Vanishing Act

By: Thomas Perry

Narrated by: Joyce Bean

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

Jane Whitefield is a Native American guide who leads solitary outcasts through hostile territory to escape the vengeance of their enemies. But the shaded forest paths her Seneca ancestors might have followed on such missions have all been converted to superhighways, and now the safest way stations are crowded urban buildings that offer the camouflage of anonymity. Still, the supply of runaways - and the need for a woman who will take great risks to save them - have never been greater.

Jane knows all the tricks; in fact, she has invented several of them herself in the ten years she has been teaching fugitives to live with new identities. Many of her clients have been innocent people whom the institutions of society have been too slow and cumbersome to protect, but an increasing number have been like the gambler Harry Kemple: people who aren't especially admirable but who aren't bad enough to deserve to die prematurely.

Jane opens her door to find in her house an uninvited visitor named John Felker, the latest to run to her for sanctuary. Felker is not like the others Jane has helped, and everything about him is disquieting. He doesn't even know whom he is running from - only that whoever is framing him as an embezzler has already circulated an open contract in the prison system for his death. Maybe his problems began years ago, when he was a policeman; a good cop makes an enemy with each arrest. But perhaps he is still a policeman and has invented precisely the right story to entrap Jane. Or perhaps he is something even worse.

The unexpected guest draws this exceptional woman into an adventure of mystery, love and sacrifice, betrayal and vengeance, and propels her on a pursuit that takes her from the night streets of Los Angeles and Vancouver to the dark, unexplored regions of her own mind.

©2008 Thomas Perry (P)2009 Tantor

Great read!

This book keeps you engage from start to finish. Thoroughly enjoyable, with characters you care about.

Enjoyable

Another winner from Perry. Characters very believable and reader did an outstanding moving the story along.
Never read a Perry book I didn’t find a great read

Super Read!

Love all the Jane Whitefield books.Pray they don’t stop.Strong characters and powerful storylines.Keeps you on your toes.

MacGyver meets Hiawatha with men who croak a lot

Would you consider the audio edition of Vanishing Act to be better than the print version?

audio was confusing. you need to flip back to cover the confusing points in the middle

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

ending a bit predictable but he does it so well. Shades of Gabaldon. How could I fall for this? And yet I did.

What didn’t you like about Joyce Bean’s performance?

"male" voices just croak

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

my reaction to the book was against the narrator. they should have used a guy or a better girl.

Any additional comments?

really good use of Native American motif. The character is good, really good, and from living on a rez ... out west ... seemed realistic and wholesome. A good way to learn about eastern native american culture. The adventure moves in the midst of it gracefully with nary a false note.

Interesting relationship with Indians of New York

Would you listen to Vanishing Act again? Why?

No, I don't usually relisten to books

Who was your favorite character and why?

The main character is a strong women

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

The narration was good. I think the book would have been better with a man and women tandem narrating and the editing, towards the end, had repetitive issues.

Heartening Story about Helping People

I enjoyed the story of someone out there who could help you out of a life threatening situation. Who even had someone to watch her back. But with that much set-up and organization then having an ending with a brutal murder, turned me off.

Parts like a skipping record

The story was excellent but repeated phrases like an old skipping record like an old skipping record were distracting.

great history lesson with action a bit dated

when I heard "oriental eyes" I thought it ironic the story is heavy with native American details. I read this book years ago. I had the same experience the story was good but at points I had to push thru to finish them
I will be going to the next book in the seri

Four hours in a canoe

I loved the first half. Then the second half was terminal. I read another reviewer’s comment, and it was perfect. “Just because the character spends days alone in a forest in a canoe doesn’t mean reading or listening to the book should feel that long.” I like the character tho so I’ll try to continue with the series.

New series for me.

It’s not a page turner like butcher boy series.but gonna read the next one.cause b4 this Perry was quickly becoming my new fav.so even the best have off days