First Chapter, First Paragraph Tuesday Intros: The Missing Place by Sophie Littlefield

First Chapter First Paragraph

Every Tuesday, fellow blogger Bibliophile By the Sea hosts First Chapter First Paragraph Tuesday Intros, where bloggers share the first paragraph of the book they are currently reading or thinking about reading soon.

Missing Place, Sophie Littlefield, mystery, thriller, fiction, North Dakota

I’m just over halfway through this one and I haven’t wanted to put it down! The Thelma and Louise-type duo of Shay and Colleen have me totally invested in their sons’ whereabouts and the otherworldly setting of the North Dakota oil rig “man camps” is wonderfully eerie. 

Plot Summary from Amazon
The booming North Dakota oil business is spawning “man camps,” shantytowns full of men hired to work on the rigs, in towns without enough housing to accommodate them. In such twilight spaces, it’s easy for a person to vanish. And when two young men in their first year on the job disappear without a trace, only their mothers believe there’s hope of finding them. Despite reassurances that the police are on the case, the two women think the oil company is covering up the disappearances—and maybe something more.

Colleen, used to her decorous life in a wealthy Massachusetts suburb, is determined to find her son. And hard-bitten Shay, from the wrong side of the California tracks, is the only person in town even willing to deal with her—because she’s on the same mission. Overtaxed by worry, exhaustion, and fear, these two unlikely partners question each other’s methods and motivations, but must work together against the town of strangers if they want any chance of finding their lost boys. But what they uncover could destroy them both…

Here’s the first paragraph of Chapter 1:

Colleen Mitchell’s world had been reduced to the two folded sheets of paper she clutched tightly in her left hand. She’d been holding them since leaving Sudbury at four thirty that morning, even when she went through security at Logan, even during the layover in Minneapolis, where she paced numbly up and down the terminal. The paper was slightly damp now and softened from too much handling.

 

What do you think? Would you keep reading? Stay tuned for my full review…


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12 Comments

  1. Nise' wrote:

    I would keep reading. I like the setting and the story sounds good.

    Posted 10.27.14 Reply
  2. Diane@BibliophilebytheSea wrote:

    Oh wow, this sounds good Sarah – new title for me. Glad you are enjoying it.

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  3. I saw a review of this one last night. Looks pretty good. Enjoy!
    Today I’m featuring Accidents of Marriage by Randy Susan Meyers.

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  4. The intro appeals to me, but I’mm not sure after reading the summary. Guess I’ll wait for your recommendation 😉

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  5. Good choice. This one is waiting on my shelf and I’m hoping to read it soon. Enjoy!

    My Tuesday post: http://www.bookclublibrarian.com/2014/10/first-chapter-first-paragraph-80-and.html

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  6. Judy B wrote:

    I really want to read this one. I live in Wyoming oilfield country, not all that far from North Dakota oil boom towns. I have several friends that live there now. I am interested in how the story is told.

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  7. I have been eyeing this one for a while, wondering…and now I must know more! Thanks for sharing…and for visiting my blog.

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  8. This sounds really interesting, and I’m glad to hear you are enjoying it , Sarah.

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  9. Having a son myself, I have a feeling this book would be hard to read! However, I’m fascinated by the story line. The opening makes me wonder what’s on that paper and why it’s so important to her.
    My Tuesday post features THE BEARWALKER’S DAUGHTER.

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  10. Wow, this looks intense! I’d have to keep reading. Will look forward to your thoughts on the book!

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  11. This really appeals to me. I like the opening paragraph and the questions it raises. I’d keep reading.

    Posted 10.28.14 Reply
  12. kelley wrote:

    yes, I’d keep reading. I want to know where she’s going, what’s on the paper and what happened to her. Have a happy Halloween! kelley—the road goes ever ever on

    Posted 10.29.14 Reply

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