Jennifer Mcmahon sticks to a tried and true formula with her book, Island of Lost Girls. Like her debut novel, Promise Not to Tell, Island of Lost Girls combines a coming-of-age tale with a mystery. It is set in Vermont, told from varying perspectives and jumps back and forth through time.

The protagonist in Island of Lost Girls is Rhonda, a recent college graduate who returns to her hometown - just in time to witness a child abduction. The search for the missing girl forces Rhonda to face her own past and the disappearance of her childhood friend Lizzy, as well as Lizzy's father.

But Island of Lost Girls is not a typical whodunnit. Rhonda is not an amateur sleuth intent on solving the crime; she is afraid of the truth and what it will reveal, especially about her childhood crush, Lizzy's brother. She is a likable protagonist; a flawed, sometimes strikingly naïve and selfish woman.

Due to the flashbacks, readers are provided a fairly complete picture of Rhonda's and Lizzy's clearly dysfunctional families. Lizzy and her brother, Peter, are both sympathetic, although it is difficult to identify with their plights. The one character who remains something of an enigma throughout the book is Tock, Peter's partner and the mother of his daughter. Tock is not particularly likable, probably in part because she stands in the way of Rhonda and Peter coming together as a couple. Her role in the story is not clear-cut, and at times her actions are difficult to comprehend.

However, Island of Lost Girls is a quick, enjoyable read. It is hard to put down, in part due to Mcmahon's measured writing style. The tone of the book is eerie and haunting, with definite sinister atmospheric details and undertones. The end of the book is surprising; it is conclusive without being trite or wrapping up loose ends too neatly. Mcmahon willingly examines unpleasant themes and weaves them into a suspenseful tale about childhood, growing up, moving on and facing facts.

- Ashley