This book is set in the lush Tasmanian rainforest of Australia. Very deep inside the forest is a small town called Vanishing Falls. Vanishing Falls has a storied past, with dubious characters. Some characters I disliked, others I hated, or felt sorry for, and they eventually redeemed themselves. The main character is Joelle, many people think she is simple minded, and she IS different. She just sees the world differently, often literally. She’s always paying attention so she picks up on clues others miss.

The main premise of the novel is a missing person. Celia Lily goes missing late one night after an event. She is the beautiful, rich, and popular wife of Jack Lily and the mother of 4 daughters. Jack and Lily live in the town’s most famous mansion, The Calendar House. It’s eccentric, with 52 rooms, and an art collection. When Jack come home and finds the front door open and Cecilia missing, he panics. The police immediately suspect him because he’s hiding things. Joelle, drives this story. She decides she needs to find Cecilia so that the people of the town will love her, after all she’ll be the hero and the town will forgive her for her past involvement in a heinous crime. The story also follows Jack’s best friend Cliff and his wife Kim.

I enjoyed the setting and atmosphere. The characters were not like-able, they were all shady and deceitful in some way. I did find myself alternating between yelling at Joelle and cheering her on. I did figure out the twist but only right before the reveal. I found the pace a little slower than I like but I can see people that like slower suspense/mysteries loving this one. Overall, I give this 3 1/2 of 5 stars.

Thank you @Netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for my advanced digital copy to review.

Vanishing Falls by Poppy Gee is set in a small town in the rainy north of Tasmania. Jobs have left the region, and the economically depressed, historically blighted village of Vanishing Falls is struggling to survive. Not everyone is equally impacted; for the land-rich Lacy family, “time has stood still.” But everyone in Vanishing Falls has secrets, hidden identities, drug addictions, shameful sexual appetites. Gee ratchets up the tension in the first part of the book until the almost inevitable murder of one of the townspeople begins to open up the cracks.

A rather rushed and disappointing finish made this a 3* book for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In this moody mystery the wife of a wealthy art collector has disappeared. Set in Tasmania, the rainy lushness only adds to the slow tension of the book as meanders all over Tasmania as the hunt for the killer goes on. And as many people do they ignore people who think more slowly, so Joelle, the butcher’s wife is ignored and that’s too bad. She is very observant. The centerpiece home where Celia who disappears lives is a calendar house, a house with 52 rooms—details of a home that revolve around a calendar. Somehow, I suspect this calendar house had some symbolism, but I couldn’t see it. But I’m glad Wikipedia made it easy to find out more about calendar houses, and there is one in Tasmania.

Vanishing Falls was a unique read for me.  It is set in Tasmania, a location new to me in mystery fiction.  Evocative of place, the title refers to a most particular waterfall and the town of that shares its name.  As regards setting, there is also an unusual house called the Calendar House.  Readers will soon learn what this means.


There are richer and poorer living in Vanishing Falls,  Among the rich is Celia who disappears.  What happened to her?  One of the key characters and through whose eyes some of the story is viewed is Joelle.  She is a fully developed character with her own perspective.  Joelle has her own complicated past as readers will learn and she is integral to the plot.


What happened?  Why?  Read this slower moving novel to find out.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest  review.

Celia Lily has it all - she is rich, beautiful, has a doting husband, and lives in a mansion. But she disappears one night following a charity event, and the town residents immediately suspect that her husband Jack is responsible. Jack has some expensive hobbies like orchids and art collecting, but he also has at least one unsavory vice that he wants to keep hidden. But it turns out that almost all of the characters have secrets that they would prefer not to share. Did Celia leave of her own volition or did someone make her vanish?

