Book excerpt: Each year, hundreds of New Yorkers disappear under mysterious circumstances never to be heard from again, with their families and loved ones waiting painfully, as the years crawl by, for some word of what happened to them. This book explores this painful epidemic by highlighting individual stories of the missing and their families, among them a 22-month-old baby and a noted judge. Sections include unidentified missing human remains found in New York State, investigation procedures, and the pros and cons of hiring a private detective or a psychic. Perhaps one of these touching accounts will offer hope that someone, somewhere, might have the missing piece to one of these devastating puzzles and help bring any one of these missing persons home.