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The Vanishing Point
One of the finest crime writers we have, Val McDermid’s heart-stopping thrillers have won her international renown and a devoted following of readers worldwide. In The Vanishing Point, she kicks off a terrifying thriller with a nightmare scenario: a parent who loses her child in a bustling international airport.
Young Jimmy Higgins is snatched from an airport security checkpoint while his guardian watches helplessly from the glass inspection box. But this is no ordinary abduction, as Jimmy is no ordinary child. His mother was Scarlett, a reality TV star who, dying of cancer and alienated from her unreliable family, entrusted the boy to the person she believed best able to give him a happy, stable life: her ghost writer, Stephanie Harker. Assisting the FBI in their attempt to recover the missing boy, Stephanie reaches into the past to uncover the motive for the abduction. Has Jimmy been taken by his own relatives? Is Stephanie’s obsessive ex-lover trying to teach her a lesson? Has one of Scarlett’s stalkers come back to haunt them all?
A powerful, grippingly-plotted thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the end, The Vanishing Point showcases McDermid at the height of her talent.
Young Jimmy Higgins is snatched from an airport security checkpoint while his guardian watches helplessly from the glass inspection box. But this is no ordinary abduction, as Jimmy is no ordinary child. His mother was Scarlett, a reality TV star who, dying of cancer and alienated from her unreliable family, entrusted the boy to the person she believed best able to give him a happy, stable life: her ghost writer, Stephanie Harker. Assisting the FBI in their attempt to recover the missing boy, Stephanie reaches into the past to uncover the motive for the abduction. Has Jimmy been taken by his own relatives? Is Stephanie’s obsessive ex-lover trying to teach her a lesson? Has one of Scarlett’s stalkers come back to haunt them all?
A powerful, grippingly-plotted thriller that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the end, The Vanishing Point showcases McDermid at the height of her talent.
438 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2012
438 people are currently reading
2095 people want to read
About the author
Val McDermid
342 books5,312 followersVal McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 675 reviews
May 21, 2013
I've been reading Val McDermid since the early 1990s, when I was introduced to her Kate Brannigan series. While I haven't loved all of her novels, I've considered her to be a reliable crime fiction writer with a range extending from quirky private detective stories, to solid police procedurals, to more gruesome psychological thrillers.
This is McDermid’s most recent stand-alone thriller. It starts out well, if implausibly. Five year old Jimmy Higgins is abducted from O’Hare Airport while his guardian, ghost writer Stephanie Harker, is waiting for a security pat-down, necessitated by a metal plate in her leg setting off the metal detector. By the time the authorities realise what’s happened, Jimmy and his kidnapper have disappeared. Stephanie is interviewed by an FBI agent and tells the agent how she came to be Jimmy’s guardian after the death of his mother, reality television star Scarlett Higgins*. Stephanie’s first person narrative is alternated with a third person narrative concerning the investigation into Jimmy’s disappearance.
Stephanie’s long-winded story is one of the many problems I have with this novel. Not so much the story itself, which may have been interesting if it had been a memoir, but the fact that it’s supposed to be the record of an interview following the abduction of a child. As such, it is totally unconvincing. So much so, that I wondered for a while whether McDermid was going to do an Ian McEwan and pull off a piece of meta-fictional prestidigitation. But I was wrong. At the risk of disclosing a spoiler, Stephanie’s story is an interview and the investigation is an investigation.
Another problem I have with the work are the relentless references to popular culture. References to books, films, television programs and social media saturate the narrative in a way that will only date the work. McDermid also felt obliged to include a discussion of “Issues”. A discussion of personal and celebrity stalking, for example, runs through the plot, without adding much to it. And then there’s the ending. I don’t have a problem with implausibility in crime fiction. But there’s not-very-believable-but-still-satisfying and there’s just plain silly. For me, this was one of those silly endings. Suspending disbelief was just too much of an effort. My eyes rolled clear to the back of my head.
It would be wrong to say that the novel has nothing going for it. McDermid writes good prose and in spite of everything, I wanted to find out what happened. There are red herrings and misdirection, but there are also clues pointing to the solution. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Antonia Beamish, who did an excellent job. But it’s a poor effort, particularly when compared to some of McDermid’s better works, such as A Place Of Execution.
*Who is clearly inspired by English reality television star Jade Goody.
September 28, 2012
In one word: disappointing.
I usually always like Val McDermid's books but this was a weird one.
A small boy is kidnapped right in front of her guardian while passing through security in an American airport. Okay... the first few pages are riveting, you want to know what happened to the child, will he be saved, will the kidnapper strike again, etc.
But then, her guardian is interviewed by the FBI and she starts talking about the kid's background. She starts way before his birth and it goes on and on and on, for, at the very least 400 pages!
And the only things you hear about are the kid's mum's life, fame and death. No police work (well, hardly any), nothing else.
Then, things start happening again in the last 100 pages. I can usually go with pretty much all kind of plots in crime books (if I wanted to read real crimes, I would), but this was so far-fetched, even I found myself rolling my eyes every two sentences.
Not impressed.
I usually always like Val McDermid's books but this was a weird one.
A small boy is kidnapped right in front of her guardian while passing through security in an American airport. Okay... the first few pages are riveting, you want to know what happened to the child, will he be saved, will the kidnapper strike again, etc.
But then, her guardian is interviewed by the FBI and she starts talking about the kid's background. She starts way before his birth and it goes on and on and on, for, at the very least 400 pages!
And the only things you hear about are the kid's mum's life, fame and death. No police work (well, hardly any), nothing else.
Then, things start happening again in the last 100 pages. I can usually go with pretty much all kind of plots in crime books (if I wanted to read real crimes, I would), but this was so far-fetched, even I found myself rolling my eyes every two sentences.
Not impressed.
March 20, 2025
This is not a typical McDermid novel with her known characters. This is a stand-alone about the case of a woman named Stephanie coming to the airport with a young boy, Jimmy she is adopting. And then, he is taken.
Now, you would think that the book would take off at race-neck speed to find the boy. But there is so much noise and chatter about who the boy’s real parents are, and whether they believe Stephanie at the airport or not, that we as readers are not quite sure if the kidnapping is the central focus of the story. Until towards the end.
Once the story resumes about the boy and the kidnapping, the plot flows, leading readers to a prodigious conclusion.
3.5 stars
Now, you would think that the book would take off at race-neck speed to find the boy. But there is so much noise and chatter about who the boy’s real parents are, and whether they believe Stephanie at the airport or not, that we as readers are not quite sure if the kidnapping is the central focus of the story. Until towards the end.
Once the story resumes about the boy and the kidnapping, the plot flows, leading readers to a prodigious conclusion.
3.5 stars
March 6, 2022
The suspense never vanishes with "The Vanishing Point".
The suspense begins immediately when a 5-year-old British boy is abducted in a large U.S. airport, while his caretaker is being patted down by airport security.
The boy is the son of a deceased British reality star so the abduction instantly makes front-page news.
Although the book was written in 2012, it did not seem dated. The book was extremely fast-paced and the author's characterizations were strong. And the jaw-dropping ending was almost impossible to predict.
Author Val McDermid is a Scottish crime writer who is best known for three different series of suspense novels featuring Dr. Tony Hill, Karen Pirie, and Kate Brannigan, respectively.
"The Vanishing Point" is a standalone book that, apparently, is a departure from her usual style. Many GR reviewers were not happy with this departure but the book was a winner for me.
I listened to the audiobook that was read by Antonia Beamish, one of my favorite narrators.
This is the first book that I have read by prolific and internationally renowned author Val McDermid and it will not be the last. After finishing this book, she has now become one of my "go-to" authors.
The suspense begins immediately when a 5-year-old British boy is abducted in a large U.S. airport, while his caretaker is being patted down by airport security.
The boy is the son of a deceased British reality star so the abduction instantly makes front-page news.
Although the book was written in 2012, it did not seem dated. The book was extremely fast-paced and the author's characterizations were strong. And the jaw-dropping ending was almost impossible to predict.
Author Val McDermid is a Scottish crime writer who is best known for three different series of suspense novels featuring Dr. Tony Hill, Karen Pirie, and Kate Brannigan, respectively.
"The Vanishing Point" is a standalone book that, apparently, is a departure from her usual style. Many GR reviewers were not happy with this departure but the book was a winner for me.
