Book Log 2008 #13: Have You Seen Dawn? by Steven Saylor

Rue Dunwitty has "escaped" from small Amethyst, Texas and made a life for herself in San Francisco. But on a return trip to see her grandmother she sees a sign in the local grocery store asking for information about a missing girl. The case begins to become the focal point of Rue's trip, as she starts to see suspects everywhere - even in her own family.

Saylor doesn't typically write fiction in contemporary settings - the closest he's come is the late 19th century in A Twist at the End, which is also set in Texas. I have to say I liked that book much more than this one; the characters were more interesting and the period details helped to flesh the story out. There's good detail about the town, and characters are given a chance to develop some back story, but it's hard to reach the same level that you'd get in a historically-set work.

It's not a bad book, just enough of a change from his usual work to make the differences stand out.