A powerful and captivating novel. The characters are likable, and I really felt for the main family as they struggle to come to terms with the disappearance. The resolution was very satisfying. The climax of the novel was a flurry of activity which seemed to make no sense until it was all cleared up at the end. What makes this novel a cut above most suspense novels was the realistic characters who are very three dimensional. The novel goes along and you think there are no surprises than the author pulls something new out of his hat. I really enjoyed this and will look for other books by this author. It's hard to believe this was her first book. A very good debut.