Book review: Conspiracies swirl around ‘Missing White Woman’

‘Missing White Woman’ by Kellye Garrett. Mulholland, 336 pages, $29 

Breanna Wright’s life hasn’t turned out as she expected as Kellye Garrett persuasively shows in her insightful “Missing White Woman,” touching on racism, social media and true-crime fanatics.

Garrett shapes Breanna as someone who wants so much from life but has achieved so little, a situation that often makes her angry, fragile and prickly, yet very appealing.
Breanna, who goes by Bree, expected to go to law school, to have a successful career, possibly marriage and a family. But an incident when she was a teenager derailed all her plans, or rather, she let things slide.

She still lives in the cheap Baltimore studio apartment she rented while in college and still works at the low-paying, part-time job she had back then.

But her life may finally take a turn. She has fallen in love with successful financial adviser Tyler “Ty” Franklin. He’s “perfect,” she thinks, believing they will have a future. As proof, Ty has rented an upscale Airbnb in Jersey City that has a terrific view of Manhattan. Here, they can have a get-away, even though he has to work part of the time at his company that has a nearby office.

Still, the couple manages to enjoy seeing Manhattan, posting many photos of the sights they visit. They also love the Airbnb’s charming neighborhood, although they are only two of the three Black people on the block. The only hesitation Bree has is the numerous posters and flyers everywhere about the “missing white woman” — Janelle Beckett, a professional dog walker who was well liked. Clusters of residents stand around discussing the case, seemingly tracking how often Ty and Bree come and go. A podcaster talks about Janelle as if they were friends.

“Missing White Woman” takes a turn when Bree wakes up one morning to find the body of a blonde woman lying on the rental’s first floor, and Ty missing. The woman could be Janelle, but the body is unrecognizable.

Garrett weaves a complicated web that ensnares Bree, as the police target the missing Ty. Social media scrutinize area security cameras, targeting the couple’s race as the police investigation ramps up. Garrett also takes a hard look at conspiracy theorists, especially those who have amassed a growing following.

Garrett makes the reader care very deeply about what happens to Breanna, even when her actions can seem irrational. Yet her belief in Ty never wavers.
Sharply honed twists, realistic dialogue and a solid setting elevate “Missing White Woman.”