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The Disappearance of Vanessa Shaw
ONE OF US IS LYING MEETS UNTIL DAWN IN THE MUST-READ NEW MYSTERY FROM MILLION-BESTSELLING AUTHOR SARRA CANNON
Secrets can kill.
Vanessa Shaw was the kind of girl you either loved or you loved to hate. Over the course of our friendship, I’d done both. I never should have gone to her family's secluded cabin on the river that night, but it was meant to bring us all closer. One last party with our original group before senior year began.
Instead, Vanessa disappeared without a trace, and her memory’s been haunting me ever since. Now, exactly one year later, her brother Kirin has brought us all back to the cabin to honor her life. Six of Vanessa's closest friends, each with a secret we’d do anything to protect.
But I have a feeling no one is leaving until we unbury the truth. After all, everyone there that night had a reason to want Vanessa gone ... Including me.
Don't miss this psychological thriller with a hint of the supernatural - perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and A Good Girl's Guide To Murder.
Secrets can kill.
Vanessa Shaw was the kind of girl you either loved or you loved to hate. Over the course of our friendship, I’d done both. I never should have gone to her family's secluded cabin on the river that night, but it was meant to bring us all closer. One last party with our original group before senior year began.
Instead, Vanessa disappeared without a trace, and her memory’s been haunting me ever since. Now, exactly one year later, her brother Kirin has brought us all back to the cabin to honor her life. Six of Vanessa's closest friends, each with a secret we’d do anything to protect.
But I have a feeling no one is leaving until we unbury the truth. After all, everyone there that night had a reason to want Vanessa gone ... Including me.
Don't miss this psychological thriller with a hint of the supernatural - perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars and A Good Girl's Guide To Murder.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2024
73 people are currently reading
369 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
October 25, 2024
This book helped pull me out of a reading slump! A YA mystery/thriller also in the ghost stories category, this book is a fun ride of lies, secrets, and surprises.
I flew through this book. Every time I thought I had guessed the final twist, a turn was thrown in that made me realize I was wrong. It had such a good pay off for a mystery.
I flew through this book. Every time I thought I had guessed the final twist, a turn was thrown in that made me realize I was wrong. It had such a good pay off for a mystery.
October 25, 2024
You know a book is good when you read it all in one night. Couldn't put it down and my brain had so much fun figuring out all the clues and twists. Definitely worth the read.
November 15, 2024
A fun, fast, satisfying read that broke me out of the huge book slump I've been in for far too long 🎉
A group of friends come together for one last hurrah a year after the disappearance of their friend, Vanessa Shaw. Some of them are there to party and have a good time before heading off to college, but there are some like Lorelai (Vanessa's ex-best friend) who is determined to find out what really happened to her a year ago.
I really enjoyed this one. The misdirection throughout the book was really well done, and that final twist wasn't what I thought it was going to be lol. I was convinced it was someone completely different...but it made sense the way it played out.
I've never read anything from this author so am looking forward to reading more of her stuff 😊
Now if only this would get picked up by Netflix and get a TV series or something 🤞🖤
A group of friends come together for one last hurrah a year after the disappearance of their friend, Vanessa Shaw. Some of them are there to party and have a good time before heading off to college, but there are some like Lorelai (Vanessa's ex-best friend) who is determined to find out what really happened to her a year ago.
I really enjoyed this one. The misdirection throughout the book was really well done, and that final twist wasn't what I thought it was going to be lol. I was convinced it was someone completely different...but it made sense the way it played out.
I've never read anything from this author so am looking forward to reading more of her stuff 😊
Now if only this would get picked up by Netflix and get a TV series or something 🤞🖤
October 28, 2024
The Disappearance of Vanessa Shaw was such a joy to read. The mystery aspect is expertly done, and I feel like rereading it just to see all of the foreshadowing in action.
In this novel, a group of friends come back together a year after the disappearance of one of their friends. With some of them just trying to come to terms with what has happened and others still actively trying to piece together what happened, there are tensions and secrets galore.
It is a mix of first-person perspectives of pretty much everybody involved (including Vanessa) and epistolary chapters where podcasts, police interviews, and text messages between characters are provided. It really helps the pacing and makes sure that all the characters are shown both the way they want to be perceived, and how complicated they really are.
