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The Vanishing
Recently widowed and rendered penniless by her Ponzi-scheming husband, Julia Bishop is eager to start anew. So when a stranger appears on her doorstep with a job offer, she finds herself accepting the mysterious yet unique position: caretaker to his mother, Amaris Sinclair, the famous and rather eccentric horror novelist whom Julia has always admired…and who the world believes is dead.
When she arrives at the Sinclairs' enormous estate on Lake Superior, Julia begins to suspect that there may be sinister undercurrents to her "too-good-to-be-true" position. As Julia delves into the reasons of why Amaris chose to abandon her successful writing career and withdraw from the public eye, her search leads to unsettling connections to her own family tree, making her wonder why she really was invited to Havenwood in the first place, and what monstrous secrets are still held prisoner within its walls.
When she arrives at the Sinclairs' enormous estate on Lake Superior, Julia begins to suspect that there may be sinister undercurrents to her "too-good-to-be-true" position. As Julia delves into the reasons of why Amaris chose to abandon her successful writing career and withdraw from the public eye, her search leads to unsettling connections to her own family tree, making her wonder why she really was invited to Havenwood in the first place, and what monstrous secrets are still held prisoner within its walls.
291 pages, Paperback
First published January 21, 2014
455 people are currently reading
13359 people want to read
About the author
Wendy Webb
9 books3,046 followersWENDY WEBB's novels are mysteries about long-buried family secrets, set in big, old haunted houses on the Great Lakes.
THE END OF TEMPERANCE DARE (2017, Lake Union) is set in a former tuberculosis sanatorium on Lake Superior, now a renowned retreat for artists and writers. When Eleanor Harper takes the helm as its new director and her first batch of visiting artists arrives, she begins to suspect this isn't going to be the restful retreat she thought it might be.
THE VANISHING (2014, Hyperion) is the story of Julia Bishop, who takes a job as a companion for a famous novelist, who the entire world thinks is dead. When she travels to the novelist's remote estate, she begins to suspect her too-good-to-be-true job offer is exactly that.
THE FATE OF MERCY ALBAN (2013, Hyperion) is an Indie bestseller. It's the story of Grace Alban, who returns home after 20 years when her mother dies under questionable circumstances on the very day she (the mother) planned to reveal the truth about a tragedy that occurred during a party at Alban House long ago. A packet of old love letters and a lost manuscript by a famous novelist lead Grace to the haunted truth about what really happened that day.
Wendy's first novel, THE TALE OF HALCYON CRANE (2010, Holt) was an IndieNext Pick, a Great Lakes Great Reads Pick and a Midwest Connections Pick. It won the prestigious Minnesota Book Award for genre fiction in 2011, and was a finalist for Le Livre de Poche's Prix des Lecteurs award in France in 2012.
A longtime journalist, Wendy lives in Minnesota.
THE END OF TEMPERANCE DARE (2017, Lake Union) is set in a former tuberculosis sanatorium on Lake Superior, now a renowned retreat for artists and writers. When Eleanor Harper takes the helm as its new director and her first batch of visiting artists arrives, she begins to suspect this isn't going to be the restful retreat she thought it might be.
THE VANISHING (2014, Hyperion) is the story of Julia Bishop, who takes a job as a companion for a famous novelist, who the entire world thinks is dead. When she travels to the novelist's remote estate, she begins to suspect her too-good-to-be-true job offer is exactly that.
THE FATE OF MERCY ALBAN (2013, Hyperion) is an Indie bestseller. It's the story of Grace Alban, who returns home after 20 years when her mother dies under questionable circumstances on the very day she (the mother) planned to reveal the truth about a tragedy that occurred during a party at Alban House long ago. A packet of old love letters and a lost manuscript by a famous novelist lead Grace to the haunted truth about what really happened that day.
Wendy's first novel, THE TALE OF HALCYON CRANE (2010, Holt) was an IndieNext Pick, a Great Lakes Great Reads Pick and a Midwest Connections Pick. It won the prestigious Minnesota Book Award for genre fiction in 2011, and was a finalist for Le Livre de Poche's Prix des Lecteurs award in France in 2012.
A longtime journalist, Wendy lives in Minnesota.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,329 reviews
September 7, 2018
this is a good rainy-day ghostie story. it isn't going to scare you overmuch, or be too intellectually challenging, and there are going to be times when you scratch your head over some of the situations, and say to yourself "but why wouldn't…. and why would….?? and what about…?" but that would just be you not approaching this book with the right attitude, so shame on you.
this is an unwind in the bath with a mug of wine book (yes, a mug. slippery bath hands with delicate stemware is a recipe for glass-bath), a curl up on a windowseat during a downpour kind of book, a onesie and hot cocoa book. it's just pure, leisure escapist reading. and in her acknowledgments, the author more or less says the same thing, which made me really happy:
With my novels, I'm not trying to define a generation, right any great wrongs, or change the way you think about the world or your place in it. I just want to craft a good story that will delight you, entertain you, grab you and not let go, and send some shivers up your spine along the way. As I'm writing, I really do think of you curling up after a long day with a cup of tea or a glass of wine and one of my novels.
which is such a charming and genuine thing to say, and i really appreciate that.
so as a book to read during a crowded holiday-shopper-packed subway commute (which is exactly the opposite of relaxing wine-bath, but requires the same kind of casual distraction), it was just the thing to take me away for a time.
big house, big dogs, big ghosts, big love. check, yeah!!
come to my blog!
this is an unwind in the bath with a mug of wine book (yes, a mug. slippery bath hands with delicate stemware is a recipe for glass-bath), a curl up on a windowseat during a downpour kind of book, a onesie and hot cocoa book. it's just pure, leisure escapist reading. and in her acknowledgments, the author more or less says the same thing, which made me really happy:
With my novels, I'm not trying to define a generation, right any great wrongs, or change the way you think about the world or your place in it. I just want to craft a good story that will delight you, entertain you, grab you and not let go, and send some shivers up your spine along the way. As I'm writing, I really do think of you curling up after a long day with a cup of tea or a glass of wine and one of my novels.
which is such a charming and genuine thing to say, and i really appreciate that.
so as a book to read during a crowded holiday-shopper-packed subway commute (which is exactly the opposite of relaxing wine-bath, but requires the same kind of casual distraction), it was just the thing to take me away for a time.
big house, big dogs, big ghosts, big love. check, yeah!!
come to my blog!
January 24, 2015
One of my favorite past times for the coldest darkest evenings of this time of year is curling up with a mug of hot chocolate, a heavy soft blanket and a spooky story that presents Dark mysteries.
After Julia Bishop's husband swindles millions from strangers and friends alike in a Ponzi-scheme and then kills himself, leaving her alone to face the consequences of his heinous. actions, Julia wants nothing more than to disappear and get a fresh start.
When Adrian Sinclair arrives on her doorstep and offers her the opportunity to do just that by coming with him and serving as his mother's companion, she jumps at the chance. Sure it's a little disconcerting that Amaris Sinclair, the famous horror novelist who Julia has always idolized and everyone believes has been dead for years, has instead been living in a secluded estate in the middle of the wilderness near Lake Superior, but this chance to leave her past behind might not happen again. Besides what possibly could go wrong.
As it happens it doesn't take Julia to realize that the beautiful estate Havenwood and it's various occupants are hiding quite a bit. She can't shake a distinct feeling of deja vu around every corner and everyone seems to be too nice, accomodating and familiar. The figures in the paintings seem to whisper to her, and strange visions keep presenting themselves. Julia cannot decide if she is hallucinating or Havenwood is actually haunted.
