Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this book. i appreciated the story progression of Lane and his investigations especially the ending which, after a few twists and turns, made sense after looking back over it all.

Vanish has an eerie undercurrent where you know something isn’t quite right at the farm, but as a reader the answer feels just out of your reach.



It was great to be back with Lane Holland again. There was a secretive atmosphere to the storyline and while I found it a little slow to start, the tension and pacing of the story was great once it hit its stride. I tried to figure out where the people had vanished to as Holland’s unofficial investigation and suspicions unfolded, but I did not pick the outcome at all!

I would have liked a bit more depth to the ending as I found it wrapped up surprisingly quickly, but overall it’s a great addition to the Aussie noir genre.

Thank you to @hachetteaus and @netgalley for a digital copy to honestly review.

Lane Holland is adjusting to his life in prison where he isn’t legally allowed to continue as a PI. Although it hasn’t stopped one of the officers high up roping him into trying to find his missing daughter, a case which has pretty much gone cold. To allow him to pursue this as a cover Lane is relocated to a rural farm as part of his re-education back into normal life, learning to become a farm hand. But whilst on the farm Lane discovers not all is above board and who can he actually trust.

It took me a little white to get into this one and I have to admit I wasn’t blown away by it. There were a few little twists and turns but the ending was a little underwhelming and kinda wrapped up pretty quickly. The relationship between Lane and his sister was a nice little side path and added a little more interest to the storyline. The whole cult farm storyline did pull me in, but I feel it could have been explored a little more than it was.

Overall a quick little mysterious crime read with enough different directions to keep you intrigued. 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette for the ARC

Vanish by Shelley Burr is the third instalment in her crime series featuring PI Lane Holland—and for me, it’s the strongest yet.

Now a former PI turned prisoner, Lane is quietly serving his time and working toward parole. But he can’t let go of one cold case that still haunts him: the disappearance of Matilda Carver, the warden’s daughter, twenty years ago. When a potential link emerges pointing to an isolated and enigmatic farm, Lane is granted permission to go undercover there as part of a pilot prisoner training program.

The farm draws all kinds of people, mostly lost souls seeking redemption or answers. But as Lane digs deeper, he uncovers a dark undercurrent beneath the farm’s apparent serenity—one where some residents vanish without a trace.

I was hooked from the very first page. The pacing and tension are spot-on, and the farm’s eerie, secretive atmosphere really leaps off the page. I found the setting and its residents utterly fascinating—each one cloaked in mystery and suspicion. I was intrigued to learn that the story was inspired by a real-life criminal case (which I’ll be Googling shortly), but it all felt incredibly authentic: the plot, the characters, and the chilling setting. It’s easy to see how a refuge for some could become a nightmare for others.

If you’re a fan of Aussie crime thrillers, Vanish is a must-read. Although it’s the third in the series, I think it works well as a standalone—and I sincerely hope we see more of Lane Holland in the future.

Big thanks to Netgalley and Hatchette Australia for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Lane Holland was once a private investigator who solved cold cases of missing people. Convicted of murder, he is now in prison but has been a model prisoner and will soon be facing parole. Although his conviction means he will no longer be allowed to work as a PI, the Governor of his prison offers him an opportunity to help find his missing daughter, Melinda. As part of a special work and study release scheme for prisoners due to be paroled, he would be sent to the farm where Melinda was last seen twenty five years ago. He would be accompanied by a prison guard and wear an ankle bracelet to monitor his movements.

When Lane arrives at the farm, he finds that it is run more as a commune and wonders if it is in fact a cult that tries to prevent people leaving. There is definitely something strange about the place and people are reluctant to talk to him. A lot of young people looking for a new start are attracted to the farm and its approach to farming, but Lane also knows that several other missing young people worked there before disappearing.

I loved the unsettling undercurrent running through this book. There is a sense that all in not right on this farm, but like Lane, it’s difficult for the reader to put their finger on what could be wrong. Although Lane is suspicious of Sam Karpathy, the owner of the farm who took over his father’s project after he died suddenly, he does seem to be a genuine devotee of organic and sustainable farming who takes in those looking for a new life without asking too many questions. It’s not a fast paced plot, but it is an absorbing one as Lane tries to snoop around and find out what he can about the missing people. The resolution when it comes is unexpected but satisfying in tying up all the loose ends.

