Missing 411: A Sobering Coincidence, isn’t a book so much as it is an accumulation of briefly summarized missing persons reports. The victims outlined in this book, the fifth in a ten part collection, are young men that disappear without a trace and are found in or near bodies of water. The author delivers the name, location, and date last seen of each victim, then gives a brief overview of the details of the case, in which you will notice some other common factors. As you read, you will note frequent mentions of missing clothes, bodies being found in areas that had been previously searched, and interviews from family and friends saying that what happened was completely out of character for the person. Oftentimes, the young men are excellent students, have good jobs, and are involved in their communities, they are not the sort of people that would have a reason to vanish.
I don’t have much more to say about this book. If you love mysteries, you might like this book. I love mysteries, but I didn’t like this so much. I had a certain expectation before I started reading this book which was hyped up due to having watched two documentaries, Missing 411 (2017) and Missing 411: The Hunted (2019), which were adaptations of the authors other books. I highly recommend either of the documentaries over this one book, I believe you can watch them for free on YouTube. They are spooky, well made, and leave you wondering. I was looking forward to reading all of the books in the Missing 411 series, but having been so disappointed in A Sobering Coincidence, I don’t think I’m going to bother unless the books are given to me. The details of the cases themselves are interesting, but the structure of the book makes it feel like you’re reading a textbook rather than a novel.
Nonfiction and Nonsense 