Vanished

By: Joseph Finder

Narrated by: Holter Graham

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Nick Heller is tough, smart, and stubborn. And in his line of work, it's essential. Trained in the Special Forces, Nick is a high-powered intelligence investigator - exposing secrets that powerful people would rather keep hidden. He's a guy you don't want to mess with. He's also the man you call when you need a problem fixed.

Desperate, with nowhere else to run, Nick's nephew, Gabe makes that call one night. After being attacked in Georgetown, his mother lies in a coma, and his step-dad, Roger, Nick's brother, has vanished without a trace. Nick and Roger have been on the outs since the arrest, trial, and conviction of their father, the notorious "fugitive financier" Victor Heller. Where Nick strayed from the path, Roger followed their father's footsteps into the corporate world. Now, as Nick searches for his brother, he's on a collision course with one of the most powerful corporations in the world - and they will stop at nothing to protect their secrets, in Joseph Finder's thrilling Vanished.

©2009 Joseph Finder (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Not his best

I am a big fan of Finder whose usual plots involve an average man caught in a web of corporate intrigue and ethical dilemmas. In this novel, I had the impression that he was trying to channel Harlan Coben. But H.C. would have written this book with a lighter touch, a sense of humor, and a less confusing plot. I finished the tape, but only because I kept thinking that it had to get better. Actually, in retrospect, the plot was pretty silly, though it might become a good movie if Sylvester Stallone took the lead role.

Great Story Line

The narrator isn't so bad until he does the teenage boy. That nasal thing is annoying. Otherwise it's a great story, although it does take a few stretches of the imagination, but that's what fiction is all about. I would recommend this book.

Good read!

I enjoyed this book a lot! It was exciting and told a good story. I will definitely read other books in the series.

kept me going til the very end

this was a great book. It held my attention til the very end. It was a slight departure from his other books but very well done.

Joseph Finder does it again

Joseph Finder is at his best in this exciting thriller. The plot is fast paced and the characters are interesting. I did feel he could have developed the character of the imprisioned father a little more throughly though. The narrator was good except for his voice change when he did the teenage son. That was tough to listen to. It reminded me of someone who talks through their nose and whines while doing so. I would have given this a 5 instead of a 4 if not for this.

vanished

thought the book kept you interested what was going to happen next. thought the story was excellent really enjoyed.

Vivid Narrator

I enjoyed the book mostly although I had a lot of starts and stops before completing. The narrator did an excellent job of bringing the book to life. I didn't care for the ending but still worth a listen if you enjoy action listening.

convoluted and whiney

The story was engaging but had some unnecessary and confusing turns. I don't want to hear Holter Graham again. His portrayal of Lauren and Gabe was like fingernails on a blackboard. I have never before been tempted to put a story away due to the narrator but I was in this case.

Great plot-shame about narrator

Finder rarely disappoints.
The plot is crisp, takes unexpected turns, keeps your attention.
however, only 4 stars, as the narrator had the (unfortunately) annoying urge/idea that women and teenagers need to have needling, whiny voices, which made set my teeth on edge.
Amazingly enough, there is even a bonus interview with the narrator and author, where the narrator goes into great detail why he chose those voices: sorry, no matter what you thought, it's not working!!!
if you can clench your teeth and get through those parts, buy the audio, if not: buy the book.

A bit of a letdown

Though I didn't hate it, I found the opening book in the Nick Heller series just a bit, well, meh

Former Special Forces agent turned private detective, Nick Heller finds himself on the trail of his missing brother, who disappeared after a sudden and brutal attack on both he and his wife Lauren outside a restaurant. Nick's relationship with his brother is non-existent, but he's willing to go the extra mile for both Lauren, and her son.

The problem I'm having writing a review of this is I'm not sure why I found it less intriguing than I'd hoped. Perhaps it's because I'm generally a big fan of Finder's writing. His characterization, and plots are usually so well written that perhaps my expectations were too high. I was left with many WTF moments, and I sometimes found Heller's actions so head-scratching that I wasn't sure where all of this was going, or even if I wanted to go there with him.

The characterization and action sequences are just as spot on and well written as any of Joseph's books, but I just couldn't connect with this one.