The premise of this book appealed to me, but overall I was disappointed. Most of the characters were unlikable, and the one character that you were supposed to like was somewhere on the autism spectrum. Nothing wrong with that, except that she didn't understand sarcasm and other figures of speech, and didn't have a filter. Hearing her blurt things out or needing constant explanations, in addition to her meltdowns, got old rather quickly. The atmosphere was oppressive as well - when it wasn't raining, it was snowing. Most readers don't need to be slammed over the head about how rotten most of the characters are (how many times do we have to hear about the meth addict scoring drugs and getting high) or how crappy the climate is. I got bored with the characters and the repetitiousness about halfway through and started skimming. I only finished the book because NetGalley and the publisher were nice enough to provide an eARC in exchange for a review.

I found this to be a slow read, I like a book that drags me in and keeps me turning the page and this book just didn't do that for me. I will say that I was completely wrong about whom was responsible for the things happening in the book. ALthough I wasn't in love with the book, overall I found it to be well written. I always suggest others read the book and make their own opinions because everyone doesn't enjoy the same things.

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher, and was under no obligation to give a favorable review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Poppy Gee has written a different type of story The locale of Tasmania and the landscape were expertly done and created vivid image in my mind. . The wife of a rich man has disappeared .

The characters were complex and complicated, but I did NOT like the characters.

The story is interesting, but not my favorite.

Vanishing Falls is quite a twisty little thriller. As the tale continues several reasons that could be a motive amongst several different people emerge. I only suspected towards the end of the novel but not quite to the lengths that person went and what they were after encompassed - I was shocked. The moody atmosphere in which Poppy Gee describes the town of Vanishing Falls and the surrounding area is spectacular. I would absolutely visit this area of the world just based on her descriptions of it - as well as visiting Calendar House. I had never heard about calendar houses before reading this book and it is an interesting but strange concept upon which to build a house. According to our dear old Wikipedia, they're rare - I would be curious if just not many of them survived or if not many were built in the first place.

At least one town mentioned in the book does exist - Launceston which I found interesting and I would love to know if there was a specific area that inspired the town of Vanishing Falls. Vanishing Falls, which was once prosperous is now struggling to find its footing and so are its residents. Many have fallen upon hard times and that has left the town ripe for many issues to take root. I have witnessed some of the same problems emerge in several small towns near me but it was mostly the result of a large influx of people moving to the area and others being forced out to surrounding areas because they could no longer afford where they had been living.

The pacing leans more towards a slow burn - but it definitely wasn't uninteresting and there is quite a bit going on. It took me a little while to settle in with the characters of the story but you can't help but like Joelle. Out of the five main characters we spend time with there is only one person who doesn't have something about themselves that they'd rather not let see the light of day. In a small town - that's almost impossible. The only supporting character that saw a lot of page time that seemed a little flat was Brian - Joelle's husband. It didn't really feel like I got to know him as a person; rather just details about him, things he was doing or had done.

I would highly recommend Vanishing Falls to readers who enjoy thrillers, suspense, and murder mysteries. I really enjoyed being transported to a part of the world I rarely get the chance to read about through a thriller. A big thank you to William Morrow (via the Scene of the Crime Group) for the opportunity to read and review this excellent thriller - all opinions are my own.

This one was great. Very well written and fast paced. Definitely recommend, and will be reading more by this author for sure!

Vanishing Falls is a slow building, character driven novel. Taking place in a small town rainforest (with crazy underground rivers, what?!). a woman goes missing out of her house. The book alternates between various connected viewpoints. At the beginning I was having a little trouble keeping characters straight, who was married to who, who was good friends, etc. Halfway through it all clicked and really started to pick up steam. The second half of the book was the mystery I was expecting. Very well written.

WOW! Vanishing Falls is a fantastic mystery. I loved every second of this book. Vanishing Falls is set in a small village in Tasmania, the author gives the reader an intimate look into the lives of the townspeople. I was fascinated with the complex day to day lives of the characters. The author created a wonderful story of the past meeting the present and human failings. I was kept guessing until the end about the identity of the murderer. The plot is constantly changing and with it the possible identity of the killer. It has been a long while since I have read a mystery this good.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, but I would recommend it more as a strong character study and interesting look into life in a crumbling small town rather than a suspenseful murder mystery.

