Book Review: The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon by Marcy McCreary

The Disappearance of Trudy Solomon
Author: Marcy McCreary
Series: A Ford Family Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: CamCat Books (September 7, 2021)

Description: How far would your family go to protect its secrets?

In the waning days of the Catskills hotel era, Stanley and Rachel Roth, the owners of the Cuttman Hotel, were practically dynasty―third generation proprietors of a sprawling resort with a grand reputation. The glamorous and gregarious matriarch, Rachel. The cunning and successful businessman, Stan. Four beautiful children. A perfect family deserving of respect and loyalty. Or so it seemed.

Fast forward forty years. The Roths have lost their clout. When skeletal remains are found on the side of the road, a 1978 missing persons case—involving a coffee shop waitress who worked at the Cuttman—is reopened. Each member of the Roth family holds a clue to the case, but getting them to admit what they know will force Detective Susan Ford to face a family she'd hoped never to see again.

It will have you guessing who did what to whom...until the bitter end.

My Thoughts: Fifty-three-year-old Susan Ford is on desk duty until the wound in her leg heals and Internal Affairs finishes their investigation of the incident where Susan shot a young black drug dealer. She claims he had a gun, but no gun was found at the scene. 

When bones are found by a local highway, the first thought is that Trudy Solomon who disappeared forty years earlier has finally been found. This might bring resolution to a case that had been plaguing her father, retired Detective Will Ford, for all that time. The whole Trudy Solomon investigation loomed large in Susan's memory too. It happened at the same time her grandfather died, her parents divorced, and she lost her best friend to other friends. 

But the body is not Trudy's and a run of her Social Security cards finds Trudy in a memory care unit in Massachusetts, Will asks Susan to help him try to find out what Trudy's missing years contained. So, with her department's permission, Susan and Will begin to dig into the disappearance of Trudy Solomon again. They discover a couple of murders, family secrets of all sorts, and unknown babies. 

This was an engaging, character-filled mystery with all sorts of twists and turns. I enjoyed getting to know Susan and her parents. I also found the problem of possible police targeting of Blacks and the Black Lives Matter thread to be timely.

Favorite Quote:

"I sorted the old interview files, separated the living from the dead. The doctor Trudy had the appointment with is dead. Max Whittier, the guy from the parking lot who saw Ben drop off Trudy, is dead. Trudy's best friend, Maxine Cohen, is dead." I scanned Maxine's file. "According to her statement, she was shopping in Middletown when Trudy disappeared and claims to have no idea as to what might have happened to her."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.