Nic Joseph

Before I get into how wonderful this book is. I want to first thank SOURSBOOKS Landmark and Nic Joseph for my copy of this book for an honest review. This is the amazing debut from this author and if you are going to come out then it is best to come out with a BANG.
What happens when your past is never fully tucked away and it seeps into your present? Francis learned that the hard way when divorce brings him back to his childhood home town and the past slaps you in the face.
Alex and Kate Scroll experience every parent's worst nightmare. Their youngest son, Lucas, is found dead in their bathtub when he's 9 years old, seemingly the victim of a tragic accident while his parents were downstairs having a dinner party. But there would be no closure for the Scroll family. The young boy who finds Lucas's body, Sam Farr, son of that night's dinner guests, won't talk. Sam won't say what he saw, if anything, no matter who screams at him or threatens him. Thus, in desperation, the Scrolls wage a campaign against the boy, even having him prosecuted. But nothing sticks. Sam stays silent. And free: to grow up, to live his life, to have a son. The tragedy continues when Sam’s son Mathew is kidnapped and the prime suspect Alex Scroll. The man who seeks solace in a bottle Kate who seeks healing in the form of younger men.
How many generations must suffer to get closure to a twenty-three year old mystery? The book is intriguing and well written. It keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole way through. For anyone who likes a face paced page turner that leaves you with no sleep this is the book for you.
… (mais)

Touching on a parents' worst nightmares, Boy, 9, Missing is an intriguing debut mystery by Nic Joseph.

In 1992, ten year old Lucas Scroll mysteriously drowns in his parents' bathtub during a dinner party. The only possible witness, Sam Farr, refuses to talk about what happened.Twenty-three years later, Sam's nine year old son, Matthew, is missing and the prime suspect in the case is Lucas's father, Alex. Desperate for answers, the Farrs hope Alex's oldest son, Francis, can help them locate their missing child. After his family fell apart following his brother's death, Francis changed his last name to Clarke in order to escape notoriety and he eventually became estranged from both his parents. However, despite this lack of contact with his dad, Francis is not convinced he has anything to do with Matthew's disappearance so he begins his own investigation into the suspected kidnapping.

In the years following his brother's death, Francis watched his parents do everything in their power to bring Sam to justice, but he was ultimately found not guilty of murdering Lucas. After years of living away from his small hometown, he has recently returned following his divorce. With his daughter Amy en route to live with him, Francis is soon consumed with tracking down his father. Having kept his family's tragic past hidden, he knows he will have to tell Amy the truth sooner rather than later. However, Francis leaves her to settle in on her own as he follows the leads he uncovers.

Francis has little luck locating Alex but he has plenty to keep him occupied as he learns troubling information at Matthew's school. There is an ugly rumor that the school's principal might be involved with inappropriate relationships with her students, but does this have anything to do with Matthew's disappearance? As he is digging around in his father's life, Francis discovers Alex has not given up on trying to force Sam to tell him what happened the night Lucas died but would he kidnap his son in order to leverage him into talking? The more Francis pokes around in the events surrounding his brother's death, the more secrets and lies he unearths but will these discoveries help him find Matthew?

Although a little slow paced in the beginning, Boy, 9, Missing does eventually pick up steam as Francis frantically searches for his father and the truth about what happened to Matthew. With well-placed red herrings and stunning plot twists, Nic Joseph keeps readers guessing whodunit and why right up until the novel's dramatic and action-packed conclusion. A well-written mystery with a unique storyline, this debut mystery is sure to be a hit with fans of the genre.… (mais)

4.5 stars.

The Last Day of Emily Lindsey by Nic Joseph is an enthralling mystery about popular blogger Emily Lindsey who is found covered in blood yet she has no injuries. Clearly traumatized, she remains in the hospital with her husband by her side as detectives Steven Paul and his partner Gayla Ocasio are assigned to the case.

Due to his worsening nightmares and horrifying visions, Steven is in danger of losing his job following his involvement in an incident with a bank robber. Undergoing department ordered counseling, he continues his lifelong habit of keeping his problems to himself. When he and Gayla meet Emily at the hospital, she is unresponsive to their questions and Steven is taken aback to learn his name was discovered in her possession. Immediately following their meeting, Emily begins drawing a symbol that is all too familiar to Steven since he has been seeing it in his nightmares. Delving into her blog, he and Gayla find a starting point for their investigation, but they continue to hit a brick wall when trying to trace her movements prior to her admittance to the hospital.

The chapters alternate between the investigation in the present and a group of five children who are appear to be involved in some type of cult. One of the children, Jack, is trying to find out what happened to his mother, who disappeared without a trace a couple of years earlier. Her disappearance is somehow connected to the mysterious happenings that occur every year on June 2nd. The chapters devoted to this part of the storyline follow the children and their efforts to devise a plan to sneak into the upcoming secret June 2nd meeting.

In the present, Steven and Gayla are frustrated by the lack of progress on Emily’s case. Steven is also struggling to keep his nightmares and visions at bay amid concerns that Gayla will tell his therapist about his ongoing problems. Their investigation about what happened to Emily moves in fits and starts as they continue to run into dead ends. Steven is bothered by some inconsistencies he uncovers and he is also troubled by a mysterious man who keeps turning up at odd times. Their lead from Emily’s blog is initially promising but will it hold up under closer scrutiny?

The Last Day of Emily Lindsey by Nic Jospeh is a fast-paced and intriguing mystery. The story weaves seamlessly back and forth in time but it is initially impossible to understand how the two storylines will eventually intersect. The novel comes to a twist-filled and exciting conclusion that satisfactorily brings the divergent story arcs together. All in all, a compelling police procedural that fans of the genre will enjoy.
… (mais)