Girl Missing (Previously published as Peggy Sue Got Murdered): A Novel

by Tess Gerritsen

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From Tess Gerritsen, bestselling author of the Rizzoli & Isles series, her stunning first thriller! Previously published as Peggy Sue Got Murdered

“Gerritsen has a knack for creating great characters and mysterious plots that seem straightforward but also dazzle with complexity and twists.”—Associated Press

A beautiful young woman’s corpse is found dumped in a garbage-strewn alley. Now laid out in the office of medical examiner Kat Novak is an unidentified body that betrays no secrets—except for a matchbook clutched in one stiff hand, seven numbers scrawled inside. When a second victim is discovered, Kat begins to fear that a serial killer is stalking the streets, using a deadly drug to do his dirty work. The police are skeptical. The mayor won’t listen. One of the town’s most prominent citizens, with a missing daughter of his own, is also Kat’s chief suspect. As the death toll rises, Kat races to expose a deadly predator who is close enough to touch her.
 
“[Gerritsen] has an imagination that allows her to conjure up depths of human behavior so dark and frightening that she makes Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft seem like goody-two-shoes.”—Chicago Tribune

• ISBN10: 0345549627
• ISBN13: 9780345549624
• Publish Date: 25 February 2014 (first published 21 May 2009)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Ballantine Books Inc.
• Format: Paperback (US Tall Rack)
• Pages: 368
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780345549624

Reviews

[kimbacaffeinate]

3.5 I discovered Tess Gerristen quite by accident while in the doctors’ office. There was a copy of the Surgeon, and I began reading. I then read all of her thrillers back to back. Her books were turned into a television series called Rizzoli & Isles. As much as I am a fan of her psychological suspense thrillers, I never ventured into her earlier works. I was surprised to learn she started with romantic suspense. Girl Missing is what Tess herself calls her bridge novel from romantic suspense to thriller. I enjoyed this mystery and was tickled to see where it all began. Mini review: strong characters, romance and murder that kept me engaged.

Kat Novak is the medical examiner in Boston, MA. The first body that arrives that morning is a mystery. A beautiful young woman with a matchbook clutched in her fist containing a seven digit number. When Kat calls that number it belongs to a prominent citizen. As the bodies begin to pile up, Kat realizes there is a problem..but the more she digs, and the more she protests, the greater the danger she is in.
I liked Kat; she is tenacious and not the least bit concerned with the politics that go on within the mayor and police department. She cares about stopping a killer and saving innocent lives. She was relentless when following a lead and is a straight shooter. When she begins to develop feelings for her prime suspect things got a little complicated. I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance but felt they worked well together as an investigative team.

Girl Missing offered up a keen murder mystery with unique suspects and characters. I had fun piecing things together. I can clearly see the Gerristen I have come to adore within these pages. While I questioned a few technical aspects, particularly in the ME’s office, I could not find fault with the plot and pacing. The romance while a significant thread really stayed in the background. While I felt they interacted well it lacked that sizzle romantic suspense usually brings. Truth be told the Surgeon is a stronger, tighter, darker novel that left me breathless. While this didn’t wow me, I am glad that I read Girl Missing, and quite enjoyed the tale she wove.

Copy received from publisher in exchange for unbiased review that originally published @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer