The Missing Place

Two women from opposite sides of the country and different life experiences come together in North Dakota when both of their sons go missing. Were the young men victims of a covered-up accident? Did one them, a troubled young man who got in hot water in school or assaulting another student, harm the other in a fit of anger? Why are the police stonewalling? Though the mystery of what happened to the boys is compelling, the story really focuses on the two women who strike sparks off one another while sharing one thing in common: being a mother of a missing son. The author does a great job of portraying the hyper-masculine chaos of boomtown on the prairie and the internal doubts of the women who question whether they made mistakes that show more contributed to the danger their sons are in. For one of them, who did everything she could to fix the problems of a boy who had learning disorders, the missing place isn't just in the North Dakota oil fields, its in the hole left in her life where her ideal child should have been - and where her real child could have been if she had been more accepting. show less

The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield is an intense story set against the backdrop of North Dakota’s oil boom as two very different mothers join together to search for their missing sons. The author totally caught the feel of the boom-town with it’s lively nightlife, bustling traffic, and how everyone is out is make money while it lasts and not very interested in two twenty-something boys who have disappeared. This lack of interest even seems to apply to the police as they are more than ready to brush off the mother’s concern. They suggest that the two boys, Paul Mitchell and Taylor Capparelli have taken off looking for a warmer climate.

But these mothers know their sons, and know that they wouldn’t just pick up and leave all show more their things behind. They start their own investigation, not caring who they disturb or what information they bring to light. Even though these mothers are totally mismatched, Shay being a street-smart single mother who has toughened over the years and Colleen being a pampered well-to-do housewife, their search for their sons ties them together. But will the worry, fear and exhaustion tear these two women apart or will they be able to find a way to work together.

I was totally absorbed by The Missing Place and the interaction between the two women. As more information is slowly revealed, I was in awe of what these women were willing to take on in order to find out what happened. I thought the author did an excellent job with the setting as a few years ago my husband and I landed in Williston, North Dakota while on a road trip and experienced the hustle and bustle of the oil boom ourselves. I will definitely be on the look-out for more by this author. show less

When I ended up finding The Silent Sister a disappointment, I was a bit worried that domestic thrillers like this didn't have much more to offer me. I was therefore extra excited to have The Missing Place come along and prove me completely wrong. Although this book definitely fits into that genre and shares a fast-paced tension with other books I've read, the characters and the plot felt very fresh to me. The main characters were both sometimes selfish or mean in pursuit of their sons, but their love for their sons keeps them both very relatable. The author made feel invested in all of the characters whose perspectives she shared. I wanted things to work out well for everyone, even when their needs conflicted with one another, and I show more loved how challenging that made moral judgements in this story.

The complicated relationships between characters were another novel part of this story. Shay and Colleen, for example, sometimes have the same goals and sometimes their goals conflict. Sometimes they support each other and sometimes they tear each other apart. It also becomes clear as we learn more that Colleen's relationship with her son wasn't as simple as she would like it to be. Through their words and actions, Colleen and Shay both make it clear how much they love their sons. I was very impressed by how viscerally the author made me feel their pain and despair when their sons are missing. The raw emotions portrayed in this book were another thing I loved. If you're looking for something fresh and different, edgy and emotional, I suggest moving The Missing Place to the top of your to-read pile.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey. show less

When I ended up finding The Silent Sister a disappointment, I was a bit worried that domestic thrillers like this didn't have much more to offer me. I was therefore extra excited to have The Missing Place come along and prove me completely wrong. Although this book definitely fits into that genre and shares a fast-paced tension with other books I've read, the characters and the plot felt very fresh to me. The main characters were both sometimes selfish or mean in pursuit of their sons, but their love for their sons keeps them both very relatable. The author made feel invested in all of the characters whose perspectives she shared. I wanted things to work out well for everyone, even when their needs conflicted with one another, and I show more loved how challenging that made moral judgements in this story.

