Not My Boy

November 16, 2020
Near the start of this middling domestic thriller from Simmons (Where She Went), six-year-old Liza Harris disappears while catching frogs at the creek bordering her Philadelphia Main Line neighborhood. After canvassing the community, the police settle on two suspects: 11-year-old Miles, and Miles’s uncle, Ben, who lives next door. Miles and his mother, divorced ghostwriter Hannah, are new to the area, and someone’s surveillance camera caught Miles burying an animal in the backyard—behavior the cops deem suspicious. Meanwhile, Ben’s security system captured footage of Liza visiting their house at a time when his wife—Hannah’s older sister, Hillary—was retrieving their daughter from summer camp. The stress of the investigation pits the two sisters against each other until their mother, judgmental busybody Eva, suggests the three of them join forces to catch the real culprit. Simmons squanders an intriguing premise and emotionally fraught setup with uneven pacing, a dearth of action, and a rushed denouement. Underdeveloped characters and poorly defined stakes further disappoint. Fans will hope for better next time. Agent: Anne Bohner, Pen & Ink Literary.