The ending is a bit abrupt and includes a trope that I am not the biggest fan of. Is it unavoidable? Yes, but only to a certain degree, so I don’t think it really retracts much from the quality of the story. It’s a good twist and in general the misdirection is done really well throughout.
Can only recommend, even if you no longer fall within the YA demographic, to give this book a try :)
In this novel, a group of friends come back together a year after the disappearance of one of their friends. With some of them just trying to come to terms with what has happened and others still actively trying to piece together what happened, there are tensions and secrets galore.
It is a mix of first-person perspectives of pretty much everybody involved (including Vanessa) and epistolary chapters where podcasts, police interviews, and text messages between characters are provided. It really helps the pacing and makes sure that all the characters are shown both the way they want to be perceived, and how complicated they really are.
The ending is a bit abrupt and includes a trope that I am not the biggest fan of. Is it unavoidable? Yes, but only to a certain degree, so I don’t think it really retracts much from the quality of the story. It’s a good twist and in general the misdirection is done really well throughout.
Can only recommend, even if you no longer fall within the YA demographic, to give this book a try :)
Read
November 1, 2024I just read the free sample on Kindle but I struggled with it. I found it too confusing; unfortunately, I believe it needs more proofreading/editing. I’ll try again after another revision; hopefully one is to come as I’d love to read it, & support this indie author who gives so much to the community.
October 31, 2024
I just love Sarra’s writing! Such. Huge fan. I’m obsessed with the shadow demon series so of course I had to read this and it was amazing! A great YA thriller. It kept me guessing until the end! I loved all the clues and trying to figure out what happened and who did what. All the secrets. So much fun! Impossible to put down!
October 26, 2024
It's been a long time since I read a 400- page book in a single day, but I couldn't put this one down. I remember reading once that in a really well-crafted mystery, the reader figures out the answer half a page before the reveal. I'm an avid mystery reader, and I usually figure out the mystery much earlier than that, but this book managed to hit that half a page before the reveal sweet spot for me. Absolutely worth staying up past my bedtime to finish.
October 26, 2024
This book is SO amazing. I didn’t see the end! All the characters are SOOOOOO amazing. The past and present timelines were perfectly executed and not at all confusing like I’d worried.
I’ve been following Sarra for years, but this book is her best yet! I hope it becomes a bestseller because it’s that good. If you’re debating about reading it. Please. Please. Please. You must read it.
I’ve been following Sarra for years, but this book is her best yet! I hope it becomes a bestseller because it’s that good. If you’re debating about reading it. Please. Please. Please. You must read it.
October 26, 2024
Best Read
I loved this book and definitely didn’t see how this was going to play out! I finished it in one day! I haven’t finished a book in one day in forever! Excited to jump back into the Shadow Demons series!
I loved this book and definitely didn’t see how this was going to play out! I finished it in one day! I haven’t finished a book in one day in forever! Excited to jump back into the Shadow Demons series!
January 18, 2025
This was a fun read 🖤
The ending was a bit abrupt but I didn’t guess the final trait so I was happy with it 😊
The ending was a bit abrupt but I didn’t guess the final trait so I was happy with it 😊
November 4, 2024
A twisty mystery, artfully spun, with a satisfying ending. A quick and very fun read! I do wish it had gone through one more cycle of edits to catch a few typos and tidy up some repetitiveness, but the story was so compelling and the writing so strong otherwise that I wasn’t bothered by it. I look forward to reading more from this author’s backlist. And if you don’t already, go follow her excellent YouTube channel!
December 30, 2024
The ending was a bit rushed, and the book could have used a better editor, but it was a good time where I didn’t guess the final twist at the end so that was a bonus.
October 31, 2024
I could barely put this book down. I started a couple days before Halloween and then once I realised how gripping and suspenseful it was decided to read the rest in one sitting as a Halloween treat. It did not disappoint!
