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Missing Mark

(Riley Spartz #2)

Julie Kramer (Goodreads Author)

3.59 · Rating details · 1,126 ratings · 175 reviews

In this page-turning sequel to Stalking Susan, TV reporter Riley Spartz pursues a curious story of a bride left at the altar and finds herself caught in a dangerous missing-person case.

When Riley Spartz sees a want ad reading “Wedding Dress for Sale: Never Worn,” her news instincts tell her that the backstory might make an intriguing television sweeps piece.

The groom, Ma ...more

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Hardcover, 288 pages

Published July 14th 2009 by Doubleday

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Missing persons/disappearance/absence

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· 1,126 ratings · 175 reviews

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Oct 08, 2017 Christine rated it really liked it

Shelves: own-on-shelf

4 stars

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Julie Kramer at a Minnesota crime writers panel held at my local library a week or two ago. I had read the first book in this series a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Julie had a stack of her books at the function so I took the opportunity to pick up a nice hardback copy of #2 in the series, Missing Mark. As an aside, I just want to mention that Ms. Kramer was very gracious in letting me take the book though I didn’t have the means to pay for it that 4 stars

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Julie Kramer at a Minnesota crime writers panel held at my local library a week or two ago. I had read the first book in this series a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Julie had a stack of her books at the function so I took the opportunity to pick up a nice hardback copy of #2 in the series, Missing Mark. As an aside, I just want to mention that Ms. Kramer was very gracious in letting me take the book though I didn’t have the means to pay for it that day (cash only). She said I could just send her a check at my leisure. So nice.

This was a really fun read. I’ve been reading a lot of dark crime books/thrillers this year so this one was a nice change. Riley is an investigative reporter for a Minneapolis network TV station, loosely based on the station Ms. Kramer worked for as an investigative reporter herself some years ago. This is a quick and light read, full of quirky humor. We get inside info on the workings of a television news I-team, which I found very interesting. We also get introduced to a rare, but real, curious cerebral flaw in two of the characters and how they adjusted their lives because of it.

Riley is working on several stories during this episode, including what happened to the groom who never showed up, and who vandalized the local aquarium and stole the largest bass ever caught in Minnesota. We also get some murders, but there is nothing particularly dark or graphic.

I particularly liked the fun dialogue (I had several out loud laughs) and, of course, the Twin Cities Minnesota setting. I also liked Riley’s relationship with her photographer Malik.

During her library gig, Ms. Kramer admitted she doesn’t outline her stories. She just dives in and writes as she goes. I kept this in mind as I was reading and was impressed with how she had everything come together at the end. Great epilogue.

If you are in the mood for a light mystery, this series would be a great pick. There are a total of six books, and I’m sure I will eventually get to them all.
...more

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Aug 29, 2009 Michael rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2009, mystery

When investigative reporter Riley Sparkz see an ad in the paper for a never worn wedding dress, she decides there must be more to the story and begins an investigation.

Wealthy socialite Madeline was to marry down-and-out stand-up comic Mark three months after meeting him. But on the day of the nuptials, Mark didn't show up at the church and has vanished. Was it his ex-girlfriend or something more?

Meanwhile, the largest bass in the state of Minnesota is bass-napped by an animal rights group and ...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Sarah Madison rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I actually rate this a 3.5, though I have no idea how to do so with the little stars here.

I like Julie Kramer as an author. I really enjoyed her debut novel Stalking Susan. I like her protagonist Riley Spartz.

Missing Mark just missed the mark for me. (Sorry, couldn't help the pun!) I'm not entirely sure why, to be honest. I still like the protagonist, but there was less of her personal life in this story--in Stalking Susan we learned a lot about her in a skillful, slow reveal of detail that was I actually rate this a 3.5, though I have no idea how to do so with the little stars here.

I like Julie Kramer as an author. I really enjoyed her debut novel Stalking Susan. I like her protagonist Riley Spartz.