I listened to the audiobook that was read by Antonia Beamish, one of my favorite narrators.
This is the first book that I have read by prolific and internationally renowned author Val McDermid and it will not be the last. After finishing this book, she has now become one of my "go-to" authors.
March 3, 2022
Val McDermid has long been one of my very favourite writers. However, I'd put off reading The Vanishing Point, due to the subject matter of child abduction (my own child was a toddler at the time the book was originally released). Well, I've finally gotten around to reading it, and am pleased to report that it's an absolute cracker!
The narrative opens with a nightmarish scenario. Transiting through Chicago O'Hare Airport, English writer Stephanie Harker is pulled aside for additional security screening - this is hardly a surprise, as she has a plate and screws in her leg from a car accident in her past, and she's used to them setting off airport metal detector devices. However, she's concerned to be separated from her foster son, 5-year-old Jimmy Higgins, while she's corralled into a glass enclosure for a security pat-down. Attempting to reassure Jimmy while he waits for her on the air-side of the security checkpoint, Stephanie can only watch on in horror as a stranger, dressed in a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) uniform, approaches Jimmy and leads him away into the airport.
Stephanie's understandable hysterical reaction only causes delay in the search for Jimmy - the TSA officials assume she's resisting the security screening and taser her twice before taking her into custody. Only when she meets a sympathetic FBI agent, Vivian McKuras, is Stephanie able to communicate her anguish over Jimmy's apparent abduction.
Most of the remainder of the narrative consists of flashbacks, as Stephanie relates to Vivian the convoluted series of events that have brought herself and Jimmy to this point. As a ghost writer, Stephanie first encountered Jimmy's mother, Scarlett Higgins, in a professional capacity. Scarlett came to fame as an enfant terrible of reality television, but has gradually redeemed herself in the public eye through marriage, motherhood, a talk-show career and a publicly-fought battle with breast cancer.
In the course of exploring Stephanie and Scarlett's relationship, Val McDermid tackles issues including the pressures of celebrity, the disconnect between real life and public image, the bonds that can grow between women, the far-reaching impacts of dysfunctional and abusive relationships and the challenges confronting those supporting a person facing a terminal diagnosis.
It's clear that McDermid has drawn upon her own considerable experience, both as an investigative journalist and in the publishing industry generally, in developing the central character of Stephanie. She's sympathetically portrayed and the challenges she faces will be relatable for many readers. Despite having been drawn into Scarlett's rather crazy celebrity existence, she retains an attitude of sense, groundedness and genuine care in her relationships with Scarlett and Jimmy. The supporting characters are also well-developed - from Scarlett and her entourage to Stephanie's creepy and threatening partner Pete, to her new love interest, MET Detective Sergeant Nick Nicolaides.
The narrative moves back and forwards in time, between Stephanie and McKuras's drawn out conversation at O'Hare, to preceding events in the UK, and between the points of view of Stephanie, Special Agent McKuras and DS Nicolaides. This structure enables McDermid to build tension at Stephanie's present situation, as well as a growing familiarity with each of the intriguing personalities involved. As Stephanie, McKuras and Nicolaides determine that this was a targeted crime and work through the possible suspects in Jimmy's abduction, the reader's suspicions are pulled first one way, then another, as the characters hurtle towards a shocking confrontation with a ruthless villain.
The Vanishing Point is an engrossing and compulsive read, as her legion of fans have come to expect from the Scottish "Queen of Crime". I'd enthusiastically recommend it to any lover of high quality, twisty suspense thrillers. That said, there are potential triggers for some readers, including child abduction, a scene depicting reasonably low-level child cruelty, coercive control and terminal illness, so it won't suit everyone.
Thank you to my friend Kelly, who lent me her copy of The Vanishing Point and encouraged me to read it, despite my personal quandry over the subject matter.
The narrative opens with a nightmarish scenario. Transiting through Chicago O'Hare Airport, English writer Stephanie Harker is pulled aside for additional security screening - this is hardly a surprise, as she has a plate and screws in her leg from a car accident in her past, and she's used to them setting off airport metal detector devices. However, she's concerned to be separated from her foster son, 5-year-old Jimmy Higgins, while she's corralled into a glass enclosure for a security pat-down. Attempting to reassure Jimmy while he waits for her on the air-side of the security checkpoint, Stephanie can only watch on in horror as a stranger, dressed in a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) uniform, approaches Jimmy and leads him away into the airport.
Stephanie's understandable hysterical reaction only causes delay in the search for Jimmy - the TSA officials assume she's resisting the security screening and taser her twice before taking her into custody. Only when she meets a sympathetic FBI agent, Vivian McKuras, is Stephanie able to communicate her anguish over Jimmy's apparent abduction.
Most of the remainder of the narrative consists of flashbacks, as Stephanie relates to Vivian the convoluted series of events that have brought herself and Jimmy to this point. As a ghost writer, Stephanie first encountered Jimmy's mother, Scarlett Higgins, in a professional capacity. Scarlett came to fame as an enfant terrible of reality television, but has gradually redeemed herself in the public eye through marriage, motherhood, a talk-show career and a publicly-fought battle with breast cancer.
In the course of exploring Stephanie and Scarlett's relationship, Val McDermid tackles issues including the pressures of celebrity, the disconnect between real life and public image, the bonds that can grow between women, the far-reaching impacts of dysfunctional and abusive relationships and the challenges confronting those supporting a person facing a terminal diagnosis.
It's clear that McDermid has drawn upon her own considerable experience, both as an investigative journalist and in the publishing industry generally, in developing the central character of Stephanie. She's sympathetically portrayed and the challenges she faces will be relatable for many readers. Despite having been drawn into Scarlett's rather crazy celebrity existence, she retains an attitude of sense, groundedness and genuine care in her relationships with Scarlett and Jimmy. The supporting characters are also well-developed - from Scarlett and her entourage to Stephanie's creepy and threatening partner Pete, to her new love interest, MET Detective Sergeant Nick Nicolaides.
The narrative moves back and forwards in time, between Stephanie and McKuras's drawn out conversation at O'Hare, to preceding events in the UK, and between the points of view of Stephanie, Special Agent McKuras and DS Nicolaides. This structure enables McDermid to build tension at Stephanie's present situation, as well as a growing familiarity with each of the intriguing personalities involved. As Stephanie, McKuras and Nicolaides determine that this was a targeted crime and work through the possible suspects in Jimmy's abduction, the reader's suspicions are pulled first one way, then another, as the characters hurtle towards a shocking confrontation with a ruthless villain.
The Vanishing Point is an engrossing and compulsive read, as her legion of fans have come to expect from the Scottish "Queen of Crime". I'd enthusiastically recommend it to any lover of high quality, twisty suspense thrillers. That said, there are potential triggers for some readers, including child abduction, a scene depicting reasonably low-level child cruelty, coercive control and terminal illness, so it won't suit everyone.
Thank you to my friend Kelly, who lent me her copy of The Vanishing Point and encouraged me to read it, despite my personal quandry over the subject matter.
November 29, 2012
This was my first Val McDermid book and while I didn't rate it very highly, I finished the book thinking I will probably try another one of her books. She writes very well,the plot moved along, and many of the characters were well-fleshed out. The narrative unfolds both in the present day and in flash-backs, which has the potential to be confusing, but McDermid does it well and it was easy to follow what was going on. I liked her heroine, Stephanie Harker and her beau, Nick.
But there were several things I didn't like about this particular book. The plot description on McDermid's website describes a theme of the book as, "the extraordinary lengths to which a parent will go to protect their child." I know if one of my children were abducted, I would be a total mess, nonstop, until it was resolved and that child would never be out of my mind. After a while, though, Stephanie seems to be able to function pretty well and Jimmy's disappearance seems like a problem she needs to solve and not the emotional wrecking ball that it should.
I also never really got a good picture of Scarlett, even though her story is fully half of the book. While I see that this may have been somewhat deliberate on McDermid's part, it still made it hard to get through the page and pages that were devoted to her.
And finally, the ending of the book. (SPOILER ALERT) If you haven't read it, you might want to stop here, although I will try not to give away too much. The ending had a huge twist (that I admit I didn't see coming) and was so abrupt it was a little jarring. Also, the type of medical deception used to rig the ending was really, really hard to swallow. My bigger problem with the ending is it's moral ambiguity that I think was unintended. When Stephanie ultimately finds Jimmy, she could quite reasonably have simply walked away and left him where he was. She decides she can't because the kidnappers have murdered 2 people and are therefore morally unfit to parent the child. However, in order to rescue Jimmy, she must perform an equally immoral act, but never questions whether it makes her unfit to parent.
