Editorial Content for The Night She Went Missing
Contributors
Reviewer (text)
Emily and her family have returned to her father’s hometown. The community has been dominated by her grandmother, the larger-than-life Rosalyn Callahan, a several-generations matriarch of Galveston, Texas. Nothing good happens without her approval, and when things go wrong, she does her best to cover them up.
"Kristen Bird’s writing is lively and easy to read, making her debut novel difficult to put down."
In true Callahan fashion, when Emily goes missing, Rosalyn keeps the news from getting out to the media. Of course, that doesn’t stop the gossip about Emily’s fate. Where is she? What happened to her? Is she okay? Emily’s mom is determined to get some answers.
THE NIGHT SHE WENT MISSING is told from multiple perspectives. The first chapter starts in the present before going back and forth in time to fill in the backstory. Although this narrative strategy makes it a bit difficult to keep up with what’s going on at any given time, it helps readers see and understand the action from each character’s point of view. It also sends them off into erroneous directions on a number of occasions. This adds to the suspense, especially when it comes to the ending, which I am sure will surprise you.
Kristen Bird’s writing is lively and easy to read, making her debut novel difficult to put down. Trust me, there are plenty of twists and turns along the way. The characters are well-developed and mostly believable, although they occasionally exhibit some bizarre behavior. The storyline is somewhat unusual with the way the events unfold, but it certainly makes for an intriguing premise and a fascinating tale.
Teaser
Emily, a popular but bookish prep school senior, goes missing after a night out with friends. She was last seen leaving a party with Alex, a football player with a dubious reputation. But no one is talking. Now three mothers, friends turned frenemies, have their lives turned upside down as they are forced to look to their own children --- and each other’s --- for answers to questions they don’t want to ask. Each mother is sure she knows who is responsible, but they all have their own secrets to keep and reputations to protect. And the lies they tell themselves and each other may just have the potential to be lethal.
Promo
Emily, a popular but bookish prep school senior, goes missing after a night out with friends. She was last seen leaving a party with Alex, a football player with a dubious reputation. But no one is talking. Now three mothers, friends turned frenemies, have their lives turned upside down as they are forced to look to their own children --- and each other’s --- for answers to questions they don’t want to ask. Each mother is sure she knows who is responsible, but they all have their own secrets to keep and reputations to protect. And the lies they tell themselves and each other may just have the potential to be lethal.
About the Book
An intriguing and twisty domestic suspense about loyalty and deceit in a tight-knit Texas community where parents are known to behave badly and people are not always who they appear to be.
Emily, a popular but bookish prep school senior, goes missing after a night out with friends. She was last seen leaving a party with Alex, a football player with a dubious reputation. But no one is talking.
Now three mothers, Catherine, Leslie and Morgan, friends turned frenemies, have their lives turned upside down as they are forced to look to their own children --- and each other’s --- for answers to questions they don’t want to ask.
Each mother is sure she knows who is responsible, but they all have their own secrets to keep and reputations to protect. And the lies they tell themselves and each other may just have the potential to be lethal in this riveting debut.
Audiobook available, read by Megan Tusing