Missing Mark just missed the mark for me. (Sorry, couldn't help the pun!) I'm not entirely sure why, to be honest. I still like the protagonist, but there was less of her personal life in this story--in Stalking Susan we learned a lot about her in a skillful, slow reveal of detail that was extremely well-done. Her depiction of Riley's life and career felt realistic--I liked the fact that as an investigative reporter, she never has just one story on her plate--she's always juggling two or three.

However, in Missing Mark, the elements I enjoyed in Stalking Susan seemed a bit too formulaic for me. First, I spotted the 'K9 drug dog/ meth operation next door' from a mile away. Second, I was also aware early on that the Mark's murderer had to be the mother of the bride (though I confess, the reason *why* had escaped me until it was revealed). I even spotted the Noreen/ Toby affair. The events in Missing Mark just seemed a little too contrived: while running from drug dealers who want to gun down Shep, she just happens to stumble across Mark's grave? It felt like one of the later episodes of CSI, where all the threads come together just a little too conveniently.

Take Shep for example. He is a plot device in this story. He is not a real dog. He was more of a real dog in the first novel, as Garnett was more of real character. Both are sidelined here as being part of the formula. The same arms-distance treatment is given to Riley herself. At least in the first novel, we got to see glimpses of the real Riley behind her tough-as-nails shell. Here, we got tough Riley and not much else. Even when circumstances drive her into Garnett's arms, he is conveniently removed from the area by the end of the story.

So I am disappointed that Riley doesn't grow as a character, even as I enjoyed the story and thought the means by which Riley redirected the murderer into shooting her own son *brilliant*. This was a tough review for me to write because Stalking Susan was one of the better books I've read in a long time, with a fresh new heroine that I enjoyed tremendously.

Perhaps I'm being too harsh. Perhaps what we will see over time is Riley working through her need to keep everyone at arms-distance. If that was the author's intent--to show that Riley herself is holding back--then in this instance, it was a little too well done. I had trouble connecting with her as a real character in this story. I still like her though, and like the author's work. I will be reading more of it, I am sure.

...more

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Mar 04, 2014 Jean rated it liked it

It’s sweeps month again, and when Riley Spartz comes across a newspaper ad that reads, “WEDDING DRESS, NEVER WORN," she knows she has the makings of a good story. What she doesn’t know is that Mark, the potential groom, has been missing for months. She is also asked to cover the story of a missing giant lake bass from Underwater Adventures at the Mall of America, where an animal rights supposedly has taken credit for the fish-napping, but this just smells rotten to Riley.

It has been months sinc ...more

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Sep 24, 2018 Jodi rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, 2018-read

The second Riley Spartz book had everything you could ask for in a good mystery. A great hook - missing groom - a bride with a fascinating genetic abnormality - and some really good interplay with prior characters. It worked beautifully. I figured it out about the same time that Riley did. She balanced the action well and I thought Riley's character growth was well done. If this had been the first book it would have been a killer. Mark was a stand-up comic. About average in height, weight, looks ...more

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Jul 02, 2009 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: amazon-vine, cozy-mysteries, advanced-copy, 2009

2 1/2 stars
Missing Mark is the second in a series about investigative reporter Riley Spartz. The first is Stalking Susan, which I have not read. Even though I didn't read the first one, I didn't feel as though I missed anything--anything pertinent to the story was recapped quickly.

The story was decent enough, but I felt like it missed in a few places. First, I kept figuring things out way before they were revealed. Maybe too many hints were given or just not enough red herrings to keep the reade 2 1/2 stars
Missing Mark is the second in a series about investigative reporter Riley Spartz. The first is Stalking Susan, which I have not read. Even though I didn't read the first one, I didn't feel as though I missed anything--anything pertinent to the story was recapped quickly.

The story was decent enough, but I felt like it missed in a few places. First, I kept figuring things out way before they were revealed. Maybe too many hints were given or just not enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The actual who-done-it seemed far too obvious and made me just want to rush through finishing the book to get to the point where Riley finally figures it out.

