTC, with love:  I bought a copy of The Lost Man from Amazon with a portion of the millions I make from my lucrative career as a book blogger.  Ha ha.