The Falling Woman
by Richard Farrell

What it's about: When rumors begin to spread that one woman may have survived a major plane crash that killed everyone else onboard, a former pilot and investigator for the National Transportation Safety Board quickly develops an all-consuming obsession with finding both the survivor and the truth behind the crash.

Starring: Charlie Radford, who works for the NTSB after a heart condition ends his pilot career; Erin Geraghty, the alleged survivor whose secrets would give her plenty of reason not to want to be found even if she did manage to survive.

Catherine House
by Elisabeth Thomas

The setup: After high school, Ines Murillo gains entry to Catherine House, a mysterious and incredibly selective institution whose graduates go on to seemingly guaranteed success, wealth, and social influence. 

What goes wrong: As the first term progresses, Ines lags behind her fellow students especially when it comes to the cult-like level of school spirit that she watches them develop, observing with a kind of fascinated dismay and curiosity that could put her in danger.

You might also like: Inspection by Josh Malerman, Ghosts of Harvard by Francesca Serritella, The Marriage Pact by Michelle Richmond.

The Child Finder
by Rene Denfeld

Starring: Naomi Cottle, a private investigator who specializes in tracking down children who have gone missing, which she has a knack for as a survivor of abduction during her own childhood.

Why you might like it: Despite her own traumatic experience, Naomi's admirable persistence and hope that she will find the children she seeks is emotionally compelling.  

Series alert: If you find yourself feeling attached to Naomi, follow the next chapter of her story in the sequel The Butterfly Girl.

Grace is Gone
by Emily Elgar

What it is: a thought-provoking and intricately plotted story that follows the search for a missing (and critically ill) teen who vanishes after her mother is found bludgeoned to death, and how media involvement both helps and hinders solving crime.

Read it for: The complex ethical questions raised about media coverage of crime; the setting in rural Cornwall, which is complex and full of hidden secrets in those ways only small towns can be.

The Boy
by Tami Hoag

Series alert:  Although The Boy is technically a standalone novel, it follows the small town Louisiana-based husband and wife detective team Nick Fourcade and Annie Broussard, stars of their own eponymous mystery series.

What it's about: A seven-year-old boy is found stabbed to death in his own bedroom, but when his mother manages to survive the attack, rumors and wild theories begin to spread in their small community, undermining efforts to get to the truth. That's when another child, the boy's babysitter, suddenly disappears.

Most Wanted
by Lisa Scottoline

The premise: All Marcus and Christine Nilsson have ever wanted is a child, and they're over the moon when Christine finally becomes pregnant thanks to a sperm donor.

The problem: A few months into Christine's pregnancy a serial killer is arrested, and his picture on the news bears an uncomfortable resemblance to the photo from their donor's file. When Christine resolves to go visit the man in prison, she stumbles into a complex web that threatens to put everything she has worked for at risk.

Salt River
by Randy Wayne White

What it is: the 26th entry in the long-running and witty thriller series starring Florida-based marine biologist Marion "Doc" Ford, whose past in the special forces has left him with an unusual skill set that supports his work moonlighting as a private detective.

What it's about: Doc's eccentric friend Tomlinson reveals that he donated to a sperm bank when he was younger after a woman arrives claiming to be his daughter. Turns out the kids are planning to a reunion soon, which may spell bad (and possibly dangerous) news for Tomlinson as not all of them will be happy to see him.