As more and more strange occurences keep happening. Julia demands answers from Amaris, Adrian and the charming man due to inherit Havenwood, Drew McCullough, she discovers a Dark and ominous presence that also resides at Havenwood, one that reaches far back into Julia's family history and one that her presence has once again awakened.
After Julia Bishop's husband swindles millions from strangers and friends alike in a Ponzi-scheme and then kills himself, leaving her alone to face the consequences of his heinous. actions, Julia wants nothing more than to disappear and get a fresh start.
When Adrian Sinclair arrives on her doorstep and offers her the opportunity to do just that by coming with him and serving as his mother's companion, she jumps at the chance. Sure it's a little disconcerting that Amaris Sinclair, the famous horror novelist who Julia has always idolized and everyone believes has been dead for years, has instead been living in a secluded estate in the middle of the wilderness near Lake Superior, but this chance to leave her past behind might not happen again. Besides what possibly could go wrong.
As it happens it doesn't take Julia to realize that the beautiful estate Havenwood and it's various occupants are hiding quite a bit. She can't shake a distinct feeling of deja vu around every corner and everyone seems to be too nice, accomodating and familiar. The figures in the paintings seem to whisper to her, and strange visions keep presenting themselves. Julia cannot decide if she is hallucinating or Havenwood is actually haunted.
As more and more strange occurences keep happening. Julia demands answers from Amaris, Adrian and the charming man due to inherit Havenwood, Drew McCullough, she discovers a Dark and ominous presence that also resides at Havenwood, one that reaches far back into Julia's family history and one that her presence has once again awakened.
January 14, 2016
What is required for you to love this book:
A) The ability to suspend all logic, reason and judgement regarding the character's decisions.
B) A love of the phrase "my dear" because it is used 7,458 times.
C) A desire to internally scream with frustration because no one in this book ever completes a conversation.
D) A desire to believe that anyone over the age of 7 would accept a conversation never being completed.
E) An unquestioning acceptance that a grown woman would accept so many placating comments and proverbial pats on the head to extend the story. (Side note: if Julia had demanded a complete answer the very first day this book would have been 54 pages tops.)
D) The gift to roll your eyes and read at the same time...it's an important skill with this book.
A) The ability to suspend all logic, reason and judgement regarding the character's decisions.
B) A love of the phrase "my dear" because it is used 7,458 times.
C) A desire to internally scream with frustration because no one in this book ever completes a conversation.
D) A desire to believe that anyone over the age of 7 would accept a conversation never being completed.
E) An unquestioning acceptance that a grown woman would accept so many placating comments and proverbial pats on the head to extend the story. (Side note: if Julia had demanded a complete answer the very first day this book would have been 54 pages tops.)
D) The gift to roll your eyes and read at the same time...it's an important skill with this book.
April 6, 2020
Julia is recently widowed and penniless, and wants a fresh start. A rich stranger offers her a "too good to be true" job as a live in caregiver to his mother, the famous horror novelist, Amaris Sinclair.
The Sinclair's are an eccentric family who live at an enormous and isolated estate. The mansion is haunted and holds secrets. Julia becomes suspicious there were other motives for bringing her here to this mansion, and she is not sure who she can trust.
This is a gothic tale full of eerie and ghostly atmosphere. Ghosts and apparitions are plenty. I highly enjoyed it and do recommend.
The Sinclair's are an eccentric family who live at an enormous and isolated estate. The mansion is haunted and holds secrets. Julia becomes suspicious there were other motives for bringing her here to this mansion, and she is not sure who she can trust.
This is a gothic tale full of eerie and ghostly atmosphere. Ghosts and apparitions are plenty. I highly enjoyed it and do recommend.
November 3, 2013
This was a true gothic ghost story and a nice homage to Daphne DuMaurier and Victoria Holt with a smidge of Stephen King. The setting of a haunted manor in northern Minnesota was well done and the characters were appealing, and I especially enjoyed the dogs.
October 25, 2018
*grumble grumble*
This book is going to be really hard to review.
Mostly because up until about page 270 (out of 290), it was a great book. The atmosphere of Havenswood was really captivating, and I felt that Julia was a real gothic heroine. There was a labyrinth type house, subtle ghosts and unease, and a dark mystery. The twist developed really well, even though the pace suffered a bit in the second act, and everything seemed to make sense as the story progressed.
So what went wrong? The ending. Julia finds out the truth, who she is really is, what really happened to her 10 years ago, and she overcomes the shock of this in a page and banishes the ghost that no one before her has been able to with an ability she didn’t realise she had until recently. This took two pages. Literally two pages. The evil ghost terrorising the home was banished so easily it didn’t really seem to matter. Was this ghost really a threat? Sure he was changing the atmosphere in the house and creating some quite vivid horror imagery, but he never really poses a physical threat to anyone in the home other than scaring them. He was not the same ghost released in the séance, who almost killed a child, and people had been living at the home since the séance 10 years ago and he hasn’t been that much of a problem.
Then there was the epilogue. While interesting and a little bit shocking, but at the same time a little bit jarring. Then there was the Poe quote at the end; All that we see or seem / Is but a dream within a dream. Is that what the whole story was? The machinations of an insane woman who is living in an abandoned Havenwood but imagining all the people and things around her? Maybe I missed something, some clue earlier in the book that it was not real. It just seemed so jarring and perhaps even tacked on at the end just to hype up the unease factor.
I loved the Gothic elements, and the way it was written really seemed to stir up the right atmosphere and hold just the right amount of tension. It’s just a shame about the ending really, because while I would have said this was a four star book up until page 270, that ending was really disappointing and then the epilogue was just confusing, it may have lowered this by a whole star. Or maybe I should just mark it on averages…..in which case it would be a four.
This book is going to be really hard to review.
Mostly because up until about page 270 (out of 290), it was a great book. The atmosphere of Havenswood was really captivating, and I felt that Julia was a real gothic heroine. There was a labyrinth type house, subtle ghosts and unease, and a dark mystery. The twist developed really well, even though the pace suffered a bit in the second act, and everything seemed to make sense as the story progressed.
So what went wrong? The ending. Julia finds out the truth, who she is really is, what really happened to her 10 years ago, and she overcomes the shock of this in a page and banishes the ghost that no one before her has been able to with an ability she didn’t realise she had until recently. This took two pages. Literally two pages. The evil ghost terrorising the home was banished so easily it didn’t really seem to matter. Was this ghost really a threat? Sure he was changing the atmosphere in the house and creating some quite vivid horror imagery, but he never really poses a physical threat to anyone in the home other than scaring them. He was not the same ghost released in the séance, who almost killed a child, and people had been living at the home since the séance 10 years ago and he hasn’t been that much of a problem.
Then there was the epilogue. While interesting and a little bit shocking, but at the same time a little bit jarring. Then there was the Poe quote at the end; All that we see or seem / Is but a dream within a dream. Is that what the whole story was? The machinations of an insane woman who is living in an abandoned Havenwood but imagining all the people and things around her? Maybe I missed something, some clue earlier in the book that it was not real. It just seemed so jarring and perhaps even tacked on at the end just to hype up the unease factor.
