“Missing Girls: In Truth Is Justice” was published in trade paperback and eBook form on Dec. 23, 2015.

Southport resident Larry Crane is the author of two previous works of fiction and plays, “A Bridge to Treachery,” and “Baghdad on the Wabash and Other Plays and Stories.”

“I have been captivated by the twists and turns of the infamous Edgar Smith murder case that rocked northern New Jersey and the nation all through the ’60s, culminating in his release from prison in 1971 after serving 14 years on Death Row with the help of William F. Buckley Jr.,” said Crane.

“The saga encompasses the dramatic changes to police interrogation procedures and the justice system as a  whole that formed the backdrop for the success of Smith’s legal appeals written from his prison cell, and his best selling novel published in 1965. But it’s the injustice visited on the victim of the crime that has been my obsession and my inspiration for ‘Missing Girls.’”

Reviewing Crane’s novel, the Kirkus Review critic wrote, “Crane’s novel uses true-crime fact to fuel tense, emotional fiction.” 

Crane takes readers back in history, weaving together the stories of two abducted girls — one factual, one fictional — as a framework to explore questions of truth, justice, character flaws and marriage.

After a stranger abducts Marcella and Gavin’s young daughter, Hannah, on her way to school, the couple struggles not only with the horror of her loss, but also with their utter helplessness. They hire a private detective and try to get on with their lives — moving halfway across the country to New Jersey in search of a new start.

Once in New Jersey, however, Marcella becomes obsessed with the infamous Edgar Smith, accused of murdering a young girl — and with finding out the truth about his involvement in the crime. As Marcella’s investigation takes her deeper into the heart of the mystery, new information about Hannah’s disappearance comes to light and calls into question Marcella and Gavin’s ability to face the truth about themselves, their marriage, and their daughter’s disappearance.

Kirkus Review concludes that Larry Crane’s “Missing Girls” is “a dynamic novel about justice, betrayal, and the attachment that we feel to our darkest stories.”

Crane’s books are on sale on the Internet at Amazon Books

Larry Crane graduated from West Point. He served seven years in the Army, then commuted to Wall Street for nearly 20 years from his home in New Jersey.

Crane has been a volunteer at Public Access Television Station Channel 7 and with The Friends of the Southport Historical Society. Crane lives on Southport with his wife, Jan.