I have to preface this by saying that while the book seemed well-researched, I've seen some comments regarding how factual it was, especially from Jacob's family and friends so I would urge everyone to look into that.

This is a page turner and it takes you down the rabbit hole. Of course, the subject itself is fascinating and this an exhaustive account of various cases. It was an interesting read, although it brings up more questions than it gives answers. It wasn't always easy to follow, considering the jumps between cases and the flashbacks, and I did find myself getting overwhelmed by information at times. The author has a disclaimer where he says that it's impossible to write about the subject without mentioning UFOs, cryptoids etc. I guess in some ways that's true, and technically that doesn't make it any more morbid than any other true crime book. Still, that didn't really sit well with me because i thought it took the attention away from the tragedies and the grieving families. It made the book seem sensationalised, especially considering the criticism from the family members.

Thank you #Netgalley for my copy of The Cold Vanish by Jon Billman

Many familiar with Missing 411 by David Paulides will find Jon's book an essential read. His missing persons accounts are very detailed and really bring to life all the awful unknowns that can befall a person in the wilderness. It is a great companion to Missing 411, but also can stand on it's own.

i really appreciated how well the author was able to write the story and keep it respectable. It felt like it was well researched and well done.

If you are a fan of missing persons in America's National Parks, this is the book for you.
There are several cases that the author focuses on. In particular, Jacob Gray. His disappearance was rather odd. His father did everything he could to find him. Even revisiting places many times that investigators had checked. I was under the impression that this book was about missing persons, but as I got further into the book, it was primarily about Jacob Gray and the lengths his father went to find him. I thought the subject was a bit lengthy and wordy for my tastes.
Spoiler Alert!
Jacob Gray was found not far from where his dad had been searching. Although he was not one who found him, he was glad he was able to give him a proper burial.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really got into this book . The title is what caught my eye and as I read I seen that I was true stories which are my favorite. I can't believe that many people have gone missing it's sad and something that happens every day . Good stories , great detail well written .

Interesting book about people vanish and those who look for them. I enjoyed how the author moved between one story of the disappearance of Jacob Gray to many stories of disappearances throughout North America.

If you don’t know anyone who’s vanished, it’s hard to comprehend how it feels. As it happens, I do; several years ago, the husband of a close friend (who was suffering from mid-stage dementia) walked out of their house in a quiet suburban street and vanished. I took part in days of searching parks and forestry within walking distance of their home - the entrance to a national park was less than a kilometre away. No trace of him has ever been found. (His name is Michael Newbon. You can look him up, if you’re interested).

The questions never end. Neither do the searches. My friend will never have answers; she passed on from cancer three years ago never knowing what had happened to the love of her life.

Perhaps the worst pain of all is that of a parent whose child vanishes, and that’s at the core of this book; the story of Randy Gray, whose son Jacob Gray disappeared in Olympic National Park. Randy committed himself entirely to the search for Jacob, and the author accompanied Randy on several trips following leads from all sorts of sources; Bigfoot researchers, tips from psychics, Randy’s own surmises on what his son might have wanted to do with his life and where those wishes might have taken Jacob.

While working on Jacob and Randy’s story, the author’s awareness of just how many people vanish in the wilderness was raised, and a number of other cases are mentioned in this book, some resolved, many not. Some were the victims of serial killers, many fell foul of Mother Nature and succumbed to hypothermia or injuries, others vanished in circumstances which honestly seem inexplicable. Some survived in the face of overwhelming odds to tell their own stories.

In the US, there is definitely a problem of competing bureaucracies and authorities not equipped for SAR efforts being the ones to call the shots. There is clearly a need for a centralised database of persons missing in National Parks and Forests, and an overarching authority with a defined policy which goes into action immediately someone is reported missing, because if there is one thing very clear in this book it is that when overwhelming and properly organised resources are committed early, that’s when the missing are most likely to be found.

Billman takes something of a deviation in the middle of the book with Sasquatch researchers and psychics entering the narrative, but I can tell you from experience, if you are desperate for answers, even the most unlikely of straws are sometimes grasped at. The Sasquatch researchers at least didn’t seem to be in this seeking to make any money or grab at fame, providing resources, time and effort without thought of reward. I do not think as kindly of the psychics, and agree with a quote from the book “To my knowledge, psychics have never solved a missing persons case.” I think they’re ghouls praying to get lucky… if they did chance to correctly predict a location they’d be on the national news milking it for every penny they could.

Jacob’s story ends, as so many of the missing do, with a tragedy, but I was left with the impression of a life that mattered. Young as he was, he inspired enormous efforts on his behalf, not least from his father who obviously loved him very deeply. I’m aware that there are family members and friends of Jacob who are upset about his portrayal in this book, but to me he comes across as a young man with a great zest for life and an inspiring wonder and love for the world around him. His family were portrayed as loving people who were deeply distraught by his disappearance, and they obviously devoted enormous amounts of time and effort to searching for him. I’m glad they were able to get closure and I hope that they are able to take from this book what I think the author intended from it; a determination to demand that the authorities do better by those who go missing in the world’s vast wildernesses.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an ebook copy for an honest review.

This was a quick read for me, I read it over the span of about 2 days and I enjoyed the many aspects of the story, as not only does it take you on the journey of the cold case of the missing individual Jacob Gray, but it also intertwines many other missing individuals. I love a good cold case and this book goes through many of them, all very interesting cases, as many of these stories are suspicious and very difficult to explain or understand what exactly happened to each one of these lost souls. I would compare this book to a podcost or dateline, so if that is something you enjoy, this book is for you!

At times this book had a repetitive nature, but I think this was the author trying to circle back to Jacobs story, compare Jacobs story to other cold cases, and to underline the importance of certain aspects of the story.

This is a story about individuals who go missing in the wildlands of North America, focusing mainly on the case of Jacob Gray. Jacob Gray was a biker who seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving very little clues or evidence behind to help aid in a missing persons search. The author, Jon Billman, describes this story as he travels with Jacobs father, Randy Gray. Along with Jacobs story, this book touches on other individuals who have vanished, while circling back to the search for Jacob.
I am someone who tends to think outside the box when it comes to the unknown and therefore enjoyed the differing theories, however, this story may not be for those who do not believe in the paranormal, the extraterrestrial, conspiracy theories, etc., as this book touches on many theories regarding the missing.

A missing young man, his bike found but no trace of the rider. The author centers this as the main search while he follows the family and their search. Extra terrestrial, big foot and psychics are explored as the author shares many other missing person searches all in the wilderness including state parks. Full of suspense and well researched. A great read!

Copy provided by the publisher and NetGalley

I'm obsessed with missing person stories.Television shows, podcasts, youtube videos....I'm not exactly sure what attracts me to tales of the disappeared, but I listen to many of them. I think it might be that I can't imagine never knowing....having someone close to me disappear and the idea of how shattering it would be to never know where they are and what happened. Even when remains are found, the whole story is rarely revealed. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose someone like that....a friend, a parent....a child.

When I saw this book available for review, of course I jumped right on it. Yep -- definitely reading this one. And I'm glad I did. Billman not only shares details of multiple cases of missing persons in national parks, but he doesn't just focus on the missing and their families, but delves into those who search and law enforcement/park authorities. Can you imagine searching the wilderness for a lost child....only to find nothing? I can't imagine how difficult that must be for EMS, park rangers and police. Tracking dogs who can't find a scent trail....no evidence....and a lingering, heart-breaking mystery.

Here one second....gone the next. And it could happen to anyone, even skilled outdoorsmen. Our national parks are beautiful, but these stories do shoot home the idea that hacking trails through it does not tame the wilderness. There are wild animals, and other dangers in any national park. So many people though....and so few answers. Even in vast miles of wilderness, it seems odd that people vanish so often.

Loved this book! Billman presents facts in an interesting way, and brings the stories of the vanished to life. I read my review copy, and then immediately bought the audio book. Hope to read more by this author!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

**I received and voluntarily read an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

The number of disappearances from national parks has always intrigued me, so I was excited to get a chance to read and review this book. I had hoped this book would give us details from several of the missing persons' cases, but most of the book focuses on one specific case (Jacob Gray).

