Emily and her family have returned to her father’s hometown. The community has been dominated by her grandmother, the larger-than-life Rosalyn Callahan, a several-generations matriarch of Galveston, Texas. Nothing good happens without her approval, and when things go wrong, she does her best to cover them up.

"Kristen Bird’s writing is lively and easy to read, making her debut novel difficult to put down."

In true Callahan fashion, when Emily goes missing, Rosalyn keeps the news from getting out to the media. Of course, that doesn’t stop the gossip about Emily’s fate. Where is she? What happened to her? Is she okay? Emily’s mom is determined to get some answers.

THE NIGHT SHE WENT MISSING is told from multiple perspectives. The first chapter starts in the present before going back and forth in time to fill in the backstory. Although this narrative strategy makes it a bit difficult to keep up with what’s going on at any given time, it helps readers see and understand the action from each character’s point of view. It also sends them off into erroneous directions on a number of occasions. This adds to the suspense, especially when it comes to the ending, which I am sure will surprise you.

Kristen Bird’s writing is lively and easy to read, making her debut novel difficult to put down. Trust me, there are plenty of twists and turns along the way. The characters are well-developed and mostly believable, although they occasionally exhibit some bizarre behavior. The storyline is somewhat unusual with the way the events unfold, but it certainly makes for an intriguing premise and a fascinating tale.