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Effie, the oldest, knows that something is wrong with her Dad, he seems to be getting more and more withdrawn and angry, and she is beginning to be quite afraid of him.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.

This beautifully written novel unfolds through dual timelines, telling a haunting tale of a young girl who emerges from the New Zealand bush, starving and bloodied. Who is she? Where did she come from? Why does she bear such a strong resemblance to another girl who stumbled out of the same bush under similar circumstances 17 years ago? The story captured my attention from the very first pages and held it throughout.

My only complaint is that the author seems to have started down one path but then shifted direction. As a result, there are several loose ends and unresolved issues that definitely need clarification.

Thanks NetGalley for the free ARC! I liked this novel, it was interesting reading about the siblings’ life in the bush. I liked that the main protagonists were both police officers, but it wasn’t a police procedural and focused on the bush life. I liked how it all came together in the end, but I’m still confused about what happened in the room the day Four was born. I wish there had been more clarification about that situation. These are my honest opinions and I’m voluntarily leaving this review.

I think one word best describes this book: engrossing. What a story, what a cast of characters, what a setting! Zoe Rankin is the Kiwi Harlan Coben. I hate to exercise and I rode my stationary bike for an extra 5 minutes to finish a chapter of this book. It is excellent.

I had hard time getting into this book but about halfway through I was hooked. The story goes back and forth in time focusing on a traumatized young girl who suddenly shows up in town having run away from the bush. The girl looks almost identical to another girl who years before suddenly appeared from the bush. The story is told from the perspective of Effie, the first runaway found. The story slowly unfolds and reveals how the two girls are connected.

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Outstanding. 5 ⭐
Zoe Rankin’s The Vanishing Place is a chilling journey into the heart of the New Zealand wilderness—and the even darker wilderness of childhood trauma. Through Effie, a woman forced to confront a past she tried to leave behind, Rankin crafts a suspenseful and emotionally resonant thriller that lingers long after the final page
What I Liked: :-
1 Atmospheric Setting: The remote New Zealand bush is vividly drawn, becoming a character in itself—both beautiful and terrifying.
2 Unique Premise: The blend of wilderness survival, family secrets, and psychological tension makes for a gripping and original story.
3 Emotional Depth: Effie’s trauma is portrayed with raw honesty. Her return home is not just about uncovering a mystery, but about reclaiming her identity.
Overall, The Vanishing Place is a haunting and intelligent thriller that tackles trauma, memory, and the shadows of childhood. Zoe Rankin delivers an emotional and unsettling narrative that will appeal to fans of psychological thrillers with a literary edge.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for giving me an advance copy.

Effie had a happy childhood in a remote hut with her siblings, but everything changed after her mother died. Their father took a dark turn, and life changed. Effie eventually left that world behind, but years later Constable Lewis calls with news of a girl named Anya who looks just like her. Effie knows it is time to go back and face the past she tried to forget. A twisty, tense, and emotional read. And it’s always a fun surprise when a character shares my name! ☺️

What a wild, atmospheric ride.
Set in the haunting, untamed landscapes of New Zealand, The Vanishing Place is a tense and lyrical thriller about family, survival, and the truths we bury to survive.

Effie grew up deep in the bush, raised to believe her parents chose an off-grid life out of love for nature and to shield their children from the ugliness of the outside world. But at 18, she escapes to Scotland, trying to outrun the shadows and traumas of her childhood.

Years later, Effie is pulled back to New Zealand when a bloodied, confused girl who looks disturbingly like her, turns up alone at the sheriff's office. What follows is a journey into the heart of the wilderness and into Effie’s past, where dangerous secrets lie hidden among the trees.

This book is eerie, beautifully written, and emotionally sharp. The Vanishing Place lingers like a bruise—quiet but unforgettable.

#TheVanishingPlace #ZoeRankin #BerkleyBooks #ThrillerReads #PsychologicalSuspense #AtmosphericFiction

I was completely captivated by this book! From the very beginning, I felt the weight of Effie’s childhood—the isolation, the quiet desperation, and the growing need to escape. I appreciated how the story moved between timelines, letting me experience both the fear of her past and the shock of what was happening in the present. I felt the tension build with every chapter, and I found myself questioning everything. I loved how the mystery unraveled in unexpected ways, keeping me on edge as Effie confronted the truth she had spent years avoiding. I connected deeply with her journey—the emotional pull of returning home, the fear of what she might uncover, and the strength it took to face it all. By the time I reached the final pages, I was completely immersed. The twists and revelations hit hard, and I couldn’t stop thinking about the story long after I finished.

This book was atmospheric, gripping, and packed with emotion, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who loves a thriller with depth and unforgettable tension.