A review by morethanmylupus
Missing Clarissa by Ripley Jones

dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

True crime podcasts have become so common societal element since Serial's first season that books that are plotted around their creation continue to be compelling. I enjoyed this one about Cat and Blair and their search for the truth about what happened to Clarissa. 

A lot of the book was more about their personal lives than about the mystery, which was compelling because it helped show how researching and making the podcast had positive and negative impacts on their lives. Of course, it was also frustrating as I was anxious to know whether the extremely obvious answer was in fact the right one (I'll let you find out for yourselves) and these personal life additions prolonged the book. I also appreciated that Jones called it out each time a character's race was white - rather than making it the assumed race and only calling out BIPOC where relevant.

If you enjoyed A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, you'll likely enjoy this one as well. 


Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for the opportunity to review this book ahead of publication. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
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