I loved the Gothic elements, and the way it was written really seemed to stir up the right atmosphere and hold just the right amount of tension. It’s just a shame about the ending really, because while I would have said this was a four star book up until page 270, that ending was really disappointing and then the epilogue was just confusing, it may have lowered this by a whole star. Or maybe I should just mark it on averages…..in which case it would be a four.
September 22, 2017
Julia Graham is recently widowed and looking to start her life over. When she is approached by a stranger with an opportunity to act as a caretaker for his Mother, Amaris Sinclair. Julia is intrigued by the offer. His Mother, Amaris is a famous author who the world believes died ten years ago. She is alive and well and living in a beautiful estate.
When Julia arrives at the estate which has a lot of history, she hears children singing but there are no children in sight. She also quickly observes that Amaris Sinclair does not really need a caretaker. Why has she been invited to come work at Havenwood and what is really going on at the estate?
I think this book had the potential to be a really good haunted house book but somewhere along the way it just lost it's momentum for me. The book is touted as being a Gothic ghost/haunting story. In this we have a Victorian estate in the middle of nowhere with a long family history. But in all honesty, those were the Gothic factors. When I think Gothic, I think of Daphne Du Mauier's books "Rebecca" or "My Cousin Rachel" For me, this book has Gothic elements but didn't feel Gothic. Just my opinion. This book also failed to be creepy. It didn't really shock or scare me. There were some twists and revelations that moved the story along but nothing that really said "WOW" to me. Initially this book sucked me in but as I said it lost me a little along the way.
This book is a fast read so perfect when you have some down time or a plane trip. There is nothing really complex going on with the plot.
Not sure about the ending and by that I mean the epilogue. On one level I really like epilogues on another level, I wonder what they can add to the story. With this book I really don't know what to think.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
When Julia arrives at the estate which has a lot of history, she hears children singing but there are no children in sight. She also quickly observes that Amaris Sinclair does not really need a caretaker. Why has she been invited to come work at Havenwood and what is really going on at the estate?
I think this book had the potential to be a really good haunted house book but somewhere along the way it just lost it's momentum for me. The book is touted as being a Gothic ghost/haunting story. In this we have a Victorian estate in the middle of nowhere with a long family history. But in all honesty, those were the Gothic factors. When I think Gothic, I think of Daphne Du Mauier's books "Rebecca" or "My Cousin Rachel" For me, this book has Gothic elements but didn't feel Gothic. Just my opinion. This book also failed to be creepy. It didn't really shock or scare me. There were some twists and revelations that moved the story along but nothing that really said "WOW" to me. Initially this book sucked me in but as I said it lost me a little along the way.
This book is a fast read so perfect when you have some down time or a plane trip. There is nothing really complex going on with the plot.
Not sure about the ending and by that I mean the epilogue. On one level I really like epilogues on another level, I wonder what they can add to the story. With this book I really don't know what to think.
See more of my reviews at www.openbookpost.com
January 1, 2014
I received an advance copy of this novel via NetGalley and was so excited to dive in, only to be sorely disappointed. The quality of the writing and the lack of characterization made this one painful to struggle through. I hit the 30% mark and finally gave up. I was able to accept the premise — woman who is some how tied to mysterious gothic residence is invited back and unravels past truths, etc. but the grammar, oh my! The prose definitely does not flow. And let’s be real, the whole premise of the plot was too nicely tied up with a bow from the start. A strong pass at the bookstore, but consider picking it up from the library? … Maybe?
August 20, 2016
Awful. I don't remember the last time I read a book so heavy with cliches. The protagonist, Julia, is by turns naive enough to accept the first explanation that occurs to her (which is usually dreadfully simple) and occasionally sensible enough to be weirded out by various supernatural phenomena taking place at the mansion in the middle of nowhere, where she has accepted an invitation to surrender her identity entirely and give herself to a family of utter strangers. Sometimes she understands that she's hearing ghosts, other times she assumes that she's hallucinating as a symptom of antidepressant withdrawal (I would be offended if it weren't so ridiculous). The end is obvious from miles away, and the plot borrows heavily from every ghost story you've ever read or seen. which isn't even the worst thing about this book; the prose is flat and boring, with Julia asking questions out loud that she just asked herself verbatim two sentences before, and subtlety is completely absent. Disappointing.
January 6, 2015
Wendy Webb has a fantasy. She sees an older version of herself, character Amaris Sinclair, in a castle in the woods with a young version of herself, Julia Bishop. Both ladies are horror writers, in need if a place away from the public eye. They both need to Vanish.
How does this book suck? Let me count the ways!
To start, the main character Julia is the quintessential helpless woman. Her dead husband has left her life in ruin and she is has retreated into her home away from the public eye in a depression. The first figurative knight in shining is Adrian Sinclair, son of the writer Amaris. Here is the big not-so-secret to the reader, the public has believed Amaris to be dead the past 10 years.
After Julia arrives at Havenwood, the aforementioned castle in the woods, the cliches come tumbling out page after page: a haunted old mansion, a recluse keeping a secret, a weak woman who just doesn't believe the things she sees and hears, psychics and seances, and ridiculously named magical artifacts. What I write ridiculous, I mean laughable. "The Devil's Toy Box." Who the hell would find that scary?
The Vanishing is written in a clumsy, first-person narrative that leaves a lot to be desired. If the main character/narrator, Julia, had depth or gave any subject serious though, it may not have been so bad. When she asks herself questions, which she does a lot throughout, I wanted to answer her each time with, "Because you're a stupid bitch, Julia!"
Most of the tale is wrapped up in the all-too-neat bow, but there are a few points of ambiguity that are more annoying than mysterious, as I believe the author intended. I cannot say anything more about that without spoilers, so find out yourself, if you must.
How does this book suck? Let me count the ways!
To start, the main character Julia is the quintessential helpless woman. Her dead husband has left her life in ruin and she is has retreated into her home away from the public eye in a depression. The first figurative knight in shining is Adrian Sinclair, son of the writer Amaris. Here is the big not-so-secret to the reader, the public has believed Amaris to be dead the past 10 years.
After Julia arrives at Havenwood, the aforementioned castle in the woods, the cliches come tumbling out page after page: a haunted old mansion, a recluse keeping a secret, a weak woman who just doesn't believe the things she sees and hears, psychics and seances, and ridiculously named magical artifacts. What I write ridiculous, I mean laughable. "The Devil's Toy Box." Who the hell would find that scary?
The Vanishing is written in a clumsy, first-person narrative that leaves a lot to be desired. If the main character/narrator, Julia, had depth or gave any subject serious though, it may not have been so bad. When she asks herself questions, which she does a lot throughout, I wanted to answer her each time with, "Because you're a stupid bitch, Julia!"
Most of the tale is wrapped up in the all-too-neat bow, but there are a few points of ambiguity that are more annoying than mysterious, as I believe the author intended. I cannot say anything more about that without spoilers, so find out yourself, if you must.
April 21, 2023
I have decided to make it a priority to read all of Wendy Webb's backlist and I was immediately pulled in by the cover of The Vanishing, so I thought why not! This is a gothic and very atmospheric tale that takes place in a seemingly haunted estate. I was completely surprised by basically everything that happened, and though I thought part of the ending probably deserved a little more attention, the rest of the book was really solid if you like creepy Halloween-esque reads as I do. The pacing is relatively slow but with the amount of atmosphere, the fun coloring on the chapter pages, and the hair-raising things that occur, it wasn't hard to stay invested.