Oh, and on this same point, an earlier reviewer said there were two rather unsympathetic murder victims in the book. Actually, there are three.
But there were several things I didn't like about this particular book. The plot description on McDermid's website describes a theme of the book as, "the extraordinary lengths to which a parent will go to protect their child." I know if one of my children were abducted, I would be a total mess, nonstop, until it was resolved and that child would never be out of my mind. After a while, though, Stephanie seems to be able to function pretty well and Jimmy's disappearance seems like a problem she needs to solve and not the emotional wrecking ball that it should.
I also never really got a good picture of Scarlett, even though her story is fully half of the book. While I see that this may have been somewhat deliberate on McDermid's part, it still made it hard to get through the page and pages that were devoted to her.
And finally, the ending of the book. (SPOILER ALERT) If you haven't read it, you might want to stop here, although I will try not to give away too much. The ending had a huge twist (that I admit I didn't see coming) and was so abrupt it was a little jarring. Also, the type of medical deception used to rig the ending was really, really hard to swallow. My bigger problem with the ending is it's moral ambiguity that I think was unintended. When Stephanie ultimately finds Jimmy, she could quite reasonably have simply walked away and left him where he was. She decides she can't because the kidnappers have murdered 2 people and are therefore morally unfit to parent the child. However, in order to rescue Jimmy, she must perform an equally immoral act, but never questions whether it makes her unfit to parent.
Oh, and on this same point, an earlier reviewer said there were two rather unsympathetic murder victims in the book. Actually, there are three.
July 8, 2023
Review to follow
December 4, 2012
I was really excited to see the new Val McDermid book come into my local library and hoped for great things, as the last two books were not as good as her previous ones. This one disappointed me to no end. I may be just getting to a stage where this particular type of crime fiction novel does not cut it for me anymore and I can't just take it as suspending your sense of belief and rolling with it. However, it was just a step too far into the utterly incredible and unbelievable, where the plot was just crazy. The plot was promising, a lady and her 5 year old son are going on holiday to the U.S. and when they land in O'Hare airport in Chicago for a connecting flight, the child is abducted while the mother is being screened because of metal pins/plate in her leg. Right away, it gets a bit daft. The mother is screaming and asking for help and she is wrestled to the ground and tasered by security staff and taken away to be interrogated. Now, if I worked in security in O'Hare, I would be seriously offended that I was portrayed in such a callous way. Would this have happened in real life, would the fact a mother was claiming her child was being abducted be treated this way? I hope not. It then transpires, Stephanie, is not the child's mother, but is his legal guardian. Anyway, she is eventually believed, C.C.T.V. provides evidence of the abduction, but the child is long gone. Stephanie proceeds to tell the story of how she became the child's guardian, starting with how she met his mother and this is all a little loosely based on Jade Goody, there are alot of parallels. So, enter the red herring in the middle of the story, and then exit the very unbelievable ending and I mean unbelievable in the sense that it was NOT believable. I was very disappointed with this offering from Ms. McDermid, she can do much better. I will not be rushing to get her next book, after now having endured, three below par books.
October 17, 2012
For sheer variety of fascinating characters and settings, I believe that Val McDermid has no rivals amongst ontemporary mystery story writers. She has introduced me to Scottish miners, German rivercraft, Cambridge academics, and lots of police officers and profilers not to mention Fletcher Christian of Mutiny on the Bounty fame. I expect most of her followers will not find The Vanishing Point a favourite and my own rating is perhaps a bit generous. But I read it non-stop (it waw a quiet night at the hospital)). Our principal characters are Stephanie, a ghost writer, and Scarlett, a reality TV star, whose autobiography Stephanie has ghosted. The story revolves around Jimmy, Scarlett's young son who has been kidnapped whilst in Stephanie's care.
About the first half of the book is devoted to the back story, supposedly narrated by Stephanie at O'Hare Airport to an FBI agent, although in much more detail than such a story could possibly involve, including lots of food, drink, and some drugs. Then the scene shifts to London and finally to Roumania. As in The Woman in White and The Likeness, here the plot depends on a major character's having a double.
By Val McDermid standards, this one is almost PG rated for violence. There are no kinky serial killers inflicting hideous tortures on profilers or police officers. There are only two murders (both made to look like something else). One of the victims probably needed killing and the other is no great loss.
I often wonder if constant mystery story readers develop any ability to solve actual crimes, or if we simply learn more about how mystery stories have to be put together. A 2.2 is probably how I rate on this one; I saw the final twist coming but didn't take the trouble to work out how it had to be made to happen.
About the first half of the book is devoted to the back story, supposedly narrated by Stephanie at O'Hare Airport to an FBI agent, although in much more detail than such a story could possibly involve, including lots of food, drink, and some drugs. Then the scene shifts to London and finally to Roumania. As in The Woman in White and The Likeness, here the plot depends on a major character's having a double.
By Val McDermid standards, this one is almost PG rated for violence. There are no kinky serial killers inflicting hideous tortures on profilers or police officers. There are only two murders (both made to look like something else). One of the victims probably needed killing and the other is no great loss.
I often wonder if constant mystery story readers develop any ability to solve actual crimes, or if we simply learn more about how mystery stories have to be put together. A 2.2 is probably how I rate on this one; I saw the final twist coming but didn't take the trouble to work out how it had to be made to happen.
December 8, 2012
The Vanishing Point tries to mash together a conventional thriller with c-list celebrity culture. Stephanie Harker is a professional ghost writer who drafts the life stories of famous folk and Jimmy is the son of a reality television star, Scarlett Higgins, a kind of cross between Jade Goody and Katie Price that draws heavily on aspects of both these women’s lives (most definitely in the case of Goody). The opening premise and performance of the abduction is nicely done, providing a tense entree. For the next two thirds of the tale the reader is presented with a very detailed back story account of Stephanie and Scarlett. At one level, the back story is an interesting take on celebrity culture, and the characters are very well drawn with some nice observational touches. The writing is engaging and McDermid’s voice intimate. However, the focus on the back story creates an imbalance between the context and the chase. It also does not ring true in the sense that time is of the essence in terms of tracking down Jimmy, but Stephanie is telling a very drawn out tale to the FBI. There is simply no sense of urgency beyond the initial abduction. Where the story really becomes unstuck, however, is the final quarter and the denouement. The chase actually proves to be incredibly fast and straightforward, despite a couple of twists, and the closing scene was contrived and unbelievable. Overall then, although the setup and the back story are both nicely done, they didn’t connect sufficiently well, and the overall plot arc was imbalanced and lacked credibility.
September 19, 2012
There are certain authors I always can count on to provide me with an excellent read, a brief escape into a world I can laugh at or be mesmerized by, a world that shakes me to the core for one reason or another. I understand, though, that many of those authors whose work I admire so much might stumble now and then. The Vanishing Point is Val McDermid‘s stumble.
Ms. McDermid is a wonderful writer—I have enjoyed everything of hers I’ve read until this one—and even this has some redeeming aspects. It’s not a BAD book; it just doesn’t rise to the level of her usual top notch work and that becomes evident early in the story.
Most of the disappointment I had was in regard to the credibility of the story. For a woman who shows a lot of inner strength and is clearly able to take care of herself, Stephanie seems too insecure, beyond what could be attributed to her past relationship. More importantly, what happens in the airport just isn’t believable enough. Stephanie knows she will have to be screened or patted down because of the metal in her leg so why wouldn’t she make sure the child stayed close by? As much as we, the public, dislike the behavior of a few TSA employees (and as much as we may hate the whole system), I have a hard time believing they would so totally dismiss her screams for help when she sees what’s happening. And, when it becomes obvious that time is critical, no FBI agent would allow Stephanie to go on and on with the backstory, nor would Stephanie want to blather on while little is being done to find Jimmy. The last straw for me was when I realized that she was inexplicably hesitant to tell the FBI agent about the person who is very likely to be behind the kidnapping.
