Boy, 9, Missing by Nic Joseph
This novel has flashbacks to an event that happened when Francis was thirteen. His parents had another couple and their young son, Sam, over for dinner. Sam was 10, and Francis' younger brother Lucas was 9. After dinner, Sam did a special presentation for the adults, and when he went back upstairs he quickly returned, speechless and upset. Lucas is found unconscious in the bathtub. Despite Francis' parents efforts, Sam never spoke of what he witnessed that day.
Francis' parents divorced, and he moved on, changing his last name. But when he returns to his hometown of Lansing, Illinois to take on a job at the local paper, the past comes back to haunt him. Sam's own young son, Matthew, only 9 years old, has been kidnapped. Francis' father is one of the key suspects. Francis begins the search for his father, which also leads him to the truth about that evening so many years ago, and what really happened to his younger brother.
Francis is separated from his wife and his teenage daughter Amy is coming to live with him for a year while his wife takes on a European assignment. Francis is eager to ensure his daughter is made welcome, but he has never told her of his own past. The day she is due to arrive is the day that the news about Matthew's kidnapping breaks, and Francis finds himself first threatened, then offering his assistance in the case.
This is a sad story about justice delayed, about a child caught up in an incident not of his making, about how love can lead us astray, and about how secrets can change lives.
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