The Vanishing Place

De: Zoë Rankin

Narrado por: Eva Seymour, Gareth Reeves

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.

©2025 Zoë Rankin (P)2025 Penguin Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

"From the deep dark wilds of the New Zealand bush to searing memories of sins past, The Vanishing Place breaks new ground in a genuinely thrilling ride."—Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"A triumphant thriller. . .Rankin expertly manages the parallel timelines, drawing out key questions about Effie’s past as the narrative toggles back and forth, and her prose is often ruggedly beautiful (“The barbed silence moved through her, as if the blades of silver fern traced her skin”). This is a must-read for fans of Jane Harper."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The New Zealand bush is the backdrop in this tale of survival and family secrets. Half-starved and covered with blood, a young girl stumbles into a grocery store in a remote village on the outskirts of the unforgiving, heavily forested bush. She can’t speak, but she looks just like a girl who went missing in the bush 20 years before. This explosive opener is just the first of many shocking scenes in a nature-centric, highly satisfying crime drama that is perfect for fans of Emma Donoghue’s Room and other tales of survival. As rich as Rankin’s entrancing and skillfully developed plot are her immersive descriptions of the bush country. . .You’ll get lost in the wilds with this gripping debut."—Kirkus Reviews

I wanted to like this book but . . .

Rankin is a skilled writer who has a lovely way with words, and her females characters, especially Effie, really come to life. She has amazing insight into childhood experience and responses to trauma. But I found the plot very heavy and I felt nauseated a lot of the time I was listening. The ending also felt a bit contrived to me, with new characters and pieces of paper miraculously appearing at the last minute to explain everything. I felt those plot points should have been worked in more integrally to the story from the beginning. I will definitely be looking for her next book though, as I think she has great promise.

Too Fantastical

I did listen to the whole book but it just got weirder towards the end