A modern true-crime-inspired mystery, Missing Clarissa follows two teenage girls who start a podcast investigating a decades-old disappearance, but not every mystery is meant to be solved.
Twenty years ago, Clarissa Campbell vanished without a trace, and now high school students Cam and Blair are determined to uncover the truth for their journalism class project. As they dig deeper, they uncover buried secrets, suspicious characters, and the dangerous reality of playing detective.
Marketed as a YA thriller for fans of A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, this book had potential, but it fell flat for me. The main characters felt frustratingly naive, and the plot lacked the depth needed to make the mystery truly compelling. While it might appeal to younger readers or those new to the genre, I personally struggled to stay engaged. There are also trigger warnings (TW: sexual assault) that readers should be aware of.
Overall, if you’re looking for a light mystery with podcast vibes, this may work for you. Otherwise, it doesn’t quite hit the mark.