Boy, 9, Missing

It’s been twenty three years since Francis Scrolls 9 year old brother, Lucas drowned in the bathtub during a family dinner party. The only one who witnessed the whole thing was Lucas’s friend Sam, a little boy would couldn’t say a word after the tragedy. Francis’s father has always believed Sam knew more about Lucas’s death than he let on and he’s still angry almost 25 years. When now adult Sam’s own 9 year old disappears, all the evidence points to Francis’s father. Francis knows his father was destroyed by the loss of his son, but he can’t believe he would harm a child. The only way to solve the mystery and hopefully save a young boy, will be for Francis to figure out what really happened on that long ago night. I was hooked on this book from the first page. It’s a first class thriller that will have you guessing right up to the very end

I was hooked by the title and cover of this book and the blurb confirmed it as a must read and I wasn't disappointed. I found that switching between Francis' point of view and 'The Sam Farr Story' was a really effective way of covering the range of events and I never lost the thread of the story at all. There is a lot going on and plenty of twists to keep the reader engaged. I felt that the characters came across as very real, as did the relationships between them, and they are certainly not without their flaws. It was gripping throughout and then I reached a point where I couldn't put it down until I had finished it despite it making me late for a meeting. Great book, really well written and strongly recommended.

I received a free copy of Boy, 9, Missing in return for an honest review and my thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for that.

Great read...Highly recommend!

This was such an intriguing title, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I couldn't stop reading, and this was helped by the alternating narrations, between Francis and "The Sam Farr Story." It was well done, and I didn't lose track of what was going on. The characters were well developed and complex. I enjoyed this book a great deal. I received an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks/Landmark.

This is a promising debut from author Nic Joseph that examines what happens when people can't move on from the past.

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 breaks the Scrolls. Alex seeks comfort in a bottle, Kate in younger man, and older son Francis gets the hell out of dodge. Years later, Francis has changed his name and has almost no contact with his parents. But circumstances bring him back to his hometown of Lansing, Illinois, where he works as a journalist for the local paper and is trying to raise a teenage daughter. Not long after he moves home, the community is rocked again by another tragedy involving a young boy: 9 year old Matthew Farr is missing. Francis can't shake the feeling his father is involved.

How many generations must suffer for one tragedy?

The premise of this book is definitely intriguing, and it's well-written, but there were a few missteps that prevented me from giving it a full five stars. While Francis and Sam are fleshed out characters, many of the other central figures are cardboard. Even though the entire set of events revolves around what happened to Lucas, I feel like I barely got to know him. I thought the story tried to do too much and veered off into too many directions. That said, this book ended on a high note, as the ending is very well crafted. Overall, I really enjoyed this.

Thank you to both the publisher and netgalley for granting me access to this title

23 years ago a small dinner party was being held in a Chicago suburb. Francis Scroll's 9 year old brother was found face down floating in his parents bathtub. His friend Sam is the only one who knows the truth. Lucas's death was ruled as a tragic accident.

Francis now has had to confront his past when Sam's 9 year old son goes missing. All the evidence points to Francis's father as prime suspect.

Francis tries tries to unearth the truth about what happened the night his brother died. Has his father kidnapped Sam's or is there more to this than expected..

A well written novel with lots of twists and turns that will keep you guessing but will still surprise you at the end.

I would like to thank Net Galley, Sourcebooks Landmark, and the author Nic Joseph for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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.

A superb, breathtaking debut. The tragic story that occurred during a party is destined to consume the lives of many people through generations. This book was brilliantly written; at times I was transported through the page of the book to be standing there watching the events unfold. Twists and turns abounded and by then I was fully confident that the ending would be brilliant - and I was not disappointed.
Many thanks to Nic Joseph, NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Francis has tried to move on from the tragic (and unsolved) death of his 9 year-old-brother. With a new name, new life, no ongoing contact with his parents, he seems to have done so....until he moves back to his hometown. When the young son of the only possible witness to his brother's death disappears, Francis is pulled back into the past. In a surprising series of events, long-buried secrets are revealed.

This was a satisfying thriller, delivering a number of totally unexpected twists and turns. I found myself rooting for Francis and was pleased with how the story turned out. Recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a complementary eARC for review purposes.

The cover of this book immediately jumped out at me while searching NetGalley one day. When I read the description I was immediately intrigued but my stomach also turned. Would I be able to read this book without making myself sick?

