One of the hundred books a year I read:

The locked room is a classic mystery device. Isolate the victims and perpetrators somewhere, such as a haunted mansion or island cut off during a storm. When the crime happens, everyone becomes a suspect. Escape seems impossible.

So why not an airplane in mid-flight? Makayla Rossi, thankful her infant is sleeping, steps back to the restroom on the plane. When she returns, Liam is missing. How does a baby disappear so quickly? And where could he be when no one could have left the plane?

One challenge in a modern-day locked room story is what to do about cell phones. The classic device is to have everything happen when the power is out or people are outside a cell reception area.

Here, the author lets communication happen. It doesn’t matter because police can’t board the plane until it lands. Searching the plane is left to the flight attendants. They can’t locate the child. Maybe a member of the flight crew is involved.

To further compound the mystery, question whether the infant even exists. Did anyone see Liam board the plane? Makayla’s family history includes mental illness, so maybe it’s all in her mind.

Note: This book is published by Thomas and Mercer, an Amazon-owned imprint, on March 1. The ebook is available only through Amazon, though the print book can be purchased from the usual retailers.