I must admit that I really enjoyed the first in the series ‘Wake’ but was quite underwhelmed with the 2nd book ‘Murder Town’, so I did start this book with some trepidation but happily I wasn’t disappointed.
PI Lane Holland is in prison and nearly up for parole, when he is offered a chance to serve out part of his sentence, while I investigating the disappearance of the prisons Commanding Officer’s daughter from a remote farm many years ago.
What Lane finds out is a few people have gone missing, are they people that wanted to disappear or something more sinister?
This hooked me quickly, it did take me a little while to warm to Lane’s character even though I’d read the previous novels. Hence I think this book would be fine as a stand alone, as there was enough back story included when needed.
Dark, twisty and fast paced, I enjoyed trying to work out if the farm was Utopia or a place to run from.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy to read.

EXCERPT: Govenor Patton Carver, who ran the prison in which Lane was currently a guest, had offered him a lifeline - a chance to work a case from prison. He'd asked Lane to try and befriend and surreptitiously interrogate Jan, also known as the Rainier Ripper, and prove that the Ripper's unidentified female victim had been Matilda, Carver's daughter, who had disappeared while backpacking nearly twenty-five years ago, during the period when Jan was active.
What Lane had actually learned from Jan had been beyond anything he or Carver could have imagined. It had brought a lot of answers to light, but not the one Carver had hoped for. Matilda was not one of Jan's victims.
Once the dust settled, one painful fact remained: Matilda was still missing, and Carver was no closer to finding her.

ABOUT 'VANISH': People go to the isolated Karpathy farm looking for a new life - and are never seen again. A chilling thriller from the award-winning and bestselling author of Australian noir, Shelley Burr.

Lane Holland's crime-solving career ended the day he went to prison. With his parole hearing approaching, he faces the grim reality that an ex-con can never work as a private eye. Yet one unsolved case continues to haunt - the disappearance of Matilda Carver two decades ago.

Never one to follow the rules, Lane finds a lead - a mysterious farm community led by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy. His farm attracts lost souls. People who want a more meaningful life. People who are hiding from their pasts. People with nowhere else to go.

But those who go to the farm seem to vanish without a trace.

Is it a commune? Is it a cult? Is it something even more dangerous? Lane goes undercover at the farm to find its dark secret - but could he too find himself intoxicated by the prospect of a new life on the land?

MY THOUGHTS: I'm going to tell you what I didn't love about this book first, then what I did love.

Vanish doesn't seem as well put together as Wake was. It doesn't have the same atmosphere, nor was it quite as compelling a read.

Set in another small rural town and centred on a farm from which people seem to just Vanish, hence the novel title, Vanish required me to suspend my belief a little: one prison guard to supervise a prisoner on live in work release? It seems both not enough (one man twenty-four hours a day/seven days a week?) and too much (thinking about budgets here . . .); and Lane's questioning of the other residents on the Karpathy farm was less than subtle. Surely he would have raised a few red flags?

I did like the character development. Lane is far more relatable than he was at the beginning of this series. I could easily imagine Sam Karpathy in the role of leader of this not quite cult/commune. FYI, it swung more towards commune than cult IMHO. There was only the occasional character who was about to drink the Cool-Aid. The characters in general are well drawn and relatable. We all know people who are anti orthodox medicine. And self-produced food with no toxins is a sensible achievement for the group, but no coffee might be a step too far for me! Even after a diet of prison coffee, Lane finds the chicory coffee unpalatable.

The plot is complex, and you do need to have read the previous two books, WAKE and RIPPER (or Murder Town in some parts of the world), for Vanish to make complete sense. Vanish is not fast-paced, although Lane uses every opportunity he can get to poke around where he is not supposed to be and to not-so-subtly ask questions. Interest is maintained by a couple of natural disasters and some clever twists and turns. As it turned out, I was looking in completely the wrong place for the 'bad guy'!

A satisfying read.

⭐⭐⭐.8

#VANISH #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Shelley Burr grew up on Newcastle's beaches and her grandparents' property in Glenrowan, and on the road between the two. When not writing, Shelley is working to establish a small permaculture farm and is studying sustainable agriculture at the University of New England.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Hachette Australia and New Zealand for providing an e-ARC of Vanish by Shelley Burr for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

Enthralling. Intriguing. Unputdownable.
This is slow-burn Australian noir at its best!
I absolutely loved SHELLEY BURR's new crime novel VANISH, which sees Lane Holland return in a leading role (yay) to investigate the disappearance of Matilda Carver, the daughter of the Governor of his prison.
This is Burr’s third book in the Lane Holland series but can be read as a standalone and has all the hallmarks of great crime - three dimensional characters, suspense, and great setting. Couldn’t put it down!

