Gone (2006)

When coming up with a thriller title, sometimes it's best not to overthink it. Take Lisa Gardner's latest. One night, a sleepless woman goes for a drive and is abducted. She's... you guessed it. It's far from the only simple thing about Gone — which adheres steadfastly to thriller form — though Gardner manages to tweak expectations just enough to prevent crime novel déjá vu. Each character is a shade darker than usual. The victim, a former cop, is an alcoholic, and a young boy who might have clues to her whereabouts is a pyromaniac foster child. In the end, Gone's major strength is the chilly, damp setting in coastal Oregon: The book practically emits the feeling of wet forests and cold basements.