Late last night after my third fight with the pillow and snoring husband I gave up and started scrolling . I was too tired to research but too awake to sleep so I was just going to pick a book based on a cover ….

Vanished on Vacation
By: Jennifer Ruff

This was an easy read that I flew through in just a couple of hours . This book gets straight to the point. No repetitiveness or corny dialog. The twist was just enough to give you a gasp and the characters were the perfect blend of likable and unlikable.

I’ve been on a great streak with some awesome books and Vanished on Vacation was another A plus thriller!

Kudos to Jennifer Ruff!

I had no idea that this book was part of a series when I started reading it … only to find out it was Book #6! I really enjoyed it and had no problem playing catch up. This book was such a great page turner and had elements of surprise and thrills that kept me captivated and in suspense throughout!

I loved reading this, I found that I was very quickly invested in the story and I needed to now what happened. Is everyone telling the truth? Fast paced and well written.

Wow! This book was incredible and I absolutely fell in love with Jennifer Ruff’s storytelling. This book is apart of a standalone series, and my first book that I have read by the author. I definitely do not think you need to read the other books in order to read this one, although it seems they do give reference to previous mysteries that have been solved by Victoria Heslin. The story alternates between multiple characters, with FBI agent Victoria Heslin as the main character. It was a quick mystery that was told wonderfully!

Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

A nice quick read, not too scary and not too deep, just entertaining enough. Mexico living up to it's bad name, as usual. Cartels and corrupt police. And the FBI acting outside their territory.

Thank you NetGAlley for the early copy! I really enjoyed this book and all of the twists and turns it took us on! Three sorority sisters enjoy an exclusive resort vacation in Mexico…until one of them doesn’t come home.

As a frantic search for missing college student Avery Jennings begins, it appears everyone is hiding something—Avery’s family and friends, the resort’s staff, and its wealthy guests. It’s up to FBI Special Agent Victoria Heslin to dig deeper and figure out which of those secrets matter. Motivated by her own mother’s abduction years ago, she’s determined not to let Avery become another missing person statistic.

When Victoria grows frustrated with the investigation and her limited jurisdiction in Mexico, she defies orders and takes matters into her own hands. Facing powerful and connected criminals, she plummets into a hellish ordeal that will test her strength and courage like never before.

“How much will you risk to find this girl?” the Federale Officer asked.

“Whatever it takes,” Victoria answered without hesitation.

VANISHED ON VACATION is the sixth book in a series of standalone mystery thrillers featuring FBI Agent Victoria Heslin by USA Today bestselling author Jenifer Ruff. Fans of James Patterson, Lisa Gardner, and Lucy Foley will be hooked.

This is the first book I have read by this author, and I didn’t realise when I requested this that it was one of a series with FB Special Agent Victoria Heslin.

Being one of 6, and the references to her previous investigations did not detract me from the novel. In fact if I ever see other novels in the series I would defiantly pick them up and read them. Which is a good compliment as sometimes when you join a series you really feel that you are missing something.

This is a self-contained disappearance novel, centred in Mexico. A rich student goes missing, and Special Agent Heslin flies to Mexico with her partner, to help the search.
Does what it says on the cover. Draws you in with twists and turns and leaves you wondering what is going to happen next for Victoria.

On Avery’s last day of her Mexican vacation with her sorority sisters it’s suddenly “OMG! Positive test! 😭😭😭😭😭😭” The positive COVID test requires her to stay behind and quarantine…and promptly disappear.

FBI agent Victoria Heslin, in her 6th book (but which functions as a standalone), gets involved early since Avery is the niece of the FBI’s Financial Crimes Department. She and another agent, Dante Rivera, go to Mexico with Avery’s parents to meet with the Mexican police and the resort manager. It seems like everyone, including the sorority sisters, are holding back on details. The Mexican police admit that thousands of women go missing every year (although not usually Americans at luxury resorts) and one body with tied hands was just found offshore. Is that going to be Avery’s fate?

I just love these types of crime procedurals. There’s a steady revelation of clues, you are certain that the lead character (Victoria) isn’t an unreliable narrator, and as the mystery reveals itself slowly, there’s a satisfaction when you can finally see the big picture. Victoria Heslin is a well-developed character, worthy of a continuing series. I haven’t read any of the previous novels (I will definitely read them now), so this works great as standalone, although there are references to previous cases. Her relationship with Ned the vet is obviously evolving and I’d love to see what’s next for the two of them. 4 stars!

Thank you to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): NO Blue, brown, hazel and even bloodshot and black, but no green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): MAYBE Upon arrival at the resort, Victoria breathes in a sweet fragrance she thought was tropical hibiscus — nope. Most hibiscus generally have no scent. (NOTE: I reviewed this an advanced review copy and the delightful author saw this criticism and changed the final copy to plumeria — a beautiful and very fragrant flower).

Avery, a student, disappears in Mexico when on vacation with her friends. She is told she tested positive for Covid and is being quarantined. She's not seen from again. Her wealthy and influential family calls in some favors and gets FBI agent Victoria assigned to the case.

Victoria feels the Mexican government is not cooperating with her and risks her own life to try to save and find Avery.

Really enjoyed this book and propelled me to start at the beginning in the series. Do not think you need to read in order to appreciate.

No 6 in the Agent Victoria Heslin series.. it follows 3 college students on holiday in Mexico, when one disappears in comes Victoria to solve the puzzle. Good characters! Like all her books just when you think you have figured the mystery out, there is always a surprise. Enjoyable read.

Vanished on Vacation follows the story of missing Avery Jennings.

