About this ebook
A virus infects a small Maine town, unleashing an apocalypse in this Bram Stoker Award–winning horror novel.
It is always hungry; it is never satisfied . . .
It laid waste to the town of Bedford, Maine. A cocktail of toxic chemicals conjured up by the runoff product of a paper mill. But that was merely one ingredient of the poison that killed Bedford's people, whose lives were haunted by their unforgivable sins.
Now, the neighboring community of Corpus Christi is facing its own epidemic. A fourth-grader vanished during a field trip to Bedford's woods. And when he returned, he wasn't alone. Something took possession of him, driving him to hunt and . . . feed. He carries a contagion that spreads with every bite, turning wounded victims into predatory monsters.
Town librarian Meg Wintrob has her own problems when the virus comes. Her marriage is hanging by a thread. Her teen daughter wants to run away. It was an ordinary suburb with ordinary problems—until it wasn't. As the sick begin to outnumber the healthy, Meg will need to find a way out. Because this virus infects more than the body; it eats the soul.
"With The Missing, Sarah Langan solidifies her position alongside Joe Hill, Tim Lebbon, Tom Piccirilli, and a handful of others as one of the best dark fiction writers of our generation." —Brian Keene, Bram Stoker Award–winning author
" The Missing is reminiscent of Stephen King's Salem's Lot with wicked drops of Koontz, Barker and Straub. Sarah Langan is the new jack-o'-lantern on the doorstep. Walk around her cautiously." — Madison Country Herald
It is always hungry; it is never satisfied . . .
It laid waste to the town of Bedford, Maine. A cocktail of toxic chemicals conjured up by the runoff product of a paper mill. But that was merely one ingredient of the poison that killed Bedford's people, whose lives were haunted by their unforgivable sins.
Now, the neighboring community of Corpus Christi is facing its own epidemic. A fourth-grader vanished during a field trip to Bedford's woods. And when he returned, he wasn't alone. Something took possession of him, driving him to hunt and . . . feed. He carries a contagion that spreads with every bite, turning wounded victims into predatory monsters.
Town librarian Meg Wintrob has her own problems when the virus comes. Her marriage is hanging by a thread. Her teen daughter wants to run away. It was an ordinary suburb with ordinary problems—until it wasn't. As the sick begin to outnumber the healthy, Meg will need to find a way out. Because this virus infects more than the body; it eats the soul.
"With The Missing, Sarah Langan solidifies her position alongside Joe Hill, Tim Lebbon, Tom Piccirilli, and a handful of others as one of the best dark fiction writers of our generation." —Brian Keene, Bram Stoker Award–winning author
" The Missing is reminiscent of Stephen King's Salem's Lot with wicked drops of Koontz, Barker and Straub. Sarah Langan is the new jack-o'-lantern on the doorstep. Walk around her cautiously." — Madison Country Herald
A virus infects a small Maine town, unleashing an apocalypse in this Bram Stoker Award–winning horror novel.
It is always hungry; it is never satisfied . . .
It laid waste to the town of Bedford, Maine. A cocktail of toxic chemicals conjured up by the runoff product of a paper mill. But that wa...
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Ratings and reviews
2 reviews
Caleb Payne
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January 16, 2026
Easily one of my top 10 favorite horror books of all time. Told from the shifting POVs of a number of characters, this story chronicles the emergence and spread of a virus throughout a town. I read this in paperback back in 2022 and, after living through a pandemic, this book hit home in a way few other novels have ever been able to accomplish. Expertly crafted, well-paced, and genuinely disturbing. 10/10
About the author
Sarah Langan is a three-time Bram Stoker Award–winning author. Her works have appeared on best of the year lists at NPR, Newsweek, The Irish Times, and Publishers Weekly. Langan's short stories have been published in Nightmare and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and featured in anthologies The Best Horror of the Year, The Year's Best Dark Fantasy & Horror, and The Year's Best Science Fiction & Fantasy. She has an MFA from Columbia University and an MS in Environmental Health Science/Toxicology from NYU. Langan lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughters.
Sarah Langan is a three-time Bram Stoker Award–winning author. Her works have appeared on best of the year lists at NPR, Newsweek, The Irish Times, and Publishers Weekly. Langan's short stories have been published in Nightmare and The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, and featured in antholo...
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