An interior designer comes under suspicion when her wife suddenly vanishes in Thrity Umrigar's suspense-fueled 12th novel, Missing Sam. The titular character is a professor who goes out on a run one morning and doesn't come home. This begins a horrible nightmare that will test not only the marriage at the novel's heart but also one partner's sense of belonging in the United States.
Settled into cozy domesticity in Ohio's Cleveland Heights, Sam and Ali have endured their share of unwanted attention over their same-sex marriage. Ali's Muslim Indian heritage adds another layer of complexity, especially when Sam's disappearance prompts one of her students to accuse Ali of foul play. That's all it takes for Facebook to erupt with conspiracy theories, Ali's otherness a perfect target for a community desperately seeking answers. As the investigation into Sam's whereabouts gains steam, it reveals uncomfortable details about her marriage to Ali, including their terrible row the night before Sam disappeared. An already distraught Ali is unsettled by the virulent social media campaign against her as Sam's absence drags on. Even if Sam is found, how will the couple recover from their respective ordeals?
Umrigar (The Secrets Between Us; Everybody's Son) navigates that harrowing question in this marvelous novel. A phenomenal storyteller, she expertly incorporates thematic layers into the narrative, including family estrangement, racial identity, and psychological trauma. Missing Sam is equal parts a compulsively readable thriller and a beautifully rendered love story that captures how Sam and Ali's different backgrounds are in fact the source of their strength. --Shahina Piyarali