Week 3 Book Annotation
My Child is Missing Annotation
Author: Lisa Regan
Title: My Child Is Missing
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Publication Date: September 8, 2023
Number of Pages: 376
Geographical Setting: Denton, Pennsylvania (Fictional town)
Time Period: Present Day
Series: Book 18 in the Detective Josie Quinn series
Plot Summary:
This book takes place in a small fictional town called Denton. The main character, Josie Quinn, is a detective trying to solve the “Woodsman” case. Two children go into the woods, only one comes out. Quinn finds herself completely immersed in this case. There are multiple suspects, with all their lives intertwining as the story goes on.
The story starts off with 16-year old Kayleigh Pratchett going into the woods with her younger sister, Savannah Pratchett. Savannah is found in the woods, while Kayleigh is deemed missing. Detective Josie Quinn, with help from other detectives at the Denton Police Department, are adamant on solving this case. Whilst trying to find the kidnapper, another child goes missing.
As much as this story has to do with the Pratchett family, there is a large part of the story that has to do with Josie Quinn and her PTSD from childhood and recent trauma. We get an insight into Quinn’s personal life and the obstacles she has to overcome in order to solve this case.
Subject Headings:
Fiction
Urban legends
Kidnapping
Appeal:
Characterization: Woman Detective
Josie Quinn is an excellent detective for the Denton Police Department. Quinn has a long history of past traumas that make her an enticing character to follow along with. She is a smart woman and has many layers to her, making her a fascinating character.
Mood
The suspenseful mood in this book adds to the reading experience. The word choice, the setting, the POV from the kidnapper to Josie Quinn, the constant feeling of being on the edge of your seat all contribute to this mood. It is not overly creepy, which may be what certain readers are looking for.
Pacing
This book has a fast pace, suspenseful aspect to it. The Denton Police Department only has a short amount of time to find missing 16-year old Kayleigh Pratchett before she may be gone forever.
3 terms that best describe this book:
Fast paced
Plot twist
Small town detectives
Similar Authors & Works:
3 Relevant Non-Fiction Works & Authors:
Trail of the Lost: The Relentless Search to Bring Home the Missing Hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail by Andrea Lankford
A true crime story from a former law enforcement park ranger and investigator, Andrea Lankford tells you the story of her investigation to find three young men that have gone missing from the Pacific Crest Trail.
In Light of All Darkness: Inside the Polly Klaas Kidnapping and the Search for America’s Child by Kim Cross
This true crime book explains the story behind the kidnapping of Polly Klaas. Klaas was 12 when she was taken from her own bedroom. The story spread like wildfire around the world.
Helltown: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod by Casey Sherman
In this true crime story, Casey Sherman brings us the story of the 1960s serial killer, Tony Costa. Sherman takes the readers back to the late 1960s to tell the story of Costa and the drug scene surrounding him.
3 Relevant Fiction Works & Authors:
Where Hidden Souls Lie by D.K. Hood
In this mystery story, Sheriff Jenna Alton finds herself in the middle of a kidnapping/murder case. With the help of her colleagues, Sheriff Alton hunts down the person who is kidnapping these young girls, and then burying them alive.
Stolen Darlings by Helen Phifer
In this suspenseful crime story, Detective Morgan Brookes has limited time to save the life of a young girl. Two bodies have already been found, wearing identical flower crowns placed by the murderer. With the help of a colleague, Detective Brookes has to figure out who the third victim is before it is too late.
The First Girl by Jennifer Chase
In this mystery thriller book, Detective Katie Scott discovers seven buried bodies, including Abigail Andrews who went missing fifteen years prior. As Detective Scott gets close to pinning the murderer, she is shot in an attempt to stop her investigation. Then, another young woman goes missing. It is up to Detective Scott to find who is taking and killing these young girls.
Hi Megan,
ReplyDeleteI see that your annotation choice is #18 in the series; have you read the others in this series? If not, what made you choose this one, rather than #1? Even if a series is described as each entry being standalone, personally, I have a thing about needing to read from the beginning... I get really frustrated if I accidently pick up a book mid-series, only to find out afterwards it's part of one lol
I have a friend who is an avid hiker, and has done both the AT and PCT, so I'm super intrigued by your recommendation of Trail of the Lost!! I have already added it to my Goodreads list!
Also, if you're looking for Mystery/Thriller series to read/listen to, I highly recommend the In Death series by J.D. Robb - one of my absolute favs! #58 in the series was actually just released this week. The one caveat I'll give is that there are a few spicy sex scenes sprinkled throughout each book (it's not the main focus of the book, the crime to be solved is), so keep that in mind if you want to give it a try - the series starts with Naked In Death.
Hi Maryanne! Honestly, I saw this book at the library I work at and decided to pick it up. I saw that it was apart of a series, so I did some research on if I needed to read them in order. Some people said that if you want to fully understand the main character's back story, you should read them in order. Other people said that the stories themselves are standalones. I sort of thought of it as Criminal Minds, where each episode is a different case they have to crack, but there are character storylines throughout the series.
DeleteI appreciate the recommendations! I will be adding the series to my Goodreads list, so thank you!
That's a great parallel! Yes, the "crime of the day" to be solved makes each book standalone on that aspect, but there are relationships formed throughout the entire series that are enjoyed all the more by having read along with their evolution. However, if it's a scenario where either someone picks up one at random (no pun intended :P ) to read, or doesn't read any of them at all, then I for sure say read whichever one has caught your eye!
DeleteHi Megan, This book looks good. Did you like it? Are there any triggers in this book? I was reading my Danielle Steel last night for the Romance annotations, and they just had a school shooting right there in the middle of the book with no mention of it anywhere in the plot description. I try to avoid school shooting scenarios, because it makes me think of one I was close to in college.
ReplyDeleteDid you enjoy the plot twist in "My Child is Missing"? Or did you see it coming?
Hi Jackie! Yes, I did really enjoy this book. I would not say there are any triggers in this book. I am so sorry that happened! There definitely should have been a trigger warning for that.
DeleteI enjoyed the plot twist! I had my own thoughts going while reading this book, so I sort of considered the possibility of what actually ended up happening. Although, I was still very much caught off guard.
Hi Megan! I also did a thriller annotation this week, and I'm finding it very interesting how different my book was compared to your thriller and other annotations I've been reading this week. It makes sense, though, considering what Saricks says about the genre! Thrillers can encompass a lot, and there is a lot of "genre-bending" going on currently among authors. That sure makes it exciting. My thriller was more of a "Psychological Suspense," while yours contained a lot of mystery elements. I'm finding this interesting how so many different kinds of books fit into a broader category.
ReplyDeleteFantastic job on your first annotation! Your summary and appeals are fantastic. You included all relevant info and this book sounds great. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete