This short, fast-paced young adult thriller about best friends who start a true-crime podcast for their journalism project grabbed my attention from the start. Twenty years earlier, head cheerleader Clarissa Campbell disappears without a trace. Fast-forward to present day, and you have two quirky amateur sleuths – Cam and Blair – digging into the past and finding more than they bargained for. Their podcast starts getting traction as they find signs of a cover-up.

This is a perfect read for fans of Holly Jackson’s Good Girls Guide to Murder.

Thank you to NetGalley, St Martin’s Press and Ripley Jones for an early copy of the book.

Best friends Blair and Cameron are an odd couple, very different yet sharing a strong bond. The intrepid pair choose to do a true crime podcast for their senior journalism assignment, In August of 1999, popular cheerleader Clarissa Campbell vanished without a trace following a keg party in the woods of rural Washington state. Intense investigation at the time came up with no leads and no traces of the teen and it became an urban legend. The girls' new interviews uncover some ugly secrets and a few small town gods may have feet of clay. When their car is ran off the road one dark and rainy night it becomes clear someone wants their podcast to cease. Although a YA novel the tension is intense and the mystery well developed enough to appeal to anyone who enjoys a solid crime thriller. Another strength of the narrative are the likeable fully fleshed characters. Socially awkward, quirky Cam balanced by popular, cheerful logically Blair make an engaging team. The cold case of the missing teenager could be the topic of any current podcast or true crime news journal giving it wide appeal. I was unfamiliar with this author but will be on the lookout for more of their work in the future.

I really enjoyed this! It was face paced and reminded me a bit of A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. Blair was a fun character, as were Sophia and Irene. Cam, at times, was a bit frustrating. I did see the twist coming from very early on, but still found myself going through the rest of the book rather quickly. Overall, an entertaining read!

A young adult thriller with elements of true crime and podcasting? SOLD! That was easy.

MISSING CLARISSA is a story of two best friends assigned a project in class and decide to revisit a cold case of a missing girl 20+ years before from their town. They choose a podcast as their medium which starts off slow but then they start getting more and more listeners as it seems the local townspeople (and the country) are very much interested in seeing if the truth can be unearthed after all this time. But they say that everyone's interested in a dead white girl. There are stats and callouts for non-white girls who are kidnapped and the lack of efforts put into their cases and how so many are just shrugged off by law enforcement and the media.

Former boyfriends, friends, classmates, teachers, and even the parents are involved in interviews... and someone (or multiple someones) know more than what is provided at first. It's a race to see if the girl is missing or actually dead.

Quite a bit of representation here (POC, LGBTQ+, etc) and I think it's all handled in a truthful way.

Pick this one up if you're a Holly Jackson/Good Girls Guide to Murder fan for sure! But I think there's something in this one for everyone to latch onto and enjoy.

Friends, Blair and Cam, start with a high school journalism project and end up with something completely different.

A whirlwind of a story will keep you guessing as you follow leads and talk to towns people with the girls.

An enjoyable story and must read if you love YA mystery/suspense books.

I went into this one not knowing anything about it. I assumed it was about a missing girl named Clarissa but that’s it.
I was pleasantly surprised when I found out about the podcast in the story. If you follow my reviews then you’ll know I am obsessed.

I have both the physical and audio book. I ended up listening to the audiobook because of the podcast.

Missing Clarissa is a story about two high school girls who set out to do a podcast as part of a journalism project. The podcast is about a girl named Clarissa who went missing in 1999.

What is it about teens solving crimes that I find so fascinating?!
I loved both of the girls. They were the complete opposite of each other but it made for a fun story. Cam was the impulsive teenager that I was sure was gonna get them killed. Blair was the calm and collected one. Both characters were great and the author still gave us real life moments with them. It wasn’t all solving crimes.

Overall this was an amazing debut! I highly recommend it.

A riveting tale of two high school friends who set out to solve a murder. Well, sort of. They actually set out to do a podcast as part of a journalism project. But things quickly get out of hand when they start uncovering some very interesting information about a cold case involving the disappearance of local girl. And the resulting "Missing Clarissa" podcast is making several someones very uncomfortable.

An urban mystery, right-on-target teen (and adult) characters, and a charmingly believable telling of what life is like in a small town that never forgives or forgets. If you love a light mystery, you'll love this teen & YA tale.

Don't miss "Missing Clarissa". It's a refreshingly honest unraveling of a small town's memories, mysteries, and the effects one's actions may have on other people.

In 1999, gorgeous head cheerleader Clarissa Campbell, girlfriend of football team captain Brad Bennett, disappears.

Twenty years later, teens Cameron Munoz and Blair Johnson start a true-crime podcast with Clarissa's story. They find signs of a cover-up and their podcast starts to get real attention.

They get into all kinds of trouble before they find answers. Missing Clarissa is an excellent mystery with a strong depth of characterization.

Missing Clarissa was a quick read with characters who reflected 100% who my friends and I would have been if podcasts were a thing when we were teens. The main characters, best friends Clair and Sam felt like genuine, honest people. They made dumb, teenager mistakes that as an adult I could both shake my head at and appreciate.

One thing that I truly loved was how the book touched on / opened a conversation about the injustices and unbalanced distribution of resources when it comes to missing persons of color. The country turns up for missing white people, especially beautiful young women, but statistically this is not the same for PoC. This is a conversation that needs to happen more often, and a situation that needs to be rectified, and I really liked how Ripley Jones brought that up in the story.

While I don't think this was a book 100% for me, as a woman nearing her 40s, it's a book that I will recommend to teen patrons looking for a fun mystery with enough twists and turns to keep things interesting.

With the announcement of a class project, Blair and Cameron set out to create a podcast based on a tragic event that happened in their town. I really enjoyed the set up of the story in the form of the podcast and in the multiple points of view. Each uniquely added details to round out the story more. The fast paced mystery; both in the past and present, kept me reading and grasping all of the details to find out how it would play out! I loved being transported into the story! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

If you loved A Good Girls Guide to Murder, I highly
recommend this book. The audiobook was amazing
and it sounded exactly like a podcast. So if you're also
a podcast listener, I recommend the audiobook. The
characters were lovable and realistic and it was an
overall amazing book.

I love a good podcast mystery and this one fits the bill! Two teens decide to start a podcast to investigate the local mystery of a popular high school student who went missing in the 90's.

Cameron and Blair quickly dig up dirt on several locals who may have something to hide. The investigation is dangerous and the naiveté and inexperience of the girls lead to some big problems.

Perfect for fans of AGGGTM fans!

Thanks to Netgalley and St Martin's Press for the e-arc to this book. I enjoyed the storyline and definitely felt the connection to "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder". Because I didn't get a chance to pick this up before the release date, I was also able to listen to the audio. I enjoyed the multiple perspectives, but wish their would have been a voice change between the two characters. Even within the novel, it was hard to distinguish which character perspective we were in. Overall, I enjoyed the read. 3.5 stars

August 1999- High school students gather in a clearing in the woods for a midsummer bonfire party. Everyone who is everyone is there, led by the King and Queen of Oreville, Washington, Brad Bennett and Clarissa Campbell. Everyone can agree that Brad and Clarissa had an argument. Everyone can agree that Clarissa stormed off in tears. No one can agree on what happened next. Clarissa Campell left that party and was never seen again. Twenty years later Clarissa's case remains unsolved. The town tacitly agrees that her boyfriend, Brad, has somehow gotten away with murder, but the police department is unwilling or unable to produce enough evidence to press any charges.

Enter high school juniors, Cam Munoz and Blair Johnson. When faced with the prospect of a semester-long journalism project, Cam convinces Blair they should tackle the cold case. Clarissa's case has taken on the status of an urban legend, the ultimate warning against what can happen in the dark, and Cam thinks that the fame that could come from busting the case wide open will get the girls into any college they wish to attend. What she didn't count on was how real the case would begin to feel after conducting interviews. How many lives the disappearance still touched in their small town, and the lengths to which some people are willing to go to keep some secrets buried.

