3.5 stars

This was a fantastic, spooky debut novel. There were multiple points where I thought to myself, maybe I shouldn’t read this while camping in the woods!

This follows Effie, who previously escaped her family, who was living in the bush in Australia away from society. Almost 20 years later, a young girl shows up who looks exactly like Effie, and Effie returns to her hometown to help answer the question of where did this girl come from?

Alternating between Effie’s past and current POVs, this was a fast-paced novel with a lot of questions left unanswered until the last few chapters. I really enjoyed the quick pace and how each chapter ended on a mini-cliffhanger since I feel like that always makes a book go by quicker.

I think the ending was a little confusing since so much happened in the span of about 15% of the book, but I do like how I didn’t have many unanswered questions (the very last paragraph is still a big ole question mark to me, but it is ok lol). I can’t say much without spoiling the fun, so I will leave you with this: if you are looking for a fast paced, chilling novel with some messed up people that do messed up things- this book is for you!

I will definitely be checking out this author’s other books in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Amazing read! Fast paced and thrilling. I didn’t want to put this book down. It literally kept me guessing until the very end. The setting is not typical and it’s hard to imagine people live this way but I was not disappointed. Highly recommend!

The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin is an excellent debut novel! I give it 4.5 stars.

This was definitely a dark, emotional and atmospheric thriller. The story does contain two timelines and both had twists thrown in. The characters and descriptive scenery were written beautifully! Rankin’s imagery really set the tone and created an immersive reading experience.

My only issue was that in a few places, the switching back and forth got a little confusing. The story did have a slow start as well, but I did get sucked in as things were progressing. It was hard to put down after that. I also enjoyed the ending and how everything came together.

I would absolutely recommend reading The Vanishing Place. I believe this is going to be a story that sticks with me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and Zoe Rankin for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin is a twisty, atmospheric read that kept me guessing from beginning to end. I loved how complex the story was, nothing felt predictable, and just when I thought I had it figured out, it took another unexpected turn. Rankin does an excellent job building tension and slowly revealing the truth, which made the final chapters especially satisfying.

The only reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that there were a few moments where I wished the pacing had been a bit tighter, but overall, it was a gripping, thought provoking read. Highly recommend if you enjoy psychological thrillers that keep you on your toes!

3.5 stars

I love a good dark and atmospheric thriller, and this one was just that. I loved the alternating timelines and the New Zealand setting. There was something of a slow start for me, but once the action started, it never let up. Very suspenseful with emotional depth as well. I enjoyed it.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I've read a lot of mysteries and thrillers that were on the dark side, so that by itself isn't a problem. But there's something about "The Vanishing Place" that bothered me so much that I couldn't finish it. I've read books that included domestic violence and harm to children. But there's something about this book that raised up such strong emotions in me that I had to stop. Who knows, maybe I have some buried past trauma that this book was getting too close to. Others may well really enjoy it. It is well-written; I have no complaints about the writing, the style, or the characters. But I had to quit at about 56%.

I really enjoyed this book. I was fortunate to have received an advance ebook copy through BookBrowse. Once I was part way through the story, I had a hard time putting it down! The story is haunting, for sure.

Wow, I'm pretty sure i have whiplash from all of the twists and turns this book had! This fast paced and heartbreaking story kept me engaged and intrigued all throughout. I grew to love the main characters- Effie and Anya as well as the siblings. It's told in a duel timeline which i enjoyed, and there was an extra POV thrown in here and there which really helped to flesh the story out and added to the amazing twists. This seems to be a debut novel from this author but you would never know it with the amazing and intricate story telling. I hope its not her last book because I'll definitely read anything she writes!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin A thrilling mystery that alternates between the past and present about two young girls who wander out of the forest. The New Zealand Forest creates an dark, eerie and atmospheric backdrop. Although it was hard to get into the story, the narrative shifted and it became a gripping, emotional and suspenseful read.

Thank you to the author, Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. The Vanishing Place by Zoe Rankin is described as a shocking murder in the New Zealand bush, and the witness who looks all too familiar, draws a woman back to the very place she swore she'd never return to in this breakneck debut thriller.
Our main character flashes back between the past and the present as she tries to help the young child who is a mirror image of herself, and reconcile the past while also looking for answers to what happened to the child.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Publication Date: September 16, 2025

#TheVanishingPlace #NetGalley

Wow, this was a wild ride!
Four indigenous children are growing up in the Bush in New Zealand, then it all goes crazy...
Effie, the oldest, knows that something is wrong with her Dad, he seems to be getting more and more withdrawn and angry, and she is beginning to be quite afraid of him. One night after her Dad attacks a man on their property, Effie runs away. Her friends in town help her leave the country, Seventeen years later, she is drawn back to the small town in New Zealand after a small child wanders into a store that, distraught and disoriented. The child came from the bus, and looks exactly like Effie. She suspects they may be related.
The story alternatives between the past and the present, so we get to know the background of Effie and her family, while we find out what is going one now. It turns out, some very bad people had been looking for her all her life, and they found her family while she had been away.
She escaped them once, can she escape them again?
Great, intense, read, I really enjoyed it, My only complaint is the ending seemed a bit abrupt, and there was a bit of a cliffhanger at the end that I would have preferred had been left out.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for the eARC.
This is an awesome book, quite different from the norm, with an at times creepy atmosphere. It's mostly set in the New Zealand bush where a family lives off the grid. When the mother dies things go south: the father leaves the 3 children a lot to fend for themselves and the eldest girl has had enough and manages to escape all the way to Scotland. Many years later she gets a phone call from New Zealand and is compelled to return. Things become very complicated and frightening (I stopped breathing at times!) and her life ends up hanging by a thread. The ending had me breathing a sigh of relief. Great rrad!