Unfortunately, with such plot holes early on, I found it hard to engage with the story or even take it as seriously as such a topic deserves but I did finish the book, hoping Ms. McDermid would pull it together. To a certain extent, she did, but the twist ending was too little too late. I have no doubt the author will get back on track with the next book and I’m certainly going to look forward to it but, sadly, this one is not a keeper for me. Our reactions to books are very personal, though, and many of her devoted readers will like it.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2012.
Ms. McDermid is a wonderful writer—I have enjoyed everything of hers I’ve read until this one—and even this has some redeeming aspects. It’s not a BAD book; it just doesn’t rise to the level of her usual top notch work and that becomes evident early in the story.
Most of the disappointment I had was in regard to the credibility of the story. For a woman who shows a lot of inner strength and is clearly able to take care of herself, Stephanie seems too insecure, beyond what could be attributed to her past relationship. More importantly, what happens in the airport just isn’t believable enough. Stephanie knows she will have to be screened or patted down because of the metal in her leg so why wouldn’t she make sure the child stayed close by? As much as we, the public, dislike the behavior of a few TSA employees (and as much as we may hate the whole system), I have a hard time believing they would so totally dismiss her screams for help when she sees what’s happening. And, when it becomes obvious that time is critical, no FBI agent would allow Stephanie to go on and on with the backstory, nor would Stephanie want to blather on while little is being done to find Jimmy. The last straw for me was when I realized that she was inexplicably hesitant to tell the FBI agent about the person who is very likely to be behind the kidnapping.
Unfortunately, with such plot holes early on, I found it hard to engage with the story or even take it as seriously as such a topic deserves but I did finish the book, hoping Ms. McDermid would pull it together. To a certain extent, she did, but the twist ending was too little too late. I have no doubt the author will get back on track with the next book and I’m certainly going to look forward to it but, sadly, this one is not a keeper for me. Our reactions to books are very personal, though, and many of her devoted readers will like it.
Reviewed by Lelia Taylor, September 2012.
November 12, 2012
This was my first foray into the work of Val McDermid. There are a lot of McDermid fans out there who are not keen on this book, as the format is different to previous works , but for me , that wasnt a problem.
I loved this story - a gripping story, well told, kept me page turning when I needed to go to sleep , and the ending was completely unexpected !!!
I have heard that some people have avoided this book due to comparisons with one of the main characters and Jade Goody, the girl who died tragically young after finding fame via a reality show. This book is NOT about Jade Goody , and the outcome couldnt be predicted.
Really liked this, and am envious of people who havent yet read it , because they can read it afresh!
Dig in, enjoy @ValMcDermid
I loved this story - a gripping story, well told, kept me page turning when I needed to go to sleep , and the ending was completely unexpected !!!
I have heard that some people have avoided this book due to comparisons with one of the main characters and Jade Goody, the girl who died tragically young after finding fame via a reality show. This book is NOT about Jade Goody , and the outcome couldnt be predicted.
Really liked this, and am envious of people who havent yet read it , because they can read it afresh!
Dig in, enjoy @ValMcDermid
September 3, 2012
In her twenty-sixth novel, a standalone, Val McDermid goes rather far afield from her previous books. It opens with a child abduction at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. While a passenger is going through an airport security check, a man in what appears to be a TSA uniform appears and guides the five-year-old boy traveling with her through the terminal and they both seem to disappear. It soon falls to 27-year-old FBI Special Agent Vivian McKuras to interview the woman, Stephanie Harker, the godmother [and planned adoptive mother] of the little boy, Jimmy. The boy’s mother, Scarlett Higgins [dubbed by the media as The Scarlett Harlot] had been a reality-tv star, one of those famous for being famous, with whom Stephanie had ghost-written several books, becoming best friends in the process. The question becomes: Had this been “a random abduction, a spur-of-the-moment snatch,” or had Jimmy been a very specific target?
In order to ascertain into which category this falls, Vivian questions Stephanie at length as to the entire background and history of all concerned. What ensues is a rather lengthy tale, the story zig-zagging from those flashbacks to the present time as the investigation shifts into high gear. The boy’s father, who Scarlett married shortly before his birth in a media-planned circus, had died from a drug-overdose not long afterwards, Scarlett more recently after a very public battle with cancer. Stephanie puts Vivian in touch with a UK counterpart, and everything becomes more complex. As it nears its end, the plot takes a very unexpected turn, morphing into a stunning conclusion.
Stephanie is a fascinating protagonist, one who takes refuge in her profession. When it is suggested to her that she could sell her story to a magazine, her response is: “‘I don’t want to have a story.’ I like being a ghost. Insubstantial. Transparent. Anonymous.” An intriguing tale it is, in which manic stalkers [of both genders] are a theme.
[The author thoughtfully includes a glossary at book’s end, translating Brit-speak for the American readers.] Val McDermid just keeps getting better.
Highly recommended.
In order to ascertain into which category this falls, Vivian questions Stephanie at length as to the entire background and history of all concerned. What ensues is a rather lengthy tale, the story zig-zagging from those flashbacks to the present time as the investigation shifts into high gear. The boy’s father, who Scarlett married shortly before his birth in a media-planned circus, had died from a drug-overdose not long afterwards, Scarlett more recently after a very public battle with cancer. Stephanie puts Vivian in touch with a UK counterpart, and everything becomes more complex. As it nears its end, the plot takes a very unexpected turn, morphing into a stunning conclusion.
Stephanie is a fascinating protagonist, one who takes refuge in her profession. When it is suggested to her that she could sell her story to a magazine, her response is: “‘I don’t want to have a story.’ I like being a ghost. Insubstantial. Transparent. Anonymous.” An intriguing tale it is, in which manic stalkers [of both genders] are a theme.
[The author thoughtfully includes a glossary at book’s end, translating Brit-speak for the American readers.] Val McDermid just keeps getting better.
Highly recommended.
October 18, 2014
This is not one of McDermid's best. The story was verging on tedious: once or twice I nearly gave up (life's too short for tedious books). The book focuses around the story of Stephanie, a ghost writer, which I felt had so much potential for interest: it is, after all, the one profession we never to get hear about. There was very little interest generated by this fascinating way of making a living, though. Characterisation was cliched, as was much of the dialogue, which was also scattered with cliché and use of the same phrases again and again, of which I'm sure a ghostwriter would have been ashamed. The book begins as Stephanie witnesses the abduction of a small boy of whom Stephanie has become guardian. The boy's mother is Scarlet, the celebrity subject of the Stephanie's book about a working-class woman made good, clearly inspired by c-list celebrity-producing reality television. The story then travels back in time from first meeting Scarlet to how Stephanie becomes ends up witnessing her charge's abduction and ending up in the middle of an FBI investigation. Unlikely you might think? Yes, so did I. The worst part however was the ending. It seemed highly unbelievable at best. Stephanie undergoes a major character change and the story ends abruptly with murder and no explanations. It's as if McDermid suddenly lost interest or ran over her word count. I would recommend other works by this author, but not this one.
December 18, 2012
I have read most of Val McDermid’s novels. I am a fan. Sadly, I am not a fan of her latest book. The Vanishing Point doesn’t know what kind of novel it is.
Stephanie Harker’s son, Jimmy is snatched at O’Hare airport. Everything is going according to the blurb on the book. Another McDermid thriller begins. Or so I thought.
Then we are thrust into a long-winded narrative of Jimmy’s history. Steph, as she is known, is a ghost-writer. She tells the FBI the story of Jimmy, and his real mother, Scarlett, a reality TV star, and how she became Jimmy’s mother. The way McDermid spins the story is good, but it insulted my intelligence. What mother would calmly narrate the story over an extended period instead of becoming hysterical? What FBI agent would listen to it?
I was lulled into the plot by the always excellent writing talents of the author. I thought she must have a reason for telling the story this way. I became acquainted with Joshu, Jimmy’s father; Pete, Steph’s stalker ex-boyfriend; Detective Sergeant Nick Nicolaides, Steph’s new love interest; Maggie, Steph’s agent; and Simon, Leanne and Marina, all part of Scarlett’s entourage.
And then I was confronted with a b-grade ‘surprise’ ending. What a waste of good writing.
2.5/5
Stephanie Harker’s son, Jimmy is snatched at O’Hare airport. Everything is going according to the blurb on the book. Another McDermid thriller begins. Or so I thought.