I was excited to see that Xe Sands was the narrator for the audiobook and I have to say she did an amazing job as always. I really liked her as the voice of Julia, and she managed to make the creepy parts even creepier. The very end threw me for a little bit of a loop, and it has me wondering exactly what was going on, but I didn't mind that sense of mystery. Amaris was one of my favorite characters in the book by far but all of them were interesting and brought something different to the story. I love old houses with sketchy histories and Havenwood definitely had an intriguing past that I loved seeing uncovered. I didn't find there to be any horror elements in this novel but if you like supernatural suspense and gothic vibes, I would recommend The Vanishing to you!
I was excited to see that Xe Sands was the narrator for the audiobook and I have to say she did an amazing job as always. I really liked her as the voice of Julia, and she managed to make the creepy parts even creepier. The very end threw me for a little bit of a loop, and it has me wondering exactly what was going on, but I didn't mind that sense of mystery. Amaris was one of my favorite characters in the book by far but all of them were interesting and brought something different to the story. I love old houses with sketchy histories and Havenwood definitely had an intriguing past that I loved seeing uncovered. I didn't find there to be any horror elements in this novel but if you like supernatural suspense and gothic vibes, I would recommend The Vanishing to you!
December 22, 2016
Wendy Webb's 2014 novel is atmospheric, with aspects of exceptional creativity. Four stars account for a delay before mysteriousness gears up and a minor but persistent issue. The protagonist's "stomach churns" in every scene. If editors don't cover redundancy, I ought to put out a shingle! I have an eagle eye for logic, like Julia not having many dresses. If someone offered to move everything I wished, wouldn't I pack all belongings, especially clothes?
It is clear that Julia's memory falters for medical reasons and that the Minnesota mansion-dwellers know her. She does dally in sorting out the obvious but readers congratulating themselves for observing that, need to cool it. We couldn't know who Julia is, nor any detailed events. This novel does not let us coast comfortably because the hosts' secretiveness with Julia is shifty. This divided anxiety seems to detract from the spooky story the majority of us hoped to find. The extrasensory matters, wonderfully subtle and eerie when they begin to emerge, would be more powerful if we weren't waiting to confirm that we can trust the hosts. I believe a mystery about spirits and two fateful nights, from two generations, would be exciting enough.
I love Wendy's premise of a famous authoress living in secret and we aren't disappointed by her reason for "The Vanishing". I certainly love that Julia published a novel and is invited to live with this family under that pretext. The Minnesota wilds are a character in itself that Wendy paints well and which I can picture perfectly well. When she describes beatific forestland that borders Canada, with deep snow and cool winters; I am on that Canadian side, a little ways more north! Phyllis A. Whitney was queen of strong regional settings but Wendy has a good shot at that stature.
It is clear that Julia's memory falters for medical reasons and that the Minnesota mansion-dwellers know her. She does dally in sorting out the obvious but readers congratulating themselves for observing that, need to cool it. We couldn't know who Julia is, nor any detailed events. This novel does not let us coast comfortably because the hosts' secretiveness with Julia is shifty. This divided anxiety seems to detract from the spooky story the majority of us hoped to find. The extrasensory matters, wonderfully subtle and eerie when they begin to emerge, would be more powerful if we weren't waiting to confirm that we can trust the hosts. I believe a mystery about spirits and two fateful nights, from two generations, would be exciting enough.
I love Wendy's premise of a famous authoress living in secret and we aren't disappointed by her reason for "The Vanishing". I certainly love that Julia published a novel and is invited to live with this family under that pretext. The Minnesota wilds are a character in itself that Wendy paints well and which I can picture perfectly well. When she describes beatific forestland that borders Canada, with deep snow and cool winters; I am on that Canadian side, a little ways more north! Phyllis A. Whitney was queen of strong regional settings but Wendy has a good shot at that stature.
August 12, 2023
I wanted to love Wendy Webb’s “The Vanishing”, because I was all in for a Gothic haunted house story a la Shirley Jackson’s “The Haunting of Hill House” or Daphne Du Maurier’s “Rebecca” (two books that I love and that were referenced several times in the blurbs on the back of the book). I wanted to love it, but it never really clicked with me.
I merely liked it, which isn’t a bad thing. I could have, for example, hated it and subsequently excoriated it viciously in this review, but I didn’t, and I won’t.
I wanted to love it, but I was disappointed. Webb is clearly a talented writer. Her prose is butter-smooth and her pacing is perfect. She tells a good ghost story/psychological thriller, but here’s the problem: it’s not scary.
Not that there weren’t a few decent moments in which a goosebump or two popped up on my arm, but, overall, I felt that the story wasn’t terrifying enough. It had all the elements to make it extremely frightening, but something fell flat for me.
Maybe it was the fact that the story seemed too polished, too edited. Julia Bishop, the protagonist, seemed too willing to go along with what any rational person would see as a ludicrous and highly questionable proposal: walk away completely from your old life and come live in a huge mansion in the middle of nowhere to take care of an old woman. Granted, the life she would be walking away from was not great. Her husband was an investment banker who had bilked hundreds of people out of their life savings and then had the audacity to commit suicide. Now, Julia was being hounded by the media, the IRS, and hundreds of angry people looking to exact their pound of flesh.
Maybe it was the cliche-ridden haunted house itself: Havenwood, with its closed-off east wing, its mysterious paintings that look eerily like people that Julia almost recognizes, the whispers of children singing nursery rhymes in the hallway, its secret history that holds the ever-elusive key to solving the current problem. It’s almost a paint-by-numbers haunted house story.
Maybe it’s the fact that hidden within the haunted house story is a needless budding romance between Julia and the ruggedly handsome and compassionate descendant of the original owner of the house. If there’s anything more annoying within a haunted house story than a completely unnecessary love story, I don’t know what it is.
Maybe it’s the almost-too neat and tidy ending that ties everything up in a pretty bow.
Webb’s haunted house story reminded me of a young musical prodigy who has the ability and the technique and everything it takes to make a successful musician except for the one absolutely necessary requirement: a soul.
I didn’t feel emotionally invested enough in the characters to care about what happened to them, which isn’t to say that I didn’t like them. They were likable characters, for sure. But I didn’t want to just like them. I was hoping to love some of them, maybe even hate a few of them. I was hoping to feel an edge-of-the-seat thrill or fear when they were confronted with danger. I was hoping to feel a wicked sense of satisfaction when a character I despised got what was coming to them, but, alas, no. I didn’t get any of that.
It was simply a decent enough albeit somewhat forgettable thriller that grabbed my attention for a few hours and then ended.
I merely liked it, which isn’t a bad thing. I could have, for example, hated it and subsequently excoriated it viciously in this review, but I didn’t, and I won’t.
I wanted to love it, but I was disappointed. Webb is clearly a talented writer. Her prose is butter-smooth and her pacing is perfect. She tells a good ghost story/psychological thriller, but here’s the problem: it’s not scary.
Not that there weren’t a few decent moments in which a goosebump or two popped up on my arm, but, overall, I felt that the story wasn’t terrifying enough. It had all the elements to make it extremely frightening, but something fell flat for me.
Maybe it was the fact that the story seemed too polished, too edited. Julia Bishop, the protagonist, seemed too willing to go along with what any rational person would see as a ludicrous and highly questionable proposal: walk away completely from your old life and come live in a huge mansion in the middle of nowhere to take care of an old woman. Granted, the life she would be walking away from was not great. Her husband was an investment banker who had bilked hundreds of people out of their life savings and then had the audacity to commit suicide. Now, Julia was being hounded by the media, the IRS, and hundreds of angry people looking to exact their pound of flesh.
