The previous two Sophie Littlefield novels that I read and reviewed were about motherhood. The mothers in both House of Glass and Garden of Stones fear for the lives of their children and would do whatever it takes to protect them. In The Missing Place, two mothers from very different backgrounds come together to find their sons, hanging on to the slim hope that they are still alive.
Colleen comes from a wealthy town on the east coast, has a lawyer husband at home, and is unprepared for the harsh North Dakota winter or the unwelcoming Lawton locals. She must rely on Shay, who’s working class and used to living in poor conditions, and has already spent a week in town. Both women love their sons, newbies on the oil rigs who have gone missing without much interest or concern from either the rig officials or the local police, and are determined and willing to do whatever it takes to find them.
Colleen and Shay have very different strengths and weaknesses and have to put aside their differences to work together. Shay is resourceful and Colleen has money, and Colleen quickly finds out it doesn’t solve every problem. The friendship they form is tenuous at best, and when the boys are finally located, becomes even more strained.
The story moves at a slower pace, letting the tension build as Colleen and Shay hit roadblocks, then slowly learn information that leads to the whereabouts of their sons. Littlefield does an amazing job of portraying each woman, both with very real characteristics and emotions. The setting of the North Dakota oil fields is a perfect backdrop.
I enjoyed The Missing Place and recommend it.
I really liked this one too (loved the dynamic between the 2 mothers…and now it makes sense knowing that her previous 2 books were about motherhood) and am hopefully posting my review next week.