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THE MISSING PLACE is Lawton, North Dakota, a town filled with oil men ranging from young men living in barracks and working on the rigs to oil company executives and lawyers. It's also the place where two mothers from opposite sides of both the country and the tracks meet as they attempt to find out what happened to their sons who went missing from Lawton at the same time. Paul's mother, Colleen, arrives from her well-to-do existence in Boston, believing she can buy the information she needs. Shay, Taylor's mother, is already in Lawton living in an illegally rented camping trailer. When Colleen encounters her first big disappointment, that there is absolutely no place for her to stay in this full-to-the-brim oil boomtown, Shay takes her in and an uneasy alliance is formed.
The book is as much a sociological exposition of what happens in a town filled with men, and a psychological exploration of two vastly different but equally imperfect women with a common goal, as it is a mystery. As Shay and Colleen become more and more convinced that there is a conspiracy on the part of the oil company and the local police, they investigate more and more deeply into the living and working conditions of the young men hired on the rigs. This allows the reader an entree into the rough male world of the oil town at the same time that it points out how differently Colleen and Shay experience that world. During the investigation, Shay discovers a secret about Paul that changes how Shay and Colleen interact and that plays a role in the resolution of the mystery of Paul's and Taylor's disappearance.
If it weren't for the consistency of the setting and main characters, this book could almost be divided right down the middle into two books. Aspects of life in and around Lawton that take center stage in the first half fall away as the second half commences. The focus moves away from the oil rigs to center on interpersonal and cultural issues. I believe the book would have been stronger if Littlefield had chosen to bring to the forefront either the focus of the first or of the second half of the book, and let the other play a background role. As it stands, it feels as though there are two stories here and the abrupt switch midway through is jarring.
There is a lot of depth to the characterization and exploration of the setting, making for a strong book even with its flaws. Readers who have an interest in how the oil industry is changing the nature of small towns and their landscapes as well as readers who enjoy strong female protagonists and relationships will enjoy this book.
§ Sharon Mensing is the Head of School of Emerald Mountain School, an independent school in the mountains of Colorado, where she lives, reads, and enjoys the outdoors.
Reviewed by Sharon Mensing, November 2014
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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