#Vanish #Netgalley.
Firstly, I would like to thank both Hachette Australia and New Zealand along with Net galley for an early ARC of this amazing book!.
It has been a long time since a thriller has kept me glued to the page and absolutely immersed in the story to the point where the twist literally blew my mind right up to the crux of the story in the lead up to the nail biting conclusion.
In Vanish, the character of Lane is given a "second lease" on life so to speak when he is enlisted by Carver (one of the main men in charge of the correctional facility where Lane is serving out a prison sentence for a supposed crime he was meant to have committed) to be given the task of locating his missing daughter on a farm. He is accompanied by his jail guard Sweeney who is in charge of keeping an eye on Lane at all times whilst he has an ankle bracelet attached to his foot so that he cant leave the farm at any time during his mission from Carver.
The farm itself (whilst seeming self sufficient and idyllic at first displays signs of a commune and a semi cult with the man in charge and the people within the farm being of a unique and somewhat odd manner). However, unbeknownst to all the people living on the farm there is something much more sinister going on (particularly after the groups events) and it is up to Lane to do some digging and get to the bottom of the situation- what he finds to be both shocking yet revealing at the same time.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would be excited to read more books by Shelley Burr in the future- this would have to be my favorite mystery/thriller book of 2025 so far.

Vanish is a good novel. It's well-written, quietly atmospheric, and populated with consistent, believable characters. But it inevitably invites comparison to Wake (the first book in this series), and this is where it falls short.

Where Wake was layered and complex, with emotional depth and multiple narrative twists, Vanish feels more straightforward. It's sparser in its plotting and slightly thinner in character work. The rural setting is strong and immersive, but the sense of isolation could have been taken further. If you're going to give me an isolated setting, a setting I adore in books, it needs to be well written. In this book, communication with the outside world feels too easy for a setting that should feel cut off and tense.

Mina, returning from Wake, remains a highlight. She's still prickly and guarded, still interesting to watch but her impact is lessened in this installment. She’s present, but not central in the same emotionally gripping way. The characters overall are handled well enough. They are consistent, believable, and fit for the story, but lacking the depth that made Wake so remarkable. There’s nothing terribly wrong with Vanish, it’s just not the kind of story that lingers. As a comparison, I still think about Wake, and I think I read that over two years ago.

This is a solid read with good bones, but for readers expecting the emotional complexity and layered twists of Wake, Vanish may feel like a step back in scope and ambition.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Shelley Burr delivers an atmospheric and unsettling mystery in Vanish, the third instalment in the PI Lane Holland series. Set in the remote and eerie expanse of rural Australia, Vanish blends psychological suspense with a gripping investigation into long-buried secrets and missing persons.

Burr masterfully captures the isolation of the outback and uses it to amplify the tension. The setting becomes a character in itself, claustrophobic, vast, and unnervingly quiet. Lane remains a compelling lead, and his personal flaws and sharp instincts make him both unpredictable and deeply human. The supporting cast is vividly drawn, each harboring their own shadows.

The pacing is steady but deliberate, allowing the suspense to build gradually. While some readers might find the resolution foreshadowed, others will appreciate the careful layering of clues that lead to a satisfying and emotional conclusion. Burr explores themes of grief, justice, and the desperate need for answers with nuance and empathy.

Vanish can be read as a standalone, though there are 2 books before this I didn't struggle to understand the plot, though I'm sure there were some nuances I missed having not read the rest of the series.

Dark, intelligent, and full of quiet intensity, Vanish is a wonderful contemporary Australian crime fiction.

Vanish
Shelley Burr

'Everyone comes to this farm for a reason. Sometimes those reasons are dark.’

Lane Holland is back and I’m so grateful for that, he’s a favourite character of mine. I read Wake years ago and it’s still an absolute favourite of mine with its gripping mystery, outback setting and unforgettable characters.

“Careful. Thinking they can’t manipulate you is a dangerous assumption. Whatever’s going on here, they’ve been sharpening their axe for twenty years.”

Vanish is book three and unfortunately Lane Holland’s crime solving career officially ended the day he went to prison. With his parole hearing approaching, he faces the grim reality that an ex-con can never work as a private eye. Yet the unsolved disappearance of Matilda Carver two decades ago draws him in. Lane is not one to follow the rules and chases up a lead at a mysterious farm community lead by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy. With the farm attracting lost souls or possibly people hiding from their pasts, this is too good a lead to pass by.

