Lists

20 of Your Top Missing Persons Books

María Cristina García lives in New York with her favorite spouse, her favorite toddler, her favorite cat, and her second-favorite cat. When not ranking members of her household, she's catching up on Supergirl, strumming her mandolin, or trying to beat the clock on her library loans. Twitter: @MeowyCristina Blog: MeowyCristina.com

This Riot Recommendation for favorite missing persons books is sponsored by Broken Ice by Matt Goldman.

In the new novel from Emmy-award winning and New York Times bestselling author Matt Goldman private detective Nils Shapiro has been hired to find missing teenager Linnea Engstrom. Then Linnea’s friend is found dead. And Nils ends up shot with an arrow at the crime scene.

Nils should be in the hospital, but he knows that the clock is ticking. Linnea could be anywhere, and someone doesn’t want her found. Is Linnea a victim or is she playing a dangerous game? As bodies start piling up, the clues lead Nils north to Warroad, a small, quiet town with many secrets to hide.


We wanted to know what the best missing persons books are. We guessed lot of them would be thrillers. And a fair number of them would be mysteries. But missing persons show up (or fail to, rather) in all sorts of fiction. We asked where we can find your favorite missing persons story, and below is a roundup of everyone’s recommendations!

The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti

The Company You Keep by Neil Gordon

A Good Idea by Cristina Moracho

Where Are You Now? by Mary Higgins Clark

Songs for the Missing by Stewart O’Nan

I Found You by Lisa Jewell

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

If You Were Here by Alafair Burke

Pleasantville by Attica Locke

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

Paper Towns by John Green

And She Was by Alison Gaylin

What She Knew by Golly MacMillan

After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman

The Song Is You by Megan Abbott

Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Meloy

Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

The Widow by Fiona Barton