FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Vanishing Place
by Zoe RankinPublished by Berkley on September 16, 2025
SubGenres: Psychological Thriller, Thriller
Format: AudioBook, eArc
Pages: 384
Narrator: Eva Seymour, Gareth Reeves
Length: 10 Hours And 16 Minutes
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
Audience: 18+/Adult
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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.
Zoe Rankin’s debut novel, The Vanishing Place, is a gripping thriller that immediately invites readers into a murder mystery alongside the protagonist and the supporting characters. When a blood-covered little girl stumbles into a small New Zealand town, the police launch an investigation to uncover what happened to her. Enter Effie, the main character, who bears a striking resemblance to the girl and may share a connection to the family she left years before.
This compelling thriller seized my attention from the start with its dual timelines told mostly through Effie’s perspective. Set twenty years apart, the story alternates between Effie’s present and her childhood in the remote New Zealand bush. As Effie’s past is gradually revealed, her reasons for leaving her former life become increasingly clear. Effie is forced to confront the traumatic events she once fled, uncover long-buried truths about those she left behind, and discover the real story behind the little girl.
I really enjoyed the dual timelines for Effie and learning about her past and present day, and why she left the bush. Her determination to find out what happened to the little girl, while also uncovering the truth about her family that she left behind, is going to be an emotional one. I felt for Effie because she knew if she had stayed in the bush, something horrible would have happened to her, like it had happened already.
Regrettably, the story lost momentum for me near the end. Introducing a new POV in the final third upset the flow and left me confused until the identity was finally disclosed, but by that time, it was too late for me to remain invested. I genuinely wanted to enjoy this book more, as its premise intrigued me, but ultimately it failed to sustain my attention. Overall, I rate this book three stars.
Would I recommend this book? Just because I didn’t enjoy this book doesn’t mean I won’t recommend this book to readers of thrillers or murder mysteries.
What to Expect:
✔️Murder Mystery
✔️Psychological Thriller
✔️Dual Timelines
✔️Family Secrets
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