Mary M. (emeraldfire) - , reviewed on 4/26/2017

Everyone who knew Jeremy and Julia Bishop thought that they were living such a perfect life together. However when Jeremy dies unexpectedly, Julia discovers just what a perfect lie her Ponzi-scheming husband was actually living. Devastated by his sudden death and enraged by Jeremy's duplicity, Julia is desperate to start her life over again. So when a stranger appears on her doorstep offering her a unique position, Julia finds herself eagerly accepting it.

After experiencing some measure of fame earlier in her career, the eccentric horror author Amaris Sinclair has completely withdrawn from the public eye. Although the entire world believes that she has been dead for the past decade, she actually has been living in seclusion at her family's palatial estate: Havenwood. Now the reclusive novelist's son Adrian has suddenly turned up on Julia Bishop's doorstep looking for someone to act as a companion and caretaker to his elderly mother. Julia is definitely intrigued by his story.

While it certainly sounds unique, Adrian Sinclair's offer is also an extraordinary one. Julia has always admired Amaris Sinclair; and the chance to meet such an illustrious author is almost too good to refuse. With her once-secure life collapsing around her, she is absolutely certain that accepting Adrian's position will change her life. While she is not sure if that change will be entirely beneficial, Julia nevertheless jumps at this chance for a completely fresh start.

Havenwood is a magnificent, centuries-old mansion situated in the middle of the wilderness near Lake Superior. When Julia eventually arrives there, she begins to suspect that her too-good-to-be-true job offer is exactly that. Although she appreciates Havenwood's apparent solitude, there is still a certain eerieness to the house's location.

Julia can almost sense the multitude of disturbing secrets and painful memories that haunt the halls of the Sinclairs' home. There is also no denying that certain unexplained mysteries and the remnants of a troubling past still dwell somewhere in the forest beyond. As a matter of fact, Julia has several questions of her own that she would like answered...

Why would such a celebrated author as Amaris Sinclair choose to vanish from the public eye more than a decade earlier? What are the whispers that Julia hears? And why, exactly, was Julia brought to Havenwood in the first place?

For answers, Julia soon turns to Drew McCullough, the great-grandson of the mysterious Scottish nobleman who built Havenwood. Together, they begin to realize that something horribly sinister and very close to Julia's own family history is emerging from the past. Something that wants to gain access to the present. With extraordinary twists and turns, spine-tingling scenes, and an ingenious plot, The Vanishing by Wendy Webb is an intriguing and chilling story.

Although it took me much longer to read this book than I anticipated, I thoroughly enjoyed it. In my opinion, the story was frightening and appropriately suspenseful. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future and would certainly give this book an A!

Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details