Five Were Missing

by Lois Duncan

It was an ordinary school bus ride... at first. Glenn was being his usual wonder-boy self, while his brother Bruce quietly sat in his shadow. Shy, dark-haired Jesse French tries to concentrate on the book she was reading. Dexter, sullen and self-conscious about his handicap, sat alone. Marianne Paget was talking about her parents' divorce.

But suddenly they knew something was wrong. They were the last five left on the bus... and the bus wasn't stopping. It was incredible. It was impossible. But it was happening - they were being kidnapped.

(Temporary reprint of bk, RANSOM, under a second title.)

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Mystery, Thriller, Horror, Suspense, Crime

143 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Lois Duncan (born Lois Duncan Steinmetz) was an American writer and novelist, known primarily for her books for children and young adults, in particular (and some times controversially considering her young readership) crime thrillers. Duncan's parents were the noted magazine photographers Lois Steinmetz and Joseph Janney Steinmetz. She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Duncan started writing and submitting manuscripts to magazines at the age of ten, and when she was thirteen succeeded in selling her first story.

Duncan attended Duke University from 1952 to 1953 but dropped out, married, and started a family. During this time, she continued to write and publish magazine articles; over the course of her career, she has published more than 300 articles, in magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal, Redbook, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, and Reader's Digest. After her first marriage, which produced three children, ended in divorce, Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to teach journalism at the University of New Mexico, where she also earned a BA in English in 1977. In 1965 she married Don Arquette, and had two more children with him.

Duncan was best known for her novels of suspense for teenagers. Some of her works have been adapted for the screen, the most famous example being the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer, adapted from her novel of the same title. Other made-for-TV movies include Stranger with My Face, Killing Mr. Griffin, Don't Look Behind You, Summer of Fear and Gallows Hill.

In 1989 the youngest of Duncan's children, Kaitlyn Arquette, was murdered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, under suspicious circumstances. Who Killed My Daughter? relates the facts and conjecture about the still unsolved case.

Duncan's second book about her daughter's murder, ONE TO THE WOLVES: ON THE TRAIL OF A KILLER, picks up where the first book leaves off and contains all the new information Kait's family has uncovered from private investigation.

The 1971 children's book Hotel for Dogs was released as a theatrical movie in 2009, starring Emma Roberts. That book has now been republished by Scholastic along with two sequels, News for Dogs (2009) and Movie for Dogs (2010).

Duncan's Gothic suspense novel, DOWN A DARK HALL, is being filmed for the Big Screen and will probably be released in 2016.


Follow Lois on Twitter: http://twitter.com/duncanauthor
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?i...
http://www.kaitarquette.arquettes.com

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A realistic and truly rather frightening tale about a group students who are kidnapped on their way home from school (by a fake school bus driver who had killed the regular bus driver in cold blood in order to take his place at the wheel), when I read Lois Duncan's Five Were Missing in grade eight, I was actually a bit afraid of taking the school bus for a couple of weeks (not that I mentioned anything to my parents, as that would have likely resulted in them attempting to censor my reading choices, which was neither desirable nor even an option for me). And please note that when I claim that Five Were Missing is realistic, it was definitely this when it was first published in 1966, and when I read the book in the early 80s. Nowadays, it would more than likely be much more difficult for the kidnappers to have succeeded with actually hijacking a school bus, but in the 1960s and the early 1980s there really was no way for the kidnapped children to attempt to contact their parents when they realised that something was not quite comme il faut with regard to their trip home from school (as cell phones, iPads and the like were of course not as yet available).

Narrationally and thematically speaking, and for a rather short novel, Lois Duncan has in my opinion created not only a believable, at times rather massively intense and suspenseful plot-line, especially the five kidnapped teenagers are surprisingly nuanced and realistically conceptualised (and Five Were Missing is thus not simply a standardly mundane thriller, as seriously problematic issues, such as drunk driving, bullying and lasting physical challenges due to most likely a bout with polio are presented with both compassion and an appreciated lack of moralising judgment). Recommended for teenagers above the age of twelve or so (but with the necessary caveat that Five Were Missing indeed does paint a rather intense scenario, as it certainly frightened me as a teenaged reader).