You begin with the disappearance of a wealthy woman, Celia, in Vanishing Falls - a once fortuitous small town that is slowly crumbling under the weight of harsh drugs and a failing economy. The slow unraveling of details and secrets throughout the book in order to discover what happened to Celia certainly keeps you propelled forward, but I was most captivated by the unique characters that author [author:Poppy Gee|5427782] brought to life.

Told through up to four different viewpoints, you see the struggle and imbalance between those in town who are close to rock bottom and the one family that has held the large Calendar House and land for over a century. (Side note: this was my first time reading about a Calendar House and what an intriguing concept!) The star of the book is Joelle - a beautifully innocent woman whose multiple past traumas and abuse have stunted her development, making her a bit slower in mind and an easy target for many in town. If anything, I read this book for her. To see where she ends up and to stay witness to her beat-the-odds life as a mother and as a wife to the wonderfully sweet man, Brian, who loves her unconditionally.

I did end up figuring out what happens a good while before the ending, so this isn't a shocking, twist-heavy mystery, but enough diversions are there to keep you guessing for awhile and you get to dive into the varying mindsets of intriguing characters along the way!

Poppy Gee has written an interesting story. I liked the setting in Tasmania and the descriptions of the landscape. The wife of a rich man has disappeared in the small community. The problem I had with the story was that I didn’t care for many of the characters, but maybe that reflects the author’s writing skill. She described them so well that I didn’t like them or maybe it was just my state of mind while reading the book. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Netgalley sent me digital copies of Vanishing Falls, Three Apples Fell from the Sky, and Love After Love. Unfortunately, for me, all three of them were somewhat of duds. I made it about 100 pages into each. About 30% of the way through, and found that I wasn't interested in any of them. I really struggled just to get to 100 pages. Normally I try to give books time to get into it, but none of these worked for me. It's not a hit to the authors at all. They just weren't what I was looking for. I usually don't do group reviews for books either, and I think this is the first time I've done one. But I didn't see the point in reviewing three separate times. Maybe the next ones will be more interesting.

2/5 Stars for all

Thanks to Scene of the Crime for the ARC of Vanishing Falls. This novel, set in Australia, is about a small town that was once a thriving place, but now it’s poor with a meth addiction problem. There is a wealthy family, Jack and Celia Lily, that own the Calendar House. Jack has recently acquired a valuable and rare painting. Most people don’t think highly of the Lilys. Their friends, Kim and Cliff, run a poultry farm, but Cliff is a meth addict, and Kim is trying to manage their finances. Joelle is married to the butcher, Brian, and she is hiding a terrible secret about her past. Brian is c overly protective of Joelle. Finally, Brendan and Karen Keegan are a couple who own a junkyard, and they have a weird connection to Jack.
When Celia goes missing, Jack is automatically a suspect. He swears his innocence as the town searches for Celia. The novel lays out a tale retracing what happened before and after her disappearance. The clues are all there, and the reader can easily determine who caused Celia‘s disappearance. However, you may not guess the full motive, and the unlikely friendship that is made.
I enjoyed this novel, although I think there could have been some more crispness in the story. I would be interested in reading more from this author.
#VanishingFalls

I received an advanced copy of Vanishing Falls for my review. This mystery was slow to get moving. Set in a small town in Tasmania, many characters are introduced with no seeming story line at first. Each chapter is a different character and the author is obviously trying to build some background on the people. When we finally had a dead body, the story starts to pick up. Once you hit the traditional mystery part, the outcome is pretty easy to guess. The story wasn’t bad but it didn’t keep me engaged like most mystery/suspense books do.

