Book Review: Missing Persons

By Sandy Amazeen Jun 21, 2011, 1:18 GMT

The debut of an exciting new mystery series featuring a sarcastic television producer turned amateur sleuth. The cause of death is "undetermined," but the cops peg Chicago television producer Kate Conway as the main suspect when her soon-to-be ex-husband, Frank, is found dead. To make matters worse-and weirder- Frank\'s new girlfriend suddenly wants to be friends. Happy for the distraction, Kate throws herself into a new work assignment for the television ...more

If opposites attract then high school sweethearts, Kate Conway and her husband Frank prove that after fifteen years of marriage, that attraction can wear thin. Absorbed in her job as a freelance television producer specializing in true crime stories, Kate is a master at manipulating people’s responses to achieve the desire effect on camera. Meanwhile, Frank has aspirations of being an artist but is more of an unmotivated dreamer so it’s no wonder the couple has grown apart. With a divorce pending, Frank has gotten involved with another woman so when he is discovered murdered, there appears to be plenty of provocation for the police to consider Kate the primary suspect.

Kate copes with the situation by burying herself in her work, specifically, doing a story about twenty two year old Theresa Moretti who vanished over a year ago. Theresa’s parents cling to the hope that their daughter is alive and Kate’s investigation will discover her whereabouts. As Kate digs deeper and deeper into the mystery of Theresa’s disappearance she uncovers connections to Frank’s murder and if she isn’t very careful, she could be next.

O’Donohue puts her television experience to good use creating an authentic feeling, behind the scenes look at the banter and work that goes into creating a television series. The interaction between Kate and Frank’s new significant other adds an interesting twist to this well plotted amateur detective tale that is sure to win O’Donohue a broader fan base.