48 Clues into the Disappearance of My Sister

Marguerite, a beautiful woman, has disappeared from her small town in upstate New York. But is foul play involved, or did she merely seize an opportunity to get away for fun, or finally decide to leave her claustrophobic life of limited opportunities behind?

Her younger sister Gigi wonders if the flimsy silk Dior dress, so casually abandoned on the floor, is a clue to Marguerite’s seeming disappearance. The police examine the footprints made by her Ferragamo boots leaving the house, ending abruptly, and puzzle over how that can help lead to her. Gigi, not as pretty as her sister, slowly reveals her hatred for the perfect, much-loved Marguerite.

Bit by bit, like ripping the petals off a flower blossom, revelations about both sisters are uncovered.

Subtly, but with the unbearable suspense at which Joyce Carol Oates excels, clues mount up to bring to light the fate of the missing beauty.