Missing People

Set in Chicago, this acute psychological study from Graham (Good for Nothing) examines the devastating impact that the inexplicable disappearance of 17-year-old Etta Messenger has on her parents, Meg and Charlie; her brother, Townes; and her boyfriend, Newton Parker. Six years have passed, and Etta remains missing. Time has not been kind to those who cared for her. Meg and Charlie are divorced, both having absorbed the loss in their own way. The diffident Townes, who still lives with his mother, struggles with feelings of guilt and seeks guidance in Taoist teachings. Parker, who enlisted in the Army right after Etta disappeared, lost a leg in Afghanistan and now leads a life fueled by anger, alcohol, and drugs. Meg plans a memorial for Etta, and Townes decides to try to thwart an attempted abduction of a girl who reminds him of Etta. Readers expecting a conventional murder mystery may be disappointed, but this disquieting novel does provide some catharsis for its characters. (Feb.)