“Dancing in the Dark” by Mary Jane Clark – good one!
When a young woman goes missing from Ocean Beach, New Jersey during a summer heat wave, everyone in town is naturally concerned and they all go out to try and find her. After three days, she shows up, dirty, dehydrated but unharmed. She tells police that the kidnapper never spoke, but he came back several times to dance with her. Because of her background of anorexia and cutting, the police chief and even the girl’s parents start to wonder if perhaps the whole kidnapping wasn’t made up. Leslie, the victim had just been dumped by her boyfriend, Steve. Police were at first suspicious of him because he never bothered to look for his ex-girlfriend.
Diane Mayfield, a correspondent for KEY news in New York, was all set to take her two kids on a long-anticipated vacation to the Grand Canyon. Because she’s been working on a series about women who fake kidnapping, her boss demands that she go to the Jersey Shore and follow the case. Diane is not happy nor are her teenage children, but as the sole support of the family, she goes. When she talks to Leslie, she, too, believe the young woman lied.
Just when the police are about to arrest Leslie for making a false kidnapping report, another young woman, goes missing, and she too was dating Steve. Needless to say, he becomes the prime suspect. While Leslie is sorry another woman was kidnapped, she feels vindicated and tells everyone. The second victim also shows up after three days but sadly she’s dead.
The story is narrated from a variety of viewpoints in short, choppy chapters that keep the reader engaged. There were plenty of suspects, from the doctor who was using dubious methods to treat both girls, to the damage Iraq war vet who was dumped by his fiancee and never recovered, to the local real estate agent who’s own daughter took her life while in treatment with the same doctor. I read mysteries almost exclusively and usually can guess whodunit fairly easily. However, “Dancing in the Dark” kept me guessing until the surprising, twist ending! This is an exciting fast read I’m sure you’ll enjoy
Still looking for a good mystery? Pick up a copy of Stormy Love or The Worst Evil available at www.whiskeycreekpress or order them at Borders. Want something lighter? Try Call Sign: Love or The Colors of Death, www.writwordsinc.com.