This book isn't overly scary, not gory or filled with horror, but it's atmospheric. Despite the creepy vibes it was a super fun read, trying to follow the clues and secrets that each of the friends slowly reveal as we the readers work out what happened along with the main character (not that it's easy, the twists and turns are everywhere!). The switching points of view and timeline were really well done, and definitely added to creating the tension and keeping me guessing.
I absolutely recommend this book, I'm almost sad the author mostly writes fantasy (and fantasy is my favourite genre!)
This book isn't overly scary, not gory or filled with horror, but it's atmospheric. Despite the creepy vibes it was a super fun read, trying to follow the clues and secrets that each of the friends slowly reveal as we the readers work out what happened along with the main character (not that it's easy, the twists and turns are everywhere!). The switching points of view and timeline were really well done, and definitely added to creating the tension and keeping me guessing.
I absolutely recommend this book, I'm almost sad the author mostly writes fantasy (and fantasy is my favourite genre!)
October 28, 2024
So good that I started at 1 am and stayed up till noon to finish—foregoing sleep. Phenomenal plot!
This book gripped me from the first chapter, and it didn’t let up till the last page. Very fast paced, exciting, and riveting.
I think Sarra nailed this genre! It’s not a genre I usually read, but boy, it was a fun, wild ride! Kudos Sarra—you pulled it off! I thought it was crafted perfectly! I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could.
My advice is to start the book when you know you have enough time to finish in one sitting. I lost sleep to stay up and see how it ended, and I don’t regret it one bit. I simply had to know if any of my guesses were right as far as who the perpetrator was.
Loved every second of this complex story that wove the lives of so many characters together expertly. I had to fight the urge to start a murder board myself to track it all but best believe I took detailed notes to keep it all straight. So fun!
I hope Sarra writes in this genre again. If she does, I’m jumping at the chance to read her next masterpiece.
This book gripped me from the first chapter, and it didn’t let up till the last page. Very fast paced, exciting, and riveting.
I think Sarra nailed this genre! It’s not a genre I usually read, but boy, it was a fun, wild ride! Kudos Sarra—you pulled it off! I thought it was crafted perfectly! I’d give it more than 5 stars if I could.
My advice is to start the book when you know you have enough time to finish in one sitting. I lost sleep to stay up and see how it ended, and I don’t regret it one bit. I simply had to know if any of my guesses were right as far as who the perpetrator was.
Loved every second of this complex story that wove the lives of so many characters together expertly. I had to fight the urge to start a murder board myself to track it all but best believe I took detailed notes to keep it all straight. So fun!
I hope Sarra writes in this genre again. If she does, I’m jumping at the chance to read her next masterpiece.
July 31, 2025
The Disappearance of Vanessa Shaw
Sarra Cannon (Goodreads Author)
I follow Sarra on Youtube, and I enjoyed seeing her process throughout writing TDOS. This book was not an easy write for her, and seeing her absolute visceral teary reaction when she completed it was pure elation.
TDOS has serval red herrings, plot twists, and a duel pov. It's a standalone mystery that keeps you guessing "who did it?" until the very end.
Sarra Cannon (Goodreads Author)
I follow Sarra on Youtube, and I enjoyed seeing her process throughout writing TDOS. This book was not an easy write for her, and seeing her absolute visceral teary reaction when she completed it was pure elation.
TDOS has serval red herrings, plot twists, and a duel pov. It's a standalone mystery that keeps you guessing "who did it?" until the very end.
August 27, 2025
I love fast-paced book bit this was on another level!!!!!
October 29, 2024
A Rare Fun Read
As a fan of Sarra as an author I admire greatly, I love her advice and have followed the birth and struggled labor of this wonderful book. While definitely YA, the mystery and creepiness were as addicting as the eagerness to know what happened to Vanessa Shaw. Sarra displays a masterclass in plot twists, red herrings, and story weaving that few can hope to accomplish especially with complex multiple povs and timelines. Definitely give it a read.
As a fan of Sarra as an author I admire greatly, I love her advice and have followed the birth and struggled labor of this wonderful book. While definitely YA, the mystery and creepiness were as addicting as the eagerness to know what happened to Vanessa Shaw. Sarra displays a masterclass in plot twists, red herrings, and story weaving that few can hope to accomplish especially with complex multiple povs and timelines. Definitely give it a read.
April 14, 2025
4,5✨
I have yet to find a murder mystery where I don’t figure out the murdered and major plot twists almost from the beginning (it comes with the job, I guess), but this was so much fun! (To read, not for the characters) And it got me out of a massive (physical) reading slump. Even stayed up until 2am to finish it
I have yet to find a murder mystery where I don’t figure out the murdered and major plot twists almost from the beginning (it comes with the job, I guess), but this was so much fun! (To read, not for the characters) And it got me out of a massive (physical) reading slump. Even stayed up until 2am to finish it
October 27, 2024
Beautiful read! I loved it
It’s been a while since I read something as intense and gripping as this book. I loved Lorelie’s character, her strength, her resilience and the beautiful friendship she shared with Vanessa. There are so many twists and turns, every chapter had me frantically turning the page to read the next one 😅😅 if I could unread the book just so I could read it again for the first time I would! Oh yeah and I love the atmosphere and setting of the story, it definitely passed the vibe check for the perfect Halloween read
It’s been a while since I read something as intense and gripping as this book. I loved Lorelie’s character, her strength, her resilience and the beautiful friendship she shared with Vanessa. There are so many twists and turns, every chapter had me frantically turning the page to read the next one 😅😅 if I could unread the book just so I could read it again for the first time I would! Oh yeah and I love the atmosphere and setting of the story, it definitely passed the vibe check for the perfect Halloween read
December 26, 2024
This was fun, twisty, and very engaging! I'm not quite the age range for high school YA anymore, but this would have been a perfect read for teenage me.
December 30, 2024
Okay so I do want to say up front that I guessed who it was pretty early on, but it was more of a ‘I think this person is the one because they creep me out’ but there were a couple times I almost changed my mind. That being said, I usually figure out books like this very quickly and I’m usually 100% sure about ‘whodunnit’, so this book was an amazing read. Not just because it was harder for me to figure out, but because Sarah Cannon is a masterful writer, and you can tell she pours her entire being into her writing. Absolutely beautiful book, and genuinely creepy. VERY well done and is going on my top ten books I’ve ever read.
If you like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Pretty Little Liars, you’ll love this!
If you like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Pretty Little Liars, you’ll love this!
December 29, 2024
10 stars. The end.
Listen… Sarra Cannon is known for her amazing fantasy stories. But THIS bad boy… by far her best book! Having a personal relationship with her and knowing how hard she worked on this book, reading the fruits of her labour was such a pleasure.
TDOVS is full of twists and turns and they were all SO beautifully crafted. This book is a work of art and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good who-dunnit thriller, even if it’s YA. If you loved A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, you’ll love this even more.
Listen… Sarra Cannon is known for her amazing fantasy stories. But THIS bad boy… by far her best book! Having a personal relationship with her and knowing how hard she worked on this book, reading the fruits of her labour was such a pleasure.
TDOVS is full of twists and turns and they were all SO beautifully crafted. This book is a work of art and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good who-dunnit thriller, even if it’s YA. If you loved A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, you’ll love this even more.
October 29, 2024
I can't express how much I've missed reading one of Sarra Cannon's new releases! This one definitely blew me out of the water. I didn't know figure out the big twist until seconds before it was revealed, which is what really makes a murder-mystery amazing, in my opinion.
October 30, 2024
I really tried to pace myself on this, but I got sucked into the story and couldn’t put the book down. Things unfolded so quickly, I just had to see how it ended.
This was my first Sarra Cannon read. It did not disappoint.
This was my first Sarra Cannon read. It did not disappoint.
May 20, 2025
I'm convinced that I didn't read the same book as everyone else... The killer was obvious from the start and the book lagged with all of the PoV switches and flashbacks. Just not for me.