Now finally, it appears that in 2012, Five Were Missing was republished and updated (I think under the title of Ransom) with references to cell phones, text messages and such, and if these references have simply been superimposed onto the original dialogue and scenarios without other textual and thematic changes (which is what often, if not what usually happens) I would strongly, no, I would actually very strongly suggest NOT reading the 2012 edition, and if interested read the original 1966 version instead (for while it is seemingly out of print, it is nevertheless still quite readily and cost effectively available used). And quite frankly, I do oh so much tend to vehemently DESPISE these types of "updates" and think they are generally both unnecessary and in many ways rather an almost unforgivable insult to today's children and teenagers (as though they could not appreciate a book written in the 60s, as though they could not and would not be aware of the fact that technology has indeed changed much since the 60s).

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesse, Marianne, Dexter and brothers, Glenn & Bruce don't make it home one Friday evening after school. They have been kidnapped by a substitute bus driver, can they outwit their captor(s)? Why wasn't Mr. Godfrey driving the bus?
6/29/20 I remember reading this in 7th grade. It was the first Lois Duncan book I read and it lead me to read all her books that were available in the early to mid 1980s. Has it stood the test of time? Yes and no, this edition was an update from 2012 which means someone added a few references to cell phones. IMHO, it would have been stronger without this. The fact that the teens' families also had landlines and that they they were being contacted via those instead of cell phones dates it in another way.
4/3/21 Update, due to COVID-19, it only took 9 months to get a copy of the original from my public library. Even though it's dated, I found the original story to be quite good and have raised my rating from 3 stars to 4 stars. First published in 1966, this one has a good mix of teen angst, young love, and suspense. If you are of above a certain age or read other Lois Duncan titles when you were a teen, you will enjoy this one for the nostalgia, if nothing else. I reread Daughters of Eve a couple of summers ago and now this one. Up next for me - the classic I Know What You Did Last Summer or Killing Mr. Griffin.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The kidnapping took place on a Thursday".

Ransom by Lois Duncan


Positives:

It's a quick read and intense.

It is written b y Lois Duncan, my favorite YA writer ever.

It is not dull--not even for a second.

It was an Edgar Award finalist.

It is different then most of her other books.


I did not love this as much as most of her other books though. I think that is because kidnapping stories, usually do not do much for me. It is not bad though. The plot concerns a school bus full of kids who are kidnapped by a bunch of mad men and held for ransom. Thus the title!

Not my thing really. No unforgettable characters like in most of her novels and quite short. It does have nail biting anxiety as you do get sucked into wanting to know if the kids prevail so there's that.

3.5 stars. Not bad but just not my favorite by her.

[Deb · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an okay book about 5 kids that got kidnapped while riding home on their school bus. It took you through the families of the kids, and what they went through trying to get a ransom together.

[Abi · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked up this one to have a break from another book i'm reading, but unfortunately, it was no better!

None of the characters stood out for me, and i didn't really care about any of them to be honest.

I didn't feel the suspense, I didn't care about any of the characters, I wasn't desperate to find out how it all ended and i found most of it to be dull, so it wasn't that great of a read for me.

I have a couple of the authors other books, so i'm hoping they're better than this one.

[Amelia Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Glenn, Bruce, Marianne, Dexter, Jesse normally get off at the valley Gardens stop. Except the day the bus didn't stop or even slow down. Now they notice it isn't a normal ride, they are being kidnapped! The kidnappers want ransom money but how? Even though they live in a rich neighborhood, not all of them are rich. A getaway need to be planed but how will it work? They work frantically but try not to be suspicious or to loud about it. But they find out it is hard to communicate with a guy with a gun covering your back all the time. Some would run to save themselves others would try to help they're friends. They get that choice comes when the getaway is in action.

