Author and journalist John Billman opens with a startling statistic: 600,000 people go missing every year. Billman goes on to explain that some of these can be explained in straightforward manner: off the grid, suicide and lack of planning while out in the wilderness. 

He also is willing to explore researcher David Paulides’ theories, which primarily revolved around Bigfoot. I think Billman is fair to Paulides, as he doesn’t treat Paulides as some crazy cook like some will claim. He is also careful to recognize that while Paulides doesn’t shy away from the possibility of alien abductions, Paulides also isn’t sold on UFOs, despite this misconception. Paulides is very clear, however, that he believes Bigfoot or Sasquatch has something to do with at least a small number of the annual missing persons cases. This, then, leads to a jumping-off point for Billman to make his intentions clear: he isn’t here to explore the popular true crime ‘whodunnit’ premise, or even the less mainstream explorations like Paulides’ theories. Billman is simply interested in: what happens to the families who have to deal with a missing person? 

In theory, this should have made for a compelling read. This isn’t going to have the mass appeal of most true crime stories because it isn’t structured to exploit a scintillating murder-mystery. Billman briefly spends time looking into Amy Bechtel, who vanished under mysterious circumstances. Had he chosen to focus on her, I imagine he might have attracted a larger audience. However, that said, I like Billman’s goal to try to focus on the families involved in missing persons cases. That is one of the main issues I have with a lot of true crime stories: focus on the mystery in an effort to gather a huge audience with little concern for how these stories affect the families for years. 

Unfortunately, Billman received some negative attention for this book because alleged (only using this word because I have no way to verify) family members of the main focus, Jacob Gray, are quoted but allegedly were never asked for permission. That isn’t necessarily a no-no, but it does broach an ethical gray area. Additionally, there were claims of factual inaccuracies. Now, I want to be clear that I can’t substantiate these claims beyond a reasonable doubt. There have been many instances of individuals upset with how they are portrayed by a journalist. However, several people claiming to be Jacob’s family members were really upset by numerous things about this book. It is a troubling accusation. 

Overall, while I have some reservations about this book, it is well-written. Honestly, I had trouble putting it down. I think the publisher’s claim that it will appeal to fans of John Krakauer and similar nonfiction writers is accurate.

I requested for The Cold Vanish as soon as I read that synopsis. I am a very big true crime ethicist and I love to hike. Very often I have wondered what would happen if I disappear into the woods/the mountain. Would anyone miss me? Would there be a search party? In The Cold Vanish Author Billman has given convincing answers and more to my questions. 

Several individuals go missing every year on a hike/adventure into the woods and the mountains. Author Billman has taken the disappearance of Jacob Gray in Olympic National Park and explained the process of finding him, the pain of the people who knew Jacob, and the lengths Randy Gray, Jacob’s father went to search for his son. My thoughts are with the families/individuals who have lost one of them to the wilderness. This was an emotional yet fascinating book to read. 

Thank you Grand Central, Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest opinion.

Jon Billman tells the story of those who seek adventure & recreation in the woods & mountains, but never return.  His main story is that of 22 year old Jacob Gray who disappeared in Olympic National Park, leaving behind his bicycle & gear & a father who puts everything on hold to find him.  Billman's book also goes into depth about the people who search for these missing individuals, park personnel & people who have also had a loved one vanish.  
A fascinating read.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author Jon Billman & the publisher Grand Publishing for the complimentary ARC in return for my honest opinion.

If you enjoy true crime books such as I'll Be Gone in the Dark, you should check out The Cold Vanish. Jon Billman writes about the mystery surrounding all the people that go missing in the wilderness, and what people do to try to find them. This is not something I honestly thought much about but was enraptured by accounts of regular people on runs or bike trips just disappearing. I thought that it was very well written, giving plenty of detail and explanation for all the specific cases that he went over.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. 

The beginning of this book is the strongest. It is compelling and atmospheric. I was shocked by how many people go missing in National Parks each year. The stress and anguish of the families was captured well. 

After the first third of the book, I struggled to keep going. I think the structure of the book started to veer off and I was no longer as drawn to it as I was. 

Recently, I learned about some controversy surrounding the book with the family members the main person discussed. They were unhappy with how he was portrayed. I imagine that family members often have issues when they see their loved ones in a book. However, the ethical questions surrounding the family member quotes in the book (allegedly without signing releases) make me uneasy. 

I feel that when you are writing about victims or missing people you have a duty of care to be respectful.

After reading this I was appalled to learn that the author of this being book did not notify the family that this book was being written nor did he get permission to quote many of the family and friends whom he quoted in the book. For this reason I cannot in good faith give a good review of this book. It's too bad because it was interesting and fairly well written (though the extensive amount of time given to conspiracy theories such as big foot, psychics predictions, etc also made it difficult for me to take the subject seriously as well). But I find the methods of the author to be appalling as well as completely unprofessional and exploitive.

An interesting look at the many ways people can go missing in the great American wilderness, and how difficult it can be to find them. The attention to what this uncertainty does to the people left behind - the way they cope, they rationalise, they search, they lean into even conspiracy thinking - sets this apart from the usual lost in the wilderness stories.

