Open Books Challenge 2026: About a Missing Person or Object

The Open Books Reading Challenge is a year-long reading challenge for people interested in pushing the boundaries of their reading. For full details of the program, please check-out our page at: https://www.rplmn.org/books-more/discover-more/open-books-reading-challenge

These are some ideas that fit the 2026 category "About a missing person or object."

Happy Reading!

Updated December 31, 2025
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I'll Find You Where The Timeline Ends
Baker, Kylie Lee.
Paper Book
The boy from the woods
Coben, Harlan
Paper Book
A man with a mysterious past must find a missing teenage girl in this shocking thriller from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Run Away. Thirty years ago, Wilde was found as a boy living feral in the woods, with no memory of his past....
The last thing he told me : a novel
Dave, Laura
Paper Book
A Goodreads Top 60 Book of the Last 5 Years Don't miss the #1 New York Times bestselling blockbuster and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick that's sold 5 million copies strong--now an Apple TV+ limited series starring Jennifer Garner! The "page-turning,...
There's something about Mira : a novel
Dev, Sonali
Paper Book
From USA Today bestselling author Sonali Dev comes the heartfelt story of a woman determined to reunite a lost ring with its owner, who ends up finding herself along the way. Mira Salvi has the perfect life--a job she loves, a fiancé everyone adores, and the secure future she...
The girl who was taken
Donlea, Charlie
Paper Book
If you loved THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN, don't miss this sensational suspense thriller, that will keep you guessing to the very end . . . Her truth is only half the story . . . Megan McDonald is a high school senior when she disappears from the small town of Emerson Bay. Miraculously, after...
The Tsarina's lost treasure : Catherine the Great, a golden age masterpiece, and a legendary shipwreck
Easter, Gerald
Paper Book
A riveting history and maritime adventure about priceless masterpieces originally destined for Catherine the Great. On October 1771, a merchant ship out of Amsterdam,  Vrouw Maria, crashed off the stormy Finnish coast, taking her historic cargo...
Wicked appetite
Evanovich, Janet.
Paper Book
The missing half : a novel
Flowers, Ashley
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Two women haunted by their sisters' unsolved disappearances band together in this captivating mystery from the author of All Good People Here and host of the #1 true crime podcast Crime Junkie. "A propulsive mystery with...
Gone girl
Flynn, Gillian
Paper Book
'What are you thinking, Amy? The question I've asked most often during our marriage, if not out loud, if not to the person who could answer. I suppose these questions stormcloud over every marriage: What are you thinking? How are you feeling? Who are you? What have we done to each other? What...
In the woods
French, Tana.
Paper Book
The bestselling debut, with over a million copies sold, that launched Tana French, author of the forthcoming novel The Hunter and "the most important crime novelist to emerge in the past 10 years" (The Washington Post).  "Required reading for anyone who...
Find her : a novel
Gardner, Lisa
Paper Book
Flora Dane is a victim.  Seven years ago, carefree college student Flora was kidnapped while on spring break. For 472 days, Flora learned just how much one person can endure. Flora Dane is a survivor. Miraculously alive after her ordeal, Flora has...
A Flower Traveled in My Blood The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children
Gilliland, Haley Cohen.
Ebook
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF 2025 * THE WASHINGTON POST'S 5 BEST NONFICTION BOOKS OF 2025 * THE ATLANTIC'S 10 BEST BOOKS OF 2025 * THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY'S BEST BOOKS OF 2025 * TIME MAGAZINE'S BEST BOOKS OF 2025 * NPR'S BEST BOOKS...
InvestiGators
Green, John Patrick
Paper Book
"When I'm faced with a Pilkey fan looking to branch out, this graphic novel is the first book I reach for... If eight books aren't enough, the spinoff series, Agents of S.U.I.T., continues the fun." ―The New York Times With more than four million copies in...
The overnight guest
Gudenkauf, Heather
Paper Book
A woman receives an unexpected visitor during a deadly snowstorm in this chilling thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf. She thought she was alone... True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn't mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where...
The deceivers
Haddix, Margaret Peterson
Paper Book
The second book in the Greystone Secrets series from the master of plot twists, Margaret Peterson Haddix--perfect for fans of A Wrinkle in Time and The City of Ember!  Until their mother vanished, the Greystone kids--Chess, Emma, and Finn--knew nothing about the other world. ...
The lost man
Harper, Jane
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "I love Jane Harper's Australia-based mysteries." --Stephen King Two brothers meet in the remote Australian outback when the third brother is found dead, in this stunning new standalone novel from Jane Harper...
The secret book of Flora Lea : a novel
Henry, Patti Callahan
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed. In the war-torn London of...
The keeper of lost things
Hogan, Ruth
Paper Book
Full of character, wit, and wisdom, The Keeper of Lost Things is heartwarming tale that will enchant fans of The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, Garden Spells, Mrs Queen Takes the Train, and The Silver Linings Playbook. Lime green plastic flower-shaped hair...
Bug Hollow
Huneven, Michelle.
Paper Book
The summer she went missing
Ichaso, Chelsea
Paper Book
From the author of Dead Girls Can't Tell Secrets and They're Watching You, a compelling new thriller! Last summer, they searched for Audrey Covington. This summer, they'll search for the truth. Paige Redmond has always felt lucky to spend her summers in...
The return of Ellie Black : a novel
Jean, Emiko
Paper Book
A USA TODAY Bestseller | An NPR Best Book of 2024 | A Goodreads Best Thriller of 2024 In this "page-turning suspense novel, shrewd character study, and captivating mystery" (Stephen King) Detective Chelsey Calhoun's life is turned upside down when she gets the...
Then she was gone
Jewell, Lisa
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Family Upstairs and None of This Is True comes an "acutely observed family drama" (People) about the lingering aftermath of a young girl's disappearance. Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was...
When Devils Sing
Kaur, Xan.
Paper Book
When Devils Sing is a rural, atmospheric YA horror, perfect for fans of Stephen King. In the shadows of a small Georgia town, four unlikely allies must unravel the sinister secrets behind a local teen's disappearance during the eerie Cicada Festival. When...
Four Past Midnight
King, Stephen.
Paper Book
The Bram Stoker Prize-winner for Best Fiction Collection - four riveting, dark stories from Stephen King that will 'grab you and not let go' (Washington Post). At midnight comes the point of balance. Of danger. The instant of utter stillness when between two beats of...
Local woman missing
Kubica, Mary
Paper Book
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER--OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! "Dark and twisty, with white-knuckle tension and jaw-dropping surprises." --Riley Sager, New York Times bestselling author of Home Before Dark In this smart and chilling...
Girl last seen
Laurin, Nina
Paper Book
An intense psychological thriller for readers of I Am Watching You,The Luckiest Girl Alive, and All the Missing Girls. Two missing girls. Thirteen years apart. Olivia Shaw has been missing since last Tuesday. She was last seen outside the entrance of...
Botticelli's secret : the lost drawings and the rediscovery of the Renaissance
Luzzi, Joseph
Paper Book
Some five hundred years ago, Sandro Botticelli, a painter of humble origin, created works of unearthly beauty. A star of Florence's art world, he was commissioned by a member of the city's powerful Medici family to execute a near-impossible project: to illustrate all one hundred cantos of The...
Mudlarking : lost and found on the River Thames
Maiklem, Lara
Paper Book
_______________WINNER OF THE INDIE BOOK AWARD FOR NON-FICTIONTHE TOP 2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEKAN OBSERVER BOOK OF THE YEAR_______________Mudlark (/'mAdla;k/) noun A person who...
Just another missing person
McAllister, Gillian
Paper Book
OLIVIA. 22 years old. Last seen on CCTV, entering a dead-end alley. And not coming back out again. Missing for one day and counting . . . Julia is the detective heading up the case. She knows what to expect. A desperate family, a ticking clock, and long hours away from her children.
The quiet tenant
Michallon, Cle?mence
Paper Book
NATIONAL BEST SELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR * GMA BUZZ PICK * "A bravura feat of storytelling...daring and completely satisfying." --James Patterson, #1 best-selling author A PULSE-POUNDING PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER ABOUT A SERIAL KILLER NARRATED BY THOSE...
All the missing girls : a novel
Miranda, Megan
Paper Book
***A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*** A New York Times Book Review "Editors' Choice" Entertainment Weekly -- Thriller Round-Up The Wall Street Journal -- 5 Killer Books Hollywood Reporter -- Hot Summer Books...16 Must Reads
The god of the woods
Moore, Liz
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER and ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES'S NOTABLE BOOKS OF THE YEAR A NEW YORK TIMES "BEST THRILLER" and "BEST CRIME NOVEL" OF THE YEAR PEOPLE MAGAZINE'S #1 BOOK OF THE YEAR "Extraordinary . . ....
The Grand Paloma Resort : a novel
Natera, Cleyvis
Paper Book
AN ELLE AND ELECTRIC LIT BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR * The Grand Paloma Resort is a lush paradise in the Dominican Republic where the guests enjoy incredible luxury, and the staff is always eager to please--that is, until they are pushed to the brink. Laura is a local...
The memory police
Ogawa, Y ko
Paper Book
*** 2019 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST *** *** LONGLISTED FOR THE 2020 INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE AND THE 2020 TRANSLATED BOOK AWARD *** *** NEW YORK TIMES 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF THE YEAR *** A haunting Orwellian novel about the terrors of state surveillance, from the...
The Impossible Fortune: The Thursday Murder Club 5
Osman, Richard.
Paper Book
Who's got time to think about murder when there's a wedding to plan? It's been a quiet year for the Thursday Murder Club. Joyce is busy with table plans and first dances. Elizabeth is grieving. Ron is dealing with family troubles, and Ibrahim is still providing therapy to his...
The Year of the Wind
Pacheco Medrano, Karina
Paper Book
A lyrical novel depicting the devastating effects of political violence in Peru on three women's lives Nina, a Peruvian writer in Spain on the eve of the pandemic, is pulled back into her nation's fraught history after a fleeting encounter with a woman who is a doppelgänger of...
The president is missing : a novel
Clinton, Bill
Paper Book
Don't miss the #1 New York Times bestselling thriller from the world's bestselling author, James Patterson: an "undeniably gripping ride through the hidden passageways of power and politics" that "moves like Air Force One" (Michael Connelly). The...
Three women disappear
Patterson, James
Paper Book
Sarah, his personal chef. Anna, his wife. Serena, his maid. All three had access to a murder victim's home. And all three women are missing.  Sarah, his personal chef Anna, his wife Serena, his maid Accountant Anthony Costello has...
A song for the dark times
Rankin, Ian
Paper Book
'The master storyteller' (Guardian) weaves a gripping story of mystery and suspense,threaded through with some of the most important issues and themes of our time, in the new John Rebus thriller.
Life or death
Robotham, Michael
Paper Book
Audie Palmer has spent a decade in prison for an armed robbery in which four people died, including two of the gang. Seven million dollars has never been recovered and everybody believes that Audie knows where the money is.For ten years he has been beaten, stabbed, throttled and threatened...
Middle of the night : a novel
Sager, Riley
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend--and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines...
The lovely bones
Sebold, Alice.
Paper Book
"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973." So begins the story of Susie Salmon, who is adjusting to her new home in heaven, a place that is not at all what she expected, even as she is watching life on earth continue...
The hundred lies of Lizzie Lovett
Sedoti, Chelsea
Paper Book
From bestselling author Chelsea Sedoti comes a comedic young adult mystery with "one of the most relatable characters in recent young adult literature" (Book Page), perfect for fans of John Green and Jandy Nelson. Hawthorn Creely's not one to get involved in other people's business. But a missing...
Where'd you go, Bernadette
Semple, Maria.
Paper Book
Bernadette Fox is notorious. To Elgie Branch, a Microsoft wunderkind, she's his hilarious, volatile, talented, troubled wife. To fellow mothers at the school gate, she's a menace. To design experts, she's a revolutionary architect. And to 15-year-old Bee, she is a best...
Pretty girls : a novel
Slaughter, Karin
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A My Favorite Murder Book Club Pick! "Stunning . . . certain to be a book of the year." - LEE CHILD Powerful, poignant, and utterly gripping, packed...
Still missing
Stevens, Chevy.
Paper Book
On the day she was abducted, Annie O'Sullivan, a thirty-two year old realtor, had three goals--sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever- patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van...
The lamplighters
Stonex, Emma
Paper Book
Cornwall, 1972. Three lighthouse keepers vanish from a remote rock, miles from the shore. The entrance door is locked from the inside. The clocks have stopped. The Principal Keeper's weather log describes a mighty storm, but the skies have been clear all week. What happened to those three men, out...
All the colors of the dark : a novel
Whitaker, Chris
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD * From the author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that "hits like a sledgehammer . . . an absolutely must-read novel" (Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl). Read...
Gone before goodbye
Coben, Harlan
Paper Book
Maggie McCabe is on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge. But now, after a devastating series of personal tragedies, Maggie is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand...
How to find a missing girl
Wlosok, Victoria
Paper Book
"The voice that this generation's mystery readers have been waiting for...How to Find a Missing Girl is edge-of-your-seat compelling from beginning to end." --#1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong For fans of A Good Girl's...
The lost bookshop
Woods, Evie
Paper Book
Pre-order Evie Woods' new book The Violin Maker's Secret now, out in February 2026! The Echo of Old Books meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets. 'The thing about books,' she said 'is that they help you to imagine a...

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