I really enjoyed the Missing Persons series when I read it back in the day. So I was pretty excited to see these books were released in a kindle edition. These are lighthearted cosy mysteries featuring two sisters, Sam and Sophie who ran away from their stepmum when their dad died to avoid being separated from each other. Sam is the older sibling, seventeen, just graduated school and supposed to be heading to college. When she learns her stepmum plans to send her fifteen year old sister to boarding school she makes a plan to appropriate the funds from their mum and dad's life insurance policies and savings, get fake identities and move across the country to ensure they're not separated.

Sam is a total badass. For all she's apparently a nerdy quiet type, she has skills. I really liked her and her plans to protect her sister. They're all each other has left so they plan to stick together. Plus her dad made her promise to look after her sister and I really liked the lengths she was willing to go in order to do so. I liked Sophie but I liked her a lot less than Sam. She was alright, she was just so flighty. Her decision to drive without a license was totally irresponsible and I have trouble relating because even as a child I was kind of uptight. I don't think I made any irresponsible decisions. Stupid ones maybe but not life threatening. Her preoccupation with Troy was annoying too. I didn't get the appeal.

The mystery is well plotted and interesting. I can't say I guessed who the kidnapper was. Or that she'd been kidnapped and not murdered. but I really enjoyed letting it unfold. I like the friendship that the girls develop with Gus and the fact that he takes them on as private investigator apprentices (or at least one of them and one secretary). It's not a perfect read but it's a great lighthearted cosy mystery for young adults. Or older adults as the case may be. 4 stars. ( )

Sam and Sophie run away from Queens, New York to Venice, Indiana. Their Dad has died and their step mother has plans that they don't like. They get embroilled in a missing person case when it looks like they're guilty and find themselves interested in the work.

This is a setup book, a lot of background of the two girls and not much of the mystery but it does set up the series and the characters quite well as well as some of the background characters and the place they now find themselves in. ( )

I thought this book was okay. Two sisters who run away from the evil stepmother and fall on their feet and into adventure. It all seemed a little to easy to me I guess. ( )