This was a slow-paced mystery with a move by the author towards an ending that was satisfying if not totally unexpected. The setting made the book tantalizingly different. Set in Tasmania, this novel enticed me with the lush setting that I knew little about but which the author describes in inviting details. The main thrust of the book is that a rich and famous figure on the island, Celia Lily, is missing. The other characters are players on the stage of Celia’s notoriety. She is missing but she is still present on every page. There are many characters who are not particularly likable, including Jack Lily, the owner of the mansion where Celia disappeared. The character who intrigued me was Joelle, the wife of the local butcher and a young woman who is ignored by many townspeople because she has a brain that functions differently. What the inhabitants don’t understand is that Joelle notices things that others don’t and may hold the key to what has happened to Celia. The story is twisted and seems to ramble all over the island, but I felt all along that the author was leading me on a deliberate path to the conclusion. I enjoyed the book but I don’t think that it is for everyone who loves mysteries since this one is so slow-paced. I just think it is well worth the read because of the setting and the characters who are so well-developed and complicated. Vanishing Falls became real to me through the author’s colorful descriptions, so that made me want to visit, and other readers may want to experience this exotic and mysterious locale for themselves.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Jack and Celia are the couple in the mansion with four daughters and a somewhat perfect life.
Brian and Joelle are the town of Vanishing Falls butcher and simple minded wife.
Cliff and Kim are Jack and Celia's best friends.
Cliff is a meth addict...
This story is a bit of a slow burn although it read pretty fast for me. After much character development and scene setting Celia finally goes missing and the mystery kicks into gear. With a cast of somewhat unsavory characters the culprit could be just about anyone, except for my favorite character, Joelle. Although simple minded, she's the driving force of this story and someone you want to be friends with. I felt this was pretty well written and atmospheric. You really get a sense of the town and surrounding rain forest (it's always raining). I would classify this one as more of a mystery than a thriller with a bit of suspense near the end. My one complaint is that the story wraps up too quickly and the reveal wasn't at all surprising to me. That being said, I really enjoyed this one and recommend it to those who enjoy character driven mysteries.

Thank you to William Morrow's Scene of the Crime early reads program and NetGalley for the ARC ebook to read, review and enjoy.

Vanishing Falls by Poppy Gee is a suspenseful murder mystery that keeps you guessing, Who did it and Where is she?? Gee takes us to the outskirts of the Tasmanian Rainforest and a town named Vanishing Falls, where everyone has a secret to keep and hide. Celia disappears without a trace. Did she really walk away from everything, including her four daughters or was it something was more sinister? Was she murdered? Did Cliff kill her in his drug-induced rage and completely forget? Was it Jack, her husband? Joelle, the town outcast and desperate for friends, wants to find Celia and be the town hero. Will she uncover the truth and find Celia before its too late?
Gee writes a very good mystery but I found it too confusing to keep all the characters separate and keep who was married to who. Maybe I am in the minority but I had to keep going backwards in the book to decide who was married to who and too keep the characters straight in my mind, even though the chapters and sub-parts are labeled with the name and place. With that being said, I still enjoyed the mystery and suspense of the story. I would recommend this to others but telling them to pay close attention in the beginning to the characters.
Special Thanks to NetGalley, William Morrow-HarperCollins Publishing, and Poppy Gee for the advance digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
#VanishingFalls #NetGalley

4 slow-build stars

This one is set on the island of Tasmania, which is located about 150 miles south of Melbourne, Australia. For some reason, I thought it was desert, but it actually has gorgeous lush scenery and rainforests. A slow-building mystery, this one is set in a remote town called Vanishing Falls. Once known for great apple orchards, the town is now limping by and meth addiction is on the rise.

There are several characters in this one, the wealthy family that lives in the fancy house in town – Jack and Celia and their four daughters. There’s Joelle and Brian and their twins, Brian is the town butcher and Joelle is a little different – mostly because of a horrible childhood and trauma she experienced. Then there’s Kim and Cliff who are friends with Jack and Celia.

The book opens with Celia going missing and then we go back in time to get all the clues. The town is full of secrets and even some dark history from years ago. This tale was filled with water – rain, waterfalls, rivers – and great descriptions of the beauty of this island.

As the police dig into the case, Joelle is trying to put all the pieces together herself. I was a bit worried that some unscrupulous townspeople would take advantage of Joelle, but she can handle things! I really enjoyed her character and I will remember her for sure!