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The Mystic and the Missing Girl

Paperback
$19.95 US
5-1/2"W x 8-1/4"H (14.0 x 21.0 cm) | 12 oz (340 g) | 24 per carton
On sale Aug 25, 2026 | 360 Pages | 9781037801129
Sales rights: Canada and Open Mkt

Small town secrets, a reluctant psychic, and the cold case that could expose them all

Drew Benson has a secret. She gets visions, something she hasn’t tapped into since she was a teenager, when her late aunt, a TV psychic known as Hannah Mystic, became the scapegoat in the unsolved disappearance of a local teenager. Twenty years later, Drew is happy to ignore her gift, focusing instead on keeping the metaphysical shop she inherited from Hannah afloat, wrangling her sole, astrology-obsessed employee, and dodging local rake Foster Banks in her picturesque lakeside hometown.

But when Drew's arch-nemesis from high school, now a big city reporter, decides to investigate the cold case from all those years ago, it’s Drew’s ability that could finally make a break in the decades old mystery. With bills piling up, a disapproving mother laying on the guilt, and a local vandal who wants Drew and her witchy store gone, Drew has a lot to lose. But what she stands to gain―finding out what happened to the missing teen, clearing her aunt’s name, and a second chance at belonging―could change everything.

In The Mystic and the Missing Girl, Vikki VanSickle seamlessly draws readers into an utterly charming world in this unputdownable, small town mystery.
"In The Mystic and the Missing Girl, a small-town clairvoyant turned reluctant detective leans on her gifts to unravel a decades-old disappearance that cuts close to home. Vikki VanSickle effortlessly conjures up a tale full of secrets, heart, and suspense, with an appealing heroine, an intriguing cold case, and a wonderfully cozy metaphysical backdrop that make for a mystery that’s as charming as it is suspenseful."
Tom Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The Treasure Hunters Club

"Both funny and poignant, The Mystic and the Missing Girl is a mysterious tour of sneaky plot twists, enduring friendship, and the satisfying ways in which we can fix past wrongs. VanSickle has arrived in this genre with a trumpet flare."
—Roz Nay, author The Offing

The Mystic and the Missing Girl had me under its spell from page one! This book is a witch’s cauldron bubbling over with charm, quirk, and enchanting characters, with a mystery that will have you reading into the wee hours.”
—Maxie Dara, author of A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer

"The Mystic and the Missing Girl
is my favorite kind of mystery: set in a vibrant yet grounded world filled with recognizable, relatable characters whose interactions and insights aren’t merely in service of the underlying plot—though to be clear, that plot is every bit as absorbing and intriguing as a mystery fan could desire…. I fell in love with Drew Benson and all the misfits in her orbit as she returns to her childhood hometown, struggling to keep a beloved family business afloat while solving a decades-old missing persons case. In other words, I had my readerly cake and ate it too—and it was all thoroughly scrumptious. I can’t wait to see what Vikki VanSickle—and Drew Benson!—get up to next."
—Kemper Donovan, bestselling author of The Ghostwriter Mystery series

"VanSickle turns over all the right cards in this magic spell of a novel: a captivating cold case, compelling psychic energy, small-town charm, and a whole lot of delightful, mystical witchiness. Perfect for fans of Finlay Donovan, VanSickle blends detective work with the important business of finding oneself. I give it the Ace of Pentacles for hitting every right note."
—Kathleen West, author of Making Friends Can Be Murder
© Connie Tsang
VIKKI VANSICKLE is the author of a number of acclaimed novels for children including The Lightning Circle, Words That Start With B; Summer Days, Starry Nights; the award-winning The Winnowing; and picture books How to Decorate a Christmas Tree, If I Had a Gryphon; Teddy Bear of the Year; Anonymouse and Into the Goblin Market. Vikki started her career as an independent bookseller and worked in children's publishing for twelve years. In addition to writing, she curates and presents regular book segments for CTV Your Morning. Currently, she lives and writes in Toronto. View titles by Vikki VanSickle
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•     Western Samoa
•     Yemen

Not available for sale:
•     Antigua/Barbuda
•     Australia
•     Bahamas
•     Bangladesh
•     Barbados
•     Belize
•     Bermuda
•     Botswana
•     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
•     Brit.Virgin Is.
•     Brunei
•     Cayman Islands
•     Christmas Islnd
•     Cocos Islands
•     Cyprus
•     Dominica
•     Falkland Islnds
•     Fiji
•     Gambia
•     Ghana
•     Gibraltar
•     Grenada
•     Guam
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About

Small town secrets, a reluctant psychic, and the cold case that could expose them all

Drew Benson has a secret. She gets visions, something she hasn’t tapped into since she was a teenager, when her late aunt, a TV psychic known as Hannah Mystic, became the scapegoat in the unsolved disappearance of a local teenager. Twenty years later, Drew is happy to ignore her gift, focusing instead on keeping the metaphysical shop she inherited from Hannah afloat, wrangling her sole, astrology-obsessed employee, and dodging local rake Foster Banks in her picturesque lakeside hometown.

