In Carol Plum-Ucci's debut novel, The Body of Christopher Creed, high school nerd Christopher Creed disappeared. This companion novel takes place four years later, when a body is discovered in Chris's hometown of Steepleton, Ind. College reporter Mike Mavic heads to the site to see if there is a connection between the body and Chris, and to see how the town has handled Chris's disappearance.
Torey Adams, introduced in The Body of Christopher Creed, established a blog after Chris's disappearance as a way of coping. When she posts an entry about the discovery of a body, Mike is drawn to Steepleton. He becomes embedded in the story after coming face to face with Chris's younger brother, Justin, a bipolar teen just out of rehab. Justin believes that Chris is still alive and that he can bring Chris back to Steepleton with the power of his thoughts. As Justin's mental stability hangs in the balance, it becomes clear that the mystery of Christopher Creed is far from over.
Though this is a companion to The Body of Christopher Creed, it stands on its own as a chilling and wonderful mystery. Mike's recollections of what he read on Torey's blog ensure that readers will quickly and easily catch up with the events of the first book without the story slowing down. The characters may not all be likable, but all are believable. In telling the story through Mike's eyes, Plum-Ucci gives readers an outsider's perspective on a town that hasn't let go of the past and offers what may be one of the most surprising endings imaginable. --Kyla Paterno, retail coordinator and blogger, Garfield Book Company