Then we are thrust into a long-winded narrative of Jimmy’s history. Steph, as she is known, is a ghost-writer. She tells the FBI the story of Jimmy, and his real mother, Scarlett, a reality TV star, and how she became Jimmy’s mother. The way McDermid spins the story is good, but it insulted my intelligence. What mother would calmly narrate the story over an extended period instead of becoming hysterical? What FBI agent would listen to it?
I was lulled into the plot by the always excellent writing talents of the author. I thought she must have a reason for telling the story this way. I became acquainted with Joshu, Jimmy’s father; Pete, Steph’s stalker ex-boyfriend; Detective Sergeant Nick Nicolaides, Steph’s new love interest; Maggie, Steph’s agent; and Simon, Leanne and Marina, all part of Scarlett’s entourage.
And then I was confronted with a b-grade ‘surprise’ ending. What a waste of good writing.
2.5/5
October 5, 2012
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS I love Val McDermid, because she is not afraid to go places other crime writers don't dare venture, but the last three novels have left me underwhelmed. It was nice to meet Charlie Flint and Nick from last year's "A Trick of the Dark" again, but there were gaping holes in this story, with a very abrupt ending that I had already seen coming. Steph, the protagonist, was unconvincing for me right from the start. Stalked by her ex-boyfriend she refuses to contact the police, even when the situation escalates, preferring to involve the lone policeman on whom she just happens to have a crush. Her bond with the missing child doesn't ring true either. What woman who has just watched her child being kidnapped asks to stop for food on the way to a possible rescue? And when her best friend dies she doesn't notice that it's not really her, but the cousin with whom they have been living for the past several months. The ending was predictable and rushed, and some of the secondary story lines were completely left hanging. The only reason why I'm still giving it 3 stars, is because as far as entertainment value it still ranks high.
April 6, 2015
A drawn out, far-fetched eye roll of a book. The concept of the abducted child and the "whodunnit' theme was mildly entertaining but the back story just didn't hold my interest at all. I finished this book with a sigh and a "fair enough" and carried on with my day. I'm afraid I haven't got much else to say about this.
Not the thriller I thought it would be but thankfully it wasn't one of those confusing books trying to be impressive. It was just a bland 500+ pages.
Not the thriller I thought it would be but thankfully it wasn't one of those confusing books trying to be impressive. It was just a bland 500+ pages.
November 23, 2014
The Vanishing Point is a standalone novel which begins with a woman, Steph, helplessly watching her child being abducted at an American airport while she is being detained by security. In order for the authorities to build a picture of whomever might have taken Jimmy, it's necessary for Steph to explain the complicated backstory that led up to her travelling to the States with the boy in the first place.
It's this backstory that forms the bulk of the narrative of The Vanishing Point, interspersed with briefer sections in which Jimmy's suspected kidnapper is pursued. We soon learn that Steph is a ghost-writer of celebrity biographies, and that she had become a friend and confidante of one of her clients, a now deceased reality TV star called Scarlett Higgins. Also part of Scarlett's carefully chosen inner circle are her former husband, her cousin Leanne and her charming agent George, along with her Romanian housekeeper and latterly, her surgeon. Meanwhile, Steph's own partner is becoming increasingly jealous of the time Steph spends at Scarlett's Essex mansion.
Scarlett herself is the focal point of the story, just as she has a knack of making sure everything revolves around her in real life. McDermid makes a point of portraying Scarlett not as a vacuous bimbo but as a sharp, shrewd young woman with a carefully orchestrated persona - and indeed, if Scarlett really were the loud-mouthed dumb blonde she appears to be on television, her friendship with Steph would be implausible. However, the character of Scarlett draws so heavily from real-life reality TV celebrities - she's essentially Jade Goody with a touch of Katie Price - that I felt she sometimes tipped over into parody, and detracted from the credibility of the story overall.
There's no question that Val McDermid is an expert at weaving intrigue into a well-constructed story; I doubt many readers would find it hard to keep turning the pages of The Vanishing Point. She's also astutely observant on the nature of celebrity and on certain types of dysfunctional relationships. But I guessed quite early on roughly how the book would end, and ultimately, the plot would not be out of place in a series of Footballers' Wives, such is the heightened camp of certain elements of it and the sheer implausibility of the events it describes. It lacks depth and darkness, and it's hard to feel quite the level of tension which I'd look for in a thriller when it's so over-the-top.
It's this backstory that forms the bulk of the narrative of The Vanishing Point, interspersed with briefer sections in which Jimmy's suspected kidnapper is pursued. We soon learn that Steph is a ghost-writer of celebrity biographies, and that she had become a friend and confidante of one of her clients, a now deceased reality TV star called Scarlett Higgins. Also part of Scarlett's carefully chosen inner circle are her former husband, her cousin Leanne and her charming agent George, along with her Romanian housekeeper and latterly, her surgeon. Meanwhile, Steph's own partner is becoming increasingly jealous of the time Steph spends at Scarlett's Essex mansion.
Scarlett herself is the focal point of the story, just as she has a knack of making sure everything revolves around her in real life. McDermid makes a point of portraying Scarlett not as a vacuous bimbo but as a sharp, shrewd young woman with a carefully orchestrated persona - and indeed, if Scarlett really were the loud-mouthed dumb blonde she appears to be on television, her friendship with Steph would be implausible. However, the character of Scarlett draws so heavily from real-life reality TV celebrities - she's essentially Jade Goody with a touch of Katie Price - that I felt she sometimes tipped over into parody, and detracted from the credibility of the story overall.
There's no question that Val McDermid is an expert at weaving intrigue into a well-constructed story; I doubt many readers would find it hard to keep turning the pages of The Vanishing Point. She's also astutely observant on the nature of celebrity and on certain types of dysfunctional relationships. But I guessed quite early on roughly how the book would end, and ultimately, the plot would not be out of place in a series of Footballers' Wives, such is the heightened camp of certain elements of it and the sheer implausibility of the events it describes. It lacks depth and darkness, and it's hard to feel quite the level of tension which I'd look for in a thriller when it's so over-the-top.
February 25, 2017
If this had been one of those mystery book in a plain brown wrapper, I would never have guessed that it came from the pen of the mighty Val McDermid. It rather gets lost at times in its own cleverness of trying to be different. It's certainly that.
It starts out promisingly enough. Five-year-old Jimmy Higgins is abducted from a busy airport in the USA where he has gone on holiday with his legal guardian, Stephanie. A metal plate in her leg sets off the alarms and as she's hauled off to be searched, forgotten Jimmy is abducted. Jimmy is the son of former reality TV star Scarlett, who died of cancer. Stephanie is the ghost writer to whom she became close during the writing of her story.
My problems arise from a number of irritants. I admit to being easily irritated, and it is a measure of the craft of the writer that I actually finished the book, and quite quickly. One is that it soon slips into that annoying device of ending each chapter with a 'if I'd known then...you'll never guess what happened next' type of hook which is definitely overkill.
Another is the howlers. I won't pick them all out but one was so glaring an anachronism that even I spotted it, and I'm not a techie. But overall, I felt uncomfortable throughout with the parallels between Scarlett and real-life reality star Jade Goody, who also died of cancer. Again, I'm not a reality TV watcher, but I've heard of her.
Next we have that old chestnut of us being at a scene as it unfolds then, shortly afterwards, having to listen to two characters discussing exactly the same scene and giving the same details, in case we missed anything. This is accentuated because of how it's written. We get Stephanie, in the third person, being interviewed by an FBI agent immediately after the abduction. As she tells the long and complicated back-story of how she came to have custody of Jimmy, we get Stephanie in first person talking about how it all began. Although listed as mystery/thriller, reading some of it feels more like chicklit at times.
It's all a bit obvious and questionable in equal parts. However, Ms McDermid's writing is such that I did read on and I was interested in how she would resolve it all. If this is the first McDermid you read, please don't take it as representative of her usual style of writing. It's a standalone and very much a departure, which some may like.
It starts out promisingly enough. Five-year-old Jimmy Higgins is abducted from a busy airport in the USA where he has gone on holiday with his legal guardian, Stephanie. A metal plate in her leg sets off the alarms and as she's hauled off to be searched, forgotten Jimmy is abducted. Jimmy is the son of former reality TV star Scarlett, who died of cancer. Stephanie is the ghost writer to whom she became close during the writing of her story.