Maybe it was the cliche-ridden haunted house itself: Havenwood, with its closed-off east wing, its mysterious paintings that look eerily like people that Julia almost recognizes, the whispers of children singing nursery rhymes in the hallway, its secret history that holds the ever-elusive key to solving the current problem. It’s almost a paint-by-numbers haunted house story.
Maybe it’s the fact that hidden within the haunted house story is a needless budding romance between Julia and the ruggedly handsome and compassionate descendant of the original owner of the house. If there’s anything more annoying within a haunted house story than a completely unnecessary love story, I don’t know what it is.
Maybe it’s the almost-too neat and tidy ending that ties everything up in a pretty bow.
Webb’s haunted house story reminded me of a young musical prodigy who has the ability and the technique and everything it takes to make a successful musician except for the one absolutely necessary requirement: a soul.
I didn’t feel emotionally invested enough in the characters to care about what happened to them, which isn’t to say that I didn’t like them. They were likable characters, for sure. But I didn’t want to just like them. I was hoping to love some of them, maybe even hate a few of them. I was hoping to feel an edge-of-the-seat thrill or fear when they were confronted with danger. I was hoping to feel a wicked sense of satisfaction when a character I despised got what was coming to them, but, alas, no. I didn’t get any of that.
It was simply a decent enough albeit somewhat forgettable thriller that grabbed my attention for a few hours and then ended.
January 21, 2014
The age of spiritualism, a mansion and extensive grounds built by a Scottish Laird, seances attended by all the big names of the time including Charles Dickens and Conan Doyle, and a beautiful medium named Seraphin. Something goes wrong and something horrifying is released.
The future, House and grounds still intact, yet echoes from the past never die, as Julia who arrives fleeing her past, finds when she arrives as a caretaker to a famous, author thought to be dead.
Some of the conversations I thought were a bit awkward, and a few of the decisions Julia made had me shaking my head, but when reading these types of books a certain amount of rationality must be suspended> I mean who am I to say how I would act if strange things in a house were after me? Fun, slightly chilling foray into the dark side. Easy read, enjoyable, loved unraveling what was going on with the house and its inhabitants.
The future, House and grounds still intact, yet echoes from the past never die, as Julia who arrives fleeing her past, finds when she arrives as a caretaker to a famous, author thought to be dead.
Some of the conversations I thought were a bit awkward, and a few of the decisions Julia made had me shaking my head, but when reading these types of books a certain amount of rationality must be suspended> I mean who am I to say how I would act if strange things in a house were after me? Fun, slightly chilling foray into the dark side. Easy read, enjoyable, loved unraveling what was going on with the house and its inhabitants.
November 10, 2021
Be sure to visit my Favorites Shelf for the books I found most entertaining.
Great atmosphere, decent writing, entertaining, quick-paced, but not horror—more mystery. And I didn't get a gothic vibe at all. Quick ending, maybe a little too easy considering the lengthy buildup. Gorgeous book cover.
Great atmosphere, decent writing, entertaining, quick-paced, but not horror—more mystery. And I didn't get a gothic vibe at all. Quick ending, maybe a little too easy considering the lengthy buildup. Gorgeous book cover.
December 14, 2013
In this entertaining read, author Wendy Webb links the modern with the gothic, and comes up with an atmospheric ghost story. When we meet our heroine, Julia Bishop, she is in hiding. Her husband had been found guilty of a fraud which swindled hundreds out of their life savings and then committed suicide. Ostracised, blamed and confused, she faces losing her house and possibly her liberty. Salvation arrives in the form of the debonair Mr Adrian Sinclair, who arrives on her doorstep with a proposal. His mother, Amaris Sinclair, was a well known horror author. The world believes her dead, but she has, in fact, retreated to her estate – Havenwood – near the Canadian border. Mr Sinclair suggests that Julia become her companion and, feeling she needs to escape, Julia agrees. She is a little concerned when he tells her to leave behind anything which can identify her, but she knows that she needs to leave no trail which can help her be traced by the press.
Havenwood is the archetypal gothic mansion and, before long, Julia is beginning to feel that things are not right. The house is full of whispers, but are they real or imagined? What happened in this house so long ago, which left Amaris Sinclair hiding from the world? More than that, what made the Sinclairs really bring Julia to Havenwood and what do they, and the house, want from her?
This is a very enjoyable novel. I did not find it scary, but I did find it extremely interesting. I think it will appeal to those who enjoy an old fashioned ghost story, with good characters and an atmospheric and creepy setting. There is a delicious, snowed in, isolated feel about it, which would make it a perfect read on a cold, winters evening. I have not read anything by Wendy Webb before, but I am sure that I will be looking for more of her books.
Havenwood is the archetypal gothic mansion and, before long, Julia is beginning to feel that things are not right. The house is full of whispers, but are they real or imagined? What happened in this house so long ago, which left Amaris Sinclair hiding from the world? More than that, what made the Sinclairs really bring Julia to Havenwood and what do they, and the house, want from her?
This is a very enjoyable novel. I did not find it scary, but I did find it extremely interesting. I think it will appeal to those who enjoy an old fashioned ghost story, with good characters and an atmospheric and creepy setting. There is a delicious, snowed in, isolated feel about it, which would make it a perfect read on a cold, winters evening. I have not read anything by Wendy Webb before, but I am sure that I will be looking for more of her books.
March 15, 2018
Oh, man. I hate to be harsh, but this book was.... not good.
The premise is great, and if I wrote out the story in an outline form, it wouldn't be too bad. But the characters do not do things that real people do—and my assessment does take into account that this is a ghost story, so people might do weird things. Even given that, nope.
The story is a first-person account told by Julie, the heroine, and she has no defining characteristics at all. I can't tell you anything about what kind of person Julie might be, so it's impossible to feel any emotions when things happen to her—and the stuff that happens to her is inexplicable. Not in a "oh, this is ghost story so there are unusual happenings." It's in a "this book has not internal logic" kind of way.
But... in spite of my criticisms, I finished it—and in less than two days. It was a page-turner—I really did want to know where it was going—but at the end, it kind of went nowhere. And the Epilogue?! Just no.
The premise is great, and if I wrote out the story in an outline form, it wouldn't be too bad. But the characters do not do things that real people do—and my assessment does take into account that this is a ghost story, so people might do weird things. Even given that, nope.
The story is a first-person account told by Julie, the heroine, and she has no defining characteristics at all. I can't tell you anything about what kind of person Julie might be, so it's impossible to feel any emotions when things happen to her—and the stuff that happens to her is inexplicable. Not in a "oh, this is ghost story so there are unusual happenings." It's in a "this book has not internal logic" kind of way.
But... in spite of my criticisms, I finished it—and in less than two days. It was a page-turner—I really did want to know where it was going—but at the end, it kind of went nowhere. And the Epilogue?! Just no.
May 20, 2021
Every now and then a girl needs to read a good old fashioned ghost story...and that's exactly what The Vanishing is. If eerie creeps you out, then don't pick this one up. But I enjoyed the castle in the Northwoods, not only because I know the area but because the tale kept me guessing. The writing wasn't stellar--I didn't highlight any pretty sentences--but intriguing enough that the characters stuck with me to wish my day would move along a little faster so I could read at night. This would be a great autumn read.
