Where the Missing Go

March 4, 2019
In 2017, 15-year-old schoolgirl Sophie Harlow disappears from Vail Dean, England, in British author Rowley’s underwhelming U.S. debut. All the evidence suggests that she ran away from home—she left a note, and security footage shows her boarding a bus to London. Two years later, Sophie’s mother, Kate Harlow, hasn’t given up hope that her daughter will return, though her ex-husband, Mark, and the police have stopped actively looking. To fill her days, Kate volunteers at a charity called Message in a Bottle, where runaways are able to pass on messages to their loved ones. Late one night, Kate receives a call from a scared girl who she’s convinced is Sophie. Now she’s sure that Sophie is not only alive but also in danger. As her family, police, and doctor begin to suspect Kate is becoming too dependent on pills and on the brink of a breakdown, Kate scrambles to locate her daughter before it’s too late. The fast pace and high drama will engage some readers, but predictable twists and overly convenient clues will disappoint others. Agent, Clare Hulton, Clare Hulton Literary (U.K.).