The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman is a true crime book talking about the persons who have gone missing in the wild. The central story revolves around the disappearance of Jacob Gray, and his father's quest to find him. The prose also mentions a lot of similar cases about people going missing in the American wildlands.

The narration is good overall, but it got boring at times, so much so that I was left wondering why I was even reading this work in the first place.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: One time read.

The Cold Vanish written by Jon Billman, a journalist who frequently writes for Outside, is a chilling true story about people who seem to vanish into thin air and the families who search for them. I was surprised to learn that, according to Billman, more than 600,000 people in North America go missing each year. This book focuses on Jacob Gray who was bicycling in Olympic National Park in Washington in 2017 and was never seen or heard from again, but it also brings in stories of others who have gone missing in the wilderness of North America.  National parks and those perfect hiking trails can be beautiful but they can also be deadly.  There are many dangers that are hidden within: wild animals, murderers, accidental injuries and just getting lost, not to mention the crazier theories of Big Foot, and alien abductions.  Billman is an excellent writer, and he lays bare the emotional toll that a missing family member can have on the loved ones that are left behind.  It is a book that will make you think twice before you take off on a hike by yourself and it is a book that will stay with you after you finish reading it.  I recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a digital copy of this book prior to publication in exchange for my review.  This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon and Barnes and Noble upon the book's publication.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read the e-book of The Cold Vanish:  Seeking the Missing in North America's Wildlands by Jon Billman.  

My family is a strong believer in the benefits of the outdoors, including the wildlands, to our nation's, as well as it citizens, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.  Our vacation destinations are always to our public lands, including those of the National Park Service, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, etc.   When I found that The Cold Vanish was available through NetGalley I immediately requested it.

Mr. Billman sets down the stories of several individuals' disappearances on public lands, the possible causes of those disappearances (including going off the grid, suicide, serial killers, underpreparedness for the wilderness, children wandering, just plain getting lost, possible scams, and even theories of alien abduction and Sasquatch), and the efforts made to find them.   Chapters are dedicated to each of the lost individuals included in the book with special emphasis given to missing  22 year old Jacob Gray, who walked away from his bicycle and trailer in Olympic National Park, and the unrelenting search by 63 year old Randy Gray for his son.  Jacob's disappearance and Randy's search runs like a thread throughout the book, connecting all of the stories.  Although the outcomes often do not end well, some do, either through luck or the valiant efforts of search and rescue teams, often managed by woefully underfunded local agencies.  Mr. Billman's book definitely makes a case for a national clearinghouse of person's missing from public lands and standardized regulations for access by search and rescue teams to those public lands.  Many of the missing individuals were experienced outdoorsmen, but many were also tourists with little or no experience in the wilderness.  The one thing I felt he could have placed increased emphasis on was that tourists must be more responsible when accessing public lands.  There are frequently situations in which they fail to follow safety regulations and recommendations, go out half cocked, and then get themselves into serious trouble.  Search and rescue teams then have to expend thousands of dollars as well as be put in danger's way attempting to locate them.  If search and rescue is unable to find the missing they are often excoriated by friends and family for not trying hard enough or quitting too soon. 

A frequent contributor to Outside magazine as well as teaching fiction and journalism at Northern Michigan University, the journalistic style of writing for this book was spot on.  Anyone who enjoys traveling to our nation's public land treasures or reading non-fiction travel or adventure will absolutely enjoy The Cold Vanish.
#NetGalley   #TheColdVanish

I actually really enjoyed this book and dove right in. Jacob's story was very intriguing and I was even interested in learning more about some of the other missing persons cases the author had mentioned in this book. 

The author gives a first-hand account from the father of Jacob, and tells more about Jacob's background and the time leading up to his disappearance. The author spent time with Jacob's father after he had been missing for some time and goes more into search effort details.

The only bad: the victim's family has been commenting on nearly every review on Goodreads that the author mis-represented both Jacob and their family. I'm not sure how accurate this is, but it seems as though legal permission would had to have been given prior to the publishing of this book. It's hard to say if you believe the author or family in regards to the actual events that happened. 

Regardless, I would read a book from this author again in the future.

While I mostly read horror novels, I do also have a fascination with true crime, especially missing person cases, and used to read a lot from that genre. I haven't read anything true crime in awhile, so wanted to give this one a try. While the was good, extensive information, I did find the tone of it a bit bland and emotionless the majority of the time, and felt the book dragged on a bit. It did, however, introduce me to some cases I hadn't previously heard of. 

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

I am absolutely OBSESSED with missing person cases. This book has it all: totally black and white and honest, with an author who is invested in every way. Jon Billman is another Jon Krakauer, but with a little more emotional investment.
I plan on buying a hard copy of this book for my mom, who is just as obsessed with true crime as I am.
This book reads like your favorite true crime podcast, but with all of the details they don't have time to share.

Stories of mysterious disappearances have fascinated me for as long as I can remember (maybe it is from growing up with Unsolved Mysteries as the background to days home sick from school?). In fact, my favorite Investigation Discovery show is Disappeared (Billman actually mentions an episode of the show in this book!). This book is a fascinating, though rather heartbreaking, read. 

