Grace Is Gone

Set in the tiny Cornish town of Ashford, this enthralling thriller from British author Elgar (If You Knew Her) opens with Cara Dorman finding her neighbor, Meg Nichols, bludgeoned to death and Meg’s critically ill 17-year-old daughter, Grace, missing. Might Meg’s abusive ex-husband and Grace’s father, Simon, be the culprit? Cara feels guilty that she let her relationship with Grace cool in the last year, and she joins forces with journalist Jon Katrin to try to locate the missing teen. Jon has his own agenda. His writing an article about Meg’s relationship with Grace, in which he questioned Meg’s choice to keep Simon away from Grace, led to his becoming a pariah, and he wants to reestablish his good name. The novel is as much about perceived truth, media, and the workings of small communities as it is about solving crime. Twists and turns keep the reader guessing up to the satisfying ending. Along the way, Elgar wrestles with some engrossing ethical questions that will keep readers thinking long after they reach the end of the book. (Jan.)