January 19, 2025
I've been excited about this book since it was first announced. I had really high expectations for this book, and they weren't just met, they were exceeded! Another of my friends who read it and loved it called it "masterfully plotted" and I'm stealing that, because it's such an accurate and perfect descriptor of this book. With the story unfolding across three timelines and multiple POVs, it took incredible skill to pull it off so perfectly. Every time I thought I'd figured things out, the story shifted, and it was AMAZING! Also, on top of the brilliantly executed plot, I really loved the setting and characters. It was an emotional roller coaster, because you care enough about the characters to feel what they're feeling. And I got goosebumps SO MANY TIMES reading this book! It reminded me so much of reading Christopher Pike books as a teen, but even better! And even though it's a Young Adult book (and is totally appropriate for young adult readers), it felt more mature... more like The O.C. or One Tree Hill rather than Saved by the Bell or Boy Meets World, if that makes sense? This is one I will definitely reread in the future, probably multiple times!
November 7, 2024
A “whodunnit” that I read basically in one day as I was home sick from work. This is my first time reading Sarra Cannon’s work even though I have followed her productivity/writing youtube channel for years. She put a lot of intricate detail into this story and all of the characters were equally suspicious and well written. I did have the correct guess of the suspect pretty early on because of some very specific details I picked up on, however, I kept second guessing it! The story also had some supernatural elements which were fun and it was creepy at times (but not that scary… I can’t do horror lol).
There were a few minor things that should have been edited a little more, which is why this was not a 5 star for me, but I had a lot of fun reading it. I don’t usually go for murder mystery/thrillers so I don’t know how this book holds up to hardcore fans of that genre but I personally was entertained! I also know the author put a ton of work into this and I think she deserves reader support! Definitely recommend!
There were a few minor things that should have been edited a little more, which is why this was not a 5 star for me, but I had a lot of fun reading it. I don’t usually go for murder mystery/thrillers so I don’t know how this book holds up to hardcore fans of that genre but I personally was entertained! I also know the author put a ton of work into this and I think she deserves reader support! Definitely recommend!
October 27, 2024
I have been wanting to read this since I watched videos about its creation on Sarra Cannon's YT channel. The idea that there are 8 POVs and it bounces between the present and the past made me really intrigued.
I read this in two days and it totally kept me hooked. I did worry I might struggle with keeping everything clear but there was no issue. Sarra makes it clear who the POV is, and what time period it's from.
The clues and threads were woven through nicely and while I did guess one of the points (which I love to do) I did not catch the ending, which was great, as it kept me guessing.
I don't often read YA but this kept me turning the pages and I just devoured. It was well paced and enough clues and suggestions throughout to make it a great who-dun-it
I read this in two days and it totally kept me hooked. I did worry I might struggle with keeping everything clear but there was no issue. Sarra makes it clear who the POV is, and what time period it's from.
The clues and threads were woven through nicely and while I did guess one of the points (which I love to do) I did not catch the ending, which was great, as it kept me guessing.
I don't often read YA but this kept me turning the pages and I just devoured. It was well paced and enough clues and suggestions throughout to make it a great who-dun-it
November 13, 2024
This book kept me thinking and guessing throughout the book. Each character introduced I started to suspect as they each had their own reasons to want Vanessa gone. I would start concentrating on this character to see if they had something particular that pointed at them.
The story is told in present time and told in flashbacks from multiple characters point of view.
The story was so well crafted that nearly each person “could” have done it. While still keeping you guessing.
The romance also didn’t seem forced in this story either even considering it was a very stressful time for the two main characters.
The story is told in present time and told in flashbacks from multiple characters point of view.
The story was so well crafted that nearly each person “could” have done it. While still keeping you guessing.
The romance also didn’t seem forced in this story either even considering it was a very stressful time for the two main characters.
November 14, 2024
Don't normally read these kind of books as I normally can figure out who was behind it long before "the big reveal" but I've been following sarra and have read all of her other books, watched her journey with writing this book so gave this one a try after it came out.
It was well worth the wait and she had me guessing the whole time. Everytime I thought I had it figured out some new info would be presented and I would think it was someone else. I really didn't know until the reveal on this one lol. Masterfully done and very entertaining.
Thanks Sarra for another wonderful book!
It was well worth the wait and she had me guessing the whole time. Everytime I thought I had it figured out some new info would be presented and I would think it was someone else. I really didn't know until the reveal on this one lol. Masterfully done and very entertaining.
Thanks Sarra for another wonderful book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews