The Child Finder/ Rene Denfeld/ 273 pgs

In many ways, this is not an easy book to read. However, the writing is terrific. It's spare but much is said in those few words. Naomi is the titular child finder. A missing child herself--one who was never able to reconnect with her family--has made it her mission in life to find other missing children. Sometimes she's successful, sometimes she's not. In her current case, she's investigating the disappearance of a 5-year-old girl in extremely rural, mountainous Oregon. We also get the perspective of the little girl, and it's unsettling to say the least. This book reminded me a little bit of Room. There is also another story line involving a missing infant. Obviously, the book is full of children in peril and can be difficult to read at times, so fair warning. Nonetheless, I thought this was very well written and quite in depth, despite the spare writing style.

Yesternight/ Cat Winters / 400 pages

While this isn't a perfect book, it kept me interested until the very end. I was reminded of books by Simone St. James, who I also enjoy.

Alice Lind is a female psychologist who travels around to rural Oregon schools giving intelligence tests to children. She would prefer to be going to graduate school and doing research but those kinds of things are reserved for the menfolk. Alice is independent and she’s used to doing what she wants. She’s also a bit unsettled and has some dark secrets in her past that will come back to haunt her.

In Gordon Bay, she’s presented with 7-year-old Janie, who is a mathematical genius but also claims to be/have been a 19-year-old woman named Violet Sunday who drowned violently (and yes, I did keep reading her name as Violent Sunday!). Alice does not believe in reincarnation but Janie’s father is convinced and wants Alice to help him prove the truth of his daughter’s wild tales. Janie’s mother, divorced from dad, is completely opposed to this.

I will say that the characters are somewhat shallowly written but the mystery of Janie’s past life and Alice’s past are intriguing enough to keep you reading. I didn’t really find Janie creepy, even when she was speaking as Violet, but let me tell you, the ending took a really dark twist and the epilogue really creeped me out! All in all, an entertaining read.