cover image Missing

Missing

Jasmine Cresswell, . . Mira, $6.99 (395pp) ISBN 978-0-7783-2467-6

The first novel in Cresswell's new Ravens trilogy is a taut suspenser concerning the double life of missing multimillionaire and secret bigamist Ron Raven. Having disappeared from a Miami hotel room, leaving signs of a bloody struggle, Raven's trail leads police to his two families, whom he had for 25 years kept in separate cities—one in Chicago and one in Thatch, Wyo.—and entirely clueless about each other. As police uncover deeper levels of deception, it comes to light that Raven used his Wyoming wife's ranch as collateral on a loan he received from his Chicago wife's brother, Adam. Furious, Adam shows up at the ranch to demand his money, only to find that Raven's fortune has vanished with him. Soon, he and Raven's daughter Megan (of the Wyoming clan) set out on a global search for the missing millions, leading them into a web of intrigue and murder. Grabbing readers from the get-go, Cresswell's book is fraught with sex, secrets and double-crosses, and her cast of characters—especially the charismatic leads—are sharply developed. Full and satisfying, Cresswell's twisty series kickoff is sure to please. (Sept.)