Avery appears to be your average college aged girl; she's in Mexico celebrating one of her friend's birthdays. Their vacation is coming to an end, and prior to them leaving she is told she must quarantine due to a positive COVID test. After gathering her belongings, she just "vanishes."

What I liked:
-I like that this is a story we've all heard before. Young woman is on vacations and goes missing. Not all of these cases end well, but it hits a bit close to home. I liked that even though this was book 6 in a series, it's still a standalone book. There was great character development, and I don't feel like I missed anything by not reading the previous books. The chapters were nice and short. There were multiple POVs, but they were not overwhelming; they were so easy to follow along. Each chapter left me wanting more, thus making this book bingeworthy.

What I would have like to see more of:
-I would have liked a bit more of Payton's POV. There was one part that I feel like could have had a bit more insight (after she found the envelope on the porch). There was some missing information there that could have added to the storyline. I wanted to hear more from her and her thoughts.

Final thoughts:
-This was a solid thriller for me. There was great character development, the story was paced really well, and there were no loose ends. I did not find it to have many twists, but that is perfectly ok. I figured out the ending about 60% in, but it did not affect me wanting to go forward. I was invested and wanted to find out "why" ultimately.

I would recommend others to read this book. I am looking forward to reading more from this author. It was a breath of fresh air.

When you read a lot of thrillers, it's easy to get caught up in wanting it to be super twisty and hard to figure out. Sometimes you just need a good, solid thriller with awesome characters and a solid plot.

I rate Vanished on Vacation 4/5 stars!

Thank you @netgalley and the author, Jenifer Ruff for my e-arc of VANISHED ON VACATION. It just published yesterday, October 7!

TW: kidnapping, use of a gun, bodily harm, drug overdose, attempted drowning, Covid 19 quarantine rules.

I had never heard of this author, or this series, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but it turns out I enjoyed it!

Even tho this book is the 6th in the series, you can read them as standalone or out of order. I wasn’t confused at all, or felt like I was missing anything while reading.

This book had an interesting premise. It deals with Covid 19 quarantine rules gone wrong while on vacation. Yikes!

I really liked the female MC, Victoria. She has clearly been through alot in the previous books (it was mentioned in this book), yet she doesn’t back down from helping ti find a missing girl. Even when it puts her life in direct danger, leaving her (literally)stranded in the ocean!

There were some intense moments in this book, adding to the reading experience, but I wouldn’t say it’s anything spectacular. I wasn’t totally wowed, or shocked by the ending. Despite some of the trigger warnings I listed above. I do think they are mostly on the mild side! But again, feel free to DM if you have any questions about them!

Three sorority sisters enjoy an exclusive resort vacation in Mexico…until one of them doesn’t come home. Omg......... this book was amazing I flew threw the pages with Olympic speed I was hooked from the very first page. WOW!! Just wow!!… Mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, gripping… Once you pick up the book you just can’t put it down…

Vanished On Vacation by Jenifer Ruff.
Agent Victoria Heslin Series Book 6.
As a frantic search for missing college student Avery Jennings begins, it appears everyone is hiding something—Avery’s family and friends, the resort’s staff, and its wealthy guests. It’s up to FBI Special Agent Victoria Heslin to dig deeper and figure out which of those secrets matter. Motivated by her own mother’s abduction years ago, she’s determined not to let Avery become another missing person statistic. When Victoria grows frustrated with the investigation and her limited jurisdiction in Mexico, she defies orders and takes matters into her own hands. Facing powerful and connected criminals, she plummets into a hellish ordeal that will test her strength and courage like never before.
“How much will you risk to find this girl?” the Federale Officer asked. “Whatever it takes,” Victoria answered without hesitation.
A good read with good characters. Likeable story. 4*.

As a short book, this had everything! It was very entertaining and a quick read. Suspenseful and action packed, I would recommend! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Fast-paced thrills!

I stepped out of my usual genre to read this book by an author I've never read before, and now I'll be looking forward to others! Victoria is an experienced FBI agent, and her partner is Rivera. They're a good team, and when a niece of one of their own disappears, they are sent to Mexico to bring Avery home.

I think that elements of this story may have been inspired by the Natalee Holloway story, as there are initial similarities between the two cases. Once beyond the initial though, the story takes a different turn and Victoria's life is endangered.

I liked the chemistry between Victoria and her boyfriend Ned, but would like to see more of their story in the future. Ned plays a minor but important role in this book. Would also like to see what happens between Payton and Rivera.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

A short book, but a fun one. Three girls go on vacay, someone gets sick and someone disappears. The FBI gets involved and who would have thought, a kidnapping. Lots of action is packed a short space- good story. Thanks to NG for advance copy.

Really enjoyed this book and looking forward to reading the other books in the series. Not necessarily super suspenseful but really liked the story. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC

This is a fast-paced story and I really enjoyed it. Victoria Heslin, FBI agent, is the main character in the series, and she is realistic and likable. Although this is part 6 of the series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone. Recommended.

Vanished on Vacation is about three college students who go to Mexico and one of them disappears. Avery is told her COVID test came back positive, so she is unable to leave the resort. But, then she just vanishes. Lucky for her, Avery's aunt is in the FBI and gets two agents down there ASAP. Victoria and Rivera find resistance with the Mexican police and staff/guests have no idea what happened to Avery.
I didn't know this was part of a series. Although it can be read as a stand-alone, I do think reading them in order may have been helpful. There are things brought up that correlate to Victoria's past that are in the other books. But, again, everything is explained in a way that it's not totally necessary to read the other books in the series.
For me, this book as just okay. Pretty predictable: drug cartels, uncooperative Mexican police, missing American tourists. Short chapters and just enough suspense to keep me reading it.