The Missing - Tapa dura

'A beautifully written, enthralling saga ... a compelling novel whose firm grasp of deviance, responsibility and redemption is buoyed up by a steady optimism that favours vigilance over vigilanteism' -- James Urquhart, Independent 'Has the impact of a book twice its length ... a dramatic, theatrical meditation on law and lawlessness' -- Alan Warner, Guardian 'Gautreaux writes action-packed novels that stand out for the extraordinary calibre of their prose ... As the plot accelerates, readers will be torn between turning the pages to find out what happens next and wanting to savour the language at work. A writer as talented as Gautreaux makes having the choice a pleasure.' -- Andrew Rosenheim, The Times 'Tim Gautreaux's redemptive novel is a joy to read' -- Barclay McBain, Herald 'Gautreaux brings a long-gone era to life in lush, fresh detail ... this novel about the intricacies of the human heart has a great, beating one of its own. Life may be harsh and fleeting, but the missing are still missed.' -- Heather Thompson, Sunday Telegraph 'Tim Gautreaux has managed to write a fine novel about a child's abduction without making it too upsetting. This isn't to say that the book is lightweight; nor does it duck the fear and trauma of the events it narrates. It has all the insight and metaphors you could wish for, but you end up zipping through it ... impressively thrilling, and pleasingly complete' -- Tom Payne, Daily Telegraph 'Gautreaux writes with sustained grace and creates memorable characters ... What really sets THE MISSING apart, though, is his remarkable ability to realise the period ... a rare and rather uncanny achievement: a novel about the South in the early Twenties that reads as though it was actually written there and then' -- John Dugdale, Literary Review 'Full of vivid evocations of the sights, sounds and smells of the South. As Simoneaux pursues his morally driven detective mission the scent of the steaming mud of the cypress swamps and the sound of 1920s New Orleans jazz rise off the page' -- Claire Prentice, Scotsman

The First World War ended the day Sam Simoneaux's regiment reached France, but he saw more than enough of its ravages. Returning to New Orleans, he determines to put mayhem and destruction behind him, and to make a frest start with his wife. But when a little girl is abducted on his watch at a department store, he has no choice but to help find her. Sam takes a guard job on the Mississippi steamboat that her parents work on as musicians, hoping to unearth clues somewhere along the river. As the boat heads upstream and calls in at ever more lawless settlements, offering excursions with dancing and jazz to its rowdy customers, Sam enforces tolerable behaviour on board. It is ashore the danger lies, where he makes a discovery that not only threatens everyone involved but casts new light on the murder of his own family decades earlier. Steeped in the langorous rhythms and music of Prohibition Louisiana, The Missing vividly evokes a ragged frontier nation where violence is normal and the law easy to dodge. But Sam Simoneaux knows right from wrong, and what it means to lose a child. Relentlessly suspenseful and profoundly affecting, this is an enthralling tale of vengeance, conscience and redemption by an exceptional writer.