Second, the "exciting" parts in the book read just like the rest of the book. It would be going along nicely and then all of a sudden something big would happen, but the way it read was something like, "I was running through the park and then I was chased." Oh. Is that exciting? I found myself being surprised that something "big" was happening because there was no real transition.

I also didn't care much for the ending. It was rather blah. In the end it was too much summary and not enough action.

The plot was good, but the execution was lacking. There wasn't enough depth to the action and I didn't find myself unable to put the book down.

Side note: I got this book through Amazon Vine hoping for a good one...I guess I was one of the few who was disappointed with it. At least 10 people through the Vine have given it a four or five star rating and raving about it. Most admit to figuring how the bad guy long before Riley does, but they still love it! How???? I read a mystery for a mystery...not to think the heroine is an idiot. I like fluffy reading, but get real people...read something that actually makes you feel for the characters and not figure it out halfway through the book while the heroine is acting stupid when she is supposed to be a smart investigative reporter...if she couldn't have figured it out sooner, she needs a new career. ...more

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Jul 05, 2009 Sandie rated it liked it

Shelves: thrillers-and-mystery, 2009-books

Missing Mark by Julie Kramer was not only an enjoyable read, it turned out to be an educational one as well. Prior to reading Kramer's book, I had never heard of an obscure disorder called Prosopagnosia, a neurological condition that renders a person incapable of recognizing faces (even those of family).

The story's protagonist, TV news journalist Riley Spartz, comes across as advertisement for the sale of a "WEDDING DRESS, NEVER WORN" and is intrigued. Feeling that this would be an ideal subjec Missing Mark by Julie Kramer was not only an enjoyable read, it turned out to be an educational one as well. Prior to reading Kramer's book, I had never heard of an obscure disorder called Prosopagnosia, a neurological condition that renders a person incapable of recognizing faces (even those of family).

The story's protagonist, TV news journalist Riley Spartz, comes across as advertisement for the sale of a "WEDDING DRESS, NEVER WORN" and is intrigued. Feeling that this would be an ideal subject for the upcoming May television ratings war Riley decides, much to the chagrin of her news director boss Noreen Banks, to get an interview with the owner of the dress. Noreen, on the other hand, has determined that the Minneapolis market would be more inclined to tune in to a story concerning a "missing big mouth bass" and assigns Riley to cover it. Riley performs the balancing act of the century by covering both stories as well as breaking up a meth cartel along the way. She is one busy gal.

Missing Mark is an engaging and entertaining story that has a little something for everyone. For mystery lovers there is the conundrum of the heartbroken fiancé and the missing groom, for those seeking a voyeuristic look into the politicking that takes place between management and on-air personalities at a TV station, they need look no further than Channel 3 in Minneapolis. For animal lovers and animal rights followers there is a delightful K9 dog as well as a kidnapped fish, for those intrigued by obscure maladies there is a new disease to explore and understand, and finally, for those seeking a fresh and wholesome piece of prose to quench your summer reading thirst, there is the balanced, fast paced, and buoyant life of investigative reported Riley Spartz.

Although this book is billed as a sequel to Kramer's Stalking Susan, one need not have read that initial offering to enjoy Missing Mark. With no obscene language or sex scenes this book in some respects resembles a cozy making it an appropriate book for most age groups. Definitely add this to your summer reading list. 3 1/2 stars
...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Jaime rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, mystery

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Stalking Susan, so I had high hopes for this one. Thankfully, it delivered! Riley Spartz is nothing if not persistent. Sweeps are coming up again, and she’s under pressure, as usual. TV news is changing, and the chances of her ending up with a story as big as the last one are low. When the ad for a never worn wedding dress shows up in the paper, she hopes she can find a story there. Along the way we get to visit with some of our favorite characters ...more

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Jun 08, 2016 Lisa rated it liked it

3.5 stars

Overall I enjoyed this book but a few story points were too contrived - stumbling upon dead bodies, the movie quotes, locating missing fish, etc. That being said, I'll still continue on with the series! ...more

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Nov 18, 2016 Emily rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2016-popsugar-challenge, mj-challenge-2016

Not bad, but lost points for major predictability.

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Aug 02, 2019 Jenna rated it liked it

3.5 stars

Another good one.
I like the riley spartz character. Glad for the return of Shep. I liked that character.
It started out w/an intriguing premise- a missing groom & an indifferent bride.
There were also a few other subplot/mysteries so I wondered if they were going to connect.

This one had more humor in it. (I did chuckle out loud a few times.)

The negative was that she focuses a lot on her dead husband.
While as a reader you understand & empathize with Riley, you do hope she’d meet someone ...more

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May 02, 2020 M. Sprouse rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

I started on book three of this series. That book almost did me in from reading the rest of the Riley Spartz saga. I have gone back and now have read the first two in the collection. Let me tell you they're pretty darn good. I sometimes shy away from female authors (my apologies), but I believe most men will enjoy Julie Kramer's writing style. My wife is reading it now and thanked me for the suggestion.

"Missing Mark" like "Stalking Susan." is an amusing tale. It has some unusual but witty compo ...more

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Jun 14, 2018 Sue rated it liked it

It should be a 3.5. This book gave you an insider's look at how some TV stations approach ratings and Sweeps Week. It also kept you guessing about who done it. The reason it wasn't a higher rating as I felt less connected to the main protagonist, tv reporter, Riley, as the book came to a close. I thought her disregard of others was not a particualraly attractive trait, and I didn't like how the characters suddenly reached the climax/end of the book. The plot was convoluted enough that it was fun ...more

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Dec 10, 2018 Elisabeth rated it it was amazing

There’s something comforting about reading a series that takes place in a setting you are familiar with. Being a Minnesotan it’s nice to be able to picture the places the book is talking about! This is the second book in Julie Kramer’s Rylie Spartz series and I am hooked line and sinker (once you read the book you will understand the fish joke lol) I listened to the audio version and was completely drawn in from the beginning! Lots of red herrings and twists and turns that kept me up late into t ...more

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Dec 13, 2018 darlene endres rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

The goods on this book.

I have read both Riley Spartz book. The first was for a book club and I enjoyed it so much I was happy to pick this one up. This book was also very good. This author is funny and engaging. Her books are not necessarily suspenseful but you will find yourself wanting to know the outcome. I learned about a physical condition I had never heard of and had to read up on to, very interesting. Yes, I enjoyed both books by this author and look forward to the next one.

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Nov 03, 2018 Dawn rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Faceless in a crowd

Riley reads an ad and starts to investigate the reason for the unused wedding dress. Also a prize fish is taken so Riley is working several stories. She is finding more trouble. Will read more in the series.

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Jul 28, 2017 Rog Harrison rated it liked it

This was an enjoyable read and I liked the character of TV journalist Riley Spartz. A decent mystery which was laced with humour and also some interesting facts.

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Dec 03, 2017 Isla Scott rated it liked it

Shelves: standalone-short-stories, mystery

Pretty bland, not especially interesting. An alright read, nothing more.

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Jan 09, 2018 TG Wolff rated it really liked it

I really enjoyed this fun, high-spirited mystery. It was a great way to relax over the weekend.

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Jan 20, 2018 Marylyn rated it liked it

Really enjoyed it; didn’t know anything about prosopagnosis. The more I think about it, the worse it sounds!

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Feb 03, 2018 Sandy rated it really liked it

Surprisingly a good read and would look for more in this series. Kept me interested so that hours went by without notice. Not something I would exclaim over but the best I’ve read all week.

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Mar 03, 2018 Angie Benson rated it really liked it

This was really an easy fun mystery read! Love her humor and was especially fun hearing facts about local towns in my area!

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Jul 28, 2018 Caron rated it really liked it

This is my new favorite mystery series. Riley's investigative reporting skills are again put to the test in this missing person case. ...more

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Aug 22, 2018 erin delafosse rated it liked it

‘This was the follow up to Seeking Susan with the great reporter Riley and May Sweeps at Channel 3. Noreen, Miles, Malik, and Toby join the story as Riley searches for Big Billy Bass and a missing groom. I love the characters and that Riley is a smart character. I dislike how predictable the villain is and Riley never sees it coming :(( very frustrating.

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Jan 12, 2019 Anne Trinkle rated it really liked it

I liked this book. It was entertaining and informational. It wasn’t the best written mystery but I still liked it.

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Oct 20, 2019 Gretchen Stein rated it liked it

#2 in the series, entertaining!

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Sep 15, 2020 Kereen rated it it was ok

I liked the beginning.

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Jan 22, 2021 aprilla rated it liked it

3.5 Still enjoying this series and looking forward to the next book, been a while since I said that.

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Jul 26, 2010 Spuddie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

#2 Riley Spartz 'amateur sleuth' mystery set in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Riley is an investigative television reporter trying to come up with an interesting story for the upcoming "sweeps week" when ratings are even more important than usual. Perusing the want ads in the newspaper, she sees an ad that piques her interest: "For Sale: Wedding dress, never worn."

Intrigued, she answers the ad on the pretense of wanting to buy the dress to learn why the bride-to-be never got to wear #2 Riley Spartz 'amateur sleuth' mystery set in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis/St. Paul. Riley is an investigative television reporter trying to come up with an interesting story for the upcoming "sweeps week" when ratings are even more important than usual. Perusing the want ads in the newspaper, she sees an ad that piques her interest: "For Sale: Wedding dress, never worn."

Intrigued, she answers the ad on the pretense of wanting to buy the dress to learn why the bride-to-be never got to wear the dress. It turns out she was left at the altar, the groom vanishing into thin air about six months ago, and yet Riley is wondering why no one has made much of an effort to find him. She comes clean to Madeline Post, the bride, and confesses to her real purpose, and convinces her that doing the story might bring new information about where Mark, her fiance, may have gone.

When Riley starts investigating, she finds a lot of interesting secrets about the groom--and the bride, and several other people. Her boss isn't really interested in the story, and wants Riley to focus on covering the kidnapping of a huge lake bass from the Underwater Adventures park at the Mall of America. A radical animal rights groups supposedly is taking credit, but that smells fishy to Riley.

It's hard to get into details without giving too much away here--but suffice it to say, this was an awesome book! I am not a fan of the TV news--or news in general really, and much of the reason for that is explained in this series by the author who used to be a TV news producer herself. It's sad that so much of what passes for news is drivel designed to increase ratings rather than actually report newsworthy things.

That said, I really like Riley, and the author is an obvious native to the area as the whole book is soaked with the ambiance of Minnesota. I think even if you don't know the Twin Cities, you'll still like this, though. While I guessed at the bad guy fairly early on, there were a couple of plot twists I didn't see coming at all. And I learned something too, about a subject I'd never heard of before, "face blindness." How odd! Anyway--read it! Great book! Or even listen to it like I did. The reader, Bernadette Dunn--who was a new-to-me narrator--did a spectacular job! ...more

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Jun 09, 2010 Denise rated it really liked it

4.0 out of 5 stars "For Sale: Wedding Dress. Never Worn.", June 26, 2009

This review is from: Missing Mark (Hardcover)

I had selected Missing Mark from Amazon Vine before I realized it was the second in a series so of course I had to get Stalking Susan and read it first. That's just an idiosyncrasy and even though it fleshes out the backstory of our intrepid heroine, Riley Spartz, it really isn't necessary to read it prior to enjoying this book. This sequel is just as well done as the debut.

Feat ...more

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About Julie Kramer

Julie Kramer

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Julie Kramer has moved from journalist to novelist. She writes a mystery series set in the desperate world of television news—a world she knows well from her career working as a freelance news producer for NBC and CBS, as well as running the acclaimed WCCO-TV I-Team in Minneapolis.

Her thrillers, STALKING SUSAN, MISSING MARK, SILENCING SAM, KILLING KATE, SHUNNING SARAH and soon to come - DELIVERING ...more