The complicated relationships between characters were another novel part of this story. Shay and Colleen, for example, sometimes have the same goals and sometimes their goals conflict. Sometimes they support each other and sometimes they tear each other apart. It also becomes clear as we learn more that Colleen's relationship with her son wasn't as simple as she would like it to be. Through their words and actions, Colleen and Shay both make it clear how much they love their sons. I was very impressed by how viscerally the author made me feel their pain and despair when their sons are missing. The raw emotions portrayed in this book were another thing I loved. If you're looking for something fresh and different, edgy and emotional, I suggest moving The Missing Place to the top of your to-read pile.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey. show less

When I ended up finding The Silent Sister a disappointment, I was a bit worried that domestic thrillers like this didn't have much more to offer me. I was therefore extra excited to have The Missing Place come along and prove me completely wrong. Although this book definitely fits into that genre and shares a fast-paced tension with other books I've read, the characters and the plot felt very fresh to me. The main characters were both sometimes selfish or mean in pursuit of their sons, but their love for their sons keeps them both very relatable. The author made feel invested in all of the characters whose perspectives she shared. I wanted things to work out well for everyone, even when their needs conflicted with one another, and I show more loved how challenging that made moral judgements in this story.

The complicated relationships between characters were another novel part of this story. Shay and Colleen, for example, sometimes have the same goals and sometimes their goals conflict. Sometimes they support each other and sometimes they tear each other apart. It also becomes clear as we learn more that Colleen's relationship with her son wasn't as simple as she would like it to be. Through their words and actions, Colleen and Shay both make it clear how much they love their sons. I was very impressed by how viscerally the author made me feel their pain and despair when their sons are missing. The raw emotions portrayed in this book were another thing I loved. If you're looking for something fresh and different, edgy and emotional, I suggest moving The Missing Place to the top of your to-read pile.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey. show less

When I ended up finding The Silent Sister a disappointment, I was a bit worried that domestic thrillers like this didn't have much more to offer me. I was therefore extra excited to have The Missing Place come along and prove me completely wrong. Although this book definitely fits into that genre and shares a fast-paced tension with other books I've read, the characters and the plot felt very fresh to me. The main characters were both sometimes selfish or mean in pursuit of their sons, but their love for their sons keeps them both very relatable. The author made feel invested in all of the characters whose perspectives she shared. I wanted things to work out well for everyone, even when their needs conflicted with one another, and I show more loved how challenging that made moral judgements in this story.

The complicated relationships between characters were another novel part of this story. Shay and Colleen, for example, sometimes have the same goals and sometimes their goals conflict. Sometimes they support each other and sometimes they tear each other apart. It also becomes clear as we learn more that Colleen's relationship with her son wasn't as simple as she would like it to be. Through their words and actions, Colleen and Shay both make it clear how much they love their sons. I was very impressed by how viscerally the author made me feel their pain and despair when their sons are missing. The raw emotions portrayed in this book were another thing I loved. If you're looking for something fresh and different, edgy and emotional, I suggest moving The Missing Place to the top of your to-read pile.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey. show less

When I ended up finding The Silent Sister a disappointment, I was a bit worried that domestic thrillers like this didn't have much more to offer me. I was therefore extra excited to have The Missing Place come along and prove me completely wrong. Although this book definitely fits into that genre and shares a fast-paced tension with other books I've read, the characters and the plot felt very fresh to me. The main characters were both sometimes selfish or mean in pursuit of their sons, but their love for their sons keeps them both very relatable. The author made feel invested in all of the characters whose perspectives she shared. I wanted things to work out well for everyone, even when their needs conflicted with one another, and I show more loved how challenging that made moral judgements in this story.

The complicated relationships between characters were another novel part of this story. Shay and Colleen, for example, sometimes have the same goals and sometimes their goals conflict. Sometimes they support each other and sometimes they tear each other apart. It also becomes clear as we learn more that Colleen's relationship with her son wasn't as simple as she would like it to be. Through their words and actions, Colleen and Shay both make it clear how much they love their sons. I was very impressed by how viscerally the author made me feel their pain and despair when their sons are missing. The raw emotions portrayed in this book were another thing I loved. If you're looking for something fresh and different, edgy and emotional, I suggest moving The Missing Place to the top of your to-read pile.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey. show less