If you've never traveled to one of these parks, the first time you go, the sheer size will overwhelm you. When someone goes missing, it's not just a door to door search, it involves so much time, effort, and a staggering number of personnel (both professional and volunteer). The book does a decent job of giving an overview of some of what goes into one of these missing persons' cases.

Unfortunately, the author spent more time on conspiracy theories than I think was good for the book. It actually takes away from a lot of the gravity of the situations that these people and their families face. One or two references, sure, but there were more than there needed to be.

Overall, it seems the author wasn't quite sure where the book was supposed to be- was it supposed to be a book of conspiracy theories surrounding the missing people in the parks? Was it supposed to be about multiple missing persons? Or was it supposed to be about the Jacob Gray case? Between the wandering direction and the fact that it was overwritten (multiple sections and pages could have been cut and kept the flow going), this book just doesn't sit well with me. Maybe it should have been separated into 2-3 books instead.

***Edited to include further info from the family***

DNF at 50%
I requested this book expecting to read about people who have gone missing while hiking, camping, and fishing in the woods, and so on. And while yes, we do get that along with the sometimes shoddy investigations conducted by the National Parks service, and how both the US and Canada don't have a database that tracks people that go missing in the wild.
We learn about this while we follow the author as he focuses on this one specific case of a young man that has seemingly abandoned his bike and the small trailer he was hauling and just vanished and has yet to be found. The author tags along with this missing young man’s father as he tirelessly searches for his son- all the while the park service won’t commit resources to help look for him.

What began to really annoy me was the mention of conspiracy theorists and Bigfoot researches- yes, you read that right. Granted the Bigfoot researchers know the woods very well, better than most, and help out in the search. However, I could not suspend my disbelief when these Bigfoot researchers suggest that Bigfoot is responsible for some of the people who seemingly ‘vanish’ in the wild. One such believer even suggested that Bigfoot might even shield and help young kids who have gone missing. Ridiculous.
It gets worse, as other conspiracy theorists have theorized that these people who seemingly vanished have entered a portal to another dimension or have been abducted by aliens.
Now, I could handle the author mentioning these Bigfoot researchers and conspiracy theorists once or twice— but when the author begins to entertain these ideas a something that he believes in and could be an explanation for the ‘vanishings’ of these missing persons, that was when I had enough and felt like I was wasting my time.

I feel this book does quite a disservice to all the missing persons mentioned in this book, the conspiracy theories really detract from these persons mysterious fates and how the system as a whole fails them.

2.5 stars. I would’ve continued if the conspiracy theories were kept to a minimum and not suggested as an explanation for the disappearance of missing persons.

I was really disappointed in this book and the author's choice to entertain these outlandish theories.

** ARC provided by Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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It has been brought to my attention on behalf of members from Jacob Gray's family- the young man heavily featured in this book, that the events and the way Jacob as a person was portrayed is in-factual. In fact, no one in the family gave permission to Jon Billman to form a book about missing persons around Jacob's story. Many family members were misquoted, had full names and locations published- all without their permission. The family didn't even know a book was being written about Jacob until a month after it had been released! Can you imagine!!! Not the author nor the publisher had the decent courtesy to contact the family and say they were writing, editing, and publishing this book about a very traumatic and personal tragedy to a wide audience for a profit.
I am horrified and quite glad that I did not finish this book for it's really closer to something like speculative non-fiction than it is a non-fiction.

I personally didn't enjoy the book when I was reading due to the frequent mentions of Big Foot, aliens, and alternate dimensions as explanations for these 'cold vanishes'. I thought it to be really quite ridiculous and disrespectful to include these as legitimate explanations. If this was my loved one featured in a book, I too would be very upset.
As a result of this new information, my rating is now a 1 star.

My condolences to the family of Jacob Gray.

I was intrigued by the excerpt I read online and requested the whole book. While it was very well written, it seemed to drag on too long. It was like an Outside magazine piece that had been padded with other stories, losing focus on the main story.

It's like the author didn't know what he meant to do: give an overall picture of disappearances (which was what intrigued me) or get into the nitty-gritty of one disappearance. Neither goals were fully achieved, though the writing kept me going.

