Upon returning from the field trip Lois discovers one of the students, James Walker, is missing. Somehow he was left behind in the woods they had explored.

James had always been bad inside, forgetting to do the right thing. Now James is infected with the virus and is visiting the homes of his fellow classmates - passing the virus on to them. Sometimes he bites them, other times he just spits on them. The virus continues to spread.

Almost everyone in Corpus Christi was coughing themselves red in the face and breaking out in rashes all over their bodies. Overnight more kids James’ age disappeared.

The town looked as perfect as a Norman Rockwell painting, but something was dreadfully wrong. The town was a petri dish full of mystery cough and rash.

The Centers for Disease Control and The Environmental Protection Agency were called in to investigate this baffling virus affecting most of the town. The virus caused chest congestion, light sensitivity, a rash, foul-smelling breath and an altered personality.

The virus began to spread beyond Maine into New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. Soon the infected outnumbered the healthy and still the virus continued to spread.

The Missing is a well-written thriller that will hold your attention from the first page to the last. It is best read following Sarah Langan's first novel The Keeper for a better understanding of the towns and what had previously taken place.