Missing in Mexico

By Stuart Gustafson

Missing in Mexico is a mystery novel set in Los Cabos, Mexico. Sarah is a 19-year old who wasn't on the return plane trip from a family vacation. Her parents hire Stan, a Private Investigator, to find her. Even with local help and some promising leads, Stan returns to Seattle to tell her parents that he can't find her. Months later he receives a letter from someone who says she can help him find Sarah, and he jumps on the next plane to Los Cabos. Will this be the break that he needs to find her, or will she remain missing -- Missing in Mexico?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Stuart Gustafson
• Release date: May 3, 2011
• ISBN: 9780977172733

Stuart Gustafson

An Adams Media author.

Book preview

Reviews for Missing in Mexico

[donnambr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Missing in Mexico is described as a tourism suspense novel and that’s certainly a sub-genre that’s new to me; however, Gustafson’s writing and clear knowledge of his setting, local customs and the language does make it easy to slip into the novel and feel perfectly at ease with the locations of the book.

Stan Walkorski is a jaded but excellent PI: he’s clearly seen too much of the world and its troubles and this has made him a little weary and cynical but conversely has also served to make him excellent at his job. When a young woman disappears in a Mexican airport, Stan has very little to go on, save some patchy information from her parents and best friend. Heading over to Los Cabos is the only way he can get to the heart of the matter.

My knowledge of Spanish, Latin-American or otherwise is basic to say the least but I did enjoy the chapter headers, which consisted of a word, translated and then used in the context of a sentence. For example:

comer (cō·mĕr’) – to eat. Quiero comer tacos. I want to eat tacos.

This was a quirky but enjoyable take on the theme of using quotations or chapter headings, which again highlighted Gustafson’s knowledge and the authenticity of the information used in the novel.

The story gives you the impression that Stan is following a well travelled path that he’s encountered many times before, though it never gets any easier. Although Stan gives very little away about himself, his actions often betray his true feelings and it’s clear that at heart he is a good man who just wants to see right done in the world. Unfortunately, you also get the impression that in his line of work it’s more likely to see flying pigs. Stan displays a heartwarming touch of vulnerability throughout the novel that makes him even more appealing as a central character.

If you’d have asked me previously if I thought a travel writer, turned novelist could produce a convincing ‘tourism suspense’ I’d have probably looked at you in confusion and then assumed you were joking but actually this works well. The old adage “write what you know” comes in to play here and Missing in Mexico is a good combination of intriguing story, likeable protagonist and a convincing, well written setting, based on fact and experience. An excellent debut.

Note: Review copy (PDF) received as part of a Partners in Crime tour

[danaburgess · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

If you decide to pick up this book, the number one thing you must be sure to do is read the chapter headings! There are a couple reasons for this: 1) they give you your Spanish lesson for the chapter. Each chapter is numbered in English and Spanish and the heading includes a Spanish word, pronunciation, meaning and a sentence to show context. I think it has already been established that I'm a bit of a geek and I really enjoyed these little lessons. 2) pay attention to the date included in the heading. There are a couple of chapters that are flashbacks. This really wasn't confusing, as long as the heading was read. Because Sarah goes missing in Mexico at the outset of the book, the flashbacks are used to introduce the reader to her character. I found these chapters interesting and helpful in getting to know Sarah.It is very obvious that Stuart Gustafson is a travel writer. This is his first travel mystery and it reads almost as if someone has taken a travel book and a mystery novel and shuffled them together like a deck of cards. That isn't meant to be a criticism. The mystery kept my attention but the descriptions of San Jose del Cabo have me searching the net for cheap airline tickets. I have a burning desire to go and see these sites for myself. I found that I enjoyed the mix.Stan, the private investigator, was an interesting character. I was amused at his attempts at romance. In other mysteries I have read, the investigator is so focused on his case that any romance involved, also involves the case. I think 'Missing in Mexico' shows a more accurate picture of what an investigator's life is really like. Sometimes the clues are really hard to come by. Sometimes there are days when nothing can be done and Stan may as well go out on the town and play tourist - maybe with a 'friend'. Sometimes waiting is the name of the game. It makes for a much slower paced plot than I usually enjoy but the descriptions of the setting helped to take up the slack. I also liked that the romance in the book was sweet and not forced.Surprisingly, I didn't connect at all with Sarah's parents. I found it hard to sympathize with them. Certainly if Sarah had been my daughter, I would have reacted much differently. Not only didn't I connect well with them, I also didn't like them very much.I don't know whether I was just really in tune with this author or if the mystery really was quite transparent but I did have it figured out within the first few chapters. While this did give me the satisfaction of feeling really smart, it also made me a little impatient with Stan the detective. The ending of the story was perfect. Perhaps too perfect. I always prefer a less than perfect ending.Overall, 'Missing in Mexico' was a satisfying read and I look forward to Mr. Gustafson's next travel mystery.