As a fan of true crime, I was intrigued by the premise of this book. The fact that we have no accurate way to know how many people have gone missing and never been found in today’s technology filled world seems bizarre, and slightly terrifying. Billman did an excellent job of telling the main story, about Jacob Gray, while interspersing it with other stories of missing people as to share how wildly searches can differ based on a multitude of factors. I did have a hard time suspending my disbelief in terms of some of the possible reasons as to why so many vanish with no trace, but others may be more open to those ideas.

Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC.

This is a true story about a biker that went missing in Olympic National Park, Jacob Gray. There are other missing person stories sprinkled in too. The author accompanied John Gray's father on a lot of the searching over a 16-month period.

It was an interesting read.

How does someone go out for a run, or go to the store and simply disappear? This book tackles that problem and the effects it has on those doing the searches and those awaiting the results of those searches. The psychological affect on the families and friends can be excruciating and how you handle those that are never found?

Interesting read!

I’m a life-long resident of the west where vast areas of public land are common. I’ve read many articles about people who go missing in forests, canyons, and on mountains and assisted in a search for one of those missing. Because of that I have some awareness of wilderness disappearances, but after reading “The Cold Vanish” I realize how little I actually know. The book focuses on the disappearance of Jacob Gray in Olympic National Park and covers all the aspects of the search for him through both rational and questionable means. Interwoven are accounts of others who have gone missing in wild places. Bellman writes with eloquence, empathy, and insight about the heartbreak endured by family and friends of the missing. They live a life composed of searching, waiting, questioning, and enduring until answers come, if they ever do. Informative, heartbreaking, engaging, alarming, propulsive, and extremely well written, this is a book not to be missed, particularly for those interested in true crime or wilderness explorations.

My review was posted on Goodreads on 8/8/20

In 2017, 22-year-old Jacob Gray went for a bike ride in Washington State's Olympic National Park and vanished. His family was devastated — but tenacious in their search to find Jacob, especially his father Randy. Author Job Billman joined Randy during many of his searches, learning first-hand how far a father will go to discover what happened to his son. The author weaves in the accounts of other missing persons in the wild, and describes the frightening challenges that come with locating them. (For instance, did you know that there isn’t a national database for people who go missing in the wilderness — on public land and national parks?!)

The Cold Vanish is a compassionate, sympathetic, and haunting book that even made me think twice before stepping out into the wilderness alone. 😳 It is so well-written and completely enthralling — I had the hardest time putting this book down. And when I did, the content stuck with me for days. The Cold Vanish is perfect for adventure-lovers and cold-case mystery fans alike. Easily one of my top books of 2020. Read it now!

A special thank you to netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I hate a story without an ending, but I love one with a good twist. <i>The Cold Vanish</i> explores in depth one of my least favorite genres of true crime: the cold case. While twists and turns abound in this book, most of these cases remain unsolved, and that's a real bummer. There's nothing Jon Billman can do about that - at least, nothing he already hasn't done.

Billman gets down in the dirt - and the snow, and the freezing cold water, and the forests, and the ravines - searching alongside trackers and police and family members of some of the hundreds (and possibly more) of people who go missing in national forests and parks every year. His recounting of these events is casual, conversational, relatable, and always tinged with sadness, since as long as the searchers are out there, there's no happy ending. And there very often isn't. These kinds of cases rarely get solved.

My only major complaint about <i>The Cold Vanish</i> is that in places, it's wildly repetitive, and in others, it assumes you already know a lot more than you do. The book is broken up into chapters that bounce around geographically, and it seems that sometimes Billman lost his spot in the writing and forgot that he already mentioned the thing he's so excited to tell you about now, or conversely, that you might read a sentence three times and not be able to glean any information from it because oh yeah, he hasn't mentioned that critical piece of information yet. There were more than a few places where I'd skip back a page or two or three only to realize it wasn't myself missing the context, it's that the context was waiting a few pages - or chapters - ahead for me.

All in all, I enjoyed this book, despite the open-endedness of most of the stories. I just wish the writing had been a little clearer, a little cleaner; but then again, maybe that's the nature of any writing about folks who get lost in the woods. If things had only been a little clearer, a little cleaner, maybe they'd have been found again.

I really wanted to like this book but it was different from what I thought it would be. There is a lot of talk of Sasquatch in relation to missing people as well :-/