I think Shelley Burr deserves more recognition, I have loved all of her books & Vanish did not disappoint. I would recommend reading Wake & Ripper first to get the most out of this book & understand the complexities of Lane's character. Vanish sucked me in from the outset & I had to keep reading just another chapter.
Lane, in prison for murder (long story), is due for parole & sent to the Karpathy farm, which seems very cult like, to investigate the disappearance of Matilda Carver decades earlier. Lane finds many people have vanished from the farm over the years and endeavours to get to the bottom of things. He arrives amidst a storm when a young girl from the farm has just died in a car accident, but was it an accident or murder? Lots of twists & turns in this suspense filled thriller.

If Wake and Ripper were tense, spine-prickling slow burns, Vanish kicks the barn door off its hinges and charges straight into your bloodstream. This is Shelley Burr at her most unputdownable, spinning a mystery so layered and eerie it practically hums with dread.

Lane Holland is back and he’s messier, broodier, and more determined than ever. Out of prison and gunning for redemption, he sets his sights on a long-cold disappearance: Matilda Carver, lost 20 years ago near a farm so secretive it might as well have its own timezone.

The setting is classic Burr: outback noir, dusty isolation, and that creeping feeling that everyone knows more than they’re saying. You’ll start this book for the mystery, but you’ll stay for the emotional gut-punches, the clever twists, and Lane’s irresistible blend of grit and vulnerability.

Fun, suspenseful, and unsettling in the best way, Vanish is a thriller with teeth. Think The Dry meets The Leftovers, but with more secrets, more cult-y vibes, and way more bite.

I Highly Recommend.

A story of suspense and mystery, who better to be on the case than ex-private investigator Lane Holland.
The story follows Lane as he is asked to solve a cold case, the disappearance of the prison warden’s daughter, as he works towards his parole.
The pace of the storyline is precise, making for an entertaining read. Lane is sent to work undercover on a farm for people looking to escape from life, as he tries to discover the secrets of the occupants.
There’s a serious feeling on the farm, isolated with characters that are all unpredictable and holding their stories within.
The characters are all based on a real-life case, which I found fascinating.

Huge thanks to Hatchette Australia, NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The premise is exciting, and the farm's off-the-grid location and cult like vibes have a lot of potential for fear and tension, but the atmosphere never quite reaches the suffocating isolation I craved.

The plot is more straightforward than Burr's other books, especially Wake, which i loved for its emotional depth and layered storytelling. I enjoyed the return of Mina, however, Vanish is less twisty and more focused. While this makes it easy to follow, it also means I didn't have the same lingering and thought-provoking reading experience. In saying that, though, Vanish is still a great addition to the series, with an ending that will leave Wake fans hungry for the next instalment.

Thank you to Hachette and NetGalley for an ARC copy of Vanish for review, I also purchased a physical copy for my collection!

3.5 stars

I'd been looking forward to reading this since I'd enjoyed both the previous books in the series by Shelley Burr. And it didn't disappoint.

It was off to a slow start with most of the beginning focusing on Lane's life in prison and a conversation between Carver & Lane on how he can investigate a place of interest in his daughter's disappearance. Except for a few things (like the return of a certain character), I thought this book was well-written and had all the ingredients of a good mystery/thriller.

I wasn't sure what was going on and was surprised by the ending. I would recommend the book & series to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the e-copy!

What can I say. I have loved all the books so far in this series. And this one had me hooked from page one. PI Lane Holland is back and doing what she does best. Such an intriguing, mysterious and thrilling read had me turning the pages as fast as I can.

Shelley Burr is a fantastic author and writes so that read her books is effortless. With all the mystery, twists and turns it still is easy to follow. Great characters make it even more appealing. I loved it.

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Vanish by Shelley Burr @shelleyburrwrites

In case you need a catch-up, I recently requested and was approved for an ARC of Vanish by Shelley Burr, which is book three in the PI Lane Holland series; when I requested Vanish, I thought I had read the earlier books (Wake and Ripper), but it turns out I had not! I did already have both books in my audible library. The Blurb for Vanish said it could be read as a stand-alone book, but when I read the first chapter, I discovered the lead character (PI Lane Holland) sitting in prison, and I needed to know why.

Now that I've read Wake (book one) and Ripper (book two), I have finally read Vanish. Book three in the PI Lane Holland series, the blurb states:

"People go to the isolated Karpathy farm looking for a new life. Is it a commune? Is it a cult? Or something far more dangerous?"

While Lane did not solve the cold case disappearance of Matilda Carver, he did debunk her father's (Prison Governor Carver's) theory. He's been approved for release from prison as part of a prisoner training program, so he's moved to Karpathy farm, aware that it is linked to multiple missing person cases.

Lane is escorted by a Prison Guard whose care factor is low, allowing Lane a reasonable amount of freedom. Their arrival at Karpathy Farm coincides with a natural disaster (a flood) and the sudden and suspicious death of a young farmhand. Additionally, Lane recognises one of his fellow farm workers, and it turns out they are both investigating missing persons cases. This book is full of twists and turns. There are hallucinogenic mushrooms, the potential of bodies buried under the pigsty, and a bushfire!

Big thumbs up, but in the words of Georgia from My Favourite Murder, "You're in a Cult, Call Your Dad"

Body Count = 1 (historic deaths uncounted.)

Thanks to Hachette Australia, Shelley Burr and NetGalley for this e-ARC to read and review.

Shelley Burr cemented herself on the list of Australian Authors that I will automatically add to my TBR pile. What Authors are a must-read for you?

#HachetteAustralia #NetGalley @hachetteaus @netgalley

#Bookstagram #booksdeeit'seads #2025bookshelf #goreadabook #allthebooks #booknerd #Designer #GraphicDesign #DesignNerd #designdeevaa #CreativeLife #DesignInspiration #ArtAndDesign #Designer #GraphicDesign #DesignNerd #murdermystery #AustralianAuthor #NetGalley #murdermystery #AussieNoir

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

I loved Wake and Ripper and devoured both books in a single sitting, so I was very excited when I received this ARC. Vanish is the third Instalment in the Rural Noir series featuring PI Lane Holland, who is currently in jail.

I'm not going to spoil a single second of this book but what I will say was that it was suspenseful, thrilling, gripping and a wild ride. The cover alone is enough to make you want to pick up the book but when you realise Shelley's talent for creating flawed yet loveable characters and using the natural environment to further enhance the story you really can't go past this rural Australia crime story.

I am hooked even if I haven’t read the other two book instalments. It looks like I have to hunt for the two books now and get to know more about Lane Holland.
I find the story engrossing, dark and mysterious that I couldn’t put the book down.


Thankful to NetGalley and Hachette Australia & New Zealand for the ARC.

Quite a departure from previous editions in the series, and delving into a cult- subject matter which normally doesn’t appeal to me. Such is the authors talent and facility for intricately drawn plot lines, I loved it regardless. Even better than her previous books.

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.