But when Drew's arch-nemesis from high school, now a big city reporter, decides to investigate the cold case from all those years ago, it’s Drew’s ability that could finally make a break in the decades old mystery. With bills piling up, a disapproving mother laying on the guilt, and a local vandal who wants Drew and her witchy store gone, Drew has a lot to lose. But what she stands to gain―finding out what happened to the missing teen, clearing her aunt’s name, and a second chance at belonging―could change everything.

In The Mystic and the Missing Girl, Vikki VanSickle seamlessly draws readers into an utterly charming world in this unputdownable, small town mystery.

Praise

"In The Mystic and the Missing Girl, a small-town clairvoyant turned reluctant detective leans on her gifts to unravel a decades-old disappearance that cuts close to home. Vikki VanSickle effortlessly conjures up a tale full of secrets, heart, and suspense, with an appealing heroine, an intriguing cold case, and a wonderfully cozy metaphysical backdrop that make for a mystery that’s as charming as it is suspenseful."
Tom Ryan, USA Today bestselling author of The Treasure Hunters Club

"Both funny and poignant, The Mystic and the Missing Girl is a mysterious tour of sneaky plot twists, enduring friendship, and the satisfying ways in which we can fix past wrongs. VanSickle has arrived in this genre with a trumpet flare."
—Roz Nay, author The Offing

The Mystic and the Missing Girl had me under its spell from page one! This book is a witch’s cauldron bubbling over with charm, quirk, and enchanting characters, with a mystery that will have you reading into the wee hours.”
—Maxie Dara, author of A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer

"The Mystic and the Missing Girl
is my favorite kind of mystery: set in a vibrant yet grounded world filled with recognizable, relatable characters whose interactions and insights aren’t merely in service of the underlying plot—though to be clear, that plot is every bit as absorbing and intriguing as a mystery fan could desire…. I fell in love with Drew Benson and all the misfits in her orbit as she returns to her childhood hometown, struggling to keep a beloved family business afloat while solving a decades-old missing persons case. In other words, I had my readerly cake and ate it too—and it was all thoroughly scrumptious. I can’t wait to see what Vikki VanSickle—and Drew Benson!—get up to next."
—Kemper Donovan, bestselling author of The Ghostwriter Mystery series

"VanSickle turns over all the right cards in this magic spell of a novel: a captivating cold case, compelling psychic energy, small-town charm, and a whole lot of delightful, mystical witchiness. Perfect for fans of Finlay Donovan, VanSickle blends detective work with the important business of finding oneself. I give it the Ace of Pentacles for hitting every right note."
—Kathleen West, author of Making Friends Can Be Murder

Author

© Connie Tsang
VIKKI VANSICKLE is the author of a number of acclaimed novels for children including The Lightning Circle, Words That Start With B; Summer Days, Starry Nights; the award-winning The Winnowing; and picture books How to Decorate a Christmas Tree, If I Had a Gryphon; Teddy Bear of the Year; Anonymouse and Into the Goblin Market. Vikki started her career as an independent bookseller and worked in children's publishing for twelve years. In addition to writing, she curates and presents regular book segments for CTV Your Morning. Currently, she lives and writes in Toronto. View titles by Vikki VanSickle

