MISSING PERSON

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.

REVIEWS

You know, I can feel sorry sometimes when a books ends. Missing Person by Sarah Lotz was one of those books. It marries a story about internet groups that search for missing persons and dead bodies to an Agatha Christie novel and it worked. I just love the characters. I like books about people with strong bonds and friendship. It had that for me. I enjoyed that book very much. STEPHEN KING

Sarah Lotz's utterly absorbing and (...) everything I look for in a novel: vivid, arresting prose, a thrilling story, and unforgettable characters. ELIZABETH LITTLE

I really enjoyed it. It's taut, tense, modern and clever. A terrifying set up that's horribly believable and literally unputdownable. ALI KNIGHT

A chillingly effective and haunting tale. SCI-FI BULLETIN

Lotz excels at making you feel like you're there and her flawed lead sympathetic. PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

A roller-coaster ride with intriguing psychological depth. CRIME FICTION LOVER

Missing Person is a remarkable novel, rich in emotion and suspense and deeply-layered. The author has a keen appraisal of both human emotions, and contemporary Internet-fed and celebrity-driven "culture." Weaving contemporary events and investigations with those of the mid-1990's, she delves deeply into quite a cast of characters as we watch the consequences of their choices and their struggle against prevailing societal mores. HAUNTED READER

In a narrative sprinkled with threads of texts, Lotz delves into her characters’ backgrounds, clarifying the obsessive behaviour that drives some of them. A satisfying thriller that’s both quirky and macabre. MICHELE LEBER, BOOKLIST

Lotz has written a thoughtful thriller that is as much about the psychology of people who hide in various ways than about catching a murderer. The Internet is front and center, but this book is about the people. MICHAEL SEARS, NY JOURNAL OF BOOKS

... breaks the mold on thrillers. Author Sarah Lotz is off and running from the day in the graveyard that Shaun learns about his uncle to the day that the killer is unmasked. During that timeline, every page reveals a new nugget of Teddy’s life --- and another clue to his death. There are many quirky characters, with their online usernames, which can lead a reader to want a chart for reference. But as soon as you get to know them individually, with their unique personalities, you’ll want to step into their lives and learn more about each one of them. KATE AYERS, BOOK REPORTER

Lotz’s clever novel includes a judicious use of formats such as messaging transcripts and web comments to move along the plot while providing insights into the Missing-Linc.com crew. Suggested for fans of authors such as Ruth Ware, Jennifer McMahon, Gillian Flynn, and Nic Joseph. JENNIFER FUNK, LIBRARY JOURNAL