The Summer She Went Missing

Starred review from January 8, 2024
This tautly paced thriller by Ichaso (They’re Watching You) follows small-town secrets to a deadly conclusion as a world of con artists, monsters, and murder unravels from the depths of Clearwater Ridge, an idyllic vacation destination for the ultra-rich. When teenager Paige Redmond’s best friend, the wealthy and beautiful Audrey Covington, becomes the latest in a string of missing girls, the case goes cold due to a lack of information. Unable to accept this outcome, Paige and competitive swimmer Dylan—Audrey’s handsome older brother, whom Paige has been besotted with since they were kids—begin their own inquiry into Audrey’s disappearance, at the same time delving into a world of shadowy townies and even more sinister dealings among the area’s upper crust populace. What the duo finds reveals Clearwater Ridge’s rotting center, which threatens to claim not just the lives of disappeared girls but of anyone who asks too many questions. Ichaso’s prose is crackling and propulsive, and alternating perspectives and timelines imbue the central mystery with an anticipatory ambiance that culminates in an earned ending that doesn’t waste any of the intricate and fascinating plot beats that make up this high-stakes tale. Characters cue as white. Ages 14–up.