Title: The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill
Hester Thursby Mystery Series Book Two
Publisher: Kensington Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 368 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
Hester Thursby has given up using her research skills to trace people who don’t want to be found. A traumatic case a few months ago unearthed a string of violent crimes, and left Hester riddled with self-doubt and guilt. Caring for a four-year-old is responsibility enough in a world filled with terrors Hester never could have imagined before.
Finisterre Island, off the coast of Maine, is ruggedly beautiful and remote—the kind of place tourists love to visit, though rarely for long. But not everyone who comes to the island is welcome. A dilapidated Victorian house has become home to a group of squatters and junkies, and strangers have a habit of bringing trouble with them. A young boy disappeared during the summer, and though he was found safely, the incident stirred suspicion among locals. Now another child is missing. Summoned to the island by a cryptic text, Hester discovers a community cleaning up from a devastating storm—and uncovers a murder.
Soon Hester begins to connect the crime and the missing children. And as she untangles the secrets at the center of the small community, she finds grudges and loyalties that run deep, poised to converge with a force that will once again shake her convictions about the very nature of right and wrong . . .
Review:
The Missing Ones by Edwin Hill is a suspenseful, character driven mystery. Although this latest release is the second installment in the Hester Thursby Mystery series, it can be read as a standalone. However, I highly recommend reading book one, Little Comfort, as well.
Librarian Hester Thursby is still struggling in the aftermath of the events from her previous missing persons case. She is in charge of caring for her four year old niece Kate but her irrational fears about Kate’s safety make it impossible for her to leave her in anyone else’s care. Hester is impulsive and in the past, her ill-advised decisions have endangered herself and Kate. She is unable to confide her fears to her partner Morgan Maguire, whose twin sister Daphne is Kate’s mother. Daphne has a long history of flighty behavior and no one has heard from her since she abruptly abandoned her daughter to Hester’s and Morgan’s care a year earlier. Hester also has a supportive circle of friends, but she cannot bring herself to ask for help. Will her relationship with Morgan survive her inability to trust him with the issues she is dealing with?
Meanwhile off the coast of Maine, residents of Finisterre Island are dealing with inexplicable disappearances of young children, squatters in a ramshackle Victorian home and an increase in drug traffic. Islander Rory Dunbar is a local cop whose hopes for becoming a state police officer have yet to be realized. He is also in love with his childhood friend, Lydia Pelletier, whose husband Trey despises Rory. With a storm approaching, Frankie Sullivan, one of the squatters, reports her young son Ethan is missing. Annie, who has been living for several months in the same home as Frankie, becomes involved in the search for the missing boy. In the aftermath of the storm, Annie vanishes and the local police are very interested in asking her questions about the goings on in the Victorian house she has been squatting in.
These two very divergent story arcs eventually intersect in a very intriguing manner. Hester again makes a knee-jerk decision that could have long term implications for her relationship with Morgan. She also finds herself smack dab in the middle of a murder investigation. Will the information she uncovers help the authorities solve the strange occurrences on Finisterre Island? Will Hester’s unexpected, dangerous adventure help heal her emotional wounds?
The Missing Ones is a riveting mystery which features a topical storyline and deeply flawed characters. Hester is a sympathetic and likable, albeit sometimes frustrating, lead protagonist. The situation on Finisterre Island is quite intriguing and the identity of the murder victim is quite shocking. With several stunning revelations, Edwin Hill brings this twist-filled mystery to a shocking, yet mostly satisfying, conclusion. Old and new fans are sure to love this clever addition to the Hester Thursby Mystery series.
