Unmissing – Minka Kent

Missing for ten years and presumed dead, a woman shows up on her husband’s doorstep, only to be greeted by his new wife.  Finding a local shop owner willing to help her get back on her feet, she tries to re-establish a relationship with her former husband and strikes up a friendship with the new wife.  But, everyone here has a secret that will ultimately threaten all of their lives going forward.

I’ve read a number of works from Minka Kelly in the past, but Unmissing, while having the germ of a good idea, missed the mark.  The wife, kidnapped and held captive for a decade, for some reason doesn’t go to the police once she escapes.  Her captor, who claims to have purposefully let her escape, does not seem overly concerned over the possibility of her going to the police.  And nobody seems all that concerned about cleaning up their mess once she shows back up, even when it is obvious she hasn’t gone to the police.  The whole thing was nonsensical.  There’s the ability to suspend disbelief and then there’s needing nobody in your story to act like a real human being would in order to move the plot forward.  Here’s hoping this was a temporary misstep for Kent and that she will rebound with her next effort, should I choose to read it.