The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin

The writing is rich, and the story masterful as it takes the reader on a thrilling and evocative roller coaster ride. It captures both the beauty and remoteness of the West Coast of New Zealand. The tension and mystery of how a young girl stumbles into the small, remote town hungry, dehydrated and with blood on her hands sets the tone for this wonderful novel. She speaks to no one and is a complete mystery.

It isn’t until the town policeman meets her and is reminded of a local girl who disappeared twenty years ago with the same red hair and green eyes. We are then taken on a journey that is littered with violence and revelations as the search for the girl’s identity and where she has come from unfolds.

The secrets of the past are slowly revealed as we travel down two timelines across two countries. As a male, I have difficulty multitasking, so I really struggled with this aspect of the book and the constant changes, especially as the timelines were so close together.

I’m sure most readers will readily adjust as this is not a new technique. The quality of the writing and the story itself kept me reading to the end, which is a ,testament to how good this book really is.

Welcome to New Zealand, Zoe Rankin, and please can we have your next novel as soon as possible.

Reviewer: Chris Casey

Moa Press