Starting with the disappearance of Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa in 1975, Guiberson works back through history covering the disappearances of D. B. Cooper, hijacker in 1971, author and eccentric Barbara Follett in 1939, Amelia Earhart, William Morgan, who threatened to publish Mason secrets in 1826, and the princes in the Tower of London circa 1483.
Each chapter presents a narrative of the disappearance, information about the history and personalities leading up to the disappearance, and speculation and effects. The book is illustrated with black and white photographs and black and white line drawings, which to me had an outdated look. There is a bibliography organized by chapter and index.
I'm not much interested in the topic, so it's hard for me to judge how well-known these people, other than Amelia Earhart, would be. I'm pretty sure no young readers have ever heard of Barbara Follett or William Morgan and probably won't be particularly interested in these people. Jimmy Hoffa and D. B. Cooper are a little more current and might elicit more interest, while history buffs will enjoy the introduction to the princes and the continued speculation about their fate.
Verdict: I don't think this will have a wide audience. It's an interesting topic, but the black and white photos and sketches don't add much interest and the random assortment of subjects limits the appeal. An additional purchase for high-level readers.
ISBN: 9781250133403; Published February 2019 by Henry Holt; Borrowed from another library in my consortium
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