cover image Among the Missing

Among the Missing

Morag Joss. Delacorte, $25 (272p) ISBN 978-0-385-34274-2

In this haunting psychological thriller from Joss (The Night Following), a recently married middle-aged English couple staying at a Scottish Highlands hotel hit a wall in their new relationship: she's pregnant and he doesn't want kids. Desperate for cash, the unnamed woman manages to sell her car to Stefan, an illegal immigrant living in a rundown trailer with his wife, Silva, and their two-year-old daughter, Anna. Hours later, the nearby bridge to Inverness collapses. When the car is reported missing and the woman is presumed dead, she decides to begin life anew as "Annabel." Overcome with guilt when she realizes that Stefan and Anna died in her car, Annabel goes to Silva's trailer, and the two women become uneasy friends. Meanwhile, Ron, recently released from prison after serving five years for criminal negligence and the third major player in the drama, finds work helping the bridge salvage operation and soon forms an unlikely bond with Annabel and Silva, but one that may not withstand the weight of their shared past tragedies. P.D. James fans will find much to like. (July)