Book Review: Ghosts of the Missing by Kathleen Donohoe

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this book from Mariner Books (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) via Edelweissplus,  free of charge, for review purposes on this blog. No compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it, all opinions are my own

In the vein of The Lovely Bones and The Little Friend, Ghosts of the Missing follows the mysterious disappearance of a twelve-year-old girl during a town parade and the reverberations of this tragedy throughout the town.

Synopsis:

On Saturday, October 28, 1995, a girl vanished. She was not a child particularly prized in town...When questioned by reporters, those who’d known Rowan described her as ‘quiet’ and ‘loner’ and ‘shy’ and even ‘awkward.’ Words for pity.

Culleton, New York has a long history—of writers, of artists, and of unsolved mysteries. It’s where Adair grew up before she moved to Brooklyn to try to make it as an artist. But after years away from her hometown and little to show for it, Adair decides to return. She moves back in to Moye House, the old mansion, and current writer’s retreat, imbued with her family's legacy.

Ciaran is a writer staying at Moye House in the hopes of finally solving the mystery of what happened to Rowan Kinnane—his sister, and Adair’s childhood best friend. As the two begin investigating, secrets long buried rise to the surface, complicating their sense of themselves and their understanding of what happened on that fateful day.

With her “knack for capturing heartbreaking moments with a gripping simplicity” (Village Voice), Kathleen Donohoe lures us into a haunting world of secrets and obsessions and shows just how far people will go in search of the truth.

Review:

This book goes back and forth in Adair's life, and the time 'before'- when Rowan went missing. It took be quite a while to get through this book, and I'm still not sure how to explain why. I think part of it is that is just slowed down by the constant back and forth, and keeping up with a cast of characters in present and back times, and a story line that plods, for lack of a better word. By the time I finished, I felt like the story could have been edited down by a third and not lost much. The ending seemed more like the author (and editor) said 'ok, have to finish now', and rushed it. It could have been so much more, if edited and shortened. Some readers may like all the back and forth, and taking their time reading the book slowly, it just wasn't my cup of tea...

About the Author:

KATHLEEN DONOHOE is the author of Ashes of Fiery Weather. Her stories and essays have appeared in The Recorder, New York Stories, and Washington Square Review. She serves on the Board of Irish American Writers & Artists. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and son.