Lane goes undercover at the farm to unveil its dark secret. More digging shows there are some people who have gone to the farm and seemed the vanish without a trace. Is this a commune? A cult? Or the grounds of a serial killer?

‘Simply show up, and there would be a job, a bed and three meals a day waiting for you. He’d met men who had committed crimes to get that kind of security, without the promise of their own tiny house dangling in the future.’

I was hooked from the start and simply adore the writing style. It’s straight to the point and captivating without any extraneous details that bog you down.

Lane is smart and leaves no stone unturned, making this so easy to keep reading. I love the authentic Australian setting and also the short chapters always ending on the right note, leaving you wanting more.
The mystery was captivating and dare I say it believable.

'Obviously, you'd refuse to take no for an answer and trample every boundary between yourself and the truth.’

(Review posted 28th April 2025).

Lane Holland is a former PI, currently doing time in prison for murdering a notorious child killer, his father. With his parole rapidly approaching, Holland is struggling with the reality that he won’t be able to work as a PI once released and there’s still one case that he needs to solve.

Matilda Carver disappeared two decades ago on the remote Karpathy farm and hers isn’t the only disappearance. With the farm seen as a safe haven for lost souls and those hiding from their past, Holland is left wondering what really goes on at the farm.

I’m a big fan of Lane Holland and I love the idea of a former PI solving crimes from within the prison, just unable to resist that one piece of himself that likes to solve a puzzle. The cult like feel of the farm along with the eco vibes and the remote area makes it the perfect scene for a possible serial killer with many possible motives.

I also really enjoyed the connection with Hollands past and I think the background given in this book allows for the reader to take it as a standalone without reading the rest of the series, although I would definitely recommend starting with the first book.

Thank you to Hachette Australia, Netgalley and the author for my copy of this book in exchange for a review

ARC Review – Vanished by Shelley Burr – 4.5 Stars

Vanished is the third instalment in Shelley Burr’s PI Lane Holland series, and I’m thrilled to say it’s a strong return to the brilliance of Wake. After feeling a little let down by Ripper, I went into this one cautiously — but Burr has absolutely delivered.

Lane Holland’s crime-solving career ended the day he was sent to prison. With his parole hearing approaching, one case still haunts him: the long-unsolved disappearance of Matilda Carver. When a new lead surfaces — an isolated farm run by the enigmatic Samuel Karpathy — Lane goes undercover, posing as a work-release study participant to investigate. Karpathy’s farm promises a new life to lost souls… but those who go there seem to vanish without a trace.

Is it a commune? A cult? Or something even more sinister? Lane is determined to find out — but living amongst the farm’s residents, he risks being seduced by the same dream he’s meant to expose.

It was a real highlight to see Mina and Echo from Wake return — their absence in Ripper was definitely felt, and their reappearance brings warmth and tension back into the story. While some say Vanished can be read as a standalone, I would strongly recommend reading Wake first to fully appreciate Lane’s emotional drive and his complicated bond with Mina. (Ripper can probably be skipped, though it sets up small pieces of this case.)

The story starts a little slowly, revisiting key backstory, but it builds beautifully into a tense, twisty mystery full of layered characters, dangerous secrets, and moral ambiguity. The short chapters and eerie NSW farm setting kept the tension simmering, and the constant question of who to trust had me hooked.

The one small weakness for me was the inclusion of the prologue-style chapters woven throughout — they were intriguing but felt disjointed until their significance was finally revealed, and I found myself skimming them at times.

Still, Vanished absolutely delivered on suspense, atmosphere, and emotional depth. I loved seeing old characters evolve, meeting new ones, and the way Burr challenges the idea of clear-cut good vs evil. I’m still holding out hope for more Lane Holland — and more of Lane and Mina’s complicated relationship too.

If you love thrillers with cultish undertones, plenty of twists, and deeply flawed but compelling characters, Vanished is a must-read.

Huge thanks to Shelley Burr, Hachette Australia & New Zealand, and NetGalley for the ARC. Vanished will be published on April 30th, 2025 — make sure to grab a copy!

I really enjoyed reading this eARC Australian murder mystery book. I found that it was captivating and that it drew me in right from the start. The story of Lane Holland drew me in right from the start.

