A conceptual art project goes dangerously wrong...

"A very cleverly told literary mystery thriller, one of the best I've read."

Paige Nick, Founder of The Good Book Appreciation Society.

Where is Sophie?

Infamous Cape Town artist Sophie Tugiers is missing, and has been for several years. Her mysterious disappearance caused a brief ripple before dissolving into a distant media memory. Sophie’s controversial art alienated many people: those who didn’t consider her a sell-out thought her last exhibition was sadistic – after all, one of her experimental participants committed suicide.

James Dempster is a jaded filmmaker with a whiskey problem. Following his acrimonious divorce, he needs a project to relaunch his stalled career. When he discovers he’s living in a flat the missing Sophie once rented, he is drawn into her sinister tale.

What really happened to Sophie? What are her friends and enemies hiding? After James’s flat is ransacked and his research stolen, he realises unearthing the truth could lead not to his redemption but to his demise.

The Artist Vanishes explores ambition and success, guilt and responsibility, the ethics around animal research, and art’s lasting impact on those it touches.