For me, as an adult reader, "Missing Clarissa" was a four-star book. For its intended young adult audience? "Missing Clarissa" will be the thriller of the year. Ripley Jones takes every single mystery trope that young adult and middle grades readers LOVE and executes it flawlessly. We have a cold case, we have a dynamic and super different duo investigating, we have a small town hiding secrets, we have a podcast-style narrative with interviews of suspects and witnesses, we have a big twist, and we have protagonists who are still finding themselves and growing in their own skin. Fans of "Sadie," "The Agathas," and "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" are sure to fall in love with Cam and Blair, I know I did. Special thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin's Press for providing an Advanced Reader's Copy of "Missing Clarissa" in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is my opinion, but I had a very hard time getting into this book. I'm not sure if the writing is just jarring at the beginning, the speaking to the audience immediately and without any lead in. Typically, these kinds of books are my favorite, but I simply couldn't connect with the characters or the story. Thank you for giving me a chance to read!

these types of books, the young adult true crimey multimedia presentations are more hit or miss for me than i would prefer. i liked a good girl's guide to murder, i didn't like sadie. i would say missing clarissa falls in the middle of those two

Its always a tragedy when someone goes missing, but what happens when the news moves on and the town tries to forget? Blair and Cameron decide to try and solve the case because they need to pass journalism class. Cam off the bat grated my nerves and I was never really given a chance to see her as a whole character. She had opportunities to that could have added to her depth and character arch. Blair was a shadow of a person and sewed together by stereotypes. Even the mystery wasn't fully developed and the killer was obvious where it could have been a deep look into criminal justice.

"Missing Clarissa: A Novel" by Ripley Jones is a gripping mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end. The story follows the disappearance of Clarissa, a successful businesswoman who vanishes without a trace, leaving her family and friends desperate for answers.

Jones's writing is atmospheric and evocative, capturing the small town setting and the tight-knit community that is rocked by Clarissa's disappearance. The characters are well-drawn and complex, each with their own secrets and motivations that keep the plot moving forward.

What sets this book apart is the way in which Jones masterfully weaves together multiple perspectives and timelines, creating a puzzle that readers will be eager to solve. The pacing is excellent, with just the right amount of tension and suspense to keep readers engaged.

While the resolution may not satisfy everyone, it is a fitting conclusion to a complex and nuanced mystery. Overall, "Missing Clarissa" is a well-crafted and engaging novel that will appeal to fans of suspense and mystery fiction. I give it a solid 4-star rating.

I really wanted to like this one...I heard it was recommended for fans of A Good Girls Guide To Murder, but unfortunately this one didn't work for me as that series did. I found Cam and Blair to be incredibly immature and reckless (I know they're teens - but they were truly disrespectful.) I felt disconnected to the story and was disappointed I didn't enjoy it. I did like the narrators.

What initially drew me to this book was the podcast angle. I have a weakness for true crime podcasts and books that have that as a plot point are some of my favorites. It’s interesting that this podcast was developed by teenagers doing a school project. Because of that, I was curious if the author would make the girls act like adults or if they would be portrayed as the imperfect teenagers they should be.

I found out quickly that Cam is a perfect example of an impetuous teenager. She handles this entire podcast with mania and impulsivity which leads to some crazy moments. Thank goodness for Blair who has a level-head and is much better at reading people and knowing how to talk to them. Blair’s flaw is her doubt in herself.

The mystery of Clarissa’s disappearance, investigated through the girl’s interviews, is interesting. It took a little time for the girls to put the pieces together, but I was able to figure out the culprit the first time he/she was mentioned. I loved how the author developed the story and dropped hints all along including a big red herring.

One of the other things I loved about this book was the character development with Cam and Blair. They learned more about themselves as the book progressed. They dealt with some big life things that were holding each of them back.

I definitely want to read more from this author. The narration of this book was great as well. All of the different narrators brought characters to life. The audio during the podcast part really made it seem like I was listening to a podcast. Really well done!