Girl, Missing BY Dreda Say Mitchell

In The Forgotten Child by Emily White, the haunting mystery of a missing child unfolds with relentless tension and unexpected twists. Fifteen years have passed since Gem's eight-year-old daughter, Sara-Jane, vanished with her best friend Abby outside their school. While Abby was eventually found and returned, Gem’s relentless search for Sara-Jane led only to mounting suspicion and accusations from a community that grew weary of her demands and began to doubt her integrity.

Now, Gem's carefully reconstructed life is disrupted when she learns that human remains have been discovered in the school’s chapel. Driven by a mix of grief and determination, she returns to the town that once turned against her, convinced that someone there knows the truth about what happened to Sara-Jane. As she delves back into the old community, Gem finds Sara-Jane’s belongings mysteriously appearing on her doorstep, a disturbing sign that she’s on the right track.

The more Gem uncovers, the clearer it becomes that the secrets hidden in the chapel are only the surface of a deeper, more sinister truth. The Forgotten Child is a fast-paced thriller that explores themes of loss, justice, and the shadows of past actions. Gem's quest for answers leads her into a dangerous labyrinth where hope and deception intertwine, making her journey to uncover the truth both perilous and poignant.