October 29, 2014
This was a Daily Deal but worth a credit. A young woman, Julia Bishop, finds herself desolate after her husband is uncovered as a blue collar thief and instead of jail he cowardly chooses suicide. Shortly after her loss, a man of wealth appears at her door, she of course is suspicious, however, is intrigued and allows him to complete his explanation and proposal. He makes an offer that would entail her moving away from her life and coming to live in a mansion, on the Canadian boarder, where she would be a companion to his mother, a famous writer who was thought to be dead. She would have a safe haven where she could leave her disaster of a life behind with the hope of sometime in the future starting a completely new one. Needless to say she can't really find any reasonable reason to refuse.
Upon her arrival she is introduced to the house, his Mother, the caretaker and three enormous, well trained Malamutes. Almost immediately Julia starts to see apparitions, some malevolent and some whom she is not frightened by at all. She starts to wonder why she is the only one who can see them and why they all seem so familiar, not only them, but the house and people as well.
As stories are revealed about the house she just becomes more tentative and has an overwhelming need to get away but at the same time is pulled towards the house, and feels herself falling in love with the main characters. An exceptional ending, paced correctly and the epilogue knocked my socks off. I instantly went in search of the next book, but am sad to say there is no sequel. Xe Sands does an exceptional job narrating, as always, she adds a little something extra to the flow and feel to the story. This is a great spook, mystery that builds to a pinnacle ending. A perfect Halloween read.
Upon her arrival she is introduced to the house, his Mother, the caretaker and three enormous, well trained Malamutes. Almost immediately Julia starts to see apparitions, some malevolent and some whom she is not frightened by at all. She starts to wonder why she is the only one who can see them and why they all seem so familiar, not only them, but the house and people as well.
As stories are revealed about the house she just becomes more tentative and has an overwhelming need to get away but at the same time is pulled towards the house, and feels herself falling in love with the main characters. An exceptional ending, paced correctly and the epilogue knocked my socks off. I instantly went in search of the next book, but am sad to say there is no sequel. Xe Sands does an exceptional job narrating, as always, she adds a little something extra to the flow and feel to the story. This is a great spook, mystery that builds to a pinnacle ending. A perfect Halloween read.
August 23, 2016
I enjoyed this little gem. Spooky old house, ghosts, tea, and schedule.
November 15, 2015
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Julia Bishop is left alone and completely destitute when her husband commits suicide after it was discovered he had swindled out all their family and friends out of their life savings with a Ponzi scheme. She’s accused of being a co-conspirator in her husband’s shady dealings and is left friendless as well. Unexpectedly a man arrives on her doorstep to offer her a job taking care of her mother, the well-known but presumed dead author Amaris Sinclair. Accepting this job would also allow her to vanish from her current life issues so she readily accepts not truly understanding why she is being trusted with this job.
‘The truth finds its way into the light, no matter what you’ve done to contain it.’
There is little to say about this novel for fear of giving away spoilers. The Vanishing lacks in complexity but makes up for it in riveting storytelling. It often requires a suspension of disbelief because of the incredulity of much that occurs within these pages. For the better part of this novel, I found myself enthralled. A beautiful house in the middle of nowhere with a story all its own. A group of people with secrets. An unreliable narrator that puts everything into question. I love a good Gothic novel and I was well overdue. I greedily consumed the pages eager for the much anticipated twist that is a critical part of any Gothic novel. And that’s where I was left feeling cheated and completely dissatisfied. Simply put, my suspension of disbelief was pushed to excess and rationality intervened. As the author states at the end:
‘With my novels, I’m not trying to define a generation, right any great wrongs, or change the way you think about the world or your place init. I just want to craft a good story that will delight you, entertain you, grab you and not let go, and send some shivers up your spine along the way.’
The Vanishing did entertain me and there was the occasional shiver. Unfortunately, the ending was an unsatisfactory conclusion to an exiting tale that left me perplexed and discontented. As a whole, this was a very enjoyable novel and I can still honestly say that I’m glad to have read it.
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Julia Bishop is left alone and completely destitute when her husband commits suicide after it was discovered he had swindled out all their family and friends out of their life savings with a Ponzi scheme. She’s accused of being a co-conspirator in her husband’s shady dealings and is left friendless as well. Unexpectedly a man arrives on her doorstep to offer her a job taking care of her mother, the well-known but presumed dead author Amaris Sinclair. Accepting this job would also allow her to vanish from her current life issues so she readily accepts not truly understanding why she is being trusted with this job.
‘The truth finds its way into the light, no matter what you’ve done to contain it.’
There is little to say about this novel for fear of giving away spoilers. The Vanishing lacks in complexity but makes up for it in riveting storytelling. It often requires a suspension of disbelief because of the incredulity of much that occurs within these pages. For the better part of this novel, I found myself enthralled. A beautiful house in the middle of nowhere with a story all its own. A group of people with secrets. An unreliable narrator that puts everything into question. I love a good Gothic novel and I was well overdue. I greedily consumed the pages eager for the much anticipated twist that is a critical part of any Gothic novel. And that’s where I was left feeling cheated and completely dissatisfied. Simply put, my suspension of disbelief was pushed to excess and rationality intervened. As the author states at the end:
‘With my novels, I’m not trying to define a generation, right any great wrongs, or change the way you think about the world or your place init. I just want to craft a good story that will delight you, entertain you, grab you and not let go, and send some shivers up your spine along the way.’
The Vanishing did entertain me and there was the occasional shiver. Unfortunately, the ending was an unsatisfactory conclusion to an exiting tale that left me perplexed and discontented. As a whole, this was a very enjoyable novel and I can still honestly say that I’m glad to have read it.
April 14, 2017
It's been ages and a half since I read a really good ghost story but The Fate of Mercy Albin, also by Wendy Webb, was recommended to me and suddenly I remembered how much fun this type story could be.
In The Vanishing you have all of the hallmarks needed for the perfect gothic tale: a haunted Victorian mansion, a writer long thought dead, not one but two mysterious men and a woman who is in trouble and looking for a safe haven. Who ever runs to a haunted mansion looking for peace and safety? I don't know, but you cannot have a fun ghost story without all of the "props" now can you?
Webb does a fine job of fleshing out her characters, she really always does. At times they feel a bit contrived but you do get a sense of who they are. The reason for a lower rating - 3 rather than 4 stars- is because of the story itself. This one felt too rushed and hurried and the ending came so quickly that I felt cheated. It was as if she literally just ran out of things to say in the middle of the book; she had the beginning, the characters, the plot and the ending but couldn't figure out what to do with them in the middle. Even the seance scene was tepid. Yet despite these foibles the story itself is "good."
If you want a quick, light read, nothing that will tax your brain, then this will be a good fit.
In The Vanishing you have all of the hallmarks needed for the perfect gothic tale: a haunted Victorian mansion, a writer long thought dead, not one but two mysterious men and a woman who is in trouble and looking for a safe haven. Who ever runs to a haunted mansion looking for peace and safety? I don't know, but you cannot have a fun ghost story without all of the "props" now can you?
Webb does a fine job of fleshing out her characters, she really always does. At times they feel a bit contrived but you do get a sense of who they are. The reason for a lower rating - 3 rather than 4 stars- is because of the story itself. This one felt too rushed and hurried and the ending came so quickly that I felt cheated. It was as if she literally just ran out of things to say in the middle of the book; she had the beginning, the characters, the plot and the ending but couldn't figure out what to do with them in the middle. Even the seance scene was tepid. Yet despite these foibles the story itself is "good."
If you want a quick, light read, nothing that will tax your brain, then this will be a good fit.
September 19, 2021
This is my first time reading Wendy Webb and I am now adding her to my list of go-to authors.
The Vanishing takes place in a creepy atmosphere -- just look at that cover! As Julia agrees to accept an unexpected job offer, we encounter an eerie mansion and unusual situations. The dialogue, however, seems a bit awkward at times but not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the story.
This book has its scary moments, but I would not describe it as horror. In my opinion, this is more of a slow burn with a very satisfying ending. It was a good kickoff to the beginning of my spooky season reading.
The Vanishing takes place in a creepy atmosphere -- just look at that cover! As Julia agrees to accept an unexpected job offer, we encounter an eerie mansion and unusual situations. The dialogue, however, seems a bit awkward at times but not enough to take away from my enjoyment of the story.
This book has its scary moments, but I would not describe it as horror. In my opinion, this is more of a slow burn with a very satisfying ending. It was a good kickoff to the beginning of my spooky season reading.
September 17, 2020
This sucked pretty bad. Wanted a nice Gothic ghosty mystery. This just sucked.
October 7, 2024
Fans of esoteric mysteries who enjoy Gothic haunted houses set in remote atmospheric locales whose enigmatic residents are perhaps just a little too nice and whose rooms and paintings are full of ghosts, as well as things that sing and go bump into the night then Wendy Webb’s “The Vanishing” is the perfect page-turner.
This dual-timeline fantasy fiction centers around a grand Scottish-style mansion secluded in the Minnesota woods near the Canadian border, two seances held there, 100 years apart—both of which went terribly wrong—and the attendees affected by these horrific outcomes.
I was captivated by The Vanishing until the mind-boggling Twilight Zone-style ending—which left me perplexed, incredulous, and excited. Wendy Webb is a master of the obscure. This is my favorite genre of book! The Vanishing reminds me of another novel with a similar questioning ending that is in my top ten favorites—”The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield. I highly recommend both.
JoyReaderGirl1 submits this objective review, and I offer my heartfelt gratitude to Author Wendy Webb, Publisher Hachette Books Kindle Edition, and Amazon Kindle Unlimited for making this fabulous esoteric Gothic mystery available to the general public.
This dual-timeline fantasy fiction centers around a grand Scottish-style mansion secluded in the Minnesota woods near the Canadian border, two seances held there, 100 years apart—both of which went terribly wrong—and the attendees affected by these horrific outcomes.
I was captivated by The Vanishing until the mind-boggling Twilight Zone-style ending—which left me perplexed, incredulous, and excited. Wendy Webb is a master of the obscure. This is my favorite genre of book! The Vanishing reminds me of another novel with a similar questioning ending that is in my top ten favorites—”The Thirteenth Tale” by Diane Setterfield. I highly recommend both.
JoyReaderGirl1 submits this objective review, and I offer my heartfelt gratitude to Author Wendy Webb, Publisher Hachette Books Kindle Edition, and Amazon Kindle Unlimited for making this fabulous esoteric Gothic mystery available to the general public.
August 5, 2017
Oh my god, I hated this book so much I groaned out loud reading it. I should have known from the first moment that the protagonist had blackouts that her memory loss was going to be used in exceptionally stupid ways. It was boneheaded to the point of being so entirely unbelievable. So was her husband meeting her in a mental hospital, being allowed to marry her and sign her out against doctor's orders, or change her name and have her hidden from society, or whatever. Just nonsensical.
And don't even get me started on the supernatural. So there is a seance, something goes wrong and people die, okay interesting. But the tie in with the windigo nonsense added nothing to the story. Was Drew really the eternally living Andrew from 1850? You never find out and it never matters. Why not just use whatever was released in the seance to give him spooky supernatural attributes? But he couldnt leave because windigo curse. Well the original botched seance could have done that too?
And then the second seance. Another box? So are their two entities? Or just one? What happened to the original one? If it could never be banished, and the box shows up again, then that means there should be two? I couldnt even wrap my head around this, I think because I was speed reading to try and finish this horrible novel.
And then they have a third seance and she yells out some vague ass Christian nonsense while being surrounded by religious statues of all kinds, because faith, why not have more of it? True faith and being able to cast out evil relies on strength of belief, which we see absolutely NOTHING of here. In the 1850s seance, people were highly religious. Why could they not cast it out, but this bimbo do so within half of page of yelling begone? There is NO consistency with the logic of the haunting here. Maybe that doesn't bother most people, but it drives me bonkers because it's lazy! Lazy, bad world building, bad concept. This book is like a smashed together mishmash of spiritualism and none of it is compelling.
And the is this happening, or is she living in an empty, rotten house and is somehow really insane? Who gives a shit, that makes zero sense. She'd starve to death or die of exposure. Get out. Not even remotely okay with the ending that was not scary, not suspenseful and otherwise just stupid.
SO MUCH STUPID. Oh they told me not to leave my room but I will because reasons. Oh I saw something horrible and they told me to go straight back, but I wont, because reasons. JFC. Go die in a fire.
Dont bother. I wish I hadn't.
And don't even get me started on the supernatural. So there is a seance, something goes wrong and people die, okay interesting. But the tie in with the windigo nonsense added nothing to the story. Was Drew really the eternally living Andrew from 1850? You never find out and it never matters. Why not just use whatever was released in the seance to give him spooky supernatural attributes? But he couldnt leave because windigo curse. Well the original botched seance could have done that too?
And then the second seance. Another box? So are their two entities? Or just one? What happened to the original one? If it could never be banished, and the box shows up again, then that means there should be two? I couldnt even wrap my head around this, I think because I was speed reading to try and finish this horrible novel.
And then they have a third seance and she yells out some vague ass Christian nonsense while being surrounded by religious statues of all kinds, because faith, why not have more of it? True faith and being able to cast out evil relies on strength of belief, which we see absolutely NOTHING of here. In the 1850s seance, people were highly religious. Why could they not cast it out, but this bimbo do so within half of page of yelling begone? There is NO consistency with the logic of the haunting here. Maybe that doesn't bother most people, but it drives me bonkers because it's lazy! Lazy, bad world building, bad concept. This book is like a smashed together mishmash of spiritualism and none of it is compelling.
And the is this happening, or is she living in an empty, rotten house and is somehow really insane? Who gives a shit, that makes zero sense. She'd starve to death or die of exposure. Get out. Not even remotely okay with the ending that was not scary, not suspenseful and otherwise just stupid.
SO MUCH STUPID. Oh they told me not to leave my room but I will because reasons. Oh I saw something horrible and they told me to go straight back, but I wont, because reasons. JFC. Go die in a fire.
Dont bother. I wish I hadn't.
December 13, 2013
This was the first book I've won through the First Read Giveaways on goodreads, and I am so pleased that I truly enjoyed it.
“The Vanishing” tells the tale of Julia Bishop, a woman who is offered a wonderful escape from the nightmare her life has become since her husband bamboozled millions from their family and friends, then subsequently committed suicide to avoid punishment. Adrian Sinclair, the son of famous (long thought dead) horror author Amaris Sinclair, offers her the opportunity to become a companion of sorts for his mother at their Minnesota home of Havenwood.
