The Forgotten Girl

Jason Danvers, the hero of this tense, cleverly plotted thriller from Bell (Never Come Back), has relocated with his wife to his hometown of Ednaville, Ohio, where he’s making a fresh start after losing a job in New York City. The couple are surprised to receive a visit from Jason’s estranged alcoholic sister, Hayden, who appears to be on the wagon. Hayden has some unfinished business to take care of in town, and asks Jason to look after her daughter, a high school junior, while she leaves for 48 hours. Hayden doesn’t return, and her disappearance coincides with the resurfacing of a decades-old mystery involving Jason’s best friend, Logan Shaw, who went missing in high school. When a link emerges between Logan and Hayden, Jason realizes that family and friends have been hiding deep secrets for years. Bell skillfully throws curveballs into the story line, though veteran mystery fans may anticipate the jaw-dropping finale. Agent: Laney Katz Becker, Lippincott, Massie, McQuilkin Literary Agents. (Oct.)