Missing Clarissa is a mystery and thriller novel written by Ripley Jones. This novel was unlike any other novel I’ve ever read. Clarissa Campbell was captain of the cheerleading team at Oreville High school. She went missing in 1999 at a party she attended in the woods and was never seen again. Without any leads and suspects the
case ran cold and was eventually closed.
Twenty years later, two students who attend the same high school start a true crime podcast as a school project based on the case. Blair and Cameron were determined to crack the mystery of what happened to Clarissa Campbell. Blair and Cam are very different personality wise. Cam is very outgoing and in your face whereas Blair is more reserved and laid back. As the two high schoolers delve deep into the disappearance of Campbell they uncover secrets about the small town and people start to talk. The girls interview the sheriff who was responsible for solving the case and much like other people of the small town, they’re immediately suspicious of him. The people from Oreville have an unhealthy obsession with white girls who go missing so Clarissa’s case got a lot of attention. Things get heated when Cam figures out who the killer is and goes to confront them alone. The two girls end up solving the case but not without obstacles and difficulty.
Jones’ storytelling is quite unique in the way that she goes back and forth between the main characters and some smaller characters. This method allows the reader to understand each of the characters' different perspectives. It took a bit getting used to as it became a bit confusing but as the novel progressed, I enjoyed getting to know each character more and more.