Rights

Available for sale exclusive:
•     Canada

Available for sale non-exclusive:
•     Afghanistan
•     Aland Islands
•     Albania
•     Algeria
•     Andorra
•     Angola
•     Anguilla
•     Antarctica
•     Argentina
•     Armenia
•     Aruba
•     Austria
•     Azerbaijan
•     Bahrain
•     Belarus
•     Belgium
•     Benin
•     Bhutan
•     Bolivia
•     Bonaire, Saba
•     Bosnia Herzeg.
•     Bouvet Island
•     Brazil
•     Bulgaria
•     Burkina Faso
•     Burundi
•     Cambodia
•     Cameroon
•     Cape Verde
•     Centr.Afr.Rep.
•     Chad
•     Chile
•     China
•     Colombia
•     Comoro Is.
•     Congo
•     Cook Islands
•     Costa Rica
•     Croatia
•     Cuba
•     Curacao
•     Czech Republic
•     Dem. Rep. Congo
•     Denmark
•     Djibouti
•     Dominican Rep.
•     Ecuador
•     Egypt
•     El Salvador
•     Equatorial Gui.
•     Eritrea
•     Estonia
•     Ethiopia
•     Faroe Islands
•     Finland
•     France
•     Fren.Polynesia
•     French Guinea
•     Gabon
•     Georgia
•     Germany
•     Greece
•     Greenland
•     Guadeloupe
•     Guatemala
•     Guinea Republic
•     Guinea-Bissau
•     Haiti
•     Heard/McDon.Isl
•     Honduras
•     Hong Kong
•     Hungary
•     Iceland
•     Indonesia
•     Iran
•     Iraq
•     Israel
•     Italy
•     Ivory Coast
•     Japan
•     Jordan
•     Kazakhstan
•     Kuwait
•     Kyrgyzstan
•     Laos
•     Latvia
•     Lebanon
•     Liberia
•     Libya
•     Liechtenstein
•     Lithuania
•     Luxembourg
•     Macau
•     Macedonia
•     Madagascar
•     Maldives
•     Mali
•     Marshall island
•     Martinique
•     Mauritania
•     Mayotte
•     Mexico
•     Micronesia
•     Moldavia
•     Monaco
•     Mongolia
•     Montenegro
•     Morocco
•     Myanmar
•     Nepal
•     Netherlands
•     New Caledonia
•     Nicaragua
•     Niger
•     Niue
•     Norfolk Island
•     North Korea
•     Norway
•     Oman
•     Palau
•     Palestinian Ter
•     Panama
•     Paraguay
•     Peru
•     Philippines
•     Poland
•     Portugal
•     Qatar
•     Reunion Island
•     Romania
•     Russian Fed.
•     Rwanda
•     Saint Martin
•     San Marino
•     SaoTome Princip
•     Saudi Arabia
•     Senegal
•     Serbia
•     Singapore
•     Sint Maarten
•     Slovakia
•     Slovenia
•     South Korea
•     South Sudan
•     Spain
•     St Barthelemy
•     St.Pier,Miquel.
•     Sth Terr. Franc
•     Sudan
•     Suriname
•     Svalbard
•     Sweden
•     Switzerland
•     Syria
•     Tadschikistan
•     Taiwan
•     Thailand
•     Timor-Leste
•     Togo
•     Tokelau Islands
•     Tunisia
•     Turkey
•     Turkmenistan
•     Ukraine
•     Unit.Arab Emir.
•     Uruguay
•     Uzbekistan
•     Vatican City
•     Venezuela
•     Vietnam
•     Wallis,Futuna
•     West Saharan
•     Western Samoa
•     Yemen

Not available for sale:
•     Antigua/Barbuda
•     Australia
•     Bahamas
•     Bangladesh
•     Barbados
•     Belize
•     Bermuda
•     Botswana
•     Brit.Ind.Oc.Ter
•     Brit.Virgin Is.
•     Brunei
•     Cayman Islands
•     Christmas Islnd
•     Cocos Islands
•     Cyprus
•     Dominica
•     Falkland Islnds
•     Fiji
•     Gambia
•     Ghana
•     Gibraltar
•     Grenada
•     Guam
•     Guernsey
•     Guyana
•     India
•     Ireland
•     Isle of Man
•     Jamaica
•     Jersey
•     Kenya
•     Kiribati
•     Lesotho
•     Malawi
•     Malaysia
•     Malta
•     Mauritius
•     Minor Outl.Ins.
•     Montserrat
•     Mozambique
•     Namibia
•     Nauru
•     New Zealand
•     Nigeria
•     North Mariana
•     Pakistan
•     PapuaNewGuinea
•     Pitcairn Islnds
•     Puerto Rico
•     S. Sandwich Ins
•     Samoa,American
•     Seychelles
•     Sierra Leone
•     Solomon Islands
•     Somalia
•     South Africa
•     Sri Lanka
•     St. Helena
•     St. Lucia
•     St. Vincent
•     St.Chr.,Nevis
•     Swaziland
•     Tanzania
•     Tonga
•     Trinidad,Tobago
•     Turks&Caicos Is
•     Tuvalu
•     US Virgin Is.
•     USA
•     Uganda
•     United Kingdom
•     Vanuatu
•     Zambia
•     Zimbabwe