Normal life isn’t an option for Alexandra (Lexi) Ivanovich, the main character of Emma Berquist’s Missing, Presumed Dead. She can’t live a normal life when she can see the ghosts of those who died and refuse to move on. She can’t even touch people without seeing their death: the date, the reason, and every gruesome detail. So, Lexi avoids people, and for the most part, they reciprocate.
However, she’s not completely alone. Under the care of a powerful pyrokinetic, Urie, all those with magical abilities are given some shelter, but it comes at a price. Each person must be willing to protect the others, going on different jobs to take advantage of their abilities. When she leaves Urie’s club, where she and several others bartend, she runs into a girl, and immediately sees her death. The girl, Jane, would die that night.
She leaves, unable to say a word, but she can’t stop herself from thinking about it. Shortly after she’s said to be missing in the news, Lexi finds Jane’s ghost. It’s an angry, violent echo of the girl she used to be, one that seeks revenge and wants Lexi’s help. Lexi, fueled by guilt, agrees, and they begin uncovering the details around her death, all as more disappearances slowly start to pop up.
The tension in this book is heightened by the fact that as Lexi and Jane get closer, it becomes harder for Lexi to hide that her ability isn’t just to see ghosts. That she can see when people will die, how people will die, and that she didn’t save Jane. Still, Lexi and Jane develop a connection. Lexi meets Jane’s loved ones, allowing Jane to almost be there again, and she helps Jane draw again. On the other hand, Jane is the first ‘person’ Lexi can touch without seeing death. They need each other, and what they have is the closest thing to love either of them have ever had. It makes the anticipation of Jane’s reaction much more terrifying.
For a paranormal murder mystery, there aren’t too many hints given that readers can follow along with. It’s more of a book where the mystery will be fed to the reader, start to end. Keeping track of the side characters can be difficult at times, but it’s also important. Additionally, the romance in this book raised some doubts. Not only could it be difficult with Jane being a ghost, but some readers weren’t satisfied with the timeline of their relationship, and it’s never clear if they only fell in love out of necessity.
Missing, Presumed Dead is a quickly paced, highly tense novel that captures readers’ attention throughout the entire book. Both paranormal and murder mystery fans can enjoy this book, and it puts into perspective how not having powers can be a gift, and how it’s possible to find friendship and love in unlikely places.
