This was my first Missing 411 book despite having seen both movies. For those who are unaware, Missing 411 is a series of books exploring mysterious missing person cases that happen in or near national parks.
I was surprised by the casual tone of the book. It feels like the author is having a direct conversation with you. However the book is still formatted more like a reference book with sections for different geographic regions. This is mostly a US-centric book but there are some other cases listed from different countries.
I decided to go into this book with the most skeptical mind I could manage. There are definitely some cases that I thought might have pretty mundane explanations. Especially when you look at much older cases that rely on varying accounts from local newspapers. But I think even the most skeptical person would find some of these disappearances very unnatural and unnerving. There are several cases that are well documented but none of the facts make any sense…
A man missing in the woods with only the clothes on his back is found days later with alcohol still in his bloodstream. Small children who are found miles into the most rugged terrain imaginable. Or even up mountainsides.
Even if you choose not to believe that any case in this book has a supernatural element, this is still a big book. One in a long series. All about people that never got to go home. That in and of itself gives this book a very haunted feeling.