Madeline Hemsley, a wealthy socialite from New York, has hired Hazel Cho, a private investigator, to find her goddaughter, Mia Thomas. Mia is a twelve-year-old black girl who lost her parents in a car accident and has been placed in Saint Agnes Home for Girls in Lake George. She is a talented singer and a well-liked straight-A student, but then she suddenly disappeares from the children's home. Despite contacting the police and hiring private investigators, Madeline is told that Mia has run away. Madeline enlists Hazel to help her find her goddaughter, promising her a significant sum of money if she locates Mia within nine days. However, if Hazel fails to find Mia, she gets nothing. During her investigation, Hazel visits Saint Agnes and becomes suspicious of the school. She discovers that several girls, including Mia, have gone missing over the years.
In this literary work, Miller boldly highlights the issue of missing children, specifically black children, who are often neglected by the media and law enforcement. The police often assume that these children have run away and fail to give much attention to their cases. Miller has masterfully given each character in the story a unique voice, making them stand out and come to life. The dialogue provides an unfiltered glimpse into the personality of each character. For instance, Hazel, a dedicated and determined private investigator, asks difficult questions fearlessly to find Mia. Additionally, Miller has cleverly added a ticking clock to the story, as Hazel only has a few days to locate Mia. Therefore, she needs to do everything in her power to achieve her goal in time, a plot device that creates nail-biting suspense. The book is filled with unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader on the edge of their seat.
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