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In “Missing White Woman,” by Kellye Garrett, Breanna is looking forward to a romantic weekend vacation with her boyfriend Ty, a man she has known for just a couple of months. Ty booked a lavish Airbnb in Jersey City with plans for he and Breanna to tour New York and spend some quality time together.
Their rendezvous comes to an abrupt halt on their second day when Breanna wanders downstairs in the early morning looking for her boyfriend. Instead, she practically trips over the body of a woman covered in blood and sprawled out at the bottom of the steps. Breanna can’t reach her boyfriend by phone or text.
With little evidence, police and nosy neighbors suspect Ty and Breanna of having something to do with the death of the young white woman who has been bludgeoned to death. Initial reports point to the body being that of Janelle, a missing woman, the subject of a nationwide search garnering a lot of social media attention. Neighbors near the Airbnb aren’t used to seeing people of color in the area, and they question the presence of Ty and Breanna in their exclusive neighborhood.
Breanna can’t believe that Ty is a murderer. In the weeks she has known him, he has never shown a side of him that would indicate violence. She believes he is the best thing that has happened to her since she dropped out of college 11 years earlier. Breanna was disappointed that Ty spent so much time at work or on his phone during their brief time together, when the weekend was planned as a chance for them to get to know each other.
“Missing White Woman” is a contemporary murder-mystery that meets all the criteria necessary for a thrilling story. Breanna works relentlessly to prove Ty’s innocence even though he seems to have fled the area. She also wants to hide from the police an unseemly experience that affected her life years ago.
Public opinion fuels the rage towards whoever is behind the murder of a beautiful, apparently kind, young woman. New York and its surroundings provide an exciting setting. Characters introduced in the novel carry their own baggage, but none take away from the personalities of Breanna and Ty.
Breanna’s former best friend, now a highly paid lawyer, may have ulterior motives when she comes to Breanna’s rescue and defense. The modern-day influences of Instagram and Tik-Tok are an important part of the publicity swirling around the missing woman.
Kellye Garrett, the author of “Missing White Woman,” has been named by BookBub as one of the Top 100 Crime Novelists of All Time. Her other books include “Like a Sister” and “Hollywood Homicide.” Her latest novel will help to seal the author’s reputation.