What should have been a quiet evening with friends turned into a night that forever changed Francis’ family. Francis lost his brother in what was ruled a tragic accident. The lone witness, Sam, the nine-year-old son of friends hasn’t said a word about that night. Leaving an air of mystery surrounding the evening. And now, twenty-three years later, Sam's own nine-year-old son has disappeared. Cue the Law & Order dun dun!
The one thing I didn’t like about this book was that I felt I didn’t get quite enough about the events of the night twenty-three years ago. However, I did like how the author incorporated the telling of that night’s events with what was currently happening. Was I surprised when I finally found out what transpired twenty-three years ago? YES! I did not see that coming. I was also surprised by the who-done-it regarding the disappearance of Sam’s son.

Boy, 9, Missing is Nic Joseph’s debut novel and a non-stop thrill ride. Yes, the subject matter is disturbing but that’s what a good psychological thriller should do, right? Disturb you? I see a lot potential for this writer and look forward to her next book.

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an independent review.
Listed as a thriller and with excellent reviews, I have to admit I was a bit underwhelmed. There is a missing boy and the characters in this story were all 'involved' (directly or indirectly) in the incident of a young boy drowning 23 years ago, which was ruled as a tragic accident.
Lots of bad feelings and unresolved emotions, most of the characters have not been able to fully move on. The story alternates between the two time lines.
The characters are somewhat complicated and the story is well written but for me just lacked the pace and the little something that makes you rush to get to the end of the book. A little bit far fetched in places.
3***

While this novel had a very interesting premise, I did not like it as much as I had hoped. Francis's character is all over the place throughout the whole novel. He doesn't seem to be able to move in a manner that makes any real sense. Throughout the story, I felt as if random things were being introduced and connections were being made in the weirdest way. The story plot could definitely have been written better. The identity of the kidnapper didn't seem to make any sense to me whatsoever; it didn't seem to flow with the rest of the novel and it just didn't give me a satisfactory feeling. The truth behind Lucas's death, however, was far more interesting and believable; that was one part of the story I enjoyed. However, it took way too long to reach that point and the various different characters that were thrown at the reader to distract us from the truth were quite unnecessary. All in all, I was not a fan of this novel and would not recommend this to those looking for a realistic thriller.

Boy,9,Missing by Nic Joseph is an impressive debut novel. The story line grabbed me from the start, with enough unexpected twists to keep things interesting.

Nine year old Lucas Scroll dies in a bathtub while his parents host a dinner party for Brian & Elizabeth Farr and their ten year old son Sam. Sam finds Lucas's body, tells the grown-ups and doesn't say another word. The story is told 23 years after the event by Lucas's older brother Francis, 13 at the time of the event, and through excerpts of "Sam Farr's Story" being written by a journalist.

The death of Lucas causes massive destruction in both families. The Scolls, Alex and Kate, hire lawyers to relentlessly pursue the judgement that the death was no accident, but the courts rule it an accidental death. Alex is unable to accept the ruling and becomes obsessed, Katherine finds relief in a bottle, and Francis leaves town as soon as he is able and changes his name to avoid association with it all.

Twenty-three years later, Francis is back in town, and Sam Farr's 9-year old son Matthew is missing. Alex Scroll had been following the family - was he responsible for the kidnapping in an attempt to finally get vengeance for the loss of his own son?

Good story, good pacing. Character development needs improvement, and there were multiple little side stories that added nothing but distraction to the overall story. Still, I recommend this book, and look forward to reading more from this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Landmark publishers for allowing me to read an e-ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

An ordinary dinner party; two families get together- but by the end of the night nothing is ever ordinary again. Francis was an awkward teenager that night when his brother Lucas, died. He left the area but now he's come back to find his father has disappeared along with the son of the boy who was the last to see Lucas alive.

This book explores the way silence can eat its way through relationships every bit as much as angry words. I was frequently very irritated with Francis but in the end I had to admire his tenacity.The narrative builds up slowly to a good finale.

Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

T

Boy, 9, Missing by Nic Joseph is a 2016 Sourcebooks Landmark publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Reading through a few reviews of this book on Goodreads convinced me I should give it a try, and once more my GR friends steered me in the right direction.

This is a riveting psychological thriller, very atmospheric, and taut with suspense.

Twenty odd years ago, Francis’ brother died in a bizarre bathtub drowning, while his parents were hosting a dinner party.

Nine year old Sam had come to the dinner party with his parents, and was apparently the last person to see Lucas alive. Immediately, Sam is scrutinized because he was covered in water when he announced to the adults that something bad had happened.

For years, Francis witnessed his parent’s futile attempts to bring Sam to justice for the murder of their son. But, eventually the case was closed, drawing the conclusion it was a sad and tragic accident.

Now, Sam’s own nine year old son has gone missing, prompting his wife to ask Francis for help, convinced that his father, Alex, has her son. Frantic with worry for his father and for the missing child, Francis combs the city looking for clues to their whereabouts, while dealing with the arrival of his stoic teenage daughter, who has no idea what is going on.

