The Night She Went Missing by Kristen Bird is the sort of roller coaster ride of a thriller that slowly builds the story through anticipation before swooping into a lot of revelations.
In other words, the build-up is slow and steady. It draws the reader in. And then when things start to happen and the truth comes out, it all speeds really fast to the end.
That analogy sort of stinks, but it’s as close as I can get.
The story is told in three parts. Each one does its part to advance the narrative. It is methodical but never boring. The author does a great job of highlighting the insular nature of a small town, how it treats outsiders (even if they are insiders), and the patronage of important branches of government.
That last one is important because the action focuses on the Callahan family: why they moved from Oregon to Texas and what ties they have to others in town. It is effective.
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There are some parts that appear superfluous. The reason the family left Oregon is made out to be bigger than it actually is, and the connections that are referred to in the present time don’t really go anywhere.
I also wish there had been more follow-through on Catherine’s music. I thought at one point that the author was going to do something unique with Catherine’s tendency to turn toward music to calm herself, but it didn’t materialize.
Pity, because that would have made a neat section in the last chapter when the summary/epilogue occurs.
Another strong part of the story is the perspective that even though a person may have everything together on the surface, there is always the real possibility of turmoil beneath.
A shiny cover can hide a multitude of sins and omissions.
I really liked how everything came to light and the “mystery” was solved. It was natural and nothing was forced. Well, a scene towards the end involving the matriarch of the community and the three main women characters felt awkward, like an afterthought.
And Catherine has an attitude about a particular plot point that seems out of character. I don’t want to give away what it is, because it would be a major spoiler. Let’s just say that her perspective on Emily’s situation seems presumptuous and frankly out-of-character.
But that does not take away from the story. The Night She Went Missing had turning pages to find out what really happened. It is not often I get that engrossed in a novel. Great debut novel from Kristen Bird. I look forward to reading future stories.
For another “missing person” novel, check out my review of the thriller Where I Left Her.
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Author Bio:
Kristen Bird lives outside of Houston, Texas with her husband and three daughters. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music and mass media before completing a master’s in literature. She teaches high school English and writes with a cup of coffee in hand. In her free time, she likes to visit parks with her three daughters, watch quirky films with her husband and attempt to keep pace with her rescue lab-mixes. THE NIGHT SHE WENT MISSING is her debut novel.