I think the theme in the book would be "Teamwork is the best help"
For example, When Dexter buckled his knee they helped him get out of the car and into the house.
Jesse and Marianne help Dexter in a scary life threatening and serious situation. Glenn was being selfish and it wasn't working out for anyone, including himself. This can help everyone because if they try to do it on their own they might succeed but they wouldn't is as fast or as well as they would have when working with a teem. If Glenn just listened he would of been able to escape and know what to do. maybe he couldn't escape when he wanted or how he wanted but it would have been safer and more sufficient.

I really liked the suspense. At some parts it was so intense that I was shaking and couldn't turn the page and it really made the book have 5 stars. I didn't really like the violence but it is that kind of what the book is about violence and kidnapping for money. The teamwork they use is the thing I like most in the book. I like the teem work because it is something everyone can use all the time. I also didn't like how selfish some of the characters were. Especially since they rebelled against my favorite part teem work. Other than that it was an amazing book.

[Samantha Houser · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book, Ransom by Lois Duncan is a suspense, realistic fiction novel. At the very beginning of this book, it takes place on a bus, and five high school students are riding home (they are the last stops on the bus). There is a substitute bus driver driving the bus but it actually happens to be the kidnapper. The kidnapper takes all of the kids far away from their homes high up into the mountains. There are five kids that he takes, Bruce and Glenn, the brothers, Dexter, and two girls, Marianna and Jesse. Glenn is a popular kid at his school while Bruce is just the underdog. High up in the mountains it is very cold, and they all want to try to escape from the cabin that they are locked up in. The only thing that I could really relate to in this book is that I watch this TV show, Criminal Minds, and they show some episodes where it is like this. In this book, I think I was half and half with the characters. Some of them I liked, some of them I didn't. In this book, you get to meet most all of their parents. My least favorite part of the book is probably what I would change about the book if I got to change anything. I would change the ending because I think it deserved a better ending, which is why I rated this book a three out of five. I would probably still recommend this book to someone though, so if you like suspense and mystery, you should read this book. Just watch out for the ending is all I would say!

[Tanisha Maru · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ransom by Lois Duncan is a realistic fiction book. The setting of this novel is a cabin in the mountains in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the 60s. The kids were kidnapped by a supposed substitute bus driver. The kids who were kidnapped were Marianne, Jesse, the one who wouldn't accept their situation well, Glenn, captain of the football team, Dexter, the loner, and Bruce, Glenn's younger brother and shadow. The kidnappers hold the kids against their will until their parents pay $15,000 dollars each for ransom. I think the overall book could have been better. The beginning was decent, but the kidnapping itself seemed a bit sudden to me. The middle was probably the best part. The suspense started to build up and they started to make plans. The ending was terrible. It all went fast, so it felt like the author rushed a bit. I kind of wish it didn't have such a stereotypical happy ending. Overall, I didn't really like the book and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

[Christy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I pretty much always enjoy Lois Duncan but this is one of the better ones.

[MarytheBookLover · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one had its ups and downs along the way. It's a short audiobook and that I liked. Told from the point of view of the children that were kidnapped. They tell the story of trying to get away from their abductors. It brings to light how quickly things can go wrong. I did really like Bruce and felt bad for him with a brother like that. All in all this is a quick book. I give this one 3 stars.

[Alexandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally titled "Five Were Missing", I thought it was ok when I read it as a teen.

[Nattie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good book. It kept me on the edge of my seat, even after having read it before.

Glenn Kirtland is probably one of the top 100 rotten characters of all time.

[Ashley W · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more of a mystery, as I remember that sort of being Duncan's thing, but maybe not. It's been a few years.