My problems arise from a number of irritants. I admit to being easily irritated, and it is a measure of the craft of the writer that I actually finished the book, and quite quickly. One is that it soon slips into that annoying device of ending each chapter with a 'if I'd known then...you'll never guess what happened next' type of hook which is definitely overkill.
Another is the howlers. I won't pick them all out but one was so glaring an anachronism that even I spotted it, and I'm not a techie. But overall, I felt uncomfortable throughout with the parallels between Scarlett and real-life reality star Jade Goody, who also died of cancer. Again, I'm not a reality TV watcher, but I've heard of her.
Next we have that old chestnut of us being at a scene as it unfolds then, shortly afterwards, having to listen to two characters discussing exactly the same scene and giving the same details, in case we missed anything. This is accentuated because of how it's written. We get Stephanie, in the third person, being interviewed by an FBI agent immediately after the abduction. As she tells the long and complicated back-story of how she came to have custody of Jimmy, we get Stephanie in first person talking about how it all began. Although listed as mystery/thriller, reading some of it feels more like chicklit at times.
It's all a bit obvious and questionable in equal parts. However, Ms McDermid's writing is such that I did read on and I was interested in how she would resolve it all. If this is the first McDermid you read, please don't take it as representative of her usual style of writing. It's a standalone and very much a departure, which some may like.
September 12, 2012
Right- so you read the synopsis of the book and think this sounds intriguing and what an excellent premise for a crime novel. Now excuse me if I’ve missed the point but what follows an initially promising first couple of chapters is an absolute flight of fancy and I think McDermid is just playing with her readers a wee bit! I like to think that McDermid had her tongue very firmly planted in her cheek throughout the writing of the book as she shamelessly draws on the most nauseating aspects of ‘reality TV’ spawned celebrity with its attendant bad behaviour, press manipulation, ill gotten gains and the role of the ghostwriter in presenting a more acceptable version of these hideous people to their adoring public. The book centres on Scarlet Higgins, a Northern working class girl who comes to fame on reality TV show ‘The Goldfish Bowl’ ( a blatant hybrid of ‘Castaway’ and ‘Survivor’) despite her ill-behaviour, racist outpourings (counterbalanced nicely by her later relationship with an Asian DJ) and generally lewd behaviour. Desperate to raise her public profile the hapless and incredibly naive Stephanie Harker-ghostwriter- is commissioned to write a book about the now pregnant Scarlet as a missive to her unborn child and Harker finds herself drawn into the duplicitous world of the scheming Scarlet. This is where it all goes a bit silly with a frankly ludicrous story line involving a Scarlet-impersonating cousin, a Romanian orphanage, a half-baked stalker and all manner of other silliness involving the FBI, a positively Greek Adonis of a policeman and eventually a murder which comes way too late in the plot to have any impact at all.
But, and I stress this very clearly, as unbelievable and irritating as the whole thing is you can’t help being compelled to just read a few more pages, then a few more until before you know it you’ve read the whole book, and despite not having believed a word of it you realise you’ve had fun on the way, such is McDermid’s portrayal of a world of celebrity culture you recognise all too well backed up by an improbable but incredibly entertaining plot! So bad that quite frankly it’s brilliant…
But, and I stress this very clearly, as unbelievable and irritating as the whole thing is you can’t help being compelled to just read a few more pages, then a few more until before you know it you’ve read the whole book, and despite not having believed a word of it you realise you’ve had fun on the way, such is McDermid’s portrayal of a world of celebrity culture you recognise all too well backed up by an improbable but incredibly entertaining plot! So bad that quite frankly it’s brilliant…
March 10, 2022
For about 350 pages this was a 3* book. Unlikely story but quite interesting with good characters. Then when it should have ended it took a completely new turn and the last two pages were just stupid! I don't think I have ever read a book that was so completely ruined by the end. Grrrrrr
PS March 2022 - I don't remember this book at all!
PS March 2022 - I don't remember this book at all!
August 21, 2015
This was my first Val McDermid book and I’m sad to say I wasn’t very impressed. Everything about the book’s cover (including the blurb), and descriptions/reviews such as goodreads’, paint the novel as a chilling thriller, when in reality there’s a very brief build-up to the kidnap and an almost as brief conclusion to it, with the rest of (ie majority of) the book devoted to the protagonist explaining to an FBI agent (and thus to us) the unnecessarily long story* of how she came to be the kidnapped child’s guardian (a story that very much focuses on someone else’s life). To be fair, it’s a fairly interesting tale in its own right...but not the one I was led to believe I’d be reading, and not the one I wanted to read (for a whole book).
*This in itself seemed quite far-fetched, as you would think a woman so distraught from her child being kidnapped wouldn’t feel like going over (what felt like) every last detail of her life from the past five years, and that an FBI employee wouldn’t let her do so at the beginning (critical) stage of such an urgent investigation. I believe we’re probably told so much from this time period in an attempt to justify the ending, but for me the lead-up was far too lengthy and the end was still too bizarre and abrupt. It (the fleshing out) was also obviously to fill the book, but one has to question why anyone would explain their background in such a dramatic fashion (withholding important information for what appears to be no good reason other than dramatic effect) when the situation is dire and time is of the essence to narrow down suspects.
I know I might sound harsh. It wasn’t all bad. The writing was fine and I kept reading because I remained curious enough to want to know how it turns out, which suggests my interest must have lingered, even if it did decrease the more Stephanie waffled on. Yet this book isn’t what I consider a thriller. There’s little tension because the bulk of it is about the past, rather than the kidnapping and investigation themselves, and because (spoiler alert) the mid-point misdirection is handed to us on a platter (seemingly out of nowhere, which is where it goes, despite suggesting there should be a lot more to it), and the rest of the theories/conclusive pages are similarly talked/walked through in an almost matter-of-fact way by Stephanie and her convenient detective boyfriend.
I know the guy’s with Scotland Yard, but for the story to go ‘kidnap – talking about life before the kidnap for most of the book – red herring – more talking – FBI can’t help, but never mind, I’ve suddenly got it: this is what happened – boom, dramatic conclusion, the end’...it was just too much of a leap for me. Their choice not to involve the investigating officers was as unbelievable as other points in the story, as was the lack of communication from the officers leading the investigation and Stephanie’s trusted friends and family (everyone conveniently/"coincidentally" stopped keeping in touch at a harrowing time whilst she and her partner went off trying to save the day themselves). For Stephanie to even go back to the UK after just a few days – leaving the country where the boy was kidnapped and, for all they knew, still was – seemed strange to me.
I think the book aimed for a strong female lead, but I found Stephanie quite weak. Not because of the bad relationship we hear about (those don’t make anyone weak), but because of how she handles everything. Throughout the book the other characters seem to try to push the idea on the reader that Stephanie is surprisingly clever, but to me it felt like she handled every situation in an irresponsible and sometimes rash way.
I also have to say that at one point she talks about how a man who hit her, trashed her home, made her feel like she might be raped in a dark street, and who stalked her for years is just a bit of a bully and not a dangerous man who could go further than he already has – and I feel McDermid should have been more careful here not to dismiss how unstable, abusive, and dangerous he was, because this is a reality for far too many people and they need to know it’s not something to be taken lightly. Putting any message out there that suggests otherwise is dangerous.
The very end of the book...I can’t say much about it without giving it away, though you might guess who the kidnapper is early on (sometimes something is so unpredictable it’s predictable, if you know what I mean), but I will say it’s the most far-fetched, uncharacteristic* ending I’ve ever read. I felt cheated by it, and definitely disappointed, especially after reading so much of a story that wasn’t to do with the crime – for it to conclude so swiftly and in such a strange way, it baffled and frustrated me.
*I always hesitate to call a character’s actions uncharacteristic, because a character is created by its author, who can write them any way they please...but the book actually states how out of character the final actions of the person are, and it’s not exactly something small. As with various aspects of this book, the chance the situation would be handled the way it was is incredibly slim...ridiculously so, in the ending’s case. There's stretching the imagination for fiction and then there's stretching it so hard it breaks away and runs far out of sight.
I best wrap this up before I’ve talked as much as Stephanie does. No one wants that.
I won’t judge Val McDermid’s skills as a writer on this stand-alone novel, but I also won’t be in a hurry to read another of hers any time soon.