Along the way, Francis discovers a world of dark secrets and lies that have lain dormant all these years, as he faces a truth too shocking to be believed, when his past and present suffer a head on collision. Will Francis survive? Will the truth set them free or are some things better left unsaid?


I was impressed with this debut thriller, practically reading the entire book all at once. The author did a pretty good job with the pacing, most of the time, expertly dropping clues and red herrings in just the right places at just the right time, building the suspense to a fever pitch.

However, there are a few occasions when the momentum is impeded by the secondary threads and Francis’ personal issues. The story was almost too busy sometimes, but eventually got back on point.

Other than that, this is a tense psychological thriller, I think most fans of the genre will enjoy. For a debut novel this one is pretty solid, so I’m going to keep my eye on this author. The talent is there, so hopefully, there will be more of his books coming our way.

4 stars

A special thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Great cover!

BOY 9 MISSING, establishes Nic Joseph as important key young novelist and storyteller, with her emotional domestic suspense debut!

A powerful, haunting tale of family, enduring love, and destructive secrets. A deeply moving examination of parenthood, and the dangers that are always lurking in the shadows. The author grabs you immediately with the first sentence.

“A brother drowns in a bathtub that was less than one foot longer than he was tall.”

An ordinary family trapped in a heart-wrenching crisis.

Who is guilty and who is innocent?

BOY 9 MISSING A human drama that pulls on larger themes of life and what it means to be a family. Exploring the family seams and fissures, between childhood and adulthood. Love and loss. Darkness and light. Exceptionally moving. An unrelentingly suspenseful thriller.

A mother pregnant at the time with Lucas when they originally bought the house. His mom wanted the tub. Lucas was small for his age. Francis was thirteen years old and his little brother, Lucas was nine at the time of his death. Drowned in this very tub. How did this happen?

During a dinner party twenty some years earlier, in Lansing, Illinois. Two families. A puppet show. This is when Francis’ claustrophobia and panic attacks started. Lives were changed after this one tragic night. Alex, the father had always blamed Sam.

Sam Farr was a year older than Lucas—a quiet, anxious kid. The son of Francis parent’s church friends, Brian and Elizabeth. Since the moment he ran downstairs his face was blanched with terror, and his clothing drenched and clinging to his small frame. He had not said a single word. What happened in the bathroom?

What if Sam had said something that night? A boy struggling with a hidden secret his entire life.

The parents went to court. At war with a ten-year-old boy. Was there something inside the mind of Sam—vindictive, troubling, disgusting, and terrifying?

All his parents wanted was an admission of guilt, or even a denial. A plea for forgiveness.

Nothing. It never happened. Not in twenty-three years, a single word to a single soul what happened that night upstairs in Francis’s parent’s bathroom.

That awful night. A monster. The parents lost the case. An accident. Everyone is left with the fallout. The guilt. A tragedy experienced by two families.

When nothing is as is appears.

By the time Francis started seeing therapists, he was Francis Clarke. He had to escape the media for his own sanity. From claustrophobia, to ceasing to ride trains and elevators. Dirt phobias. It started after Lucas. Alex, the father turned into a drunk. A family torn apart. Francis is now working for the paper, a reporter. Divorced. A child. A daughter.

Now, years later, Sam’s nine-year-old son Matthew has gone missing. Sam’s wife Miranda is coming after his father through him. They have gone to the police and no one is doing anything. They think for sure Alex has their child. Revenge.

He went missing three days earlier. Alex had apparently been following and stalking them for weeks.

Told by Francis, he moves back to the Chicago area and is tracked down by Sam’s parents. The Lansing Police Department would probably do anything to protect his father, if Sam Farr was involved.

Francis had not seen Sam since the day his trial ended. He still looked the same except older and thicker in the middle. Could the man (Alex, his own father) who had it in for this family have kidnapped their boy? Has he really carried a grudge all these years- Revenge?

Francis meets Kira who is doing some research about Sam and his family. Sam and Miranda has hired her to ghostwrite a book. Sam’s memoir. To tell Sam’s story once and for all. The Sam Farr Story. Francis wants to help, get to the bottom of this mystery. He is desperate to right a wrong. Kira is interested in his thoughts and the accusations against his father. Francis wants Matthew found. He also wants to find his father.

Readers get a glimpse of the mysterious night (with parts of the book, written by Kira -in red) as the events of the past unravel. A book within a book. Francis is trying to do the right thing, but doesn’t really know why. He wants to make up for the fact he was not there in the past.