I liked how everyone found out the truth about Glen's character by the end. He is one of the most callous, selfish characters I read and that' is included demons, murderers, etc. He's horrible and without conscious. Bruce had a very unhealthy ideal of him and turned out to be the better brother.

The kidnapping itself was lacking. I mean, taking a school bus? Surely they would know they would be traced eventually, even if it didn't happen in the book. And getting the money in a church? Not bright either. Way too many witnesses.

I really hope she starts treating Ron a little better. He really is doing his best and as sad as it is, let go of who she thought her father was.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really hoping this isn’t setting the vibes for the rest of the year. Because wow. So many potential character studies and subplots wasted with no resolution.

[Kiera Dau · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought it was okay, a quick read. I would’ve rated it like 3.8 but that clearly isnt an option. but I also didnt want to round it because I don’t think it fully deserves a four🤷🏼‍♀️

[Peighton Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I rated the book Ransom by Lois Duncan, which is a mystery fiction book, four stars. In the book Ransom, there were quite a few characters. There was a sub bus driver named Buck and his wife Rita. There is Buck's friend Juan and five kids that get kidnapped with the names of Jesse, Marianne, Dexter, Bruce, and Glenn. They get taken to a cabin until their parents, and in Dexter's case, his uncle are able to pay ransom. This book is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico. I rated this book four stars. I thought it was pretty good overall. The only part that I didn't really like was the ending because there wasn't much to it and there really was no action at all. I thought most of the characters became stronger as a group working together as the book went on. My main wish for the book would have been the end of the book would've been more interesting, but overall, I thought it was pretty good.

[Jacek Holroyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

The realistic fiction Ransom, by Lois Duncan is a good book with lots of times when you can't put it down. It is about five kids that get kidnapped on their school bus right outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. One of them is the most popular person in school, Glenn Kirtland, his girlfriend, Marianne, his little brother, Bruce, and two others named Dexter and Jesse. They are kidnapped and held for ransom. They are taken to a cabin high up in the mountains and try to find a way to escape without their parents needing to pay the ransom. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes action books. It had some slow parts but it also was hard to stop reading once you get to a certain part. It was hard for me to relate to any of the characters considering I have never been kidnapped. The ending is pretty sudden but it all comes together.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nancy Price – Adventure
Ransom by Lois Duncan

Ransom is about five teenagers, from a wealthy neighborhood, that are kidnapped on their way home from school. They are taken to a remote cabin in the woods and will all be held there until each of their families comes up with the ransom money. The teens join together to plan their escape.

This adventure is told from the perspective of each of the five teenagers as well as their parents. Each character responds differently to the situation. They also help others in the story giving the reader a separate adventure for each character

[Jacob Voigt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ransom by Lois Duncan is a historical ficttion book. This book takes place in Albuquerque, New Mexico in the 1960's. The main characters are the kidnappers, the parents, Glenn, Bruce, Dexter, Marianne, and Jesse. The five kids are kidnapped and taken to a cabin to be held for ransom. The plot continues to develop until the end of the book. I disliked this book. I did not like how it ended. My least favorite part was the end of the book. My favorite part was the kids working together as a team. I wish this book had more action. I would not recommend this book to read.

[bellafleur · Rating 3 out of 5]

Idk why this had such an impact on me. Whenever there’s a Sunday where I’m bored and there’s nothing to do, I read this book. High-paced and we stan Dexter

[Katie G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember loving Lois Duncan books when I was younger, so when I saw this as part of the Audible plus collection, I figured I'd give it a shot.

I don't know if I liked her stuff more as a kid or if this is just one of her less good ones, but I didn't love this. The characters were mostly boring and there wasn't much in the way of mystery or suspense.

I also dislike that the moment that's supposed to show how truly evil Glen is was just him not wanting to try to save a guy who kidnapped them and was actively trying to kill them. Like, he was the one thinking clearly there (lying about it afterwards was bad, though).