A thrilling mystery following two little bush-girls who wander out of the New Zealand forest on separate timelines.

What possesses people to live off the grid away from society?

This debut novel set in the at once enthralling, yet dangerous bush country, of New Zealand is a clever and fantastic thriller. The characters each hold secrets deep in their souls and Rankin masterfully constructs their personalities to go along with the consequences of such secrets. There are twists and turns and a few moments when you hold your breath, as the author winds a tale of cultism, violence, love, faith, family, and sadly deceit from those you should be able to trust the most. There were a couple of sections that were a little confusing, but quickly became clear. Rankin’s writing is spot on and her descriptions of the bush put you there. I know I will be seeing the face peaking from the plant covered tree for a long time! Unlike most new books in this genre, Rankin’s novel is not the same overused trope of thriller. It is unique and truly scary on more than one level. Plan on being up all night reading this one! Thank you Berkley Publishers, Bookbrowse.com and Netgalley for the Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review

Unusual Thriller about a Strange Family (5/26/2025)
This is one of the most unusual books I've read this year. The experiences of the family living "off the grid" in New Zealand are horrifying and grip the reader immediately. The novel is arranged in mostly alternating chapters between the present day of 2025 and a period about twenty years in the past. The descriptions of the "bush" and the events that happen there are masterfully written.

Effie, the oldest child of the family, is the main character and has become a policewoman in Scotland when she is called back to New Zealand to investigate a murder that seemingly involves her family. This brings back many difficult memories since she had moved away years before to escape the trauma of her childhood.

The book has many characters, and switching between the different time periods and viewpoints gets a bit confusing. I really enjoyed the first three-fourths of the book, but the last fourth was difficult to read through. The alternating chapters became very short, and then a much earlier time period with a different set of characters appeared. I kept thinking the book was ending, but then it kept going. The author must have been determined to include the extra plot points as well as complicated feelings emerging between Effie and an old friend. I think the book would have been better if the book left the reader less weary at the end.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. If you need a reset on the typical domestic thriller, this one is for you. Great book with a unique plot.

This book was an emotional and twisty ride. The book was atmospheric and haunting but also unforgettable! Wonderful yet traumatic stories like this one should be read by all!

The Vanishing Place is a gripping story that takes the reader on quite the ride. Alternating between past and present storylines makes the book come together at a steady pace, which helps build the tension. Effie, the main character, had a unique childhood. She and her siblings live off the grid on the west coast of New Zealand with their parents. They occasionally visit the nearest town but don't stay for long. Effie begins to question her father's actions, especially after her mother dies. He becomes too controlling and eventually Effie escapes her childhood home and never goes back. Until, as an adult, she gets a call from someone she used to know. A little girl has been found near the place where Effie grew up. The eerie part is that the girl looks just like Effie- same hair color and eye color. This kicks off a series of events that changes Effie's life forever. Zoe Rankin blends the past and present timelines well and this book was fantastic, especially for a debut book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the advance ebook.

A child who ran from the forest.
A woman who must return to it

Growing up with her younger siblings in the unforgiving New Zealand bush, Effie believed their parents had cut them off from civilization because they loved Nature. She never suspected that their reasons might be more menacing. After witnessing a terrifying episode of violence, she escaped the wilderness to forge a life for herself halfway across the globe.

Now, when she learns the only witness to a murder is a little girl who looks just like her, Effie is compelled to return to the scene of her troubled childhood, where the secrets of her upbringing and the terrors of her past come rushing back to the surface. In order to find out once and for all what became of her family—and possibly help this mysterious girl who could be her younger self—Effie must face her greatest fears once more.

I enjoyed this book. It did get a little confusing at times, quickly switching direction. Came together at the end though. 3.5 out of 5 ⭐️

The Vanishing Place
by Zoe Rankin

I was completely absorbed in this tense, atmospheric thriller from the prologue to the last paragraph. The book is set in the remote, dangerous New Zealand bush country and the storyline moves between the present and events that have taken place over the past 25 years. The characters are memorable and slowly become more fully understood as the plot twists and turns and dark secrets are revealed. I read over 100 books a year and this one will certainly rank in this year’s top 10 as one that was scary, completely unique and impossible to put down. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers and mysteries and who isn’t afraid to stay up late reading long into the night.