*This in itself seemed quite far-fetched, as you would think a woman so distraught from her child being kidnapped wouldn’t feel like going over (what felt like) every last detail of her life from the past five years, and that an FBI employee wouldn’t let her do so at the beginning (critical) stage of such an urgent investigation. I believe we’re probably told so much from this time period in an attempt to justify the ending, but for me the lead-up was far too lengthy and the end was still too bizarre and abrupt. It (the fleshing out) was also obviously to fill the book, but one has to question why anyone would explain their background in such a dramatic fashion (withholding important information for what appears to be no good reason other than dramatic effect) when the situation is dire and time is of the essence to narrow down suspects.
I know I might sound harsh. It wasn’t all bad. The writing was fine and I kept reading because I remained curious enough to want to know how it turns out, which suggests my interest must have lingered, even if it did decrease the more Stephanie waffled on. Yet this book isn’t what I consider a thriller. There’s little tension because the bulk of it is about the past, rather than the kidnapping and investigation themselves, and because (spoiler alert) the mid-point misdirection is handed to us on a platter (seemingly out of nowhere, which is where it goes, despite suggesting there should be a lot more to it), and the rest of the theories/conclusive pages are similarly talked/walked through in an almost matter-of-fact way by Stephanie and her convenient detective boyfriend.
I know the guy’s with Scotland Yard, but for the story to go ‘kidnap – talking about life before the kidnap for most of the book – red herring – more talking – FBI can’t help, but never mind, I’ve suddenly got it: this is what happened – boom, dramatic conclusion, the end’...it was just too much of a leap for me. Their choice not to involve the investigating officers was as unbelievable as other points in the story, as was the lack of communication from the officers leading the investigation and Stephanie’s trusted friends and family (everyone conveniently/"coincidentally" stopped keeping in touch at a harrowing time whilst she and her partner went off trying to save the day themselves). For Stephanie to even go back to the UK after just a few days – leaving the country where the boy was kidnapped and, for all they knew, still was – seemed strange to me.
I think the book aimed for a strong female lead, but I found Stephanie quite weak. Not because of the bad relationship we hear about (those don’t make anyone weak), but because of how she handles everything. Throughout the book the other characters seem to try to push the idea on the reader that Stephanie is surprisingly clever, but to me it felt like she handled every situation in an irresponsible and sometimes rash way.
I also have to say that at one point she talks about how a man who hit her, trashed her home, made her feel like she might be raped in a dark street, and who stalked her for years is just a bit of a bully and not a dangerous man who could go further than he already has – and I feel McDermid should have been more careful here not to dismiss how unstable, abusive, and dangerous he was, because this is a reality for far too many people and they need to know it’s not something to be taken lightly. Putting any message out there that suggests otherwise is dangerous.
The very end of the book...I can’t say much about it without giving it away, though you might guess who the kidnapper is early on (sometimes something is so unpredictable it’s predictable, if you know what I mean), but I will say it’s the most far-fetched, uncharacteristic* ending I’ve ever read. I felt cheated by it, and definitely disappointed, especially after reading so much of a story that wasn’t to do with the crime – for it to conclude so swiftly and in such a strange way, it baffled and frustrated me.
*I always hesitate to call a character’s actions uncharacteristic, because a character is created by its author, who can write them any way they please...but the book actually states how out of character the final actions of the person are, and it’s not exactly something small. As with various aspects of this book, the chance the situation would be handled the way it was is incredibly slim...ridiculously so, in the ending’s case. There's stretching the imagination for fiction and then there's stretching it so hard it breaks away and runs far out of sight.
I best wrap this up before I’ve talked as much as Stephanie does. No one wants that.
I won’t judge Val McDermid’s skills as a writer on this stand-alone novel, but I also won’t be in a hurry to read another of hers any time soon.
November 24, 2014
I have to say I was blindsided by this for reasons of my own reading preferences. I am totally a chick-lit girl--big on character development and emotional depth--with the occasional step-out to make that genre fresh when I return to it. This was one of my step-out books and I was TOTALLY blown away by how good the writing was, how interested I was in the story, how drawn in I became. I loved all the aspects, thought the back story was interesting and the development of the characters well done. Scarlett was a piece of work and the complexity of her character was intriguing. As I was reading, I literally wanted to pinch myself because I couldn't quite believe how much I was enjoying the story (my own foreshadowing, LOL). There were some small bumps in the road (the back story was an odd format for what was supposed to be a current, and urgent, interview; I never understand why Stephanie was reluctant to pinpoint Pete Mathews; and during the last section of the book the fact that Jimmy knew the abductor was conveniently ignored until it was usable), but I found them all easy to overlook because the story was so well done. For other small bumps, it was actually kind of fun to be taken for a ride and nose-led by the author. Suspended disbelief was easy.
All readers must sense the "but" coming or you wouldn't be reading this in the first place. This was a 5 star read until the last couple of chapters where everything deteriorated to a mishmash and all the characters went so out of character that I felt like I had gone from "Out of Africa" to "Friday the 13th."
**SPOILER**
In many ways the ending did fit Scarlett and even added another depth to her character--wow, never thought that side of her would go so far--and it put into place the brilliant deception of Scarlett's carefully crafted characterization of Leanne. But. Up to this point, the very end, Scarlett always, always, always had a certain tough integrity and a human side (that really made me like her a lot). She wasn't built up to be THAT ruthless, so it rang false. Simon, though never well developed, ends up being a pansy, which, though plausible, didn't fit the character he had until then. And Nick, the cop. Simply no way. NO way. No, no, way. And Stephanie, never. Ever. Even Jimmy. His wanting to leave with Steph and not stay with his own Mom? I don't think so. It would have gone fine (yes he was happy to see her) had not the single, get-out of-the-plot-jail comment been made: "Stephie, when can we go home?" To his mind he was home. And glad he would be to be there since he'd thought his mom was dead! And would ANY good mom, as Scarlett was consistently portrayed, put her child through that life-scarring experience? Simply to have an easier lifestyle? Though, kudos to her the author did address this, I, again, don't think so.
So this brilliant, well-developed book that pulled my chick-lit heart strings and made me love it (and other reviewers, fans of the crime genre, understandably dislike it) was trashed literally in the last 4 pages. Not for what happened--some such is expected in a crime novel--but for the bizarre toss of characters who had been mainly (outside of Simon) so well developed up to that point. Likelihood of it being played out that way: 3%.
That said. McDermid certainly did write herself into a corner. There was no way Stephanie and Nick could leave with what they knew. And Nick, the cop, would have realized this as soon as they spotted her. That is where it all starts to fall apart and become contrived, McDermid making the pieces fit so she could finish the book. To be true to what had been built, Nick would have restrained Stephanie and had them walk away--there was no way there could be a good ending in his well-honed and expertly trained cop mind. McDermid was a bit painted in the corner simply from the genre. She had to have a twist, so she threw in an unlikely, undeveloped one, because, heaven forbid that there was no surprise ending. Had this been chick-lit, Nick would have brought in the cavalry and the ending would have been an epilogue: Scarlett and Simon in prison for Leanne's murder, Scarlett's faked death, Simon's unethical death-forgery complicity (i.e., a many-count sentence). Stephanie and Nick would still have Jimmy (and have maintained the integrity of their characters) and Stephanie would mourn to the end of her days how she had misjudged Scarlett worse even than she misjudged Pete. And there would be sympathy for Scarlett who didn't quite manage to make it beyond the levels of her upbringing--a person with a better childhood would not have taken the route she did. She came so close, but in the end her desperate need to have life exactly as she wanted it, born of an abused childhood, won over. The possibility of a Scarlett come to her senses would even leave the open-ended question of whether Stepahine, as caretaker of Scarlett's son, would find forgiveness for her.
Haha. That's chick-lit for you. A satisfying ending that would leave the blood-thirsty shouting "pansy!"
All readers must sense the "but" coming or you wouldn't be reading this in the first place. This was a 5 star read until the last couple of chapters where everything deteriorated to a mishmash and all the characters went so out of character that I felt like I had gone from "Out of Africa" to "Friday the 13th."