What is the real truth? Francis has to solve the mystery. Where were his parents that night? What really happened. An angry father. This is one heck of a thriller (could see a movie here) based on the novel.

The mystery is suspenseful, chilling, and heart pounding -- pulling you into this dark web of secrets and lies. A son caught in the middle and drowning himself, pulled under by the tug of love, regret, and guilt. Readers will be anxious to solve the complex mystery of these two families and the deception which lies between them.

An evocative novel of redemption and forgiveness, with two families poised to implode. An older son left behind trying to put the pieces together, even in his own life with his own daughter, Amy.

“You’re only two things after a divorce. You’re better, or you’re broken. And if you’re broken, you just haven’t gotten better yet.”

Part intimate family drama, equal parts a gripping page-turner, and an exploration of the profound power of the truths we’re scared to face. There is much more going on here than a boy drowning, and a missing boy years later.

Action-packed, a wrenching look, at what happens to the families and everyone connected by these two events. And as their lives become more intertwined, each is pushed to the breaking point, with shattering, unforeseeable consequences.

I was up until 4 am and could not put this one down until the final heartfelt conclusion. Joseph is definitely an author to follow!

For fans of deeper richer family sagas, such as T. Greenwood, Carla Buckley, Heather Gudenkauf, Diane Chamberlain, and Sophie Littlefield. Some of my favorites.

Wow, this is the third book in a row, I have read about family secrets involving a child. Makes you wonder really what happens with all of the missing children and unsolved murder cases in our world today. So many times it is a cover-up, and may not be discovered until many years later.

An ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions. An extensive reading group guide included and a Conversation with the Author. I wish more authors would include these two critical elements at the end of their books. Well done! Can’t wait to see what’s next.

JDCMustReadBooks

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this great debut thriller!

I really enjoyed this book - it would be a great book club book with lots of different characters to delve into.

The story opens with the bathtub drowning death of 9-year-old Lucas at a dinner party at his own home. A child guest at the party is the one who discovers the body but refuses to say a word about what happened. Lucas' brother carries the grief and anxieties forward into his adult life. Which is where we find ourselves in the heart of the book - Frances, the brother, returns to his hometown. His father has been obsessed with Sam, the boy who found Lucas dead, convinced that he killed his son. Then Sam's 9-year-old son goes missing.

It's a great thrill ride with plenty of suspense and twists. Can't wait to read more from this author!

Francis lost his younger brother in a drowning in their home and more than twenty years later he is moving back home for a job opportunity, but the wounds haven't healed and he is swept into the past from the first time he crosses the border. The crazy thing is that his child isn't aware of his past, none of it.

I loved this book. I can't place in one genre, instead I think it is a combination - family drama and mystery. Yes, there is a mystery - what happened to Lucas and Matthew, but I feel as though the heart of the story are the two families and how a tragedy can affect them to their core for years.

I guessed wrong when I made the guess as to who kidnapped Matthew and sometimes when I am wrong it affect my reading of the book, but in this case I loved the outcome more than the path I thought it was headed. I love when a book surprises me!

I loved this one and can't wait to see what comes next.

My thoughts…

Totally absorbing. This story will keep you both engaged and intrigued as you join Francis on his desperate journey to find a missing boy, especially with the knowledge that his father is under suspicion.

This is a debut novel for Nic Joseph and he’s delivered a complex plot that riveted me to the pages right to the surprise twist at the end. (I didn’t see that coming!)

The journey Francis takes in order to search for the missing boy is one fraught with secrets and lies, danger, and loads of emotional baggage.

Fabulous!

Thanks to Net Galley & Scourcebooks for an ARC of this book. Not what I expected - a lot of twists & turns.
A boy is mysteriously found dead at a family party at his family home.
Almost 23 years later another 9 year old boy is missing & this boy, Matthew is the son of the boy who was stood trial following the death of lucas all those years ago.
Lucas's brother Francis is a reporter, living back in his home town when he learns of Matthew's disappearance, & he suspects his father Alex, who he has not had contact with for some years, may be involved. He also wonders does Matthew's father, Sam, know more about what happened to his brother on the night of his death.
The book is filled with mystery which is eventually solved with many secrets being revealed and Francis helping to solve them. Well deserving of 4 stars.

This book is about a boy drowning in the bathtub while his parents are having a dinner party.. This sweet boy touched my heart and made me want to grab my girls and hold them tight.

Warning This is a psychological thriller, very atmospheric, and with suspense you cant put the book down.

Well done debut! This is a suspenseful and frightening at times exploration of how secrets can boomerang back many years later. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC which introduced me to Joseph, who has a bright future. Try this if you like carefully plotted novels with a little menace.