The Vanishing Place - by Zoë Rankin (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A shocking murder in the New Zealand bush--and the witness who looks all too familiar--draws a woman back to the very place she swore she'd never return to in this breakneck debut thriller.

A child who ran from the forest.
A woman who must return to it

Growing up with her younger siblings in the unforgiving New Zealand bush, Effie believed their parents had cut them off from civilization because they loved Nature. She never suspected that their reasons might be more menacing. After witnessing a terrifying episode of violence, she escaped the wilderness to forge a life for herself halfway across the globe.

Now, when she learns the only witness to a murder is a little girl who looks just like her, Effie is compelled to return to the scene of her troubled childhood, where the secrets of her upbringing and the terrors of her past come rushing back to the surface. In order to find out once and for all what became of her family--and possibly help this mysterious girl who could be her younger self--Effie must face her greatest fears once more.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Vanishing Place

"From the deep dark wilds of the New Zealand bush to searing memories of sins past, The Vanishing Place breaks new ground in a genuinely thrilling ride."--Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A triumphant thriller. . .Rankin expertly manages the parallel timelines, drawing out key questions about Effie's past as the narrative toggles back and forth, and her prose is often ruggedly beautiful ("The barbed silence moved through her, as if the blades of silver fern traced her skin"). This is a must-read for fans of Jane Harper." --Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The New Zealand bush is the backdrop in this tale of survival and family secrets. Half-starved and covered with blood, a young girl stumbles into a grocery store in a remote village on the outskirts of the unforgiving, heavily forested bush. She can't speak, but she looks just like a girl who went missing in the bush 20 years before. This explosive opener is just the first of many shocking scenes in a nature-centric, highly satisfying crime drama that is perfect for fans of Emma Donoghue's Room and other tales of survival. After the girl's discovery, the plot segues roughly 11,000 miles north to where Effie, the girl who went missing decades before, is working and living on Scotland's Isle of Skye. Effie doesn't know the newly found girl, but their shared physical traits--red hair and green eyes--and the community where she was discovered are enough to pull Effie back to the place she hoped she would never see again. Returning to the bush cracks open the story of Effie's harrowing and heartbreaking childhood of isolation and deprivation, and, as it's slowly revealed, the story of the girl, whose name is Anya, who has endured far worse. When Anya runs away, Effie must return to the bush to rescue her and in the process discover the fate of her long-missing family and reckon with her past. Rankin deftly reveals Effie's and Anya's experiences in parallel storylines that eventually meld into one. Neither Effie nor this novel's hypnotized readers can be prepared for what she finds. As rich as Rankin's entrancing and skillfully developed plot are her immersive descriptions of the bush country. . .You'll get lost in the wilds with this gripping debut." -- Kirkus Reviews

"Impressively original, deftly crafted, as well as a fascinating and fun read from cover to cover. . .All the more impressive when considering that The Vanishing Place is Rankin's debut as a novelist." -- Midwest Book Review

"Richly evocative and simmering with tension, The Vanishing Place is a white-knuckle tale of evil and love."--Charity Norman, Ngaio Marsh-winning author of Remember Me

'A hauntingly atmospheric tale of family secrets, obsession, and twisted love, Zoë Rankin's debut skilfully evokes the terror of isolation and the chilling legacy of childhood trauma. The Vanishing Place will keep you up late."--International #1 bestselling author Rose Carlyle

"One to remember, and a must for fans of Barbara Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible and Alisa Alering's Smothermoss." --First Clue (Book of the Week)

About the Author

Zoë Rankin grew up in a village in Scotland. She studied international relations and Arabic before going on to qualify as a primary school teacher. She spent many years traveling in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, and eventually settled in New Zealand. She has always been passionate about writing as well as spending time outdoors and exploring by bike, often with her two small children, who are equally adventurous.