24 June, 1994 – Nineteen-year-old Leila Hawkins runs from her father’s birthday party into the stormy night wearing her sister Stella’s long red coat. Some say she was crying, others swear they saw her get into a passing car. Nobody ever saw her again.
Present – This time every year, on the anniversary of that fateful night, Stella decorates the small seaside town she grew up in with pictures of her beautiful missing sister. But after twenty-five years, is it even worth hoping someone will come forward? Perhaps the upcoming documentary will spark people’s memories by reuniting all the guests who were there the night Leila went missing.
As old friends gather and long-buried secrets begin to surface, the last thing Stella ever expects is a direct response from someone claiming they took Leila. They want private details of Stella’s life in return for answers. But as the true events of the night of the party play out once again, who is lying? And who is next?
Review
The Girl in the Missing Poster is the newest thriller by Barabara Copperthwaite. This is the harrowing story of Stella who lost her twin sister twenty five years ago. Over 2 decades gone but no sightings of Leila. The trail went cold and it seems like she just disappeared into the night. The world might have moved on but not her sister. Stella is still searching for Leila. She puts up missing posters every year and constantly pushes the detectives for answers. A chance to reopen the case and get the public’s interest again comes up when Stella is offered a chance to be part of a True Crime drama series.
I love how the story is narrated alternating between the documentary and present events. The transcripts from the documentary reminded me of True Crime shows on Netflix and IDx. I like how they revealed aspects of the case, gave us flashbacks of the night that Leila disappeared and also helped in the character development. Stella as an MC is interesting and easy to root for. The author did such an amazing job at showing her struggles with past events and present issues.
This is quite a suspenseful read. It was hard to guess what happened to Leila. I literally kept changing my guesses from one suspect to another. My mind ran wild with possible scenarios of what happened to Leila. With an immersive plot, memorable characters and lots of intrigue, I think this is a title that fans of this genre will undoubtedly enjoy. Barbara Copperthwaite continues to impress me with each new title. What a stunning thriller!
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