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In Case I Go Missing
Not yet published
Expected 26 May 26A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder meets Fargo in this fast-paced YA mystery about a teen detective gone missing and her best friend who must finish her investigation.
Seventeen-year-old Fenny Allen has been Sarah Vincenty's sidekick for as long as she can remember, ever since the two of them solved the mystery of the stolen library books back in elementary school. Over the years, Sarah has ruffled a few feathers in their small town, building a reputation as both an amateur detective and a vigilante who has dispensed her own form of justice.
Now Sarah is missing. The police have written her off as yet another teen runaway, but Fenny is convinced that something more sinister has happened. When she discovers a binder Sarah left behind entitled In Case I Go Missing, Fenny learns that at the time of her disappearance, Sarah was investigating her biggest case yet.
Fenny knows that it's up to her to finish what Sarah had begun. As she and her friend Sam piece together the clues that Sarah left for them, they find themselves up against a decades-old mystery—one that links to the town's dark history. But is this binder a guide to finding Sarah—or are Fenny and Sam already too late?
The more the pair uncover, the clearer it becomes that those involved will go to great lengths to keep their secrets—even as far as murder.
Seventeen-year-old Fenny Allen has been Sarah Vincenty's sidekick for as long as she can remember, ever since the two of them solved the mystery of the stolen library books back in elementary school. Over the years, Sarah has ruffled a few feathers in their small town, building a reputation as both an amateur detective and a vigilante who has dispensed her own form of justice.
Now Sarah is missing. The police have written her off as yet another teen runaway, but Fenny is convinced that something more sinister has happened. When she discovers a binder Sarah left behind entitled In Case I Go Missing, Fenny learns that at the time of her disappearance, Sarah was investigating her biggest case yet.
Fenny knows that it's up to her to finish what Sarah had begun. As she and her friend Sam piece together the clues that Sarah left for them, they find themselves up against a decades-old mystery—one that links to the town's dark history. But is this binder a guide to finding Sarah—or are Fenny and Sam already too late?
The more the pair uncover, the clearer it becomes that those involved will go to great lengths to keep their secrets—even as far as murder.
400 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication May 26, 2026
3 people are currently reading
5713 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley and Viking Books for Young Readers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“In Case I Go Missing” by R.N. Swann is a layered, fast-moving YA mystery that combines small-town secrets, long-buried history, and the emotional fallout of losing someone you thought would always be there. With a clever hook and steadily escalating tension, Swann delivers a suspenseful story that rewards patient readers who enjoy complex, twist-heavy mysteries.
Seventeen-year-old Fenny Allen has always been the sidekick to Sarah Vincenty who is the town’s self-appointed teen detective who exposes secrets, solves petty crimes, and isn’t afraid to take justice into her own hands. So when Sarah disappears just before graduation, the police are quick to label her a runaway. Fenny knows better. Her certainty deepens when she finds a binder Sarah left behind titled In Case I Go Missing, filled with notes, clues, and ominously torn-out pages.
Alongside Sam, her other best friend, Fenny picks up Sarah’s final investigation. What begins as a search for a missing girl quickly spirals into something far larger: a century-old mystery involving missing gold, a forgotten abandoned church, a man who vanished ten years earlier, and a cover-up that reaches into the highest levels of their small town. As suspects multiply, many of them powerful and protected, it becomes clear that Sarah’s disappearance is tied directly to secrets some people would kill to keep buried.
One of the story’s greatest strengths is its characters. Fenny and Sam feel like real teenagers, balancing gallows humor, fear, and loyalty in a way that keeps the story grounded. Their friendship is the emotional heart of the book, especially as both are dealing with difficult home lives. Sam’s in particular is shaped by years of abuse from his older brother. Sarah herself is a more complicated presence: smart and driven, but also deeply flawed, willing to exploit others’ secrets in pursuit of the truth. No one here is idealized, which makes the stakes feel more authentic.
The mystery is dense, with multiple timelines and plot threads weaving together, sometimes almost overwhelmingly so. Younger readers may find it a bit complicated, but Swann ultimately brings everything together in a way that feels intentional and satisfying. The pacing steadily tightens, layering twist upon twist until the central question--whether Sarah is alive or dead—can no longer be avoided.