Billman frames his book around the disappearance of Jacob Gray, a 22 year old man who disappeared with only his bicycle and trailer on the side of a road in the Olympic National Forest on April 6th. From the get-go, the search is mired in red tape and Billman does a great job of bringing Jacob and his family's story to life. Interspersed with this main narrative are stories from around the rest of North America - primarily in the western US and Canada. Some of these have happier endings than others. It makes for a genuinely interesting read - even as it explores some of the wilder theories out there - Bigfoot, aliens, holies in space and time... and though Billman is most definitely a non-believer in the outlandish side, his contempt for psychics especially shines through (and oddly enough for dogs as well). Still, it's an eye-opening read - particularly into the policies of the US government and the National Park and Forest systems. I did enjoy reading it - though I can see that this might hit too close to home for some families who have this type of open mystery in their lives.

I want to say thank you to Netgalley for gifting me this book in return for my honest review. I really enjoyed the first story. The mystery behind it made me want to jump into action to help find the missing woman. It made me truly feel invested in the disappearance. I started to lose momentum and interest during the second story. It wasn't that it didn't keep my attention, just that it was hard to follow. The writer started in one direction and then circled back around to a detail that should have been included earlier in the story. It was hard to follow and keep up with. I had to reread pages more than once. That is why I have it two stats. I enjoyed the story and mystery of the book. But I did not enjoy the writing style.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to receive an ARC and review this book.

At the beginning of the book and for about 20% in, I was really enjoying this book.  It is very interesting and sad that these vanishings are not tracked by the government.  However, then I started noticing that the flow was very choppy and the narrative circles back on itself so often that it is hard to keep track of where we are.  But the fatal flaw that led to my DNFing the book was that by 31%, I had had all I could take about Bigfoot.  If the author actually believes that Bigfoot has anything to do with these disappearances, it's more sad than the actual disappearances because that just means that the missing are now part of a conspiracy theory.  Bigfoot has started showing up early on because on of the searchers is a Bigfoot hunter but when it because more frequent and the author started talking like he believed such nonsense, I had to stop.  

Sadly the subject matter is fascinating and the individual paragraphs were well written but the story itself is confusing and enters into the ridiculous.

I found out later that the main story in this book, was written without the family's permission and with only sketchy "facts." When did writing about serious subjects become a joke to journalists?

Thank you Grand Central Publishing for a complimentary copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own. 

The Cold Vanish 
By: Jon Billman 

REVIEW ☆☆☆☆

If you want a genuinely terrifying story, read The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman. This is not a horror story, but the horror is present and real. Unfortunately, the story is true with no rainbows and flowers. The missing. The vanished. You've seen the headlines of people who disappear without a trace, never to be found. Can you imagine never getting answers or closure?

A young woman on a solo run doesn't come home. I run alone, and I am always looking over my shoulder. This example is a good reminder of what could happen to any woman alone on the road. 

A young athletic guy on a long bicycle journey abandons his bike on the side of the road, and he is never seen again. What happened? Questions are raised about searching inside and outside of national parks because this disappearance happened in the vicinity of one. How long do you wait? When do you involve search dogs, police, helicopters, etc.? Who is responsible for searching-state, federal, park officials? 

Reading this book made me angry for the families left behind with nothing. It seems that red tape and bureaucratic ridiculousness are big players in the timing and thoroughness of any search. It's sad how little those in charge care, unless the situation puts their face on the evening news, of course. Then, they become completely sympathetic and kind. It's horrible! The Cold Vanish is a wake up call and an eye opener about the reality of disappearances and what follows to locate the missing. I highly recommend this thought provoking book!

Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for my copy of The Cold Vanish.  I really struggled with this book and here's why:  On the one hand, it was compelling.  I was completely and utterly engrossed.  What happens to a person when they set foot into the vast expanse of a forest and are never heard from again is pretty high up there in my world of curiosity.  The author zeroes in on these types of missing person's cases, many have gone unsolved.  On the other hand, the whole BigFoot theory didn't have a place in this story.  Maybe it was to offer filler... who knows.  As with many true stories I read, I like to do my own digging around and unfortunately came across multiple accusations that the author misrepresented some details and possibly fabricated interviews with family members.

Intriguing premise but a drag to get through, both content-wise and pacing. There's a lot of information the author takes his time chronicling. Not a lot of fact checking here and it makes me wonder how much is objective and how much is dramatized.

People vanishing, as if the ground has opened up and swallowed them, has always fascinated me. The reasons for the disappearance don't really affect how interested I am. Often it's sinister, possible foul play with no suspect ever caught, but additionally, and possibly less frequently, they go missing in such mysterious circumstances that it is considered to be an unexplained freak accident. This book covers both these eventualities and everything in between.

It's kind of anthological in so far as there are lots of different stories surrounding different missing persons and how they are reckoned to have become so.

The book kept me enrapt throughout and I would recommend it highly for anything from the casual reader to the ardent conspiracy theorist.

Thank you to Jon Billman, the book's publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this book without charge.