The Search Party

The disappearance of teenager Sadie Saunders from her small British community in this competent crime thriller from Lelic (The Liar’s Room) sparks a massive police search in the nearby woods, headed by Det. Insp. Robin Fleet, who has some personal history with the area. Meanwhile, some of Sadie’s teenage friends form their own search party, but the teens’ hunt ends tragically when one of them is fatally stabbed. Fleet must sort through the survivors’ differing accounts of the stabbing, even as Sadie’s whereabouts and fate remain unknown, and the locals call into question his own motivations. With his superintendent pushing for both inquiries to be wrapped up quickly, Fleet must tune out distractions and biases if he’s to uncover the truth. Fleet has an unoriginal backstory, including marital problems, and the plot twists won’t surprise veteran genre readers. Lelic breaks no new ground, but he handles a familiar setup well. Agent: Caroline Wood, Felicity Bryan Assoc. (U.K.). (Aug.)