HOW TO FIND A MISSING GIRL

A trio of teen detectives attempts to solve the mystery of two girls who are missing from their small Louisiana hometown.

Iris Blackthorn is many things, including pansexual, an amateur sleuth, and the younger sibling of cheerleader Stella, who has been gone for over a year. In pursuit of this mystery, Iris becomes friends with Sammy Valdez-Taylor, a lesbian hacker, and Imani Turner, a dedicated costume designer who uses they/them pronouns. Together they start a detective agency. Heather Nasato, the ex-girlfriend Iris is on amicable terms with, asks the agency to investigate her boyfriend, as she believes he is cheating on her. Shortly after they report proof of his infidelity to Heather, she also goes missing. With the stakes even higher, Iris and her team desperately look for any clues that Heather may have left behind, including any hidden in How to Find a Missing Girl, the podcast Heather made about Stella’s disappearance. Along for the ride, whether Iris wants her there or not, is Lea Li Zhang, student journalist and the bisexual, polydactyl ex–best friend Iris has complicated feelings about. The characters’ distinct personalities seamlessly blend into the twisty narrative. Along with lots of action and suspense, the portrayal of managing realistic emotional trauma brings introspective depth that will have readers thinking as they devour pages to get to the exhilarating conclusion. Names and physical descriptions cue racial diversity in the cast.

A suspenseful, emotionally charged mystery that hits the mark.