An enthralling tale of abduction, guilt and redemption set in Jazz Age Louisiana, unanimously acclaimed by the critics.

'Remarkable...a rip-roaring adventure novel with a true depth of feeling' -- Stephen Amidon, Sunday Times 'A beautifully written, enthralling saga ... a compelling novel' -- James Urquhart, Independent 'Gautreaux writes action-packed novels that stand out for the extraordinary calibre of their prose' -- Andrew Rosenheim, The Times 'Has the impact of a book twice its length ... a dramatic, theatrical meditation on law and lawlessness' -- Alan Warner, Guardian 'Tim Gautreaux's redemptive novel is a joy to read' -- Barclay McBain, Herald 'Gautreaux brings a long-gone era to life in lush, fresh detail ... this novel about the intricacies of the human heart has a great, beating one of its own. Life may be harsh and fleeting, but the missing are still missed.' -- Heather Thompson, Sunday Telegraph 'Tim Gautreaux has managed to write a fine novel about a child's abduction without making it too upsetting. This isn't to say that the book is lightweight; nor does it duck the fear and trauma of the events it narrates. It has all the insight and metaphors you could wish for, but you end up zipping through it ... impressively thrilling, and pleasingly complete' -- Tom Payne, Daily Telegraph 'Gautreaux writes with sustained grace and creates memorable characters ... What really sets THE MISSING apart, though, is his remarkable ability to realise the period ... a rare and rather uncanny achievement: a novel about the South in the early Twenties that reads as though it was actually written there and then' -- John Dugdale, Literary Review 'Full of vivid evocations of the sights, sounds and smells of the South. As Simoneaux pursues his morally driven detective mission the scent of the steaming mud of the cypress swamps and the sound of 1920s New Orleans jazz rise off the page' -- Claire Prentice, Scotsman

Born and raised in Louisiana, Tim Gautreaux lives there still with his family. Acclaimed as 'one of the best writers to have emerged in the 1990s' by Kirkus Reviews, his first novel, THE NEXT STEP IN THE DANCE, won the 1999 SEBA Book Award, and was followed in 2003 by the highly acclaimed THE CLEARING. In 2005, he was awarded the John Dos Passos Prize.