Blind River by Ben Follows

FBI Agent Curtis Mackley never expected to be back in Blind River.  After the disappearance of his older brother and his own role in putting the local kingpin into prison, he had left and had little contact with his remaining family.  His father had been the sheriff and his sister works for the police department there still.

When he is informed that the police department has requested FBI assistance in a series of teenage girl disappearances, he tries to get his boss to send someone else.  But his boss is determined that Curtis' local knowledge might be helpful so Curtis and his partner, Frankie Lassiter, are soon are their way.

They arrive to find a town in panic mode.  Four teenage girls have disappeared in a few weeks time and there has been no trace of them since.  Curtis uses his connections to get an interview with the man he put in prison, a man who claims to know exactly who is taking the girls and a man still filled with hatred for Curtis.  He refuses to give Curtis any knowledge and Curtis is forced back on his local knowledge as he searches for the girls.  Can he find the culprit before more girls disappear?

This is a debut novel for Follows but it has received a lot of reader attention.  The story is full of twists and turns and even veteran detective story readers will be surprised a time or two.  There are some unbelievable elements such as this much crime in what is little more than a small town but overall it is an interesting look at a man's dilemma as he seeks to put his background behind him.  This book is recommended for mystery readers.