The Missing Family

 

By Tim Weaver

Review

A 2024 Top Rated Read

Three members of the Fowler family disappear from their dinghy in the middle of a lake. The mother, who fell asleep ashore for just a minute, calls in missing persons expert David Raker to find out what happened that day. Meanwhile, at the Skyline Casino in London, a murder suspect is detained. But after securely locking him in a holding cell until the police arrive, he vanishes into thin air. While Raker investigates the Fowler case, his long-time friend and ex-cop Colm Healy delves into the casino mystery. What they discover opens up a can of worms, putting both their lives in grave danger. 

 

This series is one of my favourites and if you haven't yet read any you're in for a treat. Each time I pick one up I find it incredibly hard to put down. The Missing Family is no exception. Full of twists and turns and with just the right amount of mystery, Raker turns the seemingly impossible into plausible. He covers all angles leaving no stone unturned. Although the plot is quite intricate, it isn't difficult to follow and I loved how the two cases slotted together. It's an exciting, fast-paced, thrilling read from beginning to end. I loved it.

★★★★★

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Michael Joseph
• Publication Year: 2024
• Author: Tim Weaver
• Genre: Crime, Thriller

Synopsis

One family...
On a beautiful summer's day, at a remote lake in the middle of Dartmoor, three members of the Fowler family take a dinghy out onto the water, leaving mother Sarah at the shore.

Less than sixty seconds later, she checks to see where they are.
The boat is drifting in the middle of the lake. It's empty.

Sarah's family have completely vanished.

One killer...
At the Skyline Casino in London, the security team have just made a headline-grabbing arrest: they've spotted and detained a man suspected of murdering a high roller.

After locking him in one of their holding cells, the team station themselves outside and wait for the police. But when the cops arrive, they find something impossible.

The killer is no longer inside the cell.

Two detectives...
David Raker is an expert at solving missing persons puzzles - but these mysteries are unlike anything he's ever seen.

As he digs into the Fowler's, his long-time ally - ex-detective, Colm Healy - tries to get to the bottom of what happened at the casino.

But the men are in danger. Because, buried in the shadows of both cases, is a deadly secret that was never meant to come out...