This is the third book in this trilogy and even though I haven’t read the first two books, it was easy to follow along and to grasp at understanding what has happened in the first two books.

The Author Shelley Burr has written about Australian life and has really covered a few different aspects of it, such as the bush fire season and flash flooding that can happen without much notification.

Overall this was an enjoyable book to read and if you’re a lover of Australian murder mysteries you will love this book

Vanish is a compelling crime novel that will have you page turning until the end.

The third book in the lane Holland's series were lane is nearing his parole date to be released from prison but one thing still plays on his mind that he has to solve. To do that tho he has to go undercover on a farm to see what really happened.

This book had me grasping to find out what happened and I love that in a twisty mystery crime book, the characters including lane gave it that edginess that has you questioning everyone about the things they do. I can see a new book series in the future for burr as lane and another character really hit it off.

Thank you so much HachetteAustralia and Netgalley for gifting me an advance earc .for an honest review

If you like a cult story, this one definitely leans into that (though they are not a cult if you ask them).

I love the premise - investigator who got himself in hot water and is now in prison has been given the task of finding any information on a missing daughter of someone working in the prison

Which is how he ends up at The Farm.

It’s a little slow at times, but I like that it was a mystery without much gore that actually got you thinking and I was definitely surprised by the ending!

Shelley Burr's Vanish is a masterfully crafted crime thriller that delves deep into the haunting aftermath of a child's disappearance. Set against the backdrop of the Australian outback, the novel follows Lane Holland, a private investigator with a troubled past, as he takes on a cold case that has baffled authorities for years.

Burr's storytelling is both poignant and gripping, weaving together themes of grief, obsession, and the relentless pursuit of truth. The narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives, offering a comprehensive view of the emotional toll such tragedies take on families and communities.

The characters are richly developed, with Lane's personal demons adding depth to his relentless quest for justice. The atmospheric setting enhances the story's tension, making the reader feel the isolation and desolation of the outback.

While the pacing is deliberate, it allows for a thorough exploration of the characters' psyches and the complexities of the case. The climax delivers a satisfying resolution that underscores the novel's emotional weight.

Vanish is a compelling read that combines psychological depth with a suspenseful plot, solidifying Shelley Burr's place in the realm of contemporary crime fiction.

I had not read any of Shelley Burr’s books before but dived into this one straight away. The story starts with a prisoner Lane assisting Carver, who runs the prison, to find his daughter. Carver assists Lane to get onto a work program prior to his release from prison and he is sent to the farm where his daughter was last known to be.
The story kept me captured however at times was a little trippy. That may be because of the whole cult like theme of the farm. Lane meets some interesting characters on the farm and tries to solve the disappearances that he has researched that are all linked to the farm. Including working alongside someone who he is not meant to be near based on his own crime he is imprisoned for.
While I won’t do any spoilers the ending where they solve what has happened can be either predictable or a surprise, it all depends on the reader. I try not to think too hard about the story as I am reading and like to have it be a surprise which it was.
I have given this book a four stars rating. It just did not give enough for me to get to five stars but is still a good read. I am not sure if it would have helped to read the first two instalments of this series but it seemed I could pick this one up and read as a standalone. Love reading stories that are based in Australia as I can picture the scenery that is described as I am reading. Overall a good book and an easy read, will look to read more books from this author, and I will share my review on Goodreads and Amazon.
Thank you to NetGalley and Shelley Burr for an opportunity to read this book and provide an honest review.

This was book three of the PI Lane Holland series. It’s been so enjoyable reading the series and getting to know Lane Holland. This book also brings back a character from the first book in the series.

Lane is in prison but that doesn’t stop him from investigating the disappearance of the warden’s daughter over 20 years ago. He finds a link to other missing persons and him and the warden devise a plan for Lane to go undercover to the Karpathy farm as part of a prisoner training program. Once there, Lane finds the farm to be filled with strange people, especially the owner. He also discovers that other farm workers have gone missing from there, never to be seen again. As he tries to discover what is happening it’s a race against time as the farm is in the path of a major bushfire that threatens to destroy everything and everyone in its path.

I really enjoyed the pace, the characters and the twists! If you enjoy a crime thriller with cult vibes then you should pick this one up. Although this can be read standalone without a problem, I would recommend starting with the first book, Wake.

I also picked up on the clue for a potential sequel in this series. Sounds like Lane may get a partner in order to continue his PI business?

Thanks to @hachetteaus and @netgalley for the ARC. This one will publish on 30 April 2025.