Maybe I would have liked this more 20 years ago. I haven't reread any of her other books to be sure.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off, the narrator did a terrible job with the Hispanic accent. It sounded more like Russian or something. This was a story about a handful of kids getting kidnapped. There wasn't anything memorable or really even likable about the characters. Turns out one kid was really a piece of work in some of the choices he's already made in his life. Bumbling kidnappers and a few scenarios that were just not terribly believable. I'd hoped for a better read.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book shocked me, I mean it’s Lois Duncan but I was still not expecting that. The plot wasn’t super unique, but the characters and emotions they experienced ripped my heart out. Lois Duncan is SO GOOD at giving characters a backstory that makes you either love or hate them. Ahhhh I loved Dexter, Jessie, and Bruce, they were basically the only characters that had a heart

[Christopher M · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25 ⭐️Read it in one sitting, very short. Decent pacing, just very bland. Not for me. I picked this one up after vaguely remembering reading it for school in Middle School. I can now see why I vaguely recalled its name and the plot. Kind of forgettable.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️

[Lisajgray · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent YA mystery from a favorite author during my teen years!

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

the high school kids in this book be like “perhaps” & “whom was it”

it’s an old story so like ok but still

[Kiley Benes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I finished this book! It was no the best book that I have ever read, but it was good enough to keep me reading through the whole book. I did like this book, it really had me on the edge of my seat for the climate. I would recommend this book to anyone!

[Angela Berg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ransom
One fine day the life of five students takes a turn for the worst. They have been kidnapped by three individuals who hold the students against their will while trying to make the parents pay a ransom to get them back. Several things go wrong that the captors never anticipated. They were trying for eight students but only five of the eight rode the school bus that day. Two of the students were brothers so the ransom would be more difficult to pull together for that family. One family was military and the father was out on duty and could not be reached. One loner who has lived with an uncle since his parents died years ago. The kids know they must take things into their own hands when they realize their parents are not going to be able to do what the captors want. Lives are changed, distrust turns to love, brothers are torn apart and an unwanted becomes important to someone unexpected. This story is fast past, full of twist and turns and suspense.

As a student this book would keep me very interested. There are many things students could relate to with the characters presented. Every clique seems to be represented in this story so no matter what type of person you are you will find your character and you will prevail.

As a teacher this book is great to teach because of the character issues it deals with. It also helps individuals realize that although some individuals live in the same neighborhood their lives can be so completely different. I would want students to use this for a mini lesson or prompt for writing. First they could make up a ransom note for something they love (favorite item like gameboy,xbox, iPod or phone). Then they would try to construct ideas on how they could come up with the money in a short amount of time to get the item back.

[Spencer · Rating 3 out of 5]

2020
It amazes me the way families work sometimes. Especially when it comes to their children. One family never even realized their nephew was missing (he lived with his uncle)! That's crazy! And the fact that other families were willing to put up as much money as possible to help the other families to reach the total ransom was amazing.

The bad guys were all kind of stupid, though. Buck drove like an idiot on icy roads. But, also, he didn't realize that the easiest way to make sure kids didn't run away was to have them neutralized somehow. The storage room wasn't such a bad idea, but it would have been better if he had put all of the kids in there. Just having the boys in their gave the girls more opportunities to figure out how to escape. Rita was stupid because she didn't even want to be apart of the kidnapping. She just wanted Buck to be happy and give her things. But her motivation was dumb as h***. Because if you only have a half a** motivation then you are going to do a half a** job. She should have just told Buck that she wasn't interested in the kidnapping thing. They could have made money in some other criminal enterprise. Juan was an idiot because he was the only one who was really in the spotlight. It's like Buck was saying from the beginning, Juan was the one making contact with the families. Juan was the only one that people were going to see and connect to the crime (although, that brings up another aspect of Buck's stupidity because once these kids were free they would be able to describe all of their kidnappers and they had the kidnappers names. So, really Buck and Rita were just as connected to the crimes as Juan was).