Among the Missing: A Novel Review

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(More customer reviews)The collapse of a bridge in Scotland brings three strangers together and affects their lives in dramatically unexpected ways in Morag Joss' novel, Among the Missing. The story unfolds primarily from the perspectives of "Annabel", a forty-two year old pregnant woman, and Silva, a young wife and mother who is in the country illegally. The two women seem to drift into living together in increasing isolation, while Ron, a fifty-year-old ex-convict hiding the terrible secret in his past, unwittingly facilitates and finally serves as witness to the climax of the women's relationship.
Chapters written in the first person from the perspective of each woman, interposed with chapters written in the third person that focus on Ron, skillfully engage readers by meting out insights into the characters' lives and thoughts, gradually revealing what they are and are not capable of and how they change within the action of the book. Joss uses the natural environment -- particularly the river -- and the man-made environment -- particularly the re-building of the bridge and the "homes" where the women live -- to underline the emotions of her characters; both environments impact the characters' thoughts and actions.
The novel is reminiscent of Sophie Hannah, Minette Walters, Tana French, and other authors who are so skilled at hooking readers on characters. Although the title of the book seems straightforward early on, its meaning can be interpreted on several levels. The book raises a number of issues, including if and how individuals can change and how our involvement with self colors the way we view others.
Among the Missing is a difficult book to review without giving away too much of the plot. The novel is both psychological study and psychological thriller. The author teases readers into following the path of the plot, luring them gradually and irresistibly into twists and turns down a road that leads to a stunning climax. It is a book that will be hard for me to forget.


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