Shortly after arriving, Julia discovers that all is not as it seems, and things that go bump in the night don’t always go away with the lights turned on. The sordid history of Havenwood, the past of Amaris Sinclair, and even the life story Julia believed about herself are woven to create a good little read that will keep a reader entertained for hours.
My immediate positive impressions upon finishing the book are that Webb did a wonderful job foreshadowing in the beginning of the novel, allowing the book to play out to a mostly satisfying end. The characters were well-written, aside from a little too much drama elicited from Amaris Sinclair. I truly enjoyed the tale, and finished it in less than a day.
The negative points of the novel are few, but still make this novel a worthwhile read. Character narration could have loosened up a bit. Amaris Sinclair was dropping “My dears” and “Darlings” all over the place, which by halfway through the book could have used a rest. The epilogue had me question the entire ending. I don’t want to publish any spoilers, so all I will say is the last three pages of the novel makes one want to re-read the whole story again to see if there was anything missed…
Bottom line, this is a good story with good writing. I will definitely read Webb’s preceding two novels, “The Fate of Mercy Alban” and “The Tale of Halcyon Crane”.
“The Vanishing” tells the tale of Julia Bishop, a woman who is offered a wonderful escape from the nightmare her life has become since her husband bamboozled millions from their family and friends, then subsequently committed suicide to avoid punishment. Adrian Sinclair, the son of famous (long thought dead) horror author Amaris Sinclair, offers her the opportunity to become a companion of sorts for his mother at their Minnesota home of Havenwood.
Shortly after arriving, Julia discovers that all is not as it seems, and things that go bump in the night don’t always go away with the lights turned on. The sordid history of Havenwood, the past of Amaris Sinclair, and even the life story Julia believed about herself are woven to create a good little read that will keep a reader entertained for hours.
My immediate positive impressions upon finishing the book are that Webb did a wonderful job foreshadowing in the beginning of the novel, allowing the book to play out to a mostly satisfying end. The characters were well-written, aside from a little too much drama elicited from Amaris Sinclair. I truly enjoyed the tale, and finished it in less than a day.
The negative points of the novel are few, but still make this novel a worthwhile read. Character narration could have loosened up a bit. Amaris Sinclair was dropping “My dears” and “Darlings” all over the place, which by halfway through the book could have used a rest. The epilogue had me question the entire ending. I don’t want to publish any spoilers, so all I will say is the last three pages of the novel makes one want to re-read the whole story again to see if there was anything missed…
Bottom line, this is a good story with good writing. I will definitely read Webb’s preceding two novels, “The Fate of Mercy Alban” and “The Tale of Halcyon Crane”.
June 26, 2020
I enjoyed most of this story a lot. I liked the creepy gothic atmosphere and the constant state of confusion I was in as I tried to figure out what was happening in this novel. I was eager to reach the conclusion so my questions would be answered. Seeing the details unfold within the last few chapters, I felt mostly satisfied, although the end, prior to the epilogue, felt a little too rushed after so much buildup. Perhaps the author let it fall flat intentionally, as she had one more surprise for the reader up her sleeve.
It was the epilogue, unfortunately, that made me begin to question how I felt about the story. I think it can be interpreted a number of ways so my own perspective might not match someone else’s. While I don’t mind open-ended conclusions, the implications of what this led me to believe made me very sad. And if my interpretation is as the writer intended, I can’t say that I liked what was done at all. It’s not that it didn’t add value to the twisty nature of the book. It is simply a storytelling device that I find bothersome. I’m being vague so I don’t spoil anything for you. I’ll just say that another author did something similar in one of his books, although he was clear about his intent, while The Vanishing leaves room for argument, and even though I really hated what he chose to do with that story, I still think he is a fantastic author. My view on what feels insensitive from where I stand doesn’t change the fact that Wendy Webb writes well and knows how to create an engrossing story.
It’s difficult to settle on a rating for this one. I’m giving it three stars, although I’d consider most of my experience with the story to be a four star read. My upset over the ending has affected my view but I also want to be fair to the work, as a whole. I am sure I’ll read more by Wendy Webb in the future. I do love ghost stories and all of her books look appealing.
It was the epilogue, unfortunately, that made me begin to question how I felt about the story. I think it can be interpreted a number of ways so my own perspective might not match someone else’s. While I don’t mind open-ended conclusions, the implications of what this led me to believe made me very sad. And if my interpretation is as the writer intended, I can’t say that I liked what was done at all. It’s not that it didn’t add value to the twisty nature of the book. It is simply a storytelling device that I find bothersome. I’m being vague so I don’t spoil anything for you. I’ll just say that another author did something similar in one of his books, although he was clear about his intent, while The Vanishing leaves room for argument, and even though I really hated what he chose to do with that story, I still think he is a fantastic author. My view on what feels insensitive from where I stand doesn’t change the fact that Wendy Webb writes well and knows how to create an engrossing story.
It’s difficult to settle on a rating for this one. I’m giving it three stars, although I’d consider most of my experience with the story to be a four star read. My upset over the ending has affected my view but I also want to be fair to the work, as a whole. I am sure I’ll read more by Wendy Webb in the future. I do love ghost stories and all of her books look appealing.
December 27, 2024
Story 3.75 stars rounded up. Narration 5 stars
This takes place in a haunted house, one that is inhabited by a horrendous spirit. It was a good story about a woman left with no options, money, home, job etc. When Julia accepts a job she never applied for, she ends up in the middle of a wilderness that boasts a huge estate. The author of her favorite horror novels lives there. Julia is now the author’s companion as the writer is very elderly. A good bit of the book is Julia acclimating to a new place and to being a companion. She sees and hears little snippets of ghosts and even wants to leave at one point. She comes across the malevolent spirit and the action in the book ratchets up by a lot. There’s some twists and a major turn, some suspense and minor scary moments. There’s also a romance. I’ve read several of this author’s ghost stories and really enjoyed them. This one was a bit disappointing towards the end when everything is just over way too easily and life goes on. Of course there’s one more turn. I guess I just wasn’t feeling the ending. That’s why I couldn’t give this a true 4 star rating. I’m also marking this as having spoilers. Still I’m glad I read it and I have more by her I want to read.
Narration by Xe Sands was stellar as usual. She is one of my favorite narrators and probably in my top 3. I mostly listen these days so that’s saying a lot.
This takes place in a haunted house, one that is inhabited by a horrendous spirit. It was a good story about a woman left with no options, money, home, job etc. When Julia accepts a job she never applied for, she ends up in the middle of a wilderness that boasts a huge estate. The author of her favorite horror novels lives there. Julia is now the author’s companion as the writer is very elderly. A good bit of the book is Julia acclimating to a new place and to being a companion. She sees and hears little snippets of ghosts and even wants to leave at one point. She comes across the malevolent spirit and the action in the book ratchets up by a lot. There’s some twists and a major turn, some suspense and minor scary moments. There’s also a romance. I’ve read several of this author’s ghost stories and really enjoyed them. This one was a bit disappointing towards the end when everything is just over way too easily and life goes on. Of course there’s one more turn. I guess I just wasn’t feeling the ending. That’s why I couldn’t give this a true 4 star rating. I’m also marking this as having spoilers. Still I’m glad I read it and I have more by her I want to read.
Narration by Xe Sands was stellar as usual. She is one of my favorite narrators and probably in my top 3. I mostly listen these days so that’s saying a lot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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