How to find a missing girl by Victoria Wlosok

A year ago, Stella Blackthorn vanished. Iris, her younger sister, started her own investigation, but before she could make any progress, she got in trouble with the police, earning herself a stern warning that if she meddles in police business again, once she turns 18, meddling will mean jail time. But now Heather, Iris's ex-girlfriend, has gone missing, just after releasing a shocking last episode of her true crime podcast about Stella's disappearance. This time, nothing will stop Iris and her amateur sleuthing agency from pursing the truth. But with the original detective keeping a close eye on her, her ex-best-friend back in the picture (and maybe possibly more than friends now?), and only thirty days until she turns eighteen, the pressure is on and it's a race against the clock.

This novel is told from the perspective of Iris, with mix-ins of podcast transcripts throughout the novel, and the occasional text message thread. The language is inclusive with one character going by they/them pronouns, which is smoothly integrated through the whole book. Numerous characters are suspects, allowing the author to explore different relationships and develop different characters. Lots of action helps the book to move quickly and the whole novel is well paced. Readers will find themselves immersed in the mystery, and it is good for fans of the A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson and the movie A Simple Favour on Netflix. 

Themes: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary, High School, Relationships, LGBTQIA+, Detective, Sleuthing.

Melanie Pages