Holmes Is Missing * James Patterson, Brian Sitts * Holmes, Margaret & Poe #2

When a highly publicized string of newborn abductions from a New York City hospital puts a newly famous detective agency to the ultimate test, the team faces a double crisis as their brilliant but reluctant partner suddenly vanishes into thin air.

The Story: Co-authored by prominent master of suspense James Patterson and acclaimed thriller writer Brian Sitts, this high-stakes 2025 blockbuster is the fast-paced, ingenious second installment in the celebrated Holmes, Margaret & Poe universe. The narrative completely steps away from routine, slow-moving police procedurals and heavy bureaucratic red tape. Instead, Patterson and Sitts construct a techno-noir puzzle that brilliantly updates iconic classic detective frameworks for the modern age, demonstrating that protecting a city's most vulnerable relies on combining raw muscle and analytical technology.

The plot follows the Brooklyn-based private intelligence firm Holmes, Marple & Poe Investigations, which has won rapid acclaim for solving the unsolvable. The group is led by three uniquely skilled operators: Brendan Holmes ("the brain"), Margaret Marple ("the eyes"), and Auguste Poe ("the muscle"). Their regular routine takes a sharp turn when six infants are simultaneously kidnapped from the maternity ward of St. Michael's Hospital. Just as the high-profile investigation begins, Brendan Holmes, a brilliant but troubled recovering addict, suddenly walks away from the agency, pulling a perfect disappearing act right when the team needs him most.

Rather than hunting for clues independently, the remaining partners face a grueling, cross-continental countdown to track down the missing children and locate their partner. As Margaret follows a dark, high-tech trail stretching from New York all the way to London, she uncovers a vast international syndicate operating in the shadows. Moving smoothly from corporate boardroom surveillance to high-stakes street operations, this pacy page-turner keeps the adrenaline at an absolute boil until its final, massive twist. This instant bestseller remains an essential cornerstone for modern mystery shelves.

Perfect For: Fans of high-concept private eye mysteries, fast-paced kidnapping thrillers, and clever reinventions of classic literary sleuths; readers captivated by team-driven investigation sagas; and book collectors securing a clean volume of one of Patterson's most requested modern series.

First published 2025; this edition 2026 by Little, Brown and Company.

Private Investigator Mysteries / Kidnapping Thrillers / Techno-Noir / Crime & Suspense Anthologies / Modern Pulp Reboots