By the end, the story delivers solid closure without pretending that trauma and loss vanish neatly. The characters grow, the truth comes to light, and there’s a sense of hard-won resolution rather than easy answers.
Overall, “In Case I Go Missing” is a smart, suspenseful YA thriller packed with secrets, history, and moral gray areas. With its strong friendships, flawed characters, and intricately connected mystery, it’s a rewarding read for older YA fans who enjoy complicated puzzles and small-town darkness lurking just beneath the surface.
“In Case I Go Missing” by R.N. Swann is a layered, fast-moving YA mystery that combines small-town secrets, long-buried history, and the emotional fallout of losing someone you thought would always be there. With a clever hook and steadily escalating tension, Swann delivers a suspenseful story that rewards patient readers who enjoy complex, twist-heavy mysteries.
Seventeen-year-old Fenny Allen has always been the sidekick to Sarah Vincenty who is the town’s self-appointed teen detective who exposes secrets, solves petty crimes, and isn’t afraid to take justice into her own hands. So when Sarah disappears just before graduation, the police are quick to label her a runaway. Fenny knows better. Her certainty deepens when she finds a binder Sarah left behind titled In Case I Go Missing, filled with notes, clues, and ominously torn-out pages.
Alongside Sam, her other best friend, Fenny picks up Sarah’s final investigation. What begins as a search for a missing girl quickly spirals into something far larger: a century-old mystery involving missing gold, a forgotten abandoned church, a man who vanished ten years earlier, and a cover-up that reaches into the highest levels of their small town. As suspects multiply, many of them powerful and protected, it becomes clear that Sarah’s disappearance is tied directly to secrets some people would kill to keep buried.
One of the story’s greatest strengths is its characters. Fenny and Sam feel like real teenagers, balancing gallows humor, fear, and loyalty in a way that keeps the story grounded. Their friendship is the emotional heart of the book, especially as both are dealing with difficult home lives. Sam’s in particular is shaped by years of abuse from his older brother. Sarah herself is a more complicated presence: smart and driven, but also deeply flawed, willing to exploit others’ secrets in pursuit of the truth. No one here is idealized, which makes the stakes feel more authentic.
The mystery is dense, with multiple timelines and plot threads weaving together, sometimes almost overwhelmingly so. Younger readers may find it a bit complicated, but Swann ultimately brings everything together in a way that feels intentional and satisfying. The pacing steadily tightens, layering twist upon twist until the central question--whether Sarah is alive or dead—can no longer be avoided.
By the end, the story delivers solid closure without pretending that trauma and loss vanish neatly. The characters grow, the truth comes to light, and there’s a sense of hard-won resolution rather than easy answers.
Overall, “In Case I Go Missing” is a smart, suspenseful YA thriller packed with secrets, history, and moral gray areas. With its strong friendships, flawed characters, and intricately connected mystery, it’s a rewarding read for older YA fans who enjoy complicated puzzles and small-town darkness lurking just beneath the surface.
December 9, 2025
I read this book before Viking picked it up as her publisher and refined it. The writing is sophisticated and the plot is engaging and twisty. Trust me. Its a great read.
November 24, 2025
In Case I Go Missing by R.N. Swann is a realistic suspense thriller. A missing teen detective. A notebook full of clues. And a small town full of suspects. Sarah, Fenny, and Sam grew up together and solved several mysteries, starting with the case of the missing library books then later exposing adults who were having affairs. But when Sarah goes missing not long before graduation, Fenny and Sam know something has gone horribly wrong. Police believe Sarah ran away. But Fenny discovers a binder Sarah left behind that’s labelled “If I Go Missing,” and has several pages torn out of it. Together, Sam and Fenny uncover a trail of clues Sarah left behind about the last case she was working on – that was both a century old cold case about missing gold and a cover-up involving some of the town’s most powerful people. People who would do almost anything to keep their secrets buried with the past. If you like a mystery that keeps you guessing until the very end, check out In Case I Go Missing.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews