This book was provided by the publisher for review purposes. All opinions are my own
Missing White Woman: A Novel by Kellye GarrettPublication Date: April 30, 2024
Publisher: Mulholland Books / Hachette Book Group
Pages: 336
Goodreads
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Thrillers / Domestic
Rating: ★★★
Synopsis:
A "compulsive page-turner" (Harlan Coben) and "thriller not to be missed" (Michael Connelly) from the award-winning author of Like a Sister, in which a woman thinks she’s waking up to a romantic vacation—only to find a body in her rental home and her boyfriend gone.
The truth is never skin deep.
It was supposed to be a romantic getaway weekend in New York City. Breanna’s new boyfriend, Ty, took care of everything—the train tickets, the dinner reservations, the rented four-story luxury rowhouse in Jersey City with a beautiful view of the Manhattan skyline.
But when Bree comes downstairs their final morning, Ty is nowhere to be found and there’s a stranger dead in the foyer—the missing woman the entire Internet has become obsessed with: Janelle Beckett. Soon, both the police and an army of Internet sleuths are asking questions Bree doesn't know how to answer. Desperate to find Ty and to keep her own secrets buried, Bree realizes there’s only one person she can turn to: her ex-best friend, a lawyer with whom she shares a very complicated past.
Fierce, smart, and thrilling to the end, Missing White Woman not only explores “Missing White Woman” syndrome and traveling while Black, but deftly inverts the hallmarks of the domestic suspense genre to ask: How well can we truly know the people we love? And what happens to these stories when seen through the eyes of a Black woman?
REVIEW
Firstly, I must admit that I found every character in this book frustrating. Each one stirred up feelings of annoyance or anger, and I couldn’t relate to any of them. This usually affects my enjoyment of a book. However, this wasn’t the case with “Missing White Woman: A Novel” by Kellye Garrett. Despite my irritation towards each character, the story was well-executed.
As a frequent reader of thrillers, I often anticipate plot twists. However, this was one of the few stories where all my predictions were either wrong or partially right. Recognizing all the characters was straightforward, but assembling the narrative puzzle was more challenging than I expected. The author succeeded in keeping me engaged until the end, consistently surprising me with unexpected yet plausible twists.
The book skillfully addressed the issue of race, the stereotyping of black men, the portrayal of the missing white woman as a paragon of virtue, and the depiction of the black woman as a deserving drug addict. Although this was a theme in the story, it did not detract from the overall mystery. The characters’ annoyance, rather than outrage, over this issue was notable.
As my first encounter with Kellye Garrett’s work, “Missing White Woman: A Novel” serves as a good introduction. If possible, I recommend listening to the audiobook version. The vocalization and characterization were excellent. Even though I didn’t like any of the characters, it helped me better understand them.
