I wouldn't call this book a thriller but it was a very well written mystery. A serial killer who abducts and kills children is on the loose and the killings go back many years. While I found the story to be a bit slow in parts, I really enjoyed following the police investigation and was quite impressed in the end. A good debut!

A young Senegalese girl has gone missing from a village in Italy.  She is so quiet and well-behaved, no one thinks she would run away.  What has happened to her?  Three months after she disappears Sensi, who is working on the case, is at a loss as to how to make progress and brings in an old colleague to help him.  Claps is officially retired after an attack during his last case left him brain damaged.  He struggles to communicate but his mind is still sharp.  Claps vows to discover Ami’s fate.  Is she the first to be taken this way, or has her abductor struck before?  Is there any way to stop other girls being taken?

This was a fascinating read – it’s an excellent mix of thriller and police procedural.  Marsden builds the story cleverly, weaving two seemingly unrelated storylines.  As the books progresses it becomes more and more compelling – by the end I could hardly put it down!  Claps was an interesting character to follow, I felt his frustration with his difficulty communicating and I was rooting for him to find the bad guy without getting hurt in the process.  I also learned a little about Senegal which was a new topic for me!  It was a bit emotional to read in places; I found I had a lot of empathy with the characters, which I attribute to Marsden’s skillful writing.  The only negative with this book is the translation.  Whilst being mostly excellent, there were one or two places where the words chosen didn’t quite fit.  This was minor though, and it didn’t spoil the book for me at all.

Missing is a thriller written by Monty Marsden. It came out late last year in December, and it is it is the authors debut.. It focuses on the disappearance and murder of underage girls, and the task to find their killer.

CONTENTS
The story starts off with an introduction, that tell us what happened to our main character, Claps, former psychiatrist and specialist in profiles of violent criminals. He was injured by a knife and lost his ability to speak. Since he is the narrator of this part, it becomes obvious that he just can't form his thoughts, rather than being unable to think straight. 
The book also gives a definition of this state like in a dictionary. 
We then jump back 100 days, and hear the story of Ami, a girl of senegalese origin that disappeared, until we are reunited with Claps who joins the investigation. Soon it becomes clear, that Ami is not the only little girl that was taken, and the search for the killer begins. 

SOMETHING OVERALL
The book jumped between different points of view. At first we get to know something about our main character, Claps, and the police officer Sensi. But soon there are also parts written from the pov. of the killer, a psychiatrist, the girl that disappeared, and even her father. Most of the first part of the book, however, focuses on Sensi's investigation.

WRITING STYLE
The writing style was not bad, although something bothered me. Since the english version is in fact a translation this could be the reason, because it just felt...strange sometimes. There are expressions like "half twelve" that we have in German, but I never read them in any english book. This gives the impression the writer, or in this case, the translator was not a native speaker. The book does not have any big issues, otherwise, like spelling or grammar mistakes, it just did not feel genuinely english to me.
The beginning of the book was a little confusing. To me it was not always clear who was speaking and who was who, especially in the first 20 pages. Fortunately this chaged, and I had no problems following what was going on after that.

CHARCTERS
Claps as our main character ist very likeable. He is determined to help in finding the killer, although struggling with aphasia. I liked this quite a lot- it's something I'd never read about before. 
Elaji, the father of Ami is also quite present. At some point of the story he decides to hunt down the killer of his daughter. At first he cooperates with Claps, but soon he acts entirely on his own. Personally, I think his senegalese origin and culture were described very well, but I hated the way he wouldn't talk to Claps and hide certain bits of information. 
Professor Trevis, whose role becomes only clear as the story progresses (he treats the sister of a girl, who is involved), was not someone I liked at the beginning. But as I was past the middle of the book I slowly started to like him, now he's one of my favourites beside Claps.

OPINION
I liked the way the story was told very much. It gives a realistic account of how long it takes to solve a case, other than most thrillers, where everything happens in a few days time. I also love books where I get a few insights in the killers pov. It adds to the thrill. 
I saw the end coming only in parts. I got one part right very early into the story, but I did not foresee the final plot twist, which is pleasing. 
Also, while I think the author may have still a bit to learn, it's his first novel after all, there are some parts, (the one where the killer wants to kidnap another little girl and the pov changes constantly- I won't tell if he succeeds) that were especially brilliant. 
Overall I can say, that I liked this book. The story is very good, and after the first 20-30 pages I had adjusted to the style of writing. I also have a soft spot for Claps. The fact that he has problems with his speech may be annoying while you read, but it's also something I've never read about before. I'm also a huge fan of books, where there is not only the police, but also some external (psychological) expert involved.

This means I can recommend this book to lovers of good crime fiction/thrillers. I enjoyed the story, as well as the characters, and I would without hesitation read a sequel.

In Lombardy Elaji Demba’s 14-year-old daughter, Ami, disappears after leaving for school and later is found dead. Police Commissioner Sensi can make no headway in the case and reaches out to a former colleague, Dr. Claps, for assistance. Claps suffered from aphasia after a knife cut his femoral artery during a former case. He has slowly regained his ability to speak, but it is labored and at times difficult. As the investigation progresses, Sensi and Claps discover Ami may not be the killer’s only victim and it becomes a race to stop another girl from losing her life.

Missing by Monty Marsden is a good debut novel. In fact, in saying that I think it’s also one of its failings. At times it reads like the second in a series. There are allusions to a former case, e.g. how Claps lost his memory and his ability to speak, that raise a lot of questions and I can only hope they will be explained in future books. I also wish there were a little more background description. I think it would have been richer for it. Like Claps is a man of few words, Missing is a novel of few words. That said, I liked the story and I hope it’s not the last. There is much to say for the characters and I want to see them develop.

If you are planning on reading this, give yourself some time because you will not want to put it down.  This was an excellent read that brings you in from page 1.  The author Monty Marsden tells a tale about a missing little girl that leads to many other dark twists and turns.  If you try to figure it out along the way, you’ll just be lost, he has a way of keeping you on your toes. You are just so intrigued and horrified; you just want to figure out where the girl went and what happened to her.

One of the best books I’ve read in years.  Once the story starts, there are many stories in one, in the end they all come together perfectly.  I just could not put it down.  Revenge, mystery, and suspense involving the characters and the hunt for the girl.  The hunt for the girl leads to the hunt of many others, including the predator. The investigation is led by a great couple of characters that will have a decision to make in the end, will they do the right thing? Is the right thing always the lawful thing? The ending will have you in awe of all involved. Simply said, a must read!
5 Stars and pair it with your favorite Lambrusco!

Great read and easy to follow story line. Look forward to reading more from this author