Missing Person: Alice

Missing Person: Alice by Simon Mason is the debut novel in the Finder series, introducing a unique and perceptive protagonist known only as "Finder." He is a specialist in locating missing individuals, often brought in by the police as a consultant when cases go cold.  

The story begins years after twelve-year-old Alice Johnson vanished while on her paper round in a seemingly ordinary town. With no leads and the case long dormant, the disappearance continues to haunt the community. However, when a local man is arrested in connection with a more recent crime, his cryptic remarks lead the authorities to believe he might also be linked to Alice's cold case.  

This is where the Finder enters the picture. Tasked with revisiting the original investigation, he interviews those who knew Alice, trying to piece together the fragmented memories and potentially overlooked clues from the past. As Finder delves into the lives of Alice's divorced parents, her classmates, and other residents of the town, he uncovers a complex web of relationships and hidden aspects of Alice's life that were never fully explored.  

Told from the Finder's detached and observant perspective, the novel focuses on the meticulous process of unraveling a long-unsolved mystery. It's a character-driven exploration of loss, memory, and the elusive nature of truth, as the Finder seeks to understand not just where Alice went, but who she truly was.