**SPOILER**
In many ways the ending did fit Scarlett and even added another depth to her character--wow, never thought that side of her would go so far--and it put into place the brilliant deception of Scarlett's carefully crafted characterization of Leanne. But. Up to this point, the very end, Scarlett always, always, always had a certain tough integrity and a human side (that really made me like her a lot). She wasn't built up to be THAT ruthless, so it rang false. Simon, though never well developed, ends up being a pansy, which, though plausible, didn't fit the character he had until then. And Nick, the cop. Simply no way. NO way. No, no, way. And Stephanie, never. Ever. Even Jimmy. His wanting to leave with Steph and not stay with his own Mom? I don't think so. It would have gone fine (yes he was happy to see her) had not the single, get-out of-the-plot-jail comment been made: "Stephie, when can we go home?" To his mind he was home. And glad he would be to be there since he'd thought his mom was dead! And would ANY good mom, as Scarlett was consistently portrayed, put her child through that life-scarring experience? Simply to have an easier lifestyle? Though, kudos to her the author did address this, I, again, don't think so.
So this brilliant, well-developed book that pulled my chick-lit heart strings and made me love it (and other reviewers, fans of the crime genre, understandably dislike it) was trashed literally in the last 4 pages. Not for what happened--some such is expected in a crime novel--but for the bizarre toss of characters who had been mainly (outside of Simon) so well developed up to that point. Likelihood of it being played out that way: 3%.
That said. McDermid certainly did write herself into a corner. There was no way Stephanie and Nick could leave with what they knew. And Nick, the cop, would have realized this as soon as they spotted her. That is where it all starts to fall apart and become contrived, McDermid making the pieces fit so she could finish the book. To be true to what had been built, Nick would have restrained Stephanie and had them walk away--there was no way there could be a good ending in his well-honed and expertly trained cop mind. McDermid was a bit painted in the corner simply from the genre. She had to have a twist, so she threw in an unlikely, undeveloped one, because, heaven forbid that there was no surprise ending. Had this been chick-lit, Nick would have brought in the cavalry and the ending would have been an epilogue: Scarlett and Simon in prison for Leanne's murder, Scarlett's faked death, Simon's unethical death-forgery complicity (i.e., a many-count sentence). Stephanie and Nick would still have Jimmy (and have maintained the integrity of their characters) and Stephanie would mourn to the end of her days how she had misjudged Scarlett worse even than she misjudged Pete. And there would be sympathy for Scarlett who didn't quite manage to make it beyond the levels of her upbringing--a person with a better childhood would not have taken the route she did. She came so close, but in the end her desperate need to have life exactly as she wanted it, born of an abused childhood, won over. The possibility of a Scarlett come to her senses would even leave the open-ended question of whether Stepahine, as caretaker of Scarlett's son, would find forgiveness for her.
Haha. That's chick-lit for you. A satisfying ending that would leave the blood-thirsty shouting "pansy!"
December 7, 2018
There is no way I can do justice to my qualms about this novel without doing a spoiler alert, and I'm not prepared to do that. Suffice it to say that I came this close to giving this just two stars because, as good a writer as McDermid is, I felt that there were plot and character deficiencies that really crippled this story.
The basic plot: Stephanie Harker, a well-known ghost writer of celebrity books, gets a contract to write a book for a British reality TV star from a show like Big Brother. The woman's reputation is as a crude, racist conniver, but Stephanie discovers that Scarlett Higgins is actually much smarter than she appears, and the women end up becoming close friends. Scarlett is married to a younger, brash Asian-British DJ, and after she gets pregnant and has a baby boy, Jimmy, she discovers her husband has been cheating on her and divorces him. Eventually, Scarlett gets cancer, and Stephanie ends up becoming the guardian of 5-year-old Jimmy. On a trip to the U.S., while Stephanie is being checked by security, a man posing as a TSA agent walks up and absconds with Jimmy. The book then focuses on the search for the missing boy, leading to a predictably shocking ending.
Complicating the plot is the fact that Stephanie has an ex-boyfriend, a sound technician named Pete, who has stalked her ever since she left him, and that leads her to Scotland Yard detective Nick, who falls for her and helps her and the FBI in the search for the missing boy.
The key plot flaw, for me, was that while Stephanie is being questioned at O'Hare Airport by an FBI agent, she supposedly tells a detailed version of her back story to the agent -- an unnecessary contrivance that didn't make sense in a situation where time was at a premium. It's fine to have a good backstory for the characters, but it made no sense to do it as a supposed response to a kidnapping interview.
This is my first McDermid mystery, so I don't know if she specializes in misdirection and unexpected plot twists, but this novel has them galore in the last several pages. Without giving anything away, I'll simply say that for this plot to work, at least two of the characters had to be people whose morals and intentions were very different than the way they had been portrayed before that, and the disjunction was so jarring that I couldn't accept it.
So, I'm afraid this will make me leery of doing more McDermid novels, but if there are fans who can persuade me otherwise, I'd love to hear from them.
The basic plot: Stephanie Harker, a well-known ghost writer of celebrity books, gets a contract to write a book for a British reality TV star from a show like Big Brother. The woman's reputation is as a crude, racist conniver, but Stephanie discovers that Scarlett Higgins is actually much smarter than she appears, and the women end up becoming close friends. Scarlett is married to a younger, brash Asian-British DJ, and after she gets pregnant and has a baby boy, Jimmy, she discovers her husband has been cheating on her and divorces him. Eventually, Scarlett gets cancer, and Stephanie ends up becoming the guardian of 5-year-old Jimmy. On a trip to the U.S., while Stephanie is being checked by security, a man posing as a TSA agent walks up and absconds with Jimmy. The book then focuses on the search for the missing boy, leading to a predictably shocking ending.
Complicating the plot is the fact that Stephanie has an ex-boyfriend, a sound technician named Pete, who has stalked her ever since she left him, and that leads her to Scotland Yard detective Nick, who falls for her and helps her and the FBI in the search for the missing boy.
The key plot flaw, for me, was that while Stephanie is being questioned at O'Hare Airport by an FBI agent, she supposedly tells a detailed version of her back story to the agent -- an unnecessary contrivance that didn't make sense in a situation where time was at a premium. It's fine to have a good backstory for the characters, but it made no sense to do it as a supposed response to a kidnapping interview.
This is my first McDermid mystery, so I don't know if she specializes in misdirection and unexpected plot twists, but this novel has them galore in the last several pages. Without giving anything away, I'll simply say that for this plot to work, at least two of the characters had to be people whose morals and intentions were very different than the way they had been portrayed before that, and the disjunction was so jarring that I couldn't accept it.
So, I'm afraid this will make me leery of doing more McDermid novels, but if there are fans who can persuade me otherwise, I'd love to hear from them.
September 22, 2012
This is rather a different type of book for McDermid, definitely not as dark as her previous works. It starts with a kidnapping and than the reader learns through back stories what led up to the crime. As usual this is well written but it is a more of a mainstream plot, though it did keep me reading. So it did capture my interest and there are many interesting aspects to this book. the making of a reality star for one, but of course there is a twist. I did like it but not quite as much as her usual books.
November 25, 2018
I read this for the 2018 Read Harder challenge: "A mystery by a person of color or LGBTQ+ author." It was the first Val McDermid novel I've read, and it had a slow start for me, but once I got into it and the story picked up I really liked it. I read most of it in one sitting, maybe that helped. I liked this well enough, but I did call the ending and several of the plot twists from 100 pages out. (One plot twist seemed so obvious that I was rolling my eyes waiting for the characters to figure it out). It also ended really abruptly, which I wish it hadn't. But I really enjoyed it all the same.
November 8, 2022
A decent story of a child abduction and the back story which led to it, not really a thriller as the build up is slow.
September 12, 2025
This book held my interest all the way through. What a story, well told.
August 15, 2022
As many reviewers have said this is not a typical Val McDermid. It’s well written of course but a VERY slow burn only saved from being tedious by the brilliant narrator. (I listened to it on Audible)
The finale was as fast paced as the first 90% had been slow. I really hadn’t seen the end coming and it was a genuine shock. Doesn’t bear too much analysis but worked at the time of hearing it!
The finale was as fast paced as the first 90% had been slow. I really hadn’t seen the end coming and it was a genuine shock. Doesn’t bear too much analysis but worked at the time of hearing it!
April 7, 2021
Spannend boek tot op het laatste moment. Er zitten zoveel verrassingen en plotwendingen in dat je zou denken dat ik op alles voorbereid was, maar het einde was echt WOW. Dit boek gaat over van alles, moederliefde, vriendschap, ontrouw, trouw, verraad en liefde. Inhoudelijk ga ik niets vertellen, dat is niet echt handig als je dit boek wil gaan lezen. een 9 maar hier een 10.
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