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MISSING SAM
Thrity Umrigar
Algonquin Books
January 27, 2026
320 pages
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I think I have read all of Umrigar’s previous books. She always tells a good story.
This story starts out with a mystery/thriller vibe but it quickly turns into a display of the character of today’s society. The main characters are Ali and Sam, a married LGBTQ couple. Ali is a Muslim with Indian heritage. When Sam is abducted while jogging the focus turns on Ali, mostly because of her “label”.
This is a heavy book to read, and I imagine it was a heavy book for the author to write. There are many themes present: homophobia, religious hate, racism, violence and naturally PTSD.
The political atmosphere of the US is mentioned. While it is reflected in the tone of the story, it is not specifically discussed. A direct quote from the book:
“Hate and distrust have become our national languages, and we have all become fluent in them.”
Excellent character development, especially Ali, Sam and Ali’s father.
There are a lot of tense moments throughout and they ramp up in the last half of the book. In my mind, this is not as much a thriller as it is more of a fast paced drama. Definitely a page turner.
Thrity Umrigar does not disappoint.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advance Readers Copy.
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