Mark Twain wrote “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn,” a story about a boy named Huck and a runaway slave named Jim as they travel down the Mississippi River. Huck, escaping from his abusive father, teams up with Jim, who is seeking freedom.
Their journey is filled with danger, humor, and encounters with colorful characters, all against the backdrop of pre-Civil War Missouri. Twain uses Huck’s perspective to explore themes like friendship and the moral dilemmas of the time.
The “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” by Mark Twain follows a mischievous boy named Tom and his escapades in a small Missouri town by the Mississippi River. Tom skips school, tricks others into doing his chores, and explores caves with his friend Huck Finn.
One memorable part is when he and Huck witness a crime in a graveyard and swear to keep it secret. The story captures the energy of childhood and life in a river town.
Gillian Flynn’s “Gone Girl” is a dark and twisty story about a seemingly perfect marriage that unravels after Amy Dunne goes missing on her fifth wedding anniversary. Her husband, Nick, becomes the prime suspect as secrets about their relationship come to light.
The book alternates between Nick’s perspective and Amy’s diary entries, pulling readers into a tangled web of lies, manipulation, and shocking revelations.
The book “Sharp Objects” by Gillian Flynn follows Camille Preaker, a journalist who returns to her small hometown in Missouri to report on the murders of two young girls.
While staying with her distant and difficult family, she begins uncovering secrets about the town and her own past. The story explores her struggles with trauma and the dark undercurrents of her seemingly quiet community.
“Almost Perfect” by Brian Katcher tells the story of Logan, a high school senior in a small Missouri town, who becomes friends with Sage, a new girl at school with a big secret.
As their connection deepens, Logan is forced to confront his feelings and questions about identity and acceptance. Set against the backdrop of small-town life, the book explores relationships and challenges in a way that feels personal and real.
The book “Rifles for Watie” by Harold Keith follows a young Union soldier named Jeff Bussey during the Civil War. As Jeff joins the army, he embarks on a journey through the divided land of Missouri and neighboring regions.
He encounters people on both sides of the conflict, gaining insight into their lives and struggles. The story mixes action, personal growth, and the gritty reality of war, giving readers a view of how the Civil War impacted individuals.
Jeff’s time undercover with Confederate forces adds a tense layer to the narrative.
Jonathan Franzen’s “The Twenty-Seventh City” is about St. Louis, where a new police chief, S. Jammu, arrives from India and shakes things up. She pushes her way into the city’s power structures and manipulates its elite, creating a tense atmosphere filled with suspicion.
The book explores how her actions affect families, politics, and the city itself, blending personal struggles with broader societal issues.
The book “A Friendship for Today” by Patricia McKissack is set in 1950s Missouri and follows the story of Rosemary, a young African American girl who faces the challenges of integration after her school closes.
Rosemary becomes one of the first Black students to attend a previously all-white school. As she navigates prejudice and loneliness, she forms an unexpected bond with Grace, a white classmate. Together, they begin to find common ground despite the tensions surrounding them.
“Mean Business on North Ganson Street” by S. Craig Zahler tells the story of Joe Denton, a disgraced detective who gets transferred to a crumbling city called Victory, Missouri. The city is plagued by violent crime and corruption, and Joe is sent there to clean up the mess.
He uncovers a brutal and chaotic world, where his own dark past starts catching up with him. The book is gritty and filled with sharp twists, keeping you hooked on what will happen next in this sinister town.
“Betsey Brown” by Ntozake Shange is about a teenage girl growing up in 1950s St. Louis. Betsey navigates her place in the world while dealing with her family, her identity, and the changes happening around her.
The story looks at her experiences in a middle-class Black family during a time of social change. It captures both the everyday and larger struggles Betsey faces as she tries to figure out who she is.
The novel “The Inverted Forest” by John Dalton takes place at a summer camp in the Ozarks, where a staff of inexperienced counselors arrives to find that the original team has been suddenly dismissed.
What starts as a seemingly normal summer for campers soon takes a darker turn when secrets surface and an unexpected tragedy unfolds. The story focuses on human flaws, forgiveness, and the unexpected connections between people.
“The Lost Scrapbook” by Evan Dara unravels through a fragmented and shifting narrative that pieces together the lives of various characters in a small Missouri town. It touches on environmental issues, personal struggles, and the connections between individuals in a community.
The story captures the voices of many perspectives, giving readers a mosaic of emotions and experiences within the town.
Laurell K. Hamilton wrote “Affliction,” a novel in her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. Anita Blake faces her hardest challenge yet when a mysterious disease turns people into zombie-like creatures after death.
As she works to uncover the cause, the journey takes her to Missouri, where personal stakes run high. Family bonds, danger, and the supernatural collide in this dark and action-packed story.
“Bloody Bones” by Laurell K. Hamilton follows Anita Blake, a vampire hunter and necromancer, as she travels to Branson, Missouri, to investigate a mysterious murder. The case leads her to a restaurant called Bloody Bones, where supernatural secrets come to light.
Vampire politics, ancient creatures, and dark magic collide as Anita faces deadly challenges in her hunt for the truth.