Mystery

A cross country road trip to relocate ends in a family losing their teenage daughter at a random truck stop. Oh boy! Twists and U-turns and K-turns and switchback roads abound in this mystery. The main characters all have secrets that inevitably come out. The journey to the truth is very much worth the ride for the reader. This is my first time reading this author's work and it will definitely not be my last! ( )

Every now and then, a reader has the good luck of reading a mystery that completely ticks all the boxes: Search For Her by Rick Mofina is that book. A blended family from San Diego have rented an RV to drive cross-country, on the way to a new job and a new beginning. Dad and his teenage son, Blake and Mom with her teenage daughter, Riley are trying to make a go of their new family. Because of a terrible misunderstanding, Riley is left behind at a giant truck stop, located on the edge of a desert. The family soon realizes their mistake but by then Riley has disappeared. What follows is a massive search involving police from California and Nevada and a large group of friends from San Diego. Then it becomes clear that each and every one of these family members have secrets, huge secrets. Where is Riley? Did someone kidnap her? Did she leave of her own accord? Will she ever be found and will she be alive? What makes this book so captivating is Rick Mofina’s writing style. Each chapter finishes with a cliff-hanger that is not explained until several chapters later. The reader is kept in the dark, imagining all kinds of possibilities. This is a thriller that will not be soon forgotten. Highly recommended. Thank you to Joffe Books, NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Search for Her by Rick Mofina is a highly recommended twisty thriller

Grace Jarrett and John Marshall along with her daughter Riley and his son Blake are a blended family who are making a move across the country, from San Diego to Pennsylvania. Grace and John married two years previously after they both lost their first spouses and John a daughter due to tragedies. This move represents a big job advancement for John and a new start for the family, but 14 year-old Riley is upset about the move and being told to break up with her boyfriend, Caleb. Blake, seventeen, seems indifferent. As they start the trip in a rented RV, Grace confiscates Blake and Riley's phones so they will see the scenery rather than being glued to their screens resulting in Riley angrily stomps off to take a nap in the back.

As they enter Nevada, they decide to stop at the Silver Sagebrush, a huge truck stop complex. Grace makes the decision to allow Riley to keep sleeping and leaves her a note as the family goes inside. They return to the RV half-an-hour later and continue the trip. Grace asks Blake to check on Riley, which he pretends to do and then says she's sleeping. When Grace check a bit later, She realizes Riley's gone. John frantically tries to find a place to turn the RV around to return while Grace frantically calls the Silver Sagebrush to start the search for Riley. They are heading back when an accident totals the RV. All of this sets into motion a frantic search for Riley who can't be found at the truck stop as well as the exposure of secrets all the family members have been keeping.

Once the plot has been set into motion, the novel turns to part investigation and part family drama. There is no doubt that the intense drama and heart-stopping twists are all encompassing and will keep you glued to the pages. There are a few instances where you have to set disbelief aside, which you will easily do in order to follow the investigation. As a 14 year old missing from one of the largest truck stops in the country, she could be a prime target for all manner of nefarious deeds, so the main drama is the search for Riley. But you will also want to find out exactly what secrets the family is keeping since the existence of these huge secrets is teased all the way through the novel. The investigators question and look closely at the family members as suspects in Riley's disappearance.

The character development is secondary to the action and suspense. They are developed, but it is all at a measured pace and based on keeping the drama, tension, and suspense moving along at a fast pace. Mofina knows how to deliver the drama and suspense and that is what will keep you frantically reading to the end.
Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of MIRA Books.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2021/02/search-for-her.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3857775846 ( )